334 ACTIONS AND USES 



over a few embers in a shovel, iron basin or brazier. It 

 burns best when previously mixed with about one-fourth 

 part of finely-divided charcoal, or when each charge of one 

 and a half pounds of sulphur is treated with an ounce of 

 alcohol, which in burning furnishes a large amount of steam, 

 and thus increases the penetrating and disinfectant power of 

 the gas. Sulphurous acid, even when diluted, causes irrita- 

 tion and coughing when breathed either by men or animals, 

 and consequently for thorough disinfection of infected pre- 

 mises animals must be removed, doors and windows closed, 

 and one and a half pounds sulphur burned for each thousand 

 feet of cubic space. Articles of saddlery and clothing 

 should be cleansed by steam-heat, or washed with corrosive 

 sublimate solution. Such articles, freely exposed to sul- 

 phurous gas, are bleached, and eventually damaged, from 

 condensation of sulphurous acid. 



DOSES, etc. Of the B.P. solution horses and cattle take 

 f Ji. to f ij. ; sheep and pigs, f3ss. to f 3JJ- \ dogs, lT[xx. to 

 TT[lx., given every three or four hours, diluted with water 

 or other cold bland fluid. It may be continued until the 

 system is saturated and the skin gives off its odour. It is 

 conjoined as required with aromatics, alcohol, ether, or 

 opium. For surgical purposes it is diluted usually with 

 three or four parts of water ; with this the lint or other 

 dressing is kept saturated ; admixture with glycerin 

 renders it more soothing. For disinfectant purposes it 

 may be used with carbolic acid, but not with chlorine or 

 bleaching powder, which neutralises it. 



HYDROCHLORIC ACID 

 ACIDUM HYDROCHLORICUM. Muriatic Acid. Spirit of Salt. 



A liquid containing 3T79 per cent, of hydrogen chloride, 

 HC1, and 68-21 per cent, of water (B.P.). 



Hydrochloric acid is obtained by dissolving in water the 

 gas produced by the interaction of sulphuric acid and 

 sodium chloride. It is colourless, intensely sour and acrid, 

 emits white, pungent fumes of the gas, and has the specific 

 gravity 1'160. The B.P. acid urn hydrochloricum dilutum is 



