368 SPIRIT OF NITROUS ETHER 



few seconds, and produce a protective covering, holding 

 together the edges of slight wounds. Flexible collodion 

 adheres still more firmly, gives support without splitting or 

 cracking ; is made by mixing forty-eight parts of collodion, 

 two parts Canada balsam, and one part castor oil, and is 

 kept in well-corked bottles. A styptic, antiseptic protective 

 is made by thoroughly mixing with one hundred parts of 

 collodion, five parts each of tannic and benzoic acids, and 

 ten of carbolic acid. As a stimulating, antiseptic protective 

 for abraded skin or mucous surfaces, and notably for sore 

 teats in cows and ewes, one hundred parts of collodion are 

 mixed with two of glycerin and one of carbolic acid. One 

 part of iodoform or chinosol mixed with ten parts of col- 

 lodion, has been strongly recommended as a protective 

 adhesive for small wounds. Collodion is occasionally used 

 for coating boluses. 



SPIRIT OP NITROUS ETHER 



SPIRITUS ^ETHERIS NITROSI. Sweet Spirit of Nitre. An 

 alcoholic solution of ethereal compounds containing 

 ethyl nitrite, aldehyde, and other substances. (B.P.) 

 An alcoholic solution of ethyl nitrite (C 2 H 5 .N0 2 ), 

 containing five per cent, of the crude ether. (U.S.P.) 



Liquor ethyl nitritis. Solution of ethyl nitrite. A 

 mixture of ninety-five parts, by volume, of absolute alcohol, 

 with five parts, by volume, of glycerin, containing, when 

 freshly made, 3 per cent., by weight, of ethyl nitrite (B.P.). 



When rectified spirit, sulphuric and nitric acids, with 

 various practical safeguards, are heated with copper wire, 

 the nitric acid radicle (N0 3 ) is deoxidised by the copper ; 

 the resulting nitric peroxide or nitrous acid radicle (N0 2 ) 

 displaces the hydroxyl in the alcohol (C 2 H 5 .OH), and 

 there is formed ethyl nitrite (C 2 H 5 .N0 2 ), which distils over 

 with a portion of the alcohol. This saline ether, when 

 diluted with about three times its bulk of rectified spirit, 

 constitutes sweet spirit of nitre. As usually prepared, it is 

 unstable, and readily loses strength, but the B.P. solution 

 of ethyl nitrite keeps well, and is easily prepared. Spirit 



