50 INSECTICIDES AND FUNGICIDES. 



The soluble portion of the ash consists of Ca, Mg, Fe, K, Na, SO 3 , 

 and P 2 O 5 . The sample appears to consist of sulphur, coal-tar prod- 

 ucts, and common earth. While the first two of these substances arc 

 of value in driving away and killing lice, the last is valueless, and 25 

 cents per pound is being paid for a substance that appears to consist 

 of 80 per cent earth and 20 per cent cheap ingredients. 



LAMBERT'S DEATH TO LICE. 

 [Serial No. 19680.] 



Composition of Lambert's Death to Lice. 



Per cent. 



Moisture 3. 97 



Ash insoluble in hydrochloric acid 35. 91 



Ash soluble in hydrochloric acid 31. 40 



Volatile matter, other than moisture . . 28. 72 



100. 00 



The portion of ash soluble in hydrochloric acid contains a large 

 amount of Ca, some Fe, Mg, K, Na, and CO 2 , and very small amounts 

 of SO 3 and P 2 O 5 . The volatile portion appears to consist of the organic 

 portion of tobacco, some carbon dioxid, and what appears to be small 

 amounts of coal-tar products. This sample on the whole appears to 

 be a mixture of tobacco with some lime treated with coal-tar products. 

 Either through negligence or on purpose a large amount of dirt is 

 present. It does not appear that this mixture possesses much value 

 as a louse killer outside of its content of tobacco, a like amount of 

 which could be bought for much less than 25 cents, the price per box 

 of the above mixture. 



' ELECTRIC VERMIN EXTERMINATOR. 

 [Serial No. 19683.] 



MetJwd of determining phenol. b About 50 grams of the powder 

 is treated with 5 cc of water in a mortar and sulphuric acid (1-2) added, 

 a few drops at a time, mixing well after each addition. The addition 

 of acid is not fast enough to cause a sensible rise in temperature, but 

 extends over several hours. The operation is complete when a small 

 piece of the well-mixed contents of the mortar gives an acid reaction 

 when placed on litmus paper. Enough sand is added to granulate the 

 contents of the mortar, and the whole is allowed to stand for a few 

 hours. The mass is transferred to a Soxhlet extractor and extracted 

 with ether. The ether is distilled off until the contents of the flask 

 acquires a temperature of 110 C., and the residue is weighed as crude 

 carbolic acid. 



See correspondence with manufacturers, page 61. 



& Allen's Commercial Organic Analysis, 2d ed.,Vol. II, p. 548. 



