64 Chloric Ether. 
hoping to verify the same result, but did not succeed. With the oil 
four times distilled, having specific gravity .S83, the metal was oxidated 
quite rapidly. Ten grains in the oil, during three months, lost two; 
the liquid in the mean time became thickened, and of a dark brown 
color. The oil of copaiva, it seems, contains oxygen, which, uniting ¥ 
with the metal, forms potassa ; this, in its turn, is taken up by the oil 
forming a peculiar species of soap; the oxide being taken up as fast 
as formed, leaves the surface bright and metallic, whenever the film 
of soap is removed. ‘To ascertain whether the balsam from which I 
obtained the oil was pure, I obtained specimens from different drug- 
gists in this city for trial, and, with those considered the purest from 
the ordinary tests, arrived at the same result as above stated. Hence _ 
it appears, judging from my own experiments, that no substance hith- 
erto used will supply the place of naphtha in preserving potassium. 
If I am in error, I shall be happy to be corrected.—July, 1831. 
Arr. VI.—New mode of preparing a spirituous solution of Chlorie 
Ether; by Samven Gururie, of Sackett’s Harbor, N.Y. 
Mr. Editor—As the usual process for obtaining chlorie ether for 
solution in alcohol is both troublesome and expensive, and as from its 
lively and invigorating effects it may become an article of some value 
in the Materia Medica, I have thought a portion of your, readers might 
be gratified with the communication of a cheap and easy process for 
preparing it. I have therefore given one below, combining these ad- 
vantages with unerring certainty in the result. 
Into a clean copper still, put three pounds of chloride of lime and 
two gallons of well flavored alcohol, of sp. gr. .844, and dist. 
Watch the process, and when the product ceases to come highly 
sweet and aromatic, remove and cork it up closely in glass vessels. 
The remainder of the spirit should be distilled off for a new operation. 
These proportions are not essentia—if more chloride of lime be 
used, the etherial product will be increased ; nor is it necessary that 
the proof of the spirit should be very high, but I have commonly used 
the above proportions and proof, and have every reason to be satis 
fied with them. From the above quantity I have usually obtained 
about one gallon of etherial spirit.* 
* The affinity of chlorine to lime, is so weak, and to alcohol so strong, that the chlo 
rine is all taken up, long before the distillation is over; hence, the absolute necessil¥ 
of watching the process, so as to know when (o set aside the etherial portion. 
