122 INOEGANIC AGENTS 



amounts than are ever given medicinally are daily consumed 

 in the food. Bunge estimates from 50 to 100 gms., may be 

 thus daily ingested in food by man. This fact explodes the 

 fallacy that sodium salts are less depressant to the heart than 

 the corresponding salts of potassium and are preferable as 

 medicinal agents to the latter. 



Blood. — When given for any considerable period, the 

 potassium, like the sodium salts, impoverish the system and 

 produce a more fluid state of the blood. Large doses of the 

 potassium salts are likely to occasion purging, vi^hile small 

 doses are apt to cause diuresis. The carbonates and vege- 

 table salts resemble each other in action, but that of the 

 mineral salts is peculiar to the individual compound. 



PoTAssii Hydeoxidum. Pcftassium Hydroxide. KOH. 



(U. S. P.) 



Smnonyms. — Potassa caustica, B. P. ; potash, potassium 

 hydrate, caustic potash, lapis causicus chirurgorum, E. ; pot- 

 asse caustique, Fr. ; aetz kali, G ; kali ca'usticum fusum,P.G. 



Derivation. — A solution of potassium hydrate is evapo- 

 rated ; the residue is fused and run into moulds. 



Properties. — Dry, white, translucent pencils or fused 

 masses, hard and brittle, showing a crystalline fracture; 

 odorless, or having a faint odor of lye, and of a very acid 

 and caustic taste. Exposed to the air, it very rapidly 

 (590 F.)* absorbs carbon dioxide and moisture, and deli- 

 quesces. Soluble at 15° 0. (59° F.) in about 0.5 part, of 

 water, and in 2 parts of alcohol ; very soluble in boiling water 

 and in boiling alcohol ; slightly soluble in ether. 



Liquor Potassii Hydeoxidi. Solution of Potassium Hy- 

 droxide. (U. S. P.) 



An aqueous solution of potassium hydroxide (KOH), 

 containing about 5 per cent, of the hydroxide. 



Synonym. — Liquor potassae, B. P., solution of potas- 

 sium hydrate, kali hydricum solution, lixivium causticum, 

 solution of potash, E. ; potasse caustique liquide, lessive 

 caustique, Er. ; aetzkalilauge, G. ; liquor kali caustici, P. G. 



Derivation. — Boiling a solution of potassium carbonate 



* When solubility is mentioned hereafter, reference will be had to 

 solubility at the above temperature. 



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