POTASSIUM CHLOEATE 129 



cooling and grateful to the taste in fever. Smaller doses 

 (o ss.) may be given on the food to horses. 



Uses. — Nitre, ammonium chloride, and common salt, 

 each one part, are dissolved in three parts water, and some- 

 times used for their refrigerant effect on local inflammatory 

 conditions. Ice poultices are more efBcient. The value of 

 nitre is over-estimated in veterinary practice. It is recom- 

 mended in purpura and rheumatism as alterative. Here 

 again it is less serviceable than ergot in the former, or sali- 

 cylic acid and alkalies in the latter disease. Nitre is, how- 

 ever, in common use in such febrile affections as pneumonia 

 and influenza in horses. 



Powdered potassium nitrate — mixed with an equal 

 amount of stramonium leaves — is sometimes employed in 

 asthma and bronchitis of dogs as an inhalation by burning 

 the mixture. 



PoTAssii Chloeas. Potassium Chlorate. KCIO3. 

 (U. S. &B. P.) 



Synonym. — Kali oxymuriaticum, E. ; chlorate de pot- 

 asse, Fr. ; chlorsaures kali, G. 



Derivation. — ^Pass chlorine into a mixture of potassium 

 carbonate and calcium hydrate ; dissolve the result in boil- 

 ing water and recover the chlorate by crystallization. 



K2CO3 + 6 Ca (0H)2 -f 12 CI = 2 KCIO3 + Ca 

 C03 + 5 Ca CI2 + 6 H2O. 



Properties. — Colorless, lustrous, monoclmic prisms or 

 plates, or a white powder, odorless, and having a cooling, 

 saline taste. Permanent in the air. Soluble in 16.7 parts 

 of water.' Insoluble in absolute alcohol, but slightly solu- 

 ble in mixtures of alcohol and water. Explodes readily 

 when rubbed with sugar, sulphur, charcoal, glycerine and 

 many other substances. 



Dose.—R. & C. Bss.-i. (15.-30.) ;Sh & Sw., 5 ss.-i. 

 (2.-4) ; D., gr.v.-xx. (.3-13). 



Action Internal— Stomach and Bowels.— In concentra- 

 ted form potassium chlorate is an irritant to mucous mem- 

 branes—causing vomiting and purging in the alimentary 

 tract— owing to its >vithdrawal of water from the tissues. 

 Its " salt action " is also seen in its increasing tension m the 



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