VITRIOL. 



cipitated by aiding more zinc, esc;pt iron, which will of 

 itielf precipitate by expofure to the air, or feoihng in open 

 air. That in common ufe is moftly prepared at Goflar, 

 from an ore which contains zinc, copper, and lead, mine- 

 ralized by fulphur and a little iron : the copper ore is firfl: 

 feparated as much as poffible, and the refiduum, after torre- 

 faftion and diftillation, is thrown red-hot into water, and 

 lixiviated : it is never free from iron. 



The common white vitriol of the (hops contains a quan- 

 tity of ferruginous matter ; of which, in keeping, a part is 

 extricated from the acid, in an ochrey form, lo as to tinge 

 the mafs of a yellow hue. On diffolving the whiteft pieces 

 in water, a confiderable portion of ochre immediately fepa- 

 rates : the filtered folution, tranfparent and coloarlefs, 

 becomes again turbid, and yellow, on being made to boil, 

 and depofits a frelh ochrey fediment ; and a like feparation 

 happens, though much more (lowly, on (landing without 

 heat. Hence, when the folution is evaporated to the ufual 

 pitch, and fet to cryftaUize, the cryftals generally prove 

 foul ; unlefs fome frefh acid be added (as an ounce of the 

 ftrong fpirit or oil of vitriol to a pound of the fait) to keep 

 the ferruginous matter diflTolved : this addition fecures the 

 vvhitenefs of the cryftals, and prevents their becoming foon 

 yellow in the air. White vitriol generally contains alfo a 

 fmall portion of copper diftingui(hable by the cupreous (tain 

 which it communicates to polifhed iron immerfed in folulions 

 of it, or rubbed with it in a moift (late. The quantity of 

 copper is, indeed, very fmall, and may, if it be thought 

 necelTary, be feparated by boiling the folution for fome 

 time, along with bright pieces of iron, which uiU extricate 

 all the copper : by continued or repeated codlion, the 

 greateft part of the ferruginous matter may alfo be lepa- 

 rated. For the ufe of white vitriol in medicine and furgery, 

 fee Vitriol, in Medicine, infra. 



VlTKiOL, in Medicine and the y^its, has various applica- 

 tions and ufes. White vitriol is fometimes given, from five 

 or fix grains to half a drachm and more, as an emetic, and 

 appears to be one of the quickeft in operation of thofe that 

 can be employed with fafety. Its chief ufe is for external 

 purpofes, as a cooling rellringent and deficcative : a dilute 

 folution of it, as fixteen grains in eight ounces of water, 

 with the addition of fixteen drops of weak vitrolic acid, or 

 the aqua •vitrioitca of the Edinburgh Difpenfatorv, is an ex- 

 cellent collyrium in defluxions and (light inflammations of 

 the eyes ; and, after bleeding and purging, in the more vio- 

 lent ones. A folution of it with alum, in the proportion of 

 two drachms of each to a pint of water, called the aqua 

 aluminofa Bateana, is ufed as a repellent fomentation for 

 fome cutaneous eruptions, for cleanfing foul ulcers, and as 

 an injeftion in the fluor albus and gonorrhoea, when not ac- 

 companied with virulence. This vitriol is fometimes like- 

 wife employed as an errhine, and faid to be a very effeftual 

 dilTolvent of mucous matters ; in which intention it is re- 

 commended, in the German Ephemerides, agaiuft obilruc- 

 tions of the noftrils in new-born infants. See Zinc. 



Blue vitriol, like the other preparations of copper, a£ls, 

 in dofes of a few grains, as a mod virulent emetic. Its ufe 

 is chiefly external, as a detergent, efcharotic, and for re- 

 ftraining haemorrhages ; for which la(l intention a (Irong 

 ftyptic hquor ufed to be prepared in the (hops, and called 

 aq:ja vitriolica c^rulea. Blue vitriol has of late been con- 

 fiderably employed as an emetic by fome praftitioners ; and 

 is faid to be by no means an unfafe one, as it operates the 

 inftant it reaches the (lomach, before it has time to injure 

 by its corrofive quality. The peculiar advantage in ufing 

 it is reprefented to be, that it has no tendency to become 

 alfo purgative, and that its aftringent power prevents tlie 



tone of the (lomich from being impaired after vomiting with 

 it. It is much recommended in tiie early (late of tubercle* 

 in the lungs ; and the following method of exhibitioji 

 direfted. (See Simmons on the Treatment of Confump- 

 tions, p. 70. ) Let the patient firll fwallow about half a 

 pint of water, and immediately afterwards the vitriol, dif- 

 folved in a cupful of water. The dofe may be varied 

 according to age, conftitution, &c. from two grains to ten, 

 or even twenty ; always taking care to begin with fmall 

 ones. After the emetic is rejefted, another half pint of 

 water is to be drunk, which is likewife fpeedily thrown up, 

 and this is commonly fufficient to remove the naufea. In 

 ftill fmaller dofes, the blue vitriol has been much ufed by 

 fome as a tonic in intermittents, and other difeafes. See 

 Copper and Sulphate of Copper. 



Pure green vitriol is in no refpedl different from the arti- 

 ficial Sal Mortis ; which fee. It is one of the mod certain 

 of the chalybeate medicines, fcarcely ever failing to take 

 effeft where the calces, and other indilToluble preparations, 

 pafs inaftive through the inteftinal tube. It may be con- 

 veniently given in a liquid form, largely diluted with aqueous 

 fluids: two or three grains, or more, dilfolved in a p'.nt or 

 quart of water, may be taken in a day, divided into different 

 dofes. This vitriol is ufed alfo, cfpecially when calcined, 

 as an external ftyptic : the ftyptic of Helvetius, and, as it 

 is faid, that of Eaton, is no other than French brandy im- 

 pregaated with the calcined vitriol : a drachm of the vitriol is 

 commonly direfted to a quart of the fpirit, but only a mi- 

 nute portion of the drachm difTolves in it. (See Styptic.) 

 As French brandy has generally an aftringent impregnation 

 from the oaken cades in which it has been kept, the vitriol 

 changes it, as it does the watery infufions of vegetable 

 aftringents, to a black colour ; but makes no fuch change 

 in fpirituous liquors that have not received fome aftringent 

 tinfture. See Iron, Si;lphate of Iron, and Tinxture. 



The acid of vitriol, or fulphur [ fulphuric acid^, largely 

 diluted, is the moft falubrious of all the mineral acids. It 

 is mixed with watery jnfufions, fpirituous tindtures, and 

 other liquids, as an antiphlogiftic ; as a reftringent in hiE- 

 morrhages ; and as a ftomachic and corroborant in weak- 

 neffes, lofs of appetite, and decays of conilitutions, accom- 

 panied with (low febrile fymptoms, brought on by irregu- 

 larities, or fucceeding tlie fuppreffion of intermittents by 

 Peruvian bark. In feveral cafes of this kind, after bitters 

 and aromatics of themfelves had availed nothing, a mixture 

 of them with the vitriolic acid has taken effeft : the form 

 commonly made ufe of is that of a fpirituous tinflure ; fix 

 ounces of oil of vitriol are dropt by degrees into a quart of 

 redified fpirit of wine ; the mixture digefted for three days 

 in a very gentle heat, and afterwards digefted tor three days 

 longer with an ounce and a half of cinnamon, and an ounce 

 of ginger ; this is the elixir vitrioli of the Edinburgh Difpen- 

 fatory. Or, a pint of an aromatic tinfture, drawn with proof 

 fpirit, is mixed with three ounces of the ftrong acid, fo as to 

 form the acid elixir of vitriol of the late London Difpenfatory : 

 thefe liquors are given from ten to tliirty or forty drops, in 

 any convenient vehicle, when the (lomach is moft empty. 

 (See Elixir.) A mixture of oil of vitriol with fpirits of 

 wine alone, in the proportion of one part of the former to 

 three of the latter, digefted together for fome time, has 

 been ufed in France as a reftringent in gonorrhoeas, female 

 fluors, and fpittings of blood, under the denomination of 

 aqua RabtlUana, and eau de Rabel. The acid of vitriol, di- 

 luted with water, has been given internally with great fuc- 

 cefs in the itch. It was firft ufed for this purpofe in the 

 Prufllan army in 1756, and has fincebeen much employed in 

 feveral parts of Germany. The dofe recomrocuded is from 



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