20 
THE CHEMIST AND DRUGGIST. 
July, 1880. 
NOTE ON UNGUENTUM HYDRARGYRI AMMONIATI. 
(By C. R. Blackett, President of the Pharmaceutical 
Society.) 
Pharmaceutical chemists have alway found a difficulty in 
the keeping of the ointment of ammonio-chloride of mercury, 
notwithstanding the most scrupulous care in seeing to the 
purity of the various ingredients officially ordered for the pre- 
paration of this compound. In seeking for an improved 
method to remedy the defective formula in use, various fatty 
substances suggested themselves as desirable substitutes for the 
simple ointment recommended by the British Pharmacopoeia . 
As lard is so prone to undergo rapid change, it is the very 
worst material that can be used in any preparations in which 
there are any chemical substances liable to decompose with 
great facility ; and as ammonio-chloride of mercury is of this 
character, it is not to be wondered at that the ointment, as 
usually prepared, will not keep for any length of time. It is not 
necessary to go into any detailed account of the chemical 
changes which take place in this ointment when kept, as 
the true constitution of white precipitate has been the subject 
of much discussion. Hitherto it has been the practice of phar- 
macists to prepare this ointment as required, or in small 
quantities at a time. By adopting the improvement which I 
now suggest, this need no longer be the case. Paraffine oil and 
wax were at first thought of as a desirable basis for the ointment, 
as it would resist rancidity longer than the ordinary ointments 
containing animal or vegetable fats. Vaseline, cosmoline, 
&c., are probably merely paraffine oil and wax in varying 
proportions, and are excellent bases for such ointments 
as ung. hyd. am.-chlor., or ung. hyd. ox. rubri, &c., and 
will keep their condition for a very long time ; but it was 
found objectionable to use these patented compounds on 
account of their colour, and the B.P. formula was altered by 
substituting pure castor oil for the lard and almond oil with 
the most perfect success. Some ung. hyd. ammonio-chloridi, 
made many months since, has been found not to have undergone 
any, even the slightest, decomposition. As the substitution of 
castor oil cannot possibly cause any difference in the action of 
this preparation, there need be no hesitation in adopting this 
change in the formula as suggested. 
CHLORIDE OF METHYL FOR EXTRACTING 
PERFUMES. 
Professor Vincent, of the Ecole des Arts et Metiers, Paris 
has communicated to the Society d’Encouragement a process 
for th e extraction of perfumes by chloride of methyl, which 
seems to yield greater results and finer perfumes than are 
obtained by the ordinary methods. 
The idea was suggested by M. Massignon, a manufacturing 
perfumer, who is now constructing a laboratory at Cannes, 
which will be able to exhaust on this principle 1000 kilo- 
grammes of flowers daily. 
The experiments were first made with odorous woods. The 
perfume was extracted, but it was tainted with a very per- 
sistent disagreeable odour, derived from the chloride of methyl 
itself. Professor Vincent set himself to remove this, and 
succeeded in doing so perfectly by treating the chloride of 
methyl in a gaseous state with concentrated sulphuric acid. 
Orange flowers were then experimented on, and the perfume 
obtained was pronounced by several practical men superior to 
neroli obtained by distillation of the flowers with water. 
An apparatus was then set up which has been regularly 
worked for some months. Its working is thus described : — A 
digester is filled with the flowers to be treated. On these a 
sufficient quantity of chloride of methyl is poured, from a 
reservoir in connection, to cover the flowers ; after being left 
in contact for two minutes, the liquid is drawn off into a third 
air-tight vessel. Further charges of chloride of methyl are 
passed through the flowers until the latter are believed to be 
exhausted. The chloride retained by the flowers is extracted 
by means of an air-pump, and a steam jet forces that which 
has combined with the moisture of the flowers into a gaso- 
meter, from whence all the chloride is obtained by means of 
the air-pump. 
The chloride charged with perfume is evaporated in vacuo 
by passing round the vessel a stream of water at about 30° C., 
the air-pump meanwhile withdrawing the chloride in vapour. 
A manometer is attached to the apparatus, and this, which at 
first indicates a pressure of three to four atmospheres, is 
allowed to show a vacuum of half an atmosphere, when the 
operation is considered complete. The vessel is then opened 
and the perfume is found in combination with fatty and waxy 
matters. This compound treated with alcohol yields the per- 
fume, possessing all the sweetness of the fresh plant. 
The process is applicable not only to those plants which are 
usually obtained by distillation with water, but also to those 
like jasmine and violet, which can only be extracted by 
enfleurage. 
Flowers, seeds, barks, and roots have all been tested, and in 
each case an increased yield of 25 per cent, has been obtained 
over the old method. 
PROSECUTIONS UNDER THE “SALE OF POISONS ACT.” 
At the District Police Court, on the 2nd August, before Mr. 
Call, P.M., James Leith and John R. Miscamble, described as 
veterinary surgeons, were summoned for that, not being duly 
qualified medical practitioners or registered pharmaceutical 
chemists, they did sell certain poisons, to wit, a solution of 
arsenic and tartar emetic, contrary to the provisions of the 
“ Sale and Use of Poisons Act.” 
Mr. D. Wilkie appeared to prosecute on behalf of the Phar- 
maceutical Society, and Mr. Frank Stephen appeared for the 
defendants. 
In opening the cases, Mr. Wilkie stated that, in consequence 
of the great increase of the number of deaths by poison, public 
attention had been directed to general evasions of the provi- 
sions of the “ Sale and Use of Poisons Act.” It was also 
well known that numbers of unqualified persons were selling 
poison without complying with the requirements of the 
Act in registering and labelling. Under these circum- 
stances the society felt that, in the public interest, some 
steps should be taken ; and these cases were the first of a 
number that would be brought before the court. The evidence 
would show that no precautions had been taken, that the 
defendants had sold the articles to a person who was a perfect 
stranger to them, and that there was no label “ poison” on them. 
The following evidence was taken : — 
William Lee deposed that, acting under instructions from the 
secretary of the Pharmaceutical Society he called at the 
defendant’s place of business and asked to be supplied with 
4 oz. of Fowler’s solution of arsenic, four doses of tartar 
emetic, and a horse-ball ; that these articles were supplied to 
him, for which he paid the sum of 7s. The witness stated 
that he was not asked to sign any book, neither was there 
any witness to the sale. Upon receiving the poisons he took 
them to the office of the Parmaceutical Society, and initialled 
each package, sealing them up, and then, by order of Mr. 
Shillinglaw, he took them to Mr. Blackett for analysis. He 
identified the packages now before the court, as those he had 
received from the defendants. 
In cross-examination by Mr. Stephen, the witness stated 
that he informed the defendants that the medicines were for 
a friend up the country. 
Mr. C. R. Blackett was then examined, and said : — “ I am 
an analytical chemist ; I received the articles produced from the 
last witness for analysis. Upon examination I found arsenic 
in one bottle and tartar emetic in all the packets. Arsenic 
and tartar emetic are both in part 1 of the schedule to the 
Poisons Act. This closed the case for the prosecution. 
No evidence was tendered by the defendants that they were 
legally qualified veterinary surgeons, and it was admitted by 
Mr. Stephen that his clients had practically no defence. 
Mr. Call said that, as this was the first case of the sort that 
had been brought forward in Melbourne, he thought a nominal 
fine would meet the case. He might, however, remark that any 
future cases would be severely dealt with. The defendants 
would be fined Is. and £3 3s. costs. 
Mr. Wilkie drew the attention of the Bench to the small 
amount of costs allowed. As the prosecutions were for the 
public good, he thought it scarcely fair that the society should 
be put to expense in bringing the cases forward, and the 
verdict was not one to induce the society to continue the good 
work they had commenced. 
According to M. Des Cloiseaux the crystalline form of 
magnesium is a regular hexagonal prism. 
Dr. Huggins most truly declares that one of the great charms 
of the study of nature lies in the circumstance that no new 
advance, however small, is ever final. There are no blind 
alleys in scientific investigation. Every new fact is the opening 
of a new path. 
