88 
THE CHEMIST AND DRUGGIST. 
March, 1880. 
have come under our observation lately where slight illnesses 
have culminated into serious and even fatal results, in conse- 
quence of patients not knowing where to find the comforts 
necessary for their recovery. We are aware that suitable 
premises have been offered in one suburb (St. Kilda) on 
favourable terms ; and we would suggest that a public meet- 
ing should be called with the view of forming a limited com- 
pany. We trust that no attempt to increase the Melbourne 
Hospital nuisance will meet with support. It has been hinted 
that a wing added to the hospital would be sufficient. To this 
we are utterly opposed. Without fresh air, thorough drain- 
age, and strict sanitary conditions, we may “ throw physic to 
the dogs.” We are glad to find the subject has been taken 
up with interest by several of our leading medical men. At a 
recent meeting of the Melbourne Hospital Dr. Gillbee moved 
the following resolution : — “ That in the opinion of this com- 
mittee a self-supporting hospital would be the means of 
meeting a serious want ; that it would be of great service in 
preventing much of the hospital abuse which at present exists ; 
that it would meet the case of many classes of people who at 
present when attacked by illness experience great difficulty in 
obtaining relief, and who will be able by the help of a paying 
hospital to procure for a payment within their means the 
medical attendance, skilled nursing, and home comforts which 
they may need ; and that this committee solicit for this scheme 
the support of the public and the medical profession.” 
EUST IN WHEAT. 
The Rochester Dxpress of 26th March writes : — “ Our atten- 
tion was called yesterday to a branch of native industry 
in the establishment of Mr. G. F. Chamberlin, our local 
chemist. It appears that for some time past Mr. Chamberlin 
has turned his attention to the discovery of a preventive 
for rust in wheat, and last year he succeeded in producing 
what he estimated would be successful. It was tested, 
and a crop sown with wheat dressed with Mr. Chamberlin’s 
carbolic preparation proved to be entirely free from that pest, 
whereas, outside the prepared lot, even in the same paddock, 
undressed grain was found to be full of it. The carbolic pre- 
ventive, he assures us, has been calculated with great care, the 
proportion being reduced to the capacity of one grain of 
wheat before he finally determined on the strength of the 
compound. The great difficulty Mr. Chamberlin had to con- 
tend with seems to have been the impregnation of the plant 
by the dressing of the grain, but in this he has succeeded 
beyond expectation, for the effects may be recognised in the 
parent germ even after the plant has been produced. Mr. 
Chamberlin has forwarded his carbolic preventive to Queens- 
land as a trial for the £1000 bonus to be given by the Govern- 
ment for a cheap remedy. He has also sent the result of last 
year’s experiments to Adelaide, at the request of that Govern- 
ment.” 
In presence of other organic matter I am inclined to think 
this reagent is more reliable as an indicator of the presence of 
an alkaloid than any of the solutions used for that purpose. 
It appears also to be applicable for volumetrically estimating 
the strengths of alkaloidal solutions, and the author is at pre- 
sent engaged in devising such a process. 
SANITAS, A LATE ANTISEPTIC. 
This is a London product. The composition and method of 
preparing it have been described in the London Chemist ancl 
Druggist as follows : — 
“ A number of medical and scientific gentlemen and others 
assembled at the works of the Sanitas Company (Limited) to 
see the process of manufacture of this interesting product and 
the perfected methods which have now been arrived at. Mr. 
C. T. Kingzett, F.C.S., explained the process of manufacture 
and the principles on which this is founded with all clearness. 
A continuous blast of hot air is forced through pipes carried 
through the building, and provided with sub-pipes conducting 
into 20 or 30 large earthenware carboys, each capable of hold- 
ing about 100 gallons. These carboys each contain about 80 
gallons of water, and 15 gallons of turpentine floating on its 
surface. The hot air is brought into the liquid at about the 
point where the water and the turpentine are in contact. The 
carboys stand in vats of hot water, which keeps their contents 
warm, and the air, as it is discharged, passes upwards through 
the turpentine, gradually oxidizing it, and throwing down 
into the water certain soluble products of the decomposition. 
There is an aperture at the top of the vessel for the escape of 
the air. After continued action of this kind for about 300 
hours, the water is fully charged, and becomes, after filtration, 
the liquid called by the inventor ‘ Sanitas.’ According to 
the experiments which Mr. Kingzett carried out for some 
years on the oxidation of turpentine and essential oils, sanitas 
would be mainly a solution of peroxide of hydrogen and cam- 
phoric acid. To these he considers it owes its antiseptic and 
disinfectant properties. 
“ Mr. Kingzett showed some striking experiments to prove 
the presence of peroxide of hydrogen in sanitas, and after- 
wards handed round specimens of fish, meat, and other articles 
of food, some of which had been preserved for months by 
sanitas ; and he also took a piece of putrid meat, and, 
immersing it in sanitas, passed it round to the company, who 
satisfied themselves that all disagreeable odour had been 
removed. Mr. Haviland, medical officer of health for North- 
amptonshire, and other gentlemen present, spoke highly of the 
advantages of sanitas ; and a letter was also read from the 
Duke of Manchester, who had promised to preside on the 
occasion, but was prevented by neuralgia, saying that he only 
accepted the position after he had satisfied himself by experi- 
ment of the value of the product.” 
SIMPLE METHOD OF PKEPAKING A SOLUTION OF 
THE DOUBLE IODIDE OF BISMUTH AND POTAS- 
SIUM FOE USE AS AN ALKALOIDAL EEAGENT. 
(By J. C. Thresh.) 
Although it has been long known that a solution of the 
iodide of bismuth and potassium forms an exceedingly deli- 
cate reagent for detection of alkaloids, yet, on account of the 
trouble involved in making such a solution, it is not frequently 
employed ; moreover, in the majority of text-books it is not 
even mentioned. 
Such a solution may almost instantly be prepared as 
follows : — 
Take of — 
Liq. bismuthi, B.P J j. 
Pot. iodid 3 iss. 
Acid, hydrochlor. ... 3^ ss * 
Mix. 
The resulting fluid is of a rich orange colour, and when 
added to cold solutions containing a ; alkaloid, produces 
immediately an orange red precipitate, which appears to be 
almost totally insoluble in cold water, though somewhat 
readily soluble therein when hot. In point of delicacy, it is 
at least equal to the solution of phosphomolybdic acid, which 
is both troublesome and difficult to properly prepare. One 
part of strychnia may be detected in 500,000 of water, and 
one of morphia in 20,000. All the other alkaloids examined 
fall between these extremes. 
MISCELLANEOUS FOEMULiE. 
GLYCERINE CREAM, 
Ceresin 
Oil sweet almonds 
Melt ; add 
Powdered soap 
Eose water 
Glycerine 
Oil of roses, sufficient. 
20 parts 
50 
10 
20 
20 
j* 
a 
LACQUER FOR SURGICAL STEEL INSTRUMENTS. 
Paraffine 10 parts 
Venice turpentine 1 part 
Coal tar benzine 50 parts 
TRANSPARENT POMATUM. 
Paraffine (or ceresin) 15 parts 
Castor oil ... ... 85 ~ „ 
Perfume ... q. s. 
WATERPROOFING OF LEATHER, 
1. Lubricating (paraffine) oil 
Eaw rapeseed oil 
Sperm oil 
White turpentine 
Nitrobenzol, sufficient to perfume. 
2. Paraffine oil ... 
Eapeseed oil 
Paraffine 
Suet 
Eesin ... 
ETC. 
.. 2000 parts 
.. 2000 „ 
.. 500 „ 
.. 250 „ 
.. 1000 parts 
.. 1000 
.. 500 
.. 500 
.. 500 
a 
if 
ff 
