318 
ORIGINAL AND EXTRACTED ARTICLES. 
DETECTION OF METHYLIC ALCOHOL. 
BY MR. JOHN T. MILLER. 
The following modification of my process for the detection of methylic alcohol 
may be used when it is wished to avoid distillation. It is easy of execution, and 
gives very fair results. 
Prepare in a small flask an oxidizing solution with 20 grains of bichromate of 
potash, 3 fluid drachms of water, and 20 minims of strong sulphuric acid, and add 
to it 30 minims of the spirit to be tested. After the mixture has stood ten 
minutes, add just enough milk of lime to give it an alkaline reaction ; warm, 
filter, and wash with half an ounce of warm water. The filtrate will be free 
from chromic oxide, and the greater part of the sulphuric acid. Precipitate the 
remainder of the latter, and any chromic acid which may be present, by the 
addition in small excess of a strong solution of acetate of lead; warm slightly, 
allow a few moments for the precipitate to subside, and filter. The filtrate 
should now be clear, colourless, and nearly neutral to test-paper. Boil it quickly 
down to 2 fluid drachms, pour it into an ounce test-tube, add 1 drop of dilute acetic 
acid (1 part of the B. P. acid to 2 parts water), and 1 grain of nitrate of silver 
in 30 minims of water; then heat the liquor slowly to the boiling-point, and 
simmer two or three minutes. Darkening of the solution to a considerable de¬ 
gree may occur even though the spirit be free from methylic alcohol, and is 
therefore a less reliable indication of the presence of that substance than when 
the oxidation products have been separated by distillation. The state of the 
test-tube will, however, decide the question. It should be rinsed out, filled with 
water, and placed against white paper. If it appear clean and uucoloured, the 
spirit is either pure, or contains less than 2 per cent, of methylic alcohol; if, on 
the other hand, the lower part of the tube have an evident brown tint, the spirit 
is methylated. 
I o obtain satisfactory results by this process, the points to be minded are :— 
1. To use distilled water. 2. To add only a slight excess of the precipitants. 
3. To use a perfectly clean test-tube. 4. To avoid boiling the liquor up the 
tube, and so thinning the metallic deposit by spreading it over a larger surface. 
I have tried various oxidizing agents, but have found none better or more 
manageable than bichromate of potash. 
Sheffield , November 9th, 1865. 
IS CHLORODYNE SUBJECT TO A MEDICINE STAMP? 
TO THE EDITOR OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL. 
Sir,—Having asked various friends about the custom and the legality of 
selling Chlorodyne without a Government Stamp, and having failed to obtain 
conclusive information, even from the proprietor of the article, I addressed 
a letter to the Board of Inland Revenue upon the subject, which, together 
with their reply, I now beg to lay before your readers. 
Barnard S. Proctor. 
Grey Street, Newcastle, Nov. 24, 18G5. 
“ Grey Street, Newcastle, October 31, 1865. 
"do the Honourable Commissioners of Inland Revenue. 
u Gentlemen,—You will greatly oblige if you can inform me, 
u 1. If Chlorodyne bearing the accompanying wrapper* is subject to stamp 
duty when sold retail. 
A ' The wrapper supplied was the usual wrapper of Collis Brown’s Chlorodyne. 
