September 21, 1872.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
237 
•and would require percentages of carbon and hydrogen, 
which in the following table may he compared with 
those obtained experimentally :— 
Theory. Experiment. 
1. 2. 3. 
C 6S 816 62T0 62T8 60-27 61-94 
H G6 66 5-02 5-66 5-63 5T6 
0, 7 432 — — — — 
We by no means consider this view established, .as in 
ihe nature of the case it would be very difficult, if not 
impossible, to indicate by any analysis of a substance of 
this kind, a change so small as would be represented by 
the loss or gain of a few equivalents of hydrogen. But 
the few facts we have at our disposal seem to show 
certainly that the insoluble part of aloe-resin is not a 
product of simple condensation. Thus, when heated with 
water to a high temperature as described in the former 
case, a portion is rendered soluble, but it differs in ap¬ 
pearance and character from the soluble substance into 
-which resin A is converted by the same treatment. 
Moreover, when treated by nitric acid the amount of 
chrysammic acid produced is very much smaller than in 
the case of resin A. 
It is somewhat interesting to observe that if the mean 
of the numbers obtained in our analyses of these two be 
compared with the mean of the numbers obtained by 
.Stenhouse in the analysis of anhydrous barbaloin, we 
fin d them approach each other so nearly as almost to 
coincide. The theoretical numbers calculated from the 
formula) exhibit the same relation. It is, however, to 
be noticed that taking them in the order in which they 
stand, there is a gradual increase in the proportion of 
carbon. The reason of this has been already pointed out. 
Experimental Numbers. 
Aloiu, Resin, A, Resin, B, 
average Stenhouse. soluble in hot insoluble in hot 
water. water. 
C 60-63 61-17 61-46 
H 5-57 5-58 5-58 
Theoretical Numbers. 
Calculated from the formula. 
^34^30^11 C 6s H ro O i7 C C8 H 6fi 0 27 
C 61-07 61-91 62-10 
H 5-38 5-31 5-02 
The President : I am sure, gentlemen, it must be a 
cause of great satisfaction to every one here that one of 
the Bell scholars should, in conjunction with Dr. Tilden, 
bring this valuable contribution to our pharmaceutical 
work. This increases my regret that the time does not 
permit us to do justice to work so excellent. 
Mr. Smith : It might enhance the value of the paper 
just submitted that there should be an expression of the 
opinion of one who has worked up a very large quantity 
of aloes. The results which we have arrived at in the 
manufacturing thoroughly corroborate the character of 
the resin just referred to. We have not gone into the 
analysis as exactly as the gentleman who has read the 
paper, but our practical experience on a very large scale 
thoroughly corroborates his observations. 
A Cheap Disinfectant. 
DY E. C. C. STANFORD, F.C.S. 
'Some of the popular disinfectants have such an offen¬ 
sive odour of their own that an odourless substance will 
generally secure the preference for ordinary household 
purposes. We have several harmless, cheap, and odour¬ 
less disinfectants amongst the alkaline and other chlo¬ 
rides. 1 have recently experimented on several of these 
to ascertain which is the most powerful, and, at the 
same time, the cheapest. That highly popular sub¬ 
stance known as Chloralum was used also for the sake of 
comparison. The experiments lasted thirty days, and 
the times noted were those when mildew and offensive 
odour first appeared. The chlorides were each mixed in 
the proportion of 2 per cent, and 5 per cent, with urine. 
In the second experiments a mixture of equal parts ot 
blood and water with the clot removed was used, and 
the chlorides added in the same proportions. 
Mixtures with Urine, 2 per cent. Salts. 
First appearance First appearance 
of mildew. of offensive odour, 
Chloralum .... 4 days . . 6 days 
Chloride Iron . . . none . . none 
„ Calcium . . 15 ... none 
,, Sodium .. 4 .... 8 
„ Potassium . 4 .... 5 
,, Ammonium . 4 .... 23 
Mixtures with Urine, 5 per cent. Salts. 
Chloralum .... 
4 days . . 
6 days 
Chloride Iron . . . 
none . . . 
none 
„ Calcium . . 
25 ... 
none 
„ Sodium . . 
4 . . . . 
8 
„ Potassium . 
12 ... . 
none 
„ Ammonium . 
none . . . 
7 
Mixtures with Blood and 
Water , 2 per cent. Salts. 
Chloralum .... 
11 . . . 
none 
Chloride Iron . . . 
26 . . . 
none 
„ Calcium . . 
18 . . . 
none 
„ Sodium . . 
5 ... 
6 
„ Potassium . 
5 ... 
G 
,, Ammonium . 
none. . . 
12 
Mixtures tuith Blood and 
Water, 5 per cent. Salts. 
Chloralum .... 
11 . . . 
none 
Chloride Iron . . . 
none. . . 
none 
„ Calcium . . 
18 . . . 
none 
„ Sodium . . 
4 ... 
5 
,, Potassium . 
4 ... 
5 
„ Ammonium. 
none. . . 
13 
It will be seen that the most powerful of all is the 
Chloride of Iron ; the simplest and least powerful is the 
Chloride of Sodium. The cheapest, in proportion to its 
power, is the Chloride of Calcium. This substance is 
a waste product in all alkali works, and the quantity at 
present thrown away is enormous ; I now propose it for 
general household use as a convenient, colourless, harm¬ 
less, and cheap disinfectant. I propose to use it in the 
form of solution containing 25 per cent, of the solid salt, 
and acidified with 12 per cent, of Hydrochloric Acid. 
This increases its power and is a harmless addition. I 
found about the same proportion in liquid Chloralum. 
Compared with liquid Chloralum in deodorizing sewage 
it was found to be about four times the strength, and it 
can certainly be produced for half the price. 
The sample of powdered Chloralum used in the urine 
and blood experiments was found to contain about o per 
cent, of Chloride of Iron, which accounts for part of its 
deodorizing property. I was first led to notice the dis¬ 
infecting power of Chloride of Calcium by using it in 
urinals. There is always great difficulty in keeping 
urinals in houses free from offensive odour; this is en¬ 
tirely obviated by putting a lump of Chloride of Calcium 
in the urinal; it lasts a long time, as it dissolves very 
gradually, and keeps the urinal perfectly free from odour. 
° For general household purposes, however, the liquid 
form is more convenient, and I propose to give the com¬ 
bination I have described the name of Chloricalcium, 
which is shortly and sufficiently descriptive of its com¬ 
position. 
Mr. Schaciit inquired whether the author considered 
it necessary that the article should be so strongly acid 
for commercial use as it was described to bo. The reason 
he asked the question was, that in his endeavours to 
keep portions of his own house sweet and odouiless, he 
had used materials which had tended to destroy the 
pipes. It appeared to him that the presence of a very 
