October 29, 1870.] THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
343 
meter and about 1 line in thickness. The cracks 
and striae were scarcely recognizable, and the colour 
of the bark inside was pale or dark yellow. The 
total amount of alkaloids was 3’5 per cent., consist¬ 
ing of P7 quinine with some quinidine, concliinine, 
cmchinine and amorphous basic substance. 
No. IV. M. 
Containing, according to Professor Gunning, when 
dried at 100° C — 
Alkaloid soluble in ether . . . 1*1 per cent. 
„ insoluble „ ... 0'9 ,, 
This consisted of grey, greyish-brown and brown 
quills, and flat pieces about 8 inches long, with lon¬ 
gitudinal cracks, but no transverse strife: reddish- 
yellow inside. It contained in all l - 9 per cent, al¬ 
kaloids, including 0 - 5 quinine, besides cinchonine, 
some quinidine, concliinine and amorphous base. 
Brown Java bark. 
Total amount of alkaloids 1*2 per cent., chiefly 
quinidine and amorphous base with trace of quinine, 
but neither cinchonine nor concliinine. This bark 
(Pahudiana) is already well known to be worthless, 
and the Dutch Government has forbidden its pro¬ 
duction. 
These results show that only two of these samples 
(Nos. II. and III.) contain any sensible amount of 
the alkaloid that is alone of use,—crystallizable 
quinine,—and in regard to this the samples are 
nearly the same as a very ordinary sample of Ca- 
lisaya bark. Consequently the Java bark, as pro¬ 
duced at the present time, is quite unfit for the 
manufacture of quinine.—Abstract of paper in the 
Neues Jalirbucli fur Pharmacies xxxiv. 18. 
Colters for Sfatonts. 
CHEMICAL NOTES TO THE PHARMACOPOEIA. 
BY WILLIAM A. TILDEN, B.SC. LOND. 
DEMONSTRATOR OF PRACTICAL CHEMISTRY TO THE 
PHARMACEUTICAL SOCIETY. 
Acidum Sulphuricum. —Sulphurous acid gas is 
procured either by burning sulphur or by roasting 
iron pyrites (Fe S 2 ); it is passed, together with the 
vapour of nitric acid, in a stream of air into a large 
chamber lined with sheet lead. At intervals, jets of 
steam are thrown into the chamber. These mate¬ 
rials react on each other in this way: oxygen from 
the nitric acid and water (of the steam) unite with 
sulphurous acid gas, and form sulphuric acid, which, 
being scarcely volatile, collects as a liquid at the 
bottom of the chamber. The nitric oxide (N O) 
which results from the deoxidation of the nitric acid 
combines with oxygen, which enters in the form 
of atmospheric air and produces nitric peroxide 
(N 0 2 ); this, in turn, gives up oxygen to a second 
portion of sulphurous acid and itself is again re¬ 
duced to nitric oxide. These changes go on in this 
order incessantly. On the one hand we have sul¬ 
phurous acid gaS and vapour of water, on the other 
atmospheric oxygen and, occupying an intermediate 
position, the nitric oxide. As the oxygen comes in 
it is handed over, by the intervention of the N 0, 
into combination with the S 0 2 , H„ O. 
O 
(from the air). 
SO, 
PRO 
} 
\ [ or H 9 SO, 
becoming 
IPS Os 
NO 
(alter natch/ 
N0 and NO.,). 
i 
The above reaction is accompanied by other 
changes. Sometimes, when water is deficient, a 
crystalline body forms in the lead chambers. Tliis 
compound is believed to contain the elements of sul¬ 
phurous anhydride, S 0 2 , nitric peroxide, N 0 2 , plus 
oxygen ; but its constitution is quite unknown. 
The weak acid of the lead chambers is concen¬ 
trated first by evaporation, afterwards by distillation. 
Sulphuric acid is an oily liquid; specific gravity 
1‘843. It has an intense affinity for water, absorb¬ 
ing water greedily when exposed to the air, evolving 
considerable heat when mixed with water, and the 
mixture undergoing diminution or contraction of vo¬ 
lume. "When diluted, it gives with chloride of ba¬ 
rium a wliite precipitate of sulphate of barium, in¬ 
soluble in acids and in water. Sulphuric acid chars 
and decomposes almost all lands of organic sub¬ 
stances. In consequence of its attraction for water, 
it removes part of their hydrogen and oxygen in that 
form, and a mass of highly carbonaceous composi¬ 
tion and appearance remains. Some bodies dissolve 
in it without blackening ; indigo does tliis. Others 
do not blacken, but are completely decomposed ; for 
example,— 
C 2 H 2 0 4 + H 2 S0 4 
Oxalic Strong sul- 
acid. phuric acid. 
= CO + CO, + h 2 o, h 2 so 4 
Carbonic Carbonic Hydrate of sul- 
monoxide. dioxide. phuric acid. 
Nordhausen or fuming sulphuric acid is made by 
distilling at a strong heat partially dried sulphate 
of iron. The product, notwithstanding its ready de- 
composability, is generally looked upon as a definite 
compound. Some chemists still regard it, however, 
as a mere solution of sulphuric anhydride, S 0 3 , in 
sulphuric acid, H 2 S 0 4 . The old name, oil of vitriol, 
arose from its being thus prepared from sulphate of 
iron, or green Vitriol. White vitriol is sulphate of 
zinc ; blue vitriol, sulphate of copper. 
The sulphuric acid of commerce contains traces of" 
many impurities; bisulpliate of potash or soda would 
be left by evaporation in a platinum dish; nitric or 
nitrous acid, detected by a solution of sulphate of 
iron, which, poured over the surface, developes a 
purplish colour where the two liquids unite; arsenic' 
or lead, by diluting with a considerable quantity of 
water, and saturating with sulphuretted hydrogen. 
A white cloud of sulphate of lead is usually observed 
on adding water to common oil of vitriol; tliis is de¬ 
rived cliiefly from the pans in which the first con¬ 
centration is effected; it is slightly soluble in the 
strong acid, but scarcely at all so when diluted, tliis, 
is the cause of the precipitation. 
Impure sulphuric acid may be freed from contami¬ 
nation with arsenic by heating it with a little hy¬ 
drochloric acid; the arsenic is expelled in the form 
of chloride. It may be purified from nitrous com¬ 
pounds by distillation with a little sulphate of am¬ 
monia. 
(NH 4 ) 2 S0 4 + N 2 0 3 = 2N 2 + 3 H 2 0 + H 2 S0 4 . 
[§ 5*06 grams, mixed with an ounce of distilled 
water, require for neutralization 100 c.c. of the volu¬ 
metric solution of soda.] Sulphuric acid is bibasic; 
