June 3, 1871.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
965 
CHLORAL HYDRATE. 
BY DB. F. VERSMANN. 
Some time ago I proposed sulphuric acid for test¬ 
ing chloral hydrate, and I now wish to give the 
numerical results of a few comparative experiments 
made with sulphuric acid and ammonia. The ob¬ 
jections to the last reagent are twofold, the results 
obtained are not very accurate and the analysis re¬ 
quires longer time than is desirable. 
In my previous paper I have drawn attention to 
the fact that the solubility of chloroform in water is 
the true cause of the inaccuracy, and not the further 
decomposition of chloroform by ammonia, and I 
arrived at the result in the following manner. In 
testing chloral hydrate I always take 10 grammes 
instead of the large quantity hitherto proposed. 10 
grammes, if pure, should yield 4‘82 c. c. of chloro¬ 
form. I therefore placed 5 c. c. of chloroform in a 
long and narrow well-stoppered tube, graduated in 
0T c. c., and after having added some water and 
briskly shaking the tube, I heated it in like manner as 
in the analysis of the hydrate and allowed it to stand 
for twelve hours. The loss was exactly 0"2 c. c. with 
repeated experiments; and as exactly the same loss 
was found in experiments with strong ammonia, it is 
evident not only that it is owing to the solubility of 
chloroform in water, but also that it must be taken 
into account in testing the hydrate. It is a constant 
loss, and whenever the ammonia test should be pre¬ 
ferred, 0'2 c. c. must be added to the quantity of 
chloroform actually observed. I have adopted this 
plan, which I may call the ammonia test corrected. 
The results thus corrected correspond exactly with 
the sulphuric acid test, but I still prefer the'latter, 
because the decomposition of the hydrate into chloral 
and water is completed in a few minutes. 
I have described the modus operandi before and I 
therefore need not repeat it, but I will at once give 
the results of a few experiments made with samples 
from different manufacturers. The specific gravity 
of chloroform has been taken by Mr. Umney and 
others at 1497. I think this is too high; I prefer 
to take it as 1490 at 15‘5 C. (60° F.). The specific 
gravity of pure chloral I take as 1505 at the same 
temperature. 
AMMONIA TEST. 
Ten Grammes of Chloral Hydrate. 
Cubic centim. of Chloroform. 
Observed. 1 Corrected. 
Percentage of 
Chloroform. 
Percentage of 
Hydrate. 
4-20 
4T0 
65-56 
90-80 
4-40 
4-G0 
68-54 
94-93 
4-45' 
4-05 
69-28 
95-95 
4-50 
4-70 
70-03 
96-99 
SULPHUEIC ACID TEST. 
Ten Grammes of Chloral Hydrate. 
C. c. of Chloral. 
Percentage of 
Chloral. 
Percentage of 
Chloral Hydrate. 
5-40 
81-27 
91-18 
5"65 
85-03 
95-40 
5-70 
85-78 
96-24 
5-75 
86-54 
97-09 
Third Series, No. 49. 
THE OCHRO AND THE MUSK MALLOW. 
BY JOHN R. JACKSON, A.L.S., 
Curator of Museums, Royal Gardens, Kcw. 
Perhaps there is no one family of plants having 
so. many species, with such a decided characteristic 
property running through the whole, as the Mcd- 
vacea. Almost all are mucilaginous, and though 
none of them are now officinal in this country, the 
marshmallow (. Althaea officinalis, L.) and the com¬ 
mon mallow (. Malva sylvestris, L.) are sometimes 
used by the peasantry in rural districts, a decoction 
of the leaves of the first being applied for fomenta¬ 
tions, and the mucilage with which both this and the 
common mallow abound being employed as a soothing 
or softening drink in coughs and bronchial affections. 
It is, however, chiefly in France that the roots are 
used to produce a demulcent drink known there as 
Guimauve. 
In tropical or temperate regions, where the species 
of this Order are found most abundantly, the muci¬ 
lage and seeds of the several species are used by the 
natives for various medicinal purposes. Two of the 
most interesting plants are the ochro ( Hibiscus escu- 
lentus, L.) and the musk mallow (H. Abelmoschus, 
L.), the first interesting on account of its esculent 
and medicinal properties and uses, and the second 
principally on account of its seeds being used, to a 
certain extent, as a substitute for animal musk. 
The Ochro, or edible hibiscus, is an annual her¬ 
baceous plant, with hairy stems and alternate cordate 
leaves strongly toothed, and from three to five-lobed. 
The petals are pale yellow, with a deep crimson 
base. The capsules or fruits appear to vary much 
in size according to the country where they are pro¬ 
duced. Those we have seen from the East Indies 
are usually from four to six inches in length and 
about one inch in diameter at the base, tapering 
upwards to the apex, while those grown in Venezuela 
and some other parts of South America, as well as 
those from South Africa, are not more than two or 
two and a half inches long and one and a half inches 
diameter across the centre. They are marked with 
from five to eight ridges, running longitudinally from 
the base upwards and corresponding with the num¬ 
ber of cells, each ridge forming a valve and partially 
dehiscing when the fruit is ripe and dry; the small 
round seeds also becoming loose and shaking in the 
capsule like a rattle. The plant is a native of the 
West Indies, but is cultivated extensively in all 
tropical countries, as well as in the south of France, 
principally for the sake of its fruit. This is 
gathered before it is fully ripe and is used as a 
vegetable, but chiefly for imparting a mucilaginous 
thickening to soups ; it is also used when very 
young for pickling, like capers. The plant is offi¬ 
cinal in India, being considered a valuable emollient 
and demulcent; the capsules are employed in a 
decoction, and the Indian Pharmacopoeia gives the 
following instructions for its preparation :— 
“ Take of the fresh immature capsules, sliced 
transversely, three ounces; water, a pint and a half. 
Boil to a pint and strain ; sweeten to taste. 
“Dose.—From three to six ounces, or ad libitum, 
as an ordinary drink.” 
The inhalation of the vapour of the hot decoction 
has been found very serviceable in allaying cough, 
hoarseness, irritation of the glottis and other affec¬ 
tions of the throat and fauces. The dried capsules 
