June 24, 1871.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
1027 
agitation with a small quantity of nitrate of mercury 
and subsequent straining. P*re mercury is entirely 
volatilized by heat and leaves no residue. It boils 
at 680° F. Specific gravity, 13 50G. 
Hydrargyrum Ammonjatum.—A solution of per- 
cliloride of mercury in water is poured into solution 
of ammonia, and the precipitate collected, wasliec 
free from sal-ammoniac and dried at 212°:—• 
HgCb, -f NH 2 H + NH 3 
Ammonia. Ammonia. 
= HgNHjCl -b N H s H Cl. 
Amido-chloride Sal-ammoniac, 
of mercury. 
Ammoniated mercury is an opaque wliite powder, 
which often has a slight yellowish tinge, which is in- 
creased by prolonged washing. 
[§ Digested with caustic potash, it evolves am¬ 
monia, acquiring a pale yelloAv colour, and the fluid 
filtered and acidulated with nitric acid gives a white 
precipitate with nitrate of silver.] 
Hg"NII 2 Cl+KHO 
Potash. 
= HgO -f NH, + KC1. 
Yellow mercuric Ammo- Chloride of 
oxide. nia. potassium. 
[§ Boiled with a solution of chloride of tin, it be¬ 
comes grey and affords globules of metallic mercury.] 
HgNH 2 Cl + Sn"Cl 2 + 2HC1 
Stannous Hydrochloric 
chloride. acid. 
= Hg + NH 4 C1 + Sn iT CI 4 . 
Metallic Sal-ammo- Stannic 
mercury. niac. chloride. 
[§ Entirely volatilized by a heat under redness.] 
To this should be added the words “ without fusing .” 
Much of the wliite precipitate of commerce melts 
before volatilizing, in consequence either of consist¬ 
ing of “ fusible wliite precipitate,” 
Hg H 2 N Cl, N Hj Cl, 
which contains a smaller proportion of mercury; or 
in consequence of deficient washing whereby it re¬ 
tains some sal-ammoniac. (See Pharm. Journ. s. s. 
Vol. X. p. 515.) 
White precipitate is represented by most chemists 
as a compound formed from sal-ammoniac by the 
replacement of two atoms of hydrogen by one atom 
of mercury. 
H 4 NC1. HgHjNCl. 
Sal-ammoniac. White precipitate. 
By others it is regarded as an amido-chloride or 
clilor-amide of mercury; that is to say, as a com¬ 
pound in which the bivalent atom mercury is united 
to the two univalent atoms Cl and amidogen N H 2 . 
In reality, however, these two views are identical, as 
an examination of the formulae ay ill show :— 
First yiew. Second view. 
Hs"), Tr , „ (NH, 
h [ NC1 nsjci 2 
or HgH 2 NCl. or HgNHoCl. 
The univalent radicle N H 2 results from the re¬ 
moval of one atom of H from ammonia N H 3 , just as 
the univalent radicle Cl is left on the removal of H 
from H Cl:— 
NH,-H= (NH 2 )\ 
C1H —H= Cl'. 
Hydrargyrum cum Creta. —Grey poAvder, when 
kept for a long time, is apt to contain traces of mer¬ 
curic oxide, formed by gradual oxidation of the mer¬ 
cury by contact, in a finely divided state, Avitli the 
air. To detect this, the test is given in the Pharma¬ 
copoeia. [§ The solution formed witlx hydrochloric 
acid is not precipitated by the addition of chloride of 
tin.] 
DETECTION OF TURMERIC IN POWDERED 
RHUBARB AND YELLOW MUSTARD. 
BY J. M. MAISCH. 
Rhubarb root which has been attacked by insects 
or deteriorated in consequence of dampness and heat, 
is by some dealers sent to the mills and ground 
together with some sound rhubarb, or, if the colour 
is not sufficiently bright, turmeric is added, and the 
powdered rhubarb finds its way afterwards into the 
hands of the unsuspicious as a prime article. The 
fraud may be detected in a feAv minutes in the follow¬ 
ing manner:— 
A small quantity of the suspected rhubarb is agi¬ 
tated for a minute or two with strong alcohol and 
then filtered. Chrysoplianic acid being sparingly 
soluble in this menstruum, the brown yellow colour 
of the filtrate is due to the resinous principles of 
rhubarb mainly; if adulterated with turmeric, the 
tincture will be of a brighter yelloAv shade. A strong 
solution of borax produces in both tinctures a deep 
red-broAvn colour. If now pure muriatic acid be 
added in large excess, the tincture of pure rhubarb 
Avill instantly assume a light yellow colour, Avliile the 
tincture of the adulterated poAvder will change merely 
to a lighter shade of bro\A r n red. The test is a very 
delicate one, and is based on the liberation of boracic 
acid, which imparts to curcumin a colour similar to 
that produced by alkalies, wliile all the soluble prin¬ 
ciples of rhubarb yield pale yelloAv solutions in acid 
liquids. 
The same test, applied in the same manner, is also 
applicable to ground mustard seed. The seeds of 
Sinapis alba yield a powder of a yellow-grey colour, 
entirely distinct from the colour of yellow mustard 
met with in the market. Agitated with alcohol and 
filtered, a turbid solution is obtained, Avliicli assumes 
a bright yelloAv on the addition of the borax solution, 
and becomes colourless or whitish again on being 
supersaturated with muriatic acid. If the mustard 
fie coloured Avith turmeric, the filtrate lias a yellow 
tint, becomes broAvn-red by borax and retains the 
colour on the addition of muriatic acid. All the so- 
called yellow mustard of our commerce which I have 
' lad occasion to examine, whether ground in England 
or in the United States, contains turmeric. This 
iractice ought to be discountenanced ; for, under the 
yellow colour imparted by curcuma, adulteration of 
mustard may be carried on to an almost indefinite 
extent, if strength be supplied by the addition of a 
little capsicum.— Amer. Journ. of Pharmacy. 
GLYCEROLE OP LUPULIN. 
BY EMMET KANNAL. 
Take of Lupulin, one troy ounce 
Alcohol, six fluid ounces 
Glycerin, nine fluid ounces 
Curasao cordial, one fluid ounce. 
Mix the alcohol with two fluid ounces of glycerine, 
moisten the lupulin with the mixture, pack into a 
