G2 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[July 22, 1871. 
it leaves no residue.] Mixed with iodide of potas¬ 
sium in excess, it gives free iodine,^which requires 
for the discharge of its colour an amount of the 
volumetric solution of hyposulphite of sodium cor¬ 
responding to 0 0 per cent, of chlorine. 
For a comparison of the properties of clilorine, 
bromine and iodine, see Yol. I. p. 526. 
Equal volumes of hjulrogen and chlorine gases 
weigh respectively 1 and 35*5. Chlorine is therefore 
a very heavy gas. Its specific gravity, taking air as 
unity, is 35*5 X ‘0693 = 2*46. If, therefore, chlorine 
gas is required, it is usually collected hy allowing it 
to run from the delivery tube into a bottle, from 
which it displaces the air. Chlorine dissolves in 
about half its volume of water; with a small quan¬ 
tity it unites to form a crystalline hydrate. Its 
great affinity for hydrogen causes it to decompose 
almost all organic bodies by removing that element 
from them. It combines with an equal volume of 
hydrogen gas to form hydrochloric acid gas. The 
combination occurs instantly with explosion when 
the mixed gases are exposed to sunlight. 
Liquor Ferri Perchloridi Fortior. 
Iron wire is first dissolved in hydrochloric acid so 
as to give solution of ferrous chloride. 
2HC1 + Fe = FeCl 2 + H 2 . 
This is filtered, mixed with a further quantity of 
hydrochloric acid and some nitric acid. The liquid 
thus obtained is nearly black from the retention of 
the nitric oxide gas produced by the decomposition 
of the nitric acid. On boiling briskly there is a 
sudden evolution of a gas which gives red fumes as 
it escapes, and the liquid then assumes a clear 
orange-brown colour. 
6Fe Cl 2 + C1 6 H 6 + 2 (NO. O. HO). 
Ferrous chloride. Hydrochloric acid. Nitric acid. 
= 3Fe 2 Cl 6 + 2 (NO + H 2 0 + H 2 0). 
Ferric chloride. Nitric oxide gas. Water. Water. 
[§ Diluted with water it is precipitated white by 
nitrate of silver, and blue by yellow prussiate of 
potash; but not at all by red prussiate of potash.] 
These tests indicate its character as a chloride and 
as a ferric salt; the third that it is free from ferrous 
chloride. It is apt sometimes when carelessly pre¬ 
pared to contain nitrate; this can be destroyed by 
well boiling with a little more hydrochloric acid. 
Liquor Ferri Pernitratis. 
Iron wire is dissolved in nitric acid diluted with 
water so as to moderate the action. The solution is 
then filtered and made up with distilled water. 
The reaction which takes place is as follows :— 
! Fe 2 + 6 (N 0 3 H) + 2 (NO. O. HO). 
Iron. Nitric acid. Nitric acid. 
= Fe 2 (N0 3 \ + 2 (NO + H 2 0 + H 2 0). 
Ferric nitrate. Nitric oxide gas. Water. Water. 
It is therefore parallel to that which occurs in the 
case of the percliloride. 
This solution gives also a blue precipitate of Prus¬ 
sian blue, Fe 4 Fcy 3 , with yellow prussiate; but no 
precipitate with red prussiate of potash. 
Liquor Ferri Persulphatis. 
Sulphate of iron is dissolved in water mixed with 
the proper quantity of sulphuric acid; to the solution 
nitric acid is added, and the black liquid boiled till 
after the disengagement of the nitric oxide gas, the 
liquid becomes clear red. 
CFeSO, + (S0 4 ) 3 H 6 + 2 (NO. O. HO). 
Ferrous 8 molecules of 2 molecules of 
sulphate. sulphuric acid. nitric acid. 
= 3Fe 2 (SO,' 3 + 2 (NO + H 2 0 + H 2 0). 
Ferric sulphate. Nitric oxide gas. Water. \\ ater. 
The solution gives the same reactions with the red 
and yellow prussiate of potash as the two last. 
In one fluid-drachm of each of these solutions 
there are the folio whig quantities in grains:— 
Liq. Ferri Perclilor. Pernit. Persulpli. 
Iron . 10*94 1‘82 8'00 
Peroxide of Iron 
(Fe 2 0 3 ) 15-62 2‘60 11*42 
Approximate ratio— 
6 1 44 
Liquor Hydrargyri Nitratis Acinus. 
The mercury dissolved in cold, slightly diluted, 
nitric acid gives mercurous nitrate. 
6Hg + 6N0 3 H + 2(NO . O . HO). 
Mercury. Nitric acid. Nitric acid. 
= 6HgN0 3 + 2 (NO + H,0 + H 2 0). 
Mercurous nitrate. Nitric oxide. Water. Water. 
And then on boiling the solution with the excess 
of acid as directed, the mercurous is converted into 
mercuric nitrate. 
6HgN 0 3 + 6N0 3 H + 2 (NO. O. HO). 
Mercurous nitrate. Nitric acid. Nitric acid. 
= 6Hg(N0 3 ) 2 + 2 (NO + H 2 0 + H 2 0). 
Mercuric nitrate. Nitric oxide. Water. Water. 
The B. P. tests indicate that it is a mercuric ni¬ 
trate (yellow precipitate with potash) free from mer¬ 
curous salt (no precipitate with dilute H Cl). 
CUNDURANGO. 
BY THOMAS ANTISELL, M.D. 
In the month of March of this year, Mr. Flores, 
Minister of Ecuador at Washington, forwarded a 
box containing a vegetable medicament which he 
had received from his government for presentation 
to the State Department, and requested that some 
analyses and experiments might be made with it, to 
test its medicinal value. The samples of the drug 
were stated to have grown in the province of Loja, 
Ecuador; and extracts from the official journal ac¬ 
companied the parcel, showing that great medicinal 
virtues were attributed to the wood and bark of the 
tree known as Cundurango. The extracts were tes¬ 
timonials from Doctors Ciesares and Eguigureu of 
that province, as to its great value in cancer, fungus, 
luematodes and constitutional syphilis. These state¬ 
ments were supported by a letter from Mr. Paimsey 
Wing, the United States minister resident at Ecua¬ 
dor, to Hon. H. Fish, Secretary of State, testifying 
to the medicinal virtues of the plant as admitted by 
the natives of Loja, in which he mentions that a 
decoction of the fruit is known to be a poison, and 
that the parts of the plants used medicinally are 
the bark and leaves. 
During the month of April a sample of the plant 
(small branches) was received at this Department 
from Hon. Mr. Fish, with the request to have an 
analysis made and reported to him for the benefit of 
the Ecuador government. Meanwhile, the plant 
itself had been tried, in the form of a decoction, upon 
some patients in this city affected with cancer, and 
with apparently considerable relief to the sufferers. 
