986 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS; 
[June 8,1872. 
paper, the transformation of tlie sulphovinate of 
baryta into sulphovinate of soda is complete. Tlie 
liquor, decanted and filtered, is evaporated in a 
water bath to about sp. gr. 1*33, and left to crystal¬ 
lize. The crystals, after draining, are dried in a 
stove. The salt so obtained is of great purity, and 
may be kept without alteration. With the quantities 
.•above indicated, about one kilogram of the product 
Is obtained. If the salt be free from sulphate of 
■soda and sulplrovinate of baryta, chloride of barium 
and sulphuric acid will not give a precipitate in a 
.solution in distilled water. 
Contrary to what has been said as to the in¬ 
stability of the sulphovinate of soda, M. Limousin 
has found that, when well crystallized and well dried, 
at may remain exposed to the air without decom¬ 
posing, absorbing moisture, or efflorescing. A solu¬ 
tion was kept for more than a year without decom¬ 
posing into sulphate of soda and alcohol, which 
result, however, follows if it be heated to 120° C. or 
130° C. It is necessary to use pure carbonate of 
baryta, since the native carbonate (witherite), be¬ 
sides containing impurities, is much less readily 
acted on by the sulphovinic acid; the carbonate, 
however, regenerated by the decomposition of the 
sulphovinate of baryta, may be preserved for future 
-operations. The employment of carbonate of lime 
to saturate the liquid gives a bad result, as it is im¬ 
possible afterwards to clear the solution from the 
lime, which prevents the crystallization. 
The author finds that by this process one part of 
acid is sufficient for the transformation of one part 
of alcohol into sulphovinic acid, instead of the two 
parts usually indicated in chemical works; the use 
of half the baryta that would be necessary to satu¬ 
rate the excess of acid if two parts were used is 
thus saved. It is, however, very important to use a 
pure spirit, as when prepared with badly rectified 
alcohol, the salt has a disagreeable odour that cannot 
be got rid off. 
The formula for sulphovinate or ethyl sulphate of 
soda is C 4 H 5 0, NaO, S 2 0 6 -f 2HO, or (C 2 H 5 )NaS0 4 
+ H 2 0. It crystallizes in hexagonal tables, con¬ 
taining 10 per cent, of water of crystallization. It is 
freely soluble in water, dilute alcohol and glycerine; 
slightly soluble in absolute alcohol, and insoluble in 
ether. Its solubility is much greater than sulphate 
of soda, water at 18° C. dissolving only about 17 
per cent, of the latter salt, but about its own weight 
of the sulphovinate. This difference might be 
utilized in saturating directly the mixture of sul¬ 
phuric acid and alcohol with carbonate of soda, and 
■obtaining the two salts in successive crystalliza¬ 
tions. 
A solution of sulphovinate of soda undergoes a 
lowering of temperature (13° C.) nearly double that 
of sulphate of soda (7*5° C.). Heated in a capsule 
over a lamp flame, the salt swells, and at about 
180° C. disengages the alcohol it contains, which 
may be ignited; when, if the alcohol used has been 
well rectified, the bisulphate of soda remaining will 
be white; if not, it will be more or less coloured. 
The sulphovinate of soda has the cool taste pecu¬ 
liar to all the salts of soda; it is nearly free from 
bitterness, and has a sweet after-taste that makes it 
more easily tolerated than the sulphate, while as a 
laxative it appears to be about three times more 
powerful than that salt, and much more prompt. It 
is given at the “ Charite ” to adults in 20 to 25 gram 
doses, and by Dr. Blache to children in 10 to 15 
gram doses, sweetened with syrup. Among the 
advantages claimed for it over other saline purga¬ 
tives are, that its administration is not followed by 
constipation, and that there is not the danger of the 
formation of vesical calculi that sometimes attends 
the use of salts of magnesia. 
Sulphovinate of soda may be administered alone, 
dissolved in eau sucree, or in a draught sweetened 
with a flavoured syrup, or in solution in water 
charged with carbonic acid. This last forms a 
beverage much more agreeable in taste than the 
citrate of magnesia, and has the advantage of not 
undergoing alteration for a long time. 
SUPPLIES OF OPIUM AND SCAMMONY 
FROM TURKEY. 
BY P. L. SIMMONDS. 
It may prove interesting to the trade generally to 
have some reliable figures as to the two important 
drugs which we draw from the Ottoman Empire. 
In Turkish opium there has not been any important 
fluctuation of late, but the extraordinary increase in 
the imports of scammony in the last year of which 
we have the official details is remarkable, being 
about treble the ordinary supply. It probably arises 
from the scientific exertions of the Turkish authori¬ 
ties, and the practical information and instruction 
which have been diffused among the peasantry. 
Opium. —From an examination of the official an¬ 
nual statements of the trade of the United Kingdom 
for some years past, we are able to trace out accu¬ 
rately our imports of opium from Turkey, and the 
value; these have been as follows : — 
lbs. 
Value. 
1806 . 
. 214,399 . 
. T'180,001 
1867 . 
. 294,277 . 
. 248,015 
1808 . 
. 363,249 . 
. 464,191 
1869 . 
. 230,886 . 
. 382,471 
1870 . 
. 313,543 . 
. 452,974 
Although the official Board of Trade return, enu¬ 
merating the principal articles received last year, 
has been published, the more precise annual state¬ 
ment, which specifies also the minor articles, will 
not be issued for some months to come. 
An interesting monograph on the varieties of 
opium exhibited in the Turkish department of the 
last Paris Exhibition, was privately issued by Col. 
Fayk Bey, director of the central civil and military 
pharmacy, chemist to the palace, and professor of 
pharmacology to the imperial faculty of medicine at 
Constantinople. This document contained much va¬ 
luable information, being the result of answers to 
official circulars addressed to the governors of pro¬ 
vinces, as to the mode of culture, collection of the juice, 
manipulation and transformation into cakes, and na¬ 
ture of the commercial transactions at the seats of 
production. Moreover, a complete analysis was fur¬ 
nished of ninety-two specimens, which were shown. 
On the culture and propagation of the plant I 
need not enter into details, but a few particulars re¬ 
specting the collection of the inspissated juice may 
be given. Great care and vigilance are required to 
seize the proper tune, when the bluisli-green colour 
of the capsule begins to change to a golden hue, to 
incise it horizontally. Leaves of the poppy are 
first spread on the soil, to receive any of the milky 
juice which may accidentally drop. In localities 
