FACTS AND OBSERVATIONS. 
323 
condition of the horse (^ram, the usual grain, being extremely 
heating), acts upon the kidneys, and produces this abnormal 
condition. 
Should you think my letter worthy of insertion, perhaps you 
will give it a corner in your paper. F. B. M.— The Field. 
Adulteration of Carbonate of Soda. —The Antwerp 
Journal of Pharmacy calls attention to the practice of adul¬ 
terating carbonate of soda by mixing with it a proportion of 
sulphate of soda. At first sight the admixture is not appa¬ 
rent, though the two salts differ essentially from each other, 
both in their crystallisation and the chemical properties. 
The fraud is one that may be easily detected by a chemist.— 
Journ. de Pharm. d } Anvers. 
Chloride of Aluminium as a New Antiseptic. —The 
hydrated chloride of aluminium, to which Mr. John Gamgee 
has recently drawn the attention of medical men and of the 
general public, appears to be a valuable antiseptic. It is 
quite as potent as chloride of zinc or carbolic acid, and is at 
the same time non-poisonous, and devoid of unpleasant smell 
of every kind. 
The most economical process for the preparation of the 
hydrated chloride of aluminium appears to be by double de¬ 
composition between sulphate of alumina and chloride of 
calcium (both of which are cheap commercial products). 
When solutions of these two salts are mixed together, sul¬ 
phate of lime is formed, and appears as a precipitate, w hilst 
the hydrated chloride of aluminium remains dissolved. 
On allowing the aqueous solution to evaporate at a very 
gentle heat, and afterw ards cooling, crystals of hydrated chlo¬ 
ride are produced. If an attempt be made to drive off the w r ater 
from the hydrated chloride by the application of heat, decom¬ 
position will take place. Hydrochloric acid is evolved under 
these conditions, and oxychloride of aluminium is formed, 
and, by pushing the process, alumina is obtained as the ulti¬ 
mate fixed product.— Lancet. 
Manufacture of Alum. —An anonymous correspon¬ 
dent of the Pharm. Journ. gives the following brief outline of 
the manufacture of alum as carried on at Mr. Spence’s wmrks 
at Manchester and Goole, where 250 tons of this salt are 
turned out weekly : 
The shale of the coal measures is calcined in long ridges, 
it is then put into iron vessels lined with lead, sulphuric acid 
from the chamber is then poured over it, and the mass allow ed 
to digest at about 230° F. to 240° F. The temperature is 
