December, ’24] 
STREETER: COMBINATION SPRAY MIXTURE 
657 
Some additional experiments were performed in the laboratory, using 
convenient volumes, to compare the solvent action of water with that 
of lime-sulfur, also to determine the amount of nicotine recovered in the 
filtrate when separated from the sludge. In the following experiments a 
tobacco dust containing 3.6 % nicotine was used. The results of these 
experiments are given in Table No. 2. 
Table 2.—Showing the Recovery of Nicotine in Water and Lime-Sulfur 
Filtrates 
Experiment 
number 
Solvent 
Agitation 
Time of 
soaking 
Filtrate 
recovered 
Nicotine 
recovered 
Hourly 
hrs. 
hrs. 
% 
% 
4 
Cold H 2 0 
6 
24 
76.9 
71.9 
5 
Hot “ 
6 
24 
76.9 
70.6 
6 
Cold “ 
6 
48 
73.6 
87.1 
7 
Cold—S 
6 
24 
75.5 
77.6 
Ramsay and Griffiths 1 report a recovery of 63 % to 72.7 % nicotine 
soluble in water. The fact that these writers used a dust containing less 
than 1 % of nicotine may account for the somewhat lower nicotine yield 
reported by them. The same experimenters also state that the addition of 
lime does not appreciably increase the quantity of nicotine soluble in 
water, but state that a clearer solution can be obtained when lime is 
added, due to precipitation of much of the organic matter by the calcium. 
Experiments carried on in this laboratory agree with this statement, as 
shown by the results in Table No. 3. 
Table 3—Showing the Effect of Adding Calcium Hydrate 
Experiment number 
Solvent 
Soluble nicotine 
% 
8 
Cold H 2 0 
92.1 
9 
Cold H 2 0 
2 lbs. Ca (OH) 2 
92.09 
Study of these data wall show that there is but little difference in the 
solvent action of water and lime-sulfur and that heating the solvent does 
not increase the quantity of nicotine found in solution. It is likewise 
evident that the addition of an alkaline substance such as hydrated lime 
does not increase the solvent power of water. 
x Ramsay, A. A., and Griffiths, E. L. The Preparation of Home-Made Tobacco 
Wash. Agr. Gazette of New South Wales. Vol. 35, Part 4. 1924. 
