ON  CYTISINA.  547 
The  preparation  of  p)ure  sulphur  is  accomplished  in  an  iron 
vessel  by  fusing  it  under  some  water  with  steam  under  a  pres- 
sure of  If  atmospheres.  The  adhering  chloride  of  calcium  re- 
mains in  solution,  the  gypsum  is  suspended  in  the  water  and  the 
addition  of  some  milk  of  lime  neutralizes  any  free  acid,  while 
the  excess  forms  some  sulphide  of  calcium  which  dissolves  any 
sulphide  of  arsenic  present.  This  manipulation  saves  much 
labor,  rendering  unneccessary  the  careful  washing,  drying  and 
distillation  of  the  sulphur  which  is  obtained  free  from  arsenic. 
The  fused  sulphur  collecting  on  the  bottom  of  the  kettle  is  drawn 
off  into  moulds. 
In  this  way  60  to  65  per  cent,  of  the  sulphur  contained  in  the 
soda  residues  is  obtained.  A  hundred  weight  of  sulphur  requires 
2  to  2J  cwt.  muriatic  acid. 
Where  obtainable,  the  mother-liquors  from  the  generation  of 
chlorine  may  be  used ;  they  contain  manganous  and  ferric 
chloride  with  much  free  muriatic  acid.  To  avoid  the  oxidation 
of  sulphurous  to  sulphuric  acid  by  the  ferric  chloride,  and  the 
precipitation  of  sulphides  of  manganium  and  iron  by  the  calcium 
sulphide,  a  portion  of  the  sulphur  liquors  is  decomposed  by  the 
muriatic  acid  when  the  sulphuretted  hydrogen  reduces  the  ferric 
to  ferrous  chloride  ;  this  and  the  manganous  chloride  act  upoHf 
the  hyposulphites  like  muriatic  acid. 
This  process  has  been  introduced  into  most  soda  factories  of 
the  German  Zollverein,  and  is  being  introduced  in  England, 
France  and  Belgium.  The  factory  at  Aussig  alone  produces 
annually  9000  cwt.  of  chemically  pure  sulphur. — Chem.  Centralb,, 
1869,  491-495,  from  Verhandl.  der.  physih. -medic,  QeselUch. 
in  Wilrzburg,  1868,  I,  147. 
ON  OYTISINA. 
By  Aug.  Husemann. 
This  alkaloid  was  discovered  by  the  author  and  Marmd  in 
1865.  It  is  obtained  by  exhausting  the  bruised  seeds  of  Cytisus 
Laburnum  with  cold  acidulated  water,  neutralizing  the  liquid 
almost  with  lime,  precipitating  with  subacetate  of  lead,  treating 
the  filtrate  with  sulphuretted  hydrogen  and  neutralizing  com  " 
