NOTE  ON  COMMERCIAL  CHLORIC  ETHER.  553 
than  is  usual  with  freshly  distilled  oil  of  mint,  and  presents  the 
following  characteristics :  When  evaporated  from  off  a  piece  of 
white  unsized  paper  it  leaves  a  yellow  mark.  Dropped  into 
alcohol  of  95  per  cent,  it  does  not  disseminate  itself  through 
the  alcohol,  but  falls  to  the  bottom  of  the  glass  in  broken  glo- 
bules, and  collects  in  a  distinct  stratum. 
Agitation  produces  dissolution,  but  'the  solution  is  turbid, 
with  an  amount  of  oil  which  should  dissolve  freely.  It  presents 
no  reaction  with  chromic  acid,  but  when  dropped  on  a  crystal  of 
iodine,  the  iodine  intumesces  and  fumes.  No  such  reaction  is 
produced  by  a  pure  oil  of  peppermint.  The  density  of  the  oil 
is  0-870.  A  recent  sample  of  Borton's  oil  gave  a  density  of  0«90. 
These  characteristics  would  point  to  turpentine  as  the  probable 
adulteration.  It  has  been  suggested  by  a  practised  distiller  of 
oil  of  peppermint  that  the  adulteration  was  the  essential  oil  of 
fireweed  (Erechthites  hieracifolius.)  This  supposition  was 
based  on  the  peculiar  strong  smell  left  after  most  of  the  oil  was 
volatilized  from  paper. 
Recent  oil  of  peppermint  should  volatilize  completely  from 
paper  without  leaving  a  mark,  when  dropped  into  alcohol  of  85 
per  cent,  it  should  dissolve  completely  without  agitation. 
Charles  Bullock. 
Pkilada.  Oct.  12th,  1859. 
NOTE  ON  COMMERCIAL  CHLORIC  ETHER. 
By  William  Procter,  Jr. 
It  is  a  source  of  some  inconvenience  to  apothecaries  to 
know  what  is  intended  by  the  physician  when  "  Chloric  Ether  " 
is  prescribed.  On  turning  to  the  United  States  Dispensatory, 
it  informs  us  that  a  mixture  of  one  part  of  Chloroform  and  two 
parts  of  nearly  absolute  alcohol  is  called  "  Strong  Chloric  Ether," 
by  Dr.  Warren  of  Boston,  and  used  for  inhalation,  and  that  in 
London,  and  elsewhere,  a  weak  tincture  of  Chloroform  is  sold 
under  the  name  of  Chloric  Ether,  varying  in  strength  from  5  or 
6  to  16  or  18  per  cent.  Dr.  Thompson  originally  gave  the  name 
of  «  Chloric  Ether  "  to  the  Dutch  liquid  (  C4  H4  CI2  ).  In  the 
commerce  of  this  country,  there  is  a  preparation  that  goes  by 
