560 
PREPARATION  OP  PHOSPHIDE  OF  CALCIUM, 
ing  two  ounces  each.  Having  seen  the  article  by  Dr.  Battey, 
in  the  Journal  of  Pharmacy  for  that  month,  in  regard  to  keep- 
ing it  by  means  of  the  additional  iron,  we  determined  to  give  it 
a  trial.  Therefore,  having  coiled  some  pieces  of  iron  wire  as 
directed,  we  suspended  them  from  the  corks  of  several  of  the  vials. 
Upon  an  examination  a  week  or  two  afterwards,  we  found  the 
wire  coated  with  a  film  of  the  oxide  of  iron,  which  was  being 
gradually  disengaged,  and  rendering  the  syrup  a  dirty  brown  ap- 
pearance, whilst  those  which  were  not  subjected  to  this  process, 
remained  of  their  natural  pale  green  color. 
From  the  preceding  experiments,  we  shall  be  content  to  pre- 
pare the  syrup  after  Dr.  Squibb's  process,  until  a  better  one  is 
produced ;  but  would  add  this  precaution — put  the  syrup  into 
small  bottles,  let  them  be  well  filled,  and  corked  tightly. — Drug- 
gist. 
ON  THE  PREPARATION  OF  PHOSPHIDE  OF  CALCIUM. 
By  Geo.  W.  Andrews. 
An  easy  and  convenient  method  of  preparing  phosphide  of 
calcium  is  to  put  into  a  quart  crucible  a  sufficient  quantity  of 
well  burnt  lime,  in  pieces  about  the  size  of  a  nutmeg,  to  the 
depth  of  about  two  inches ;  then  place  in  an  upright  position, 
resting  on  the  lime,  an  iron  tube  about  18  inches  in  length  and 
f  of  an  inch  in  diameter ;  holding  the  tube  in  its  position,  fill 
the  crucible  nearly  to  the  top  with  lime,  diminishing  the  size 
of  the  lumps  and  cover  the  whole  with  powdered  lime  to  exclude 
the  air. 
Place  the  crucible  in  an  open  furnace,  and  bring  the  whole  to 
a  bright  red  heat,  then  cover  the  furnace  with  a  piece  of  sheet- 
iron  with  a  hole  in  the  centre  for  the  passage  of  the  iron  tube. 
Place  in  the  end  of  the  tube  a  piece  of  tinned  iron  bent  in  the 
form  of  a  funnel,  and  drop  pieces  of  phosphorus  about  two  inches 
in  length  through  it  into  the  tube,  by  means  of  a  pair  of  cruci- 
ble tongs,  first  wiping  every  piece.  Care  should  be  taken  to  cool 
the  tongs  after  each  operation,  by  dipping  them  into  water.  If 
the  lime  is  sufficiently  hot,  it  will  instantly  combine  with  the 
phosphorus  with  only  a  slight  flash;  if  not,  it  will  be  volatilized 
and  burn  at  the  upper  end  of  the  tube. 
