56 
MERCURIAL OINTMENT AND VAPOR OF MERCURY. 
spirit. The result of several experiments gave the following 
products: — 
Carbonate of baryta- - - 72.2 
Charcoal 1.2 
Pyro-acetic spirit - - - 18.3 
Water ------ 6.6 
Gas and loss ----- 1.7 
100.0 
On the supposition that the presence of the charcoal arose from the 
decomposition of a part of the pyro-acetic spirit, there would be 
about two per cent, of spirit to be added to the above, which would 
give near about the theoretical quantity. Taking the product at 
eighteen per. cent, one cwt. of acetate of baryta should furnish 2k 
gallons of pyro-acetic spirit. Not more than two gallons is obtained 
from the ordinary acetate of lime of commerce, and the results ob- 
tained by operating on some tons of this salt did not give even this 
amount of produce, no doubt on account of sufficient attention not 
having been given to the due regulation of the temperature. The 
acetate of lime was placed in shallow trays of about two feet square 
and two inches in depth, and fifteen or sixteen of these trays placed 
over each other in an iron cylinder employed for the distillation of 
wood. The crude spirit is rectified by successive distillations over 
quick-lime, when a limpid colorless fluid, specific gravity 0.7921, is 
produced. It is soluble in water, alcohol, and ether, and burns 
with a whitish flame. — Pharm. Jour. 
ON THE ACTION OF MERCURIAL OINTMENT AND THE VAPOR 
OF MERCURY. 
By F. von BjERensprunGj M. D. 
1. Notwithstanding the daily employment of mercurial frictions, 
the question of the manner in which the action takes place has 
but seldom been taken up. The metallic mercury obtained in the 
blue ointment must necessarily penetrate the epidermis and corium, 
to come into contact with the blood and the internal parts of the 
body. Animal membranes are permeable to liquids ; mercury is 
