DISTILLATION OF MERCURY BY STEAM. 
153 
The plan of crushing the herb in a mill, although the most 
effectual in regard to the quantity of extract produced is liable 
to this disadvantage, that when the herb is too much crushed 
the inert fibres, are reduced to a pulp, and may in part pass 
through the cloth with the juice. In the following cases the plant 
was bruised in a marble or stone mortar with a wooden pestle: 
cwt. lb. lb. oz. per cwt. 
1845 June 19, 1 produce 2 10 2 10 
" July 12, 1 « 3 13 3 13 
( ' « 16, 1 " 3 10 3 10 
" « 23, 1 56 " 4 12 3 If 
1846 May 29, 2 " 4 10* 2 5£ 
" June 8, 1 39 « 4 14 3 2 
" « 13, 1 - - - - " 2 10 2 10 
« " 17, 1 " 2 8 2 8 
(( £ - 30, 1 5 * 2 15 2 14 
« July 1, 1 7 (annual) - " 3 4 3 3i 
1847 June 14, 1 40 « 3 12 2 2 
<£ » 22, 3 « 6 12 2 4 
" « 23, 1 56 « 4 9 3 
<• " 24, 2 " 3 14 1 15 
1847 July 10, 2 (old and bad) product not fit for use 
1848 June 2, 2 "51 2 8h 
« " 3, 2 " 5 8 2 12 
" " 6, 2 " 6 12 3 6 
" " 7, 2 (old) - " 4 14 2 7 
1849 June 6, 2 56 " 5 12 2 4 
" " 11, 2 " 5 2 8 
" " 26, 2 " 6 3 
« Aug. 6, 2 (annual plant, leaves only) " 10 12 5 6 
1850 June 21, 1 56 " 4 8 3 
" " 25, 1 56 "3 14 2 154 
Pharm. Journal, Nov. 1, 1850. 
ON THE DISTILLATION OF MERCURY BY HIGH PRESSURE 
STEAM. 
By M. Violette. 
This new process for the distillation of mercury, consists in im- 
mersing the mass to be distilled in the current of the vapour of water 
heated from 350° to 400° centigrade : the vapor acts at once as 
the heating agent and mechanical agent ; it first heats the metal so 
as to produce distillation, and then drives before it and draws the 
mercurial vapor, the reproduction of which it facilitates ; it hastens 
the distillation, just as a hot current of air increases the evaporation 
