ON HOFFMAN'S ANODYNE LIQUOR. 
217 
To get an idea of the proportion of ether present in these speci- 
mens, a solution of dry chloride of calcium in an equal weight of 
water, was made. Five parts of this solution was mixed with three 
parts of each of specimens of Hoffman's anodyne, in tall tubular 
vials, corked, well agitated and allowed to stand for twelve hours. 
In A, B, and C, no separation of ether occurred, but in each of 
them a few globules arose to the surface, consisting chiefly of 
light oil of wine. In D, a stratum of ether holding oil of wine 
in solution, equal to one seventh of the bulk of the spirit used, 
or nearly half a part. Whilst in E, the super-stratum of ether 
equalled one third of the spirit used, and had alight yellow color, 
due to the oil of wine. 
These data will give an approximative idea of their compo- 
sitions ; it would appear that A was chiefly alcohol and water 
with but little ether ; that B contained almost as much water 
as A but less alcohol and more ether ; that C contained much 
less water than A or B, but less ether and more alcohol than 
B, and more ether and less alcohol than A ; that D con- 
tained rather more water than C, but more ether and less al- 
cohol than either of the preceding ; and lastly that E contains 
more ether, and less alcohol and water than either of the others. 
In regard to the proportion of ethereal oil, the experiments 
give no positive clue. It would appear that B and D contained 
the most among the commercial specimens, and that D approaches 
nearest the composition of the officinal spirit, yet all of them 
when compared with the officinal are deficient in this ingredient. 
It must be apparent from these results, that the opacity of a 
mixture of Hoffman's anodyne and water, is no index of the pro- 
portion of oil of wine the former contains, that property being 
dependant apparently on the state of combination in which the 
oil exists, nor would we pronounce on the medicinal value of the 
specimens, a task belonging to the physician. Whatever curative 
reputation the compound spirit of ether may have earned, cer- 
tainly belongs to the commercial spirit, and not to that of the 
Pharmacopoeia, which is not to be had in the shops. 
The exact nature of the liquid left after the rectification of ether 
is an inquiry well worthy of further investigation. The alcohol 
of commerce is not a homogenous substance. Besides water it con- 
tains odoriferous oily matter, produced in the original fermentation, 
