VESICATING  OIL. 
127 
120  parts  by  weight  of  dry  acetate  of  morphine  in  960  parts  of 
cold  distilled  water,  and  filtering  the  solution.  Add  previously  to 
filtration  a  few  drops  of  acetic  acid,  if  any  of  the  morphine 
remains  undissolved.  Decompose  the  filtered  solution  with  a  solu- 
tion containing  sixty  parts  of  iodide  of  potassium.  The  iodide  of 
morphine  crystallizes  out  of  this  liquid  after  some  time  in  very 
fine  crystals,  and  may  be  obtained  in  still  finer  crystals  if  the  mixed 
solutions  are  warmed  in  a  water-bath,  and  then  slowly  cooled.  It 
thus  separates  in  transparent,  shining,  colorless,  four-sided  prisms, 
which  cannot  be  distinguished  by  their  appearance  from  sulphate 
of  quinine.  Iodide  of  morphine  dissolves  slightly  in  cold  water, 
but  readily  in  hot  water,  and  easily  in  alchohol.  Its  solutions 
have  a  bitter  taste.    The  analysis  of  this  salt  gave — 
Found.  Calculated. 
Morphine,       -       71,4       -       -       -  71,24 
Iodine,     -       -       28,6       -       -       -  28,76 
100,00  100,00 
— Annals  of  Pharm.,  and  Jahrbuch  fur  Prakt.  Pharm. 
VESICATING  OIL. 
By  E.  Duptjy. 
The  solubility  of  cantharidin  in  chloroform,  as  shown  by  the 
experiments  of  Professor  W.  Procter,  suggested  to  me  the  idea  of 
using;  that  vehicle  in  combination  with  a  fixed  oil  to  obtain  a 
vesicating  agent,  freed  from  the  disagreeable  concomitants  of  the 
ordinary  fly  blister,  and  retaining  the  cantharidin  in  a  soluble  state. 
I  proceeded  thus: 
Powdered  Cantharides,  one  part. 
Chloroform, 
Castor  Oil. 
of  each  (by  weight)  one  and  a  half  parts. 
To  the  powder  was  added  the  mixture  of  chloroform  and  oil  in 
a  close  vessel;  the  ingredients  were  transferred,  aftei  some  hours,  to 
a  glass  apparatus,  and  the  liquid  displaced  in  the  usual  way.  It 
amounted  to  about  two-thirds  of  the  original  bulk  of  the  liquid 
employed.  A  few  drops  of  the  vesicating  oil  applied  to  the  arm 
of  an  adult  produced  a  perfect  blister  in  eight  hours.  Its  easy 
application  on  any  given  surface  may  be  of  value  as  a  vesicatory 
or  epispastic.  I  would  suggest  the  use  of  oiled  silk  over  the  appii- 
