134 
PREPARATION  OF  IODIDE  OF  AMMONIUM. 
which  he  has  obtained,  by  treating  his  veratrine  with  ether,  as  a 
residue,  that  this  residue  is  sabadilline,  and  thus  proves  the  ex- 
istence of  this  alkaloid. 
Sabadilline  is  a  white  amorphous  powder,  which,  when  rubbed 
in  a  mortar,  does  not  cause  sneezing ;  whereas,  veratrine,  as  is 
well  known,  irritates  the  nose. 
Sabadilline  is  only  taken  up  as  a  trace  by  ether,  whilst  vera- 
trine is  extremely  soluble  therein. 
Sabadilline  dissolves  in  143  parts  of  boiling  water.  This  solu- 
tion is  not  rendered  turbid  by  ammonia ;  but  very  much  so  by 
carbonate  of  potash,  which,  however,  precipitates  only  two-thirds 
of  the  dissolved  alkaloid ;  this  precipitate,  by  heating  the  solu- 
tion, forms  into  a  resinous  mass.  Veratrine  does  not  dissolve  in 
water  in  an  observable  degree. 
A  solution  of  1  part  of  sabadilline  in  4  parts  of  diluted  sul- 
phuric acid,  and  100  parts  of  water,  does  not  become  turbid  with 
ammonia.  A  similarly  prepared  solution  of  veratrine  gives, 
with  ammonia,  a  strong  turbidity. — Annals  of  Pharmacy,  Jan. 
1853. 
OX  THE  PREPARATION  OF  IODIDE  OF  AMMONIUM. 
By  John  A.  Spencer. 
(Read  before  the  Chemical  Discussion  Society.) 
The  salt,  iodide  of  ammonium,  having  lately  been  used,  and, 
from  its  possessing  certain  advantages  over  the  similar  compound 
of  potassium,  being  likely  to  come  into  more  extensive  use  among 
those  practising  photography,  I  am  induced  to  lay  before  the 
Society  a  method  I  have  adopted  for  preparing  the  substance  in 
question,  of  greater  purity  and  with  more  facility  than  those  pro- 
cesses which  are  given  in  most  works  on  chemistry,  viz.,  by  the 
double  decomposition  of  solutions  of  iodide  of  iron  or  zinc  by 
carbonate  of  ammonia,  filtering,  washing  the  precipitate,  and 
evaporating  the  solution  to  dryness.  These  methods  do  not 
usually  yield  an  unexceptionable  product,  as  it  is  generally  of 
a  yellowish  color,  while  the  pure  salt  is  perfectly  white  ;  they 
also  require  a  comparatively  large  quantity  of  water,  to  prevent 
losing  much  of  the  salt  in  the  precipitate. 
The  action  of  iodine  on  solution  of  ammonia,  diners,  as  is  well 
