Am.  Jour.  Pharm. ) 
Sept.,  1882.  I 
Preparation  of  Aniline. 
435 
in  aralia  bark  could  not  be  found.  No  precipitates  were  formed  when 
Mayer's  test,  or  a  solution  of  iodine  in  iodide  of  potassium,  were  added 
to  an  acidulated  infusion  or  decoction,  nor  to  the  solution  resulting 
after  treating  an  alcoholic  extract  with  acidulated  water. 
No  reactions  were  given  indicating  the  presence  of  tannin.  A  green 
-color  was  produced  by  ferric  chloride,  but  a  solution  of  gelatin  caused 
no  precipitate  with  a  somewhat  concentrated  decoction.  Glucose  was 
indicated  by  Trommer's  and  Fehling's  tests,  as  was  starch  by  iodine. 
Milk  of  lime  precipitated  pectin  from  an  acid  decoction.  Albumen 
was  not  coagulated  upon  boiling  a  cold  infusion. 
IMPROVEMENT  ON  TINCTURA  ARNIC.E,  U.  S.  P. 
By  Chas.  H.  H.i]ntze. 
As  the  officinal  tincture  of  arnica  is  very  seldom  used  as  an  internal 
medicine,  but  more  so  externally,  it  might  be  well  here  to  propose  a 
slight  imyrovement,  deviating  some^\'hat  from  the  U.  S.  P. :  Take  of 
arnica  flowers  G  troy  ounces;  alcohol  IJ  pint;  water  J  pint.  First 
take  the  arnica  flowers  and  rub  in  a  mortar  with  2  drachms  of  sodium 
carbonate  until  quite  tine,  then  take  the  powder  and  put  in  a  2-pound 
tin  percolator  of  the  Rosenwasser  pattern,  and  percolate  with  the  diluted 
xdcohol,  raising  the  reservoir  about  five  feet  above  the  percolator ;  the 
result  is  a  quart  of  dark,  clear  and  strong  tincture,  and  as  the  quantity 
of  carbonate  of  sodium  is  so  small  it  would  be  liardly  objectionable. 
This  same  tincture  may  be  made  by  maceration,  but  as  the  latter  takes 
up  a  great  deal  of  precious  time,  the  former  way  is  preferable.  Also 
the  often  seen  precipitate  does  not  appear  in  this  process. 
Preparation  of  Aniline. — Amu  j)roposes  heating  a  mixture  of 
<;arbon  bisulphide  1  ])art  and  ammonia  2  parts  to  50°C^  ;  then  binitro- 
benzol  is  added,  and  the  gas  generated  is  conducted  into  another  vessel 
containing  binitrobenzol  ;  or  the  vapors  given  oft*  from  tlie  above  mix- 
ture at  50°C.  are  conducted  through  several  vessels  (iontaining  binitro- 
benzol until  this  is  completely  reduced  to  aniline.  The  wash  water 
contains  ammojiium  sulphocyanide,  and  may  be  utilized  foi'  obtaining 
the  potassium  ^ii\t  -  ( 'kem.  Zeifiiiu/y  1882,  N^o.  30,  ]).  585,  from  Mon'd. 
Prod.  Chhn.,  xii,  145. 
