Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
July,  1887. 
Ammonium  Iodide. 
335 
one-third  part  of  camphor.  The  mixture  of  7  parts  of  camphor  and  3 
parts  of  chloral  is  opaque,  pulverizable,  has  the  density  of  l'lO,  and  in 
contact  with  water  is  gradually  decomposed,  camphor  rising  to  the 
surface  and  chloral  hydrate  entering  in  solution.  The  mixture  of  two 
parts  of  camphor  and  one  part  of  chloral  forms  a  partial  solution,  some 
-camphor  remaining  undissolved,  and  the  liquid  portion  will  dissolve 
two  more  parts  of  chloral,  before  it  is  saturated  with  the  latter.  A  so- 
lution of  one  part  of  chloral  in  (from  one  to)  four  parts  of  water  will 
gradually  dissolve  four  parts  of  champhor  and  deposit  an  oily  liquid, 
which  will  neither  mix  with,  nor  be  decomposed  by,  the  water  in  which 
it  was  formed,  even  on  heating  it  to  the  boiling  point ;  but  on  the 
addition  of  more  water,  camphor  will  separate,  and  chloral  be  dis- 
solved.   (See  also  Amer.  Jour.  Phar.  1886  p.  282.) 
Rhus  glabra. — A  good  ink  may  be  prepared  from  sumach  leaves, 
according  to  Oscar  J.  Lache,  Ph.G.  A  decoction  is  prepared  by  boil- 
ing 1  oz.  of  the  bruised  leaves  for  half  an  hour  in  one  pint  of  water, 
.and  straining ;  90  grains  of  sulphate  of  iron,  and  60  grains  of  gum 
arabic  are  added.  The  ink  has  at  first  a  brownish  cast  which  dis- 
appears in  a  few  days ;  after  about  two  weeks  it  can  scarcely  be  dis- 
tinguished from  ink  made  from  nutgalls. 
On  evaporating  an  infusion  of  the  berries  hard  crystals  of  calcium 
acid  malate  are  obtained,  having  a  red  brown  color;  by  repeated  re- 
crystallization  they  may  be  obtained  clear  and  transparent.  They  are 
decidedly  acid,  and  are  with  difficulty  dissolved  in  cold  water.  The 
acid  was  prepared  by  Procter's  process  (see  U.  S.  Disp.)  On  pre- 
cipitating the  solution  of  the  calcium  salt  with  acetate  of  lead,  and  de- 
composing the  precipitate  with  sulphuretted  hydrogen,  a  filtrate  is 
obtained,  which  on  evaporation,  yields  prismatic  crystals  of  malic  acid. 
The  yield  is  from  3  to  4  per  cent. 
AMMONIUM  IODIDE. 
By  R.  Rother. 
Judging  merely  from  the  simplicity  of  its  chemical  nature  ammo- 
nium iodide  does  not  appear  to  be  the  really  difficult  compound  to 
prepare  that  it  is.  It  does  not  come  strictly  within  the  province  of 
dispensing  pharmacy  to  operate  in  the  direction  of  such  products,  but 
if  time  and  opportunity  permit  it  is  occasionally  interesting  and  in- 
structive, if  not  economical,  to  indulge  in  such  practices.    Mere  infer- 
