Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Dec,  1887. 
Commercial  Wood  Alcohol. 
605 
EXAMINATION  OF  COMMERCIAL  SAMPLES  OF  WOOD 
ALCOHOL. 
Contribution  from  the  Chemical  Laboratory  of  the  Philadelphia  College  of 
Pharmacy. 
By  William  H.  Clark. 
Read  at  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting,  November  15. 
Three  samples  were  taken,  and  numbered  1,  2  and  3. 
The  odor  of  Nos.  1  and  2  was  unobjectionable;  that  of  No.  3r 
slightly  empyreumatic. 
The  specific  gravity  of  No.,  1  at  20°C,  was  .  7962 
"  No.  2  "     "      "   8136 
"  "  "  No.  3  "     "      "   8049 
No.  1  commenced  to  boil  at  61°C,  was  constant  at  68°. 
No.  2         "  "    "  64°C,  "        "        "  68°. 
No.  3         "  "    "  64°C,  "        "        "  68°. 
On  adding  10  cc.  of  saturated  solution  calcium  chloride  to  5  cc.  of 
each,  no  layer  separated,  showing  absence  of  large  quantities  of  acetone. 
I  made  a  quantitative  estimation  of  acetone,  by  the  method  recom- 
mended by  A.  H.  Allen,  in  his  "  Commercial  Organic  Analysis  ":  To 
1  cc.  of  wood  alcohol,  add  10  cc.  of  a  solution  of  caustic  soda  (80 
grams  to  the  liter),  agitate,  and  add  5  cc.  of  a  solution  containing  254 
grams  of  iodine  and  332  grams  of  potassium  iodide  to  the  liter. 
Agitate,  and  dissolve  the  iodoform,  which  separates  by  shaking  with 
ether  free  from  alcohol.  Separate  the  ethereal  layer,  evaporate  at  the 
ordinary  temperature  with  diminished  pressure,  and  weigh  the  iodo- 
form ;  394  parts  iodoform  correspond  to  58  of  acetone. 
The  samples  under  consideration  gave  the  following  results  : 
No.  1  contained  2*3  per  cent,  acetone. 
No.  2      "  273 
No.  3      "  270 
I  found  that  a  further  addition  of  the  iodine  solution  to  the  liquids, 
previously  treated,  produced  an  additional  quantity  of  iodoform.  I 
added  an  excess,  and  estimated  the  acetone  in  the  same  manner  as 
before : 
No.  1  gave  an  addition  of  0-28  per  cent.  acetone=2-58  per  cent,  total. 
No.  2   "     "        "       "  1-42      "  «  =4-15 
No.  3   "     "        "       "  1-27      "  "      =3-97  " 
The  specific  gravity  of  absolute  methyl  alcohol  is  given  by  various 
authorities  as  *796  to  *798,  at  20 °C. ;  but  the  boiling  point  is  stated  to 
be  from  54*6°  to  67'6°. 
