426 
ON  SOME  SPECIES  OF  HELLEBORUS. 
rator  ;  if  some  chloroform  should  be  left  behind,  steam  will  carry 
it  over.  From  a  tin  still,  standing  free  in  a  high-pressure 
steam-apparatus,  and  a  quantity  of  3  lbs.  chlorinated  lime,  no 
spontaneous  distillation  took  place,  until  the  head  and  upper 
part  of  the  still  were  protected  from  rapid  refrigeration  by 
wrapping  them  in  blankets. 
Regarding  the  purification  of  chloroform,  if  a  clean  apparatus 
and  alcohol  free  from  fusel  oil  has  been  employed,  it  is  but  neces- 
sary^ to  agitate  it  with  a  sufficient  quantity  of  a  solution  of  car- 
bonate of  soda,  until  the  supernatant  liquid  has  an  alkaline 
reaction.  The  chloroform  is  separated,  agitated  with  little 
water,  and  set  aside  in  a  cool  place  until  both  strata  have 
become  perfectly  clear;  the  water  is  again  removed  by  means 
of  a  separating  funnel,  and  the  chloroform  filtered  through  a 
double  filter,  to  free  it  entirely  from  water,  while  the  funnel  is 
kept  covered  with  a  glass  plate.  The  rapidly-filtering  chloro- 
form is  clear,  possesses  a  pure  odor,  and  is  soluble  in  fat  oils 
in  all  proportions. 
If  alcohol  containing  fusel  oil — and  the  best  commercial  recti- 
fied spirit  is  not  absolutely  free  from  it — has  been  operated  with, 
the  chloroform,  after  having  been  shaken  with  carbonate  of  soda, 
is  to  be  rectified  by  itself  in  the  water-bath  at  as  low  a  tempera- 
ture as  possible,  to  free  it  from  the  ethereal  compound  of  a  peculiar 
fruit}^  odor,  which,  however,  is  not  entirely  removed  by  repeated 
rectification.  If  now  coming  over  with  water,  the  chloroform 
need  but  be  filtered  at  a  low  temperature.  Thus  purified,  it 
imparts  to  sulphuric  acid  but  a  very  faint  coloration  after  being 
agitated  with  it. 
Chloroform  is  obtained  of  a  very  pure  odor,  if  after  freeing  it 
from  acid  it  is  left  in  contact  with  freshly-calcined  powdered 
animal  charcoal,  with  repeated  agitation,  and  after  several  days 
filtered  or  rectified  in  the  water-bath. — Buchiiers  N,  Eepert.  x. 
103—115.  J.  M.  M. 
ON  SOME  SPECIES  OF  HELLEBORUS. 
By  Prof.  Schroff. 
The  ancients  knew  only  Hellehorus  niger  and  alius, — the 
Veratrum  nigrum  and  album  of  the  Romans.    Belonius  first 
