ON  SOME  PREPARATIONS  OF  THE  U.  S.  PHARMACOPOEIA.  299 
resin,  by  a  preliminary  washing  by  means  of  ether,  after  the 
aconitia  has  been  sulphated,  and  before  the  addition  of  the  am- 
monia. As  this  modern  aconitia  is  not  pure,  it  retains  coloring 
matter,  and,  according  to  the  recent  discovery  of  the  Messrs. 
Smith,  of  Edinburgh,  another  alkaloid,  which  they  call  aconella, 
and  which  they  and  subsequent  experimenters  believe  to  be 
identical  with  narcotina.  The  inertness  of  narcotina  must 
materially  diminish  the  power  of  aconitia,  and  the  variable 
strength  of  the  alkaloid  of  commerce  may  be  partially  due  to 
this  cause. 
JEther. — In  this  formula,  more  alcohol  is  etherified  by  a 
given  proportion  of  sulphuric  acid,  and  the  process  is  rendered 
definite  and  certain  by  directing  the  range  of  temperature  at 
which  it  should  be  conducted,  and,  without  attention  to  which, 
a  much  more  alcoholic  product  may  be  obtained  than  is  sought. 
JEther  Fortior  In  the  Pharmacopoeia  of  1860   this  is  a 
new  preparation,  being  ether  of  sp.  gr.  -728,  in  which  the  ordi- 
nary ether  is  deprived  of  alcohol  and  water  by  agitation  with 
chloride  of  calcium  and  quick  lime  in  powder  and  subsequent 
distillation.  In  Dr.  Squibb's  apparatus  for  making  ether,  the 
product  is  obtained  directly  of  the  required  sp.  gravity,  by 
passing  the  ether  vapor  through  a  series  of  condensers  and 
washing  arrangements,  whereby  the  impurities  are  separated 
before  it  reaches  the  final  refrigerating  condenser.  This  ether 
is  directed  in  the  Pharmacopoeia  in  the  processes  for  aconitia, 
oil  of  wine,  oleoresin  of  ginger,  and  for  use  in  inhalation. 
Chloroformum  Purificatum. — Owing  to  the  frequent  impurity 
in  commercial  chloroform,  the  revisors  of  the  Pharmacopoeia 
deemed  it  safer  to  have  a  special  name  that  should  signify  a 
pure  preparation  for  inhalation.  Hence  the  apothecary  should 
know,  when  this  chloroform  is  ordered,  that  it  is  intended  for 
that  use. 
Oleum  tJthereum  — It  should  be  remembered  that  ethereal  oil 
is  now  a  mixture  of  equal  parts  of  ethereal  oil  and  stronger  ether, 
and,  instead  of  being  heavier  than  water,  is  of  sp.  gr.  •910 
The  addition  of  the  ether  is  to  give  chemical  permanency  to 
the  oil,  which,  in  a  pure  state,  undergoes  chemical  decompo- 
