Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  j 
December,  191 7.  J 
Current  Literature. 
607 
normal  times,  sulfuric  acid  was  used  for  this  purpose  but  large 
supplies  of  this  chemical  are  now  required  for  the  government 
and  the  Bradford  Corporation  have  made  large  purchases  of  niter- 
cake  to  take  its  place. —  (Through  Journal  of  Industrial  and  Engi- 
neering Chemistry.) 
Barium  and  Strontium. — "  Since  the  beginning  of  the  war  a 
barium  chemical  industry  has  been  established  in  the  United  States 
to  supply  barium  carbonate,  nitrate,  chloride,  chlorate,  hydrate,  and 
binoxide,  which  were  formerly  imported  from  Germany.  In  191 5 
this  industry  consumed  10  per  cent,  of  the  output  of  domestic 
barite,  but  the  consumption  in  191 6  was  apparently  somewhat 
larger.  The  barium  chemicals  have  a  wide  variety  of  applications, 
perhaps  the  most  important  of  which  are  the  use  of  barium  binoxide 
in  the  preparation  of  hydrogen  peroxide,  that  of  barium  chloride  as 
a  water  softener,  and  that  of  various  salts  in  the  manufacture  of 
optical  glass. 
"The  production  of  108,547  short  tons  in  191 5  was  over  twice  as 
large  as  that  of  1914,  and  in  1916  the  output  was  again  doubled. 
The  value  of  the  1916  output  was  over  $1,000,000 — a  figure  never 
attained  before. 
"  Strontium  salts,  chiefly  the  nitrate,  are  employed  to  make  '  red 
fire,'  which  is  of  wide  use  at  this  time  not  only  for  signal  lights  on 
battle  fronts  but  for  railway  signals  to  promote  the  safe  handling  of 
trains  at  night.  It  is  estimated  that  prior  to  1914  about  2,000  tons 
of  strontium  nitrate  were  used  annually  in  the  manufacture  of  such 
( flares  '  or  '  Costen  '  and  '  Bengal '  lights  and  fireworks.  Since  191 5 
the  demand  has  increased  considerably. 
"Before  the  war  celesite  (strontium  sulphate)  and  strontianite 
(strontium  carbonate)  were  imported  from  Germany,  England  and 
Sicily.  During  1914  and  191 5  English  celestite  was  obtained  by 
manufacturers,  but  late  in  191 5  the  exportation  of  strontium  ores 
was  embargoed  by  England. 
"  Apparently  United  States  manufacturers  are  now  using  domes- 
tic ores  containing  only  85  per  cent,  of  strontium  sulphate,  though 
they  prefer  not  to  use  materials  of  lower  grade  than  92  per  cent." 
—  (James  M.  Hill,  Bulletin  666- W,  3  pp.  U.  S.  Geological  Survey 
Bulletin.  Through  Journal  of  Industrial  and  Engineering  Chem- 
istry.) 
