Ajun0ei;m2EM'}      Ghloralum  and  Preparations,  etc.  269 
3.  Chloralum  wool  and  wadding  recommended  as  a  styptic  and 
antiseptic  for  fresh  or  suppurating  wounds  and  cancerous  tumors,  also 
as  a  disinfectant  for  coffins  and  corpses.  A  neatly  labelled  bag,  of 
waterproof  material,  containing  352  gr.  of  dried  wadding,  which  had 
been  soaked  in  173  g.  solid  chloralum,  or  9-80  g.  fluid  chloralum,  price 
20  sgr.  (2s.)  was  taken  for  experimenting  upon. 
These  analytical  results  leave  no  doubt  as  to  the  nature  and  the 
mode  of  making  the  preparations  of  chloralum,  and  as  to  their  real 
value. 
The  manufacture  is  as  follows :  An  alumina  containing  lime  (limy 
clay)  and  a  small  proportion  of  iron  is  steeped  in  ordinary  strong 
muriatic  acid,  and  dissolved  as  far  as  possible.  The  concentrated 
fluid,  cleared  from  the  alumina  that  remains  undissolved,  is  drawn  off 
and  sold  in  bottles  as  Chloralum  (the  name  is  to  be  ascribed  to  its  con- 
taining chloride  of  aluminium).  The  sediment  remaining  is  evapo- 
rated, together  with  the  fluid  remaining  in  it,  and  then  dried ;  this 
yields  the  Chloralum  powder.  Cotton  or  wadding  is  dipped  into  the 
chloralum  itself,  saturated  with  it,  pressed  out,  dried,  and  becomes 
Chloralum  wool  and  wadding. 
The  arsenic,  lead  and  copper  contained  in  the  preparations  are  to 
be  ascribed  to  the  impurity  of  the  solvent  employed,  muriatic  acid, 
and  to  the  apparatus  in  which  the  alumina  is  dissolved. 
The  real  value  of  the  contents  of  a  bottle  of  chloralum,  which  is 
sold  at  15  sgr.  (Is.  6d.),  is  not  to  be  computed  as  above  2  sgr.  (rather 
more  than  two  pence).  The  value  of  the  chloralum  powder,  which  is 
sold  in  tin  canisters  at  5  sgr.  (6d.),  cannot  be  placed  higher  than 
1  sgr  (rather  more  than  1  d.),  seeing  that  it  is  but  dried  sediment. 
The  chloralum  wadding,  which  is  sold  for  20  sgr.  (2s.)  is  only  worth 
J  sgr.  (rather  more  than  a  half-penny),  at  the  utmost.  A  solution  of 
10  g.  of  sulphate  of  alumina  in  1  lb.  of  spring  water  would  be  a  per- 
fect substitute  for  the  above  preparations,  all  the  component  parts  of 
which,  excepting  the  chloride  of  aluminium,  are  to  be  regarded  as  im- 
purities or  poisons,  and  this  solution  would  not  exceed  1  sgr.  in  value 
(rather  more  than  one  penny). 
To  test  the  value  of  chloralum  as  a  disinfectant  similar  quantities 
of  sewage  were  treated  with  chloride  of  lime,  alum,  green  vitriol, 
chloralum,  quicklime  and  chloride  of  magnesium,  and  the  clarified 
solution  was  tested  for  its  contents  of  organic  impurities  (putridity), 
by  means  of  an  alkaline  solution  of  silver.    The  effective  value  of 
