ON  VALERIANATE  OF  AMMONIA. 
27 
and  heating  until  the  grease  commences  to  decompose,  produces  a  good 
bronze.  Immersion  in  a  solution  of  chloride  of  platinum  also  gives  a  hand- 
some bronze. 
D.  B.  S. 
ON  VALERIANATE  OF  AMMONIA. 
By  William  Procter,  Jr. 
Within  two  months  past  a  demand  has  arisen  for  the  valeri- 
anate of  ammonia,  owing  to  the  publication  in  the  Medical  Ex- 
aminer of  a  notice  of  its  successful  employment  in  severe  facial 
neuralgia  by  certain  French  physicians.  Having  been  applied 
to  for  this  substance,  and  having  studied  the  subject  to  some 
extent,  the  following  remarks  bearing  on  the  preparation  and 
properties  of  the  salt  are  offered  to  those  desiring  the  informa. 
tion. 
When  valerianic  acid,  as  it  occurs  in  commerce,  is  neutralized 
with  strong  solution  of  ammonia,  and  the  liquid  is  carefully 
evaporated  at  150°  F.,  a  syrupy  liquid  results,  which  is  a  dense 
solution  of  the  valerianate  of  ammonia.  If  left  to  stand  for 
some  time  it  shows  little,  if  any,  disposition  to  crystallize, 
especially  if  the  atmosphere  is  moist ;  but  under  favorable  cir- 
cumstances crystallization  occurs,  and  the  solution  becomes  a  mass 
of  crystals. 
After  several  trials,  the  following  method  was  adopted  which 
proved  successful.  After  concentrating  the  aqueous  solution,  it 
was  mixed  with  twice  its  bulk  of  alcohol  of  95  per  cent.,  and 
suffered  to  evaporate  spontaneously.  In  a  few  hours,  as  the 
alcohol  disappeared,  crystallization  took  place  without  difficulty. 
As  valerianic  acid  is  expensive,  and  the  use  of  this  salt  will 
depend  much  on  its  being  obtained  at  a  reasonable  price,  it  will 
be  preferable  to  make  the  acid  and  salt  in  one  operation,  which 
can  be  economically  done  by  the  following  process,  which  I  have 
found  to  yield  a  nearly  pure  product. 
Take  of  Bichromate  of  Potassa,  eighteen  drachms, 
Sulphuric  acid,  thirteen  fluid  drachms, 
Fusel  oil  (Alcohol  Amylicum),  a  fluid  ounce, 
Water,  a  pint, 
Solution  of  ammonia,  a  sufficient  quantity. 
Reduce  the  bichromate  to  powder  in  a  mortar,  add  the  acid 
