THE 
AMERICAN  JOURNAL  OF  PHARMACY, 
MAY,  1  857. 
OLEUM  iETIIEREUM  AND  SPIRXTUS  .ETIIERIS  COMPOSITUS, 
By  Edward  R.  Squibb,  M.  D.,  U.  S.  Navy. 
Assistant  Director  U.  S.  Naval  Laboratory. 
In  using  the  U.  S.  officinal  formula  for  ethereal  oil  some  years 
ago  (1853)  for  the  first  time,  six  charges  of  a  large  glass  retort 
were  worked  off,  each  charge  containing  three  times  the  quantity 
prescribed  in  the  formula.  Three  of  these  charges  were  man- 
aged in  strict  accordance  with  the  directions  of  the  Pharma- 
copoeia, and  three  without  the  prolonged  contact  of  the  materials. 
In  the  first  three  the  oily  stratum  was  underneath  and  measured 
3§  f  Jl  This  yielded  841  grains  of  finished  oil  of  s.  g.  of  1-129 
at  70°. 
In  the  last  three  the  oily  stratum  was  uppermost  in  the  re- 
ceiver, as  indicated  in  the  officinal  formulae.  It  was  of  a  darker 
color  and  less  dense  than  the  first,  and  yielded  704  grains  of 
finished  oil,  s.  g.  1-12  at  70p. 
Thus  4  i  gallons=27  lbs.,  4  oz.  av.  of  alcohol  of  a  s.  g.  -830, 
and  6f  gallons^  101 J  lbs.  av.  of  sulphuric  acid  of  a  s.  g.  1-845 
yielded  3  f.^  scant,  =1545  grains  of  finished  oil=  -81  per  cent, 
of  the  weight,  or  «52  per  cent,  of  the  volume  of  the  alcohol  em- 
ployed. 
A  specimen  of  this  oil  preserved  appears  to  have  undergone 
little  change  except  in  color.  From  being  nearly  colorless  it  is 
now  of  a  dark  brown  color.  When  stirred  with  water  it  separates 
at  once  without  perceptible  diminution  of  volume.  The  water, 
however,  is  rendered  cloudy  by  solution  of  chloride  of  barium. 
Not  satisfied  with  the  yield  of  this  operation,  other  proportions 
and  manipulations  were  resorted  to,  and  in  the  next  following 
operation  (of  1854)  2J  gallons^  17  lbs.  av.  of  alcohol  s.  g.  -835 
with  30  pints=  56 \  lbs.  av.  of  sulphuric  acid  s.  g.  1*848,  dis- 
13 
