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ON  THE  IODINE- WATER  OP  DR.  ANDERS. 
I  feel  no  other  interest  in  this  matter  but  that  of  science,  and  was 
curious  to  ascertain  how  this  preparation  would  stand  the  chemical 
test  of  the  proprietor  in  his  advertisements,  who  invited  chemists 
to  decide  on  it,  and  offered  to  transmit  samples  of  his  iodine 
solution,  in  order  that  they  might  satisfy  themselves  of  the  justice 
of  his  pretensions.  At  my  request,  about  ten  ounces  were  sent 
me,  in  a  bottle  closed  with  a  glass-stopper,  with  the  note,  that 
"  every  ounce  of  this  aqueous  solution  contained  f  of  a  grain  of 
iodine." 
The  solution  thus  transmitted  was  of  a  brownish-yellow  color, 
and  had  a  smell  of  iodine.  Now,  as  the  solution  of  pure  iodine 
in  pure  water  must  leave  nothing,  at  least  no  ponderable  substan- 
ces, after  evaporation,  it  was  necessary  to  see  whether  it  would 
stand  this  test. 
a.  For  that  purpose,  two  ounces  of  the  solution  were  slowly 
and  carefully  evaporated  to  dryness  in  a  small  glass-retort ; 
after  this  there  remained  a  sediment  of  a  grayish  color.  The 
retort  was  corked,  and  in  the  interim  put  aside  with  its  contents. 
b.  Other  four  ounces  of  the  iodine  water  were  put  into  a 
small  glass-retort,  which  was  connected  with  a  small  glass 
recipient  by  a  curved  glass  tube  ;  the  receiver  contained  a  solu- 
tion of  two  grains  of  caustic  potassa  in  one  ounce  of  water,  in 
which  one  end  of  the  glass  pipe  was  immersed.  After  this,  the 
contents  in  the  retort  were  subjected  to  distillation  until  the 
liquid  in  the  retort  had  entirely  lost  its  odor.  Having  slowly 
evaporated  the  liquid  of  the  recipient  almost  to  dryness,  in  a 
silver  crucible,  a  little  powdered  charcoal  was  then  added  and 
well  mixed,  and  then  nealed  for  a  short  time.  The  contents  of 
the  crucible,  after  cooling,  treated  with  water,  the  solution  ob- 
tained, filtered,  and  the  filter  well  edulcorated.  To  this  liquid, 
thus  obtained,  there  was  added  nitric  acid,  very  diluted,  drop  by 
drop,  to  neutralization,  and  then  the  iodine  combination  con- 
tained in  the  liquid  decomposed  by  adding  a  solution  of  nitrate 
of  silver.  After  edulcorating,  exsiccating,  nealing  and  fusing 
the  precipitate,  there  was  obtained  two  grains  of  iodide  of  silver, 
which  is  equal  to  1.07736  grain  of  iodine,  that  is,  0.26934  of  a 
grain  of  iodine,  or  a  little  more  than  J  of  a  grain  to  one  ounce 
of  the  iodine  water. 
e.  The  sediment  remaining  in  the  retort  from  the  evaporated 
