'^'"Dec.yisss!"'"''}        Solubility  of  Mercuric  Iodide  in  Fats.  609 
6'95j  mineral  constituents  (including  table  salt)  4*40.  A  similar  bread 
made  by  P.  Ossian,  of  Paris,  contains  a  larger  percentage  of  carbo- 
hydrates (29*71)  and  of  gluten,  the  latter  being  partly  replaced  by  fat 
in  the  new  bread,  which  thereby  becomes  more  agreeable  for  continued 
use,  and  retains  its  softness  for  a  longer  time. 
THE  SOLUBILITY  OF  BINIODIDE  OF  MERCUKY  IN 
FATTY  BODIES  AND  SOME  OTHER  SOLVENTS.^ 
By  C.  Mehu. 
Mixtures  of  fatty  bodies  with  most  chemical  bodies  are  wanting  in 
homogeneity,  instable  and  of  moderate  quality.  The  water  and  alco- 
hol usually  employed  to  dissolve  the  chemical  bodies  with  a  view  to 
their  more  thorough  mixture  with  the  fatty  bodies  volatilize  more  or 
less  com})letely;  hence  the  appearance  of  crystals,  sometimes  hirge 
ones,  irregularly  distributed  through  the  fatty  matter.  Further,  under 
the  influence  of  water  chemical  reactions  take  place  that  modify 
profoundly  the  original  composition  of  the  mixture. 
In  such  preparations  I  have  frequently  attempted  to  substitute  solu- 
tion by  simple  admixture,  without  the  addition  of  any  solvent,  and 
more  than  once  with  entire  success.^  This  note  has  for  its  object  to 
call  attention  more  particularly  to  the  solubility  of  biniodide  of  mer- 
cury in  oils,  lard,  vaselin  and  other  solvents. 
Oil  of  Sweet  Almonds. — Oil  of  sweet  almonds  dissolves  enough  bin- 
iodide  of  mercury  to  satisfy  most  therapeutic  requirements.  The  fol- 
lowing experiments  will  give  a  correct  indication  of  this  solvent 
powder : 
If  a  mixture  of  65  centigrams  of  amorphous  biniodide  of  mercury 
and  50  grams  of  sweet  almond  oil  be  triturated  in  a  porcelain  capsule 
placed  upon  a  steam-bath,  complete  solution  will  be  effected  at  the  end 
of  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour.  This  proportion  of  mercury — 13  grams 
in  1,000  grams  of  oil — cannot  be  much  exceeded,  even  with  the  aid  of 
^  Paper  read  before  the  Sixth  International  Pharmaceutical  Congress  at 
Brussels.    Communicated  by  the  Author. 
2  In  1868  T  pointed  out  the  solubility  of  benzoate  of  iron  and  valerianate 
of  zinc  in  fatty  oils;  I  also  dissolved  ferric  cinnamate  in  oils. 
39 
