22 
Toxic  Action  of  Uranium. 
Am.  Jour.  Phariru 
Jan.,  1891. 
if  any  red  coloration  is  produced,  the  free  alkali  determined  by 
decinormal  sulphuric  acid.  The  neutralized  liquid  is  diluted  with 
water  to  about  80  cc,  and  transferred  to  the  separating  funnel.  As 
soon  as  the  liquid  has  cooled  to  the  temperature  of  the  air  exactly 
10  cc.  of  normal  sulphuric  acid  are  added,  and  the  funnel  filled  up 
to  the  200  cc.  mark  with  a  mixture  of  equal  parts  of  ether  and  light 
petroleum.  The  moistened  glass  stopper  is  then  inserted,  fastened 
down  with  string,  and  the  whole  vigorously  shaken  until  the  fatty 
acids  have  completely  dissolved.  After  allowing  the  funnel  to  stand 
for  some  time,  the  volumes  of  the  aqueous  solution  and  the  ethereal 
solution  are  read  off. 
To  determine  the  fatty  acids,  25  cc.  of  the  ethereal  solution  are 
removed  by  a  pipette  to  a  weighed  basin,  the  liquid  evaporated, 
and  the  residue  dried  and  weighed.  It  can  then  be  further  exam- 
ined if  required ;  e.  g.,  it  may  be  dissolved  in  alcohol,  and  the 
saponification  equivalent  determined  by  titration. 
The  alkali,  combined  with  the  fatty  acids,  is  estimated  by  drawing 
off  the  acid  aqueous  solution  by  means  of  the  tap,  and  determining 
the  excess  of  sulphuric  acid  in  25  cc.  by  titration  with  decinormal 
caustic  soda.  All  the  data  are  then  obtained  for  the  calculation  of 
the  alkali.  The  potassium  and  sodium  may  be  separately  deter, 
mined  by  evaporating  the  neutral  solution  in  which  the  alkali  has 
been  determined,  heating  to  redness  and  weighing.  As  the  sul- 
phuric acid  in  the  mixture  is  known,  the  potassium  and  sodium  pres- 
ent can  easily  be  calculated.  The  amount  ot  soda  added  in  titrat- 
ing the  excess  of  sulphuric  acid  must,  of  course,  be  subtracted  from 
that  found,  in  order  to  give  the  quantity  present  in  the  soap. 
The  advantages  of  this  process  are  mainly  that  it  avoids  the 
wearisome  washing  and  filtering  of  the  fatty  acids,  that  at  least  three 
determinations  can  be  made  of  fatty  acid  and  alkali  in  the  same 
sample,  and  that  if  required  portions  of  the  liquid  may  be  sub- 
mitted to  further  examination. — Chemical  Trade  Journal, 
In  view  of  the  recent  discovery  of  uranium  deposits  in  Cornwall 
and  the  large  reduction  in  price,  and  the  consequent  endeavor  to  find 
useful  applications  for  the  metal  and  its  salts,  it  is  well  to  be  alive  to 
THE  TOXIC  ACTION  OF  URANIUM.1 
1  From  the  Pharmaceutical  /ournal  and  Tra 
ns,  Sept.  13,  1890. 
