BASINS  FOR  ALKALINE  AND  ACID  LIQUIDS. 
367 
Instead  of  adding  iodic  acid  and  ammonia  to  the  aqueous 
or  alcoholic  solutions  of  morphia,  the  author  now  proposes  to 
obtain  the  solid  alkaloid  from  the  solution,  in  the  following  man- 
ner. A  solution  of  morphia  is  placed  in  a  porcelain  dish  and 
strips  of  white  filtering  paper  are  immersed  in  it.  These  are 
allowed  to  dry,  and  are  then  again  immersed  and  allowed  to 
dry  as  before.  When,  after  repeated  immersions  and  drying,  all 
the  solution  has  been  absorbed  by  the  paper,  the  morphia  is  found 
in  the  solid  state  fixed  in  the  filtering  paper,  to  which  nitric 
acid,  perchloride  of  iron  and  finally  iodic  acid  and  ammonia 
may  now  be  applied,  giving  their  several  peculiar  reactions  with 
morphia  in  a  sure  and  easy  manner. — Md.  Col.  of  P harm,  from 
Repertoire  de  Pharm. 
ON  THE  CONSTRUCTION  OF  BASINS   AND  RESERVOIRS  UN- 
ATTACKABLE  BY  MOST  ACID  OR  ALKALINE  LIQUIDS. 
Br  M.  H.  Kalisch. 
Unless  by  making  use  of  wrought  or  cast  iron  (which  have 
the  inconvenience  of  being  easily  attacked  by  all  acid  liquids), 
it  has  been  found  very  difficult  to  construct  reservoirs  capable 
of  resisting  the  action  of  boiling  solutions  of  caustic  alkalies. 
Most  of  the  materials  or  luting  proposed  for  this  purpose  are 
either  much  too  easily  acted  on,  or  are  too  expensive  for  ap- 
plication on  a  certain  scale. 
The  author  proposes  to  line  the  sides  of  such  stone  reservoirs 
with  plates  or  slabs  of  heavy  spar  (native  sulphate  of  baryta), 
and  to  cement  all  the  joints  with  a  luting  prepared  in  the  fol- 
lowing manner: — 
Digest  one  part  of  india-rubber,  in  small  pieces,  with  two 
parts  of  freshly  rectified  spirit  of  turpentine,  until  the  mixture 
becomes  perfectly  homogeneous,  then  incorporate  with  it  four 
parts  of  powdered  sulphate  of  baryta. 
Reservoirs  constructed  in  this  way  ought  to  resist  not  only 
the  corrosive  action  of  boiling  caustic  alkalies,  but  most  organic 
or  inorganic  salts, — for  instance,  sulphates,  chlorides  and  ni- 
trates of  zinc,  iron,  copper,  soluble  glass,  cream  of  tartar,  &c,  and 
boiling  hydrochloric,  phosphoric,  boracic,  oxalic,  tartaric,  and 
citric  acids,  and  slightly  diluted  cold  sulphuric  acid. — Chem. 
News,  London,  April  12,  1862,  from  Repertoire  de  Ohimie. 
