404 
NOTE  ON  METALLIC  BISMUTH,  ETC. 
the  air.  When  diluted  with  four  times  its  bulk  of  oil  of  almonds 
it  ceases  to  be  phosphorescent  in  the  dark  and  to  emit  vapors. 
The  phosphorescent  quality  and  power  of  emitting  vapors  is 
instantly  stopped  by  a  few  drops  of  ether,  and  also  by  sul- 
pliuret  of  carbon  and  oil  of  turpentine  ;  the  oils  of  thyme,  rose- 
mary, cajeput,  and  mint,  and  alcohol  possess  this  power  in  but 
a  small  degree,  whilst  bromine,  bromide  of  ethylen,  acetic  ether, 
chloroform,  the  oils  of  chamomile,  cloves,  and  champhor  do  not 
act  in  an  appreciable  degree. 
The  action  of  ether  is  best  shown  by  opening  a  bottle  of  phos- 
phorated oil  in  the  dark,  and  then  bringing  an  open  bottle  of 
ether  near  its  mouth,  so  that  the  dense  ether  vapor  will  precipitate 
itself  into  the  oil  bottle,  when  the  phosphorescence  ceases  at 
once. 
The  author  recommends  the  addition  of  four  per  cent,  of  ether 
to  the  oil  to  prevent  this  phosphorescence. 
The  author  also  recommends  his  process  with  butter  of  cacao 
so  as  to  obtain  a  solid  phosphorated  oil  to  be  taken  in  capsular 
form. — Jour,  de  Pharm.,  Juillet,  1868. 
NOTE  ON  METALLIC  BISMUTH.  AND  LIQUOR  BISMUTH  I 
ET  AMMONITE  CITRAT1S. 
By  Dr.  Redwood. 
The  vicissitudes  which  have  attended  the  commerce  of  bismuth 
for  several  years  past  have  produced  an  unfavorable  influence  on 
the  condition,  in  regard  to  purity,  of  some  of  the  preparations  of 
bismuth  which  are  used  in  medicine.  The  price  of  the  metal  has 
undergone  great  fluctuations,  ranging  from  2s.  Qd.  to  more  than 
20s.  a  pound  ;  and,  although  the  highest  prices  to  which  it  has 
thus  attained  have  been  unprecedented  in  its  previous  history, 
the  proportion  of  impure  bismuth  in  the  market  has,  at  the  same 
time,  been  unusually  large.  This  unsatisfactory  state  of  things 
appears  to  have  arisen  from  a  falling  oif  in  the  supply  of  bismuth 
from  those  localities  whence  the  best  samples  have  been  obtained, 
while  new  sources  of  supply,  especially  the  Australian,  have 
yielded  the  metal  in  a  state  in  which  its  purification  has  been 
