Aluguvi8™'}  The  Night  Bell  339 
forms  white  thin  scales  with  an  almost  silvery  lustre,  and  of  a,  pecu- 
liar ethereal  unpleasant  odor;  it  is  very  sparingly  soluble  in  cold 
water,  little  in  ether  and  cold  alcohol,  but  freely  in  boiling  alcohol, 
crystallizing  again  on  cooling  ;  it  sublimes  at  40°  C.  (122°  F.)  with- 
out fusing  previously,  and  condenses  in  thin  1  ami  me ;  exposed  to  the 
air  it  evaporates  completely,  and  heated  in  a  water-bath  it  may  be 
fused  to  a  clear  oily  liquid,  which  evaporates  without  leaving  any 
residue.  When  rapidly  heated  upon  platinum  foil  it  burns  with  a 
slight  flame,  the  vapors  having  a  disagreeable  odor  and  a  metallic 
taste.  Being  very  poisonous,  it  must  be  handled  with  great  care  on 
account  of  its  ready  volatility.  Sobering  regards  it  as  pure  if  it  is 
readily  and  completely  volatilized,  dissolves  without  residue  in  boil- 
ing alcohol,  yields  in  alcoholic  solution  but  a  faint  reaction  of  chlo- 
rine, and,  with  alkali,  does  not  produce  a  precipitate. 
It  remains  to  be  seen  whether  its  inactivity  upon  albumen  renders 
this  new  claimant  for  medical  favor  so  much  superior  to  corrosive 
sublimate  and  similar  mercurials,  that  its  good  qualities  would  more 
than  outweigh  the  dangers  and  uncertainties  that  must  result  from 
its  ready  volatility  at  our  usual  summer  temperature. 
THE  NIGHT-BELL. 
By  J.  B.  Moore. 
The  night-bell,  to  many,  may  appear  a  strange  subject  for  an  arti- 
cle for  publication  in  a  pharmaceutic  journal ;  but,  as  it  is  so  inti- 
mately connected  with  the  night  or  after-hours'  business  of  the  phar- 
macist, I  thought  a  few  words  concerning  the  role  it  plays  in  that 
unpleasant  part  of  our  business  would  not  be  out  of  place  nor  unin- 
teresting to  the  readers  of  this  journal. 
The  remarks  that  follow,  however,  will  not  so  immediately  concern 
the  night-bell  itself  as  they  will  relate  to  the  business  with  which  it  is 
so  intimately  associated. 
Answering  the  night-bell  is  a  duty  among  the  most  unpleasant  con- 
nected with  the  business  of  pharmacy.  It  not  only  interferes  with 
our  comfort,  but  in  some  instances  impairs  our  health ;  it,  neverthe- 
less, is  inseparably  connected  with  and  forms  an  integrant  part  of  our 
business,  and  the  physician  might  as  well  refuse  to  attend  to  his  night- 
calls  as  for  the  pharmacist  to  refuse  to  respond  to  the  call  of  the 
night-bell.    This  duty  should  therefore  be  accepted,  and  promptly 
