ON CHLOROFORM. 
•97 
so readily produced by contact with oil of vitriol; on the 
contrary, chloroform, previously transparent, becomes 
opalescent when oil of vitriol is added to it. If the opales- 
cence be ascribed to hydration, the water must, in this 
case, be taken from the oil of vitriol, which is not probable. 
It is difficult to account for the effect ascribed to the pre- 
sence of minute quantities of alcohol, and, indeed, the sub- 
ject requires further investigation. 
Pyroxylic spirit may be substituted for spirit of wine in 
making chloroform, and under these circumstances the pro- 
cess, in the first stage of it, is more manageable and less 
subject to accidents than when alcohol is used. The reac- 
tion which takes place on the application of heat is less vio- 
lent, and is not accompanied by so mucli frothing and 
disengagement of gas. Unfortunately, however, the pro- 
duct thus obtained is unfit for medicinal use, as it retains a 
disagreeable flavour, acquired, probably, from impurities 
which are always present in pyroxylic spirit. 
Some specimens of chloroform which have been offered 
for sale at a very low price, have evidently been made from 
pyroxylic spirit, the taste and smell indicating their origin. 
The editor of the Medical Times mentions the following 
among the chemical properties of chloroform: — 
It rapidly evaporates, producing great cold when 
dropped on the skin. It has neither an acid nor alkaline 
reaction, but is perfectly neutral when pure. It is easily 
dissolved by alcohol and ether, but is again separable by 
water. It readily deoxidizes nitric acid by the aid of a 
moderate heat : gold is not dissolved by this mixture, lience 
no hydrochloric acid is formed, and no chlorine is evolved. 
Chloroform does not dissolve gold, nor does it bleach vege- 
table colours ; hence it contains no free chlorine. Potassium 
floats in it without decomposing it, and no gas is evolved, 
(If much alcohol or ether were present, there would be an 
evolution of hydrogen.) It forms a milky liquid, but does 
not enter into combination with caustic potash. It gives 
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