ON THE MANUFACTURE OP CHLOROFORM. 
227 
with a long rod e e*, passes through the barrel by a smooth 
tight joint. 
As soon as you see the disengagement of the chloroform 
becomes calmer, and you judge the reaction has almost 
terminated, you suffer the steam again to enter the cask, 
and continue the heat, thus created, until six and a half 
pints of liquid has distilled. The cask is now emptied by 
a lateral inferior opening, the clear liquid used for a second 
operation, with a proper addition of water and another 
charge of chloride. The alcohol and chloroform contained 
in the two last bottles^ is added with the alcohol, to the 
second charge. The crude chloroform is purified by 
agitating it first with a solution of carb. soda, and then with 
three or four times its weight of water. It is then distilled 
from chloride of calcium, and the product is chloroform, 
equal to six or eight per cent of the chloride employed, and 
free from acetic ether, water and alcohol. 
MM. Larocque and Huraut, have suggested [Jour. de. 
Pharin. Feb. 1S48,) that the addition of quicklime greatly 
advantages the process. In operating with ten pounds 
of the chloride, five pounds of lime are added. The reason 
for adding the lime, is to prevent the corrosion of the vessels 
by the chlorine, which is absorbed by the lime, and gives an 
increased amount of chloroform. The following shows the 
products of four consecutive operations. 
1000 parts chloride yielded 55 parts chlorofornh 
" " " 70 ' 
4000 262 = 6i per cent. 
According to these gentlemen, it costs one dollar and 
thirty-one cents per pound to make it, estimating chloride of 
lime at five and one-fourth cents per pound, lime at 
half cent per pound, alcohol fifty-four cents per gallon, fuel 
at one half the cost of the alcohol, and labour, and wear and 
