38 
Preparation  oj  Amyl  Nitrite. 
(Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
I       Jan.,  1886. 
acid  produced  we  are  unable  to  say.  Some  nitrate  of  amyl  (boiling  at 
about  140°  C.)  may  be  among  the  products,  or  other  more  highly  oxi- 
dized bodies,  but  upon  that  question  we  offer  no  opinion.  We  think 
it  also  becomes  evident  that  acids  of  more  moderate  strength,  such  as 
1420  or  1350,  yield  the  best  results,  and  when  acid  of  1300  is  em- 
*  ployed  but  little  more  than  nitrogen  peroxide  N02  is  yielded.  What 
the  nature  of  the  mixed  gas  produced  in  our  experiment  No.  5  and  6 
may  be,  we  do  not  venture  to  offer  an  opinion  upon.  It  may  consist 
of  the  two  gases  N02  and  1ST204  in  a  mere  state  of  mixture,  or  it  is 
possible  that  Union  may  be  effected,  and  that  the  gas  consists  mainly 
of  N2Os  or  nitrous  acid.  The  gas  certainly  acts  upon  amyl  alcohol 
very  much  in  tne  way  we  should  expect  nitrous  acid  to  do ;  but  if  it  is 
true  that  such  a  gas  does  not  exist,  we  are  driven  to  conclude  that 
union  takes  place  when  the  mixed  gases  come  in  contact  with  the  amyl 
alcohol,  which  is  somewhat  difficult  to  realize. 
As  a  practical  result  Ave  think  our  experiments  prove  that  any  proT 
cess  in  which  nitric  acid  is  allowed  to  come  into  actual  contact  with 
amyl  alcohol,  even  if  copper  turnings  or  other  deoxydizing  agents  be 
present,  and  especially  under  the  influence  of  a  high  temperature,  is 
one  not  to  be  adopted,  but  should  be  condemned  both  on  theoretical 
and  practical  grounds.  We  lately  had  an  opportunity  of  examining  a 
sample  of  nitrite  of  amyl  said  to  be  made  by  the  action  of  nitric  acid 
in  the  presence  of  copper  upon  the  alcohol ;  we  were  not  surprised  to 
find  it  a  very  impure  and  inferior  article,  which  opinion  was  quite  con- 
firmed by  subjecting  it  to  the  nitrometer  test. 
These  experiments  may  also  throw  some  light  upon  the  question  of 
the  production  of  nitrite  of  ethyl ;  but  upon  that  subject  we  do  not 
wish  to  enter  at  present. 
In  conclusion,  we  think  it  safe  to  say  that  the  gas  given  off  by 
acting  upon  arsenious  acid  by  nitric  acid  of  specific  gravity  1350,  or 
1360,  is  the  best  for  converting  for  ordinary  commercial  purposes  the 
amyl  alcohol  into  nitrite,  unless  the  operator  goes  to  the  trouble  of 
making  the  mixed  gases,  as  described  in  experiments  Nos.  5  and  6, 
when,  doubtless,  the  very  best  result  is  obtained.— Phar.  Jour,  and 
Trans.,  December  12,  1885. 
Headache  Essence. — Dr.  W.  W.  Walsh  has  found  the  following  prep- 
aration to  giye  relief  in  many  cases:  Oil  of  lavender  1  oz.,  camphor  %  oz.> 
ammonia  water  l/2  oz.,  alcohol  4  oz. — N.  E.  Med.  Monthly,  Dec,  1885,  p.  127. 
