Am'May?i886arm'}  Pharmaceutical  Notes  from  Purdue  University.  229 
Attempts  were  made  to  titrate  tartar  emetic  with  caustic  soda,  the 
oxide  of  antimony  being  precipitated.  When  litmus  was  used  as 
indicator,  the  results  were  too  low.  With  phenol-phthalein,  four 
titrations  gave  results  varying  from  100'6  per  cent,  to  100*9  per 
cent.  As  the  end  of  the  reaction  is  somewhat  difficult  to  distinguish, 
alkali  was  added  to  a  decided  red  color.  1  c.  c.  normal  NaOH  rep- 
resents 0*332  gm.  of  tartar  emetic.  This  method  cannot  be  recom- 
mended, unless  for  special  cases,  as  to  indicate  the  amount  of  gross 
adulteration.  Such  a  case  is  reported  by  A.  H.  Jackson  [see  Drug- 
gists' Circular  xxix,  233  (Nov.  1885)],  who  found  40  to  70  per  cent, 
of  sulphate  of  potassium  in  tartar  emetic  designed  for  manufacturing 
purposes. 
IY.    Antimonii  Sulphidum  and  Antimonium  Sulphtjrattjm. 
 BY  E.  G.  EBERHARDT. 
Of  five  samples  procured  in  Lafayette,  Ind.,  only  one  was  found 
to  be  genuine ;  the  rest  did  not  yield  a  trace  of  antimony,  but  seemed 
to  consist  of  magnesian  limestone  mixed  with  coal  dust.1 
" Purified  sulphide  of  antimony"  is  prepared  by  macerating  five 
days  with  ammonia.  Hager  recommends  the  use  of  carbonate  of 
ammonia,  to  avoid  loss  of  antimony;  but  the  amount  of  antimony 
dissolved  with  the  arsenic  by  water  of  ammonia  is  too  slight  to  tinge 
the  yellow  color  of  the  sulphide  of  arsenic,  when  the  latter  is  re-pre- 
cipitated from  the  ammoniacal  filtrate  by  acid. 
Sulphurated  antimony  is  prepared  from  the  purified  sulphide  by 
dissolving  in  caustic  soda  and  precipitating  by  dilute  sulphuric  acid. 
A  sample  was  precipitated  from  a  very  concentrated  solution,  of  very 
dark  brown  color  and  with  brisk  effervescence.  A  second  sample 
was  precipitated  after  diluting  the  alkaline  solution;  this  was  much 
lighter,  and  little  sulphuretted  hydrogen  escaped  during  precipitation. 
The  former  doubtless  had  the  larger  percentage  of  oxide,  and  the 
darker  Color  must  be  attributed  to  its  denser  condition.  To  avoid 
these  variations,  certain  uniform  conditions,  as  those  prescribed  in 
the  Pharmacopoeia,  should  be  strictly  observed. 
The  only  use  of  purified  sulphide  of  antimony  mentioned  in  the 
1  Eight  samp^s  of  black  antimony  from  various  towns  in  Ohio,  Indiana, 
Illinois  and  Michigan,  all  proved  to  be  spurious,  as  described  above ;  while  five 
samples  from  New  York,  Philadelphia  and  Boston  were  genuine.  Details  will 
be  found  in  Proceedings  A.  P.  A.  for  1885,  p.  479.  R.  B.  W. 
