^''jll'^tmu'''}  Preparation  of  Carlonate  of  Baryta.  15 
have  no  antiseptic  power  on  inert  matter,  it  does  not  prove  at  all  that 
they  are  useless  where  the  human  body  is  concerned.  On  the  contrary, 
facts  tend  to  show  that  in  the  economy  carbolic  acid  is  freed  from  its 
combination,  and  that  sulphocarbolates  are  valuable  compounds  to 
administer  when  the  effects  of  carbolic  acid  are  desired,  without  its 
caustic  properties. 
CHEAP  PROCESS  FOR  PREPARING  CARBONATE  OF  BARYTA. 
By  J.  Creuse,  Brooklyn,  New  York. 
Carbonate  of  baryta  is  a  precious  reagent  to  the  chemist  on  account 
of  its  very  precise  combinations,  its  strong  affinities,  and  the  facility 
with  which  it  can  be  transformed  into  the  other  baryta  salts.  Unfor- 
tunately, the  use  of  carbonate  of  baryta  is  limited  by  the  high  price 
it  commands.  This  objection  indeed  has  been  made,  not  without 
reason,  to  the  process  I  have  proposed  for  the  preparation  of  sulpho- 
Carbolic  acid  and  its  compounds. 
Precipitated  carbonate  of  baryta  is  quoted  $1.25  per  lb.  by  the 
manufacturing  chemist ;  it  is  a  high  figure,  considering  that  the  natu- 
ral carbonate,  otherwise  called  witherite^  can  be  bought  in  quantities 
at  8  cts.  a  pound,  already  ground. 
This  great  difference  in  prices  is  caused  by  the  imperfections  of  the 
only  process  published  for  refining  the  natural  carbonate.  This  pro- 
cess, which  consists  in  first  making  sulphate  of  baryta,  then  trans- 
forming it,  by  ignition  with  charcoal,  into  sulphuret,  is  long,  tedious 
and  expensive. 
I  beg  to  propose  another  process,  whereby,  the  formation  of  sulphate 
baryta  being  avoided,  carbonate  of  baryta  may  be  obtained  sufficiently 
pure  for  one-eighth  of  the  usual  cost. 
It  is  this  : 
Take  of  witherite,  in  lumps  or  in  powder,  any  convenient  quantity ; 
add  to  it  four  or  five  times  its  weight  of  water,  and  dissolve  it  with 
muriatic  acid,  gradually  added.  Stop  the  addition  of  acid  before  the 
mineral  is  entirely  dissolved,  so  as  to  have  an  excess  of  baryta  rather 
than  an  excess  of  the  acid.  Allow  to  settle,  and  decant  the  clear 
liquid ;  to  this  add  a  solution  of  oxalic  acid  as  long  as  a  precipitate  is 
formed  ;  a  slight  excess  is  not  objectionable.  Thirty  grains  are  gene- 
rally sufficient  for  each  pound  of  witherite,  though  the  proportion  may 
vary  according  to  the  purity  of  the  mineral.  Allow  the  liquid  to  stand 
one  hour ;  filter,  and  add  to  the  filtrate  a  quantity  of  caustic  soda, 
