Spirit  of  Nitrous  Ether. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharm, 
\      July,  1876. 
Dissolve  the  quinia  sulphate  in  four  fluidounces  of  distilled  water, 
with  sufficient  diluted  sulphuric  acid.  Mix  one  hundred  and  fifty 
minims  of  water  of  ammonia  with  four  fluidounces  of  distilled  water, 
add  to  the  solution  of  quinia,  constantly  stirring,  and  transfer  the 
whole  to  a  muslin  filter.  The  solution  of  ammonium  sulphate,  which 
passes  through  the  filter,  should  be  tested,  and  if  the  presence  of 
quinia  is  indicated,  add  a  little  more  water  of  ammonia  to  the  whole  of 
the  solution  and  return  it  to  the  filter. 
After  the  quinia  is  drained,  wash  it  with  distilled  water ;  transfer 
the  moist  magma  to  a  tared  capsule  and  add,  gradually,  just  sufficient 
hydrobromic  acid  to  dissolve  it.  Evaporate  the  solution  thus  obtained 
on  a  water  bath  until  it  is  reduced  to  a  transparent  mass,  the  weight 
of  the  quinia  hydrobromate  is  thus  ascertained,  while,  at  the  same 
time,  any  excess  of  hydrobromic  acid  is  driven  off. 
Lastly,  dissolve  the  mass  in  a  sufficient  quantity  of  distilled  water,, 
so  that  each  fluid  drachm  shall  contain  twelve  grains.    The  resulting 
solution  will  measure  about  one  fluidounce. 
Baltimore,  Md.,  June,  1876. 
NOTE  ON  SPIRIT  OF  NITROUS  ETHER. 
BY  J.  U.  LLOYD. 
The  attention  of  every  one  connected  with  the  drug  trade  must 
frequently  have  been  directed  to  the  various  prices  of  the  different 
spirits  of  nitrous  ether  thrown  upon  the  market.  Very  often  it  can 
be  purchased  for  less  than  the  actual  cost  of  the  ingredients  composing 
the  U.  S.  P.  article. 
In  September,  1874,  I  examined  several  specimens  of  the  commer- 
cial article,  all  of  which  proved  to  contain  a  large  amount  of  water. 
The  specific  gravity  of  four  samples  were  '890,  '910,  '930  and  '940. 
The  U.  S.  P.  directs  it  to  be  -837. 
I  believe  it  is  generally  understood  that  the  substitution  of  water 
for  alcohol,  in  making  sweet  spirit  of  nitre,  governs  the  price  of  the 
article,  and  not  the  proportion  of  nitrous  ether ;  that  the  manufacturer 
who  sells  spirit  of  nitre  at  less  than  the  cost  of  production  for  pure, 
decreases  the  alcoholic  strength  of  his  preparation  proportionately,  and 
for  every  cent  of  deduction  takes  out  a  cent's  worth  of  alcohol  and 
substitutes  water  in  its  place.    What  is  the  meaning  of  the  terms  3^ 
