ON  THE  LIQUOR  POTASSiE  ARSENITIS, 
233 
surface  of  a  body  at  25°  C.  (77°  F.),  being  represented  by  84-5, 
that  which  would  act  on  the  same  surface  at  20°  C.  below  zero 
(4°  F.  below  zero)  may  be  represented  by  100.  The  action  of 
oxygen  at  25Q  C.  (77*  F.),  and  20°  C.  below  zero  (4°  F.  below 
zero)  would  be  then,  as  regards  quantity,  in  the  ratio  of  845  to 
1000.  But  when  this  oxygen  is  in  the  state  of  ozone  this  last 
cypher  is  far  too  low.  Now,  I  have  shewn  elsewhere  (The 
Chemist,  December,  1856)  that  when  oxygen  acts  on  organic 
bodies  at  the  ordinary  temperature,  it  is  in  the  state  of  ozone, 
and  that  the  first  phase  of  every  spontaneous  alteration  of 
organic  bodies  under  the  influence  of  the  air  (eremacausis,  fer- 
mentation, and  putrefaction)  consists  in  the  transformation  of 
the  oxygen  of  this  air  into  ozone.  Now,  heat,  75°  to  200°  C. 
(167°  to  392°  F.)  destroys  ozone,  as  is  known,  but  cold,  accord- 
ing to  M.  Houzeau's  experiments,  appears  to  be  favorable  to  its 
existence ;  it  seems  unquestionable  that  at  20°  C.  below  zero 
(4°  F.  below  zero)  ozone  is  very  stable. — London  Chemist)  Feb- 
ruary, 1858. 
ON  THE  LIQUOR  POTASS^E  ARSENITIS  OF  THE  LONDON 
PHARMACOPOEIA. 
By  Henry  K.  Bamber,  Analytical  Chemist. 
Some  of  the  higher  authorities  in  pharmacy  have  given  it  as 
sheir  opinion  (JPhar.  Journal  for  May,  1857,  page  543)  that  no 
chemical  decomposition  arises  on  boiling  arsenious  acid  with 
carbonate  of  potash  in  making  the  liquor  potassee  arsenitis  of 
the  Pharmacopoeia.  Not  seeing  why  a  reaction  should  not  take 
place,  I  determined  to  make  experiments  in  order  to  satisfy 
myself  if  such  was  the  case  or  not.  I  first  boiled  carbonate  of 
potash  (KO,  C02  with  excess  of  arsenious  acid,  and  passed  the 
vapor  through  lime  water  contained  in  a  Wolfe's  bottle ;  in  the 
lime  water  I  obtained  an  abundant  precipitate  of  carbonate  of 
lime,  clearly  indicating  decomposition  of  the  carbonate  of  potash. 
After  allowing  the  liquid  to  cool,  in  order  to  let  the  arsenious 
acid,  which  would  have  been  dissolved  by  the  boiling  water, 
deposit,  I  filtered  and  evaporated  the  liquid  to  a  syrupy  consist- 
ence, and  placed  it  over  sulphuric  acid  for  some  time,  in  order 
to  see  if  it  were  possible  to  obtain  crystals,  or  a  crystalline  sub- 
