AmMay!iSrm'}        Artificial  Oil  of  Wintergreen.  243 
(2)  Ground  limestone,  53-00  per  cent.;  coal-dust,  47-00  per  cent. 
(3)  Sulphur  and  other  combustible  matter,  57-09  per  cent.; 
metallic  iron,  1 7  91  per  cent.;  sand  and  earthy  matter,  25-00  per 
cent.  From  number  three,  by  repeated  extractions  with  carbon 
disulphide,  the  writer  succeeded  in  extracting  39-13  per  cent,  of  sul- 
phur. It  was  not  all  extracted,  however.  What  a  heterogeneity 
the  above  results  present ! 
These  few  words  are  presented  here  solely  with  the  view  of  bring- 
ing about  a  unity  on  black  sulphur.  The  writer  would  be  pleased 
to  receive  any  information  on  this  subject  by  any  pharmacist 
meeting  this  article.  Your  opinions  regarding  the  composition 
of  black  sulphur  is  especially  desired.  The  results,  if  any,  will 
be  made  known  in  this  journal  at  some  subsequent  date. 
305  Cherry  Street,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 
ARTIFICIAL  OIL  OF  WINTERGREEN. 
By  Houston  T.  Thayer,  Ph.G. 
The  subject  of  this  paper  was  one  of  the  organic  compounds  by 
the  production  of  which  synthetical  chemistry  first  showed  itself  to 
be  a  rival  of  Nature's  mysterious  functions.  And  as,  under  the 
name  of  methyl  salicylate,  it  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  list  of 
articles  added  to  the  Pharmacopoeia  at  the  last  revision,  a  practical 
process  for  its  preparation  would  seem  to  be  of  interest  to  the  phar- 
macist who  might  wish  to  make  his  own  supply. 
The  method  of  producing  it  long  in  use  is  that  described  in 
works  on  chemistry  as  consisting  of  the  saturation  of  a  solution  of 
salicylic  acid  in  methyl  alcohol  with  hydrochloric  acid  gas,  and  of 
subsequent  purification,  either  through  distillation  of  the  mixture 
by  the  aid  of  steam  or  by  repeated  washing  with  water. 
In  following  this  outline  without  taking  the  precaution  of  drying 
the  hydrochloric  acid  gas,  the  availability  of  the  process  is  not 
likely  to  be  recognized,  as  the  salicylic  acid  separates  as  a  solid,  and 
for  that  reason  does  not  easily  combine  with  the  methyl  alcohol. 
Some  authorities,  however,  direct  the  use  of  sulphuric  acid  with 
which  to  digest  the  salicylic  acid  and  methyl  alcohol,  instead  of  the 
usual  treatment  with  hydrochloric  acid  gas. 
