Am. Jour.  Pharm.) 
Not.,  1883.  J 
Bismuth  Salicylate, 
555 
thyl  nitrate,  with  solution  of  sodium  or  potassium  hydrate,  will  com- 
bine with  salicylic  acid  when  boiled  with  a  concentrated  solution  of  the 
acid  for  some  time. 
The  reaction  is  a  direct  one,  and  would  be  expressed  as  follows : 
BiA+^C^HA^^BiOC^HPa+Hp. 
As  in  this  process,  however,  there  seems  to  be  always  more  or  less 
undecomposed  bismuth  teroxide  present,  it  is  safer  to  produce  it  by 
double  decomposition,  with  proper  measures  preventing  the  formation 
of  other  bismuthyl  salts  than  the  one  desired. 
After  experimentation  to  that  end,  I  found  that  a  glycerin  solution 
of  crystallized  bismuthous  nitrate  bore  dilution  with  one  to  two  parts 
of  water  before  precipitating  the  bismuthyl  nitrate,  and  acting  on  this 
I  made  a  concentrated  solution  of  sodium  salicylate,  with  which  I 
decomposed  the  glycerin  solution  of  crystallized  bismuthous  nitrate, 
obtaining  thus  a  bismuthyl  salicylate,  sodium  nitrate,  free  nitric  acid, 
salicylic  acid  and  water,  which  were  removed  with  water,  and  the  still 
adhering  salicylic  acid  removed  by  washing  with  hot  water  and  sub- 
sequently alcohol.  The  reaction  occurring  under  these  circumstances 
with  the  sodium  salicylate,  as  given  in  the  U.  S.  Pharmacopoeia  as 
2NaC7H503'  H2O,  would  be  expressed  : 
BiSNOg.  5H20+2NaC7HA-H20= 
BiOCyHPa + 2NaN03 + C7H  A + NO3H -f  5H2O. 
As  the  bismuthyl  salicylate  treated  with  a  concentrated  solution  of 
sodium  bicarbonate  yielded  bismuthyl  carbonate  and  sodium  salicylate, 
I  inferred  that  bismuthyl  nitrate  would  yield,  also,  on  boiling  with  a 
concentrated  solution  of  sodium  salicylate,  a  bismuthyl  salicylate,  which 
I  found  to  be  the  case,  the  reaction  being  as  follows : 
2BiON03H20 + 2NaC7HP3.H20= 
2BiOC7H  A + 2  NaNOg + SHp. 
The  precipitate,  being  well  washed  with  hot  water,  presented  the 
same  appearance  as  by  either  of  the  previous  methods,  and  when  dried 
and  combusted  on  the  platinum  foil  grew  dark  brown,  and  burnt  off 
to  the  greater  part  with  evolving  phenol  vapors. 
The  salicylate  of  bismuth  presents  a  slightly  pinkish  appearance  and 
is  of  a  granular  consistence,  which  is  not  readily  overcome  to  an  impal- 
pable powder  in  the  mortar.  Under  the  microscope  it  is  easily  distin- 
guishable from  the  subnitrate  by  being  of  a  distinct  granular  character> 
