OIL  OF  ANISEED  AS  A  DEODORIZER,  ETC. 
821 
OIL  OF  ANISEED  AS  A  DEODORIZER  OF  TERSULPHIDE 
OF  POTASSIUM. 
By  "W.  S.  W.  Ruschenberger,  U.  S.  Navy. 
A  wish  to  use  a  solution  of  sulphuret  of  potassa  as  a  lotion 
to  a  lady's  skin  led  me  to  seek  means  to  overcome  or  neutralize 
the  odor  of  the  preparation.  Among  other  substances,  I  tested 
to  a  limited  extent  'the  deodorizing  properties  of  the  perman- 
ganate of  potassa.  For  the  purpose,  I  prepared  a  solution  of 
the  salt,  from  the  manufactory  of  Mr.  Morson,  London,  in  the 
proportion  of  two  parts  to  one  thousand  of  distilled  water  by 
weight. 
This  solution  was  added  to  peppermint-water,  to  camphor- 
water,  to  a  ten-grain  solution  of  tersulphide  of  potassium,  and 
to  spirits  of  turpentine,  in  the  proportion  of  about  one  part  to 
two.  There  was  no  perceptible  change  of  odor  in  either  case, 
even  after  exposure  to  the  air  during  twenty-four  hours.  The 
beautiful  magenta  color  of  the  permanganate  solution  was  wholly 
discharged  in  the  mint-water,  with  a  flocculent,  light  brown  pre- 
cipitate ;  in  the  turpentine,  with  a  dark  brown  precipitate ;  and 
in  the  sulphuret  solution,  without  precipitate.  In  the  camphor- 
water  the  color  remained  unchanged,  but  there  was  a  very  slight 
brown  precipitate  after  standing  twenty-four  hours. 
To  the  mint-water,  camphor- water  and  solution  of  tersulphide 
of  potassium  the  solution  of  permanganate  was  added  in  excess. 
After  exposure  to  the  air  during  twenty-four  hours,  the  char- 
acteristic odor  of  each  article  still  adhered  to  it. 
Recollecting  that  when  I  was  engaged  in  anatomical  studies, 
many  years  ago,  I  removed  the  cadaveric  odor  from  my  hands 
by  washing  them  with  camphorated  tincture  of  opium,  more 
expeditiously  than  by  any  other  material  then  known  to  me  :  I 
added  to  a  solution  of  tersulphide  of  potassium  (sulphuret  of 
potassa,)  ten  grains  to  a  fluidounce  of  distilled  water,  twenty 
drops  of  opii  tinctura  camphorata.  A  very  feeble  but  totally 
different  odor  remained  ;  its  offensiveness  had  disappeared,  and 
the  lotion  was  used  without  provoking  any  remark  about  its 
smell. 
Which  one  of  the  constituents  of  the  paregoric  is  the  deodoriz- 
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