532  VALERIANATE  OF  IRON. 
oils  being  nearly  driven  therefrom.  Should  the  rosin  be  left  in 
the  retort,  it  will  also  be  converted  into  pitch.  Care  should  be 
used  not  to  heat  the  retort  too  highly  on  the  bottom,  as  the  pitch 
will  be  destroyed,  if  heated  too  much,  by  turning  it  into  coke. 
It  should  be  watched  and  drawn  out  as  soon  as  sufficiently  hard, 
whatever  be  the  heat  of  the  retort  bottom.  Should  neither  steam 
nor  superheated  steam  be  used  in  the  distillation,  the  retort 
should  be  closed  tightly  at  first,  and  the  steam  formed  from  the 
water  of  the  wood,  and  the  other  vapors,  aid  in  increasing  the 
pressure  of  vapors  in  the  retort,  and  thus  more  equally  distribute 
the  heat  through  the  wood.  When  the  pressure  in  the  retort 
reaches  two  or  three  atmospheres,  the  valve  to  the  condenser  may 
be  opened. 
Much  more  caution  will  have  to  be  used  to  heat  gradually  and 
drive  off  most  of  the  spirits  before  charring  commences,  if  steam 
or  superheated  steam  be  not  used  to  aid  in  heating  the  wood  ; 
these  will  be  necessary  if  they  are  used. — Lond.  Chem.  News, 
Aug.  39  1866. 
ON  VALERIANATE  OF  IRON. 
By  Francis  Sutton,  F.C.S.,  Norwich. 
More  than  two  years  have  passed  since  I  accepted  the  subject 
of  Valerianates  for  investigation,  but  owing  to  pressure  of  other 
business  matters  I  have  been  until  now  unable  to  present  any 
report  thereon.  That  which  I  now  have  the  honor  to  present  to 
the  Conference  is  not  nearly  so  complete  as  I  could  wish. 
With  respect  to  valerianate  of  iron,  the  question  proposed 
was — 
What  is  the  best  process  for  the  preparation  of  the  salt  ? 
What  are  its  characters  ?  How  may  its  purity  be  best  ascer- 
tained ? 
W e  will  first  take  into  consideration  the  characteristics  of  the 
salt  as  described  by  previous  authorities. 
Pereira  says,  "  Valerianate  of  iron,  prepared  according  to  the 
Dublin  College,  is  a  tile-red  loose  amorphous  powder,  with  a  faint 
odor  and  taste  of  valerianic  acid.  When  heated  it  first  fuses, 
then  evolves  its  acid,  and  is  converted  into  sesquioxide  of  iron. 
At  a  temperature  of  212°  it  gives  out  part  of  its  acid ;  it  is 
