466  The  Utilization  of  Old  Corks,  {^"-(^cr.s^:'""' 
or  of  magnesium,  or  both.  Digest  for  a  few  hours,  filter,  wash  con- 
tents of  the  filter,  heat  to  redness,  weigh  and  add  it  to  the  silica  ob- 
tained by  A,  d. 
Memorandum, — The  insoluble  part  of  silica  possibly  might  contain 
a  silicate  ;  to  determine  this  it  must  be  decomposed  by  an  alkaline  car- 
bonate. 
(^.)  Estimation  of  alumina  and  ferric  oxide.  Precipitate  the  nitric 
acid  solution  with  ammonia,  treat  the  lixiviated  precipitate  with  hot 
liquor  potassae,  whereby  the  ferric  oxide  precipitates,  leaving  the  alum- 
inium oxide  in  solution,  which  is  then  precipitated  with  ammonia  from 
the  potassa  solution  (previously  saturated  with  HCl).  After  heating 
and  weighing  the  ferric  oxide,  it  is  tested  for  manganese,  by  melting  on 
platinum  with  soda,  which  acquires  a  green  color  if  manganese  be 
present. 
Deter?nining  Lime  and  Magnesia :  Precipitate  the  lime  with  oxalate 
of  ammonium  and  the  magnesia  with  phosphate  of  sodium,  from  the 
filtrate  remaining  after  precipitating  the  aluminium  and  ferric  oxides. 
Lastly,  all  the  obtained  weights  are  brought  up  to  lOO  grams  potash, 
in  such  a  manner  that  silica,  alumina,  ferric  and  manganese  oxides  are 
calculated  as  such  \  lime  and  magnesia  as  carbonates,  soda  and  potassa 
as  phosphates,  sulphates  and  chlorides  and  the  rest  as  carbonates.  If 
the  potash  was  found  to  contain  soda,  then  this  alkali  is  dealt  first  as 
to  the  phosphoric  acid  (as  3NaO-f-P05),  then  sulphuric  acid  and 
chlorine,  and  only  if  insufficient  for  these,  the  potassa  is  used  in  cal- 
culation. 
Possibly  potash  might  contain  the  following  constituents  : 
Carbonates  of  potassium,  sodium,  calcium  and  magnesium,  chlo- 
rides of  potassium  and  sodium,  phosphates  of  potassium  or  sf)dium, 
sulphates  of  potassium  and  sodium,  oxides  of  iron,  manganese  and 
aluminum,  besides  water  and  silica. 
ON  THE  UTILIZATION  OF  OLD  CORKS. 
BY  J,  B.  MOORE, 
In  the  [conduct  of  every  business  there  is  much  that  may  be  saved 
by  economy  in  little  things,  and  there  is  no  business  where  economy  is 
so  necessary,  or  where  it  may  be  practiced  to  greater  advantage  than  in 
that  of  the  pharmacist. 
There  are  so  many  ways  in  his  business  in  which  waste  and  loss  may 
