I 
RED  SANDAL  WOOD  AND  XANTHOSANTALIC  ACID.  115 
we  find  he  only  means  Fe2  Os,  3  N05.  Again,  on  page  1026,  et. 
al.,  in  speaking  of  the  process  for  the  formation  of  corrosive  sub- 
limate and  calomel,  the  phrase  "  bi-sulphate  of  the  deutoxide  of 
mercury  "  occurs.  By  the  law,  that  a  neutral  salt  must  have  one 
equiv.  of  acid  for  each  one  of  oxygen  in  the  base,  the  sulphate 
of  deutoxide  of  mercury  must  be  Hg  02,  2  S03 ;  and  consequently 
the  bi-sulphate  of  the  deutoxide  Hg  02,  4  S03. 
A  line  or  two  below,  however,  we  are  told  that  the  salt  |is 
Hg  02  2  S03.  The  expression,  then,  is  simply  redundant,  and  the 
use  of  it  too  extensive  and  general  to  call  it  a  chemical  error.  It 
is  rather  a  loose  mode  of  writing  and  thinking. 
The  evil  effects  of  it  will  at  once  be  apparent  if  we  think  how 
we  should  express  the  constitution  of  such  a  salt,  for  instance,  as 
Fe  03  3  N05,  which  is  likely  to  be  discovered  before  long.  This 
should  be  the  ter-nitrate  of  iron,  but  the  danger  of  confounding 
it  with  Fe2  03,  3  N05  would  be  almost  inevitable.  Let  the  laws 
of  nomenclature  be  fairly  understood,  and  then  we  shall  not  have 
to  resort  to  long,  roundabout,  ambiguous  terms  to  express  the 
precise  constitution  of  a  salt. 
ON  RED  SANDAL  WOOD  AND  XANTHOSANTALIC  ACID. 
By  John  T.  Plummer,  M.  D.,  Richmond,  Ind. 
Having  occasion  to  prepare  a  tincture  of  this  wood,  I  was 
led  to  experiment  upon  its  coloring  matter,  so  as  to  confirm  or 
disprove  the  statements  respecting  it,  and,  if  possible,  to  extend 
our  knowledge  of  it.  The  following  notes  are  the  result  of  my 
examination. 
None  of  the  chemical  works  in  my  possession,  ever  name  this 
dye-wood ;  and,  according  to  our  Dispensatories,  it  appears  to 
be  an  article  rarely  used,  either  in  this  country  or  in  Europe, 
"  though  still  a  staple  article  in  the  Eastern  art  of  dyeing." 
Of  great  antiquity  as  a  medicine,  it  is  now  merely  used  as  a 
coloring  material ;  nevertheless,  I  find  that  santalin  possesses  a 
very  perceptible  astringency. 
A  striking  characteristic  of  red  saunders  is  its  insolubility  in 
water ;  thus  differing  remarkably  from  the  other  dye-woods,  as 
Brazil-wood,  logwood,  &c.  Bancroft,  however,  ("Philosophy  of 
Permanent  Colors,")  says  a  <<  small  portion  of  its  coloring  matter 
is  soluble  in  water;"  this  may  have  been  apparent,  either  from 
he  large  quantities  operated  upon  by  the  author,  or  in  conse- 
