TEE 
AMERICAN  JOURNAL  OF  PHARMACY, 
JULY,  1  8  56. 
SPIRITUS  iEIHERXS  NITRICI. 
By  Edward  R.  Squibb,  M.  D.,  U.  S.  Navy. 
Assistant  Director  U.  S.  I\aval  Laboratory. 
The  XL  S.  Pharmacopoeia  formula  for  this  preparation  is  as 
follows  : — 
"  Take  of  Nitrate  of  Potassa,  in  coarse  powder,        two  pounds, 
Sulphuric  acid,  a  pound  and  a  half, 
Alcohol,  nine  pints  and  a  half, 
Diluted  alcohol,  a  pint, 
Carbonate  of  potassa,  .  an  ounce. 
Mix  the  nitrate  of  potassa  and  alcohol  in  a  large  glass  retort,  and  having 
gradually  poured  in  the  acid,  digest  with  a  gentle  heat  for  two  hours  ;  then 
raise  the  heat  and  distil  a  gallon.  To  the  distilled  liquor  add  the  diluted 
alcohol  and  carbonate  of  potassa,  and  again  distil  a  gallon," 
-The  apparatus  necessary  to  conduct  this  process  properly  is  as 
follows  :  A  tubulated  retort  of  a  capacity  of  two  gallons.  Into 
the  tubulure,  through  a  perforated  cork,  a  tube  thermometer 
should  pass,  so  that  the  bulb  may  be  near  the  bottom  of  the  retort. 
A  Liebig's  condenser  of  good  size,  and  a  receiving  bottle  marked 
at  one  gallon  by  slips  of  paper.  The  mouth  of  the  bottle  should 
be  tied  over  with  a  piece  of  sheet  caoutchouc  that  has  been  per- 
forated to  receive  the  eduction  tube  of  the  condenser.  The  con- 
nections should  be  made  with  moistened  muslin,  covered  with 
sheet  caoutchouc. 
The  mixture  is  made  in  the  retort  in  the  order  of  alcohol, 
potassa  salt,  and  acid,  and  the  whole  shaken  round.  The  ap- 
paratus is  then  set  up  in  a  steam  or  water  bath,  and  the  materi- 
als digested  at  100°  for  two  hours,  and  then  heated  to  active  dis- 
tillation. The  greenish  yellow  mixture  commences  to  boil  at 
125°,  and  at  130°  full  active  ebullition  and  distillation  is  estab- 
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