4126. Ethiops of Antimony

4126.     Ethiops of Antimony. Triturate together 3 parts sulphuret of antimony, and 2 parts black sulphuret of mercury.

4127. Flowers of Antimony

4127.    Flowers of Antimony. Throw powdered sulphuret of antimony, by spoonfuls, into an ignited tubulated retort that has a short and very wide neck, until as many flowers collect in tho receiver as are required.

The argentine flowers are thus prepared: Keep metallic antimony melted in a vessel, freely exposed to the air, and furnished with a cool place for the flowers to rest upon; collect the flowers as deposited. According to Berzelius, these are Sesquioxide of mercury.

4128. Liver of Antimony

4128. Liver of Antimony. Melt together 1 part sulphuret of antimony, and 2 parts dry carbonate of soda (or potash), and heat until it acquires a proper color; then cool and powder it. Crocus of antimony is sometimes sold for the above, but the latter is prepared by deflagrating equal parts of antimony and saltpetre (nitrate of potassa), a small portion at a time, and the used mass, separated from the dross, reduced to fine powder. (Cooley.)

4129. Potassio-Tartrate of Antimony

4129. Potassio-Tartrate of Antimony. Commercial Tartar Emetic. Take 2 troy ounces oxide of antimony, and 21/2 troy ounces bitartrate of potassa, both in very fine powder; mix them together, and add them to 18 fluid ounces boiling distilled water in a glass vessel. Boil for 1 hour, filter while hot, and set aside to crystallize. Dry the crystals, and keep in a well-stoppered bottle. By further evaporation the mother-water will yield more crystals, which should be purified by a second crystallization. ( U. S. Ph.)

4130. Oxide of Antimony

4130.      Oxide of Antimony. Insert 4 troy ounces sulphuret of antimony in very fine powder into a quart flask; add 18 troy ounces muriatic acid, and digest in a sand-bath until effervescence ceases. Then remove the bath and add 600 grains nitric acid, and when nitrous fumes cease to be given off, and the liquid has grown cold, add it to 1/2 pint water, and filter. Pour the filtrate gradually into 12 pints water, constantly stirring, and wash the precipitate twice by decantation, using each time spirits water; drain it through muslin, and then wash it with water until the washings cease to have an acid reaction. Add 11/2 fluid ounces water of ammonia, and, after standing 2 hours, filter through wet muslin, and wash with distilled water as long as the washings form a precipitate with nitrate of silver. Then dry with a gentle heat on bibulous paper. (U. S. Ph.) A greyish-white powder, insoluble in water, soluble in muriatic and tartaric acids.

4131. Butter of Antimony

4131.    Butter of Antimony. The liquid chloride of antimony, commercially known by this name, is usually made by dissolving crude or roasted black antimony in muriatic acid with the addition of a little nitric acid. It usually contains pernitrate of iron.