PART III.

Acids. — Acidum Succinicum.

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trication of orange-coloured fumes on boiling it over copperfilings, is a certain test of aquafortis. Soap, and calcinedmagnesia suspended in water, are the best antidotes.

The dose of the diluted acid is from nix. to tn.xxx. in f ?iij. ofwater, given three or four times a day. When used as a bath,the mixed acid should be added to the water, until it is aboutas sour as weak vinegar.

ACIDUM SUCCINICUM, Edin. Succinic Acid.

" Take of amber in powder, and pure sand, equal parts ;mix and put them into a glass retort, of which they may fillone half. Having adapted a large receiver, distil from a sand-bath, with a gradually raised fire. A watery liquor with alittle yellow oil will first distil over: then a yellow oil with anacid salt: and lastly, a reddish and black oil. Pour the liquorout of the receiver, and let the oil be separated from the water.Press the acid salt collected in the neck of the retort, and onthe sides of the receiver, between folds of bibulous paper, thatit may be freed from the adhering oil; then purify it by solu-tion, in hot water and crystallization."

Acidum succinicum, Dub. Succinic Acid.

** Take of amber, and pure sand, each a pound. Distil,with a gradually increased heat, an acid liquor, an oil, and asalt discoloured with oil. Wrap up this salt in bibulous paper,and subject it to the press to separate the oil; then let it beagain sublimed."

Syn. Acide Succinique (F.), Bernsteinsaure (G.), Acido Succinico (/.).

The use of the sand in these processes is to prevent theamber, which' swells very much, from passing over into thereceiver. The heat which is necessary for the complete decom-position of the amber is very considerable; and therefore byfollowing exactly the formulae of the colleges, this is scarcelyever accomplished. The succinic acid is partly dissolved inthe water which condenses in the receiver, but the greater partis sublimed in the neck of the retort, and is so much contami-nated witli the oil, that after repeated solution and crystalliz-ation, and even resublimation, it still retains a portion of it.According to Guy ton Morveau i, it may be obtained perfectlypure by distilling from it a small portion of nitric acid, witha heat not strong enough to sublime the succinic acid.

Qualities. — The crystals of succinic acid are minute trian-gular prisms. When pure, they are white, translucent, andshining; have a slight penetrating sour taste ; redden infusionof litmus, and are volatile and inflammable, burning awaywithout leaving any odour. They are soluble in twenty-fourparts of water at 60°, and two parts at 212° ; the greater part

1 Annates i

e Chimie, xxix. 165.

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