1. Antimony, Trichloride of

SbCl 2 . Syn. Terchloride of antimony , Antimonious chloride , Chlo′′ride of antimony , Sesquichloride of a. , Butter of a. , Cau′stic antimony †, .; Antimo′′nii chlori′dum , A. TERCHLORI′DUM , A. bu′tyrum *, ., L.; Chlorure d’antimoine , Beurre d’antimoine , ., Fr.; Antimon-chlorid , Spie glanz-butter , Ger. This is the substance of which common chloride, or butter of antimony, of the shops, is an impure concentrated solution containing free acid. Prep. 1. Solid, anhydrous :— a. Pure commercial tersulphide of antimony, in coarse powder, 1 part; concentrated hydrochloric acid, 5 parts; are mixed in a capacious stoneware or gla ve el set under a chimney with a quick draught, to convey away the fumes, the whole being constantly stirred, and, as the effervescence slackens, a gradually increasing gentle heat applied until solution is complete; the resulting liquid is put into a retort, and distilled, until each drop of the distillate, as it falls into the aqueous liquid which has previously pa ed over into the receiver, produces a copious white precipitate; the receiver is then changed, and the distillation continued, when pure TRICHLORIDE OF ANTIMONY pa es over, and solidifies on cooling to a white and highly crystalline ma , which must be carefully excluded from the air. b. From pure metallic antimony, 2 parts; bichloride of mercury, 5 parts; both in fine powder; mixed and distilled in a retort with a large neck, by a gentle sand-heat, into a suitable receiver. Chemically pure. 2. Liquid :— a. ( Liquor an tim on i i chlorid i , B. P.) Syn. Solution of chloride of antimony . Prep. Take of black antimony, 1 lb. ; hydrochloric acid, 4 pints; place the black antimony in a porcelain ve el; pour upon it the hydrochloric acid, and, constantly stirring, apply to the mixture, beneath a flue with a good draught, a gentle heat, which must be gradually augmented as the evolution of gas begins to slacken, until the liquid boils. Maintain it at this temperature for fifteen minutes; then remove the ve el from the fire, and filter the liquid through calico into another ve el, returning what pa es through first, that a perfectly clear solution may be obtained. Boil this down to the bulk of two pints, and preserve it in a stoppered bottle. Characters and Tests. A heavy liquid, usually of a yellowish-red colour. A little of it dropped into water gives a white precipitate, and the filtered solution lets fall a copious deposit on the addition of nitrate of silver. If the white precipitate formed by water be treated with sulphuretted hydrogen it becomes orange-coloured. The specific gravity of the solution is 1·47. One fluid drachm of it mixed with a solution of a quarter of an ounce of tartaric acid in four fluid ounces of water, forms a clear solution, which, if treated with sulphuretted hydrogen, gives an orange precipitate, weighing, when washed and dried at 212°, at least 22 grains. b. (Commercial.)— a. Take of ash or calx of antimony, 3 1 ⁄ 4 lbs. ; common salt, 2 lbs. ; oil of vitriol, 1 1 ⁄ 2 lb. ; water, 1 lb. ; proceed as before. Prod., 2 1 ⁄ 2 lbs. c. From roasted sulphide or gla of antimony, 7 lbs. ; salt, 28 lbs. ; oil of vitriol, 21 lbs. ; water, 14 lbs. ; as before. d. From crude sulphide of antimony (powdered), 25 lbs. ; strongest commercial hydrochloric acid, 1 cwt. ; nitric acid, 3 1 ⁄ 2 lbs. ; as before; the product being coloured with a little per nitrate of iron, and made up to the sp. gr. 1·4. The quality is improved, and the proce more easily conducted, if the crude antimony is roasted before di olving it in the acid. The same applies to the other formulæ. Prop., . — a. Solid. When pure, and nearly free from water, it somewhat resembles butter, melts with a gentle heat, and partially crystallises on cooling; is very deliquescent, and quickly pa es into an oily liquid when exposed to damp air; very soluble in strong hydrochloric acid; water, according to its quantity, more or le decomposes it. When perfectly pure and anhydrous, it forms a white and highly crystalline ma , rapidly decomposed by air and moisture.— b. Solution . The sp. gr. of the solution of the shops varies from 1·25 to 1·4, in which state it is a transparent fuming yellow liquid (unle when artificially coloured), and extremely acid and caustic. Submitted to distillation, it at first parts with its water and exce of acid, after which the salt itself is volatilised. By changing the receiver as soon as the distillate concretes on cooling, or produces a copious white precipitate on falling into the liquid already pa ed over, the pure ANHYDROUS TRICHLORIDE may be readily obtained. Phys. eff., Ant., Lesions, . See Antimony . Uses. In medicine , only externally, and chiefly as a caustic or escharotic to the wounds caused by rabid and venomous animals, and to repre exce ive granulations in ulcers. In pharmacy , as a source of both oxy chloride and oxide of antimony. The residuum in the retort when corrosive sublimate is used, is sulphide of mercury, and was formerly called CINNABAR OF ANTIMONY .