CHINOLINE BLUE. See Cyanine.
CHINTZ (to Wash). Boil 2 lbs. of rice in two gallons of water till soft; and pour the mixture into a tub; let it stand until it attains a warmth generally used for coloured linens; then put the chintz in it, and wash it with the rice instead of soap, until all the
dirt has disappeared. Next boil another 2 lb. of rice, as above, in another two gallons of water, but strain the rice from the water, and mix it in warm water. Wash the chintz in this till quite clean, and afterwards rinse it in the water the rice was boiled in. This will answer the same end as starch, as no wet will affect it, as it will be stiff while it is worn. If a gown, it must be taken to pieces; and when dried, it must be hung as smooth as possible, after which it must be dry-rubbed with a smooth stone, but no iron must be used.
CHIRETTA. Chirata. The entire plant (Ophelia chirata) is employed in medicine. Northern India. The plant is pulled up by the root when the flowers begin to decay, and the capsules are formed. The dried plant, sometimes with, but more commonly without, the root, is the form in which the chiretta is generally met with in commerce. The whole plant is intensely bitter, but is without odour. In its physiological action it bears a great resemblance to gentian. Instead of a constipating, it appears to possess a slightly relaxing effect. It is an excellent stomachic and carminative, and is said to diminish the tendency to acidity, and to be of great service in the dyspepsia accompanying gout. No vegetable alkaloid has been obtained from it. If given in powder, the dose of chiretta is twenty grains. It is, however, more generally given in the form of an infusion or tincture (which see).
CHI′TIN. This name has been given to the hard, insoluble matter forming the shells and elytra of insects. It is obtained by boiling the elytra of the cockchafer with water, alcohol, ether, acetic acid, and alkalies.
CHIT′TICK’S REMEDY. Dr Chittick’s remedy for stone consisted of a fixed alkali, administered in veal broth. (Paris.)
CHLORAL. C2HCl3O. A peculiar liquid first obtained by Liebig, by the action of chlorine on alcohol. The name was intended to express its origin from chlorine and alcohol.
Prep. (Liebig.) Anhydrous alcohol is placed in a tubulated retort, and dry chlorine gas passed through it, at first in the cold, but afterwards with the application of a gentle heat, until the chlorine passes unchanged through the liquor on raising it to the boiling temperature; on cooling, the whole forms a crystalline mass of what was at one time thought to be chloral hydrate, but which subsequent researches have shown to be chloral alcoholate; this is melted by a gentle heat, and agitated with three times its volume of oil of vitriol; on increasing the heat a little, an oily stratum of impure chloral rises to the surface. It is purified by boiling it for some time (to drive off free hydrochloric acid and alcohol), next distilling it with an equal volume of oil of vitriol; and lastly, rectifying it from some powdered quick-lime, the process being stopped as soon as the surface of the lime becomes dry.
Prop., &c. Chloral is an oily liquid, possessing an ethereal smell; it is soluble in alcohol, ether, and water; with a small quantity of the latter it rapidly changes into a semi-solid crystalline mass (chloral hydrate), which is soluble in a larger quantity of water; boils at 201°; sp. gr. 1·502. It is decomposed by the caustic earths and alkalies. By age it is converted into a white, solid, translucent substance (insoluble chloral), which is reconverted by heat and by sulphuric acid into ordinary chloral.
Obs. In operating as above the chlorine is most conveniently introduced by a tube inserted into the tubulature of the retort, and a long tube, bent upwards, should be connected with the beak to convey away the hydrochloric acid gas extricated, and to allow the volatilised alcohol and chloral to condense, and flow back into the retort.