[189] In the British Pharmacopœia, for most distilled spirits is substituted a solution of 1 part of volatile oil in 49 of rectified spirit.—Ed.
The following are the principal medicinal spirits:—
Spirit of Ammo′′nia. Syn. Spiritus ammoniæ (Ph. E.). Prep. 1. (Ph. E.) Take of quicklime, 12 oz.; shake it with water, 61⁄2 fl. oz.; add of finely powdered chloride of ammonium, 3 oz.; and distil in a glass retort furnished with a tube reaching nearly to the bottom of a bottle containing rectified spirit, 2 pints, and kept well cooled. A sand heat is to be employed, and the distillation continued as long as anything passes over. The product has a sp. gr. about ·845, and should not effervesce with acids. The alkali is here in the caustic state, and in this respect it resembles the spirit of ammonia, Ph. U. S., and Dzond’s caustic spirit of ammonia, Ph. Bor.
2. (Ph. L. 1836.) Chloride of ammonium, 10 oz.; carbonate of potassa, 16 oz.; rectified spirit and water, of each 3 pints; mix, and let 3 pints distil.
3. (Ph. D. 1826.) Dissolve 31⁄2 oz. of carbonate of ammonia, in rectified spirit, 3 wine pints.
Obs. The ammonia in the last two preparations exist in the carbonated state. They are chiefly employed to make other preparations.
4. (Anisated spirit of ammonia; Liquor ammoniæ anisanus, Spiritus a. a.—Ph. Bor.) Rectified spirit, 12 oz.; oil of aniseed, 3 dr.; dissolve, and add of caustic solution of ammonia (·960), 3 oz.
5. (Aromatic spirit of ammonia, Spirit of sal volatile; Spiritus ammoniæ aromaticus—B.
P., Ph. L., E., & D.)—a. (Ph. L.). Take of hydrochlorate of ammonia, 6 oz.; carbonate of potassa, 10 oz.; cinnamon and cloves, of each, bruised, 21⁄2 dr.; fresh lemon peel, 5 oz.; rectified spirit and water, of each 2 quarts; mix, and distil 3 quarts. Sp. gr. ·918.
b. (Ph. E.) Spirit of ammonia, 8 fl. oz.; oil of rosemary, 11⁄2 fl. dr.; oil of lemon peel, 1 fl. dr.; mix.