[210] Wagner’s ‘Chemical Technology.’
SUL′PHATE. Syn. Sulphas, L. A salt of sulphuric acid.
SUL′PHIDE. A salt consisting of sulphur and a metal or other basic radical. See Sulphuretted hydrogen.
SULPHINDYL′IC ACID. Syn. Sulphindigotic acid. An intensely blue pasty mass, formed by dissolving 1 part of indigo in about 15 parts of concentrated sulphuric acid. See Sulphate of Indigo.
SUL′PHITE. A salt of sulphurous acid.
SULPHOCARBOLIC ACID. (Sulphocarbolates.) Carbolic acid, when acted upon by bases, yields a class of salts termed carbolates. These compounds are very unstable; they readily absorb water from the air, which sets free carbolic acid; they usually have the powerful odour of the latter. When, however, equivalent weights of carbolic and sulphuric acids are mixed, union takes place, a definite double acid (sulphocarbolic) results, and the salts formed by this double acid with the various bases are entirely different from the simple salts of carbolic acid. They are very stable, very soluble, possess neither odour nor taste of carbolic acid, and are singularly beautiful in crystalline form.
Sulphocarbolic Acid (HC6H3SO4) is obtained by the crystallisation in long colourless needles; unlike carbolic acid, it is soluble in water, alcohol, and ether, in any proportions.
Sulphocarbolate of Calcium [Ca(C6H5SO4)2 + Aq.] is obtained in very long, fine, densely interlacing crystals, which form in bulk, by their interlacement, a porous mass. Unlike the usual lime-salts, this is exceedingly soluble. This fact overcomes the great difficulty of treatment when in disease there is a deficiency of lime in the body, especially in rickets, in which disease the want of lime in the bones gives rise to distortions. The sulphocarbolate of magnesium crystallises in large, clear, rhombic prisms, easily soluble in water.
Sulphocarbolate of Copper [Cu(C6H5SO4)2] forms fine prismatic crystals of a blue colour. It is used as the zinc sulphocarbolate, chiefly as a lotion and dressing, in the proportion of 3 to 10 grains to the ounce of distilled water.
Sulphocarbolate of Iron [Fe(C6H5SO4)2] is in colourless or pale green rhombic plates. It is readily administered, and seems in some instances to be preferred to other salts of iron. It seems to have been of especial use in the skin diseases of children, wherein there is much formation of matter.