Bromide of Potassium is prepared by adding Bromine to Caustic Potash, and heating the product, which is a mixture of Bromide of Potassium and Bromate of Potash, to redness, in order to drive off the Oxygen from the latter salt. It crystallizes in anhydrous cubes, like the Chloride and Iodide of Potassium; it is easily soluble in water, but more sparingly so in Alcohol; it yields red fumes of Bromine when acted upon by Sulphuric Acid.
BROMIDE OF SILVER. See [Silver, Bromide of].
CARBONATE OF SODA.
Symbol, NaO CO2 + 10 Aq.
This salt was formerly obtained from the ashes of seaweeds, but is now more economically manufactured on a large scale from common salt. The Chloride of Sodium is first converted into Sulphate of Soda, and afterwards the Sulphate into Carbonate of Soda.
Properties.—The perfect crystals contain ten atoms of water, which are driven off by the application of heat, leaving a white powder—the anhydrous Carbonate. Common Washing Soda is a neutral Carbonate, contaminated to a certain extent with Chloride of Sodium and Sulphate of Soda. The Carbonate used for effervescing draughts is either a Bicarbonate with 1 atom of water, or a Sesquicarbonate, containing about 40 per cent, of real alkali; it is therefore nearly double as strong as the washing Carbonate, which contains about 22 per cent, of Soda. Carbonate of Soda is soluble in twice its weight of water at 60°, the solution being strongly alkaline.
CARBONATE OF POTASH. See Potash, Carbonate of.
CASEINE. See [Milk].
CHARCOAL, ANIMAL.
Animal Charcoal is obtained by heating animal substances, such as bones, dried blood, horns, etc., to redness, in close vessels, until all volatile empyreumatic matters have been driven off, and a residue of Carbon remains. When prepared from bones it contains a large quantity of inorganic matter in the shape of Carbonate and Phosphate of Lime, the former of which produces alkalinity in reacting upon Nitrate of Silver (see [p. 89]). Animal Charcoal is freed from these earthy salts by repeated digestion in Hydrochloric Acid; but unless very carefully washed it is apt to retain an acid reaction, and so to liberate free Nitric Acid when added to solution of Nitrate of Silver.