Nitre, spirit

Paris, becoming the outstanding chemist of the Paris Academy at the end of the seventeenth century. His work was focused on the behavior and composition of neutral salts, an investigation derived from the recently popular medical theory of acid/alkali. Earlier experience in the century had established the pattern of neutralization of an acid by an alkali, a pattern of mutual destruction of properties. The available acids were the vitriolic or spirit of sulphur, spirit of nitre, spirit of sea salt, and acid of vinegar. The only alkali was salt of tartar (potassium carbonate). Lime was known but possessed a separate identity, not clearly classed as either alkali or earth. 

ETHYL NITRITE Nitrous Ether, Sweet Spirit of Nitre, Spirit of Ether Nitrite Flammable Liquid, I 2 4 4... 

Chemical Designations - Synonyms Nitrous ether Spirit of ether nitrite Sweet spirit of nitre Chemical Formula CjHjONO. 

Saltpeter or Niter. Salt-petersaid P.-J. Macquer,. . signifies the Salt of Stone and in fact Nitre is extracted from the stones and plaister in which it forms. .. (8). In the chemical works of the unknown monk Basil Valentine, which were edited by Johann Tholde, saltpeter is described as a wonder-salt with an infernal spirit concealed in an ice-like form. 

In 1789 Dr M. Wall of Oxford, recalling Scheele s experiments on tartar, added some "Glauber s spirit of nitre to cream of tartar dissolved in boiling water. By careful evaporation of the solution, he obtained well-formed crystals of niter (saltpeter). He concluded that cream of... 

J.-P. de Toumefort, who journeyed through the Levant in 1700, said that "the Island of Milo [Melos, Greece]. . . certainly abounds with all the Materials necessary to the production of Alum and Sulphur. As for Nitre, there s none at all, whatever the Inhabitants say, who confound it with alum (146). He had the erroneous idea that the alum was a chloride produced by "spirit of salt. ... 

It is known, for example, that iron and the spirit of vitriol, mixed together, make a true vitriol it is known that spirit of nitre poured on some niter fixed by charcoal, or on salt of tartar, reforms a true saltpeter but neither the analytical way nor that of recomposition oflFers us anything similar to anything approaching that for borax. 5... 

Shaw s footnote (op. cif., p. 191) A drachm of compound spirit of nitre being poured on half a drachm of oil of carraway seeds in vacuo the mixture immediately made a flash like gun-powder, and burst the exhausted receiver, which was a glass six inches wide, and eight inches deep. 7 Quoted by N. D. Cheronis, article entitled Chemical Warfare in the Middle Ages. Kallinikos s Prepared Fire, . /. Chem. Education, 14, 360 (1937). 

We are of opinion, that many of the nitrates might be advantageously employed in the manufacture of fire works. Some, as nitrate of strontian, communicate a red color to flame, as the flame of alcohol. Nitrate of lime also might be used.. . . Muriate of strontian, mixed with alcohol, or spirit of wine, will give a carmine-red flame. For this experiment, one part of the muriate is added to three or four parts of alcohol. Muriate of lime produces, with alcohol, an orange-coloured flame. Nitrate of copper produces an emerald-green flame. Common salt and nitre, with alcohol, give a yellow flame.14... 

Not all of the products issuing from the Confederate labs were botanical or galenical preparations. The surgeon general, for example, announced in July 1863 that J. Julian Chisolm had commenced the manufacture of blue mass, mercurial ointment, and sweet spirit of nitre at his laboratory in Columbia, South Carolina, and ordered purveyor Blackie to make no more purchases of these articles but rather to requisition them directly from Chiso1m.94... 

Most of the larger laboratories produced a mix of chemical and botanical products. But the smooth operations of both were often problematic. In order to manufacture the former, the requisite materials had to be on hand to make botanical tinctures and extracts, the necessary processing equipment and personnel had to be in place in order to keep pace with processing the raw materials. William H. Anderson told Blackie that he could manufacture spirits of nitre but needed nitric acid and that he could make aque ammonium but lacked the muriate of ammonium from which it was derived.95 But, for Anderson, botanical supplies were plentiful. His list to purveyor Blackie of available articles included only one nonherbal product and shows both the interrelatedness of various substances in the manufacturing process as well as the degree of commitment and pride the purveyors could have for their products ... 

A chemical name should not be a phrase. In the early days of chemistry prior to the general acceptance of atomic and subsequent theories, many substances were characterized by clumsy and inconvenient expressions derived from various associations. Examples of these would include "oil of vitriol, "butter of antimony, "cream of tartar, "flowers of zinc, "liver of sulfur, "milk of lime, "sugar of lead, "spirits of nitre, etc. Very possibly de Morveau anticipated the probability that the substances designated by such names would occasionally, by careless classification, become indexed under "oil "butter, "cream, "flowers, "liver, "milk, and "sugar, and thus be withdrawn from the chemist to the kitchen. Despite his warning, however, chemical names were frequently rendered as phrases for the next one hundred years and such forms as "acetate of sodium, "peroxide of hydrogen, and "permanganate of potash have only recently disappeared from texts and books of reference. 

Sweet spirits of nitre 4% ethyl nitrite in 70% ethanol used as a diuretic. Overdose produces methaemoglobinemia, hypotension and narcosis. 

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