4346. Albumen

4346.    Albumen. A substance which enters largely into the composition of animal bodies. It is scarcely soluble in water, but dissolves readily by adding to the water a small portion of caustic soda or potassa. White of egg is a solution of albumen.

4347. To Make Albumen

4347.      To Make Albumen. Expose the strained white of egg, or the serum of bullock's blood in a thin stratum, to a current of dry air, until it hardens into a solid transparent substance.

Or: Agitate strained white of egg with 10 or 12 times its bulk of alcohol, and collect the flocculent precipitate on a muslin filter. Dry it at a temperature not over 120° Fahr.

4348. Tests for Albumen

4348.    Tests for Albumen. A solution of bichloride of mercury dropped into a fluid containing albumen, occasions a white precipitate. Tannin or tincture of galls gives a yellow, pitchy precipitate.

4349. Sulphur

4349.    Sulphur. Sulphur or brimstone is usually of a pale yellow color; melts to a clear, thin fluid, and volatile at about 232° Fahr., when it inflames spontaneously in the open air, and burns with a bluish flame. It is insoluble in water and in alcohol; soluble in turpentine and fat oils, and freely so in bisulphuret of carbon and hot liquor of potassa. With oxygen it forms sulphuric and sulphur--ous acids, and with the metals it combines as SULPHURETS or sulphides. Its specific gravity is from 1.982 to 2.045 (water standard). The specific gravity of its vapor is 6.648 (air standard).

4350. Amorphous or Brown Sulphur

4350.      Amorphous or Brown Sulphur. Prepared from sublimed sulphur by melting it, increasing the heat to 320° Fahr., and continuing it at that temperature for about 30 minutes, or until it becomes brown and viscid; it is then poured into water. It is now ductile like wax, may bo easily moulded, and when cooled does not again become fluid below 600° Fahr.

4351. Precipitated Sulphur

4351.      Precipitated Sulphur. Sublimed sulphur, 1 part; dry slacked lime, 2 parts; water, 25 parts; boil for 2 or 3 hours, dilute with 25 parts more water, filter, precipitate by muriatic acid, and drain; well wash, and dry the precipitate. Resembles sublimed sulphur in its general properties, but is much paler, and in a finer state of division.

4352. To Purify Precipitated Sulphur

4352.      To Purify Precipitated Sulphur. The precipitated sulphur of the shops contains about two-thirds of its weight of sulphate of lime (plaster of Paris), owing to the substitution of sulphuric for muriatic acid in its preparation. This fraud is detected by heating a little of the suspected sample in an iron spoon or shovel, when the sulphur is volatilized, and leaves behind the sulphate of lime, which, when mixed with water and gently dried, gives 'the amount of the adulteration. A still simpler plan is to dissolve out the sulphur with a little hot oil of turpentine or liquor of potassa.