Cooley's Cyclopaedia of Practical Receipts Volume Ii Part 295

[Footnote 261: 'Chem. Soc. Journ.,' March, 1879.]

_Pres._ The preservation of rain water in a state of purity necessitates the greatest care in constructing the tanks, especially if the latter are underground. Of eight samples of stored rain water examined by the River Commissioners only one was fit for domestic use, the others were all polluted by animal matter. Storage room sufficient to hold 120 days'

supply will be found sufficient for the driest district. The small cisterns for service water should not be placed in positions where it can receive the emanation of water closets or sleeping apartments. They should be frequently cleaned out. The best are made of enamelled slate or properly painted iron. Wherever possible a water service should be on the constant supply system.

For wells the chief precaution necessary is to keep out surface and drainage water by maintaining the walls water-proof for a considerable depth. On s.h.i.+pboard water is preserved in iron tanks or in casks well charred on the inside. Water cannot be safely kept in copper or leaden vessels, and it receives a calcareous impregnation by contact with lime, mortar, slate, or stone containing lime. The addition of 1/2 to 1 per cent. of finely powdered binoxide of manganese materially promotes preservation, especially at sea, where the motion of the vessel and the subsequent agitation of the water increases the points of contact. Water never putrefies in iron vessels or when some fragments of metallic iron are immersed in it. Distilled water should be preserved in gla.s.s bottles or carboys. See LOTION, SPIRITS, WATER, DISTILLED EYE WATER, PERFUMED WATER, and the articles below.

=Water, Soda.= Each bottle of this liquid should contain at least 15 grains of carbonate of sodium, but that of the shops is usually nothing else but water highly charged with carbonic anhydride. Not a particle of soda enters into its composition, on which account it cannot be subst.i.tuted for the preparation of the Pharmacopias.

To produce a superior article of soda water, the possession of a powerful aerating and bottling machine is absolutely necessary. The water employed must also be of the purest quality, the carbonic anhydride well washed with water, and the corks so prepared that they will not impart their peculiar flavour to the beverage. See POWDERS, SOLUTION, WINES, and LEAD IN AERATED WATER.

=Water, Tar.= See INFUSION OF TAR.

=WATERS (Distilled).= _Syn._ AROMATIC WATERS, ODORIFEROUS W., PERFUMED W.; AQUae (Ph. L.), AQUae DESTILLATae (Ph. E. & D.), L. Pure water, charged, by distillation, with the volatile, odorous, and aromatic principles of plants.

_Prep._ 1. (Ph. L.)--_a._ 2 galls, of water are put into the still along with the vegetable matter (bruised, if necessary), but only 1 gall. is drawn over. In the Ph. L. 1836, 7 fl. oz. of proof spirit were added before distillation.

_b._ Take of the essential oil of the plant, 2 fl. dr.; powdered silex, 2 dr.; triturate them diligently together, and then with distilled water, 1 gall., gradually added; lastly (after briskly agitating the whole for some time), strain the solution.

2. (Ph. E.) As 1, _a_, but adding of rectified spirit, 3 fl. oz., before distillation.

3. (Ph. D.). From the respective essences (Ph. D), 1 fl. oz.; distilled water, 2 quarts; agitated well together, and then filtered through paper.

The following are the AQUae DESTILLATae of the British Colleges, with some others, the quant.i.ties referring to a product of 1 gall., to be prepared as above when not otherwise directed.

ANGELICA WATER; AQUA ANGELICae (P. Cod.). Bruised seed, 1 lb.; water, q. s., distil 4 lbs.

ANISEED WATER; AQUA ANISI (P. Cod.). From seeds, as AQUA ANGELICae.

BALM WATER; AQUA MELISSae (P. Cod.), L. Fresh tops, 12 lbs.

BERGAMOT WATER; AQUA BERGAMII (L. 1746). Bergamot peel, 5 oz.

BITTER-ALMOND WATER; AQUae AMYGDALae AMARae, AQUA AMYGDALARUM AMABARUM (P.

Cod.), L. Bitter-almond cake (from which the oil has been expressed), 5 lbs.; macerate for 24 hours, and filter the distilled product through paper previously wetted with pure distilled water. Poisonous.--_Dose_, 10 to 60 drops, as a subst.i.tute for hydrocyanic acid.

BLACK MUSTARD-SEED WATER; AQUA SINAPIS NIGRae (Guibourt). Mix 1 part of ground black mustard seed with 8 of water; macerate for 12 hours, and distil 4 parts, by means of steam conducted by a tube from a boiler to the bottom of the still. Filter through moistened paper to separate the oil.

Used externally as a rubefacient.

BORAGE WATER; AQUA BORAGINIS (P. Cod.), L. Fresh leaves, 12 lbs.

CAMPHOR WATER; AQUA CAMPHORae (B. P.) MISTURA CAMPHORae. Enclose 1/2 oz. of camphor, broken into pieces, in a muslin bag, and attach this to one end of a gla.s.s rod, to keep it at the bottom of a bottle containing 1 gall, of distilled water. Macerate for 2 days, then pour off the solution as required.

CARAWAY WATER; AQUA CARUI (B. P., Ph. L. & D.). Caraway, bruised, 1; water, 20; distil 10.

CASCARILLA WATER; AQUA CORTICIS CASCARILLae (P. Cod.), L. Cascarilla, bruised, 3 lbs.

Ca.s.sIA WATER; AQUA Ca.s.sIae (Ph. E.), L. Ca.s.sia, bruised, 1-1/2 lb.

CASTOR WATER; AQUA CASTOREI. Castor, 4 oz.

CHAMOMILE WATER; AQUA ANTHEMIDIS (Ph. G.). Dried chamomile flower, 2 lbs.; water, q. s.; distil 20 lbs.

CHERRY-LAUREL WATER; AQUA LAURO-CERASI (B. P., Ph. E. & D.), L. _Prep._ 1.

(B. P.) Fresh leaves of common laurel, 16, water, 50; chop the leaves, crush them in a mortar, and macerate them in the water for twenty-four hours; distil 20 of the liquid, shake the product, filter through paper, and preserve in a stoppered bottle--2. (Ph. E.) Fresh leaves, chopped, 10 lbs. (10 lbs.--Ph. D.). To the product add of compound spirit of lavender, 8 fl. oz,; agitate well, and, if milky, filter it (through wet paper--Ph.

D.& P. Cod.).--_Dose_, 10 to 60 drops, as a subst.i.tute for hydrocyanic acid. It is commonly imitated in trade by dissolving 75 drops (minims) of the oil of bitter almonds in 2-1/2 fl. oz. of rectified spirit, agitating the mixture with warm distilled water, 1 gall., and filtering.

CINNAMON WATER; AQUA CINNAMOMI (B. P., Ph. L., E., & D.), L. 1. Cinnamon, bruised, 18 oz.; or oil, 2 fl. dr.--2. (B. P.) Cinnamon, bruised, 1; water, 16; distil 8.

CLOVE WATER; AQUA CARYOPHYLLI (P. Cod.), L. Cloves, bruised, 3 lbs.

CORIANDER WATER; AQUA CORIANDRI. As Angelica water.

DILL WATER; AQUA ANETHI (B. P., Ph. L. & E.), L. 1. Bruised seed, 1-1/2 lb.; or essential oil, 2 fl. dr.--2. (B. P.) Bruised fruit, 1; water, 20; distil 10.

DISTILLED WATER; AQUA DESTILLATA (B. P.). Take of water, 10 galls, distil from a copper state, connected with a block-tin worm; reject the first 1/2 gall., and preserve the next 8 galls. It should remain clear on the addition of either lime water, chloride of barium, nitrate of silver, oxalate of ammonia, or hydrosulphuric acid (sulphuretted hydrogen).

ELDER-FLOWER WATER; AQUA SAMBUCI (B. P., Ph. L. & E.), L. 1. Fresh elder flowers, 10 lbs.--2. (B. P.) Fresh elder flowers, separated from the stalks, 1; water 2; distil 1.

FENNEL WATER; AQUA FNICULI (B. P., Ph. L., E., & D.) L. As DILL WATER.

HYSSOP WATER; AQUA HYSSOPI (P. Cod.), L. Fresh tops, 12 lbs.

EUCALYPTUS WATER. _Syn._ AQUA EUCALYPTI. _Prep._ Dry leaves, 1 part; add sufficient water to yield 4 parts of product.

HYSTERIC WATER; AQUA HYSTERICA. Compound of spirit of bryony, omitting the bryony.

JUNIPER WATER; AQUA BACCae JUNIPERI (P. Cod.), L. Berries, bruised, 3 lbs.

LAVENDER WATER; AQUA LAVENDULae (P. Cod.), L. Flowering tops, 3 lbs.

LEMON-PEEL WATER; _Aqua limonis_ (E., 1817). Fresh lemon peel, 2 lbs.; water, q. s.; distil 10 lbs.

LETTUCE WATER; AQUA LACTUCae (P. Cod.), L. Fresh lettuces, bruised, 12 lbs.

LIME-TREE-FLOWER WATER; AQUA TILLIae. From lime flowers, as melilot water.

LILY WATER; AQUA LILIORUM CONVALLIUM (Ph. Bruns.). Flowers of lily of the valley, 1 lb.; water, 4 lbs.; distil 2 lbs.

MELILOT WATER; AQUA MELLIOTI (P. Cod.), L. Dried flower, 3 lbs.

MINT WATER, SPEARMINT W.; AQUA MENTHae VIRIDIS (B. P., Ph. L., E., & D.).

L. 1. Dried herb, 2 lbs.; or fresh herb, 4 lbs.; or essential oil, 2 fl.

dr.--2. (B. P.) English oil of spearmint, 1-1/2 dr.; water, 1-1/2 gall.; distil 1 gall.

MYRTLE-FLOWER WATER; AQUA MYRTI. Myrtle flowers, 3 lbs.; water, q. s.; distil 1 gall.

OPIUM WATER; AQUA OPII (Ph. G). Opium, sliced and dried, 1 oz. Put into a gla.s.s retort with 10 oz. of. water, and distil 5 oz.