Glass of antimony, vitrum antimonii, is a transparent glass created from a preparation of antimony, historically used as an emetic. It was created using crude antimony, ground and calcined by a vehement fire, in an earthen crucible, until it no longer fumed, indicating that its sulfur was evaporated. The remaining substance (calx) was then vitrified in a wind furnace, upon which it became transparent, ruddy, and shining.
It has been considered the strongest emetic of any preparation of antimony. Yet, if dissolved in spirit of urine, it ceased to be either emetic or cathartic.
Famous quotes containing the words glass of and/or glass:
“Only one marriage I regret. I remember after I got that marriage license I went across from the license bureau to a bar for a drink. The bartender said, “What will you have, sir?” And I said, “A glass of hemlock.””
—Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961)
“Our ideal ... must be a language as clear as glass—the person looking out of the window knows there is glass there, but he is not concerned with it; what concerns him is what comes through from the other side.”
—Elizabeth Bowen (1899–1973)