Antimony oxychloride

Algarot, also known as powder of algaroth, algarel, or antimonious oxychloride (SbOCl), was a white emetic powder used in alchemy that consisted of a compound of trichloride and trioxide of antimony. It purges violently both upwards and downwards.

Historically, it was prepared of butter of antimony (antimony trichloride), which was no more than the regulus of that mineral, dissolved in acids, and separated again by means of several lotions with lukewarm water, which absorbed those acids. By collecting all the lotions and evaporating two third parts, what remained was a very acid liquor, called "Spirit of Philosophical Vitriol".

It was also called mercurius vitæ ("mercury of life"), or simply emetic powder.

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chambers, Ephraim, ed. (1728). Cyclopædia, or an Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences (1st ed.). James and John Knapton, et al. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)