Donovan's solution

Donovan's solution is an inorganic compound prepared from arsenic triiodide and mercuric iodide.^[1] Despite its name, it is a compound and not a solution.

Donovan's Solution

Names
IUPAC name Iodomercury; triiodoarsane
Other names Liquor hydriodatis arsenici et hydrargyri
Identifiers
CAS Number	8012-54-2 Y
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image
ChemSpider	23077
PubChem CID	24679
RTECS number	CG3200000
UN number	1557
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID00230082
InChI InChI=1S/AsI3.Hg.HI/c2-1(3)4;;/h;;1H/q;+1;/p-1 Key: QLULWSBMTZWVDE-UHFFFAOYSA-M
SMILES [As](I)(I)I.I[Hg]
Properties
Chemical formula	AsHgI4
Molar mass	783.12948
Appearance	Clear, colourless, or pale yellow. Darkens with age.
Boiling point	403 °C (757 °F; 676 K) at 760 mmHg
Solubility in water	Yes
Hazards
Occupational safety and health (OHS/OSH):
Main hazards	Toxic
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). Infobox references

Method

Donovan's solution can be prepared by mixing arsenic triiodide, mercuric iodide, and sodium bicarbonate in aqueous solution.^[2][3]

Cooley's cyclopædia of practical receipts and ... information on the arts, manufactures, and trades gives a more complex method.^[4]

Uses

The solution has been used in veterinary medicine to treat chronic diseases of the skin^[3] and as a folk remedy.^[5] It was used during the 19th century to treat lepra vulgaris^[6] and psoriasis^[7][8] in humans, taken internally.