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, 1889

prepared without oxidation taking place; in this case the U. S. P. should adopt at least the specific gravity and neutralization determinations as tests of purity, the former, however, depending much upon the process of preparation.

IODIDE OF AMMONIUM.

A SIMPLE METHOD OF DECOLORIZING WHEN DECOMPOSED.1

BY JOHN C. FALK, PH. G.

Iodide of ammonium, as is well known to all pharmacists, is a very unstable compound, the ammonium very easily dissociating from its union with the haloid element iodine.

This decomposition with the resultant coloration from a snowwhite salt to a yellow or even dark-brown-depending on the amount of liberated iodine present, is an occurrence seen in nearly every pharmacy. In this condition the chemical is, of course, unfit for use; and, as the small quantities usually on hand in the stores do not justify the trouble and expense of manipulating in the customary methods, such a spoiled salt is generally thrown away or set aside, and a fresh supply obtained.

The pharmacopoeial process for the recovery of decolorized iodide of ammonium is to wash it with stronger ether, filter off the latter, and rapidly drying the salt.

R. Rother recommends treating the salt with sulphurous acid and ammonia, and then drying on a water bath. Both these methods are somewhat troublesome to carry out, particularly when the amount of material is small (say, one or two ounces) while the pharmacopoeial directions are very apt to result in an expensive product if extreme care is not taken in the use of the ether.

Having several small lots of decomposed iodide of ammonium come into my hands during the past year, it occurred to me that they might be redeemed in a manner that I have not yet seen in print. This consists simply of placing a lump of carbonate of ammonium into the bottle and allowing it to remain there until the salt has regained its normal whiteness; this may require from several days to as many weeks, the time being dependent upon the amount of material and the degree of decomposition it has undergone. The ammonia that is con

1 Read before the Missouri State Pharmaceutical Association.

stantly being disengaged from the unstable carbonate unites with the free iodine present to form iodide of ammonium, and, as the superfluous ammonia is subsequently allowed to escape, there is no resulting contamination with a foreign substance.

I usually remove the iodide to a large salt-mouth bottle, wrap a vitreous piece of ammonium carbonate in filter paper, drop it into the bottle, stopper tightly and place aside until the desired change has been effected. Then remove the ammonium carbonate, leave the bottle unstopped until the excess of ammonium has disappeared, when the salt is practically pure and ready for use.

DIVISION OF POWDERS.

BY HANS M. WILDER.

Mr. Wiegand concludes his article on the above subject (p. 386) by saying that "when odd numbers, such as 13, 17 or 19 are ordered, the best plan is to weigh off the 13th, 17th or 19th of the whole weight," and then advises to divide the remainder by the parallelogram plan. Now, why does Mr. Wiegand not go on a step farther, and advise to divide the powders by weight, all of them, as the Germans do, instead of only that odd part? The only objection that can reasonably be made is that it would take more time than could well be spared in the rush of business, etc. This idea of "more time," however, is much exaggerated. In Germany, for instance, where a good many more prescriptions are put up by the individual pharmacist than here (except in hospitals and similar institutions), the pharmacists get through pretty quickly, notwithstanding that prescriptions calling for 24 or 48 powders are no rarity, in spite of having to weigh each powder separately. The writer has for months together had to put up from 70 to 100 prescriptions a day entirely unassisted, and often had a dozen or more prescriptions at a time waiting for him, still he managed to finish within a reasonable time; of without some kind of a system it would have been impos

sible to do so.

Now as to the division of powders: The parallelogram plan is a decided improvement on the "guess-by-eye," but weighing each powder separately is still more accurate; what little time more there may have been used is balanced by the satisfaction of knowing that

each one of your powders is of the proper weight.

Owing to the

fact that in dividing, say twelve, not too small powders by weight the last one will usually be short about 1 or 1 grains, the writer has been in the habit of taking this shortage into account. If the bulk of the powders weighs, for instance, 180 grains, and has to be divided into twelve powders, the writer weighs off 14 grains instead of 15 grains, and finally distributes the few grains left in the mortar by the eye. That fraction of a grain, which through unequal distribution one or the other powder may get too much or too little, is of no practical account.

PHARMACEUTICAL NOTES.

Abstracts from Theses.

Unguentum Hydrargyri.—Jacquemaire's recommendation (see AM. JOUR. PHAR., 1888, p. 344) for the rapid preparation of mercurial ointment has induced D. B. Bowman, Ph. G., to experiment with different amalgams in comparison with the process of the present pharmacopoeia, by which the extinction of the mercury is facilitated by trituration with compound tincture of benzoin and a little mercurial ointment. Working by this process the globules of mercury became invisible to the naked eye in ten minutes, and the ointment was finished in thirty minutes. The amalgams were prepared in the proportion of 1000 mercury to 1 K, Na, Zn, Sn or Mg; and were triturated directly with the fats and, in separate experiments with the tincture and ointment, as stated. The amalgams with K or Na combined with the fats with difficulty and in part only, the mercury finally separating partly. The Sn amalgam combined better and after an hour's trituration showed no globules visible to the eye; while the zinc amalgam was not completely extinguished. Using Mg amalgam the ointment was finished in fifteen minutes.

On triturating the amalgams with tincture and ointment, as directed by the U. S. P., the ointment was finished, using Sn, in fifteen minutes; while the globules became invisible to the eye in ten minutes with Zn; in fifteen minutes with K; in thirty minutes with Mg, and in two hours with Na.

Pill excipient.-A useful excipient for substances which are very difficult to make into a proper pill mass is prepared by John Howard Witherow, Ph. G., by dissolving with the aid of a gentle heat 100

Jour. Pharm

, 1889

grains powdered gum arabic and 5 grains benzoic acid in 2 oz. glycerin and adding 4 oz. commercial glucose.

Excipient for Pills of Potassium permanganate.—A slight modification of Mr. Martindale's excipient (see AM. Jour. PHAR., 1884, p. 436; 1886, p. 337) is suggested by Gideon H. Macon, Ph. G., substituting spermaceti for paraffin. The proportions are, soft paraffin 2 parts, spermaceti 1 part, and kaolin 3 parts.

Tinctura Gentianae composita, U. S. P., is recommended by Oliver B. Jacobs, Ph. G., to be prepared with a menstruum of alcohol 3 parts and water 1 part, when it will remain permanently clear. Using alcohol 2 parts to water 1 part, the tincture showed a slight precipitate in two weeks. Made with strong alcohol, the tincture was less bitter in taste and contained about 3.12 per cent. of solid matter, while the tincture made with the menstruum suggested yielded 5 per cent. of extract.

Blackberry brandy, as met with in commerce, varies considerably in appearance and composition. John P. Kelly, Ph. G., procured from manufacturers four formulas for the preparation of black berry brandy, which are as follows:

1. Fluid extract of blackberry bark, 2 parts; syrup, 2 parts; whiskey, 4 parts.

2. Blackberry juice and brandy, equal parts.

3. Blackberry root, cinnamon, cloves, glycerin and brandy; no proportions given.

4. Blackberry juice, syrup, spices, New England rum; no proportions given.

Four samples, procured respectively from the states of New York, New Jersey, Kentucky and Pennsylvania were examined, with the following results:

1. 1022 specific gravity; 15 per cent. (weight) alcohol; 19 residue.

The "residue" was obtained by evaporation on a water-bath (temperature not given) until it ceased to lose weight; it appeared to contain considerable glucose and glycerin. The four samples produced dark blue precipitates with lead acetate, due to the presence of tannin and coloring matter; they possessed more of the characters of fruitwines than of brandy.

Jour.

NOTES FROM VARIOUS JOURNALS.

COLLECTED BY GEO. M. BERINGER, PH. G.

Thiocamf. Dr. J. E. Reynolds proposes under this name a new disinfectant prepared by acting on camphor with sulphur dioxide. At ordinary temperatures SO, requires a pressure of more than two atmospheres to liquefy it; but camphor owing to chemical attraction can liquefy it without any pressure whatever. In the liquid thus prepared several known bactericides are dissolved. Thiocamf can be preserved without pressure in bottles at mean temperature, mere exposure of the liquid in a thin layer to the air determines the steady evolution of sulphur dioxide. The contents of a six-ounce bottle will yield over 20,000 cc. SO2. One ounce of Thiocamf shaken up with a quart of water forms a powerful disinfectant for ordinary purposes, while a more dilute solution (1 oz. to the gallon) can be used for soaking clothes which have been in contact with infected persons.Chem. News, June 22, p. 291.

Purification of Bisulphide of Carbon-In a paper read before the London Chemical Society, Ignatius Singer describes an improved form of furnace and retorts for the manufacture of carbon bisulphide on the large scale. The crude product obtained contains considerable quantities of sulphur, HS, and other sulphur compounds, has a pale yellow color and a very disagreeable odor. The author recommends the following method for its purification: A cylindrical vessel about 30 inches in diameter and 6 feet high is provided with a perforated coil of lead pipe at the bottom. The CS, to be purified is run into this vessel to about one-third its height. Then lime water is pumped into the vessel through the perforated coil. The lime water being specifically lighter than the CS, rises to the surface, and while traversing the body of the bisulphide in a finely divided spray, the lime combines with the HS etc. This washing is continued until the lime water which leaves the vessel through an overflow pipe near the top, is perfectly clear. The CS, is now run into a still, about 1 per cent. of cheap colorless oil added and covered with a layer of about 1 inch of water to which some sugar of lead may be added. The CS, is now distilled in a water bath and condensed in the usual way.-Jour. Soc. Chem. Industry.

Test to Distinguish Resorcin from Carbolic or Salicylic Acid.—If a few drops of a solution of sodic hypochlorite are added to a watery or