PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION B. — SUB-SECTION, PHARMACY. 141 



5.— ORGANIC SALTS OF BISMUTH WITH ALKALIS. 



By R. C. Cowley. 



At the meeting of the Australasian Associatior for the Advance- 

 ment of Science, held in Sydney, I made a statement to the effect that 

 bismuth citrate acts as a monobasic acid, giving a well-defined end 

 reaction when titrated with solution of ammonia, using litmus paper as 

 an indicator. 



Alkaline Bismutho -citrates. — Ammonia is not the only base forming 

 a compound with bismuth citrate. All other alkahs behave in a similar 

 manner, and it is quite easy to prepare bismutho-citrates of sodiuin, 

 potassium, or lithium, by titrating freshly-precipitated bismuth citrate 

 with the hydroxides, carbonates, or bicarbonates of these alkalis. 

 The solution on evaporation yields compounds which are soluble in 

 water. The sodium compound dissolves more readily in water 

 containing a little glycerin. I have no doubt these compounds will 

 find an application in medicine. Bismutho -citrate of lithium is already 

 on the market, and is recommended as a remedy for rheumatic gout. 



I am anticipating that the sodium compound has a great future 

 before it. A solution containing the same quantity of bismuth as the 

 Liquor Bismuthi A.P.F., approximately equivalent to 77 grains of 

 bismutho-citrate of sodium per litre, was prepared in the College of 

 Pharmacy, Brisbane, on 25th January, of last year, and it is still in a 

 perfectly sound condition. In preparing it I recommended that a 

 solution of sodium carbonate be added to the bismuth citrate and 

 heated to expel the carbon dioxide. An excess of the alkaline carbonate 

 would, of course, precipitate the bismuth from solution. I am inclined 

 to think that this compound is preferable to the bismutho-citrate of 

 ammonia for use in medicine. 



Alkaline Bismutho-tartrates. — Ammonium bismuth-tartrates has 

 been recommended from time to time as a basis for bismuth and pepsin 

 mixtures, but I cannot say that it appeals to me especially. 



A solution containing an equivalent amount of bismuth to the 

 Liquor Bismuthi A.P.F. may be made according to the following 

 formula : — 



Bismuth Subnitrate — 70 grams. 



Nitric Acid (sp.gr., 1-420) — 57 c.c. 



Sodium Potassium Tartrate — 96*6 grams. 



Sodium Bicarbonate — 37 "25 grams. 



Solution of Ammonia Water — a sufficient quantity. 



The method of procedure is similar to that adopted in the A.P.F. 

 for preparing Liquor Bismuthi. Some slight difficulties in manipulation 

 may be experienced that are not met with in preparing Liquor Bismuthi, 



