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BRITISH PHARMACEUTICAL CONFERENCE. 
No. G. Made April 3, 1868, and exposed to bright light ever since. Colour¬ 
less. 
No. 7. Made June 28, 1869, heated in an open dish for four hours in a water- 
bath same day, and exposed to bright sunlight since. Still discoloured. 
No. 8. No. 7 heated in a water-bath till a deep yellowish-brown colour was 
formed, and 3 grains of tartaric acid added and exposed to bright light. 7 he 
acid reduced the colour , the light has had no effect. 
Quantities varying from 5 to 30 fluid ounces have been kept in good condi¬ 
tion for months exposed to the light; occasionally a slight brown layer may be 
seen in the morning on the surface, but it disappears immediately on shaking 
the bottle. 
As to the mode of preparation, I consider the Pharmacopoeia process unex¬ 
ceptionable. It is, however, worthy of note, that if the syrup is heated rapidly 
to boiling before adding the iodide of iron solution, the preparation has less 
colour than if made at the lowest temperature at which the sugar will dissolve. 
The conclusion formed from these experiments is that iodide of iron syrup 
may be preserved for a long period by exposure in white glass bottles to direct 
sunlight; the intensity of the light required being directly proportional to the 
volume and surface exposed. 
DISTILLATES. 
BY JOSEPH INCE. 
Simple as are the details here presented, great discrepancy of opinion re¬ 
specting them exists among modern writers. I have been compelled therefore 
rather to accept the guidance of the past, and to state the result of personal 
daily experience. Distilled Water forms the type of a large group of Aqueous 
Distillates. When first obtained it has a most unpleasant odour and corre¬ 
sponding taste. This is the case to a variable extent for which it is difficult to 
account; yet assuming that the distillation has been properly conducted : that 
no impurity can be detected either in the still or worm : that the heat has been 
carefully regulated and the product not overdrawn, the defect alluded to, re¬ 
mains, and such Aqua Destillata cannot in that condition be available for the 
purposes of Pharmacy. 
Filtration through Charcoal has been recommended, but this is an inconve¬ 
nient process. Time the great restorer turns alchemist—slowly but certainly, 
the taste improves and the odour disappears ; but not under a shorter period 
than three months is the change effected, and not till then can it rank as a re¬ 
medial distillatq. 
Take this water when freshly drawn—put a gallon of it into a well-stoppered 
bottle : one with a stopper so tightly fitting as to deserve the french expression 
bouche a l’emeri. This phrase not contained in the usual french dictionaries 
may be found in The Art of Distillation by Dr. French, date 1664, page 6. 
“ Also you may make stopples of Glasses ground so smooth, the stopples being 
fastened in a Tourne and moystened with Emery and water, and so turned in 
the mouth of the bottle till it be fit, then wipe off the Emery, and smeer over 
the stopple with a liniment made with fine washed Earth and Oil, and so 
polish it, that no vapour can get forth by them.” Introduced into such a bottle, 
standing in the heat or in the cold, in the dark or in the light, on examination 
in three months’ time the distillate will be found in the same condition as when 
it originally left the still. 
This leads to three laboratory suggestions. 
