November 23,1872.] THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
403 
statement as to strength in the two Pharmacopoeias, 
when the same proportions of ingredients are given 
in both formulae. 
To confirm my opinion upon the impossibility, or 
at any rate the impracticability, of preparing this 
solution by the officinal process, I examined speci¬ 
mens of “ Liq. Sodae Clilor. B.P.” of pharmacy, with 
the following corroborative results:— 
Brit. Pharm. . 
Spec. Grav. 
. . 1-103 . 
Available Cl. 
. . 2-53 
No. 1 . . 
. . 1-041 . 
. . 2-40 
No. 2 . . 
. . 1-070 . 
. . 172 
No. 3 . . 
. . 1-093 . 
. . 4*05 
No. 4 . . 
. . 1-047 . 
. . 2-08 
No. 5 . . 
. . 1-080 . 
. . -71 
It would be well, therefore, to amend the Pharma¬ 
copoeia directions, thus, “ The product should weigh 
when cold two pounds eleven ounces and three 
quarters, and should have the specific gravity 1-385. 
Syrup us Mori.— If the directions for preparing 
syrup of mulberries be strictly followed, the spirit 
added, and the product made to weigh three pounds 
six ounces, then the specific gravity will be 1-298, 
and not l - 330. It can be seen by a comparison of 
the proportion of sugar ordered for this syrup, with 
the quantity directed to be used for syrup of lemons, 
or even some of the other officinal syrups, that if 
1'330 be the correct specific gravity of the mulberry 
syrup, then the other syrups are incorrectly de¬ 
scribed in density. It would be well to amend the 
formula thus:— 
A qualitative examination convinced me that most, if 
not all, had been made by a process of double de¬ 
composition between chlorinated lime and carbonate 
of soda; indeed, with some the decomposition had 
been so imperfect, that considerable quantities of 
lime salts were left in solution. To remedy tills 
very unsatisfactory state of things, I should sug¬ 
gest that in future the chlorinated soda be made by 
a double decomposition process, as in the Dublin 
Pharmacopoeia and French Codex, altering the pro¬ 
portions, however, thus— 
‘‘Take good commercial Chlorinated) . c 
Lime, (33 to 35 per cent. Cl.) j ib oz * 
Carbonate of Soda .24 oz. 
Water.1 gallon. 
“ Dissolve the carbonate in two pints of the water, 
and triturate the chlorinated lime with the remainder, 
allow the solution to stand three hours, then filter; 
add the carbonate of soda solution, separate the pre¬ 
cipitate by a second filtration,” or the whole might 
be accomplished by one precipitation and filtration 
as in the French Codex. The specific gravity of such 
a solution will be 1-054, and will contain at the 
least 2'53 per cent, (the present Pharmacopoeia 
quantity) of available chlorine. 
This process has also the advantage that the 
solution can be made in three or four hours by any 
pharmacist, whereas the British Pharmacopoeia pro¬ 
cess is only suited for a chemical factory, and the 
result very unsatisfactory. 
Syrupus Ferri lodidi .— If the directions of the Phar¬ 
macopoeia are strictly followed, and the weight of 
syrup there ordered to be made from two ounces of 
iodine be made up to two pounds eleven ounces, then 
the specific gravity of the syrup will be 1-400 and 
not 1‘385. 
If the syrup of 1-400 specific gravity be put aside 
for a few days, it will soon be found that the sides of 
the bottle will be studded with crystals. I have 
placed several bottles, taken at various times, aside 
for the purpose of noting the change. In all, 
crystals of sugar well defined, as large as crystals 
of sulphate of soda, can be seen. It is also worthy 
of remark that in all these specimens of 1-400 
specific gravity, in which the crystallization of 
sugar has been going on, the upper part of the 
liquid is tinged with free iodine, whereas in a syrup 
of the 1*385 density placed side by side with the 
other specimens, no such colour has made its ap¬ 
pearance, neither is there the least sign of crystalli¬ 
zation. 
Mulberry Juice (sp. gr. P0G0) 1 pint. 
Defined Sugar „ 2 pounds 3 ounces. 
Bectified Spirit „ 2§- fluid ounces. 
The product should weigh three pounds six ounces, 
and have the specific gravity 1-330. 
Syrups of Poppy and Senna. —The slight varia¬ 
tion is of little importance. In all probability it is 
due to the better exhaustion of the senna and pop¬ 
pies. 
Tinct. Ferri Perchloridi. —As this tincture is a 
mixture of one fluid part of solution of perchloride 
of iron with three fluid parts of spirit of wine, it is 
obvious that if the specific gravity of the Liquor Ferri 
Perchlorid. Fort, is incorrect, then the tincture pre¬ 
pared from it will also be incorrect. From a liquor 
of 1-445 the tincture will be of specific gravity 1-007. 
Having then given these criticisms upon the 
specific gravities of the Pharmacopoeia, it would, per¬ 
haps, be interesting to axipend a list of some other 
specific gravities I have noted, which are not figured 
in the Pharmacopoeia at the present time, and al¬ 
though they are but of little importance. These, 
with the exhaustive schedule of specific gravities of 
tinctures, lately published by Stoddart and Tucker, 
will leave but few liquid officinal preparations the 
densities of which have not been published. 
Acet. Scilke.P038 
Ext. Filicis Liquid.P000 
Liq. Ammonite Acetatis . . . 1.022 
„ Ammonite Citratis . . . P062 
,, Zinci Chloridi .... 1-460 
Mist. Sennte Comp.1*115 
Mori Succus.1-060 
Bhamni Succus.P070 
Spiritus Ammonite Foetidus . -847 
„ Armoracite Comp.. . *920 
,, Camphorte .... '850 
Syrupus Aurantii.P282 
„ Ferri Pliosphatis . . P305 
„ Rhei.1*310 
,, Bhamni.1*320 
,, Scillte.1’345 
„ Zingiberis .... P312 
Upon these but few remarks are necessary. 
Ext. Filicis Liquid., if carefully prepared, wall have 
a specific gravity of at least 1"000. It is to be re¬ 
gretted that much of the oil of male fern of phar¬ 
macy, and more especially that imported, is of much 
less specific gravity, on account of about 20 per cent, 
of ether being either mixed with the fluid extract, 
or from the imperfect evaporation of the ether. 
