February 17, 1872.] THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS 
677 
Holes snfr putties. 
*** In order to facilitate reference , correspondents arc 
requested to mark their answers in each case with the title 
and number of the query referred to. 
No notice can be taken of anonymous communications. 
All queries or answers should be accompanied by the name 
and address of the writer. 
[300.]—MEDICINAL ROOTS IN SPAIN.—For- 
ment is Maize, or Indian. Com. American Cissampelos 
is Pareira brava .— John Tully, Brighton. 
PHOSPHATE OF ZINC.—Having recently dis¬ 
pensed this salt from the prescription of a very eminent 
London physician, my attention was directed to the ab¬ 
sence of any mention of it in the common handbooks of 
pharmacy and materia medica. It occurred to me that 
a simple formula for its preparation might not he un¬ 
acceptable to those who may he called upon, as I was, 
to dispense it at short notice, and might possibly prevent 
the discredit which would ensue to the dispenser if he 
delayed, in order to obtain from a wholesale house in 
London or elsewhere, a compound so easily made at 
home. The following is the formula I used success¬ 
fully :— 
Take of Sulphate of Zinc, 861 grains 
Phosphate of Sodium, 716 grains 
Acetate of Sodium, 272 grains 
Boiling Distilled Water, 20 ounces. 
Dissolve the sulphate of zinc in four ounces of the water, 
and the phosphate and acetate of sodium in the remainder. 
Mix the two solutions, stir well together; let the preci¬ 
pitate subside; decant, and wash by decantation twice 
or thrice, then transfer to a paper filter, and wrnsh with 
distilled water until the filtrate ceases to become turbid 
with a solution of chloride of barium ; then dry on a 
water or sand-bath at a moderate heat. The product 
was a soft snow-white powder weighing 430 grains, 43 
grains of which, when strongly heated in a porcelain 
crucible, were reduced to 35. The theoretical quantity 
of Zn 3 2P0 4 obtainable according to the subjoined equa¬ 
tion is 385 grains; but the salt evidently retains three 
or four molecules of water when dried at a moderate heat, 
and their expulsion might be accompanied by decompo¬ 
sition of the phosphate into pyrophosphate— 
3 ZnS0 4 7 H.,0 + 2Na„HP0 4 + 2NaC 2 H 3 0 2 
= Zn 3 2P0 4 + 3 Na 2 S0 4 + 2HC 2 H 3 0 2 . 
Phosphate of zinc resembles in composition ferrous phos¬ 
phate, and the mode of preparation is the same ; acetate 
of sodium being added in each case to prevent the libe¬ 
ration of sulphuric acid.—J. Fred. Brown, Dover. 
ELIXIR QUINIZE, FERRI ET STRYCHNINE 
PHOSPHATIS.—Mr. Charles Shivers, jun., publishes 
the following formula in the December number of 
the American Journal of Pharmacy. He states that it 
furnishes a very agreeable tonic, not so intensely bitter 
as solutions of either of the alkaloids themselves. 
Quiniae gr. xxx 
Ferri Pyrophosphatis gr. lx 
Strychnia) gr. j 
Acidi Citi’ici gr. xxx 
Alcoholis f^ij 
Syrupi f^iss 
Aquae Aurant. Flor. fijiss 
Glycerina) f^ij 
Aquae Destill, q. s. ad Pjviiss 
Aquae Ammon, q. s. 
Dissolve the iron in fgss of water; mix the syrup, 
glycerine, and orange-flower water, and add to the solu¬ 
tion of iron; then add ^ ss °f alcohol. Dissolve the 
quinia, with 5 gr. citric acid, in 5 j water and 5j alcohol, 
by the aid of heat; then mix with the iron and syrup 
solution. Dissolve the strychnia in the remainder of 
the alcohol, and add to the other solution ; then add the 
remainder of the citric acid, in powder, with enough 
liquid ammonia, until it becomes clear, using a little heat 
after the acid is added. The quinia solution must be of 
the same temperature as the iron when added, also with 
the others when added. This gives a beautiful straw- 
coloured elixir, representing about 1 gr. sulphate of 
quinia, 1 gr. pyrophosphate of iron, and Z-th gr. strychnia 
in the fluid drachm. 
GUM ARABIC IN THE SOUDAN.—The collec¬ 
tion of gum arabic in the Soudan is not made, as is 
sometimes represented, by means of incisions in the 
trees, but the gum exudes naturally through the bark, 
upon which it coagulates in lumps of various sizes. 
The natives then collect it by beating it off with long 
switches. It is noticed that the oxidation is greater, 
and the gum superior in quality, in proportion to the 
intensity of the heat and the length of the dry season. 
In favourable seasons it has a beautiful transparency, 
and the pieces are larger and more friable, which are 
conditions required for the finer sorts. When, on the 
contrary, the rains are early and persistent, the collec¬ 
tion is less abundant; the gum is affected by the humi¬ 
dity ; it hardens, becomes yellow, and acquires a greyish 
tint, that causes it to lose its transparency. In such 
years gum of fine quality is difficult to procure. It is 
well known that in the years when the inundation of 
the Nile rises higher than usual,—a sign of abundant 
rains in the higher regions,-—fine gums arc rare or com¬ 
pletely wanting.— Bull, de la Soc. de Geographic , from 
Journ. de Pharm. et de Chimie. 
BREAD MADE WITH SEA-WATER.—In the 
Union Medicale for February 6, M. Rabuteau refers to 
the use of broad made with sea-water as increasing the 
appetite and stimulating digestion. He states that it is 
pleasant to eat, and exercises a beneficial medicinal 
influence in cases of dyspepsia, phthisis and scrofula. 
It has also been found conducive to health on board ship 
during long voyages. 
SEPARATION OF MAGNESIA FROM POT¬ 
ASH AND SODA.—H. Scheerer publishes in the 
Journal fur Praktische Chemie (iii. 476) a new method of 
separating magnesia from potash and soda. It consists 
in evaporating a solution of the chlorides mixed with 
oxalate of ammonia to dryness in a platinum crucible. 
The residue is then dried, heated at first gently, and 
then to dull redness, treated with water, boiled and fil¬ 
tered. Magnesium carbonate will remain in the filter, 
while potassium and sodium carbonates will be found in 
the filtrate. This process is said to yield good results, 
but sulphates must not be present. 
PARAFFINED PAPER.—Dr. W. R. M‘Nab recom¬ 
mends, in the Medical Times and Gazette, a trial to be 
made of paraffined paper as a cheap and light covering 
for dressings. It is prepared by first saturating a thin 
sheet of paper with an excess of paraffin, and afterwards 
removing the excess by placing the sheet between 
blotting-paper, and passing a hot iron over it. 
[305.]—STAINED IVORY .— u Ebur” would be glad 
to know of any process by which ivory, that is yellow and 
greasy, can be restored to its original appearance. 
[306].—OIL OF HOTS.— T. Ilarding asks for infor¬ 
mation respecting the distillation of the essential or 
volatile oil of hops, which has the aroma cf new hops. 
[307.]—DIAMOND CEMENT.— A. M. B. wishes to 
be favoured with a formula for Diamond Cement, made 
with acetic acid. 
