280 
BRITISH PHARMACEUTICAL CONFERENCE. 
between eacb sample was very slight, the remainder of the iron being preci¬ 
pitated as a basic tartrate of the protoxide of iron, possessing a greenish-grey 
colour. The deposition of this substance is apparent immediately on adding 
the potassio-tartrate of iron to the wine, and apparently goes on slowly de¬ 
positing through some time. This circumstance has given rise to the dissatis¬ 
faction expressed by many that the preparation is unsightly, and though fil¬ 
tered perfectly clear at first, will in a short time become muddy. 
I regret that other occupations have prevented a strict examination of this 
deposit, but from the few experiments I have been able to make, I conclude 
it to be, as before stated, a tartrate of the protoxide. It is almost, if not en¬ 
tirely insoluble in water, and becomes brown on exposure to the air. 
I believe the best method of rendering the steel wine prepared from the 
new formula uniform in appearance and satisfactory in every respect is to 
use a sound and strong sherry, and to digest it with the tartrate for a month 
at least, keeping the vessel in which it is contained at a medium temperature 
and somewhat loosely closed, so that a moderate accession of air may take 
place. By this means the, at first, insoluble deposit will slowly saturate the 
acids of the wine and become converted into the more soluble organic com¬ 
pounds of the peroxide of iron. Steel wine so prepared and kept has yielded 
me a thoroughly satisfactory preparation, when poured off from the deposit 
or filtered through good filtering-paper. 
Norwich. 
REPORT ON THE QUANTITY OE ALKALOID CONTAINED IN 
VARIOUS SPECIMENS OE CITRATE OE IRON AND QUININE. 
BY MR. J. C. BRAITHWAITE. 
(Read at the Bath Meeting of the British Pharmaceutical Conference , Sept. 18GI.) 
Having been engaged some time ago upon an examination of two or three 
specimens of this valuable medicine, prepared by makers of repute, I was 
surprised to find that the proportion of citrate of quinine contained in them 
was considerably less than the quantity stated on the label to be present ; 
and being aware that my old pupil and friend Mr. T. B. Groves had under¬ 
taken to investigate this matter, I very recently communicated the results of 
my experience to him, and in reply received a suggestion that I should take 
this subject off his hands. This I consented to do, to the best of my ability, 
in the short time intervening before the meeting of the Conference. 
I have since examined fifteen different samples of this medicine prepared 
by various makers, some of whom acknowledge their productions by the pre¬ 
sence of their names on the labels, whilst others do not seem desirous of ac¬ 
quiring commercial repute by such a practice. In nearly every case, how¬ 
ever, it is stated on the label that the article contains twenty-five per cent, of 
citrate of quinine. 
The test that I have employed in this investigation is only a slight modifi¬ 
cation of that given in the British Pharmacopoeia, which states that, u Fifty 
grains dissolved in a fluid ounce of water, and treated with a slight excess of 
ammonia, give a white precipitate which, when collected on a filter and 
dried, weighs eight grains j” and “ the precipitate is entirely soluble in pure 
ether.” 
On the first appearance of the above Pharmacopoeia, I prepared some of 
this citrate by the process therein given, and obtained from it by the above 
test between fourteen and fifteen per cent, of quinine. 
As quinine is slightly soluble in excess of ammonia, and also in water, I 
endeavoured during the process to avoid using more of either than was abso- 
