GLASGOW CHExMISTS AND DRUGGISTS’ ASSOCIATION. 
405 
gained to be invaluable to him, as without it he could not have understood and executed 
the orders sent by teachers of science classes. 
Mr. Arklb (Associate) seconded the vote of thanks, which was duly acknowledged by 
Mr. Smbeton. 
GLASGOW CHEMISTS AND DRUGGISTS’ ASSOCIATION^ 
The first general meeting of the Session was held on Thursday evening, 9th October ; 
Alexander Kinninmont, Esq., President, in the chair. 
On opening the session, the Chairman said that the meetings had commenced rather 
earlier than usual, but this had been done to allow the successful competitor for the 
Assistant’s Prize—who w^as leaving Glasgow—an opportunity of reading his paper. 
He then introduced Mr. W. L. Howie, who read the following paper on “ Liquor Bis- 
muthi: being the successful Essay for the Assistant’s Prize of the Glasgow Chemists 
and Druggists’ Association, Session 1865-6G — 
Early in the year 1855, Mr. G. F. Schacht, of Clifton, introduced to a few medical 
friends a fluid preparation of bismuth, said to have numerous advantages over the pulve¬ 
rulent subnitrate. From the success which its exhibition met with, it was publicly 
submitted to the notice of the profession, through the ‘ Lancet,’ in the summer of 18Go, 
and since which time it has rapidly gained favour both at home and abroad. 
The chief features which this preparation was said to possess were, fluidity—being 
miscible with water and proof spirit in all proportions, and thereby rendering its exhi¬ 
bition, in many instances, much more iDnvenient, as in gastralgia, etc.; wd'h hydro¬ 
cyanic acid, solutions of morphia and potash, tinctures of henbane, belladonna, stra¬ 
monium, and the tonic vegetal infusions; more efficacious and certain in its action than 
the subnitrate, which is found in many cases to bo of little service, apparently on account 
of its insolubility, being often evacuated as a black powder, having been converted into 
sulphide in its passage through the system ; alkalinity, which is so desirable in thera¬ 
peutic agents in many derangements of the stomach ; and also, from its being almost 
tasteless. With advantages such as these, it is not surprising that liquor bisinuthi 
should have excited the amount of attention which has been bestowed upon it—to all 
appearance deservedly, as there has been but one opinion as to its superiority as regards 
internal administration over the well-known subnitrate. 
Since a fluid preparation of bismuth is found to be such a valuable agent, it behoves ■ 
the chemist to turn his attention towards ascertaining the best and most practicable 
method for its preparation. Under this aspect does liquor bisinuthi possess an interest 
to the pharmaceutist. ' 
Of the forinulte put forward to assist in its preparation, the first wns that of Mr. Tich- 
borne (Pharm. Journal, January 18G4) ; since which time a number of others have 
appeared in the same publication. Mr. Tichborne suggested that metallic bismuth be 
dissolved in nitric acid, and the oxide throvvn dovv^n with ammonia, washed, and then 
added to a boiling solution of citrate of ammonia, by which, he says, the oxide i,s slowly 
but perfectly taken up. This the other writers on the subject agree not to be the case ; 
and, in my own hands, Mr. Tichborne’s process has never succeeded perfectly. The 
quantity of undissolved oxide is found to vary very much in different instances—from 
about to of the moist oxide used. Mr. Tichborne, at the same time, mentioned 
another method by which the same result might be attained—viz. by dissolving citrate 
of bismuth in solution of ammonia or citrate of ammonia. Mr. Bartlett, of America, 
apparently finding Mr. Tichborne’s first process a failure, seems to have acted on his 
second suggestion ; for, in an exceedingly interesting and instructive paper in the 
‘American Journal of Pharmacy,’ he givts details for the preparation of liquor bisinuthi 
from citrate of bismuth. Subcarbonate of bismuth he directs to be dissolved in nitric 
acid, then the nitrate thus formed decomposed by citrate of potash, and the resulting 
citrate of bismuth washed and dissolved in solution of ammonia. A modification of the 
above was afterwards suggested by Mr. Blunt (Pharm. Journal, May 18G5), 'who directed 
the citric acid to be dissolved in nitrate of bismuth solution, and potash added till yearly 
neutralized. Subsequently, at the commencement of the present year, a paper appeared 
by Mr. Ebert (Pharm. Journal, March 18GG), giving the exact proportion of potash to 
be used. If the quantity of potash added be insufficient to neutralize the nitric acid, a 
