732 
SULPHUKIC ACID IN SHERRY WINE. 
be powdered without any material loss of volatile matter, if they are first beateo 
in a warm mortar with one-tenth of their weight of magnesia. On cooling they 
are friable, and the powder produced has the full odour—not ten per cent, 
weaker from the presence of the magnesia, but probably twenty per cent, 
stronger from being less injured than by the ordinary processes. 
Scammony Resin. —Would it not be well to sanction the use of scammony 
resin in all preparations in which scammony is used ? The fact that it is 
ordered in compound extract of colocynth, the most important of all the scani- 
mony preparations, is an acknowledgment of its value. And the characters 
given of the natural product acknowledge that it is never free from impurities, 
varying from ten to twenty per cent, in legitimate samples, and well known fre¬ 
quently to exceed that in an enormous degree in the ordinary commercial article. 
Sodse Carb. Sicc. —Is not this better prepared by calcining the bicarbonate? 
Tinct. Quinse. —AVould it not be improved by the addition of a small quantity 
of acid, say one minim of dilute sulphuric acid to each grain of the sulphate? 
If the quinine is entirely dissolved by the aid of heat, it is partially deposited 
again in cold weather, unless there is a little acid present. 
Trocliisci. —I am glad to see that troch. ipecac, has been reduced from 1 grain 
each, which was the strength in the proof copy, to grain ; but would it not 
have been better to make the morph, and ipecac, lozenges contain ^ grain ipecac, 
also, and say of morphia instead of W f^-od 3 V of a grain, as they now re¬ 
spectively contain ? 
Ung. lodi. —Is not water better than spirit for dissolving the iodide and 
iodine in the preparation of this ointment? 
Ung. Sidphuris lodidi .—This ointment is improved by the addition of a little 
iodide of potassium and water, which should be rubbed with the iodide of sul¬ 
phur before adding the lard. 
SULPHUEIC ACID IN SHEEEY WINE. 
TO THE EDITOR OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL. 
Sir,—Having had some sherry wine brought me to test, I found much of the 
free acid in it due to the presence of sulphuric acid, about 1 gr. of the acid to 
1^ oz. of the wine; and, as I found this acid in five other sherries, varying 
in price from 20s. to 56s. per dozen, I am inclined to believe all sherries contain 
it, and as it is an acid foreign to the grape, its presence may, I think, be 
accounted for by it being apparently necessary in wine countries, after the wine 
has been freed from the lees, by being racked into a clean cask, in order to pre¬ 
vent a renewal of the fermentation, to subject it to the operation of sulphuring, 
and should the fermentation still continue, the sulphuring must be renewed as 
often as is necessary. Sometimes must, strongly impregnated with sulphurous 
acid gas, is added to the wine, and answers the same purpose. As I am not 
aware that in analyses of sherry wine the presence of sulphuric acid has been 
noticed, and being a wine used for several preparations in the Pharmacopoeia, 
I have been induced to send this communication to you, and will thank you (if 
you think it worthy) to insert it in next month’s Journal. 
I am. Sir, yours obediently, 
Henry Long. 
Croydon, May 17, 1867. 
[The presence of sulphuric acid in sherry is due to the use of sulphate of lime 
in the manufacture of the wine, a practice which is almost universally adopted. 
—Ed. Ph. J.] 
