PHARMACOPCEIA OF ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS. 323 
the most part, used as a powerful corrosive; the Pharmaco- 
poeial acid is of such a strength as to be fit for little or nothing. 
Can any person, who ever practised pharmacy, read the direc- 
tions without a smile? Take two pounds of acetate of soda, 
nine ounces of sulphuric acid, nine fluid ounces of water. 
The best way of making it, is by decomposing acetate of lead 
with strong sulphuric acid, (1.845,) and agitating the distilled 
liquid with peroxide of lead. Sometimes the process recomv 
mended is excessively wasteful. The trisnitrate of bismuth 
is directed to be prepared by pouring a solution of nitrate of 
bismuth into distilled water, and washing and drying the se- 
diment. A great quantity of bismuth will be lost by this 
process, and the subnitrate obtained will be discoloured. 
Every manufacturer knows that the careful addition of water 
of ammonia to the supernatant liquid, as long as it remains 
acid, will obtain a much greater quantity, and that the water 
being acidulated with a little nitric acid, previous to the addi- 
tion of the salt, will greatly improve its appearance. In Dub- 
lin we obtain it from the druggists in the form of beautiful 
capillary crystals. 
We have instances where new preparations are substi- 
tuted for old ones, with the most reckless indifference to 
the opinions of the profession. The old tartar of iron was 
a great favourite with many practitioners; it was made, as our 
readers are aware, by exposing iron wire, mixed with cream 
of tartar, to the united action of water and atmospheric air; 
the iron, influenced by induction from the potassium, only ac- 
quired a protostate of oxydation; and there was thus obtain- 
ed a permanent protosalt, by many considered a desideratum 
in Materia Medica. But the College have substituted for this 
preparation a salt, formed by the direct combination of per- 
oxide of iron and bitartrate of potash, which may, or may not, 
be a preferable compound; but they might, at least, have af- 
forded to the profession the privilege of a choice. The whole 
preparation is worthy of notice, as a precious example of 
pharmaceutic legislation. To obtain the hydrated peroxide, 
you are to dissolve what is commonly called the precipitated 
