Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  \ 
April,  1908.  J 
Notes  on  Proteid  Iron  Solutions. 
165 
line  to  sensitive  litmus  paper.  Transfer  to  a  tall  cylinder  and  allow 
to  stand  until  the  precipitated  peptonized  iron  has  subsided  (over 
night)  ;  then  decant  off  the  supernatant  liquid  and  wash  repeatedly 
by  decantation  with  water  until  the  washings  give  but  a  faint 
opalescence  with  silver  nitrate  solution.  If  the  precipitate  does  not 
settle  readily  or  settles  incompletely,  as  often  happens,  after  the 
slight  excess  of  alkali  has  been  washed  out,  again  render  the  mix- 
ture faintly  alkaline.  A  slight  excess  of  the  alkali  (about  2  c.c.  of  -5 
per  cent.  NaOH  per  liter)  effects  the  rapid  and  complete  settling  of 
the  precipitate. 
Transfer  to  a  fine  muslin  strainer  and  drain.  Transfer  the  magma 
to  a  porcelain  dish. 
Dissolve  the  sodium  citrate  in  50  c.c.  of  boiling  water  and  pour 
the  solution  over  the  magma  in  the  dish.  Heat  until  all  is  dissolved. 
Cool  and  add  the  alcohol,  aromatic  elixir,  tincture  of  vanilla, 
angelica  wine  and  enough  water  to  make  1,000  c.c.  F  ilter  if  neces- 
sary. 
The  finished  preparation  is  a  perfectly  clear  claret-colored  solu- 
tion, with  no  odor  except  that  imparted  by  the  flavoring  ingredients. 
Taste  sweetish,  faintly  aromatic,  with  not  a  trace  ot  astringency. 
Samples  made  four  months  ago  have  kept  perfectly. 
I  have  selected  -6  per  cent,  iron  as  the  iron  content  in  place  of 
•735,  as  it  seems  to  be  the  more  universally  accepted  strength  of 
solutions  containing  proteid  iron  combinations. 
Numerous  attempts  to  modify  the  above  formula  have  resulted  in 
rendering  the  product  less  satisfactory.  A  good  quality  of  dry  egg 
albumen  (15  grammes)  may  be  used  without  altering  the  nature  of 
the  product  to  any  extent.  Solution  of  oxychloride  of  iron  (164 
c.c.)  used  in  place  of  the  solution  of  ferric  chloride  and  ammonium 
hydroxide  lessens  the  number  of  times  the  precipitated  peptonized 
iron  must  be  washed,  but  the  finished  product  in  this  case  is  quite 
turbid. 
I  have  cut  down  the  amount  of  aromatic  elixir  from  400  c.c.  to 
IOO  c.c,  because  of  numerous  complaints  that  the  preparation  of 
the  National  Formulary  is  too  sweet,  and  to  make  it  more  con- 
sistent with  the  liquor  ferri  peptonati  cum  mangano.  The  addition 
of  the  tincture  of  vanilla  and  angelica  wine  has  rendered  the  aroma 
and  taste  of  the  finished  product  all  that  is  to  be  desired. 
