170 
Notes  on  Proteid  Iron  Solutions. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
April,  1908. 
Egg  albumen  
Solution  of  ferric  chloride,  U.S.P.  8th 
Ammonium  hydroxide  
Alcohol  .  
Aromatic  elixir 
400  grammes. 
15. 
12  c.c. 
Solution  of  sodium  hydroxide  
Water,  of  each  sufficient  quantity   . 
Dilute  the  ammonium  hydroxide  with  an  equal  volume  of  water 
and  add  the  resultant  solution  to  the  solution  of  ferric  chloride  in 
small  portions  at  a  time,  shaking  vigorously  and  waiting  after  each 
addition  until  the  precipitate  formed  is  redissolved.  When  all  has 
been  added,  dilute  with  I, OOO  c.c.  of  water  and  heat  to  500  C. 
Shake  the  egg  albumen  with  a  few  pieces  of  broken  glass  and  1 ,000 
c.c.  of  water,  strain,  filter  and  heat  to  500  C.  Filter  into  the  diluted 
iron  solution,  under  constant  stirring.  When  all  has  been  added,  add 
cautiously  a  dilute  solution  of  sodium  hydroxide  (2  vol.  5  per  cent,  to 
8  vol.  water)  until  the  mixture  is  perlectly  neutral  to  sensitive  litmus 
paper  (about  200  c.c.  of  the  dilute  alkali  being  required  ;  an  excess 
must  be  avoided  lest  the  precipitate  be  redissolved),  whereupon  the 
precipitate  readily  settles,  leaving  a  clear,  colorless  supernatant 
liquid.  Now  add  2,000  c.c.  of  distilled  water  at  500  C,  transfer  to 
a  tall  jar  and  allow  the  precipitate  to  settle.  Wash  by  decantation 
with  water  at  500  C.  until  the  washings  give  no  test  for  chlorides. 
(This  may  be  told  by  boiling  about  2  c.c.  of  the  supernatant  liquid, 
filtering  and  testing  for  CI  on  the  filtrate  by  means  of  HN03  and 
AgNOs )  If  during  the  washing  the  precipitate  does  not  settle 
readily,  it  shows  the  presence  of  a  little  acid  in  the  water  (even  the 
carbon  dioxide  usually  present  in  distilled  water  causes  the  precipi- 
tate to  settle  slowly);  this  should  be  neutralized  with  dilute  alkali, 
about  I  c.c.  of  1  per  cent.  NaOH  per  liter  being  sufficient. 
The  precipitate  is  then  drained  and  the  excess  of  water  pressed 
out.  Transfer  the  magma  to  a  porcelain  dish  and  dissolve  in  a  mix- 
ture of  12  c.c.  solution  of  sodium  hydroxide  and  25  c.c.  of  water. 
When  solution  is  complete,  add  the  alcohol,  aromatic  elixir  and 
enough  water  to  make  1,000  c.c.  Filter.  The  finished  product  is 
perfectly  clear  in  transmitted  light  and  very  faintly  turbid  by 
reflected  light.    Its  iron  content  is  about  -6  per  cent. 
Northwestern  University  School  of  Pharmacy, 
Chicago,  111. 
