326 
ON  HYDKATED  OXIDE  OF  IRON,  ETC. 
nia,  the  latter  is  to  be  previously  neutralized  by  an  acid —  WiUst. 
Viert.  Sehr.  1869, 112—114.  From  Pliarm.  Centralhalle,  1867, 
W.  41. 
ON  HYDRATED  OXIDE  OF  IRON  S0LUBL^1  IN  SUGAR 
SYRUP  AND  IN  GLYCERIN. 
By  Dr.  H.  Kcehler  and  Dr.  H.  Hornemann. 
Fleischer's  capsules  of  saccharate  of  iron,  and  Wagner's  and 
Grossinger's  ferrum  oxid.  dialysatum,  consist  mainly  of  a  very 
basic  oxychloride  of  iron,  have  a  styptic  taste,  blacken  the  teeth 
and  change  partly  into  a  gelatinous  condition.  Without  know- 
ing of  Siebert's  method,  the  process  of  the  authors  is  similar,  but 
differs  in  the  use  of  ferric  chloride  and  caustic  soda  instead  of 
the  nitrate  and  caustic  ammonia ;  both  processes  are  still  expen- 
sive, the  former  owing  to  considerable  loss  of  alcohol. 
Equal  weights  of  ferrum  sesquichloratum  solutum*  and  simple 
syrup  are  mixed,  hydrated  soda  is  then  added  until  the  precipi- 
tate is  entirely  redissolved,  the  filtrate  is  mixed  with  a  large  quan- 
tity of  distilled  water  and  boiled  for  some  time.  The  presence 
of  the  neutral  salt  Na  CI  is  sufficient  to  precipitate  the  hydrated 
oxide  of  iron  in  its  soluble  modification ;  the  precipitate  is  col- 
lected upon  a  filter,  washed  until  the  filtrate  ceases  to  precipi- 
tate silver  salts,  dissolved  with  powdered  sugar,  the  solution 
evaporated  to  dryness  by  means  of  a  water  bath,  and  the  residue 
reduced  to  powder. 
Thus  prepared  it  has  the  following  properties : 
1.  It  yields  with  water  a  yellowish  brown,  perfectly  trans- 
parent, chemically  indifi'erent  solution,  entirely  free  from  styptic 
taste,  and  not  precipitated  by  dilution  with  water  or  by  boiling. 
2.  Phosphates,  carbonates,  benzoates,  succinates,  tannates, 
sulphocyanides,  ferrocyanides  and  arseniates  of  alkalies  have  no 
efiect  on  the  solution ;  precipitates  are  produced  by  sulphide  of 
ammonium  and  tincture  of  galls. 
3.  An  aqueous  solution  of  bibasic  phosphate  of  soda  does  not 
produce  a  precipitate  in  the  cold  or  on  boiling. 
*  The  preparation  of  the  Prussian  Pharmacopoeia  contains  15  per 
cent.  Fe. 
