ON  PULVIS  FERRI — IRON  BY  HYDROGEN. 
217 
not  overlook  the  utility  of  diffusing  among  the  people  a  knowledge 
of  the  true  relations  of  Pharmacy.  The  experiment  would  well 
repay  a  trial,  of  purchasing  a  place  in  the  popular  newspapers 
wherein  correct  views  should  be  diffused,  as  a  sort  of  antidote 
to  the  puffs  of  quackery.  This,  of  course,  would  require  great 
skill  and  judgment ;  it  should  be  done  without  the  appearance  of 
antagonism,  without  any  pointed  allusions,  but  in  a  manly  and 
dignified  spirit,  with  a  direct  view  to  diffusing  a  knowledge  of 
the  true  nature  of  the  healing  art,  and  of  the  injurious  conse- 
quences of  too  free  and  indiscriminate  use  of  medicines.  The 
druggist  and  physician,  unlike  the  quack,  have  nothing  to  fear 
from  the  diffusion  of  light  among  the  people,  and  I  believe  in  this 
would  be  found  our  strongest  weapon  against  quackery. 
(To  be  continued.) 
PULVIS  FERRI— IRON  BY  HYDROGEN. 
By  William  Procter,  Jr. 
There  has  recently  been  considerable  discussion  in  the  London 
Pharmaceutical  Journals,  as  to  the  composition  of  the  substance, 
sold  as  Quevenne's  metallic  iron,  and  as  manufactured  by  Mr. 
Morson  and  Mr.  Heathfield,  both  of  London.  Having  for  several 
years  been  a  manufacturer  of  this  preparation,  although  not  now  so 
engaged,  it  may  be  appropriate  to  say  a  few  words  in  relation 
to  the  subject  at  issue.*  It  appears  (Pharm.  Jour,  page  333,  Jan. 
1854,)  that  iron  reduced  by  hydrogen  made  by  both  the  gentle- 
men named,  was  on  sale  in  Edinburg  by  different  pharmaceutists. 
Messrs.  Duncan,  Flockhart  &  Co.,  who  sold  the  preparation  of 
Mr.  Morson  were  complained  to,  that  their  iron  was  not  black  like 
that  of  Mr.  Robinson  made  by  Mr.  Heathfield.  Messrs.  D.  F. 
&  Co.,  then  forwarded  to  Mr.  Morson  a  sample  of  the  black  iron, 
and  he  pronounced  it  magnetic  oxide  of  iron,  and  not  metallic 
iron.  On  this  Mr.  Robinson  placed  samples  of  both  kinds  in 
the  hands  of  Dr.  George  Wilson  of  Edinburgh,  who  pronounced 
both  to  be  impure,  that  is,  contained  oxygen,  but  that  Heathfield's 
was  7  per  cent,  purer  than  Morson's.  On  this  being  published  in 
the  Chemist,  Mr.  Morson  obtained  a  specimen  of  Heathfield's  iron 
•  See  a  paper  by  the  Author,  Amer.  Journ.  Pharm.,  vol.  xix.  p.  11. 
