THE 
AMERICAN  JOURNAL  OF  PHARMACY, 
SEPTEMBER,  1859. 
PRUSSIAN  BLUE,  OR  HYDROCYANATE  OF  IRON. 
By  Ferd.  F.  Mayer,  of  New  York. 
For  some  time  back  a  preparation  has  been  introduced  to  the 
attention  of  physicians,  professedly  for  the  cure  of  epilepsy,  un- 
der the  title,  "  Hydrocyanate  of  Iron,"  as  it  appears  an  alias  for 
the  officinal  Ferri  Ferrocyanuretum  or  Prussian  Blue,  which, 
after  the  precedence  of  Dr.  Kirchoff,  of  Ghent,  and  Dr.  Bridges, 
of  Philadelphia,  had  become  a  standard  remedy  in  that  dread 
disease  many  years  ago.  Since  an  impression  has  gained  ground, 
and  been  upheld  by  diverse  notices  in  some  of  the  pharmaceuti- 
cal and  medical  papers,  that  the  hydrocyanate  of  iron  in  ques- 
tion is  a  new  and  altogether  distinct,  as  well  as  a  pure  chemical 
compound,  in  short,  the  long  sought  for  proto-cyanide  of  iron, 
it  may  not  be  amiss  to  place  the  matter  in  its  true  light  by  an 
analysis  of  the  article  sold  under  that  name  at  a  high  price, 
partly,  very  probably,  because  its  supposed  mode  of  preparation 
is  somewhat  more  expensive  than  that  of  the  officinal  ferrocyanuret 
of  iron. 
The  name  of  hydrocyanate  of  iron,  Ferrum  Hydrocyanicum, 
although  an  unchemical  one,  has  been  for  many  years  a  synonym 
for  Prussian  Blue  ;  and  whatever  might  be  the  impression  of  a 
chemist  as  to  the  probable  nature  of  such  a  compound,  any 
pharmaceutist  would  unhesitatingly  dispense  the  officinal  Prus- 
sian Blue,  unless  the  practitioner  insisted  upon  its  being  a  dif- 
ferent preparation. 
An  ounce-bottle  of  the  substance  in  question,  labelled  «  Hy- 
drocyanate of  Iron — Dose  :  \  grain  twice  a  day — Tilden  &  Co., 
New  York,"  was  handed  to  me  for  examination,  with  the  request 
to  find  out,  if  possible,  the  formula  for  it,  as  it  was  the  compound 
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