566  A  NEW  VEHICLE  FOR  IODINE. 
chloroform  solution  be  transparent  and  leave  a  yellow-reddish 
transparent  resinous  mass,  this  consists  of  quinia,  and  the  bark 
is  the  true  Calisaya  (China  regia),  either  quilled,  flat,  with  or 
without  epidermis;  the  latter  usually  yielded  18  grains  of  quinia, 
the  former  only  between  9  and  12  grs.  But  if  the  solution  of 
chloroform  is  rendered  white  and  cloudy,  and  the  residue  after 
evaporation  is  white  or  white-yellowish  pulverulent,  the  bark  is 
of  another  kind  which  contains  less  quinia,  this  being  in  a 
smaller  proportion,  the  more  the  residue  approaches  in  appear- 
ance to  pulverized  lime.  The  bark  contains  no  quinia  if  the 
brown  precipitate  is  soluble  neither  in  chloroform,  ether  or  alco- 
hol ;  it  yields  then  no  alkaloid  by  combining  with  muriatic  acid 
and  precipitating. 
Among  75  samples  sold  as  Calisaya  bark,  it  was  by  the  above 
method  ascertained  that  34  were  true  Calisaya  bark,  while  in 
41  cases,  other  inferior  barks  had  been  substituted  for  it  
Archiv  d.  deutsch.  Med.  Gesetzgeb. —  Wittsteins  V,  Sclir.  vii. 
584—587.  j.  m.  m. 
A  NEW  VEHICLE  FOR  IODINE. 
Dr.  Heller,  and  before  him  Arneth,  Pelikan  and  Zdekauer, 
has  made  the  observation,  that  as  long  as  the  color  of  the  oint- 
ment of  iodide  of  potassium  is  white,  not  a  trace  of  iodine  is 
found  in  the  urine,  which  is  the  case  after  it  has  turned  yellow, 
and  contains  free  iodine  ;  he  concludes  that  preparations  of 
iodine  for  external  use  must  be  more  active  if  they  contain  free 
iodine.  Tincture  of  iodine,  after  a  continued  use  for  some  time, 
has  various  disadvantages,  and  Dr.  Heller  has  therefore  tried  to 
employ  it  in  a  solution  in  oil  of  juniper. 
The  solution  of  iodine  in  the  oil  must  be  effected  with  great 
care  by  introducing  it  gradually  in  small  quantities  into  the  oil 
to  avoid  explosion.  The  solution  at  first  is  brown,  but  gradually 
decolorizes  and  corresponds  with  the  formula  C20  H12  I4.  It 
shows  no  reaction  on  starch,  has  no  odor  of  iodine,  but  smells  of 
juniper  berries,  and  does  not  color  or  destroy  the  skin.  After  its 
use,  iodine  is  found  in  the  urine,  the  saliva  and  the  mucu3  of 
the  nose  Zeitsch.  d.  Wiener  Aerzte.  1858  Wittsteins  V. 
Sehr.  viii.  462.  J.  M.  M. 
