14  Permanent  Syrup  of  Hydriodio  Acid. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Jan..  1889. 
modification  of  Bunsen's  iodometric  method.  It  consists  in  determin- 
ing voluruetrically  by  titration  with  sodium  thio-sulphate,  the  amount 
of  iodine  which  is  liberated  in  an  aqueous  solution  of  chlorinated  lime 
when  potassium  iodide  and  hydrochloric  acid  are  added  in  excess.  The 
Pharmacopeia  directs  071  gm.  of  chlorinated  lime  mixed  with  a  solu- 
tion of  1  *25  gms.  of  potassium  iodide  in  water  and  9  gms.  of  dilute  hydro- 
chloric acid  added,  should  require  not  less  than  50  cc.  of  the  volume- 
tric solution  of  sodium  hyposulphite.  This  corresponds  to  24*93 
per  cent,  of  chlorine.  The  following  figures  give  the  mean  percent- 
ages of  chlorine  of  several  determinations  of  each  sample : 
.   1.  25*73  per  cent.  7.  31-11  per  cent.  13.  29'17  per  cent. 
2.  37-         "  8.  25-73      "  14.  31'16 
3.  3575      "  9.  25-83      "  15.  3076 
4.  31-91       "  10.  22-63       "  16.  30-91 
5.  24-33      "  11.  24-53      "  17.  2792 
6.  37-84       "  12.  28-17      "  18.  36'46 
Nos.  1,  2,  3,  4,  14,  15,  16  and  17  were  obtained  in  bulk.  Nos.  6 
and  12  were  lib  packages  and  the  balance  were  smaller  parcels.  The 
above  figures  give  an  average  percentage  of  29*83  per  cent,  of  chlo- 
rine, showing  the  superior  strength  of  the  commercial  article.  From 
lib.  packages  determinations  were  made  severally  from  different  parts 
of  the  parcels,  the  difference  in  results  being  only  slight. 
PEKMANENT  SYPUP  OF  HYDRIODIC  ACID. 
By  Joseph  W.  England,  Ph.  G. 
Read  before  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting,  December  18th. 
H  Hydriodic  acid  as  a  remedial  agent  first  came  into  vogue  some  thirty 
years  ago  through  Dr.  Buchanan,  who  strongly  urged  its  use  as  an 
alterative.  Since  its  introduction  it  has  found  a  limited  and  varying 
demand  amongst  the  medical  profession. 
There  seems  to  be  good  grounds  for  believing  that  its  failure  to 
meet  popular  favor  may  have  largely  been  due  to  the  fact  that  the  so- 
lution is  exceedingly  unstable,  unless  well  protected  by  sugar  and  kept 
in  close-stoppered  vials.  Even  then  it  has  been  a  most  unsatisfactory 
preparation,  pharmaceutically,  tending  readily  to  decomposition,  on  ex- 
posure to  air,  into  free  iodine  and  water,  the  former  of  which,  by  its 
presence,  rendered  it  a  local  irritant  instead  of  an  alterative. 
Of  late,  however,  there  seems  to  be  a  tendency  to  return  to  its  use, 
