256 
Pharmacopceial  Preparations. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
May.  1897. 
chloric  acid,  the  color  is  preserved,  but  it  is  rendered  less  soluble. 
More  than  1  per  cent,  solution,  if  acidulated,  is  not  certain  to  keep 
free  from  crystals  at  the  variable  temperatures  to  which  it  may  be 
exposed,  and  less  than  the  quantity  of  acid  I  have  named  does  not 
keep  it  free  from  color. 
Sulphurous  Acid. — A  trace  of  sulphurous  acid,  say  one-quarter 
per  cent.,  added  to  a  2  per  cent,  solution  of  the  apomorphine  salt, 
keeps  the  solution  for  a  moderate  time,  but  not  indefinitely,  and  the 
use  of  such  a  deoxidizing  agent  is  not  desirable,  as  its  action  on  the 
apomorphine  salt  is  not  clearly  understood.  Nevertheless,  sulphur- 
ous acid  is  largely  used  as  a  preservative  of  such  preparation  as 
orange  wine. 
Boric  Acid. — Of  the  preservatives  suggested  for  keeping  apomor- 
phine injection,  boric  acid  has  been  mentioned,  but  this  I  find,  in  a 
solution  containing  2  per  cent,  of  each,  boric  acid  and  hydrochlorate 
of  apomorphine,  forms  an  opaque  white  jelly,  and  even  with  I  per 
cent,  of  each,  a  curious  translucent  jelly  is  formed,  quite  unsuitable 
for  hypodermic  injection.  Boric  acid  has  been  recommended  and  is 
used  largely  for  preserving  solutions  for  hypodermic  injection,  but 
as  a  solution  of  it,  1  in  30  parts  of  water,  which  is  nearly  saturated, 
will  itself  develop  some  peculiar  fungi,  I  can  see  little  advantage  in 
employing  such  a  preservative  pharmaceutically.  Mr.  Lee  has 
mounted  a  specimen  of  a  torula  which  has  been  grown  in  a  satur- 
ated solution  of  boric  acid  in  distilled  water. 
Camphor  Water. — The  same  remarks  apply  to  camphor  water, 
the  favorite  of  Raspail,  as  to  boric  acid.  It  is  a  weak  inhibitor,  and 
it  further  has  the  disadvantage  of  the  camphor  being  volatile. 
Camphor  water  is  official  as  the  solvent  of  atropine  in  the  solution 
of  sulphate  of  atropine,  but  oculists  complain  of  the  irritating  action 
of  camphor  in  the  eye. 
Chloroform. — The  addition  of  chloroform  to  vegetable  infusions 
and  other  aqueous  preparations  of  vegetable  and  animal  substances 
was  recommended  by  Mr.  J.  B.  Barnes1  in  the  proportion  of  from 
one  eighth  to  one-half  per  cent,  by  volume.  The  addition  of  chloro- 
form as  an  inhibitory  in  suspended  pharmaceutical  operations  is  of 
great  service,  and  it  has  the  advantage  that  by  gently  warming  the 
solution  for  a  short  time  it  can  be  easily  dissipated,  but  it  has  also 
the  disadvantage  that  the  chloroform  evaporates  too  easily  for  pro- 
4 Pharmaceutical  Journal,  [3],  Vol.  V.,  p.  441. 
