Am.  Jour.  Pbarm. 
June,  1904. 
Solution  of  Chlorinated  Soda. 
259 
The  Pharmacopoeia  of  1890  demands  that  75  grammes  chlorinated 
lime,  containing  not  less  than  35  per  cent,  available  chlorine,  should 
yield  1,000  grammes  of  solution,  containing  at  least  2-6  per  cent, 
chlorine.  The  75  grammes  chlorinated  lime  is  supposed  to  contain 
26  25  grammes  chlorine  (75  X  0-35),  and  this  volatile  body  is  sup- 
posed to  be  held  during  the  entire  intricate  process  prescribed  by 
the  Pharmacopoeia,  resulting  in  a  finished  product  containing  26 
grammes  of  the  26-25  grammes  of  available  chlorine  found  in  the 
original  lime.  How  well  this  is  accomplished  the  figures  given  below 
well  show. 
The  very  volatility  of  the  available  chlorine  in  the  preparation 
under  discussion  precludes  the  manufacture  of  the  solution  by  the 
process  of  1890  with  a  loss  so  small  as  that  just  given.  The  loss  of 
chlorine  by  volatilization  is  known  to  all,  but  the  following  figures 
express  the  fact  still  more  strongly : 
Per  Cent.  CI. 
Solution  of  chlorinated  soda,  assayed  on  day  of  manufacture  .  .  i'89 
two  days  after     "         .  .  1*87 
"  "  "        "      one  week   "        "        .  .  172 
The  point  may  be  raised  that  a  minimum  of  35  per  cent,  available 
chlorine  is  demanded  by  the  Pharmacopoeia  of  1890,  and  that  the 
use  of  a  stronger  chlorinated  lime  will  insure  full  strength  Labar- 
raque's  solution. 
But  is  it  a  simple  matter  for  the  retail  pharmacist  to  secure  full 
strength  chlorinated  lime  ? 
Stevens  (Proc.  Mich.  Ph.  Assn.,  1897,  p.  42,  through  Proc.  A. 
Ph.  A.)  reports  an  examination  of  thirty-two  samples,  with  results 
showing  chlorine  strength  varying  from  less  than  1  per  cent,  to 
31  per  cent. 
Puckner  (Proc.  111.  Ph.  Assn.,  1897,  p.  70,  through  Proc.  A.  Ph.  A.) 
reports  on  ten  samples,  showing  that  bulk  chlorinated  lime  varied 
from  31-5  per  cent,  to  34-6  per  cent,  available  chlorine,  while  that  in 
packages  ranged  from  less  than  1  per  cent,  to  23-65  per  cent. 
Even  the  firm  of  Squibb,  so  noted  for  careful  selection  of  the  best 
in  the  drug  line,  makes  no  pretenses  of  furnishing  lime  of  Pharma- 
copceial  strength,  labeling  their  product,  "  32  per  cent,  to  35  per 
cent,  available  chlorine."  And  it  might  be  added  that  the  two 
samples  of  chlorinated  lime  used  in  the  following  experiments  were 
Squibb  products  ;  yet  both  assayed  under  30  per  cent,  available 
chlorine,  thus  showing  that  a  marked  deterioration  had  occurred 
during  the  time  it  was  in  the  jobber's  hands. 
