98 
SESQUI-NITRATE  OF  IRON. 
solution  was  published  I  prepared  some  of  it  strictly  in  accordance 
with  his  directions,  making  it,  however,  of  double  the  officinal 
strength;  a  portion  of  this  was  diluted  with  an  equal  volume  of 
distilled  water  to  form  the  e<  liquor  ferri  nitratis,"  and  the  other 
portion  was  converted  into  a  syrup  by  the  following  formula  : 
Take  of  double  strength  solution  of  ter-sesqui-nitrate  of 
iron,  8  fluid  ounces, 
White  sugar,      14  ounces,  (Troy.) 
Distilled  water,  a  sufficient  quantity. 
Dissolve  the  sugar  in  the  ferruginous  solution,  with  the  aid  of  a 
gentle  heat,  adding,  when  cold,  sufficient  water  to  make  the  syrup 
measure  one  pint.  As  thus  prepared,  it  is  of  a  fine  reddish  brown 
color,  possessing  the  characteristics  of  the  "solution,"  and  being  of 
the  same  strength  as  the  Pharmacopceial  preparation.  To  test  its 
stability,  several  2  ounce  vials  were  filled  with  the  syrup,  securely 
corked,  and  placed  in  situations  of  dissimilar  temperatures;  in 
about  a  week  the  cork  of  one  in  a  warmer  situation  was  expelled  ; 
a  second  soon  followed  ;  and  one  vial,  the  cork  of  which  wTas 
secured  with  twine,  exploded  with  considerable  violence.  Similar 
results 'attended  those  in  the  cool  situation,  a  little  longer  time 
elapsing  before  the  action  was  observable.  After  standing  some 
time  the  preparation  was  again  examined,  with  the  following  re- 
sult :  it  possessed  a  ferruginous  taste,  was  devoid  of  astringency, 
had  lost  almost  entirely  the  sweet  taste,  and  at  the  bottom  was  a 
light  yellow  or  orange  colored  precipitate  ;  this  was  insoluble  in 
water,  was  washed,  and,  with  the  view  of  determining  whether  it 
was  an  oxalate,  the  following  tests  were  employed,  namely: — 
a.  The  precipitate  was  dissolved  in  diluted  hydro-chloric  acid  ;  the 
excess  of  acid  neutralized  with  ammonia  water,  the  addition  of 
which  precipitated  some  of  the  peroxide  of  iron,  which  was 
separated  by  filtration,  and  to  the  clear  liquid  was  added  some 
b.  solution  of  chloride  of  calcium,  occasioning  a  copious  white  pre- 
cipitate, soluble  in  nitric  acid. 
c.  To  other  portions  of  the  liquid  (a)  were  added  lime-water,  and 
solution  of  gypsum,  each  of  which  occasioned  a  white  preci- 
pitate soluble  in  nitric  acid,  showing  the  probable  presence  of 
oxalic  acid.    To  confirm  it,  some  of  the  original  precipitate  was 
d.  dissolved  in  diluted  nitric  acid,  ammonia  water  added,  filtered 
&c.j  as  with  (a),  in  which  solutions  of  chloride  of  calcium  pro- 
