1T4 
PREPARATIONS  OF  MANGANESE  AND  IRON. 
"  The  next  step  was  to  separate  the  charcoal  from  the  strych- 
nine. This  was  readily  effected  by  boiling  the  mixture  for  half 
an  hour  in  eight  ounces  of  ordinary  spirits  of  wine,  avoiding  loss 
of  alcohol  by  evaporation.  The  spirits,  which  now  contained  the 
strychnine,  were  next  filtered,  and  afterwards  submitted  to  distilla- 
tion. A  watery  fluid  remained  behind,  holding  the  strychnine  in 
solution,  but  not  sufficiently  pure  for  the  test.  The  final  purifica- 
tion was  accomplished  by  adding  a  few  drops  of  potass  to  the 
watery  fluid,  and  then  shaking  it  with  an  ounce  of  ether.  A  por- 
tion of  the  ethereal  solution  evaporated  upon  a  watch-glass  left  a 
whitish  solid  matter  of  intense  bitterness,  and  this  was  recognized 
to  be  strychnine,  by  giving  the  violet,  tint  previously  described, 
upon  the  application  to  it  of  sulphuric  acid  and  chromate  of  potash." 
Having  thus  satisfied  themselves  by  repeated  experiments  on 
beer  to  which  strychnine  had  been  added,  of  the  efficiency  of  the 
test,  Drs.  Graham  and  Hoffman  proceeded  to  the  analysis  of  a 
large  number  of  samples  of  pale  ale,  taken  indiscriminately  from 
the  supplies  of  some  twenty  manufacturers.  Not  one  of  the  varieties 
of  beer,  when  tested  with  the  greatest  scrupulousness,  gave  the 
slightest  evidence  of  the  presence  of  strychnine — Medical  Times 
and  Gazette,  May,  1852,  through  Hay's  Journal,  Oct.  1852J 
PREPARATIONS  OF  MANGANESE  AND  IRON. 
M.  Burin-Dubuisson  of  Lyons,  who  prepared  most  of  the 
ferro-manganic  combinations  used  by  M.  Petrequin,  has  pub- 
lished an  interesting  brochure,  in  which,  he  gives  the  necessary 
details  relating  to  the  subject.  The  following  formulae  are  ex- 
tracted from  it. 
Powder  for  Effervescing  Solution  of  Manganese  and  Iron. — 
Take  of  coarsely  powdered  bicarbonate  of  soda  20  parts  ;  tartaric 
acid  25  parts ;  powdered  sugar  53  parts ;  finely  powdered  sul- 
phate of  iron  1\  part;  finely  powdered  sulphate  of  manganese, 
j  part :  mix  carefully,  and  keep  in  well  stopped  bottles.  A  tea- 
spoonful  is  mixed  with  each  glass  of  wine  and  water  drunk  during 
meal-time. 
Pills  of  Carbonate  of  Iron  and  Manganese  Take  of  pure 
crystallized  sulphate  of  iron  75  parts  ;  pure  crystallized  sulphate 
