516 
NEW  TEST  FOR  QUININE. 
18th  vol.  of  the  American  Journal  of  Pharmacy,  page  32,  which 
from  the  care  bestowed  upon  the  subject,  seems  to  be  entitled  to 
great  respect,  ethereal  and  alcoholic  menstrua  appear  to  be 
inappropriate  to  the  extraction  of  the  active  principles  of  the 
drug,  and  even  were  either  of  those  solvents  suitable  to  the  ex- 
haustion of  the  material,  our  own  experience  would  forbid  us 
adopting  them  in  a  satisfactory  method  of  making  a  preparation 
which  should  contain  in  a  moderate  bulk  an  adequate  dose  of  the 
remedy,  and  yet  be  free  from  alcoholic  stimulus  so  undesirable 
in  anodyne  preparations. 
The  formula  for  a  syrup  given  by  M«  Mouchon,  while  it  affords 
a  preparation  which  represents  the  medicine  very  completely, 
leaves  it  so  weak  as  to  be  quite  objectionable. 
A  formula  which  seems  to  answer  the  conditions  above  men- 
tioned, is  offered,  in  the  hope  that  a  remedy  so  deservedly  es- 
teemed may  be  more  generally  employed. 
Take  of  English  Lactucarium  in  coarse  powder,        grs.  G4 
Carbonate  of  Potash,  grs.  32 
Distilled  water,  sufficient, 
Sugar,  oz.  4 
Grind  the  Lactucarium  with  carbonate  of  potash,  and  continue 
the  trituration  till  the  two  are  thoroughly  mixed,  add  sufficient 
water  to  moisten  it  completely,  allow  it  to  stand  for  twelve  hours, 
and  displace  slowly  till  two  fluid  ounces  are  obtained,  then  add  the 
sugar  and  dissolve  with  a  gentle  heat. 
Each  fluid  drachm  of  this  syrup  contains  two  grains  of  lactu- 
carium. 
NEW  TEST  FOR  QUININE. 
By  A.  Vogel. 
Some  time  since  I  made  known  a  new  reaction  on  sulphate  of 
quinine,  which  consisted  in  this,  that  a  solution  of  sulphate  of 
quinine,  mixed  with  chlorine  water,  assumed  a  dark  red  colora- 
tion upon  the  addition  of  a  concentrated  solution  of  ferrocyan- 
ide  of  potassium.  Recently,  Fresenius  has  asserted  that  this  re- 
action is  not  established.  This  was  to  me  surprising,  as  I  have 
repeatedly  exhibited  this  reaction  in  my  lectures,  and  have  had 
much  practical  experience  with  it  without  once  miscarrying.  Al- 
