164 
The  Prepdmficms  of  Dif/ifalis. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pliarn). 
1      April,  1882. 
tered  and  mixed  with  sufficient  syrup  to  make  10  fluidounces.  This, 
like  the  French  syruj),  contains  no  excess  of  liydrochloric  acid,  upon 
w  hich  our  correspondent  lays  so  nmch  stress. 
The  formulas  given  by  Hager  order  the  ])reparati()n  of  this  syrup 
f vom  ferrous  chloride,  either  dry  or  in  solution,  hy  mixing  it  in  the  cold 
with  simple  syrup  ;  these  preparations  are  intended  to  contain  a  minute 
quantity  of  free  hydrochloric  acid.  We  quote  from  Hager's  "  Man- 
na le  "  and    Praxis  ^'  as  follows  : 
Syrupus  Ferri  Chlorati. 
R    Ferri  chlontti  in  solutione  Pel  rati,         .  .  1*0 
Solve  in  syrupi  sacchari  ....  lOO'O 
Acidi  hydrochlorici,  .  .  .  .      j^uttis  5 
Paretur  ex  tenii)ore.  ("  Phar.  Prax.") 
R    Ferri  chlorati,  .  .  .  .       p.  30 
Acidi  hydroclil oriel  purl,    .  .  .  p.  3 
Syrupi  sacchari,  ...  .  .p.  480 
Solve  et  misce.  ("  Manuale.") 
R    Liquoris  ferri  chlorati  (p.  spec.  1-250— 1 -255),        .      p.  4 
Syrupi  sacchari,      .  .  .  ,  p.  20 
Misce.  ("  Manuale.'') 
The  statement  of  our  correspondent  that,  by  the  process  suggested 
by  him,  no  glucose  is  formed,  will  doubtless  be  modified  on  further 
examination.  Since  Raoult  has  shown,  in  1871,  that  a  solution  of 
pure  sugar  in  water,  kept  in  vessels  from  which  the  air  has  been 
removed  and  exposed  to  the  light,  contains  notable  quantities  of  gln- 
cose,  we  have  examined  many  samples  of  syrups  made  with  refined 
cane  sugar  and  found  them  to  be  free  from  glucose  immediately  after 
they  had  been  prepared,  but  to  respond  to  the  tests  for  glucose  after 
comparatively  brief  exposure  to  diffused  daylight  in  the  store.  The 
formation  of  saccharic  acid  under  the  conditions  stated  by  our  corres- 
pondent requires  proof,  and  the  browning  of  ferrous  solutions  will  be 
found  to  take  place  in  an  atmosphere  containing  oxygen  and  totally 
devoid  of  nitrogen  oxides. 
The  Preparations  of  Digitalis  have  been  examined  for  their 
effectiveness  by  A.  Fraenkel  by  making  subcutaneous  injections  .to 
medium-sized  dogs  which  had  been  brought  imder  the  influence  of 
curare.  The  lessening  of  the  pulse,  with  an  increased  volume  of  the 
beats,  was  regarded  as  the  beginning  of  the  effects.  The  tincture  Avas 
found  to  be  the  least  rehable,  and  the  vinegar  the  most  active  prepara- 
tion; but  the  doses  of  the  vinegar,  as  well  as  of  the  infusion,  neces- 
sary for  the  production  of  these  effects  w^ere  found  to  be  variable. — 
Archiv  d.  Phar.,  Dec,  1881,  p.  451,  fi'om  Arch.  Kim.  Chir.,  xvii. 
