10 
ON  monsel's  persulphate  of  iron. 
ON  MONSEL'S  PERSULPHATE  OF  IRON. 
By  George  S.  Dickey,  Jr.,  of  San  Francisco,  Cal. 
To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Journal  of  Pharmacy  : 
Dear  Sir, — Accompanying  this,  please  find  a  sample  of  Monsel's 
salt,  such  as  I  have  been  making  for  over  eighteen  months  past. 
I  give  you  my  formula,  the  result  of  numerous  experiments 
when  I  first  undertook  its  manufacture. 
R.    Aquae  destillatae,  glxxx. 
Acid.  Sulph.  Com.        f.fix.  -}-f5in. 
Ferri  Sulph.  Purse,         3  c.  troy. 
Acid.  Nitric.    "  f.^viii.  or  q.  s. 
Mix  the  water  and  sulph.  acid,  and  dissolve  in  the  mixture 
one-half  of  the  sulphate  of  iron  with  the  aid  of  heat.  Bring  up  the 
mixture  to  a  brisk  boil,  and  add  the  nitric  acid  little  at  a  time 
until  effervescence  ceases,  and  while  still  boiling  add  the  re- 
mainder of  the  sulphate  of  iron  little  by  little,  and  boil  until  effer- 
vescence ceases.  Filter  the  solution,  evaporate  to  a  syrupy  con- 
sistence and  spread  on  plates  of  glass  to  dry.  It  requires  con- 
siderable heat  to  dry  perfectly,  but  is  quickly  dehydrated  by  a 
too  long  continued  heat.  When  dry,  it  is  necessary  to  detach 
it  from  the  plates  with  a  chisel. 
The  article  has  attained  great  celebrity  here,  principally  as  a 
haemostatic  and  as  a  local  application  to  venereal  ulcers. 
I  have  manufactured  and  sold  more  than  two  thousand  (2000) 
ounces  during  the  last  year  and  a  half,  and  its  sale  still  con- 
tinues, in  fact  increases. 
I  have  never  yet  met  an  instance  of  its  failure  to  stop  bleed- 
ing when  properly  applied,  and  it  is  only  necessary  that  the 
dry  salt  should  be  sprinkled  on  the  wound. 
I  have  been  much  surprised  that  it  has  been  so  long  getting 
into  use  in  your  section,  as  I  sent  two  or  three  samples  to  differ- 
ent parties  nearly  a  year  since. 
Very  truly  yours, 
Geo.  S.  Dickey,  Jr.* 
San  Francisco,  Oct.  4th,  1859. 
*The  specimens  of  the  salt  received  from  Mr.  Dickey  were  the  finest  we 
have  seen ;  perfectly  dry,  in  very  thin  scales,  translucent  and  of  a  light 
reddish  brown  color,  very  soluble  and  astringent. — Ed.  Am.  J.  Ph. 
