202 
ON  PILLS  OF  IODIDE  OF  IRON. 
factory  to  the  physician,  as  regards  the  entire  absence  oifree 
iodine,  its  tastelessness,  and  its  property  to  keep  quite  well. 
Pilulm  Ferri  Iodidi. 
Take  of  Iodine,  half  an  ounce  ;  • 
Iron  filings,  two  drachms  ; 
Water,  ten  fluid  drachms  ; 
Sugar,  in  fine  powder,  an  ounce ; 
Althaea  root,  in  powder,  half  an  ounce ; 
Gum  Arabic,  in  powder; 
Powdered  Iron,  (iron  by  hydrogen)  each  a  drachm. 
Mix  the  iodine  with  a  fluid  ounce  of  the  water,  in  a  thin  glass 
vial,  add  the  iron  filings,  and  agitate  them  until  the  solution,  on 
settling,  has  a  clear  green  color.  Mix  the  sugar,  gum  Arabic, 
and  powdered  iron  in  a  small  porcelain  capsule,  and  filter  into  it 
the  dense  solution  of  iodide  of  iron,  yet  hot,  from  the  reaction, 
observing  to  wash  the  filter  with  the  remainder  of  the  water. 
Then  by  means  of  a  moderate  heat  with  constant  stirring,  evap- 
orate the  moisture  until,  on  the  addition  of  the  powdered  althaea, 
the  mixture  acquires  the  consistence  proper  for  a  pill  mass,  and 
divide  it  into  three  hundred  pills,  which  should  be  rolled  until 
they  are  perfectly  globular. 
To  preserve  the  pills  from  oxidation  dissolve  a  drachm  of 
hard  tolu  in  a  drachm  and  a  half  of  pure  ether,  and  pour  it  over 
the  pills  contained  in  a  deep  porcelain  capsule,  and  by  means  of 
a  circular  motion  agitate  the  pills  until  they  are  all  coated  with 
tolu ;  then  pour  them  on  to  a  plate  and  separate  them  from  each 
other  until  the  ether  evaporates,  and  they  cease  to  cohere  to- 
gether. They  should  then  be  exposed  in  a  paper  box,  in  a  dry 
atmosphere,  until  the  varnish  hardens,  when  they  may  be  put 
up  in  bottles,  ready  for  use. 
Thus  made,  pills  of  iodide  of  iron  are  shining,  black,  globular 
masses,  each  pill  containing  about  a  grain  of  iodide  of  iron,  per- 
fectly free  from  iodine  odor,  and  keep  in  the  air  without  any 
tendency  to  deliquescence.  Gum  arabic  is  more  suitable  than  tra- 
gacanth  for  this  pill.  It  gives  the  necessary  cohesiveness,,  with- 
out the  elasticity  and  toughness,  which  are  apt  to  accompany 
the  use  of  tragacanth,  and  which  renders  the  mass  difficult  to 
form  into  pills.  If  the  operator  finds,  after  the  addition  of  the 
althaea,  (which  from  its  gummy  nature,  gives  a  peculiar  consist- 
