18 
BITTER  WINE  OF  IRON. 
the  carmine  to  be  perfectly  soluble  ;  but  as  I  do  not  know  from 
what  manufacturers  the  article  had  been  obtained  at  different 
times,  I  cannot  say  to  what  extent  its  sophistication  is  practised 
among  us. 
Lately,  the  residue  from  two  ounces  of  carmine  IsTo.  40,  left 
after  treatment  with  ammonia,  was  handed  me  for  examination. 
It  settled  upon  the  filter  to  a  stiff  mass,  which,  with  great  diffi- 
culty, was  deprived  of  nearly  all  its  color  and  weighed,  after 
drying,  500  grs.  It  was  free  of  lead  and  mercury,  insoluble  in 
cold  water,  soluble  in  hot  water  and  gelatinized  on  cooling.  A 
solution  of  iodine  produced  a  deep  blue  color,  and  when  incin- 
erated in  a  crucible,  it  left  a  charcoal  which  burned  with  diffi- 
culty leaving  J  per  cent,  of  ashes.  The  carmine  was  adulter- 
ated with  about  57'14  per  cent,  of  starch. 
It  appears  from  this,  that  our  aophisticators  understand  their 
business  better  than  their  London  brethren;  the  latter  employ 
some  coloring  matter  which  is  at  least  worth  some  trifle  per 
ounce,  while  the  former  manufacture  for  the  same  amount  of 
money  from  J  to  4  lbs.  of  carmine. 
Philadelphia,  Bee.  10,  1860. 
BITTER  WINE  OF  IRON. 
By  William  Procter,  Jr. 
Under  this  caption  a  preparation  was  introduced  into  use  in 
this  city  many  years  ago,  by  the  late  Dr.  Physic,  which  was 
made  from  cider,  iron  filings,  orange  peel,  and  ginger,  and  is 
yet  kept  by  several  apothecaries  : 
If  we  are  rightly  informed,  this  preparation  was  first  made 
by  Frederick  Brown  of  this  city.    The  kind  of  cider  proper  for 
this  purpose,  is  that  known  as  hard  cider,  a  strong  cider  deci- 
dedly acid  from  the  presence  of  malic  acid. 
The  following  is  the  recipe: 
Take  of  Iron  filings,  three  ounces. 
Ginger,  bruised, 
Gentian  bruised,  each  an  ounce. 
Orange  peel  bruised,  half  an  ounce. 
Strong  old  cider,  a  pint. 
