ON  SOME  OF  THE  APPLICATIONS  OF  GLYCEPtlNE.  161 
of  the  medicines,  and  thus  facilitating  their  administration  to 
children,  while  the  absence  of  spirit  would  give  an  advantage  to 
these  and  other  similarly  prepared  essences  over  those  now 
generally  used. 
Glycerine  was  also  recommended  for  preparing  essences  of 
cloves,  cinnamon,  lemon,  &c. ;  also  for  syrup  of  phosphate 
of  iron,  bromide  of  iron,  and  iodide  of  quinine.  It  had  been 
found  useful  for  preserving  fresh  lemon  juice,  and  for  preserving 
the  soft  consistence  of  pill  masses  and  confections. 
Mr.  Waugh  did  not  see  much  advantage  in  the  use  of  the 
proposed  concentrated  Mistura  Ferri  Composita,  unless  it  could 
be  shown  that  after  diluting  the  concentrated  solution  and  add- 
ing the  other  ingredients  of  the  mixture,  it  would  keep  better 
than  that  made  in  the  usual  way. 
Mr.  Hills  said  he  had  found  glycerine  a  very  good  solvent  of 
arsenious  acid,  which  it  dissolves  to  the  extent  of  a  drachm  to  a 
fluid  ounce. 
Mr.  Brady  said  such  a  solution  had  been  tried  for  preserving 
animal  and  vegetable  substances  from  decay,  but  it  was  found 
that  fungi  grew  in  the  solution  very  rapidly. 
Mr.  Haselden  described  the  results  of  some  experiments  he 
had  made  with  reference  to  the  solvent  and  preservative  power 
of  glycerine.  Gallic  acid  was  freely  soluble  in  it,  so  also  was 
aloes  and  some  resinous  substances,  but  not  the  ^re  resin  of 
scammony.  It  promoted  the  solution  of  borax  in  tincture  of 
myrrh,  no  water  being  required.  When  added  to  tincture  of 
kino,  it  prevented  thegelatinization  of  the  tincture,  which  other- 
wise frequently  occurred.  The  vegetable  extracts  were  soluble 
in  glycerine,  and  some  of  them,  such  as  belladonna,  when  thus 
dissolved,  formed  useful  preparations  for  external  application. 
When  used  as  a  solvent,  it  was  often  important  to  have  the  gly- 
cerine in  its  greatest  state  of  concentration.  He  had  generally 
employed  Price's  glycerine  concentrated  by  Smith.  This  con- 
centrated glycerine  dissolved  twice  as  much  quinine  as  that 
which  was  not  concentrated. 
Mr.  Barnes  had  kept  iodide  of  iron  in  glycerine  without 
change  for  years,  by  using  the  beet  concentrated  glycerine. 
Mr.  Squire  said  that  some  time  ago  a  preparation,  called 
II 
