58  Adulterations— Syrup  of  Iodide  of  Iron.  {A%Je™^877arra 
of  quinia  to  a  large  extent.  In  this  case  the  preparation  was  put  up 
in  tin  cans,  without  bearing  the  name  of  any  manufacturer. 
Italian  essential  oils,  chiefly  lemon  and  bergamot,  were  imported  by 
a  Western  druggist  to  the  extent  of  100  cans  in  one  lot.  They  were 
opened,  sophisticated  to  an  enormous  extent,  and  again  closed  with 
false  seals  and  brands. 
While  in  the  East,  the  adulteration  of  cream  of  tartar  is  almost 
entirely  confined  to  grocers  and  spice  mills,  in  the  West  the  wholesale 
druggists  also  seem  to  indulge  extensively  in  this  fraud. 
The  labels  and  wrappers  of  English  calomel  have  been  successfully 
imitated  in  the  West,  and  large  amounts  of  this  pseudo-imported 
chemical  have  been  there  disposed  of. 
If  it  be  not  deemed  inappropriate  to  draw  a  moral  from  the  above 
facts,  which  are  vouched  for  by  the  parties  best  qualified  to  do  so,  this 
would  embrace  chiefly  two  points,  namely,  an  injunction  to  continued 
vigilance  and  close  scrutiny  of  all  substances  that  can  be  adulterated> 
and  also  an  appeal  for  a  little  more  liberality  in  making  purchases.  It 
seems  to  be  conceded  that  the  minimum  running  expenses  of  carrying 
on  the  wholesale  drug  business  are  from  5  to  8  per  cent,  of  the  sales  » 
the  expense  of  salesmen  varies,  usually,  from  5  to  25  per  cent,  of  the 
amount  of  their  sales,  10  per  cent,  being  perhaps  a  low  average.  A  little 
calculation  will  therefore  suffice  to  show  that  when  goods  are  sold 
direct  to  consumers  at  less  than  10  per  cent,  margin,  or  through  the 
instrumentality  of  traveling  salesmen  at  less  than  20  per  cent,  profit,, 
the  inference  may  be  fairly  drawn  that  there  are  just  grounds  for  sus- 
picion in  the  case. 
NOTE  ON  SYRUP  OF  IODIDE  OF  IRON. 
By  H.  P.  Reynolds. 
The  formula  of  the  "  U.  S.  P."  for  syrup  of  iodide  of  iron,  if 
exactly  followed,  yields,  invariably,  a  satisfactory  product,  which,  in 
well  filled  and  stoppered  bottles,  keeps  almost  indefinitely  and  is 
entirely  indifferent  to  indirect  light.  The  bottle  once  opened,  how 
ever,  the  slight  access  of  air  causes  the  contents  to  darken,  from  the 
surface  downward,  and  it  soon  becomes  unfit  to  dispense.  To  remedy 
this  discoloration,  the  late  Prof.  F.  F.  Mayer  has  recommended  the 
addition  of  hyposulphite  <ff  soda,  others  the  use  of  citric  and  of  hypo- 
phosphorous  acids,  and  the  placing  in  the  syrup  of  bright  metallic  iron, 
has  proved  useful. 
