ioo  Substitute  for  Citrate  of  Magnesium.  {Km^x;^tm' 
ing  its  composition  \  the  objections  to  the  former  are  twofold,  first  as  to 
the  length  of  time  consumed  in  dissolving  the  magnesia  in  the  solution 
of  citric  acid  with  the  water,  and  secondly  the  necessity  of  filtering  it 
after  it  is  dissolved.  These  two  objections  may  be  admirably  over- 
come by  simply  substituting  boiling  water  in  place  of  the  cold,  as  pre- 
scribed, making  the  formula  read  thus  : 
Take  of  Citric  acid,       .......       450  grains  \ 
Calcined  magnesia,       .        .       .       .       .  .    120  " 
Bicarbonate  of  potassium,         ....  40  " 
Syrup  of  citric  acid,      .        .        .        .        .  .        2  fl.  oz.; 
Boiling  water,  .       .       .       .       .       .  4  " 
Dissolve  the  citric  acid  in  the  boiling  water  in  a  suitable  vessel,  and 
while  hot  add  the  magnesia,  constantly  stirring  until  dissolved  ;  decant 
the  clear  liquid  from  any  gritty  sediment  that  may  remain  ;  then  add 
the  syrup  and  a  sufficient  quantity  of  cold  water  to  fill  a  i2oz.  bottle, 
lastly  add  the  bicarbonate  of  potassium,  and  cork. 
It  is  very  important  that  the  acid  should  be  dissolved  before  adding 
the  magnesia,  for  if  the  two  be  added  together,  and  then  the  boiling 
water,  it  will  form  a  tough  gummy  mass,  which  will  be  very  difficult  to 
dissolve,  if  at  all.  By  this  method  it  will  not  take  longer  than  three 
or  four  minutes  at  the  outside  to  prepare  one  or  more  bottles  as  re- 
quired, whilst  the  officinal  formula  will  require  at  least  twenty  minutes 
to  complete  one  bottle.  This  saving  of  time  is  decidedly  an  advantage 
to  those  pharmacists  who  desire  to  dispense  an  article  that  is  always 
fresh  and  pleasant  to  the  taste  ;  it  can  very  readily  be  prepared  with 
but  little  inconvenience  while  the  customer  is  waiting  at  the  counter, 
and  I  am  sure  that  nine  persons  out  of  every  ten  would  prefer  waiting 
a  few  moments  than  be  compelled  to  swallow  an  almost  rotten  prepar- 
ation that  has  been  kept  any  length  of  time. 
Baltimore,  January,  1877. 
SUBSTITUTE   FOR   SOLUTION  OF  CITRATE  OF 
MAGNESIUM. 
Post  Hospital,  Fort  A.  Lincoln,  D.  T., } 
January  16th,  1877.  J 
To  the  Editor  of  "American  Journal  of  Pharmacy."'' 
The  following  formula  is,  I  think,  an  excellent  substitute  for  solu- 
tion of  citrate  of  magnesium,  U.  S.  P.  : 
