Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
June,  1894. 
Lead  in  Tartrates. 
295 
THE  PRESENCE  OF  LEAD  IN  TARTRATES. 
By  F.  W.  Haussmann. 
At  a  former  meeting,  while  discussing  the  subject  of  lead  in 
citrates,  the  suggestion  was  made  that  similar  results  to  those  stated 
could  perhaps  be  obtained  by  an  investigation  of  commercial  tar- 
trates. 
Acting  upon  this  suggestion,  the  writer  made  a  number  of  exami- 
nations analogous  to  those  described  in  the  treatise  upon  lead  in 
citrates. 
TARTARIC  ACID. 
Tartaric  acid,  as  occurring  in  commerce,  is  seldom  in  the  original 
crystalline  state,  the  powdered  article  being  almost  exclusively 
found  in  the  shops. 
Due  to  this,  the  presence  of  particles  of  metallic  lead  is  less  fre- 
quently noticed  than  in  the  case  of  citric  acid,  although  tartaric 
acid,  being  crystallized  in  lead-lined  tanks,  is  also  liable  to  the  same 
impurity. 
The  Pharmacopoeia  likewise  calls  attention  to  this  fact,  giving  the 
necessary  tests  for  the  detection  of  metallic  impurities  in  the  com- 
mercial acid. 
To  determine  whether  the  tartaric  acid  of  commerce  also  contained 
metallic  lead,  rather  large  amounts,  obtained  from  different  sources, 
were  dissolved  in  water  and  allowed  to  stand. 
A  few  metallic  particles  were  found  deposited  in  most  cases,  which, 
upon  treatment  with  nitric  acid  and  subsequent  application  of 
reagents  for  lead,  indicated  the  nature  of  the  deposits. 
The  solutions,  when  examined,  also  frequently  gave  indications  of 
traces  of  the  metal  in  soluble  form. 
Trials  were  also  made,  as  in  the  case  of  citric  acid,  to  ascertain 
the  extent  of  the  action  of  tartaric  acid  upon  the  metal. 
Some  lead  particles  were  left  in  contact  with  an  aqueous  solution 
of  the  acid  for  12  hours. 
The  filtered  solution,  examined  according  to  the  pharmacopceial 
directions,  prominently  revealed  the  metal  to  have  passed  into 
solution. 
COMMERCIAL  TARTRATES. 
As  a  rule,  the  tartrates  of  commerce  appear  to  possess  a  greater 
degree  of  purity  than  the  citrates. 
