Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  ) 
August,  1914.  / 
Vleminckx's  Solution. 
357 
Another  100  gramme  lot  made  up  in  the  same  manner  contained 
14.581  grammes  of  total  sulphur  in  100  c.c.  of  solution. 
This  great  variation  in  results  indicated  difficulty  in  properly 
preparing  the  solution.  We,  therefore,  referred  to  the  direction  in 
the  N.  F.  and  found  it  directed  to  add  the  lime  and  sulphur  mixture 
"  gradually  to  1750  c.c.  of  boiling  water.  Then  boil  the  whole 
under  constant  stirring  until  it  is  reduced  to  1000  grammes ;"  this 
procedure  differs  from  mine  in  that  it  directs  the  water  to  be  heated 
to  boiling,  the  mixture  of  lime  and  sulphur  added  and  the  whole 
boiled  under  constant  stirring  until  the  weight  is  reduced  to  1000 
grammes. 
Another  100  gramme  lot  was  then  made  by  strictly  adhering  to 
these  directions  and  when  assayed  showed  the  presence  of  4448 
grammes  of  total  sulphur  in  100  c.c.  solution. 
My  original  reading  of  the  process  was  as  above  noted  to  heat 
the  water  to  boiling  and  then  while  the  water  was  still  on  the  fire 
to  gradually  add  the  lime  and  sulphur  under  constant  stirring  and 
boiling  until  the  proper  weight  was  produced,  whereas  the  last  prod- 
uct was  made  by  strictly  following  the  N.  F.  by  heating  the  water 
to  boiling,  taking  it  off  the  fire,  stirring  all  the  lime  and  sulphur  in, 
putting  it  back  on  fire,  stirring  and  heating  until  the  proper  weight 
was  attained. 
The  above  figures  clearly  indicated  that  the  wording  of  the  ma- 
nipulation in  the  N.  F.  was  faulty,  therefore  another  batch  of  100 
grammes,  employing  the  official  quantities,  was  made  by  taring  a  250 
c.c.  Erlenmeyer  flask,  adding  175  c.c.  of  water  heating  on  the  hot 
plate  until  boiling  and  then  adding  the  lime  and  sulphur  previously 
mixed  and  boiling  on  the  hot  plate  without  stirring  or  further  atten- 
tion until  the  weight  was  reduced  to  100  grammes,  transferred  to  a 
4  oz.  cork  stoppered  bottle,  allowed  to  stand  until  the  next  day, 
filtered  and  assayed. 
The  solution  contained  29.162  grammes  of  total  sulphur  in 
100  c.c. 
Another  lot  made  by  the  same  method  contained  29.593  grammes 
of  total  sulphur  in  100  c.c.  solution. 
These  figures  indicate  that  if  the  solution  is  prepared  in  a  flask 
the  product  will  practically  be  of  uniform  strength. 
It  is  true  the  N.  F.  does  not  state  whether  a  flask  or  evaporating 
dish  should  be  employed.  The  result  of  the  failure  to  specifically 
state  that  a  flask  or  similar  vessel  be  used  is  shown  by  the  analyses 
