Am.  Jour.  Pharm. ) 
October,  1900.  J 
Seidlitz  Powders. 
WHITE  POWDERS. 
467 
No. 
Weights  in  Grammes. 
Results  of 
Qualitative  Examination. 
Estimation. 
1 
2'42,  2*6 
Trace  of  lead. 
99-11  per  cent. 
2 
2-37,  2-289 
Traces  of  sulphates. 
99-69  " 
3 
2-56,  2-635 
Slight  trace  of  lead. 
99'8    "  *a 
4 
3'275,  3*4 
Slight  trace  of  lead. 
99-72  " 
5 
2-41,  2-34 
Trace  of  sulphates. 
98-79   "  " 
6 
2-505,  2-495 
Trace  of  sulphates. 
99-23  " 
U.S.P. 
2-250 
The  tests  of  identity  indicated  tartaric  acid,  and  the  qualitative 
tests  showed  no  impurities  except  those  shown  in  the  table. 
COMMENTS  ON  THESE  SEIDLITZ  POWDERS. 
The  first  powder  on  the  list  proved  to  be  a  little  interesting. 
Although  the  ingredients  for  the  blue  powder  are  in  about  the 
proper  proportions,  the  powder  is  about  half  the  weight  which  it 
ought  to  be,  while  the  tartaric  acid  powder  belonging  to  it  is  even 
heavier  than  it  ought  to  be.  There  is  an  excess  of  nearly  \y2 
grammes  of  tartaric  acid,  so  that  those  powders  would  make  a  very 
acid  mixture.  It  will  be  noticed  that  every  one  of  the  tartaric  acid 
powders  is  heavier  than  the  official  powder,  which' is  2*25  grammes 
in  weight,  showing  plainly  the  carelessness  in  preparing  them. 
No.  4  is  over  1  gramme  heavier  than  it  ought  to  be. 
Nos.  2,  3  and  4  are  higher  in  rochelle  salt  than  the  official. 
No.  5  falls  considerably  below  the  official  strength,  although 
the  powders  are  about  the  full  weight,  the  reason  being  that  the 
mixture  contains  41  per  cent,  of  sodium  bicarbonate,  when  it  should 
contain  only  25  per  cent.  Dishonesty  was  evidently  intended  in 
this  case.  No.  3  is  a  brand  of  seidlitz  powders  regularly  put 
up  by  a  reputable  manufacturing  firm  in  this  city.  It  is  of  very 
good  quality,  as  can  be  seen.  Sufficient  has  been  shown  to  indi- 
cate that  it  is  necessary  to  examine  seidlitz  powders  quantitatively  if 
a  correct  idea  of  their  worth  is  to  be  obtained. 
