490       Recent  Literature  Relating  to  Pharmacy.     /Am.  jour.  Pharm. 
October,  1900. 
The  Chinese  bark,  ground  with  its  mineral  impurities,  gave  579 
per  cent,  ash  with  283  per  cent,  sand;  and  when  freed  from 
pebbles  and  grit,  showed  4-83  per  cent,  ash  with  0  83  per  cent.  sand. 
Commercial  powder,  said  to  be  from  same  source,  showed  6-03  per 
cent,  ash  with  3-1  per  cent.  sand.  Commercial  Ceylon  cinnamon 
powder  showed  6-1  per  cent,  ash  with  2*4  per  cent,  sand,  while  the 
contents  of  the  original  package  showed  4-92  per  cent,  ash  with 
1*06  per  cent,  sand,  when  ground  with  the  adhering  grit;  and  44 
per  cent,  ash  with  0  6  per  cent,  sand,  when  cleaned. 
The  article  closes  with  remarks  of  Dr.  A.  Rau  on  the  difficulty 
of  securing  pure  cinnamon  by  reason  of  practical  monopoly 
possessed  by  the  Chinese.  He  concludes  that  the  only  feasible 
method  of  preventing  inferior  ware  trom  reaching  the  market  is  by 
exclusion,  at  the  custom-house,  of  all  samples  below  pharmacopceial 
requirements.  H.  V.  Arny. 
WINE  OF  CINCHONA. 
A  careful  study  of  cinchona  wine  is  reported  by  G.  Weinedel 
(Ph.  Zt.,  1899,  285).  He  finds  fault  with  the  recipes  of  the  two 
German  pharmacopoeias;  both  products  soon  depositing  a  sediment, 
containing  considerable  amount  of  the  alkaloids.  For  instance, 
one  specimen  of  wine  containing,  when  fresh,  1*82  per  cent,  alka- 
loids, after  four  weeks  contained  1-36  per  cent.,  and  after  sixteen 
weeks  contained  0-48  per  cent. 
After  trying  all  recipes  coming  under  his  notice,  he  devised  the 
following  process,  which,  he  claims,  is  most  satisfactory  : 
Cinchona,  in  coarse  powder  500  Grammes. 
Macerate  on  water-bath  for  twenty-four  hours  with  a  mixture  of: 
Hydrochloric  acid   30  Grammes. 
Water  750 
Then  transfer  to  a  wide-mouthed  container  and  macerate  for  eight 
days  with  : 
Alcohol  1,000  Grammes. 
Then  add  : 
Sherry  wine  io,coo  Grammes. 
(Or,  better,  sherry  and  malaga,  each  5,000.) 
Syrup  1,500 
Syrup  of  orange   200 
Citric  acid   10 
Macerate  four  weeks  in  cellar  and  there  filter. 
H.  V.  A. 
