286 
EDITORIAL. 
"  very  dilute  "  preparation,  as  you  denominate  it,  would  contain  from  sixteen  to 
twenty-four. 
To  conclude,  Dr.  Anders'  Liquid  Iodine  not  only  professes  to  be,  but  it  is  a 
simple  and  scientific  substitute  for  the  combinations  of  iodine,  without  any  coun- 
teracting solvent  whatever.  In  these  combinations  the  iodine  is  never  wholly 
dissolved  ;  when  exhibited  it  is  frequently  precipitated  upon  the  mucous  mem- 
brane of  the  throat  or  the  coats  of  the  stomach,  inflammation  ensues,  and  some- 
times the  most  fatal  results  follow.  In  "  Anders'  Liquid  Iodine,"  on  the  con- 
trary, the  iodine  is  held  in  complete  solution,  and  in  pure  water.  The  phy- 
sician is  enabled  to  administer  it  in  whatever  state  of  dilution  the  circumstances 
may  demand,  and  the  specific  effects  of  pure  iodine  upon  the  system  may  be 
unfailingly  anticipated.  These  effects  we  have  already  described,  and  stand 
prepared  to  prove  by  indisputable  testimony — testimony  not  to  be  overthrown 
by  the  mere  doubts  and  cavillings  of  the  incredulous. 
Yours  truly, 
Anders  &  Fosdick. 
On  reading  the  above  there  arose  no  question  in  our  mind  that  the 
analysis  given  by  us  was  a  correct  expression  of  the  strength  of  the  solu- 
tion at  the  time  it  was  examined  ;  but  on  reflection  we  remembered  that  on 
the  day  the  bottle  was  left  with  us,  it  was  accidentally  broken  and  a  part 
of  the  contents  lost,  as  we  stated  at  the  time  to  Dr.  Anders'  agent ;  the 
residue  was  put  in  a  bottle  and  stopped  with  a  cork,  where  it  remained 
about  five  weeks  before  it  was  examined.  At  that  time  the  action  of  the 
iodine  on  the  cork  was  not  noticed,  and  hence  not  regarded ;  but  on  the 
reception  of  Dr.  Anders'  note,  on  again  examining  the  bottle,  we  found  it 
perfectly  tight,  but  the  liquid  nearly  colorless,  whilst  the  inner  end  of  the 
cork  was  corroded,  iodous  and  strongly  acid  when  applied  to  litmus  paper, 
showing  that  the  iodine  had  been  gradually  acting  on  the  cork,  so  as  to 
form  hydriodic  acid,  which  in  its  turn  absorbed  more  iodine,  until  nearly 
the  whole  of  the  latter  had  been  abstracted  from  the  water.  On  this  dis- 
covery we  wrote  to  Dr.  Anders'  agent  requesting  a  fresh  sample  for  exami- 
nation, and  on  applying  the  same  means  of  analysis,  a  fluid  ounce  of  the 
solution  yielded  a  fraction  over  half  a  grain  (-5035  gr.).  This  result,  whilst 
it  corroborates  the  analyses  of  Chilton  and  Booth,  as  regards  the  proportion 
of  iodine,  shows  a  curious  source  of  deterioration,  and  points  to  the  neces- 
sity of  avoiding  cork  stoppers  in  liquids  containing  free  iodine. 
In  reference  to  the  solubility  of  iodine  in  pure  water,  the  best  author- 
ities (Gay  Lussac)  state  it  to  require  7,000  times  its  weight  of  water,  or 
one  grain  to  an  avoirdupois  pound,  whilst  in  the  "  iodine  water"  it  is  one 
grain  to  about  900  grains,  or  near  eight  times  as  strong.  Now  either  the 
universally  received  idea  of  its  solubility  is  incorrect,  or  the  iodine  in  Dr. 
Anders'  preparation  is  held  in  solution  by  some  other  agent  than  water. 
Gmelin  (Handbook,  vol.  ii.  p.  251.)  says,  "  A  brown  solution  of  iodine 
loses  its  color  by  exposure  to  the  direct  rays  of  the  sun,  either  exposed, 
or  in  perfectly  stopped  bottles,  provided  some  air  is  enclosed.  This  de- 
colorized solution,  if  brought  in  contact  with  more  iodine,  acquires  a  per- 
manent orange  yellow  tint.  From  this  it  would  appear  that  the  decolor- 
ized liquid  contains  hydriodic  acid,  which  by  taking  up  an  additional 
quantity  of  iodine  is  converted  into  hydriodous  acid.  (  Gmelin.") 
