EDITORIAL. 
287 
Now  if  this  statement  be  true,  all  that  is  necessary  to  make  « iodine 
water"  is  to  put  an  excess  of  iodine  in  water  and  expose  it  in  the  sun, 
hydriodic  acid  will  be  generated,  which  will  become  a  solvent  for  more 
iodine,  and  thus  increase  the  strength  of  the  solution  far  beyond  the 
capacity  of  pure  water.  To  test  its  truth,  we  triturated  a  scruple  of  dry 
resublimed  iodine  with  twelve  fluid  ounees  of  water,  enclosed  it  in  a  glass 
stopped  bottle  and  placed  it  in  the  sun's  rays  at  intervals  for  two  days. 
On  testing  it,  a  fluid  ounce  was  found  to  contain  .4105  gr.  of  iodine, 
whereas,  according  to  Gay  Lussac,  it  should  have  retained  when  made  first 
but  .0642  gr. 
We  then  added  a  few  drops  of  liquid  hydriodic  acid  to  water  containing 
iodine,  when  its  solvent  power  was  increased  many  fold.  We  believe,  there- 
fore, that  a  solution  of  iodine,  of  the  strength  of  the  so-called  "  Iodine 
Water,"  may  be  prepared  by  exposing  water  with  a  considerable  excess  of 
iodine  to  the  direct  rays  of  the  sun,  and  that  any  apothecary  may  keep  a 
supply,  by  using  one  of  his  window  show  bottles  as  a  vessel  for  its  prepara- 
tion, at  a  cost  of  two  cents  a  pint. 
As  regards  the  statements  of  Dr.  Chilton  and  Prof.  Booth,  which  Dr. 
Anders'  considers  so  annihilating,  we  believe  they  were  intended  to  prove  the 
absence  of  substances  having  a  modifying  influence  on  the  medicinal 
powers  of  iodine ;  and  further,  that,  unless  specially  sought  for,  they 
would  not  be  likely  to  detect  a  minute  proportion  of  hydriodic  acid.  Until 
those  gentlemen  are  prepared  to  state,  over  their  signatures,  that  there  is 
no  hydriodic  acid  present  in  the  "  Iodine  water"  of  Dr.  Anders,  we  shall 
feel  perfectly  safe  to  remain  "in  the  per  contra." 
We  are  not  acquainted  with  the  proprietors,  and  hence  speak  without 
personal  feeling.  They  may  be  sincere  in  believing  that  they  have  suc- 
ceeded in  changing  the  solubility  of  iodine  in  water,  and  self  deceived  in 
regard  to  the  superlative  merits  they  claim  for  their  preparation ;  such 
instances  sometimes  occur ;  nevertheless,  we  cannot  withdraw  one  tittle  of 
our  averment,  that  a  declaration  that  this,  or  any  other  preparation,  "  is 
a  complete  and  certain  cure  for  consumption,  palsy,  rheumatism,  scrofula, 
liver  complaints,  heart  diseases,  &c,"  and  that  "it  always  effects  a  cure," 
savors  of  "  presumption  and  effrontery"  of  the  most  glaring  kind,  and  is 
calculated  by  its  boldness  to  excite  the  hope  of  thousands  of  unfortunate 
invalids  only  to  precipitate  them  in  disappointment. 
Apart  from  these  undeserved  claims,  we  believe  that  an  aqueous  solution 
of  iodine  is  a  valuble  form  for  the  administration  of  that  remedy,  and  one 
toward  which  physicians  should  turn  their  attention.  It  is  not  at  all  im- 
probable, as  we  said  before,  that  the  careless  use  of  an  alcoholic  solution 
of  iodine  frequently  occasions  gastric  irritation  :  and  even  LugoFs  solution, 
if  not  properly  diluted,  may  do  the  same  ;  yet  we  believe  that  six  drops  of 
LugoFs  solution  (containing  a  quarter  of  a  grain  of  iodine)  diluted  in  a 
table  spoonful  of  water,  will  be  equal  in  all  resspects,  so  far  as  regards  the 
specific  effects  of  iodine,  with  a  like  quantity  of  "  Iodine  water."   As  it  is 
