302 
ON  THE  SO-CALLED  IODINE  WATER. 
given  the  name  of  urson,  is  insoluble  in  water,  scarcely  soluble 
in  ether  and  alcohol,  and  without  taste  or  smell ;  it  is  probably 
devoid  of  any  medicinal  virtue.  From  these  facts  it  was  inferred 
that  diluted  alcohol  must  be  the  proper  menstruum  for  exhaus- 
tion which  would  leave  behind  those  comparatively  inert  sub. 
stances,  gum,  resin,  fatty  matter  and  chlorophyll.  The  process 
I  adopted  was  the  following  : 
Take  of  Leaves  of  Uva  Ursi,  Ixvi. 
"      Alcohol  and  water,  each        a  sufficient  quantity. 
"  Sugar,  Ixij. 
Reduce  the  leaves  to  a  moderately  fine  powder,  pour  upon  them 
ten  ounces  each  of  alcohol  and  water  previously  mixed,  and  after 
macerating  for  24  hours,  displace  slowly  with  a  mixture  of  three 
parts  of  water  to  one  of  alcohol  until  the  powder  is  exhausted. 
Then  evaporate  to  one  pint  and  strain. 
Fluid  extract  of  uva  ursi  thus  prepared,  is  of  a  syrupy  con- 
sistence, specific  gravity  =1.42,  has  a  reddish  brown  color,  and 
possesses  a  strongly  astringent  and  bitter  taste  ;  each  fluid  drachm 
contains  the  virtues  of  sixty  grains  of  the  leaves,  about  an  ordi- 
nary dose.  It  was  given  in  a  case  of  chronic  catarrh  of  the 
bladder  with  good  results,  mixed  with  an  equal  quantity  of  fluid 
extract  of  buchu,  of  the  strength  of  half  an  ounce  to  the  fluid 
ounce. 
Philadelphia,  May,  1857. 
REMARKS  ON  THE  SO-CALLED  IODINE  WATER. 
North  Front  street,  May  26th,  1857. 
Prop.  Wm.  Procter,  Jr. 
Dear  Sir,-— The  sample  of  "  iodine  water"  received  from  you 
last  week,  has  since  then  not  changed  its  composition,  being 
placed  in  a  dark  room.  The  wax  stopper  is  colored  brown  as  far 
as  exposed  to  the  fluid  while  carrying.  To  determine  the  amount 
of  free  iodine  present,  I  made  use  both  of  Dr.  F.  Mohr's  solution 
of  arsenite  of  soda  and  of  hyposulphite  of  soda,  in  combination 
with  starch. 
Three  portions  of  five  cubic  centimetres  each,  gave  the  uniform 
result  of  1  cub.  c.  =0-0001812  gram,  of  free  iodine  =  0-01812 
