398:  GLEANINGS— PHARMACEUTICAL,  ETC 
Further  remarks  on  "Iodine  Water,"  hy  Prof.  Wittstein, 
(Translation.) 
"  Dr.  Edward  Stieren,  of  Tarentum,  Pennsylvania,  having 
sent  me  some  of  Dr.  Anders'  iodine  water,  which  had  been  re- 
ceived by  him  of  Dr.  Anders  himself,  and  asserting  it  to  be  a 
solution  of  pure  iodine  in  960  parts  of  water  by  weight. 
A  careful  analysis  by  me,  of  Anders*  iodine  water,  shows  that 
700  parts  of  the  same  contains  1  part  of  iodine  ;  but  it  does  not 
appear  that  this  portion  of  iodine  thus  contained  is  entirely  free, 
but  chiefly  as  iodide  of  potassium,  namely  :  only  one-fifth  of  free 
iodine,  and  the  other  four-fifths  of  iodide  of  potassium,  so  that 
3.500  grains  of  the  water  contains  1  grain  of  free  iodine,  and  4 
grains  of  it  are  combined  with  potassium. 
A  solution  of  pure  iodine  in  pure  water  must  have  no  pondera- 
ble substance  by  evaporation  ;  but  after  evaporating  670  grains 
of  Anders'  iodine  water,  there  remained  1  grain  of  iodide  of 
potassium. 
According  to  Gay-Lussac's  experience,  one  part  of  iodine  re- 
quired 7,000  parts  of  water  for  its  solution,  and  according  to 
Jacquelain's  experience,  5,000  parts.  According  to  my  experi- 
ments, the  last  approaches  nearer  to  the  truth.  I  have  myself 
found  that  one  part  of  pure  iodine  requires  5,500  parts  of  pure 
water  for  its  solution,  at  a  temperature  of  from  +10  to  12°C. 
Any  one  who  may  wish  to  become  acquainted  with  my  analysis 
of  Anders'  iodine  water,  as  also  with  my  experiments  on  the 
solubility  of  iodine  in  pure  water,  is  referred  to  page  201  a.  f.  of 
the  sixth  volume  of  my  Journal  of  Pharmacy. 
Dr.  G.  C.  Wxttstein, 
Munich,  Bavaria,  Jan.  3d,  1857.         Prof,  of  Chemistry. 
GLEANINGS— CHEMICAL,  PHARMACEUTICAL  AND  MEDICAL. 
Coffee  as  an  Antidote.— -Dr.  Max.  Langenschwarz,  in  a  paper 
published  in  the  American  Medical  Gazette,  and  republished  in 
the  Southern  Medical  and  Surgical  Journal,  asserts  that  a  tinc- 
ture or  decoction  of  raw  or  unburnt  coffee  "  is  one  of  the  most 
important  antidotes  to  many  deadly  poisons,  and  to  a  great 
many  ordinary  drugs."    Among  others,  the  following  are  noted 
