14 
ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 
a mere transfer of iron from the protecting metal to the iodine 
of the decomposed salt, as it is gradually effected, while its 
base is deposited in the state of peroxide. But even allowing 
this protecting power to be fully exercised, the ferruginous 
deposit, making the solution turbid, not to speak of the iron 
filings or wire, renders it inelegant, and frequently subjects 
the apothecary to the inconvenience of filtering the solution 
before dispensing it. 
Thus far we have been viewing the subject within the pre- 
cincts of the apothecary's store, but the most serious difficulties 
yet remain to be considered, viz.: after the remedy is placed 
in the hands of the patient. Some pharmaceutists take the 
precaution to introduce small quantities of metallic iron into 
the vials of the solution before selling it, but this is by no 
means general. As the remedy is taken in small doses, and 
its exhibition sometimes continued through considerable pe- 
riods of time, the frequent opening of the vial, not to say 
the liability of leaving it unstopped, as must often be the case, 
causes the decomposition to go on rapidly when it is not in 
contact with iron. In corroboration of these remarks, I have 
the testimony of one of our first physicians, who informed 
me that he had discontinued the use of this preparation in his 
practice, in consequence of its great variation in strength. 
I have deemed it proper to make the foregoing remarks as 
introductory to the following observations and experiments, 
which were made with the object of discovering a remedy 
for the evils which we have seen detailed. 
The agents employed belong to the saccharine substances. 
The first application of one of this class of substances as a 
protective agent in pharmaceutical manipulation, was by Val- 
let, in his now celebrated ferruginous pills. 
Shortly after the formula for his preparation was published 
in this country, I gave a process for preparing a tincture of 
protomuriate of iron, (Vol. X. p. 272, of this Journal,) 
which was kept in the state of a protosalt, through the inter- 
vention of honey. It was this idea which suggested the pow- 
er of the same agent in preserving the solution of protiodide 
