/ 
ON THE USE OF LACTATE OF IRON. 121 
the end of six or seven hours of the reaction, the liquid is 
boiled, filtered and concentrated, when, on cooling it deposits 
crystals. These crystals drained in a funnel and washed with 
alcohol, by displacement, should be rapidly dried and enclos- 
ed from any contact with the air. 
This salt, such as M. Louradour has shown us, and such as 
we have ourselves obtained by following his process, which is 
economical and easy of execution, presents itself under the 
form of crystalline plates, very white, and but slightly alterable. 
It is but sparely soluble in water, reddens litmus paper, and 
possesses the ferruginous taste in a tolerable degree ; when dis- 
solved in water it attracts oxygen and quickly becomes yel- 
low. 
The sparing solubility of lactate of iron has allowed M. 
Louradour to simplify even more his process, by suppressing 
the purification of the lactic acid by alcohol, and treating it im- 
mediately by the iron filings ; the liquor suitably evaporated, 
affords crystals of the lactate ; the foreign salts and the lactine 
remain in the mother waters, which are rejected. F. B. 
Journ. de Pharm. 
VOL. VI NO. II. 
16 
