22  Suspension  of  Bismuth  in  Mixtures.  {AMjfjuJ; 
Pharm. 
1874. 
Solanidia  may  be  recognized  by — 
1.  The  special  form  of  the  crystals  cf  its  hydrochlorate. 
2.  The  form  of  the  crystals  of  its  hydrobromate. 
3.  The  bright  yellow  color  which  results  from  the  action  of  nitric 
acid  and  a  caustic  alkali. 
4.  The  red  color  caused  by  phosphoric  acid,  and  traces  of  molybdic 
acid. 
5.  By  the  orange-yellow  color  produced  by  brominated  hydrobromic 
acid  when  the  mixture  is  evaporated  to  dryness. 
Professor  Salmi  states,  that  by  operating  with  the  care  required  in 
such  experiments,  small  quantities  of  either  of  these  substances  may 
be  indubitably  detected  that  would  escape  observation  with  any  of  the 
processes  indicated  in  treatises  on  toxicological  chemistry. — Pharm. 
Jour,  and  Trans.,  Nov.  29,  1873. 
SUSPENSION  OP  BISMUTH  IN  MIXTURES.!,  c^ 
The  September  number  of  the  New  Orleans  Medical  and  Surgical 
Journal  contains  a  paper  entitled  "  Practical  Questions  to  a  Practical 
Druggist,  with  his  Answers,"  and  signed  by  Wm.  A.  Vogel.  We  clip 
from  it  the  following  : 
What  media  are  best  suited  to  hold  bismuth  or  powdered  charcoal 
in  suspension,  when  the  physician  desires  to  obtain  their  most  efficient 
action  as  absorbents  ? 
A.  The  common  and  time-honored  practice  of  suspending  bismuth 
in  mixtures  by  the  aid  of  gum  arabic,  I  will  not  venture  to  pronounce 
positively  bad,  yet,  in  my  opinion,  it  deserves  to  be  criticised,  and 
should  be  discarded  for  some  more  appropriate  method.  I  have  ob- 
served that  bottles  coming  back  to  be  refilled,  frequently  contain  at 
the  bottom  quite  a  considerable  quantity  of  the  bismuth  originally  put 
in,  and  which  was  not  at  all  easy  to  dislodge.  It  seems  that  the 
particles  of  bismuth  are  enveloped,  as  it  were,  by  the  gum,  and  in  their 
gradual  descent,  carry  this  with  them  to  form  at  the  bottom  a  finely 
agglutinated  mass  which  can  only  be  broken  up  and  again  thoroughly 
mingled  with  the  supernatant  liquid  by  energetic  and  protracted  agi- 
tation. Although  invariably  admonished  to  do  this  by  a  "  shake 
well  "  label,  the  direction  is  seldom  properly  conformed  with,  and 
patients,  and  even  doctors,  will  sometimes  indulge  in  the,  to  them, 
delightful  occupation  of  censuring  and  rebuking  the  innocent  apothe- 
