Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  1 
March,  1885.  / 
Citrate  of  Iron  and  Quinine. 
125 
never  so  carefully,  a  portion  of  the  sparingly  soluble  ordinary  sulphate 
will  always  be  entangled  in  the  precipitated  quinine.  A  perfect 
decomposition  can  only  be  effected  by  percolating  a  weak  alkaline 
liquor  through  the  collected  magma  until  the  filtrate  no  longer  responds 
to  ammonia.  Contamination  with  precipitated  quinium  salts  can,  how- 
ever, be  obviated  directly  by  employing  quinium  chloride  in  saturated 
cold  solution.  Since  ordinarily  a  much  larger  proportion  of  alkali  is 
needed  to  precipitate  the  quinine  wholly,  than  simple  equivalents,  it 
follows  that  ammonia  is  not  a  desirable  precipitant.  Fixed  caustic 
alkalis  and  disodic  carbonate  are  preferable,  as  an  excess  dissolves  no 
quinine,  which  happens  in  case  of  ammonia. 
If  heat  were  admissible  the  precipitation  of  quinine  could  be  more 
easily  performed.  However  by  taking  advantage  of  the  fusibility  of 
trihydrous  quinine,  a  process  is  derived  which  renders  this  property  for 
the  production  of  anhydrous  quinine  very  practicable.  On  depriving 
fused  trihydrous  quinine  of  its  water  by  means  of  a  properly  regulated 
heat,  a  very  friable  residue  of  anhydrous  quinine  is  left.  Hence  anhy- 
drous quinine,  in  an  appropriate  official  form,  can  be  produced  by 
heating  together  8*72  grams  or  one  m.  of  ordinary  quinium  sulphate, 
5*72  grams  or  two  ms.  of  disodic  carbonate  and  about  50*00  cc.  of  water, 
until  perfect  decomposition  of  the  sulphate  is  effected.  On  cooling, 
the  alkaline  solution  is  decanted  from  the  hardened  mass.  This  is  well 
rinsed  with  cold  water  and  then  successively  digested  w^ith  small  por- 
tions of  water  until  the  fused  quinine  is  thoroughly  washed.  The 
mass  is  now  heated  at  a  properly  regulated  temperature  until  a  friable 
residue  of  anhydrous  quinine,  weighing  nearly  6*48  grams,  remains. 
From  these  various  considerations,  the  following  formula  for  the 
new  sodio-ferric  quinium  citrate  is  derived : 
Ferric  citrate   8'16  grams 
Citric  acid   2-10  " 
Sodium  bicarbonate   1*68  " 
Quinine  trihydrite   3-78  " 
or, 
Quinine  anhydrite   8 '24  " 
Water,  sufficient. 
Place  the  ferric  citrate,  sodium  bicarbonate  and  20'00  cc.  of  water 
into  a  porcelain  capsule  of  convenient  size,  and  apply  heat,  constantly 
stirring  the  mixture  until  perfect  solution  has  resulted.  Now  place 
the  quinine,  citric  acid  and  20'00  cc.  of  water  into  a  similar  capsule, 
