250 
SELECTED ARTICLES- 
If it be attempted to crystallize the sulphate of iron from a 
neutral solution, the salt upon the surface is rapidly decom- 
posed by contact with the atmosphere; a few hours, or a 
day, are sufficient to communicate a dull green color which 
soon becomes of a deeper green, and which results from 
a mixture of the blue with a yellowish brown color, of the 
basic combination, the product of decomposition. 
Let us pass now to an exposition of the method pursued by 
M. Vallet to obtain the new ferruginous preparation: 
J£. — Sulphate of iron, (Bonsdorff's,) 500 grammes. 
On the one hand, dissolve the sulphate of iron in a sufficient 
quantity of warm water deprived of air and sweetened with 
an ounce of syrup to the pound; on the other hand, in the 
same manner, dissolve the carbonate of soda; filter the two 
liquids separately; mix them in a flask of such capacity that 
the mixture shall fill it almost entirely; the flask is stopped 
by a glass stopper; it is shaken and then allowed to deposit 
the carbonate of iron resulting from the reciprocal decompo- 
sition. When the precipitate has subsided, the supernatant 
liquid is decanted, and fresh warm water is poured on, pre- 
viously deprived of air, and sweetened. This is repeated 
until the absence of a saltish taste in the washings indicate 
the entire removal of the sulphate and carbonate of soda. 
The precipitate is then thrown upon a drainer saturated with 
syrup, squeezed forcibly and then mixed with honey, the mix 
ture is then fluid, and the carbonate of iron is readily incorpo- 
rated; placed in a water bath, it is concentrated to the 
pillular consistence with as much expedition as possible, and 
then preserved, abstracted from contact with the air. 
The pills, to which we shall attach the name of the author, 
are prepared, if it be necessary, by adding to the preceding 
mass a sufficient quantity of inert powder. They do not 
become dry, and never harden. 
Pure carbonate of soda, 
Very pure white honey, 
Syrup, 
58S 
306 
qs. 
