Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Sept.,  1884. 
Acetate  of  Magnesium. 
471 
ACETATE  OF  MAGNESIUM. 
By  A.  F.  W.  Neynaber,  Se. 
This  preparation  has  not  been  brought  as  fully  to  the  notice  of 
physicians  and  pharmacists  as  it  undoubtedly  deserves.  It  possesses 
qualities  which  entitle  it  to  a  better  consideration.  Acetate  of  magne- 
sium is  very  soluble  in  alcohol  as  well  as  in  water,  so  much  so  that 
this  quality  has  been  spoken  of  as  an  objection  to  its  general  use, 
whereas,  if  we  look  at  it  in  the  proper  light,  this  is  one  of  its  great 
advantages,  since  it  enables  us  to  use  it  with  elixirs,  wines,  syrups, 
tinctures,  fluid  extracts,  etc.  For  all  these  preparations  it  can  be 
combined  with  some  pleasant  aromatics,  with  laxatives,  such  as  rhu- 
barb, mandrake,  leptandra,  etc.,  in  neutral  solutions  as  well  as  with  an 
excess  of  acid,  such  as  citric  acid,  tartaric  acid,  etc.  It  acts  as  a  pur- 
gative, and  if  combined  with  rhubarb,  jalap,  mandrake,  leptandra, 
buckthorn,  senna  or  other  laxatives  or  cathartics  and  purgatives  a 
very  valuable  composition  is  formed.  To  illustrate  its  usefulness  and 
to  show  in  which  way  it  may  be  dispensed  several  formulas  are  given 
below,  yielding  preparations  which  are  stable  and  can  be  kept  any 
length  of  time  without  undergoing  any  change,  while  all  preparations 
containing  citrate  of  magnesium  have  the  great  disadvantage  of  not 
being  stable. 
It  is  a  well  known  fact  that  many  of  the  preparations  in  the  market 
sold  as  liquid  citrate  of  magnesia,  citrate  of  magnesia  granules,  etc., 
containing  a  very  small  percentage  of  the  citrate  of  magnesium,  while 
the  bulk  is  made  up  of  tartrate  of  sodium,  citrate  of  sodium,  etc.,  because 
the  pure  citrate  of  magnesium  is  apt  to  undergo  changes  which  render 
the  preparation  insoluble  and  unsalable. 
If  we  use  an  exact  quantity  of  calcined  magnesia  in  making  the 
acetate,  and  then  evaporate  to  a  given  weight,  we  can  make  exact  cal- 
culations of  the  strength  of  the  liquid. 
In  the  following  are  given  some  practical  formulas  for  the  combina- 
tion of  acetate  of  magnesium  with  other  laxatives,  cathartics,  etc. 
Tincture  of  Rhubarb  and  Magnesia. — Calcined  magnesia,  2  ounces; 
acetic  acid,  a  sufficient  quantity.  Evaporate  to  5  fluidounces  and  5 
fluidrachms.  Add  ext.  rhubarb,  2  fluidounces;  fluid  ext.  cardamom 
3  fluidrachms;  alcohol,  8  fluidounces.    Mix  =  1  pint. 
Elixir  Cathartic. — Calcined  magnesia,  240  grains;  acetic  acid,  a  suf- 
ficient quantity;  fluid  extract  of  Culner's  root,  J  fluidounce;  fluid  ex- 
