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120  PHARMACEUTICAL  ITEMS. 
heating  to  the  boiling  point  with  sulphuretted  hydrogen,  ferro- 
cyanide  of  potassium,  nitrate  of  baryta,  oxalate  of  ammonia, 
or  nitrate  of  silver.  This  last  test  I  regard  as  an  important  one, 
since  I  believe  that  all  those  compounds,  which  impart  to  common 
glycerin  a  peculiar  rancid  odor,  will  reduce  the  silver  salt  and 
impart  a  color  to  the  liquid  on  boiling,  even  though  that  odor 
may  be  scarcely  apparent,  while  pure  glycerin  is  not  affected  by 
boiling  with  nitrate  of  silver,  although,  like  nearly  all  organic 
and  many  inorganic  compounds,  it  gradually  assumes  a  darker 
color  on  exposure  to  light. 
PHARMACEUTICAL  ITEMS. 
By  William  C.  Bakes. 
Grlycerole  of  Sumach. 
With  a  view  of  supplying  a  want  for  an  eligible  and  permanent 
preparation  of  sumach  berries,  I  have  adopted  the  following 
formula,  which  yields  a  preparation  possessing  in  a  pleasant  and 
concentrated  form  the  astringent  and  refrigerant  properties  of 
the  berries. 
Take  of  Sumach  berries  sixteen  ounces. 
Boiling  water  three  pints. 
Macerate  for  one  hour  and  express,  and  to  the  dregs  add  two 
additional  pints  of  boiling  water  and  proceed  as  before.  Mix 
the  infusions  and  evaporate  to  eight  fluid-ounces,  and  add  gly- 
cerine to  make  the  whole  measure  sixteen  fluid- ounces,  and  filter 
through  paper. 
Elixir  of  Bismuth. 
,    Inquiries  having  been  made  for  a  preparation  by  this  name, 
and  finding  no  established  formula,  I  have  suggested  a  very 
simple  combination  which  seems  to  answer  a  good  purpose. 
Take  of  Solution  of  ammonio  citrate  of  bismuth  12  fluidounces. 
Curaeoa  cordial  4  " 
The  Curaeoa  imparts  to  the  preparation  a  very  pleasant  flavor, 
and  will  be  found  a  valuable  adjuvant  in  the  administration  of 
this  favorite  remedy. 
Iodided  Opodeldoc. 
This  preparation,  though  known  for  a  number  of  years,  has  not 
