AmkJa?chJ8Tm'}  Bimuriate  of  Quinine.  115 
It  will  be  noticed  that  after  deducting  the  meconate  of  calcium 
the  Squibb  process  still  shows  a  larger  yield  of  morphine  than  the 
U.  S.  P.  process  indicates. 
In  conclusion  it  may  be  stated  that  it  has  been  deemed  preferable 
by  many  to  use  the  Squibb  process  with  the  modification  as  sug- 
gested by  S^  lwell  instead  of  the  U.  S.  P.  process,  as  it  does  not 
require  as'm'uch  time  to  carry  out,  and  it  gives  a  larger  yield  of 
morphine. 
I  would  suggest  that  the  morphine  obtained  in  opium  assays 
by  Squibb's  process,  instead  of  being  treated  with  hot  absolute 
alcohol,  as  suggested  by  Stillwell,  be  ignited  at  a  high  temperature, 
care  being  taken  to  apply  sufficient  heat  to  convert  the  calcium 
meconate  into  calcium  oxide,  the  ash  weighed  as  calcium  oxide  and 
the  amount  of  calcium  meconate  estimated  by  multiplying  the 
weight  of  the  ash  by  4-55.  The  weight  of  the  meconate  of  calcium 
is  then  to  be  deducted  from  the  weight  of  the  impure  morphine 
leaving  the  true  amount  of  pure  morphine. 
Dr.  Squibb  has  suggested  that  the  morphine  by  his  process  be 
purified  by  solution  in  calcium  hydrate  solution.  This,  however,  is 
not  so  convenient  or  accurate  as  the  purification  by  absolute  alcohol 
and,  as  I  have  determined  by  experiment,  not  to  be  compared  with 
the  method  above  given. 
BIMURIATE  OF  QUININE. 
By  George  M.  Beringer,  Ph.G. 
Read  at  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting  of  the  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy,  Feb.  17. 
A  query  submitted  at  the  last  Pharmaceutical  meeting  asked  for 
information  regarding  the  composition  and  manufacture  of  this  salt. 
Attention  has  recently  been  directed  by  a  manufacturer  of  pharma- 
ceutical preparations  in  Philadelphia  to  the  advantages  possessed  by 
the  hydrochloric  acid  salts  of  quinine  over  those  of  sulphuric  acid. 
Increased  solubility,  larger  percentage  of  alkaloid  and  better  assimi- 
lation of  a  hydrochloric  acid  salt  being  the  advantages  claimed,  and 
this  it  is  supposed  has  suggested  the  query. 
Beurmann  and  Villejean  in  L'Union  Pharmaceutique,  for 
August,  1890,  call  attention  to  the  value  of  bichlorhydrate  of  qui- 
nine for  subcutaneous  injection.  They  state  "  that  bichlorhydrate 
is  the  most  soluble  salt  of  quinine  ;  it  is  as  rich  in  alkaloid  as  the 
