n6 
Bimuriate  of  Quinine. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharrn. 
\      March,  1891. 
monochlorhydrate ;  its  solution  in  distilled  water  may  be  pre- 
served without  change  ;  it  can  be  employed  without  any  preliminary 
precautions,  and  is  sufficiently  concentrated  to  permit  the  injection 
of  50  to  75  cgm.  of  active  salt.  There  is  accordingly  no  need  of 
multiplying  the  injections,  which,  however,  do  not  produce  anything 
more  than  a  slight  pain,  and  do  not  give  rise  to  any  accidents,  either 
local  or  general."  A  number  of  prominent  physicians  connected 
with  the  Paris  hospitals  are  cited  as  attesting  to  the  results 
obtained. 
The  solution  recommended  for  use  is  :  Bichlorhydrate  of  qui- 
nine, 5  gm.;  distilled  water  q.  s.  to  make  io  cc.  (Druggist's  Bul- 
letin, September,  1S90,  page  320.) 
A  sample  of  that  supplied  in  this  city  was  examined  by  the 
writer.  It  was  in  the  form  of  an  amorphous  powder,  strongly  acid 
to  moistened  test  paper,  and  readily  soluble  in  less  than  two  parts 
of  water  at  the  temperature  of  the  atmosphere.  One  gramme 
heated  on  the  water-bath  for  2  hours  lost  but  -002  gm.  and  after  4 
hours  but  -004  gm.  One  gramme,  on  being  treated  with  acidu- 
lated silver  nitrate  solution,  yielded  -690  gm.  silver  chloride  corre- 
sponding to  17-55  per  cent,  hydrochloric  acid.  Precipitated  with 
soda,  and  the  precipitate  collected  and  washed  with  distilled  water 
saturated  with  freshly  precipitated  quinine,  it  yielded  81-3  per  cent, 
of  alkaloid. 
A  prominent  manufacturer  of  quinine  salts  was  interviewed  on 
this  subject,  and  kindly  offered  to  make  an  examination  of  the  pro- 
duct. He  subsequently  wrote  me  as  follows :  "  The  sample  of 
bimuriate  of  quinine  contains  : 
Heated  on  the  water-bath  for  2  hours  it  lost  only  0-2  per  cent,  of 
hydrochloric  acid,  showing  it  to  be  a  stronger  combination  than  the 
books  indicate.  It  is  very  soluble  in  cold  water.  We  have  made 
some  which  contains  18-3  per  cent,  of  hydrochloric  acid,  or  very 
nearly  the  theoretical  quantity." 
The  term  normal  quinine  hydrochloride  has  been  applied  to  this 
product  by  several  writers  in  contradistinction  to  the  so-called  basic 
Per  Cent. 
Ouinine,  .... 
Hydrochloric  acid, 
Water,  
81 -o 
I7-5 
1  "5 
100  *o 
