Aui'jine?i8yiarm'}  Formulas  for  Pharmaceutical  Preparations.  277 
Dissolve  the  citric  acid  in  four  fluid  ounces  of  water  and  rub  up 
the  pepsin  with  this  solution,  add  the  wine  and  gently  warm  at  a 
temperature  of  not  over  ioo°  F.  until  the  pepsin  is  dissolved.  Dis- 
solve the  ammonio-citrate  of  bismuth  in  1  fluid  ounce  of  water,  with 
the  aid  of  a  few  drops  of  ammonia  water,  and  add  this  solution  to 
the  pepsin  solution,  and  then  gradually  add  ammonia  water  until 
the  solution  becomes  perfectly  clear  and  neutral  or  very  slightly 
alkaline.  Now  add  the  sugar,  spirit  of  orange  and  sufficient  water  to 
make  one  pint.    Filter  if  necessary. 
This  preparation  contains  5  grains  of  saccharated  pepsin  and  1 
grain  of  ammonio-citrate  of  bismuth  to  the  fluid  drachm,  which 
is  the  strength  as  supplied  by  most  manufacturers.  A  few,  however* 
claim  2  grains  of  bismuth  salt  to  each  teaspoonful,  and  the  above 
formula  can  be  so  altered.  In  these  days  of  strong  pepsins,  I  would 
suggest  that  it  should  be  made  by  substituting  128  grains  of  pure 
powdered  pepsin  for  the  saccharated  of  the  formula.  Sample 
marked  No.  2  is  thus  made. 
SOLUTION  OF  MALATE  OF  IRON. 
A  proprietary  article  on  the  market  states  on  the  label  that  each 
teaspoonful  contains  4  grains  of  ferrous  malate.  Upon  evaporation 
a  fluid  ounce  yielded  but  32  grains  of  total  residue.  The  iron* 
being  determined  as  ferric  oxide,  and  calculated  as  ferrous  malate 
yielded  less  than  three  grains  of  that  salt.  By  the  odor  and  taste 
spts.  frumenti  was  easily  recognized.  The  preparation  appeared  to 
closely  resemble  the  tinctura  ferri  pomata  of  the  German  Pharmaco- 
poeia, with  the  substitution  of  common  whiskey  for  the  alcohol  and 
cinnamon  water  of  the  officinal  preparation. 
As  pure  malic  acid  cannot  be  obtained  at  such  a  price  as  to  war- 
rant its  use  in  preparing  pharmaceutical  preparations,  we  are  com- 
pelled to  depend  upon  the  natural  acid  of  certain  fruits.  As  sour 
apples  were  not  obtainable,  it  occurred  to  the  writer  that  cranberries 
would  form  a  suitable  substitute.  The  juice  of  the  cranberry  is 
stated  by  E.  Mach  and  K.  Portele  (see  Amer.  Journ.  of  Phar., 
1891,  page  151)  to  contain  from  18  to  20-5  per  cent,  of  acid.  The 
American  cranberry  possibly  contains  not  as  much  acid.  Experi- 
ment led  to  the  following  formula  yielding  a  product  very  similar  to 
the  proprietary.  One  quart  of  soft  cranberries  yield  about  12  fluid 
ounces  of  juice. 
