74 
Syrup  of  Ferrous  Iodide. 
/Am.  .lour.  Pharm. 
\    February.  1903. 
to  sodium  hyposulphite  (sodium  thiosulphate),  which,  while  effective 
in  removing  the  free  iodine,  is  objectionable  on  account  of  the 
precipitation  of  sulphur  which  takes  place  in  the  reaction,  viz. : 
Na2S203  +  H20-|-I2=Na2S04-f  2HI  +  S.  Professor  Judge  directs  the 
addition  of  nails  or  wire  to  the  syrup  restored  by  means  of  hypo- 
phosphorous  acid  in  order  to  neutralize  the  hydriodic  acid  formed. 
Nine  years  later,  in  1885  ("  Year-book  of  Pharmacy,"  1885^.484) 
Mr.  A.  E.  Robinson,  F.C.S.,  at  the  British  Pharmaceutical  Confer- 
ence, held  at  Aberdeen,  Scotland,  presented  a  very  interesting  and 
able  paper  by  the  title  of  "  Permanent  Solution  of  Ferrous  Iodide," 
in  which  he  claims  the  discovery  of  hypophosphorous  acid  as  a 
preservative  of  ferrous  iodide,  while,  as  stated  above,  the  credit  of 
discovery  really  belongs  to  our  own  countryman,  Prof.  J.  F.  Judge. 
Mr.  Robinson,  after  a  discussion  of  the  various  methods  used  at 
different  times  to  preserve  syrup  of  ferrous  iodide,  suggested  the 
use  of  hypophosphorous  acid  as  the  most  effective  and  desirable 
means  to  obtain  that  end.  Mr.  Robinson,  however,  believing,  that 
on  keeping,  the  decomposition  of  the  syrup  takes  place  with  the 
formation  of  grape-sugar,  suggested  a  formula  for  an  aqueous  solu- 
tion of  ferrous  iodide,  preserved  by  means  of  hypophosphorous  acid. 
The  formula,  suggested  by  Mr.  Robinson,  is  as  follows: 
Digest  the  iodine,  iron  wire  and  water,  at  a  gentle  heat,  until  com- 
bination is  complete ;  then  filter  into  the  hypophosphorous  acid 
and  add  sufficient  water  to  make  8  fluid  ounces. 
Prof.  J.  M.  Good,  at  a  meeting  of  the  Missouri  Pharmaceutical 
Association,  in  189 1,  stated  that  syrup  of  ferrous  iodide  made  from 
the  National,  Formulary  solution  of  ferrous  iodide,  in  which  hypo- 
phosphorous acid  is  used,  manifests  no  disposition  to  change.  This 
cannot  be  said  of  the  official  syrup. 
Mr.  E.  A.  Warren  {Pharmaceutical  Record,  1892)  recommends  the 
addition  of  2  fluid  drams  of  hypophosphorous  acid  to  the  pint  of 
syrup  of  ferrous  iodide.  Mr.  Warren  filters  the  solution  of  ferrous 
iodide  into  the  hypophosphorous  acid. 
Take  of 
Iodine  
Iron  wire  
Distilled  water  
Hypophosphorous  acid  (20  per  cent.) 
1,804  grs- 
2  ozs. 
6  fl.  ozs. 
3  fl.  drams. 
