564 
Liquor  Magnesii  Citratis. 
J  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
t   December,  1911. 
securely  corked,  were  shaken  at  frequent  intervals.  By  this  pro- 
cedure no  camphor  was  lost  and  at  the  end  of  two  days  it  was  com- 
pletely dissolved.  Observations  were  then  made  in  a  Schmidt  and 
Haensch  saccharimeter.  A  loo  mm.  tube  was  employed.  The  tem- 
perature during  the  readinc:s  varied  from  19.5°  to  20°  C.  The  left 
field  showed  a  reddish  color  which  deepened  with  increased  con- 
centration of  the  camphor,  so  that,  while  the  reading  on  the  5  per 
cent,  solution  was  perfectly  distinct,  the  observations  became  more 
difficult  until  with  the  25  per  cent,  solution  the  precise  reading  was 
in  doubt.  Five  to  fifteen  independent  observations  were  made  on 
each  solution,  according  as  the  reading  was  more  or  less  distinct. 
The  averages  ou  the  five  solutions  were,  respectively:  -\-  7.0  -j-  14.5, 
+  21.7,  4-  28.9,  +  36.2.    With  these  data  a  graph  was  plotted. 
In  order,  then,  to  examine  lots  manufactured  in  the  laboratory, 
it  is  only  necessary  to  fill  a  100  mm.  tube  with  the  sample  and 
observe  the  reading  in  the  saccharimeter  at  or  near  20° C.  Refer- 
ence to  the  graph  indicates  the  percentage  of  camphor. 
LIQUOR  MAGNESII  CITRATIS. 
By  M.  D.  Allen. 
The  manufacture  and  preservation  of  liquor  magnesii  citratis 
is  a  simple  matter,  yet  one  which  gives  the  average  retail  druggist 
a  great  amount  of  trouble,  as  I  have  learned  by  experience. 
The  Pharmacopoeial  method,  with  which  you  are  all  familiar, 
gives  an  excellent  product,  if  you  can  prepare  it  freshly  as  required, 
or  if  you  can  accurately  gauge  your  demands  for  not  over  24  or  36 
hours.  Either  course  is  hardly  practical,  so  that  some  method  must 
be  employed  whereby  the  product  can  be  preserved  in  good  condition, 
for  not  only  one  day  but  several  days,  or  weeks  if  desired. 
I  have  used  various  methods  without  much  success.  The  first 
which  I  tried  was  to  dissolve  the  acid  and  magnesium  carbonate 
in  boiling  water,  filtering,  adding  the  required  amount  of  syrup  and 
oil  of  lemon — for  the  flavor — and  filling  the  bottles  which  had  been 
thoroughly  cleaned.  I  found,  however,  that  at  the  end  of  about  24 
hours  a  flocculent  fungous  growth  would  form  and  constantly  in- 
crease.   This  method  was  then  abandoned. 
