104  PHARMACEUTICAL  NOTES. 
D.  Saturate  decantate  C  with  a  slight  excess  of  recently  pre- 
cipitated moist  carbonate  of  baryta,  filter  the  solution,  evaporate 
to  2  pints,  and  again  filter. 
Thus  is  formed  the  solution  of  chlorate  of  baryta  used  by  me, 
which  is  tolerably  free  from  impurity,  as  the  oxalic  and  tartaric 
acid  contained  in  the  solution  of  chloric  acid  unite  with  baryta  to 
form  very  sparingly  soluble  baryta  salts,  leaving  the  solution 
contaminated  only  with  small  amounts  of  chlorate  of  soda  and 
potassa,  which  do  not  interfere  in  the  least  in  the  subsequent  pre- 
paration of  the  salt  of  the  alkaloids. 
Ferrocyanate  of  Quinia.    The  only  formula  at  my  command 
for  preparing  this  compound  is  that  given  in  the  U.  S.  Dispensa- 
tory (from  A.  J.  Ph.  xii.  351).  This  formula  directs  that  2  parts 
sulphate  of  quinia  be  boiled  with  3  parts  ferrocyanide  of  potas- 
sium, in  a  very  little  water ;  to  pour  off  the  liquor  from  a  green- 
ish-yellow substance,  which  is  then  to  be  washed  with  distilled 
water,  dissolved  in  strong  alcohol,  at  100°  F.,  the  solution  fil- 
tered and  evaporated  to  dryness.    When  I  first  prepared  the 
compound  according  to  this  formula  I  obtained  a  yellow  alcoholic 
solution,  which  when  evaporated  on  a  water-bath  was  gradually 
turned  quite  green,  and  when  dry  formed  a  greenish-yellow  pow- 
der.   Dissatisfied  with  this  result,  I  prepared  another  lot,  allow- 
ing the  alcoholic  solution  to  evaporate  spontaneously,  and  the 
result  was  a  light  yellow  substance.    Pelouze  found  this  prepara- 
tion to  be  a  mixture  of  pure  quinine  with  a  little  Prussian  blue. 
It  is  difficult  to  comprehend  how  a  mixture  of  quinine  and  Prus- 
sian blue  would  form  a  light  yellow  compound,  and  I  therefore 
suggest  that  it  is  possible  he  operated  on  a  ferrocyanate,  the 
alcoholic  solution  of  which  had  been  evaporated  by  heat.    It  is 
evident  that  the  compound,  whatever  it  may  be,  is  decomposed 
by  heat  when  in  alcoholic  solution,  and  the  coloration  is  such  as 
might  be  produced  by  the  formation  of  Prussian  blue  in  a  yellow 
solution.    From  these  facts  I  am  inclined  to  believe  that  the 
light  yellow  ferrocyanate  is  a  true  compound,  which  is,  however, 
very  readily  decomposed  by  heat. 
Elixir  Calisaya  and  Elixir  Calisaya  F errata.  Within  the 
last  few  years  these  elixirs  have  become  quite  popular,  and  are 
