Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  \ 
September,  1915.  j" 
Wine  of  Beef  and  Iron. 
407 
mentation  due  to  insufficient  alcohol  in  the  sherry  wine  directed  to 
act  as  a  preservative. 
As  wine  of  beef  and  iron  is  of  considerable  commercial  impor- 
tance, a  circular  letter  was  directed  to  the  principal  pharmaceutical 
houses,  inquiring  if  they  had  found  the  N.  F.  formula  satisfactory; 
if  not,  what  were  the  difficulties  or  defects,  and  requesting  suggestions 
for  improvements.  The  answers  received  from  a  number  of  these 
manufacturers  show  that  their  experience  with  the  N.  F.  formula 
was  similar  to  my  own,  and  that  an  improvement  in  the  formula  was 
absolutely  necessary. 
In  the  course  of  correspondence,  Dr.  John  M.  Francis,  of  Detroit, 
has  advanced  an  ingenious  explanation  as  an  opinion  as  to  the  cause 
of  the  decomposition.  He  attributes  the  decomposition  to  the  ferric 
salt  (tincture  ferric  citro-chloride  directed  in  the  formula).  He 
writes : 
"  I  am  not  prepared  to  recommend  the  use  of  ferric  chloride  or 
ferric  citro-chloride ;  in  fact,  I  would  not  recommend  the  use  of  any 
ferric  salt  in  this  or  similar  preparations,  for  the  simple  reason  that 
where  a  ferric  salt  is  associated  with  citric  acid  chemical  decom- 
position will  take  place  on  exposure  to  sunlight  or  a  very  bright  light, 
resulting  in  a  reduction  of  the  ferric  salt  and  the  formation  of  car- 
bonic acid  gas,  which  sometimes  is  present  in  sufficient  quantity  to 
blow  the  cork  or  burst  the  bottle." 
"  It  took  us  some  little  time  to  figure  out  this  reaction,  as  we  sup- 
posed that  the  gas  produced  was  due  to  fermentation.  We  are  fully 
convinced  now  that  it  is  a  chemical  reaction  brought  about  by  light." 
He  recommends  the  use  of  the  soluble  citrate  of  iron  to  replace  the 
tincture  ferric  citro  chloride. 
In  a  subsequent  communication  Dr.  Francis  writes : 
"  Our  conclusion  is  that,  regardless  of  which  particular  one  may 
be  employed,  any  ferric  salt  will  decompose  in  beef,  iron  and  wine  to 
a  greater  or  less  extent  when  exposed  to  bright  light,  with  the  con- 
sequent formation  of  gas  which  is  liable  to  blow  the  cork  or  burst 
the  bottle.  If  the  beef,  iron  and  wine  is  made  very  nearly  neutral  a 
product  can  be  manufactured  which  will  meet  all  practical  purposes, 
as  very  little  gas  is  produced,  even  in  severe  conditions.  If  one  uses 
ferric  chloride  or  the  tincture  of  ferric  citro-chloride  or  ferric  citrate 
and  has  an  excess  of  acid  in  the  beef,  iron  and  wine,  the  formation  of 
gas  and  the  danger  of  explosion  will  increase  in  direct  proportion  to 
