Am.  .Tour.  Phahm.  > 
July  1,1873.  j 
New  Salt  of  Quinia. 
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diseases  as  cholera,  rheumatism,  asthma,  and  some  phases  of  skin  dis- 
ease. It  is  applied  in  the  forms  of  extract  and  tincture,  and  has 
been  recommended  for  use  in  this  country.  In  the  Indian  Pharma- 
copoeia are  some  remarks  by  Sir  Robert  Christison,  who  speaks  of  it 
not  only  as  an  excellent  substitute  for  morphia,  but  as  being  suitable 
in  cases  where  morphia  could  not  be  applied,  or  was  objected  to  by 
the  patient.  He  further  says,  he  has  "long  been  convinced,  and  new 
experience  confirms  his  conviction,  that  for  energy,  certainty,  and 
convenience,  Indian  hemp  is  the  next  anodyne,  hypnotic,  and  anti- 
spasmodic to  opium  and  its  derivatives,  and  often  equal  to  it.  '  All 
the  products  of  the  hemp  are,  however,  so  much  adulterated  that  the 
difficulty  seems  to  be  in  obtaining  gunja  of  good  quality  from  which 
to  prepare  the  extract,  which  Sir  R.  Christison  considers  the  best  of 
all  forms  in  which  it  can  be  used. 
Under  the  name  of  "  Majoon,"  a  compound  is  used  in  India  com- 
posed of  bhang,  butter,  sugar,  flour,  and  milk. — Pharm.  Jouru.  (Lon- 
don,) March  29,  1873. 
PRELIMINARY  NOTICE  OF  A  NEW  SALT  OF  QUINIA. 
Quinia  Meconate. 
13v  Peter  Towxsend  Austen.  Ph.  B. 
As  a  Salt  of  quinia  and  meconic  acid  has  not  to  my  knowledge  been 
before  described,  I  attempted  to  prepare  one. 
If  an  alcoholic  solution  of  meconic  acid  be  added  to  an  alcoholic 
solution  of  quinia,  a  white,  curdy  precipitate  is  formed.  The  precip- 
itate is  soluble  in  hot  water,  being  deposited  on  cooling  in  beautiful 
crystals.  The  water  solution  gives  reactions  for  both  quinia  and 
meconic  acid.  The  first  curdy  precipitate  on  drying  forms  a  mass 
resembling  dried  glue,  the  next  precipitate  forms  minute  scales  of  a 
silken  lustre.  Finally,  small  crystals  are  obtained.  When  filtered 
and  dried  on  bibulous  paper,  the  salt  has  a  peculiar  sheen,  resembling 
minute  fish  scales. 
A  direct  estimation  of  quinia  was  made  as  follows:  A  weighed  por- 
tion of  the  dried  salt  was  dissolved  in  water  by  the  aid  of  heat,  the 
quinia  was  precipitated  by  ammonia  and  dissolved  in  ether.  The 
ethereal  solution  was  separated  from  the  ammoniacal  liquid,  and 
washed  with  water  by  means  of  a  stopcock  funnel,  after  which  it  was 
evaporated  and  weighed.  Though  the  greatest  care  was  observed  in 
the  washing,  a  loss  of  quinia  occurred. 
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