56  On  Quinia,  etc.  {^V^h.lmT"'' 
the  tannic  acid  mixture  ;  to  prevent  this  it  is  only  necessary  to  rinse 
the  mouth  with  water,  or  with  cold  tea,  which  is  better. 
In  the  first  place,  however,  it  is  important  to  know  whether  the 
medical  properties  of  a  remedy  are  at  all  impaired  by  the  substance 
used  to  disguise  its  taste ;  and  there  is  evidence  that  there  are  many 
practitioners  who  would  be  unwilling  to  depend  upon  quinia  sulphate 
combined  with  tannic  acid  in  large  proportion  as  an  antiperiodic. 
Quinia  in  the  form  of  tannate  in  solution  (or  rather,  in  mixture)  I 
have  used  for  several  years  (in  over  a  thousand  cases),  and  believe  it 
to  be  in  no  case  less,  oftentimes  more,  efficient  as  an  antiperiodic 
than  sulphate  of  quinia  alone. 
Without  the  aid  of  any  other  substance  eight  grains  of  tannic  acid 
will  be  required  to  entirely  cover  the  taste  of  ten  grains  of  quinia 
sulphate  ;  it  is  better,  however,  to  use  less  and  in  combination  with 
aromatics  unless  an  astringent  be  indicated.  But  the  roughness  of 
tannic  acid  is  unpleasant  to  many  persons.  To  prevent  this,  add 
sugar  in  abundance  and  a  little  aromatic.  But  if  sick  stomach  should 
be  present  much  sugar  cannot  be  retained  or  will  be  refused,  (true  at 
least  in  the  majority  of  cases)  and  this  will  be  a  trouble  ;  and  if  to 
the  same  person  the  taste  of  tannic  acid  should  be  very  unpleasant, 
there  will  be  another  trouble,  and  the  difficulty  will  be  increased. 
Now  in  this  case,  as  well  as  the  case  of  a  patient  who  for  any  other 
reason  objects  both  to  sweet  medicine  and  tannic  acid,  if,  while  em- 
ploying but  little  sugar,  we  use  rather  less  tannic  acid  and  a  large 
instead  of  a  small  quantity  of  aromatic,  and  dilute  the  dose  sufficiently 
— though  unnecessary  to  dilute  very  largely — we  will  generally  suc- 
ceed. Though  in  regard  to  quinia  sulphate  directly,  a  small  quantity 
of  aromatic,  however  used,  can  accomplish  nothing,  and  the  effect  of 
a  large  quantity,  when  employed  alone,  is  too  trivial  to  make  it  useful, 
the  same  (large  quantity)  will  nevertheless  assist  much  in  disguising 
it,  provided  a  certain  proportion  of  tannic  acid  be  present. 
Some  persons  who  sweeten  quinine,  expecting  by  this  means  to 
somewhat  diminish  the  bitter  taste,  only  add  to  the  trouble,  for  the 
bitterness  is  increased  by  the  addition  of  sugar  without  any  other  sub- 
stance, or  at  least  is  not  lessened  in  the  slightest  degree,  and  is  caused 
to  be  perceived  for  a  much  longer  time  for  the  reason  probably  that 
it  imparts  an  adhesive  property  to  the  solution  which,  consequently, 
remains*  longer  on  the  organs  of  taste  and  penetrates. 
Cinchona,  though  containing  the  alkaloids  and  not  usually  requiring 
