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Solution  of  Santonine. 
(Am.  Joub.  Pharm  . 
t     July  1,1871. 
effect  of  Santonine  in  parasitic  disease  of  the  bladder  led  me,  after  a 
good  deal  of  trouble,  to  find  that  I  could  form  a  suitable  stronger 
solution  than  was  needed  for  my  purpose  by  means  of  carbonate  of 
soda. 
I  mny  formularize  my  results  thus  : — 
R     Santonini,  in  pulvere,  gr.  xij. 
Sodse  bicarbonatis,  gr.  xx. 
Aquae  distillatae  ^iij. 
Put  the  soda,  and  water  into  a  flask,  keep  the  fluid  near  the  boiling- 
poinc,  adding,  as  it  disappears,  about  two  grains  of  the  Santonine  at 
a  time,  until  the  whole  is  dissolved.    Solution  is  affected  in  a^out 
half  an  hour,  during  which  time  the  water  is  reduced  by  boiling  to 
51]'.    If  need  be,  reduce  by  boiling  to  this  bulk,  when      will  contain 
a  full  dose — six  grains  of  Santonine.    If  an  alkaline  reaction  be  ob- 
jectionable, neutralize  with  acetic  acid. 
Characters  of  the  Solution. — Bright  and  permanent,  strongly  alka- 
line, free  from  odor,  and  excepting  that  of  carbonate  of  soda,  of 
taste.  Carefully  neutralized  with  acetic  acid,  an  equally  bright  and 
permanent  neutral  solution  is  formed.  Both  the  alkaline  and  neutral 
solution  may  be  diluted  to  any  extent  with  either  cold  or  hot  water, 
without  impairing  the  perfection  of  the  solution  of  the  Santonine. 
Excess  of  acetic  acid,  after  some  hours,  and  the  mineral  acids  imme- 
diately precipitate  the  whole,  or  nearly  the  whole  of  the  Santonine, 
unchanged  and  in  its  original  form  of  colorless,  rectangular  plates 
with  bevelled  edges. 
Use. — By  the  process  above  described  we  obtain  a  bland  alkaline 
solution.,  so  completely  void  of  irritating  qualities  that  it  may  be 
dropped  into  the  eye  without  causing  the  least  sensation  ;  and  a 
neutral  solution.,  for  use  in  those  cases  in  which  an  alkali  would  be 
unsuitable. 
Mixed  with  from  one  to  twenty  times  its  bulk  of  acrid  urine,  sp.  gr. 
lOlT'O,  and  containing  excessof  uric  acid,  and  retained  at  100°  Fahr. 
for  several  hours,  not  the  faintest  turbidity  is  produced,  unless  in  the 
case  of  the  alkaline  solution,  and  an  excess  of  phosphates  in  the  urine, 
when  a  faint  cloudiness  may  occur  from  the  separation  of  the  latter. 
This  proves  that  excess  of  acid  urine  (uric  acid)  fails  to  cause  a 
deposition  of  Santonine. 
As  an  injection,  from  Iss  to  ,^j  (three  to  six  grains)  of  either  solution 
