344  Preservation  of  Tinct  Kino,  etc.  {^^Kn^i^mi^' 
dry  salt  leaves  an  insoluble  sediment  when  dissolved  in  water ;  this 
sediment  has  a  light  gray  color ;  when  heated  with  oxide  of  manga- 
nese and  sulphuric  acid  it  does  not  evolve  bromine ;  heated  with  dilute 
hydrochloric  acid  it  dissolves  quietly,  without  disengagement  of  chlo- 
rine, showing  by  these  reactions  the  character  of  a  protoxide. 
As  the  bromide  of  cerium  is  new  in  therapeutics,  we  trust  that  the 
able  experimenter  for  whom  the  salt  was  prepared  will  furnish  us  with 
his  experience  in  the  administration  of  the  salt. 
Philadelphia^  July  10,  1871. 
PRESBRYATION  OF  TINCT.  KINO  FROM  GELATINIZING. 
By  J.  W.  Wood,  Rokeby,  Del. 
Among  all  our  tinctures,  perhaps  there  is  not  one  so  liable  to  de- 
teriorate by  exposure,  or  by  long  keeping,  as  tincture  of  kino,  made 
in  accordance  with  the  U.  S.  Pharmacopoeia ;  its  well  known  property 
of  gelatinizing  in  a  short  time — a  property  which  yet  remains  to  be 
investigated — being  thereby  rendered  inert,  precludes  it  from  being 
as  extensively  used  as  its  virtues  would  seem  to  warrant. 
This  property  renders  it  inadmissible  when  we  desire  a  reliable 
tincture,  to  prepare  it  in  large  quantities. 
The  pharmacopoeia  formerly  directed  it  to  be  prepared  with  dilute 
alcohol  as  the  menstruum  ;  but  later  it  was  thought  to  be  of  advantage 
to  increase  the  proportion  of  alcohol  to  two  thirds  ;  yet  it  is  doubtful 
if  there  was  much  gained  by  this  change. 
I  would  therefore  submit  the  following  mode  of  preparation,  which 
I  consider,  from  the  experience  I  have  had,  will  meet  with  the  de- 
sired end,  and  up  to  the  present  time  results  do  not  seem  to  disprove 
it.    It  is  as  follows  : 
R.  Kino  in  fine  powder  ,^iss 
Alcohol  -835  fgviij 
AquBe  f^iv 
Glycerinse  f^iv 
Mix  the  alcohol,  water  and  glycerin  together,  and  having  mixed 
the  kino  with  an  equal  bulk  of  clean  sand,  introduce  in  a  percolator 
and  pour  on  the  menstruum. 
This  menstruum  seems  to  thoroughly  exhaust  the  drug  of  its  astrin- 
gent principle,  and  also  makes  a  nice  looking  preparation. 
Some  which  I  made  on  the  sixteenth  day  of  July,  1870,  was  ex- 
