THE  AMERICAN 
JOURNAL  OF  PHARMACY. 
JANUARY,  1888. 
OlSr  THE  ANALYSIS  OF  BITTER  WINE  OF  IRON. 
A  Contribution  from  the  Chemical  Laboratory  of  the  Philadelphia  College  of 
Pharmacy. 
By  Herman  J.  M.  Schroeter. 
Read  at  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting,  December  20, 1887. 
In  discussing  this  subject  it  is  the  object  of  the  writer  to  show  by 
analysis  the  differences  which  exist  between  commercial  and  offichial 
bitter  wine  of  iron,  and  at  the  same  time  propose  a  method  for  its 
assay. 
It  was  thought  desirable  to  have  a  standard  for  comparison,  there- 
fore a  sample  was  made  according  to  the  formula  of  the  U.  S.  P.  1880. 
In  order  to  be  sure  of  the  most  important  ingredient— the  solution 
of  citrate  of  iron  and  quinine — the  manufacture  of  it  was  started  by 
preparing  from  chemically  pure  ferrous  sulphate  the  solution  of  ter- 
sulphate  of  iron,  which  was  converted  into  ferric  hydrate  and  used 
for  preparing  the  solution  of  citrate  of  iron  and  ammonium,  from 
which  was  obtained  the  salt  in  transparent  garnet  red  scales.  From 
this,  then,  the  solution  of  citrate  of  iron  and  quinine  was  prepared. 
The  white  wine  used,  in  preparing  the  stronger  white  wine,  had  the 
specific  gravity  of  1.027  at  20°  C,  and  an  alcohol  strength  by  weight 
of  15.25  per  cent. 
To  compare  with  the  officinally  prepared  bitter  wine  of  iron  five 
samples  were  procured  in  the  market  from  different  sources.    For  aid 
