282  Elixir  of  Theine  Hydrohromate.  {'^'^•jun"?i?s^8*''^' 
salts,  but  there  seems  to  be  very  good  grounds  for  believing  on  the 
authority  of  Giinther,  and  latterly,  Hager  and  Haakman,  that  the 
citrate  and  valerianate  as  obtained  in  commerce  are  simply  mixtures  of 
the  alkaloid  with  adhering  citric  or  valerianic  acid.  Indeed,  it  is  not 
long  ago,  the  writer  has  been  informed,  that  Dr.  Hager,  recognizing 
this  fact,  advised  pharmacists  to  mix  one -third  citric  acid  with  two- 
thirds  theine,  whenever  their  customers  wished  theine  or  caffeine  citrate. 
Probably,  Merck  solved  the  difficulties  in  the  way  of  its  making,  but 
as  yet,  the  process  has  not  become  public. 
Of  all  the  possible  salts  of  theine — the  term  is  here  used  synonym- 
ously with  caffeine — the  hydrohromate  would  seem  to  be  the  one 
whose  chemical  character  would  most  consistently  give  the  best  thera- 
peutical action.  The  sedative  alkaloid  theine,  being  in  combination  with 
the  sedative  hydrobromic  acid,  the  action  of  theine  hydrohromate 
should  be  doubly  happy.  True  the  percentage  of  the  acid  is  small, 
but,  all  things  equal,  it  should,  theoretically,  be  the  best. 
Reasoning  on  this  basis,  the  writer  constructed  an  elixir  of  theine 
hydrohromate,  which  was  tried  medicinally,  and  the  results  obtained 
would  seem  to  justify  the  highest  expectations  formed  in  regard  to  it. 
The  formula  used  is  as  follows  : 
Take  of  : 
Theine   .^iss 
Dilute  Hydrobromic  Acid   f^i 
Water   f^i 
Elixir  of  Orange  q.  s.  ad  oi. 
Dissolve  the  theine  in  the  water  and  hyrobromic  acid,  with  the 
aid  of  heat,  filter  and  add  the  orange  elixir.  Dose  :  1  to  3  teaspoon- 
fuls.  The  product  is  a  clear,  transparent,  water- white  liquid  ;  pleas- 
antly bitter  in  taste ;  almost  neutral  in  reaction,  miscible  with  an  equal 
volume  of  alcohol  without  precipitation.  Each  teaspoonful  contains 
one  grain  of  anhydrous  theine  hydrohromate  (Cg  H^q       O2  HBr). 
Absorption  of  I^ead  Chromate— Experiraents  made  on  animals 
with  the  pure  salt,  have  led  Dr.  John  Marshall  to  the  following 
conclusions  ; — 1.  Absorption  of  lead  and  chromium  takes  place  upon 
administration  of  lead  chromate.  2.  Owing  to  the  insoluble  nature  of  the 
salt,  absorption  takes  place  very  slowly.  3.  It  is  most  likely  that  the  absorp- 
tion of  lead  takes  place  in  the  stomach  and  not  in  the  intestinal  tract.  4.  The 
chromium  of  the  decomposed  lead  chromate  would  be  absorbed  in  the  stom- 
ach as  chromic  chloride,  and  in  the  intestines  as  sodium  chromate.  Therap. 
Gazette,  Feb.  1888. 
