73o 
Iodine  Tinctures. 
/Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
«-   November,  1919. 
of  1.4  per  cent,  in  Surgodine.  The  special  preparation  which  I  de- 
vised is  intermediate  and  contains  0.6  per  cent.  The  total  combined 
iodine  (including  potassium  iodide  or  hydrogen  iodide)  ranges  from 
0.4  per  cent,  in  the  alcohol  solution  to  2.7  per  cent,  in  the  Burnham 
preparation. 
Effects  on  .the  Skin. — The  solutions  were  painted  on  the  skin  of 
the  inner  surface  of  the  forearm,  each  solution  covering  an  area  of 
from  15  to  20  Mm.  diameter;  each  application  was  allowed  to  dry 
before  the  next  was  added. 
The  results  did  not  show  any  significant  or  constant  differences. 
The  actual  results  indicated  that  Burnham's  preparation  was  the 
more  irritant,  and  the  U.  S.  P.  tincture  (reduced  to  the  same  iodine 
percentage)  was  the  less  irritant,  but  the  differences  were  so  small 
that  they  could  easily  be  accidental. 
In  a  preliminary  test  with  three  applications,  no  material  dif- 
ference could  be  detected  between  the  different  solutions. 
In  a  second  series,  a  measured  quantity  of  solution  was  applied 
to  two  spots  in  three  courses.  The  first  course  consisted  of  five  ap- 
plications at  intervals  of  five  minutes,  and  then  a  pause  of  thirty- 
five  minutes.  At  the  end  of  this  time,  the  skin  of  all  the  areas  was 
slightly  tender.  The  second  course  consisted  of  five  applications 
during  sixteen  minutes,  and  then  a  fifty-five  minute  interval.  There 
was  now  considerable  tenderness,  alike  for  all  the  areas.  The  third 
course  comprised  five  applications  during  fifteen  minutes.  Forty 
minutes  after  the  last  application,  all  the  areas  were  equally  sore. 
The  depth  of  the  stains  ran  in  decreasing  order  from  Burnham's 
(most)  through  Surgodine,  hydrogen  iodide,  U.  S.  P.  tincture,  and 
alcoholic  (least)  ;  but  the  differences  were  not  great. 
After  removing  the  excess  of  iodine  with  alcohol,  the  reddening 
and  edema  at  this  time  appeared  as  follows :  Burnham's  most,  dis- 
tinct papular  edema  and  reddening ;  then  the  alcoholic ;  then  the 
others,  which  were  about  alike. 
On  the  following  morning,  the  order  of  irritation  was  as  fol- 
lows :  most,  both  Burnham's  areas ;  next,  one  of  the  alcoholic  areas ; 
next  one  of  the  hydrogen  iodide  areas ;  next,  Surgodine ;  least, 
U.  S.  P. 
Precipitation  of  Albumin. — Irritation  is  often  due  to  precipita- 
tion of  proteins,  and  this  probably  applies  to  the  irritant  action  of 
iodine.   Therefore  an  investigation  was  made  to  determine  whether 
