54 
CHANGE IN TINCTURE OF IODINE. 
ART. XVL — ON THE CHANGE WHICH TINCTURE OF IODINE 
UNDERGOES WITH KEEPING. 
By M. Guibourt. 
Extracted from the Bulletin de 1' Academie de Medicine. 
I wish to direct the attention of the Academie to the 
variations which the alcoholic tincture of iodine presents 
in its constitution and therapeutic effects, according to the 
length of time which has elapsed since its preparation. 
I will commence by taking a retrospect of the use of 
iodine since Coindet proposed it as a remedy for goitre. 
The alcoholic tincture was at that time prescribed in doses 
of four, six, or eight drops two or three times a day, in 
some aqueous liquid. But the iodine is precipitated on 
adding the tincture to water, the solid particles of iodine 
being held in suspension in the liquid; and these being depo- 
sited on the coats of the stomach, caused active irritation, 
and probably small local ulcerations. Thus it was found 
that persons attacked with goitre, but who in other respects 
were in good health, after commencing the tincture of iodine* 
experienced pains in the stomach, loss of appetite, bad di- 
gestion, and wasting, which gave rise to the opinion, pre- 
valent at that time, that iodine could not be used for reduc- 
ing goitre, without its producing, at the same time, a gene- 
ral emaciation; that it diminished, in particular, the breasts; 
and that when prescribed for young females, it retarded 
the development of those organs designed for them by na- 
ture. Coindet, with the view of obviating these objections 
to the remedy, substituted for the alcoholic tincture, a solu- 
tion of iodine in iodide of potassium, which giving no pre- 
cipitation of iodine when added to water, acted as a mild 
and uniform stimulant to the stomach, and thus improved 
the digestive functions. Thus from that time, not only 
have all the objections which were previously urged against 
