214  Uva  Ursi  and  Sprit  of  Nitre.  {Am^%f^m- 
The  examination  of  this  subject  furnishes  another  illustration  of  the 
necessity  for  the  most  scrupulous  care,  not  only  in  making  prepara- 
tions, but  in  guarding  them  from  contamination  after  they  are  made. 
Although  in  this  particular  case,  practically,  no  harm  could  possibly  re- 
sult from  the  presence  of  the  trace  of  iron,  yet  we  see  in  it  a  cause  for 
annoyance,  and  the  prescription  would  very  likely  be  returned  by  the 
patient  with  suspicions  of  an  error  in  compounding. 
UVA  URSI  AND  SPIRIT  OF  NITRE. 
BY  M.  S.  BIDWELL,  ELMIRA,  N.  Y. 
(Read  at  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting  April  18.) 
Two  communications  have  recently  appeared  in  the  "  Druggists' 
Circular,"  asserting  that  sweet  spirit  of  nitre  and  fluid  extract  of  uva 
ursi  would  form,  in  some  cases,  an  explosive  mixture.  Other  ingre- 
dients were  mentioned — syrup  in  the  one  case  and  fluid  extract  of  buchu 
in  the  other,  but  the  two  former  were  supposed  to  be  the  dangerous 
agents.  As  every  pharmacist  has  frequent  occasion  to  mix  these  in- 
gredients, and  no  disturbance  has  ever  before  been  made  public,  I  was 
skeptical  as  to  the  reality  of  the  startling  phenomenon,  and  paid  no 
attention  to  the  first  statement,  but  on  the  appearance  of  the  second, 
proceeded  to  the  following  simple  experiments,  which  any  one  can 
verify  : 
1.  Fluid  extract  of  uva  ursi,  of  my  own  make,  about  twenty  months 
old  ;  sweet  spirit  of  nitre,  also  of  my  own  make,  about  a  month  old, 
and  kept  standing  on  crystals  of  potassium  bicarbonate,  to  prevent 
any  acidity.  Two  drachms  of  each  were  mixed,  with  no  perceptible 
action  of  any  kind. 
2.  Fluid  extract,  made  by  Squibb,  several  years  old  ;  spirit  of  nitre, 
as  above,  and  result  the  same. 
3.  To  each  of  these  mixtures  was  added  about  one  drachm  of  dilute 
nitric  acid,  U.  S.  P.  ;  a  decided  effervescence  at  once  occurred,  the 
surface  of  the  liquid  being  nearly  covered  with  minute  bubbles,  with  a 
decidedly  nitrous  odor.  The  reaction  continued  perhaps  ten  minutes, 
and  would  very  likely  have  been  more  energetic  in  a  larger  quantity  of 
the  materials. 
It  seems  fair  to  conclude,  therefore,  that  the  liquids  mentioned  will 
not  produce  any  disturbance  if  the  spirit  of  nitre  is  in  good  condition  ; 
