HYPOPHOSPHITE  OF  IRON  AND  SYRUP  OF  HYPOPHOSPHITES.  319 
escaped  the  attention  of  the  writer,  that  sugar  acts  as  a  reducing 
agent  to  persalts  of  iron,  at  ordinary  temperatures,  though  not 
so  rapidly  as  at  a  boiling  heat. 
From  the  foregoing  observations  I  am  led  to  infer  that  it  is 
useless  to  introduce  a  persalt  of  iron  into  a  preparation  contain- 
ing sugar,  as  it  will  invariably  undergo  conversion  into  a  proto- 
salt. 
For  forming  the  compound  mentioned  in  the  caption  of  this 
article,  I  propose  the  following  formula,  in  which,  for  the  sake 
of  uniformity,  I  have  preserved  the  proportions  given  in  the 
formula  of  Prof.  Procter  as  nearly  as  possible. 
Take  of  Hypophosphite  of  lime,        .        .        256  grains. 
Hypophosphite  of  soda,    .        .        .    192  « 
Hypophosphite  of  potassa,    .        .        128  " 
Protosulphate  of  iron,  crystallized,      .    185  " 
Hypophosphorous  acid,*  sp.  gr.  1.036,  9  fl.  drs. 
White  sugar,       ....        12  ounces. 
Water,    «...        a  sufficient  quantity. 
Dissolve  96  grains  of  the  hypophosphite  of  lime  in  four  fluid 
ounces  of  water,  with  the  aid  of  heat,  and  acidulate  the  solution 
with  a  small  portion  of  the  hypophosphorous  acid.  Dissolve  the 
protosulphate  of  iron  in  two  fluid  ounces  of  water ;  mix  the  two 
solutions  and  allow  the  mixture  to  stand  until  the  sulphate  of 
lime,  which  is  formed  by  their  mutual  decomposition,  subsides, 
— which  will  be  at  the  end  of  five  or  six  hours — and  pour  the 
whole  on  a  filter  of  white  paper. 
After  the  clear  solution  has  passed  through  the  filter,  wash 
the  adhering  hypophosphite  of  iron  from  the  sulphate  of  lime 
with  a  small  quantity  of  water  acidulated  as  before,  and  preserve 
the  solution.  Dissolve  the  remainder  of  the  hypophosphite  of 
lime  with  the  hypophosphites  of  soda  and  potassa,  in  four  fluid 
ounces  of  water,  with  the  aid  of  heat,  adding  the  remainder  of 
the  hypophosphorous  acid.  Mix  the  solutions,  adding  water 
sufficient  to  make  the  whole  measure  ten  fluid  ounces,  which 
pour  into  a  bottle  containing  the  sugar  and  agitate  the  mixture 
occasionally  until  the  solution  is  complete.    Estimating  the  hy- 
*  This  acid  is  prepared  according  to  a  formula  by  Prof.  Procter,  Amer.  Jour. 
Pharmacy,  Vol.  XXX.,  p.  121. 
/ 
