34 
PJiarmaceutical  Notes. 
(Am.  Jour.  Pharnj. 
X   February,  1865. 
iodine  gradually  and  carefully  introduced.  To  prevent  violent  reac- 
tion it  is  recommended  to  moisten  the  tin  with  carbon  disulphide 
before  introducing  the  iodine,  but  this  is  not  necessary  if  proper 
caution  be  used.  The  contents  of  the  flask  liquefy  by  the  heat 
generated ;  when  the  reaction  is  over,  the  flask  is  heated  and  shaken 
to  insure  complete  combination.  When  cold,  the  iodide  solidifies 
to  a  mass  having  a  chocolate  color,  and  crystalline  in  structure. 
The  mass  was  placed  in  a  porcelain  dish,  covered  with  a  funnel  hav- 
ing a  long  neck  with  a  small  flask  on  the  top.  It  melts  at  about 
15b0  C.,and  the  stannic  iodide  sublimes  at  about  i8o°  C,  collecting 
in  the  funnel  in  yellow-red  octohedral  needles.  The  stannous  iodide 
which  forms  part  of  the  mass  does  not  sublime  when  air  is  excluded 
even  at  a  red  heat.  By  this  method  the  two  iodides  can  be 
separated. 
Stannic  iodide  has  a  specific  gravity  of  4  69,  it  is  soluble  in 
carbon  disulphide,  absolute  alcohol,  methyl  alcohol,  ether,  chloro- 
form, benzol  and  oil  of  turpentine.  It  is  quite  sparingly  soluble  in 
water  ;  the  aqueous  solution  soon  decomposes  into  hydriodic  acid 
and  stannic  oxide. 
It  is  not  clearly  stated  which  of  the  two  iodides  is  wanted  for 
medical  purposes,  and,  as  their  therapeutic  effects  may  vary  very 
much,  more  information  is  wanted  before  they  can  be  dispensed 
with  safety. 
Specimens  of  the  two  iodides  are  herewith  submitted. 
PHARMACEUTICAL  NOTES. 
By  F.  W.  Haussmann. 
IRON  IN  COMMERCIAL  GLYCERIN. 
The  practice  of  keeping  glycerin  in  tinned  iron  cans,  often  for  a 
prolonged  time,  will  have  the  effect  of  contaminating  the  same  with 
traces  of  the  metal. 
As  special  inducements  are  usually  offered  by  the  wholesale 
dealers  to  buy  this  liquid  in  lots  of  50  pounds,  cans  of  this  capacity 
containing  the  same  are  generally  found  in  retail  pharmacies,  and 
often  form  the  only  stock  container,  with  the  consequence  of  the 
above-mentioned  contamination. 
In  many  operations,  both  in  the  laboratory  and  on  the  prescrip- 
tion counter,  the  delicate  iron  reactions  produced  with  certain  com- 
