436 
Examination  of  Quinine  Pills. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharm, 
I      Sept.,  1883. 
described.  For  every  20  grains  of  sulphate  of  quinine  2  or  3  fluid- 
ounces  of  chloroform  are  now  poured  on  the  powder,  or  into  the  flask. 
The  apparatus  is  then  put  together,  and  the  flask  heated  by  means  of 
a  sand-bath  to  70°-80°C. 
If  the  destination  and  condensation  of  the  chloroform  proceeds 
regularly,  the  whole  quantity  of  the  quinine  will  be  extracted  in  about 
one  hour.  The  apparatus  is  allowed  to  cool,  a  small  quantity  of 
chloroform  is  poured  into  the  percolator,  and  a  drop  on  coming 
through  evaporated  on  a  watch  crystal.  If  a  residue  remains,  it  is 
dissolved  in  a  little  chloroform,  and  put  back  on  the  powder,  and 
J  to  1  fluidounce  of  chloroform  more  added.  If  no  residue  remains 
on  the  crystal,  and  the  drop  causes  no  opacity  with  diluted  acid  and 
a  solution  of  iodide  of  mercury  and  potassium,  the  heating  is  continued 
for  10  or  15  minutes  longer,  so  as  to  be  certain  that  all  the  quinine 
has  been  extracted.  Now  allow  the  apparatus  to  cool,  evaporate  the 
chloroform  in  the  tared  flask,  and  dry  the  residue  by  means  of  an 
air-bath  and  a  moderate  heat  until  the  weight  remains  constant. 
The  residue  will  represent  the  amount  of  quinine,  if  it  answers  to 
the  test  of  pure  quinine.  If  the  pills  represented  20  grains  of  qui- 
nine sulphate,  the  residue  should  weigh  14*86238  grains,  or  0*961 
gram. 
Experimental  Analyses. — The  sulphate  of  quinine  was  mixed  with 
suflicient  starch,  gum  and  sugar  to  make  30  parts  represent  10  parts 
of  sulphate  of  quinine ;  the  results  by  the  second  method  were : 
Sulphate  of  quinine  used.  Found.  Loss. 
1.  -1545 
2.  -1036 
3.  -1328 
4.  -1063 
1544  -0001 
1036 
1327  -0001 
1062  -0001 
4969  -0003 
•4972 
The  loss  expressed  in  per  cent,  was  only  0*0603,  or  for  each  10 
grains  there  was  a  loss  of  0*00603  grain. 
For  the  further  examination  of  the  alkaloid  obtained  in  this  manner 
I  use  the  polariscope,  and  proceed  according- to  the  method  suggested 
by  Mathias  Rozsnyay,  of  Arad,  Hungary,  for  these  optical  observa- 
tions. The  polariscope  used  by  me  was  made  by  Drs.  Sterg  and 
Renter,  of  Homburg,  and  is  correct  to  yig-  per  cent.  The  alkaloid 
is  obtained  by  the  second  method  from  pills  representing  20  grains 
of  sulphate  of  quinine.     0*7432  gram  of  this  alkaloid  is  dissolved 
