LIGHT  SULPHATE  OF  QUININE — A  FRAUD. 
249 
IJ  milligram  of  nitrate  of  strychnine,  died  ten  minutes  after  in 
violent  tetanic  convulsions.  Nothing  similar  was  manifested 
after  the  injection  of  the  strychnine  into  the  rabbit  which  had 
previously  received  some  chloral. 
It  results  from  these  experiments  that  strychnine,  adminis- 
tered after  an  excessive  dose  of  chloral,  cuts  short  and  destroys 
the  effect  of  the  latter,  and  that  without  producing  its  own  char- 
acteristic action.  Dr.  Liebreich  proposes  to  make  use  of  injec- 
tions of  nitrate  of  strychnine  in  accidents  produced  by  an 
overdose  of  chloral  or  chloroform. — Pharm.  Journ.^  London, 
April,  1870,  from  Comptes  Hendus,  21st  February. 
LIGHT  SULPHATE  OF  QUININE— A  FRAUD. 
By  Louis  Strehl. 
A  small  lot  of  quinine  was  recently  purchased  in  this  city, 
bearing  the  following  label  :  "  Light  Sulphate  of  Quinine ; 
Manufactured  by  Lord  Bros.,  Ludgate  Hill,  London."  The 
manufacturers  being  unknown,  the  "quinine"  was  submitted  to 
the  ordinary  tests  for  its  purity. 
A  casual  glance  at  the  article  excited  no  suspicion,  but  upon 
a  closer  scrutiny,  the  crystals  were  found  to  be  colorless  rhombic 
prisms,  about  a  line  in  length,  distinct  and  not  interlaced  to  such 
an  extent  as  we  see  them  in  sulphate  of  quinia.  The  taste  was 
bitter,  resembling  that  of  the  latter  alkaloid.  The  crystalline 
shape  could  be  readily  distinguished  by  the  naked  eye. 
The  crystals  were  entirely  soluble  in  cold  water,  and  this  so- 
lution, when  treated  with  chlorine  water  and  ammonia,  gave  no 
characteristic  indication  of  quinia.  Chlorine  water  added  to  a 
solution  of  the  salt,  followed  by  ferrocyanide  of  potassium  and 
afterwards  by  a  few  drops  of  water  of  ammonia,  gave  no  indica- 
tion of  quinia. 
The  above  results  show  the  entire  absence  of  quinia  in  the  so- 
called  "  Light  Sulphate  of  Quinine." 
An  aqueous  solution  of  the  salt  was  precipitated  by  ammonia 
and  a  portion  of  the  filtrate,  treated  with  chloride  of  barium, 
gave  no  precipitate,  showing  the  absence  Qf  sulphuric  acid.  An- 
other portion  of  the  filtrate  was  slightly  acidulated  with  nitric 
