DEATH  FROM  AN  OVERDOSE  OF  STRYCHNIA. 
311 
than  the  sulphate,  requiring  50  parts  of  water,  at  71°  F.,  for 
solution  (Gmelin's  Handbook).  The  solubility  of  iodide  of 
strychnia  is  not  found  in  any  authority  which  I  have  consulted. 
It  is  spoken  of  as  very  insoluble.  My  own  determinations  make 
its  solubility  0*54  parts  in  100  parts  of  water,  at  60°  F.* 
When  a  drop  of  syrup  of  iodide  of  iron  is  added  to  a  cold 
saturated  solution  of  muriate  of  strychnia,  the  insoluble  iodide 
of  the  alkaloid  is  immediately  formed. 
I  have  before  me  the  prescription  alluded  to  in  this  communi- 
cation, put  up  in  two  ways.  In  both  the  muriate  of  strychnia 
was  previously  dissolved  in  .^iss  of  water.  In  No.  1  the  strych- 
nia solution  w^as  mixed  with  the  iodide  of  iron,  and  the  ginger 
syrup  immediately  added  and  well  shaken.  In  No.  2  the  strych- 
nia solution  was  first  added  to  the  syrup  of  ginger,  well  shaken 
and  the  iodide  of  iron  added.  In  No.  1  the  bottom  of  the  bottle 
is  covered  with  crystals  of  iodide  of  strychnia,  and  many  float- 
ing crystals  suspended  in  the  mixture.  In  No.  2  no  decompo- 
sition is  discernible,  and  after  standing  four  days  no  deposit  has 
taken  place. 
On  page  1418  of  the  U.  S.  Dispensatory,  13th  edition  (1870), 
after  quoting  from  this  Journal  the  experiments  of  Bouchardat 
and  Gobley  on  the  insolubility  of  iodine  combinations  with 
strychnia,  the  authors  add  :  "  But  though  this  fact  establishes  the 
impropriety  of  combining  solutions  of  iodine  mid  strychnia  in  pre- 
scriptions, yet  it  by  no  means  justifies  the  inference  drawn  from 
it,  that  iodine  might  serve  as  an  antidote  to  strychnia.  Indeed, 
the  contrary  has  been  proved  by  the  experiments  of  Mr.  S. 
Darby,  who  found  the  precipitated  iodide  of  strychnia  was  highly 
poisonous  to  the  lower  animals,  &c." 
We  have,  in  the  above  quotation,  information  given  regarding 
the  insolubility  of  iodide  of  strychnia  and  the  impropriety  of  pre- 
scribing iodine  and  strychnia  solutions  in  combination. 
It  is  clearly  the  duty  of  the  pharmaceutist  to  see  that  when 
potent  remedies  are  prescribed  in  solution  that  the  solution  is 
complete.   He  ought,  also,  if  alloAved  to  dispense  such  articles,  to 
*  Hydrochloric  and  even  acetic  acid  much  increase  the  solubility  of 
the  iodide,  without  apparent  decomposition,  when  the  acids  are  very- 
dilute. 
