THE 
AMERICAN  JOURNAL  OF  PHARMACY. 
MAY,  1855. 
A  SERIOUS  MISTAKE  IN  THE  PREPARATION,  PROFESSEDLY,  OF 
MISTURA  FERRI  COMPOSITA. 
By  J.  T.  Plumme^  M.  D.,  of  Richmond,  Indiana. 
A  bottle,  purporting  to  be  filled  with  Griffith's  green  draught," 
was  brought  to  me,  with  the  information,  that  the  contents  vomit- 
ed the  patient  violently,  a  few  minutes  after  she  swallowed  it; 
and  afterwards  purged  her :  that,  nevertheless,  she  took  the 
second  dose  at  the  time  prescribed  ;  but  as  that  dose  was  fol- 
lowed by  the  same  distressing  results,  even  to  the  rejection  of 
blood,  she  declined  using  the  medicine,  and  I  was  requested  to 
examine  it. 
The  appearance  of  the  preparation  was,  at  first  view,  so  simi- 
lar to  that  of  this  ferruginous  mixture,  that,  as  the  patient  was 
of  delicate  habit,  I  was  inclined  to  attribute  the  ill  effects  of  it 
to  an  exquisite  sensitiveness  of  the  stomach  to  some  of  the  con- 
stituents of  the  compound.  All  that  was  obvious  to  the  senses 
of  sight  and  smelling  evinced  that  the  preparation  was,  as  intended 
to  be,  mist.ferri  comp. 
The  apothecary,  who  compounded  it,  on  being  consulted,  said 
it  was  "  all  right." 
Having  but  little  time  at  command,  I  was  not  prepared  to  en- 
ter upon  so  operose  an  undertaking,  even  if  practicable,  as  the 
complete  systematic  analysis  of  such  a  complex  compound  of  or- 
ganic and  mineral  matters.  I,  therefore,  proceeded  with  a  course  of 
exclusion,  which,  fortunately,  brought  me  early  to  the  point  at  issue. 
It  appeared  evident,  that  in  whatever  division  of  the  compound 
the  error,  if  any,  was  committed,  it  was  by  the  introduction  of  an 
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