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ON  COMPOUND  SYRUP  OF  SQUILL. 
219 
light  acted  on  the  syrup  in  causing  it  to  dissolve  the  oxide  of  iron, 
I  subjected  several  specimens  to  analysis.  After  an  addition  of 
a  little  sulphuric  acid,  iodine  was  set  free,  recognised  by  starch. 
This  was  more  evident  after  precipitating  the  iron  by  carbonate 
of  potassa,  filtering  and  adding  the  acid  to  the  filtrate.  This  test 
proves  the  presence  of  iodic  acid,  which  is  separated  by  sulphuric 
acid  in  connection  with  hydriodic  acid,  the  latter  deoxidizing 
the  former,  forming  water  and  liberating  iodine. 
The  syrups  also  contained  sesquioxide  of  iron  in  solution, 
which  was  found  by  adding  to  the  diluted  syrup  a  solution  of 
ferrocyanuret  of  potassium. 
Therefore  the  syrup  after  the  precipitated  oxide  of  iron  has 
been  taken  up  again  by  the  influence  of  the  sun,  contains  besides 
iodide  of  iron  probably  also  an  iodate  of  the  sesquioxide  of 
iron. 
The  same  was  found  in  specimens,  which,  although  several 
weeks  old,  had  never  separated  any  oxide  of  iron,  and  I  think  is 
likely  to  be  found  even  in  a  carefully  prepared  syrup  after  keep- 
ing it  for  some  time  in  closely  corked  bottles.  It  seems  to  me 
now  as  if  the  action  of  the  atmosphere  on  the  syrup  depends  not 
only  on  the  oxidation  of  the  iron,  but  also  partly  of  the  iodine, 
whilst  another  part  of  iodine  separates  as  hydriodic  acid.  I 
have  come  to  this  conclusion  from  the  fact  that  the  syrup  is 
colored  and  reacts  on  iodine  before  the  separation  of  oxide  of 
iron  takes  place,  which  is  kept  in  solution  by  iodic  acid.  Other 
experiments,  however,  which  I  have  commenced,  may  throw  some 
light  on  this  supposition,  and  in  due  time  the  results  will  be  pub- 
lished. 
Philadelphia,  March,  1855. 
ON  COMPOUND  SYRUP  OF  SQUILL.—  (HIVE  SYRUP). 
By  A.  P.  Sharp,  of  Baltimore. 
Hive  Syrup  being  one  of  the  most  common  and  important 
syrups  kept  by  the  pharmaceutist,  it  is  all  important  that  it  should 
be  properly  prepared  and  not  likely  to  ferment.  In  order  to  avoid 
the  latter  difficulty  (which  is  the  common  complaint  among  drug- 
gists and  pharmaceutists,)  I  have  tried  several  processes,  intended 
