406  EXAMINATION  OF  THE  SULPHATE  OF  QUINIAo 
Prolonged  exposure  at  a  lower  temperature  will  produce  the 
same  loss  in  sulphate  of  quinia,  as  one  of  shorter  duration  of  a 
higher  temperature,  and  nearly  the  whole  of  the  water  of  crystal- 
lization may  be  driven  off  at  a  temperature  short  of  fusion.  This 
we  think  will  satisfactorily  account  for  Dr.  Squibb's  loss  of 
15.11  per  cent.,  and  it  is  only  to  be  regretted  that  the  Dr.  did 
not  push  his  experiments  still  further,  to  ascertain  whether  the 
two  atoms  of  water  which  he  calculates  as  still  remaining  in  com- 
bination, were  really  there.  The  results  of  our  experiments 
are  as  follows  : 
No.  1.  100  grs.  sulphate  of  quinia  exposed  to  the  air  at  a  temperature  varying 
from  70°  to  90°  for  4  days,  lost  11  grs.  —11  p.  c. 
"  2.  300  grs.  exposed  to  an  atmosphere  heated  to  160°,  24  hours  lost  33  grs.  =  11  " 
«   3.  300  "  "  " *  «  180     1     "       «   33   "  =  11  « 
"   4,  the  same     «  "  "  180     6     »       «   38    «  =  12.66 
*'  5.  100  grs.       "  "  «  170   24     "       "    11    "  =11  p.  c. 
"   6.  the  same     "  "  "  170   40    "       "12.4    "  =124 
"   7.      "  "  "  "  170     7  days,    "15.5    "  =15.5 
and  then  ceases  to  lose, 
"   8.   66  grs.  exposed  in  a  capsule  in  an  oil  bath  heated  to  300°  \  hour  10.3   "   =  15.6 
"   9.  the  same  heated  to  fusion  in  the  same  bath,  M  10.7    "  =  16.2 
It  is  evident  from  the  above,  that  the  loss  of  water  is  by  no 
means  as  definite  as  is  generally  stated ;  but  that  temperature,  as 
well  as  its  continuance,  will  produce  results  which  may  make  any 
assertion  of  loss  within  these  limits  right  or  wrong. 
The  latter  part  of  the  Dr's.  remarks,  about  there  being  other 
bases  in  combination  in  the  mother  liquor,  are  to  us  very  indefi- 
nite. That  he  failed  to  obtain  the  same  quantity  of  crystallized 
or  effloresced  sulphate  as  that  originally  employed,  is  to  us  not 
surprising,  when  the  influence  of  heat  in  changing  proximate 
principles  is  considered,  and  our  only  wonder  is  that  he  got^ts 
much  as  he  did. 
Pasteur  describes  two  new  alkaloids,  derivatives  from  quinia 
and  cinchonia,  obtained  by  the  action  of  heat,  and  every  manu- 
facturer who  knows  how  readily  these  changes  take  place,  learns, 
practically,  the  necessity  of  avoiding  prolonged  heating  and 
torturing. 
In  conclusion,  while  we  make  no  claim  of  absolute  chemical 
purity  for  our  preparations,  yet  we  consider  the  existence  of  a 
trace  of  the  usual  impurities  from  which  each  preparation  has 
been  made,  to  be  no  indication  of  adulteration  ;  and  we  do  claim 
for  them  a  degree  of  medicinal  purity,  comparing  favorably  with 
the  productions  of  manufacturers  of  this  and  other  nations. 
