1 8  Preservation  of  Syrup  of  Iodide  of  Iron.  {AmjJan^Sarm' 
A  SIMPLE  METHOD  FOR  THE  PRESERVATION  OF  SYRUP 
OF  IODIDE  OF  IRON. 
By  A.  L.  Beck,  Ph.G. 
Read  at  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting  of  the  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy,  Dec.  15. 
That  the  subject  of  syrup  of  ferrous  iodide  in  a  permanent  form, 
or  a  method  for  its  preservation  under  the  varying  conditions  of  dis- 
pensing, is  an  interesting  one  to  our  profession,  is  shown  by  our 
pharmacal  literature  ever  since  its  virtues  as  a  therapeutical  agent 
have  been  recognized.  Many  have  been  the  suggestions  relative  to 
improved  formulas  for  making,  and  methods  to  prevent  oxidation 
and  the  subsequent  liberation  of  free  iodine,  in  the  officinal  syrup. 
Prof.  Remington  refers  to  the  use  of  a  layer  of  vegetable  oil  as  a 
satisfactory  way  to  exclude  the  action  of  the  air,  but  the  thorough 
cleansing  of  the  bottles  is  the  objection  to  its  use.  The  addition 
of  hypophosphorous  acid,  which  is  said  to  be  the  method  adopted 
by  most  manufacturers  to  secure  stability,  is  objectionable,  if  for  no 
other  reason,  because  it  is  dn  unauthorized  addition.  The  method 
of  the  Pharmacopoeia  of  preserving  in  small  vials  is  satisfactory  if 
the  whole  of  the  contents  is  to  be  dispensed,  but  if  a  portion 
remains  in  the  vial,  the  conscientious  pharmacist  will  certainly  suffer 
loss. 
It  is  the  purpose  of  this  paper  to  offer  another  simple  method  for 
preservation  that  the  writer  has  used  satisfactorily  for  more  than  a 
year,  by  the  use  of  carbonic  acid  gas.  The  idea  was  suggested  when 
assaying  an  iron  ore,  in  which  the  ferrous  sulphate  is  protected  by 
carbon  dioxide  from  oxidation  by  the  air. 
One  thousand  grammes  of  the  syrup  was  prepared  and  put  into 
two  pint  douche  bottles,  provided  with  pinch-cocks  at  the  lower 
orifice,  for  drawing  the  syrup  as  required,  and  a  rubber  tube  at  the 
top  supplied  the  C02  from  an  improvised  generator,  described  else- 
where, and  is  shown  by  the  illustrations  exhibited  with  this  paper. 
One  of  the  bottles  was  securely  corked  and  set  away  until  needed. 
On  the  first  trial  a  slight  tinge  of  iodine  was  developed  on  the 
top  within  the  first  twenty-four  hours,  but  did  not  increase,  and  the 
bottle  was  used  as  required  in  dispensing  without  further  change. 
In  subsequent  trials  care  was  taken  to  allow  considerable  of  the 
gas  to  flow  over  the  syrup,  and  drive  out  all  of  the  air,  before  cork- 
ing tightly,  with  very  satisfactory  results. 
