The dispensatory of the United States of America / by Geo. B. Wood and Franklin Bache.

  • George Bacon Wood
Date:
[1907], ©1907
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Licence: In copyright

Credit: The dispensatory of the United States of America / by Geo. B. Wood and Franklin Bache. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by UCL Library Services. The original may be consulted at UCL (University College London)

    95/2018 (page 25)
    For the detection of boric, acid in food products see Chem. News, 1903, 27; A. Pharm., 1904, 194; J. Am. C. S., 1904, 91. The tendency of the crystals of boric acid to slip from under the pestle renders the pro- cess of pulverization very tedious. It is essen- tial that the acid be in an impalpable powder when it is desired to make an ointment. The gradual addition of ether to the acid has been suggested as a valuable aid to trituration. Manufacturers at the present time supply boric acid made by precipitation in an impalpable powder. Boric acid ointment (Lister's) is made from one part each of boric acid and white wax, and two parts each of oil of sweet almond and paraffin. Dose, of boric acid, five to ten grains (0.32 to 0.65 Gm.). Off. Prep.—Cataplasma Kaolini, U. S.; Glyc- eritum Boroglycerini, U. 8. (Br.); Liquor Antisepticus, U. j8f.; Unguentum Aeidi Boriei, U. 8., Br. ACIDUM CAMPHORICUM. U. S. CAMPHORIC ACID (ac'i-dum cam-phor'i-curn) H2CioHl404 = 198.62 A dibasic organic acid [CsHi4(C00H)2], obtained by the oxidation of camphor. U. S. Acide camphorique, Fr.; Acidum eamphoricum, P. O.; Kamphorsaure, Kauiphylsaure, Kamphersaure, Q. This acid is obtained by the oxidation of cam- phor by heating it with nitric acid, and purify- ing the crystals so obtained On further oxida- tion it is changed into camphoronic acid, C9II14 06. It has been made synthetically by Komppa (P. J., 1904, 77). Properties.—It occurs in colorless, odorless, monoclinic prismatic crystals or plates; melting at 187° C. (368.6° F.) ; at a higher temperature yielding an anhydride, and ultimately decom- posing without leaving any weighable residue. Soluble in 125 parts of water at 25° C. (77° F.), and in 10 parts of boiling water; readily soluble in alcohol, less soluble in ether and chloroform; soluble in fatty oils. Camphoric Acid is dextro-rotatory, showing, in 10 per- cent, alcoholic solution, the value [a]D = -f- 47.8°. The aqueous solution reddens blue litmus paper. If 2 Cc. of a saturated aqueous solution of Camphoric Acid be mixed with 2 Cc. of sul- phuric acid in a test tube, and 1 Cc. of a solution made by dissolving 1 Gm. of ferrous sulphate in 2 Cc. of diluted sulphuric acid be poured carefully upon it, no dark-colored zone should develop at the line of contact (absence of nitric acid.) U. S. Uses.—Camphoric acid, when taken internally, is rapidly absorbed and eliminated from the kidneys. When given in overdose it is capable of producing both gastric and renal irritation. Originally proposed by Furbringer as an intes- tinal disinfectant in tubercular and other intes- tinal catarrhs, it has been used to some extent in cystitis, but is especially employed in the treatment of night sweats; thirty to forty-five grains (2 to 3 Gm.) of it may be administered in twenty-four hours if necessary. Dose, five to fifteen grains (0.32 to 1.0 Gm.). ACIDUM CITRICUM. U. S., Br. CITRIC ACID (ac'i-dum cit'ri-ciim) H3C6H5O7 + H20 = 208.50 A tribasic organic acid [CaH^OH) (COO H)3-|-H20], usually prepared from the juice of limes or lemons. It should contain not less than 99.5 percent, of pure Citric Acid. U. S. Citric Acid, or hydrogen citrate, C3H4.OH. (C00H)3,Ha0, may be obtained from the juice of the fruit of various species of Citrus. Br. Acidum Citri, s. Limonis, s. Limonum, s. Limo- noruru ; Acidum citricum, P. G.; Citronensaure, Citron- saure, O.; Acide eitrique, Fr. Cod.; Acide du Citron, Fr.; Acldo citrlco, It., Sp. Citric acid is the peculiar acid to which limes and lemons owe their sourness. It is present also in the juice of other fruits, such as the cranberry, the red whortleberry, the berry of the bittersweet, the red gooseberry, the currant, the strawberry, the raspberry, the tamarind, and the red elderberry (fruit of Sambucus race- mosa rubra). The latter berry contains citric acid so abundantly that it has been proposed as a source of the acid by Thibierge, of Ver- sailles. It is contained also largely in the fruit of Cyphomandra botacea, a solanaceous plant, indigenous in Mexico, Peru, and other parts of South America, where it is called tomato de la paz. The commercial source of citric acid is lime, lemon, and bergamot juice; large quantities of lime juice are made in Sicily, concentrated, and exported to England and the United States.1 Citric acid, which was formerly imported in large quantities from Great Britain, is now made extensively in the United States. The acid is extracted from lemon or lime juice by a very simple process, for which we are indebted to Scheele; it is one requiring some careful manipulation. The boiling juice is first completely saturated with calcium car- 1 The composition of some of these commercial lime juices is given by Allen (Com. Org. Anal., 2d ed., vol. i., 459), as follows: Density. Oz. Free Acid per gallon. Oz. Combined Org. Acid per gall.hi. Lime juice: Raw Sicilian 6 to 9 0.85 Raw English 1.04 to 1.05 11 to 13 0.3 Concentrated — 1.20 to 1.25 50 to 72 6 to 8 Bergamot juice: Concentrated 1.22 to 1.25 47 to 55 7 to 8 Lemon juice: 1.035 to 1.04 10.6 to 13.5 0.4 to 0.7 Concentrated 1.28 to 1.38 82 to 112 8.C See Limonis Succus and also paper by D. H. Hass- ler, A. J. P., 1886, p. 14.