The pharmacopoeia of the United States of America, 1850.

  • General Medical Convention
Date:
1851
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The pharmacopoeia of the United States of America, 1850. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    corresponding in composition with that obtained by fermentation, differs somewhat in properties, and has received the distinctive name of sarkolactic acid from M. Strecker, who states that it has a formula double that of the ordinary acid. M. Wis- licenus, however, has determined that the lactic acid of muscle is a mixture of at least two isomeric acids, of which the more abundant has the rotatory power to the right, and furnishes readily crystallizable salts, while the second gives salts that are crystallizable with difficulty. (See Journ. de Pharm., Dec. 1873, p. 504.) Medical Properties and Uses. Lactic acid was proposed by Magendie, on theore- tical grounds, as a remedy in certain forms^f dyspepsia, and for the removal of phos- phatic deposits in the urine. It has subsequently been employed with good effects in dyspepsia by Dr. Handheld Jones and Dr. O’Connor, both of London. The remedy should be taken at the time of meals. It is most conveniently given in solu- tion sweetened with sugar, prepared like lemonade. From one to three drachms may be taken in the course of the day. Professor Cantani, of Naples, was induced by theoretical considerations to employ lactic acid in diabetes, in connection with an ex- clusively meat diet, and has been remarkably successful; the cure, in recent cases, being speedy and almost certain. (Ed. Med. Journ., Dec. 1871, p. 533.) In solution the acid has been found very efficacious, locally applied, in dissolving false membrane, and has consequently been employed, with much apparent advantage, in diphtheric affections and croup; the solution employed containing one part of the acid to five parts of the menstruum. (Ann. de Theraj?., A.D. 1869, p. 220.) Lactic acid is a useful addition to medicinal pepsin, increasing the solvent power of that agent upon the food, when taken into the stomach. Some importance has also been attached to it from the supposition that it might be the materies morbi in rheumatism, as uric acid has been supposed to be in gout; but in either case the acid is probably rather the effect than the cause of the disease. Off. Prep. Ferri Lactas, U. S. B. ACIDUM MURIATICUM. U.S. Muriatic Acid. An aqueous solution of hydrochloric acid gas, of the sp.gr. 1-160. U.S. Off. Syn. ACIDUM HYDBOCHLOBICUM. Hydrochloric acid gas, HC1, dis- solved in water, and forming 31*8 per cent, by weight of the solution. Br. Spirit of sea-salt, Marine acid, Hydrochloric acid, Chlorohydric acid; Acide hydrochlorique,Fr.; Salzsaure, Kochsalzsaure, Germ.; Acido muriatico, Ital., Span. The muriatic acid of pharmacy and the arts is a solution of muriatic acid gas in water. It is sometimes called liquid muriatic acid, but more properly aqueous muriatic acid. The acid is placed in the Materia Medica Catalogue of the U. S. Pharmacopoeia; but among the Preparations in the British, which gives the follow- ing process for preparing it. “ Take of Chloride of Sodium, dried, forty-eight ounces [avoirdupois] ; Sulphuric Acid forty-four fluidounces; Water thirty-six fluid ounces; Distilled Water fifty fluidounces. Pour the Sulphuric Acid slowly into thirty-two [fluid]ounces of the Water, and when the mixture has cooled, add it to the Chloride of Sodium previ- ously introduced into a flask having the capacity of at least one gallon [Imp. meas.]. Connect the flask by corks and a bent glass tube with a three-necked wash-bottle, furnished with a safety tube, and containing the remaining four [fluid]ounces of the Water; then, applying heat to the flask, conduct the disengaged gas through the wash-bottle, into a second bottle containing the Distilled Water, by means of a bent tube dipping about half an inch below the surface ; and let the process be continued until the product measures sixty-six [fluid]ounces, or the liquid has acquired a sp. gr. of 1*16. The bottle containing the distilled water must be kept cool during the whole operation.” Br. Preparation. Muriatic acid is obtained by the action of sulphuric acid on chlo- ride of sodium or common salt. The commercial acid is procured, on a large scale, by distilling the salt with an equal weight of sulphuric acid, somewhat diluted with water, from iron stills, furnished with earthen heads into earthenware receivers con-
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