TRENCH’S REMEDY FOR
EPILEPSY AND FITS.
This is, or was, made by a company giving an address in Ireland. The package examined had no medicine stamp affixed.
Liquid Preparation.—The following formula refers to the liquid preparation supplied for use in the United Kingdom.
The formula ascertained by analysis was:
| Potassium bromide | 70 | grains. |
| Ammonium bromide | 10 | ” |
| Sugar | 72 | ” (= syrup Ʒjss). |
| Fuchsia | q.s. | to colour. |
| Water to 1 fluid ounce. | ||
The dose was stated to be one teaspoonful in the morning and two at night; the price for a 3-oz. bottle is 3s.; the estimated cost of the contents was about 1d.
“Concentrated Form.”—This was supplied for export to the colonies, was a moist coarse brown crystalline powder in hermetically-sealed tins, with directions enclosed for dissolving in water. A quarter package (the smallest supplied) contained 11¼ ounces, and was directed to be dissolved in one pint of warm water. The resulting mixture was found to measure 25 fluid ounces. From the formula given below it will be seen that the mixture thus prepared differed from the one issued for home consumption in two important particulars: (a) ammonium bromide was absent, (b) the dose of potassium bromide was considerably larger than that of the total bromides in the latter. Is this a form of colonial preference? or is it that our brothers beyond the sea are more robust and hence proof against the depressing influence of potassium salts? The formula of the powder ascertained by analysis was:
| Potassium bromide | 61 | parts. |
| Moist brown sugar | 39 | ” |
The calculated composition of the finished mixture was:
| Potassium bromide | 120 | grains. |
| Moist brown sugar | 77 | ” |
| Water to 1 fluid ounce. | ||