ELIXIR IODO-BROMIDE OF CALCIUM COMP. “WITHOUT MERCURY” AND “WITH MERCURY”
Report of the Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry
The Tilden Company, New Lebanon, N. Y., and St. Louis, Mo., sells “Elixir Iodo-Bromide of Calcium Comp. without Mercury” and “Elixir Iodo-Bromide of Calcium Comp. with Mercury.” The latter is said to contain, in addition to the ingredients of the former, 1⁄100 grain mercuric chlorid in each fluidram. According to the label the formula of the elixir “without mercury” is:
“Formula—Salts of Iodine, Bromine, Potassium, Sodium, Calcium, Magnesium with Stillingia, Sarsaparilla, Rumex, Dulcamara, Lappa, Taraxacum, Menispermum.”
A recent circular declares that the elixir contains:
“... a number of the most powerful alteratives of the pharmacopeia such as chemically pure iodin, magnesium, potassium with sarsaparilla, stillingia, prickly ash, burdock, taraxacum, etc. ... Each fluidounce contains seventy-two grains of the combined salts.”
The same circular also alleges that each dram of the preparation contains:
“... the equivalent of one and one-half grains of the combined iodids, potassium and calcium ...”
It will be observed that, (1) the two statements quoted from the circular make no reference to bromids; (2) the statement that each dram contains “the equivalent” of 11⁄2 grains of the combined iodids, potassium and calcium, accounts for but 12 of the 72 grains of “the combined salts” per fluidounce declared in the preceding quotation; (3) the circular mentions the presence of a drug—prickly ash—not declared on the label and, finally (4) none of the “formulas” gives the quantities of all of the several constituents.