Identification—
A:
Transfer a portion of Ophthalmic Ointment, equivalent to about 50 mg of scopolamine hydrobromide, to a suitable separator, and dissolve in 25 mL of ether. Add 25 mL of 0.01 N hydrochloric acid, shake vigorously, allow the layers to separate, and discard the organic phase. Proceed as directed under
Identification—Organic Nitrogenous Bases 
181
, beginning with “In a second separator dissolve 50 mg.”
B:
Transfer about 5 g of Ophthalmic Ointment to a separator, dissolve in 50 mL of ether, and extract with 20 mL of water: the extracted solution so obtained responds to the tests for
Bromide 191.
Assay—
Proceed with Ophthalmic Ointment as directed in the
Assay under
Scopolamine Hydrobromide Injection, but to prepare the
Assay solution, weigh accurately a portion of Ophthalmic Ointment equivalent to about 10 mg of scopolamine hydrobromide into a separator containing 50 mL of ether, shake to dissolve, extract with three 25-mL portions of 0.2 N sulfuric acid, collect the acid extracts in a 100-mL volumetric flask, dilute with 0.2 N sulfuric acid to volume, and mix. Calculate the quantity, in mg, of C
17H
21NO
4·HBr·3H
2O in the portion of Ophthalmic Ointment taken by the formula given therein.
