Add to the liquid in the separator 2.10 g of sodium bicarbonate, preventing it from coming in contact with the mouth of the separator, and swirl until most of the bicarbonate has dissolved. By means of a 1-mL syringe that is not fitted with a needle, rapidly inject 1.0 mL of acetic anhydride directly into the contents of the separator. Immediately insert the stopper in the separator, and shake vigorously until the evolution of carbon dioxide has ceased (7 to 10 minutes), releasing the pressure as necessary through the stopcock. Allow to stand for 5 minutes, and extract the solution with six 25-mL portions of chloroform, filtering each extract through a small pledget of cotton, previously washed with chloroform, into a beaker.

Evaporate the combined chloroform extracts on a steam bath in a current of air to about 3 mL, transfer the residue by means of small portions of chloroform to a tared 50-mL beaker, and heat again to evaporate the solvent completely. Heat further at 105 for 30 minutes, cool in a desiccator, and weigh the residue of triacetylepinephrine. Add 5.0 mL of chloroform, cover the beaker, gently swirl the contents until the residue has completely dissolved, and determine the specific rotation, R, using a 200-mm semimicro polarimeter tube.

Calculate the quantity, in mg, of C9H13NO3 in the volume of Nasal Solution taken by the formula:

in which 183.20 and 309.32 are the molecular weights of epinephrine and triacetylepinephrine, respectively; and W is the weight, in mg, and R is the specific rotation (in degrees, without regard to the sign), of the isolated triacetylepinephrine.