partially dilute their action, or where an excipient is needed to partially increase the bulk of the pill, it is well adapted for use. And among the official pill masses an equal quantity of it can with great advantage be used to supplant confection of roses in all these, with the exception of pilula aloes cum ferro, for which the glycerin masses is needed, and pilula ferri carbonatis. This, too, requires the glycerin mass, with which it mixes well, but after a time the pills have a tendency to become moist. Mercurial pill I have not tried with it. The same quantity of this bread mass will replace the treacle in pilula scillæ composita. Equal parts of it and powdered soap, in place of powdered soap alone (if this might be permitted), form a much better mass than the official one of pilula saponis composita.

This pill mass, made strictly according to the Pharmacopœia, soon becomes set into a condition resembling a piece of soap, in which state much beating is necessary to make it again plastic.

Of the glycerin mass to be added to the Pharmacopœia quantities of—

Pil. cambogiæ comp. (vice syrup), 1 oz., makes a good mass.

Pil. colocynth comp. (vice water), 3 dr., makes a good mass, and does not get so hard.

Pil. hydrarg. subchlor. comp. (vice castor oil), 11⁄2 oz., makes a good mass, but becomes slightly moist.

Pil. ipecac. cum scilla (vice treacle), 1 oz., makes a good mass, which does not crumble.

Pil. rhei comp. (vice 4 oz. of treacle), 2 oz., makes a good mass, and keeps tolerably plastic.

Among the other official pill masses which I have not tried with these excipients are pilula colocynthidis et hyoscyamic and pilula conii composita. These I find do not generally require any excipient, and pilula ferri iodidi, the starch contained in the flour, with that would not form an elegant preparation.

Nitrate of silver is generally recommended in works on materia medica to be made into a pill with bread crumb, but this contains common salt, with which it is incompatible. I recommend the following formula, which is a modification of the bread mass:—