Tartar emetic fifty-six grains.
“SYRUP OF TOLU,” made after the London formula, is a more elegant and better flavored preparation than can be made by any combination of the tincture. So decided is the superiority of the London process, that it is rather surprising the other Pharmacopœias should not adopt it. An apothecary who does, will hardly be satisfied with the tincture-made syrup afterwards.
The “TINCTURE OF ACONITE ROOT” is desired by our physicians of full saturation. The “strong tincture,” to which we have been accustomed for several years, is that of Fleming’s process, viz: sixteen ounces of the root to a pint and a half of alcohol. {103}
The “COMPOUND TINCTURE OF CARDAMOM” is now first introduced into our Pharmacopœia, with a change from the pleasant tincture we have been in the habit of making after the London or Edinburgh formula, by increasing the proportion of cardamom, from two drachms and a half to six drachms, and reducing the caraway one fifth, which makes a tincture not near so pleasant to the taste, owing to the strong predominance of the cardamom flavor, which is rather harsh when in too great excess. As this tincture is of little medical importance by itself, and chiefly used as an agreeable adjunct to mixtures, the proportions which have been found to answer so well may still be considered preferable.
There are other cases, no doubt, in which apothecaries will find it expedient to vary the processes of carrying out formulæ, not with a view of altering the strength of preparations, but arriving at substantially the same results or better ones, from the same materials, by improved application of skill. Whoever can, by superior method, more fully develope the qualities of a substance to be acted upon, than has hitherto been done, or change the character of a preparation from perishable to permanent, from uncertain to definite, from slovenly to elegant, can accomplish something for the benefit of his art, and render it so much the more useful to the community. Most of the improvements in pharmacy have been effected by the practical apothecary, and rendered available by him, in advance of the Pharmacopœia.
NOTES IN PHARMACY. BY BENJAMIN CANAVAN.
The fact in the natural kingdom, that “nothing is destroyed,” suggests an equally true axiom, as applied to the moral world, that “nothing is useless;” and, with this impression, I am induced to send the following trifles to the New York Journal of Pharmacy, which, if not unacceptable, it will give me pleasure to repeat “pro re natâ.” {104}
PIL. FERRI COMP.—This very much neglected pill, which is the prototype and should have precluded the necessity of Vallet’s preparation, I would beg leave to introduce, for the purpose of recommending, or rather verifying an improvement which I have sometimes adopted, in the mode of compounding it, differing from the officinal directions for so doing. We are told to “rub the myrrh with the carb. sodæ; then add the sulph. ferri, and again rub them; lastly, beat them with the syrup so as to form a mass.” I do not hesitate to say that no amount of trituration or skill, with which I am acquainted, will enable the manipulator by this means to make the mass properly, either in a chemical or pharmaceutical point of view.—In a note the editor of the United States Dispensatory informs us: “It is said the salt of iron will be better preserved, if the operator should dissolve the sulphate of iron in the syrup with a moderate heat and then add the carb. sodæ, stirring! till effervescence ceases;” this is correct in principle; but the same object is attained, and the only way by which the pill ought or can be properly prepared, is by triturating separately, and to solution the two salts in the necessary quantity of syrup, mixing, and again triturating until perfect decomposition is induced, and by incorporating the myrrh, form into a mass without delay. In this way you insure the existence of the intended proto carb. ferri in the pill, which is not, or only partially the case when prepared by any other process. I would remark, en passant, that this pill presents us with the very perishable proto carb. in the most permanent form, retaining, when properly prepared, its chemical integrity unimpaired, indefinitely, and is therefore superior in this important respect to the quickly changeable mist. ferri comp., the presence also of a larger proportion of myrrh being often a decided advantage.
EXTRACTA LIQUIDA OPII.—It has been suggested, and I believe attempted, to introduce certain preparations with the above titles, as substitutes for the demi-nostrum, known as “McMunn’s Elixir of Opium,” which has been very extensively used, and enjoyed high favor, but of which the exact nature {105} and mode of preparation are not generally understood, and which, either from having become too antiquated for this novelty hunting age, or its success having tempted the cupidity of avaricious persons, or from whatever cause, has been for some time diminishing in popularity, and subjected to many complaints. In all preparations of this potent drug, with which I am acquainted, ancient or modern, the great object has been, to get rid of the narcotine, which has been more or less accomplished by various processes. At present an aqueous fluid extract is said to supply the desideratum. This is merely a modification of the watery extract of all the Pharmacopœias, and is no doubt as good, but no better preparation. The denarcotised tincture is superior to all of them, and the very small quantity of spirit contained in an ordinary dose, is scarcely an objection, and is only little more than is necessary to preserve the extract; but if deemed otherwise, a fluid extract may be prepared from denarcotised opium, entirely free from the peccant alkaloid, and possibly the evaporation necessary to the process, may dissipate some noxious volatile property, which would exist in a tincture, and which it is most probable the opium possesses, from the fact, among others, that old opium is much less prone than new to cause disagreeable after effects. It has been supposed that meconic acid has been the evicted principle; but this is doubtful. However, the action of heat is useful, and I think a “fluid extract of denarcotised opium,” would perhaps be found to be as free as possible from objectionable effects.