Peppermint, spirits of.—Dose, five to twenty drops. Is a valuable drug in cases of flatulence and dyspepsia, especially if combined with bicarbonate of soda; it also masks the taste of unpleasant medicines. For children, one drop of the spirit and one grain of bicarbonate of soda may be added to one teaspoonful of water, and this dose may be frequently repeated.
Pepsin tablets, a useful digestive product, taken with food when digestion is weak, or may be used to predigest it.
* Perchloride of mercury tablets, for making lotions for disinfecting wounds, etc.
Phenacetin.—Dose, three to eight grains. Phenacetin is used for headaches, or for reducing the temperature in malaria and other febrile diseases, and to cause sweating. As it is very insoluble, it is best taken in the form of a powder, or in alcohol and hot water.
Potassium, bromide of. See Bromides.
* Potassium permanganate in solid form is a mild caustic, and is the active principle of Condy’s fluid, which contains about eight grains of the drug in one ounce.
It is disinfectant, deodorant, and antiseptic.
One part of this drug is soluble in about twenty parts of water.
One grain gives a purple colour to a gallon of water. Impure water turns the purple rapidly to a brown colour, therefore the permanganate is a rough test for the presence of organic matter in water.
A pale purple solution is useful as a gargle or mouth wash, also as an injection in gonorrhœa; wounds may be cleansed with a similar solution.