214 



THE ALUMNI JOURNAL. 



following as being used medicinally : 

 .55ther phosphoratus (/^^r^/r/z Codex,^^'^'^) 

 perles of phosphorated oil, phospho- 

 rated cod liver oil, a phosphorus pill 

 (special), sevum phosphoratum, and 

 compound pills of this containing iron, 

 quinine and strychnine or nux vomica. 



Some of the before-mentioned are 

 liquid preparations, and on this account, 

 notwithstanding their being active ther- 

 apeutically, are repugnant to the taste 

 and stomach, and generally considered 

 unpalatable. Others are in a pilular 

 form, or perles, and are apt to be quickly 

 oxidized from the great affinity of phos- 

 phorus for oxygen, unless well protected 

 from the air, or, if so protected, the 

 composition or covering may be so per- 

 fect that it may withstand the digestive 

 action of the system when it is adminis- 

 tered, as was the case with the pill in 

 the " Additions to the British Pharma- 

 copoeia " of 1874. 



PHOSPHORATED OIL. 



Of the liquid preparations, this, which 

 is official — containing about i per cent, 

 of phosphorus dissolved in prepared al- 

 mond oil, and the dose of which is stated 

 to be 5 to 10 minims (greatly too much) 

 — is exceedingly nauseous, administer it 

 as you will. Dr. Redwood suggested its 

 being emulsified with yolk of ^'gz^ liquor 

 potassae, syrup of tolu and chloroform 

 water, but it is never employed medicin- 

 ally. It may be used as a toy, exhibit- 

 ing its peculiar phosphorescence, or for 

 producing evanescent "writing on the 

 wall," but the medical profession and 

 the public refuse it. It appears to be a 

 nearly saturated solution at the ordinary 

 temperature; although as much as 2 per 

 cent, of phosphorus can be dissolved by 

 the aid of heat and the exclusion of air 

 nearly one- half crystallizes out on cool- 

 ing. It may, however, be conveniently 

 administered in the form of peries or 



capsules, which are largely used ; con- 

 taining a dose equal to i-ioo, 1-65 or 

 1-32 grain of phosphorus, respectively ; 

 but unfortunately they are irregular both 

 in size and in the amount of contents, 

 still they are well protected from the air. 



PHOSPHORATED COD LIVER OIL. 



Phosphorated cod liver oil contains 

 about i-ioo grain in a dram. It may be 

 made by adding one volume of the offic- 

 ial phosphorated oil to fifty-nine volumes 

 of cod liver oil. It is unpalatable, and 

 quickly oxidizes and coats the sides of 

 the bottle. Still it may be kept reason- 

 ably stable in capsules, containing one 

 dram in each. 



.^THER PHOSPHORATUS. 



This is best prepared by comminuting 

 the phosphorus, i part in warm absolute 

 alcohol, 4; decanting and adding absolute 

 ether 20; then macerating one month and 

 decanting. It is better to decant it 

 when dispensed, keeping the excess of 

 phosphorus in the bottle; about i part in 

 200 volumes is dissolved. It is an active 

 but unstable preparation, and has been 

 dropped from the last edition of the 

 French Codex. 



SPIRIT OF PHOSPHORUS. U.S. P. 



Spirit of phosphorus, U. S. P. , con- 

 tains 0.12 per cent, dissolved in absolute 

 alcohol; it, too, is unstable. A similar 

 preparation has been recommended here 

 but as it quickly oxidizes it is an unsatis- 

 factory preparation. 



COMPOUND TINCTURE PHOSPHORUS, B.P.C 



Compound tincture of phosphorus, B. 

 P. C, is prepared by dissolving phos- 

 phorus, I part, in chloroform, 30 volumes, 

 and adding it to absolute alcohol so as to 

 contain i part of phosphorus in 600 vol- 

 umes. Although it keeps without de- 

 positing, it becomes acid, and requires 

 to be freshly prepared. When diluted 

 with four volumes of glycerin, it forms 



