THE ALUMNI JOURNAL. 



215 



the elixir of phosphorus, B. P. C, which 

 contains 1-50 grain in a fluid dram. If 

 freshly prepared this is palatable and 

 well borne by the stomach. 



Various other formulae for liquid 

 preparations of phosphorus have been 

 suggested. The late Mr. John Williams 

 recommended a solution of phosphorus 

 in glycerin, to which an equal volume 

 of absolute alcohol was added, contain- 

 ing about 1-30 grain in a fluid dram. It 

 was a modification of a formula recom- 

 mended by Mr. A. Thompson. It 

 is more difficult to prepare and even 

 more unstable than the B. P. C. elixir. 



LIQUOR PHOSPHORI ALBUMATUS. 



Phosphorus appears to form com- 

 pounds with albumin, which preserves it 

 from oxidation as well as from pho^phor- 

 escence when in solution, and Mr. Urwick 

 has suggested a formula in which albu- 

 min, cane and milk sugars and glycerin 

 are combined with phosphorus to make 

 a comparitively palatable preparation. 



CAUTION. 



The avidity that phosphorus has for 

 oxygen renders it necessary that liquid 

 preparations should be as freshly pre- 

 pared as possible. They should also be 

 kept from the light, in a cool place, in 

 perfectly closed bottles. The same re- 

 marks in a less degree apply to phospho- 

 rus in a pilular form. 



PIL. PHOSPHORI. 



The official pill is composed of phos- 

 phorus incorporated with balsam of tolu 

 and yellow wax under hot water. This 

 is directed to be kept under water, and 

 two parts are to be incorporated with one 

 of curd soap when dispensed. It con- 

 tains about I in 90. The addition of 

 soap has been made as the previously 

 official pill was, as I showed completely 

 undigested. Still, it has never found 

 favor; the mass becomes hydrated by be- 

 ing kept under water, so that the pills of 



special manufacturers, some of which are 

 beyond reproach, while others are at times 

 insoluble, meet with greater demand. 

 Messrs. J. Bell & Co. had previously 

 published a formula for phosphorus pills 

 made by dissolving i per cent, of phos- 

 phorus in melted suet, and coating the 

 pills with gelatin; these were very tedious 

 to prepare. As an improvement, I de- 

 vised in 1866, for the late Dr. Tilbury 

 Fox, a mass using prepared cacao-butter 

 in place of suet. This contains i per 

 cent, of the drug, the pills of which I 

 cover with sandararch solution. These 

 masses contain the phosphorus in perfect 

 solution; still for general dispensing they 

 are not altogether satisfactory, as they 

 require an even temperature both to 

 make and keep them, and to be well ex- 

 cluded from the air and light. 



As phosphorus dissolves in less than 

 its own weight of bisulphide of carbon, 

 advantage has been taken of such a so- 

 lution to mix it with an inert powder or 

 suitable mass, so as to obtain the drug 

 in a finely comminuted condition, per- 

 fectly distributed through the mass, on 

 the evaporation of the bisulphide. While 

 traces of it are present in the mass it acts 

 as a preservative and checks phosphor- 

 escence or oxidation. Some may object 

 to the use of bisulphide of carbon on ac- 

 count of its disagreeable odor, yet if puri- 

 fied it is not so disagreeable, but has an 

 agreeable chloroform-like taste, and I 

 think it is not so deleterious as has been 

 supposed. 



Mr. R. H. Parker suggests the em- 

 ployment of such a solution by diffusing 

 it through licorice powder, as in the fol- 

 lowing formula : 



Phosphorus, the prescribed quantity for 24 

 pills. 



Bisulphide carbon m. 30 



Licorice root, powder gr. 24 



Glycerin m. 4 



Tragacanth, powder. gr, 2 



Syrup a sufficient quantity. 



