THE NEW YORK JOURNAL OF PHARMACY 



ones which measure 6u; theii" shape is 

 not always round, but often oval or 

 palisade-like. 



Finally, an ointment consisting of 

 2% of sulphur and paraffin (M. P. 58- 

 60°) shows between the crystals of 

 paraffin, irregular, pointed, triangular 

 or trapezoid spaces which appear to be 

 filled with a yellow sulphur mass. They 

 are like sulphur drops which have been 

 deformed by the pressure of the sur- 

 rounding paraffin crystals. Inside of 

 each of these liquid masses, a small, 

 round and light-refracting body, which 

 has a deeper, yellow color, may be 

 ■ seen. This preparation is quite per- 

 manent and retains its miscroscopic 

 appearance unchanged for one and 

 one-half months. 



With the exception of the paraffin 

 ointment all others are unstable and 

 undergo considerable change sooner or 

 later; the change consists in the tran- 

 sition of the sulphur from the globular 

 into the crystal rhombic form. 



In the vaseline ointment one notices 

 after eighteen hours that the sulphur 

 granules have entirely disappeared and 

 that sulphur crystals of a fine yellow 

 color have formed. After two days the 

 crystal formation has considerably pro- 

 gressed and after one month ihe gran- 

 ules are completely replaced by crystals 

 which form microscopic ray-like fig-/ 

 ures. Similarly, in lard ointments the 

 granulated form of sulphur has been 

 found to be replaced by the crystalline 

 after twenty-four hours. The entire 

 microscopic field shows extensively 

 l)ranched crystal forms and only here 

 and there some well-shaped large 

 groups of crystals can be observed. 

 The crystal formation increases slowly 



and it can be stated that no more gran- 

 ules are present after sixteen days. 



In the ointment prepared with cacao 

 butter the transformation of the gran- 

 ular into the crystalline form starts 

 also very soon after the preparation, 

 and, like the other ointments, the mi- 

 croscopic picture loses whenever crys- 

 tal formation begin its milky appear- 

 ance and becomes more transparent. 

 To the extent in which the crystalline 

 branches increase, the granules become 

 smaller and finally disappear alto- 

 gether. 



After a few days the transformation 

 must be regarded as complete because 

 in spite of the fact that a decidedly 

 crystalline form does not show, the 

 granules are no longer uniform in size 

 and shape, but seem to be changed into 

 minute badly-shaped crystals. 



In the white wax ointment, the gran- 

 ular form of sulphur is much more 

 permanent. Only after 25 days one 

 notices in a few places that the gran- 

 ules have been replaced by small crys- 

 tals which are irregular and scale-like. 



The cr3^stal formation shows up also 

 very slowly in the ointment made with 

 spermaceti and is somewhat complete 

 only after twenty-four da}-s. The crys- 

 tals are lamellar and badly formed. 



In the lanolin ointment the crystal- 

 line form appears quickly but spreads 

 very slowly. Even after twenty-five 

 days one notices only a few crystals 

 or small groups wdiich appear nicely 

 and regularly shaped, very transparent 

 and of a fine yellow color. 



In the following tabulation the prop- 

 erties of 2% sulphur ointments pre- 

 pared with different A-ehicles are com- 

 piled : 



