REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1920. 121 



Michigan, for an exhibit of " Medicinal Forms." The purpose of 

 this exhibit is to illustrate by representative specimens, the classifi- 

 cation of pharmaceutical preparations; that is, the various forms in 

 which medicinal substances are prepared for administration. One or 

 more examples of the following pharmaceutical preparations are in- 

 cluded in this accession: Powders, tablets, capsules, compressed tab- 

 lets, tablet triturates, poison tablets, granular effervescent salts, 

 lozenges, pills, infusions, decoctions, wines, tinctures, fluidextracts, 

 oleoresins, resins, pencils, cerates, suppositories, extracts, liquids, mix- 

 tures, waters, mucilages, lotions, gargles, spirits, elixirs, s}'rups, 

 honeys, oxymels, liniments, glycerates, collodions, and sprays-. Ex- 

 hibits of this kind are rare, for the reason that many of the prepara- 

 tions soon deteriorate and become unsightly in appearance, conse- 

 quently manufacturing pharmacists are usually unwilling to prepare 

 and contribute them for exhibition. The specimens included in this 

 accession were made under the supervision ol' Dr. J. M. Francis, 

 Chief Chemist of Parke, Davis and Company, and a member of the 

 Committee on Revision of the U. S. Pharmacopoeia, to whom much 

 credit is due for his efforts to provide properly preserved specimens 

 for exhibition. 



Xext in importance was the material illustrating the subject of 

 essential oils. The spices and aromatics which constitute the first 

 foundation of international commerce, have practically retained their 

 original importance in spite of all changes in the world's history. 

 After several thousand years of knowledge and actual use of the 

 spices in their original form, their essential constituents, the volatile 

 oils, have since the Middle Ages, and more particularly in modern 

 times, been isolated and utilized. These oils are more properly called 

 essential oils from the fact that they possess, in concentrated state, 

 the essential properties of taste and odor of the plants from, which 

 they are derived, and sometimes volatile oils, because they may be 

 volatilized unchanged by the application of heat, in distinction from 

 the "fixed" oils and fats, like olive oil and lard. The essential oils 

 are strongly odorous and are used largely in perfumery and to conceal 

 nauseous tastes and odors in medicines. Certain therapeutic prop- 

 erties are common to many of them, a large number of them are 

 germicidal and nearly all of them are antiseptic. Some of the essen- 

 tial oils possess marked anaesthetic powers, and are used to relieve 

 toothache. 



The Museum is indebted to the Dodge and Olcott Company of New- 

 York City for the series of essential oil specimens and examples of 

 the raw materials used in their production. This exhibit has been 

 supplemented by two small models illustrating how oils are obtained 

 by distillation. A model of a composite-type oil still, such as is used 

 in distilling materials like sandalwood, nutmegs, mace, cloves, cassia, 



