while if Liquor Arsenicalis 80 min. and Liquor Strychnine Hydrochloridi 

 110 min. were prescribed the same amount of each drug would have been 

 given and the dispenser's work made easy and more rapid as Arsenious 

 Anhydride is difficult to get into solution. The Liquors, Spirits, Tinctures, 

 Liquid Extracts, Waters, Syrups, are the important fluid preparations in- 

 tended for administration in mixtures. When there is a choice of salts the 

 more soluble one should be used. 



The physician must take every possible care that his mixtures are as 

 palatable and as pleasant to the eye as possible. The only colorings pro- 

 vided in the Pharmacopoeia are Crocus, Cochineal, and Red Sanders Wood, 

 and the Compound Tincture of Cardamons Neither Crocus nor Cochineal 

 should be used in an acid medium. All of the above produce shades of red. 

 Sweetening may be provided in the form of Simple Syrup or even better as 

 one of the flavored syrups e.g. Aromatic Syrup, Syrup of Orange, of Ginger 

 or of Tolu. Liquorice contains a particularly sweet flavoring principle and 

 is very greatly used. Amongst the Waters and Spirits the attention of the 

 student may be drawn to the usefulness of Chloroform, Cinnamon, Orange, 

 and Peppermint. Rose flavors are more usually used today for lotions 

 and ointments than for mixtures. Acids and Bitters are also in many 

 cases useful flavors. General rules for flavoring are extremely difficult 

 to give and since the taste of each physician and indeed of each of his 

 patient will vary, it is difficult even to give useful hints. For such vege- 

 table drugs as Digitalis, Ergot, Ipecac, Krameria, and the bitter of most 

 alkaloids Syrup of Orange is one of the best flavors, aided perhaps by 

 some water such as that of Cinnamon or Peppermint; for Opium, Ginges 

 forms a good covering: for the salts of Potassium, such flavoring Waters ar 

 Chloroform or Peppermint with Aromatic Syrup may be used; Potassium 

 Iodide and Quinine may be covered with Extract of Liquorice; Sodium 

 Salicylate by Cinnamon Water, and Syrup; Copaiba by Peppermint. 



PILLS form perhaps the best method of administering unpleasant 

 drugs whose dose is small. As many people find pills difficult to swallow, 

 they must be made as small as possible, and should never exceed 5 grains 

 in weight and rarely should exceed 3 grains. In consequence of this the 

 student should examine with care the preparations of any drug which he 

 intends to give in pill form and choose the one with the smallest dose. The 

 only exception to this rule should be made when one of the preparations 

 has physical properties which would be of value in forming a pill mass. 

 The prescriber must also bear in mind the fact that unless amongst the 

 drugs that he wishes to prescribe there is one whose physical properties are 

 such as to bind the others together some adhesive substance or excipient 

 must be added by the dispenser and that this will necessarily increase the 

 bulk of these pills to a certain extent. The best excipient for general use is 

 probably Tragacanth either in the form of its Glycerin or CompoundPowder, 

 as very small quantities of these are needed. Powdered Hard Soap may 

 be used with powdered vegetable drugs and gum resins, and Curd Soap with 

 essential oils and creosote. As each pharmacist is apt to become familiar 



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