are to be placed. The folding over of the ends should be the same in each 

 so as to secure absolute uniformity. 



On Suppositories, Bougies, Pessaries. The active agent is re- 

 duced to a powder or to a paste and incorporated with the Cocoa Butter 

 which has been melted at a low temperature (preferably on a water bath). 

 When at the point of congealing and while still possible to pour the mixture 

 it is run into metal moulds which have been previously cooled on ice and 

 moistened with Soap Liniment, or a fixed oil such as Almond or Olive Oil. 

 The mould is again placed on the ice until the product has become solid 

 when the suppositories are removed and may then be placed in impervious 

 boxes or those lined with either tin foil or paraffined paper. 



Suppositories may likewise be made by hand, by allowing the mix- 

 ture to become cooled to that point where it is plastic but not hard, when 

 the mass is rapidly moulded on a pill tile into conical shapes of definite 

 weight. A third method is to make paper cones which having been oiled 

 are placed, open end up, in sand or linseed meal. The melted mass is 

 now poured into the cones and the vessel containing them is set aside in a 

 cool place. When solid the suppositories are removed from the paper 

 holders and boxed. 



In a large way they are manufactured by a special machine which by 

 pressure forces the mixed ingredients, prepared in the cold, into moulds 

 of such shape as may suit the need of the prescriber. This is called the 

 "Cold Method." 



Pessaries, Bougies and some Rectal Suppositories are best made with 

 a gelatin base, from a mixture of gelatin and glycerin. This is not useful 

 in the case of Tannic and Carbolic Acids nor with Ichthyol. 



Essential Oils, as Oil of Eucalyptus, are best made up with the addition 

 of a small quantity of white wax to the Cacao Butter. About the same weight 

 of wax as of the oil is necessry to make a firm suppository. Wax may be 

 added also in very warm weather. 



Heavy Salts such as Acetate of Lead tend when the suppository is 

 made by heat to gravitate during the cooling to the apex where it forms 

 a hard brittle mass. For these the method of making by hand is 

 perhaps the most useful. 



On the Dispensing of Ointments. With no otner group of prepar- 

 ations is it so essential to have all solids reduced to a fine powder as with 

 ointments, unless perchance they are readily soluble in fats. The sub- 

 division should be so fine that when incorporated with the base no grittiness 

 is evident to either the eye or the finger. 



Ointments may be made upon an ointment slab, (the reverse ot a pill 

 tile may be used or a square of ground glass), or with mortar and pestle. 

 The active drug is first made into a paste with a few drops of water, spirit or 

 glycerin. It is then triturated with a small quantity of the base until 



131 



