April, 1880. 
THE CHEMIST AND DRUGGIST. 
97 
For children between three and seven years of age, 8-10 grams 
(2-2£ drachms), given in the same way. Those over seven 
years old take 10-15 grams (2^-4 drachms), and for adults the 
dose is 15-25 grams (2^-6 drachms) daily in 4£ ounces of the 
vehicle. An unpleasant after-effect has never been observed 
even in young infants. The diphtheritic membrane was 
treated with benzoate of soda in powder, being sprinkled on 
or applied through a glass tube or quill. There is no slough 
formed, and thereby the danger is averted of its acting as a 
firm covering under which an energetic development and 
growth of the organisms can take place. The insufflation 
was made every three hours in severe cases, in the middle 
forms two or three times daily. With older children a 
simple solution of the salt (ten to two hundred) was used as a 
gargle. The author also recommends this remedy in gastric 
or intestinal catarrh, particularly of infants, and states that at 
times the results are surprising in these latter cases. He 
recommends it likewise in mycotic catarrh of the bladder, 
and firmly believes in the statement of Klebs that it is to be 
recommended in all diseases which originate by infection. 
— The Boston Med. and Surg. Jonrn ., 17th July, 1879 ; from 
Berlin Klini, Wosch. , 17th February, 1879. 
<2Tor ttsftmbztttt. 
COATING PILLS. 
To the Editor of The Australasian Supplement to the Chemist 
and Druggist. 
Sir — One of your correspondents, signing himself “ Ambition,” 
writes asking for the best method of coating pills. Had he 
placed his name and address (which I would respectfully say 
by so doing I do not think there would have been any disgrace 
when seeking information), I would have communicated with 
him direct. I may say that I have tried chalk, gum, starch, 
isinglass, sugar, French chalk, gelatine, mucilage, glue, simple 
syrup, albumen, and arrowroot. In some instances I have 
used the above separately, and in others combined them, but 
obtain the best result as follows: — Dissolve one drachm 
isinglass in one and a-half ounces simple syrup. Pour a small 
quantity whilst warm upon some pills that have been made, 
say, a few weeks, and become hard. After shaking them 
about for a short time, sprinkle over some French chalk. 
Place them in a fiat-bottom tin, and apply a gentle heat. 
Keep them continually rotating, adding more chalk, if neces- 
sary, until dry. I find that the coating neither cracks, nor 
does it peel off. I had no guide in my first attempt to sugar- 
coat pills, and if any correspondent is in possession of a better 
method, maybe he will kindly enlighten his brethren. By 
following the foregoing, you can turn out a pill that is smooth 
and glossy. — I remain, sir, &c., CHARLES CROSS. 
Gawler, Adelaide, S.A., 7th May, 1880. 
To the Editor of The Australasian Supplement to the Chemist 
and Druggist. 
Sir — Your correspondent “Ambition” will find the following 
process answer very well for coating pills, viz. : — 
Make a solution of tolu in ether, nearly saturated (the 
refuse from making syrup of tolu answers equally well, and is 
more economical). Put the pills into a jar, and moisten 
thoroughly with the solution ; then throw them into French 
chalk contained in the pill-coater, and after rotating in the 
usual manner, expose for a short time to allow the coating to 
dry ; then coat twice in succession as follows : — Mix equal 
parts of fresh mucilage of acacia and water, add two drops 
of this to each dozen pills, and throw them into French chalk 
as before ; finally remove all the chalk from the coater, and 
polish the pills by rotating them for some time in the coater. 
The object in first coating with the solution of tolu is to 
prevent the discolouration of the coating, which invariably 
follows if this is omitted. 
During an experience of thirteen years, I have never found 
the least objection to the use of tolu. 
French chalk, or lycopodium, will be found the best for 
dusting the pills when rolling, as liquorice, and such-like 
powders, adhere to the pills, increasing their size, and otherwise 
interfering with coating them satisfactorily.— Yours, &c., 
PlLULA. 
To the Editor of The Australasian Supplement to the Chemist 
and Druggist. 
Sir — We have had our attention called to an insertion of a 
statement in your paper, or journal, purporting to come from 
the Bendigo Independent , in the which a preparation, of which 
we are owners — viz., Reuter’s Life Syrup — is grossly misrepre- 
sented as having poisoned an old man in Sandhurst, when the 
facts in the case pointed conclusively to his having died from 
excessive purging,” the result of taking the Syrup for 
diarrhoea, from which he was suffering, and for which the 
Syrup was not recommended or calculated. 
We call your attention to the retraction contained in same 
Bendigo Independent of Wednesday, 17th December, which 
speaks for itself, and must now ask that, in justice to us, you 
give this retraction as prominent a place as you did the 
accusation in your issue for November, 1879. 
Our representatives are Messrs. P. Falk and Co., Melbourne. 
— We remain, very respectfully, Barclay and Co. 
New York, 6th March, 1880. 
[We have not seen the retraction referred to, and therefore 
publish the above letter. — E d. Aust. Sup . C. fy D .] 
LOLIUM TEMULENTUM (DRAKE WEED). 
To the Editor of The Australasian Supplement to the Chemist 
and Druggist. 
Sir — As large quantities of drake are now being disposed of, 
and also found largely mixed with cereals, I think that pub- 
licity should be given to the fact that darnel seed is highly 
injurious and poisonous to stock. It is high time that distil- 
lers and others should be prevented purchasing the same by 
auction and in open market. The following reports will, no 
doubt, be interesting to your readers, through whom the public 
might be informed of the danger of using darnel for feeding 
purposes. The recent mortality amongst fowls and other 
animals may, to a certain extent, have been caused by the 
admixture of this poison in their food. — Yours truly, 
Graham Mitchell, F.R.C.Y.S. 
“ Melbourne, 4th May, 1875. 
“ F. B. Clapp, Esq. 
“ Sir — I herewith enclose report of Baron von Mueller, and 
progress report of Mr. Cosmo Newbery, on the sample of 
horse-feed you handed to me. 
“ I have no doubt that the darnel ( Lolium temulentum ) 
which it contains was the cause of the death and loss of con- 
dition which occurred amongst the ’Bus Company’s horses. — 
I have the honour to be, sir, your obedient servant, 
“Graham Mitchell.” 
“ 4th May, 1875. 
“ Graham Mitchell, Esq. 
“ Dear Sir — I have been unable to detect any mineral or 
organic poison in the portion of the horse’s stomach or in the 
fluid received from you. The partly-crushed grain used as 
horse-feed contains a very large quantity of darnel ( Lolium 
temulentum ), which is noted by most authors as highly poison- 
ous to horses. I think it would be well to institute some 
experiments with the food, as the matter is of great import- 
ance, darnel being a very common weed here. — Yours truly, 
“ J. Cosmo Newbery.” 
“Melbourne, 3rd May, 1875. 
“To Graham Mitchell, Esq., Government Veterinary Sur- 
geon. 
“ Sir — In reply to your letter of the 26th April, I have the 
honour to inform you that the sample of horse-feed submitted 
to my inspection consists mainly of a mixture of partly- 
crushed wheat, barley, and oats, but contains also a consider- 
able portion of darnel (seed of Lolium temulentum ), a grain 
well known to be poisonous as well to man as to pastural 
animals. — I have the honour to be, sir, your obedient servant, 
“Feed, yon Mueller, Government Botanist.” 
“Darnel (Lolium temulentum). — A pernicious, deleterious, 
annual gramineous weed of the rye-grass genus. It infests the 
wheat fields of Britain and of other countries of Europe. Its 
seeds are about the same size as those of wheat, and are gathered 
with them in harvesting, and cannot, without much difficulty, be 
separated from them in the operation of the farm j and when they 
are numerous and find their way with the wheat into bread-flour, 
