PHARMACY. 
Trochisci glyeirrhizas cijm opio, Edin. 
Dubl. troclies of liquorice with opium. 
Trocliisci arayli, Lond. troches of starch, 
Trocliisci gumniosi, Edin. troches of 
starch with gnm arabic. 
Trocliisci magnesia:, Lond. troches of 
magnesia. 
Trochisci nitri, Lond. trochisci nitratis 
potass®, Edin. troches of nitre. 
Trochisci sulphuris, Lond. troches of sul- 
phur. 
Class XXIII. Pilulce. Pills. 
The masses for pills are best kept in 
bladders, which should be moistened now 
and then with some of the same kind of 
liquid that the mass was made up with, or 
with some proper aromatic oil. When the 
mass is to be.divided into pills, a given 
weight of it is rolled out into a cylinder of a 
given length, and of an equal thickness 
throughout, and is then divided into a given 
number of equal pieces, by means of a 
simple machine. These pieces are then 
rounded between the fingers ; and, to pre- 
vent them from adhering, they are covered 
either with starch, or powder of liquorice, 
or orris root. In Germany the powder of 
lycopodium is much used. 
To this form are peculiarly adapted those 
drugs which operate in a small dose, and 
whose nauseous and offensive taste or smell 
require them to be concealed from the 
palate. 
Pills should have the consistence of a 
firm paste, a round form, and a weight not 
exceeding five grains. Essential oils may 
enter them in small quantity : deliquescent 
salts are improper. Efflorescent salts such 
as carbonate of soda, should be previously 
exposed so as to fall to po.wder: deliques- 
cent extracts should have some powder 
combined with them. The mass should be 
beaten until it become perfectly uniform 
and plastic. Powders may be made into 
pills with extracts, balsams, soap, mucilages, 
bread-crumb, &c. 
Gummy resins, and inspissated juices, are 
sometimes soft enough to be made into pills', 
without addition : where any moisture is 
requisite, spirit of wine is more proper than 
syrups or conserves, as it unites more rea- 
dily with them, and does not sensibly in- 
crease their bulk. Light dry powders re- 
quire syrup or mucilages : and the more 
ponderous, as the mercurial and other me- 
tallic preparations, thick honey, conserve, 
or extracts. 
Light powders reqtiire about half their 
weight of syrup ; or of honey, about three 
fourths their weight : to reduce them into 
a due consistence for forming pills. Half a 
drachm of the mass will make five or sis 
pills of a moderate size. 
Gums and inspissated juices are to be 
first softened with the liquid prescribed : 
the powders are then to be added, and the 
whole beat thoroughly together, till they be 
perfectly mixed. 
Pilul® aloetic®, Edin. Dubl. pills aloetic. 
Pilul® aloes composit®, Lond. pills aloe- 
tic, compound. 
Pilul® aloes cum assafoetida, Edin. pills 
aloetic with assafretida. 
Pilul® aloes cum colocynthide, Edin. 
pills aloetic with colocynth. 
Pilul® aloes cum niyrrha, Lond. pills 
aloetic with myrrh. 
Pilul® assafoetida composit®, Edin, pills 
of assaftstida, compound. 
Pilul® galbani composit®, Lond. pills of 
galbanum, compound. 
Pilul® ammoniareti cupri, Edin. pills of 
ammoniaret of copper. 
Pilul® hydrargyri, Lond. Edin. Dubl. pills 
of quicksilver. 
Pilul® opii, Lond. pilul® opiat®, Edin. 
pills of opium. 
Pilul® rhei compost®, Edin. pills of rhu - 
barb, compound. 
Pilul® scill®, Lond. Dubl. Edin. pills of 
squills. 
Pilul® stibii composit®, Dubl. pills of 
antimony, compound ; Plummer’s. 
The common mercurial pill is one of the 
best preparations of mercury, and may, in 
general, supersede most other forms of this 
medicine. In its preparation the mercury 
is minutely divided, and probably converted 
into the black oxide. To effect its mecha- 
nical division it must be triturated with 
some viscid substance. Soap, resin of 
guaiac, honey, extract of liquorice, manna, 
and conserve of roses, have all been at dif- 
ferent times recommended. The soap and 
guaiac have been rejected, on account of 
their being decomposed by the juices of the 
stomach ; and the honey, because it was 
apt to gripe some peopFe. ATith regard to 
tlie others, the grounds of selection are not 
well understood ; perhaps tlie acid contained 
in the conserve of roses may contribute to 
the extinction of the mercury. We learn 
when the mercnry is completely extin- 
guished, most easily, by rubbing a very 
little of the mass with the point of the fin- 
ger on a piece of paper, if no globules ap- 
