232 
NOTES ON ANALYSIS OF JALAP. 
a conical minim measure ; and other shapes may be readily formed from a piece 
of wood, no matter what kind, roughly cut into shape of a size larger than that 
ultimately required, putting it into the fire for a second or two and dressing it 
into the exact pattern by the use of a file. 
Supposing suppositories of the usual size and form are required, and that the 
model is ready, the tinfoil may be cut into convenient disks by pressing it upon 
a two-ounce pill-box, and cutting out with scissors ; the foil being first folded, 
a dozen or more of disks may be cut at once; place the point of the cone in 
the centre of one of the disks, and fold the foil closely about it, avoiding 
wrinkles as much as possible ; the foil mould is then ready for use and may be 
dropped off the tip of the dibble into the clay stand. The moulds having been 
arranged in this way and the requisite ingredients melted in a wide-mouthed 
bottle set in hot water, the moulds will be most conveniently filled by means of 
a common glass syringe, the piston being removed and an india-rubber ball sub¬ 
stituted ; the bottle being taken in one hand and the syringe in the other, the 
fluid ingredients are to be stirred with the syringe till they begin to thicken, 
and then transferred to the moulds by means of the syringe, the active con¬ 
stituents being kept thoroughly mixed through the mass during the operation, 
by stirring with the syringe between the lifting of each portion of the material 
from the bottle. 
While the suppository is still soft though not fluid, it may, if necessary, be 
removed from the clay by carefully lifting foil and all together, and if it is 
important to save time they may be immersed in cold water till quite firm, 
when the foil may be rolled off and they are tit for delivery to the patient. Of 
course, if there is no need for hurry, they are just as well left in their stand till 
quite hard. 
Any one who has experienced the same difficulty with the metal mould 
which I have done, will probably, with advantage, follow my example in adopt¬ 
ing tinfoil, the original mould being simply used instead of a clay stand to 
support the foil. 
The same proceeding exactly is adapted to the production of pessaries or sup¬ 
positories of other sizes and shapes, probably also of medicated bougies, though 
with these I have as yet had no experience. 
In all cases it is most convenient to operate with forms which are more or 
less conical, and with the apex rounded ; a thimble illustrates the shape best 
suited for pessaries, and as it also affords a sufficient latitude of sizes, and is 
always easily procured, we cannot do better than extemporize a pessary-dibble 
with sealing-wax or gutta-percha and a thimble, in the same manner as was 
done for suppositories with a minim measure. 
It will be observed that the materials are all such as are to be found in any 
shop or surgery, for a lump of carbonate of maguesia or of chalk may be used 
instead of clay. And all the operations are such as any one could undertake to 
perform with success at a first attempt. There is no highly-finished apparatus 
to be made nor any delicacy of manipulation to be acquired, and on these 
grounds I offer these remarks to the notice of my brother pharmaceutists, who 
may now and then be annoyed at the intractability of the old method, while 
some impatient customer urges him to lose no time. 
Grey Street, Newcastle , October 16 . 1867 . 
NOTES ON ANALYSIS OF JALAP. 
TO THE EDITOR OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL. 
Sir,—The statement made by Mr. Alfred Southall, of Birmingham, at the late 
Pharmaceutical Conference, of the quantity of resin yielded by the different 
