ON SUPPOSITORIES AND MEDICATED PESSARIES. 
323 
American Pharmaceutical Association a member recommends the use of yellow 
wax as a tempering ingredient, and probably with the greater extremes of heat 
and cold there to be provided against, this addition may answer a good purpose. 
It is stated that a compound of “ seven parts of cacao butter and one part of 
yellow wax gives consistence in warm weather and toughness in cold.” 
It must be borne in mind that theobroma oil is a somewhat variable sub¬ 
stance, and success in using it depends on the quality employed. It should be 
bright yellow in colour rather than dullish white; the fracture should be clean, 
smooth, and not granular. I once purchased two lots from a house in France, 
purporting to be exactly the same except that one was in mass, the other 
moulded into cakes,—a difference not enough to account for the discrepancy in 
price. The sort in mass was whiter in appearance and somewhat granular, 
otherwise resembling that in cakes ; but there was great difficulty in working 
with it, and the proportion of breakage in turning out of the moulds was very 
large. Upon inquiry, it was found that the difference consisted in a final pro¬ 
cess of clarifying, and that careful filtration removed a quantity of aqueous or 
albuminous matter, the suspension of which in the unfiltered mass caused its 
granular condition. 
With respect to moulds I have not much to add to what has been already said. 
The pattern before suggested has, with some improvement come into general 
use. I shall therefore only mention one or two modifications which may not come 
under the notice of members present, and briefly allude to certain makeshifts 
which have been proposed from time to time. 
Even those who have used clay as a matrix most constantly, seem now to 
admit that it will not bear comparison in accuracy and neatness of result 
with solid metal moulds. Apart from the necessity of washing whatever is 
cast in so dirty a material, and from the variability of shape dependent on 
the greater or less adhesion of the clay to the dibble, the want of uniformity 
in size and weight is a great drawback to its employment. 1 have seen a box 
of pessaries prepared by this method purporting to be alike, of which the 
weights varied from 100 to 140 grains, or even more; the character of the 
house from which they were obtained left no possible explanation but that of 
defects inseparable from the process. Indeed a plastic mass of variable consistence 
and adhesiveness can scarcely be suited for any purpose where uniformity is a 
desideratum. The proposed admixture of deliquescent salts with clay in order 
to keep it in a moist condition is obviously objectionable, and might readily 
lead the dispenser into difficulty. 
The tin-foil matrices, proposed by Mr. Redford (Pharmaceutical Journal, 
Jan. 1867) appear to offer the best extemporaneous means of working, and if 
sufficient care be employed, suppositories so made will almost be?a* comparison 
with those from solid metal moulds. 
Through the kindness of Mr. Dymond, of Birmingham, I am able to place on 
the table two moulds, of a pattern manufactured in America (Fig. 1), which were 
sent over to the exhibition of pharmaceutical objects, held in connection with the 
Pharmaceutical Conference at Nottingham. Possibly cheapness and simplicity 
are their chief recommendations. They consist of block-tin, thimble-shaped ves¬ 
sels let into a tin-plate frame, which is supported by a ledge within a trough, 
so that they can be kept surrounded with water if rapid cooling be desired. The 
specimens made in them will show that the cones are not the same shape as those 
we are in the habit of using, and the inferior workmanship of the moulds pre¬ 
vents any chance of producing neatly finished casts. Another defect is the 
w r ant of any means of liberating them,—-with an adhesive mass the proportion 
of perfect cones produced would be exceedingly small. 
My friend, Mr. Gale, once showed me a mould, in some respects similar, but 
made with greater precision. The block-tin cones were set “ flush ” in a hard 
y 2 
