110 
OBITUARY. 
assafoetida, are survivors of a very large family. Aloes compounded with tonics, as iron, 
strychnia, zinc, quinine, often enables those tonics to he taken with benefit. 
One thing more has survived, and is in the most active use at present, viz. the com¬ 
bination of aloes with real drastic purgatives ; as the pilulae gambogiae comp., and pil. 
coloc. comp. Both are simplified forms of ancient prescriptions; and the compound 
colocynth dates from at least the time of Galen, the aloes being added to mitigate and 
correct the action of the stronger ingredients. This compound may be traced in various 
forms down from the Greeks through the Arabians to ourselves; but the singular thing 
is that it is known to our vulgar by the name which it had centuries ago, though the 
physician may have forgotten it. Many a practitioner who has loitered in a chemist’s 
shop has heard customers ask for a penn’orth of Pill cochy , or, as many call it, Pil a coshy. 
This is in some establishments the same amongst pills that a Saturday pie is amongst 
dishes—that is, a compound of all the odds and ends of purgatives worked up with 
common aloes, so that a good lump can be sold for a penny. But its real composition 
is seen in formularies of the last century, where it appears as “ Pilulse ex colocynthide 
cum aloe, vulgo coccice minores.” One of the most effective purgatives in the world is 
this same pill, as now made at Apothecaries’ Hall, and used by old-fashioned practitioners 
and families. But why is it called “ Cocciae ?” The answer involves the history of pills. 
When mankind became civilized enough to take physic, they soon must have learned 
the comfort of swallowing nauseous drugs in the solid form. The solid bits so swal¬ 
lowed were prescribed by the Greek and Roman physicians after the magnitude of 
various berries and seeds ; thus, Celsus directs the size of an almond of one composition, 
the size of an Egyptian bean of another, and so on. The morsels themselves were called 
catapotia, which we should now call boluses , although the exact English equivalent is 
gulp., or gobbet. But the word coccus was also used for a small berry, and coccion for the 
diminutive thereof; and the word coccia, or seeds, for what we call pills, seems to have 
been brought into popular use in the seventh century. The original coccia were lentil 
seeds—“granula ervi.” Paul of iEgina’s recipe, in the sixth century, was,—Of aloes, 
colocynth pulp, and extract of wormwood, each one part; scammony, two parts: mix. 
His dose was eleven coccia, each the size of a lentil. We pity the bowels that should 
be subjected to so many coccia of the compound colocynth pill of the British Pharma¬ 
copoeia. 
Two kinds of pills became famous, as the greater and lesser coccia. Hence, the word 
coccia was adopted in later Latin, not as the name of pills in general, but of these pills 
in particular; moreover, it was corrupted into a feminine noun of the first declension ; 
and hence it is that English poor people now go to chemists’ shops to ask for pil. 
cochice,—Medical Times and Gazette. 
CHEMICAL PROMOTIONS. 
There is some stir in the chemical world apropos of existing vacancies and probable 
promotions. Unfortunately the number of remunerative offices which can be held by 
scientific chemists in this country is small, and the emoluments, for the most part, are 
absurdly insufficient. That accomplished chemical pluralist, Dr. Frankland, having re¬ 
signed one of the least lucrative of his positions, Dr. Odling will succeed him—whether 
wholly or in part seems not quite clear. Dr. Odling will, we believe, associate with 
himself a co-lecturer at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital; and this will probably create a 
vacancy in the chemical chair of another Metropolitan medical school. Dr. Lyon Play¬ 
fair will also, it is understood, vacate the chemical chair in the University of Edinburgh, 
in the case of his election to represent the University in Parliament. It is expected 
that he will be succeeded by Dr. Anderson, Professor of Chemistry in the University of 
Glasgow.— British Medical Journal , Jxdy 4, 1868. 
©fittuarg. 
J. S. HEATON. 
On July 4th, at Manchester, after a few days’ illness, Mr. J. S. Heaton, Pharmaceu¬ 
tical Chemist, aged 51. He was connected with the Society from its commencement, 
and was deeply respected by all who knew him. 
