400 
PHARMACEUTICAL SOCIETY, EDINBURGH. 
each, and made with syrup, would have been more welcome, as their small size 
is generally a great advantage. I regret exceedingly to observe the omission of 
our Edinburgh Pil. Aloes et Ferri,—a pill, the exteDsive use of which by 
northern practitioners must have been unknown to the omitters. 
Pulvis Aromaticus. We have here a powder composed of aromatics, with a 
predominating proportion of saffron, two-thirds of the whole also being refined 
sugar, taking the place of our old mixture of cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger in 
equal parts, and of the London Pulv. Cinnam. Co., which had the same compo¬ 
sition slightly varied. I fear this is an inadequate substitute for its predecessor. 
The objections to it are—first, its difference in every respect from the old, espe¬ 
cially in colour, and as containing so much sugar ; and, second, the great diffi¬ 
culty, indeed impossibility, of preparing it satisfactorily without appliances 
which are beyond the reach of most of us. The powder has a similar composi¬ 
tion (less the chalk) with the London Confect. Aromatic., which we find in its 
integrity over the page as Pulv. Cretce Aromaticus, taking the place of our Pulv. 
Cretrn Comp., and with a fortieth part addition of opium, as Pulv. Cretce Aro- 
mat. c. Opio , superseding our Pulv. Cretee Opiatus. Pulv. Jalap a Comp, has a 
slight addition of ginger. Pulv. Scammon. Comp, is quite different from the 
late Edinburgh powder. Instead of the scammony being merely diluted with an 
equal weight of bitartrate of potash, we have it mixed with jalap and ginger, 
conformably to the London formula. 
Spirit. Ammonice Aromat. is ordered to be distilled from a mixture of the car¬ 
bonate and caustic ammonia, which yields a product similar to the old London 
preparation, and the cloves and cinnamon are abandoned, the aromatics being 
lemon and nutmeg, which will prevent it acquiring colour by age. We have a 
new class of spirits introduced of Cajuput , Camphor , Juniper , Lavender , Pep¬ 
permint , Nutmeg , and Rosemary , made from the essential oils, in the uniform 
proportion of one to nine. The camphor is less than half the strength of the 
London spirit, which was one to four, and a little weaker than the Edinburgh, 
which was one to eight. In Spirit. Chloroformi we have an authoritative deci¬ 
sion on the long-vexed question of Chloric Ether. It is an exception to the rule 
of dilution, being one to nineteen, and so prepared, is quite soluble in water 
to a reasonable extent. Spirit. Tenuior is five to three of water, according to 
the London, being a little weaker than the Edinburgh. 
Suppositories are directed to be prepared from the old unctuous ingredients. 
It is to be regretted that the cacao butter has not been recognized, as it is 
superior, in every respect, and must eventually come into general use. 
We have a*new kind of care manifested with regard to the syrups, being now 
told what the product in each case should weigh. This has evidently been as¬ 
certained by careful experiment as to their keeping qualities, and will save us 
much annoyance. We have Syrup. Limonis rendered much more elegant by the 
use of the peel as well as the juice. The use of rectified spirit in the process for 
Syrup. Papaveris is admirable, and renders it now a stable preparation. Syrup. 
Sennce is a mild edition of our familiar fluid extract of senna, and might be made 
by percolation. The addition of the oil of coriander is very good. I may re¬ 
mark, in passing, that the sixteen ounces liquor obtained before adding the sugar, 
might constitute one of the liquid extracts formerly alluded to. For Syrup. 
Tolutanus , the London formula is adopted. This consists in boiling the balsam 
in water, which imbibes its aroma, and using this water to dissolve the sugar. 
It forms a very elegant syrup, much superior to our late one. 
I dare say many of us have been expecting that the publication of this Phar¬ 
macopoeia would settle the question as between percolation and digestion in 
preparing tinctures. There will be some disappointment to find that the dictum 
is essentially of the nature of a compromise. Perhaps it is better so, as we have 
in the directions given us, greater security for a better result on the whole. The 
