MISTURA CREASOTI OF THE BRITISH PHARMACOPOEIA. 
177 
poured on the plate. In conclusion, I have made no satisfactory experiments 
upon the physiological effects of the patent wood-spirit nor the ethers pre¬ 
pared from it upon the human system. I think there is a large field here 
open for the investigations of the physician, for undoubtedly some of them 
will prove to be most powerful agents in the treatment of diseases. 
Wilton, near Salisbury , August 21, 1865. 
Mr. Tuck said that since his paper was written the authorities had stopped the manu¬ 
facture of Eschwege’s patent wood naphtha, but it was to be hoped that perhaps, under 
certain regulations, its production would be continued. 
This was also the general opinion of the meeting. 
ON THE MISTURA CREASOTI OF THE BRITISH PHARMA- 
COPCEIA. 
BY MR. JOHN TUCK. 
I believe Dr. Attfield first drew the attention of pharmaceutists to the 
formula given for this preparation in some Lectures on the British Pharma¬ 
copoeia, delivered before the Pharmaceutical Society; he thought it required 
to be further investigated, for, if as stated by Pereira and others Creasote 
was soluble in water to a greater extent than the proportion in which it was 
ordered in the Mistura Creasoti, what need of adding acetic acid to dissolve it? 
I should perhaps state that this was a Scotch preparation, and the formula 
given for it in the last Edinburgh Pharmacopoeia was as follows:— 
Creasote, 
Acetic Acid,—of each.16 minims. 
Compound Spirit of Juniper, 
Syrup,—of each.1 ounce. 
Water.14 ounces. 
Mix the Creasote with the acid, then gradually the water, and lastly the 
syrup aud spirit. 
The spirit of juniper here ordered was a proof spirit, made by macerating 
the berries and seeds with the proof spirit for two days, then adding water and 
distilling off the whole of the proof spirit. 
In the British Pharmacopoeia, the Scotch formula was altered to meet the 
greatly-increased strength of the spirit of juniper there ordered, so that it 
now 
Creasote, 
Glacial Acetic Acid,—of each . . . 16 minims. 
Spirit of Juniper. h drachm. 
Syrup.1 ounce. 
Distilled Water.15 ounces. 
Mix the creasote with the acetic acid, gradually add the water, and lastly 
the syrup and spirit of juniper. 
It will be seen on comparing the two formula that the Edinburgh Phar¬ 
macopoeia ordered an ounce of a proof spirit of juniper, whilst the British 
Pharmacopoeia orders only half a drachm ; but then this half-drachm is made 
with rectified spirit, and contains nearly ninety-five times as much oil of 
juniper as the compound spirit of juniper of the last London Pharmacopoeia. 
The acetic acid ordered in the mist, creasoti with the intention of dissolv¬ 
ing the creasote is entirely useless, as the quantity of creasote there ordered 
is perfectly soluble without the presence of acetic acid or any other solvent, 
and even if it were not so, the acid would be still useless in that small pro- 
