CONVERSAZIONE. 
231 
class of articles to which tlie above resins belong, and they are surmountable 
by a little tact and patience on the part of any dispenser. The excipients 
tried were, glycerine and starch, mucilage, rectified spirit, Castile soap and 
water, Castile soap and spirit. Of these, the most suitable were rectified 
spirit or mucilage. Twenty grains of resin was used each time. At first the 
pills were too soft, and lost their shape, but on repeating the experiments with 
a less quantity of the excipient, success was easily met with. A warm mortar, 
or slab, was found to facilitate the operation. 
After standing for several weeks, the pills were examined. Those made 
with soap and water had then become firm, and had less water been used, or 
had they been heated after mixing, they would have ranked nearly equal with 
spirit or mucilage. 
Ttesin of Jalap. 
First experiment:—20 grains of resin treated with glycerine. The mass 
crumbled, afterwards agglutinated, and the glycerine exuded. It weighed, 
after having been placed on paper, and then scraped off, 28 grains. Estimated 
loss of glycerine on paper, 2 or 3 grains. 2 grains starch added. After mixing 
up it did not roll well, the glycerine still exuded. The weight was 29 grains, 
and the pills lost shape and became flat. 
Second experiment on 20 grains of resin:—Fresh mucilage (P.L.) was used. 
It made up well. The weight of pills after rolling, etc., was 24 grains, the 
mortar being carefully cleaned of mess. Estimated amount of mucilage used, 
6 grains. 
Third experiment:—To 20 grains of resin and 3 grains of powdered Castile 
soap, three drops of water were added. The weight of mass from the mortar 
was 25 grains. Lost shape, but afterwards became firm. 
Fourth experiment:—To 20 grains of resin and 4 of soap, 3 drops of spirit 
of wine were added. The weight of the mass was 23 grains. It did not keep 
its shape after being rolled out. 
Fifth experiment:—To 20 grains of resin 4 drops of spirit of wine were added, 
and the mass rolled out quickly. The pills took form easily, and retained it. 
Patent Scammony. 
First experiment:—To 20 grains of resin 4 drops of mucilage were added. 
The mass was too soft, it lost shape. On being worked on a warm slab, and 
then rolled off, the pills took a good shape, which they have since retained. 
Second experiment:—To 20 grains of resin 3 drops of spirit were added. 
It worked up easily, was rather soft at first, but then hardened, and is keep¬ 
ing its shape w r ell. 
As these two experiments succeeded so well, no others were tried. 
The President said that, as a general principle, he must object both to the use of 
spirit and of mucilage as excipients for pills. The flinty hardness which they were apt 
to cause was a serious evil. 
Dr. Attfield said that this paper showed the uselessness of the extract of jalap of the 
British Pharmacopoeia. 1 It had been admitted (Garrod, Med. Times and Gazette, 1840, 
vol. i. p. 300) that that extract was simply jalap resin with a natural excipient. From 
this paper it must be clear to everybody, as it already was to pharmaceutists, that any 
dispenser knowing his business could make jalap resin into pills in a far better way than 
by the method gratuitously given in the British Pharmacopoeia, under the dignified name 
of Extraction Jalapce. 
CONVERSAZIONE. 
On Friday evening, September 8th, the Birmingham members of the Con¬ 
ference invited the other Members to a Conversazione in the Odd Fellows’ 
