450 . 
PHARMACEUTICAL MEETING. 
the consumers of the article.” To continue in the words of the contributor, and 
approaching my own share of the work—“ In the meantime all must commise¬ 
rate the luckless tradesmen who run the risk of getting entangled in the meshes 
of Mr. Betts’s Chancery web. We do so heartily; and therefore beg to suggest 
to them a most efficient substitute for the patent metallic capsule, namely, 
qelatine , applied precisely in the same way as sealing- wax or resin—that is to 
say, in its melted condition, the top of the bottle being dipped into it. It is 
obvious that by repeated dippings, after cooling, any thickness of capsule may 
be effected. 
“We must observe, however, that gelatine is too brittle when used alone, but 
fortunately science suggests a ready and effectual 4 alloy.’ This alloy is glyce¬ 
rine , that curious substance of which we may say that it is impossible to decide 
to what purpose it may not be applied. The proportion in which it may be 
added to the melted gelatine, to give it pliability and toughness, is about one 
ounce and a half to the pound of the latter, well stirred in. Of course any 
colour may be given to these capsules, either for ornament or to distinguish 
readily the various liquids or other preparations. In hot climates there are 
voracious insects that attack and eat everything, to wit, the white ant in China, 
and of course they are fond of all animal matter, so that the gelatine capsule 
will be endangered; but here again wo are ready with the remedy. Bitter 
aloes and other repellents may be added to the melted mass, to secure this op¬ 
portune rival from those tropical plagues, whilst it rescues its users from the 
worst of all plagues—the law, lawyers, and inexorable 4 patent rights.’ ” 
So far the writer in 1 Temple Bar,’ and very easy and feasible it appears ; but 
there is in carrying out the gelatine scheme some practical difficulty to be over¬ 
come. To make the subject as clear as possible, let me ask, what are or were 
the disadvantages of the old sealing-wax and resin plan. In the first place, 
for home consumption, there was very little variety beyond the quality of the 
wax or resin, and the impression or seal stamped thereon,—in many cases no im¬ 
pression at all; in a general way, in removing the cork the resin flew about, 
and, being very adhesive when at all warm, was exceedingly disagreeable. When 
the cork was cut short off and flush with the neck of the bottle, it was almost next 
to impossible to extract the cork without some of the resin or wax falling in 
amongst the contents; and this may be especially noticed in all the one-ounce 
bottles of quinine. Again, in those articles sent to hot climates the resin or 
wax became partially melted, and the paper in which the commodity was 
wrapped adhered to the resin or wax ; and so any distinguishing seal, stamp, or 
mark became obliterated, and thus for any purpose of protection was valueless. 
Again, if the cork, as is commonly the case, be left long, and simply tied over 
with paper, membrane, or leather, there can be no positive protection or gua¬ 
rantee that the contents have not been changed, mixed, or otherwise tampered 
with. Moreover, both the paper and leather, like labels, if exposed in the win¬ 
dow or on the counter, become dirty, and as they cannot be cleaned must be 
renewed : thus the cost of capping is doubled and sometimes trebled; and in the 
case of proprietary articles sent abroad, if there was any peculiarity in the cap¬ 
ping, as it could neither be cleaned nor exchanged, there must, I feel, have been 
frequent annoyances and sometimes loss. 
Now the metallic capsule was calculated to remedy much of this, although 
not the whole of it. It made a neat and polished finish; fly-marks, dirt, or 
dust could at any time be washed off, and if the capsule was properly applied 
it became, to a great extent, a protection ; so far, good and favourable to the 
employment of metallic capsules. On the other hand, if the capsule was care¬ 
lessly put on, it was quite possible to remove it and replace it without injury, 
detriment, or discovery. Again, any writing or maker’s name was not very 
distinct, and could only be made out after some study ; moreover, there could 
