LIQUOR HYDRIOD ATIS ARSENICI ET HYDRARGYRI. 285 
No. 5. 01. Croton, gtt. i. 
Pulv. Opii gr. £. 
Mica? Panis gr. iss. 
Pastse Tragac. q. s. 
Ft. Pil. i. mvj. 
Made rather soft pills, but as they have kept their shape there is no reason to 
alter the formula. 
u If it is necessary to give creasote in pills at all,” why use liquorice powder, 
which is objectionable on account of its bulk, and wax, which is equally so be¬ 
cause of its insolubility, when such simple aids as bread, tragacanth paste, and 
lycopodium, are to be found in every druggists shop? The rationale of the 
process is as follows:—The bread gives stamina and bulk to the pills, while the 
paste gives adhesiveness, but as this is sometimes gained at the expense of con¬ 
sistency, it is then necessary to add an absorbent, as lycopodium, and this is a 
better absorbent than tragacanth powder, by reason of its not causing the pill 
to get so very hard as the latter does. In my opinion, the compound traga¬ 
canth powder is to be preferred before the simple. 
A word now as to tragacanth paste, which is the ordinary gum paste used for 
sticking on labels in druggists’ shops. As an excipient for pills it is really A 1, 
the most refractory masses, whether resinous, oleaginous, or otherwise, being 
rendered quite docile,—that is, of course, if not too soft in the first instance. 
Dr. Redwood, in his ‘ Practical Pharmacy,’ says, “ the effect in some cases of a 
judiciously selected excipient is quite surprising.’ So it appears from some of 
the examples I have given. _ 
While on this subject there is one form of pill which frequently proves a 
puzzler. It is useless trying to make 5 grains of powdered camphor into a pill 
bv means of conf. roses, treacle, gum paste, etc., so as to be of a swallowable 
size; but a dozen of such may be made quickly and admirably by the aid of 
three or four drops of castor oil, and a drop of sp. v. r. if disposed to crumble. 
It is but a step from pills to pill pounce, and in the work of Dr. Redwood 
before-quoted, it is stated that lycopodium is but little used in this country ; it 
ought to be better known, as it deserves all the praise there awarded to it, an<a 
even more ; and, in my opinion, a box of pills nicely finished and rolled 151 
lycopodium, looks much handsomer than when silvered,—the pills look like what 
they are, and not like silver bullets. > , 
I may add, that creasote pills made as here directed take the silver leaf, and 
that I have frequently silvered them. I would also mention, that in the formulae 
here given, I have used drops instead of minims, believing that in such very 
small 0 quantities the drop represents the minim near enough for all practical 
purposes, especially when we consider the amount that is unavoidably lost by 
adhering to the side of the measure. 
9, West Derby Street , Liverpool 
LIQUOR HYDRIODATIS ARSENICI ET HYDRARGYRI. 
BY WILLIAM HUSKISSON, JUN., F.C.S. 
Your Journal of the present month contains an interesting memoir by W. 
E Heathfield upon the preparation of Donovan s solution, with reference to 
its relative strength and colour, as prepared by the various processes adopted 
since its first introduction to pharmacy. It is unquestionably of great impor¬ 
tance that the solution bearing Mr. Donovan’s name should be prepared strictly 
