606 
PHARMACEUTICAL MEETING. 
tion which I have always found him ready to give, and more especially for that 
contained in his excellent course of lectures delivered here ; these form a good 
groundwork on which to build a Pharmacopoeia. 
I have sometimes noticed the want of it, and as it is our guide, I beg to pro¬ 
pose that a copy of the Pharmacopoeia be always placed on the table at these 
meetings. 
University College Hospital, March 2nd , 1870. 
The Chairman felt sure that, after the way in which the members had from 
time to time received the observations of Mr. Martindale, he had only to sug¬ 
gest to them that which they were anxious to give him, and that was a hearty 
vote of thanks for the important practical remarks which he had placed before 
them. He (the Chairman) did not think they would regret the adjournment 
of the discussion till that night, if only for the observations to which they had 
just listened. Mr. Martindale had suggested that every formula of the Phar¬ 
macopoeia should be submitted to this Society in the same way that every clause 
of a Bill was submitted to the House of Commons. It had been shown that 
evening that great practical results did arise from bringing these formulae befoie 
them and discussing them. At the last meeting it was suggested by Professor 
Att field that they would be glad to receive the suggestions and experiences of 
the younger members of the pharmaceutical body, those who were daily 
practical contact with the working of the Pharmacopoeia; and he (the Chair¬ 
man) hoped that some of those present were prepared to give some of their 
experiences, to state their difficulties, and to ask for an elucidation or explana¬ 
tion of them. . , . , , - -i 
Mr. Geerard (of Guy’s Hospital) said he wished to make a few remarks 
with regard to compound ointment of mercury, which he had found a difficulty 
in preparing. The directions in the Pharmacopoeia were to add the oil to.the 
melted wax. It did not say that the oil was to be hot, and, from the directions 
given, he should infer that it was to be cold ; but when they added oil to the 
wax it was immediately precipitated. When the mixture was nearly cold they 
were told to add camphor and ointment of mercury, and in doing so they got 
an unsatisfactory preparation, especially in making a large quantity. I lie 
Pharmacopoeia instructions for making this ointment in small quantities might 
be practicable, but they were not practicable for making the quantity ordered 
in the Pharmacopoeia. In dealing with a large quantity of camphor, say four 
or six ounces,—it was difficult to get it in a state of powder sufficiently fine to 
make a smooth ointment; and the only way of getting over it was to melt the 
wax and oil together, then put in the ointment of mercury, and stir well; and 
when the mixture was getting cold, or towards a solid state, to put in the 
powdered camphor, and, by stirring it, they would get an ointment perfectly 
smooth and consistent. Then, again, with reference to hemlock poultice. In 
the Pharmacopoeia it was ordered to be made with dry powdered leaf; but 
would it not be better to use extract for this preparation? because they knew 
very well that in the experience of eminent men the dry leaf of hemlock was 
found to contain scarcely any active principle. He had heard the opinion of 
several eminent medical men upon this point, and in the house where he was 
they were in the habit of using the extract instead of the powdered leaf, and 
found it answered better. , , „ 
Mr. Carteighe remarked that Mr. Martindale had dismissed the subject ot 
fresh tincture of orange-peel more briefly than he should have liked, because it 
so happened that he had made tincture of orange-peel from fresh Seville oranges 
and rectified spirit, with all the assurance of certain eminent men at his back, 
that it was considered immeasurably superior to the officinal form, that of the 
British Pharmacopoeia, but, unfortunately, the British public preferred the 
