PRESCRIPTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. 683 
Hanbury said that hemidesmus seemed to be a very unimportant drug, 
and, unfortunately, that which they got was often of a very inferior quality, 
feome years ago he caused some to be collected in Ceylon, and he also got 
some from Madras, which was much more aromatic and more sound than anv 
he could buy at. the druggist s. It was frequently very much damaged, and 
was sent over just as merchants might find it in the bazaars,—in an in- 
ei ^, s ^ a ^ e » an d wanting in the qualities which the drug ought to possess. 
I he Chairman remarked that no doubt it found its way to the English 
market m a very dirty and unsatisfactory state, and the price at which it was 
n0t SUCa aS t0 encoura ? e merchants abroad to take much care of it. 
Mr. Gale then drew attention to a specimen of syrup of hydrate of 
chloial. Tne strength ot it was 10 grains in a drachm. It was made with 
syrup of orange-peel. 
Mi. Hills said the great object in such a preparation, which might come 
into general use, was to have uniformity ; but, at present, a customer might 
go to three or four different shops, and tind the syrup different in flavour in 
each one. They might each have the same quantity of hydrate of chloral, 
and \ et be very different in flavour. It was very desirable in such a thing, 
that they should have something definite agreed upon amongst themselves. 
It had sometimes been flavoured with almond, but he rather preferred the 
orange peel, and he thought that ten grains of the hydrate of chloral to one 
fluid drachm was a suitable strength. 
Mr. Haselden said that he had had no experience in this particular pre- 
paiation, but he had had great experience in many other preparations 
brought out as tinctures and syrups, and he objected to this mode of pre¬ 
scribing in toto. . He was opposed to the system of ordering an ounce or two 
ot a syrup or tincture, and telling the patient to take a teaspoonful or so 
many drops. This did neither the patient, the pharmaceutist, nor the physi¬ 
cian much good ; and he would rather all these preparations were swept away 
altogether, and let the physician prescribe the hydrate of chloral in the dose 
he thought necessary, and in the vehicle he would like his patient to take it 
the prescnber was not acquainted with a good vehicle, any chemist 
in his neighbourhood would only be too happy to give the information. 
Thete would be a variety of tastes, and they would have fifty differently 
flavoured syrups, each being described as the best, and a preparation of this 
class u oulcl vary at different establishments. He was particularly desirous 
that prescribes should order liquid medicines either in draughts or mixtures, 
trusting to their own skill in prescribing for the production of an elegant 
compound. 
i^Ii • Hills asked ]\Ir. Haselden what he would do in the case of paregoric 
and the syrup of poppies. Would he object to sell a pint of Fluid Extract of 
Sarsaparilla, unless by prescription P They were talking of that which 
ought to be in the Pharmacopoeia at the present moment, the hydrate of 
chloral. To decline selling paregoric, sarsaparilla, and medicines of every¬ 
day use, without a prescription, or an order from a medical man, would be to 
cut off half their business. 
Mr. Carteighe remarked that he had made this syrup several times, and 
had used almond and tolu for flavouring it, and as no objection had been 
made to that syrup, he thought they might adhere to that method of pre¬ 
paring it. 
Mr. Umney said he had made the syrup, and had flavoured it with orange- 
flower water. Syrup so prepared had been sent in considerable quantities to 
different parts of the country. 
Mr. Morson said they must bear in mind that hydrate of chloral was a 
new remedy, and as yet they hardly knew to what perfection the manufacture 
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