BRISTOL PHARMACEUTICAL ASSOCIATION. 
813 
"When speaking of the third kind, Mr. Carpenter explained the absorption bands 
of coloured fluids, and especially alluded to the preparations of the Pharmacopoeia, 
described in a paper on the subject read by Mr. Stoddart at the Exeter meeting of 
the Pharmaceutical Conference. 
Many specimens were exhibited, giving very brilliant and remarkable spectra, 
which most unmistakably showed the characteristic appearances of the several tinc¬ 
tures and solutions. 
The whole lecture was illustrated with the aid of the electric light, by which a 
brilliant spectrum, six feet in length, was obtained, and by its means the various 
bands could be viewed with the greatest ease. 
It was shown that no two elementary substances, in the gaseous condition, pro¬ 
duce the same spectrum, hence they could be distinguished from each other by 
their spectra. The complexity of the spectrum of an element was frequently found 
to increase with the temperature employed in volatilization. 
Very beautiful photographs—descriptive of the stellar and solar observations, by 
Messrs. Lockyer and Huggins—were shown by the oxyhydrogen microscope. 
On the table were the different kinds of spectroscopes in general use for microscopic 
and other purposes. 
“ On the Colocynth Preparations of Recent Pharmacopoeias.” By Mr. Richard W. 
G-des. 
It is probable that most Pharmaceutists have experienced difficulty in satisfying 
the public of the correctness of medicines containing colocynth pill or extract since 
the operation of the British Pharmacopoeia, 1867. The remarks of patients tend to 
this conclusion,—that the compound extract, 1867, is a less active preparation than 
they have been accustomed to ; and the colocynth pill, 1867, produces griping effects 
not occasioned by its precursor. It is probable that the comparison is made in both 
cases with the compound pill of 1851, which took the place of the previous extract 
(1836), and was in use for sixteen years as the sole officinal preparation. 
The following table exhibits the percentage composition of the officinal colocynth 
preparations from 1836 to 1867 :— 
Compound Extract. 
Compound Pill. 
1836 
1867 
1851 
1867 ' 
r Spirituous Extract (& moisture) 
*TS-367 
*18-367 
Colocvntli A 
Aqueous do. do. . 
Powder. 
... 
... 
t9'090 
18-182 
Aloes . . - 
' Extract (Socotrine) .... 
Crude (Barbadoes) .... 
48-979 
48-979 
54540 
36-364 
Scammony. * 
Virgin . .. 
Resm. 
16-327 
16 327 
18-180, 
36-364 
Cardamoms 
• •••••••••• 
4-082 
4-082 
4-550 
• • • 
Soap . . - 
f Hard. 
Soft. 
12-245 
12-245 
13-640 
... 
Sulphate Potash. 
• • • 
# # 
t • • 
4>-545 
Oil of Cloves 
• • • • • • • • • 
... 
... 
... 
4 545 
100-000 
100-000 
100 000 
100-000 
Note .—The apparently large yield of spirituous extract from 24"489 parts pulp is explained 
by the moisture present in the mass being estimated with the colocynth extract. The other 
ingredients being used in a dry state, the excess of total weight is represented as extract 
colocynth. Any confusion from this cause is obviated by its equivalent in colocynth pulp 
being stated, which admits of exact comparison of all four formulae. 
* 
t 
Equivalent to colocynth pulp 
)) 1 ) 9 } 
. 24-489 
. 22-000 
