'ilarc-h 8, 1878.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
717 
tion of some less objectionable name tban that which was 
now given to an article which really was not.citrate of 
magnesia at all. Another substance included in the list 
was phosphorated oil. It had been a question among - 
medical men what was the best form for the administra¬ 
tion of phosphorus in different kinds of disease. It had 
been [found that in certain cases phosphorus, not in any 
state of chemical combination but simply in solution, was 
more efficacious than in any other form. The phos¬ 
phorated oil was a solution of phosphorus in oil of 
almonds. Such a preparation was found in the Paris 
Codex, but the formula there given was not by any means 
satisfactory. Some few years back a very valuable 
paper, or a notice of it, appeared in the Society s Jour¬ 
nal, detailing the results of investigations made by 
M. Mehu, upon the best means of producing a solution 
of phosphorus in oil of almonds that should be uni¬ 
form in composition and permanent also. If phospho¬ 
rus were simply dissolved in ordinary oil of almonds as 
directed in the Paris Codex, the solution very speedily 
underwent a change, and a reddisn yellow precipitate 
was thrown down, which appeared to be caused by some 
organic comp ound in the oil—albumen and resinous matter. 
By heating the oil up to a temperature of 300 degrees 
for a quarter of an hour, the aqueous vapour was driven 
out. Then the temperature was raised to 480 degrees 
for another quarter of an hour, and during that time the 
organic matter was decomposed, and the oil as it cooled 
became slightly opaque. When it was filtered it was 
found to be colourless, and this purified colourless oil 
dissolved phosphorus to the extent of something more 
than one part*in 100 parts by weight of the oil. It 
would keep for a length of time without undergoing 
-change. It appeared that the most satisfactory mode of 
administering phosphorus in its unaltered condition was 
in oil. Other things had been tried, but not so success¬ 
fully as oil. Then there was oxymel ipecacuanhas which 
had been already described in the Journal. Pepsin was 
also down in the list. He felt a little difficulty as to 
what form of pepsin should be recognized in the Pharma¬ 
copoeia. All persons seemed to agree that the time had 
arrived when it was imperative upon them to recognize 
pepsin as a therapeutic agent. He believed it to be a 
really efficacious and very important medicine. . There 
were, however, a great many different preparations of 
pepsin ; and the manner in which it was originally in¬ 
troduced and in which it gradually got into medical 
practice had led to the employment of it in several 
different forms. There was pepsin with _ starch, and 
pepsin without starch, and pepsin with different pro¬ 
portions of starch, and pepsin with acid and pepsin 
without acid. Some medical men preferred administering 
it in one form; and other medical men preferred adminis¬ 
tering it in others. If we could get pepsin in the greatest 
state of purity in which it could be produced practically 
for use in medicine, it would be still but a mixture of sub¬ 
stances. But what was contemplated in the Pharmaco¬ 
poeia was to have something which should be as far as pos¬ 
sible definable. With regard to the compound powder of 
elaterium, which he referred to at the last meeting, it was 
S uo- ( »-ested by a distinguished member of the Medical 
Council some time ago; and the reason for suggesting it 
was that elaterium, a powerful medicine, was liable either 
in process of dispensing or otherwise not to be accurately 
weighed or uniformly mixed with the other materials 
to which it was to be added, and that in a more diluted 
form it could be more safely and advantageously ad¬ 
ministered. Then came the question of suppositories. 
Now he had been making experiments upon suppositories, 
because* it was suggested that a new form was very 
desirable ; and he was glad to find that so much light 
had been thrown upon the subject at this meeting. He 
gave up gelatine and glycerine, because there was a 
good deal of trouble in preparing a combination which 
should contain these substances in proper proportions, 
nnd such a mixture could not be made extemporaneously. 
His suggestion was to use soap. Curd soap, made with 
pure animal fat, consisting principally of stearine, would 
have some valuable applications in place of the olive oil, 
soap, or castile soap. With regard to morphia supposi¬ 
tories he used, in addition to the curd soap, half its 
weight of glycerine of starch ; but in making carbolic 
acid suppositories, the glycerine of starch was not re¬ 
quired. Then, lastly, tincture of fresh orange-peel was 
one of the suggested additions, and he proposed that 
this should be made with rectified spirit. 
The President said he thought it would be useless to 
attempt to enter into any discussion of this subject at so 
late an hour. 
The discussion was therefore adjourned to the next 
meeting, which will be held on Wednesday, April 2. 
NORTH BRITISH BRANCH, EDINBURGH. 
The fourth meeting of this society for the present 
session was held on Friday evening, February 21st, in 
St. Giles Street; Mr. H. C. Baildon, president, in the 
chair. A lecture was delivered by Dr. J. G. M‘Ken- 
drick, Assistant to the Professor of Physiology in Edin¬ 
burgh University, on “Muscles and Nerves.” In a 
most lucid and interesting style the lecturer explained 
the structure and function of these wonderful tissues 
which enter so largely into the formation of sentient 
beings, and with the help of delicate apparatus, the 
contractility of muscles was illustrated; and it was 
shown that contraction could be produced either by 
stimulating the muscle itself by means of a current . of 
electricity or by stimulating the nerve connected with 
it. The force exerted through this contractility was 
also brought to the test of ocular demonstration, a small 
muscle from a frog being, by the mere passage of an 
electric current, made to lift 900 grains. The structure 
of muscle and nerve was^shown in a series of microscopic 
preparations, and the lecturer explained the apparatus 
by which it could be proved that living muscular tissue 
evolves electricity, and that impulses travel, through 
nerves very considerably slower than the electric current 
through a wire. The lecturer succeeded in inspiring 
his audience with his own enthusiasm, and maintained 
their attention unflaggingly for a couple of hours. At 
the close, on the motion of the president, seconded by 
the vice-president, a cordial vote of thanks was accorded 
to Dr. M‘Kendrick. 
BENEVOLENT FUND. 
Subscriptions Received during February, 
SUBSCRIPTIONS. 
London. 
Applegate, Edwin, 5, Hercules Terrace, Holloway, N. . 
Ball, the Chemists (Committee of). 
Best, James, 11, Jonson’s Place, Harrow Road, TV. . . 
Bird, Robert, 103, High Holborn, W.C. ...... 
Bird, William Lionel, 42, Castle Street East, TV. . . . 
Bolton, Horatio Nelson, 22, Quadrant Road, Canonbury. 
Bowden Edward and Ambrose, 13, Charles Street, St. 
James’s, S.W. ... • • • • 
Buckle, Christopher Francis, 77, Gray’s Inn Road, W.C. 
Chubb, James Carpenter, 102, St. John Street Road, E.C. 
Cooke, John, 126, Hoxton Street, N. 
Cooper, William Temple, 26, Oxford Street, W. 
Corbyn and Co., 300, Holborn, W.C. 
Coveil, William Mann, 302, Mare Street, Hackney, E. . . 
Craekuell, Charles, 217, Edgware Road, TV. 
Croyden, Charles, 37, Wigmore Street, W. 
Cruse, James Charles, 27, Canonbury Place, N. 
D’Aubney, Thomas, 82, Shepherdess Walk, N. . . . . 
Davenport John Thistlewood, 33, Gt. Kussell Street, W .v>» 
Davies, William, 292, Gray’s Inn Road, W.C. 
Dinneford and Co., 172, New Bond Street, W. 
Eade, George, 72, Goswell Road, E.C. ...•••• 
Fade, James, 72, Goswell Road, E.C. • • • • * • • 
Kaulconer, Robert Stephen, 270, Walworth Ivoad, S,Jii • 
Fisher and Haselden, 18, Conduit Street, W. 
1873. 
£, s. d. 
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110 
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