740 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS 
[March 15,1873. 
Pharmaceutical Titles. 
Sir,—Would you kindly insert the following in your wide¬ 
spread Journal. 
Having read with great satisfaction the letter of your cor¬ 
respondent, Mr. L.V. Rees, in the Journal of March 1st, on 
the subject of pharmaceutical titles, we think that his pro¬ 
posal is a step in the right direction. Out of eight appren¬ 
tices employed in the establishment to which we belong, there 
are at least live who are not intending to remain in the ranks 
of pharmacy. And what is the reason of this ? They have 
all had a liberal education, and, finding that it would be as 
easy to pass the medical examinations as to attain to the Major 
qualifications of pharmacy, and, coupled with this, the great 
social difference between a pharmaceutical chemist and a 
medical man, they would rather expend a considerably larger 
sum of money, and a greater amount of time, so as to gain 
to themselves a higher position in society. The remedy for 
this, we think, will be partly found, if' more acceptable titles 
were accorded to those who pass the examinations of the 
Pharmaceutical Society. Let us endorse the statements of 
Mr. Rees, that “ an Associate is nothing more than the lowest 
grade of all scientific societies; therefore why not give this 
title to those who have passed the ‘Preliminary ? ’ ” 
If “Major” men were called “ Pellows of the Pharmaceu¬ 
tical Society,” it would be an inducement and stimulus to 
young men of position to strive to gain that qualification. 
And why not also let those who pass the “ Minor” be called 
“ Licentiates of the Pharmaceutical Society,” seeing that 
they are licensed to practise pharmacy? We believe that if 
this suggestion were carried out, it, would give general satis¬ 
faction to all connected with the profession, 
At present there seems a great lack of young men willing 
to join and follow up the profession, but we think that 
were these titles recognised a different state of things would 
prevail. 
Two Apprentices. 
Edinburgh, March Ath, 1873. 
Tinctura Quinial 
Sir,—I cannot agree with Mr. Baldock that the official 
formula for Tinct. Quinine is “ perfectly satisfactory.” It is 
beyond dispute that tincture of quinine of the official spirit¬ 
uous strength will deposit copiously of crystallized quinine 
at such temperatures as are common in English winters; and 
this must be acknowledged to be objectionable. The incon¬ 
venience might, I think, be avoided by increasing the alcoholic 
strength to the proportion of three parts rectified spirit to 
one part water; but, although I have experimented in this 
way, amongst many others, with a view to improving the 
formula, I failed to make notes of the result in this respect. 
I would take the opportunity of referring to another matter 
connected with quinine, viz., the great waste which charac¬ 
terizes the medicinal employment of cinchona products, a 
waste for which medical and pharmaceutical prejudice is to a 
great extent responsible. The demand for quinine appears to 
increase like the consumpton of coal; and like coal, there 
seems to have been some apprehension as to the duration of 
the supply. In the meantime, what becomes of the valuable 
medicinal alkaloids yielded by the cinchonas other than 
quinine ? I ask the question, but am totally unable to give 
an answer. Messrs. Howards have recently issued a circular 
inviting attention to the merits and relative cheapness of 
cinchonidine, said to be little, if at all, inferior in medicinal 
efficacy to quinine, yet sold for about one-third its price! 
Why is it made a matter of conscience to separate this valu- 
able alkaloid from quinine, and to exclude it from all official 
preparations ? I have the strongest belief that a melange of 
all the cinchona alkaloids would prove a more digestible and 
therefore a more efficacious tonic than any one of them stark- 
naked ; and I should much like to see tincture of quinine, and, 
still more, quinine wine (which is admirably suited for a 
popular tonic) replaced by pharmacopoeia! formulae for tincture 
and wine containing all the cinchona alkaloids in a state of 
natural admixture. 
Pursuing the same subject I may add that there seems to 
me room for addition and improvement in the galenical pre¬ 
parations of the bark itself. The only preparation worth 
naming is the liquid extract (the equivalent of the liquor 
cinchonae introduced by Mr. Battley), but although this was 
a great advance upon any previous formula, it fails to furnish 
a complete epitome of cinchona bark, so that both in its 
galenical preparations and its chemical products, this most 
important medicine is but imperfectly utilized. The subject 
is worthy of the skilled investigation of Dr. Redwood, and 
if successfully worked out would prove a most valuable feature 
in the proposed supplement to the British Pharmacopoeia. 
Richard W. Giles. 
Sir,—Referring to Mr. Mumbray’s letter in the Journal of 
March 1, I think it is generally known by practical phar¬ 
macists that the addition of an acid even in considerable 
quantity does not give a satisfactory result. 
Why not separate the undissolved quinine and make a 
solution with dilute sulphuric acid, precipitate with ammonia, 
wash the nearly pure quinia, and add it to the tincture in 
which it is readily soluble ? 
Greater liberties are often taken with Pharmacopoeia pro¬ 
cesses to attain results of less importance. 
Walter Wise. 
Sir,—In repty to the letter of Mr. Mumbray in last week’s 
issue, respecting Tr. Quiniae Co., I beg to say that I have as 
last succeeded in obtaining a tincture free from any deposit. 
I make it strictly P. B., using Howard’s quinine, no acid of 
any hind, but taking care to make the tr. aurant. with 
rectified spirit 5 parts, and distilled water 3 parts. 
Then, after pressing and filtering, dissolving the quinine in 
it at a very gentle heat. I have some tr. quiniae thus pre¬ 
pared still in a shop bottle, and it is at least ten months old, 
and has never thrown down any precipitate whatever. 
R. T. Clarke. 
131, Milton Hoad, Gravesend. 
‘‘An Associate .”—We think it is sufficiently well esta¬ 
blished that the present mode of conducting the Preliminary 
examination is unsatisfactory, without particularizing further 
instances. 
PI.—A formula for the preparation of Tinct. Prun 
Vlrginknse was given on p. 477 of the first volume of the 
present series of the Pharmaceutical Journal. 
“ Cornubia .”—The best and most appropriate way of ob¬ 
taining the object suggested would be through the College of 
Preceptors. 
“Inquirer .'”—We have no acquaintance with the practice 
of medicine, and therefore cannot give you the information 
for which you ask. 
“ Mence .”—Three molecules of iodine ai’e taken because 
that is the proper proportion for the quantity of hydrate of 
potash. If you read the sentences preceding the equation 
you will there see described what change takes place. 
“Hanging Ditch .”—See Pharm. Journ., 2nd ser. vol. 
VIII. p. 467. The subject has been referred to in the pre¬ 
sent volume also, at p. 334. 
J. Hickling .—The number of British insects is some 12,003 
to 15,000, so you will easily understand that a manual of 
entomology such as Babington’s or Hooker’s is an impossi¬ 
bility. The only manuals in existence that we know of are 
Stephens’ ‘Manual of British Beetles,’ which is now quite 
out of date, and Stainton’s ‘Manual of British Butterflies 
and Moths,’ which is more modern and reliable. On the 
Lepidoptera there is also a popular book(illustrated with wood- 
cuts) by Newman, and published by Tweedie in the Strand. 
Stainton is published by Van Vorst, and Stephens by Long¬ 
mans. Maclachlan has published some monographic treatises 
onBritish Neuroptera in the ‘EntomologicalTransactions,’ and 
Smith ha3 published descriptive catalogues of ‘ British Bees 
and British Eusorial Hymenoptera’ in the series of British 
Museum catalogues. These, so far as we know, complete the 
set of systematic treatises on British Entomology. If our 
correspondent wants a general guide to entomology and can 
read German, he cannot do better than get the second volume 
of Cams, Peters and Gerstacker’s ‘ Handbuch der Zoologie;’ 
but the number of foreign books on the subject is enormous. 
“ Carnplwra.” — The lotion would not be clear if the 
quantity of camphor ordered were used, probably the excess 
over and above what was dissolved was filtered out on the 
previous occasions; this would not be justifiable, but would 
make a more sightly preparation. A few drops of spirit 
should of course be used to powder it in the first instance 
before adding the borax. 
Communications, Letters, etc., have been received from, 
Messrs. J. Kirkup, A. W. Gerrard, J. Barker Smith, C 
Ford, H. Pocklington, E. A. Webb, W. Tearle, Mumbrav. - 
II. L., J. B. B. 
