782 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[April 5, 1873. 
5. The proportions of stearic and oleic acids can 
be varied to suit the temperature of summer or winter , 
and also the other ingredients prescribed with them. 
The low melting-point is a disadvantage pertaining 
to oil of theobroma in the summer, as the supposi¬ 
tories made of it sometimes liquefy spontaneously. 
I have had some made of the proposed basis used 
at the hospital as pessaries, and requested the sister 
of the ward and the obstetric assistant to make 
inquiry of the patients if they observed any of the 
inconveniences and objections raised against those 
having a fatty basis, and have received replies in the 
negative—they require a little longer time to dissolve 
than those made of oil of theobroma I was informed. 
I exhibit samples containing three grains of tannic 
acid in each, and some containing |-grain precipi¬ 
tated peroxide of mercury dissolved in each; the 
latter are made by adding to melted stearic acid an 
equal quantity of 10 per cent, oleate of mercury, 
care being taken to use as little heat to this as possi¬ 
ble, to prevent reduction of the mercury to the me¬ 
tallic state. There are also some containing §-grain 
pure morphia, equal to ^-grain of the hydrochlorate. 
These are semi-transparent, the morphia being in 
solution in the basis. They all have a neat appear¬ 
ance, and I think are an improvement upon those at 
present in use. 
Official formulae for suppositories in the Pharma¬ 
copoeia appear to me to be superfluous. They are 
rarely, if ever, ordered according to them ; e.g ., we 
have of morphia -f £, §, f, and 1 grain suppositories 
almost as often used as ^ grain ones. The. others 
also are not adhered to ; if a formula for a basis were 
inserted it is all that is necessary. 
At the Hospital for Women in Soho Square, the 
pessaries used are made by Messrs. Duncan, Flock- 
hart, and Co., Edinburgh. The basis, according to 
their pharmacopoeia, is 1 part of gelatine to 4 parts 
of glycerine, the gelatine being soaked in water first 
for a short time, to render it readily soluble in the 
glycerine on the application of heat. They are made 
of the ordinary size of suppositories. I exhibit some 
samples of them, kindly given to me by Mr. Johnson. 
I am informed by Dr. Squarey that both he and Dr. 
Meadows have observed them discharged in their 
original shape undissolved in the morning, when 
they have been administered as pessaries the night 
before. The gelatine and glycerine basis is therefore 
not a good one for a pessary even, besides having the 
disadvantage of being elastic and not possessing firm¬ 
ness sufficient for use as a suppository. Dr. Squarey 
thinks that for use as pessaries even these are unne¬ 
cessarily large, if they were smaller they would 
have a much better chance of being more readily 
dissolved and absorbed. 
In conclusion, I may state that both stearic and 
oleic acids can be obtained commercially sufficiently 
pure for our purpose at prices not above that of oil 
of theobroma, the basis now in general use lor sup¬ 
positories. 
THE MUSTARD OF THE PHARMACOPOEIA.* 
BY THOMAS GREENISH, F.C.S. 
It might be thought by many persons that this 
subject is scarcely one suitable lor a pharmaceutical 
meeting, but mustard holds a place in our materia 
* Head at the Evening Meeting of the Pharmaceutical 
Society of Great Britain, April 2, 1873. 
medica, and enters into one of the preparations of 
the Pharmacopoeia, the cataplasma sinapis. It is to 
mustard, in connection with this preparation, that I 
shall chiefly confine my remarks. 
The mustard cataplasm is a therapeutic agent of 
great value, resorted to in a period of emergency, and 
frequently in the absence of medical aid; and if any 
further justification were necessary, I may add this 
fact also, that Dr. Redwood has mentioned ‘ Cliarta 
Sinapis ’ as likely to form part of the forthcoming 
Appendix to the British Pharmacopoeia. 
Mustard was first introduced into the Pharmacopoeia 
of 1788, in the formula for cataplasma sinapis, the 
official mustard was the Sinapis nigra. 
Cataplasma Sinapeos, 1788. 
R Seminum Sinapeos pulverum tritorum 
Medullse Panis sing. p. libram dimid. 
Aceti quantum satis sit. 
Misce ut fiat cataplasma. 
In the next Pharmacopoeia, that of 1809, the official 
mustard being still Sinapis nigra, the formula was 
altered. 
Cataplasma Sinapis, 1809. 
R Sinapis Seminum 
Lini usitatissimi Sem. 
Singulorum contrit. libram dimid. 
Aceti Calid. q. s. 
Ft. Cataplasma. 
It will be observed that linseed is substituted for 
the bread-crumb, and the vinegar is directed to be 
boiling. 
In the Pharmacopoeia of 1824, and the one following, 
1836, there was no alteration made either in the 
official mustard or the formula for the cataplasm ; 
but in the-edition of 1851, black and white mustard 
became official, and the cataplasm was ordered to be 
made with boiling water instead of vinegar. 
Cataplasma Sinapis, 1851. 
R Aquae Ferventis, uncias decern 
Lini Semin, contrit. 
Sinapis contrit. sing, uncias duas cum semisse 
vel quantum satis sit. 
Pulveres prius inter se rnixtos, aquae paulatim adj ice 
movens ut fiat cataplasma. 
Mr. Phillips, in his translation of the Pharmaco¬ 
poeia of 1851, remarked, in reference to this prepara¬ 
tion, “ that the vinegar directed in the former Pharma¬ 
copoeias was useless, if not injurious, to the excitant 
effect of the mustard.” He also adds some caustic ob¬ 
servations on mustard; he says that “both varieties of 
mustard, black and white, are extensively cultivated 
in this country for preparing that much used condi¬ 
ment ‘ flour of mustard,’ which is at the best flour of 
the seed mixed with wheaten flour, powdered capsi¬ 
cums and turmeric, and at the worst wholly destitute^ 
of mustard flour, consisting of the damaged flour of 
the cereals, etc., coloured by turmeric and rendered 
stinging by capsicum.” 
I shall at this stage of the subject allude to a pre¬ 
paration introduced into the Pharmacopoeia of 1809, 
and continued to that of 1851, in which mustard 
played an important part. 
Infus. Armoraciaz Comp. 1809 to 1851. 
R Armor. Rad. recent, concis. 
Sinapis Sem. contus. sing, unciam 
Aquae Ferventis octavium. 
Macera per horas duas in vase leviter clauso et cola, 
turn ad j ice 
Spt. Armoraciae Comp, unciam. 
