May C ,, 1671.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
S97 
Doles ani)' faeries. 
*** In order to facilitate reference , correspondents arc 
requested to mark their ansicers in each case xvith the title 
and number of the query referred to. 
No notice can be taken of anonymous communications. 
All queries or answers should be accompanied by the name 
and address of the writer. 
[230.]—SILVERING FOR PILLS.—For this process 
two vessels slioulcl be used, a small cup gallipot and an 
ordinary covered pot. Having placed the silver leaf in the 
former and the pills in the latter, shake over the pills a very 
little compound tragacanth powder. Introduce a few drops 
of proof spirit, according to the number of pills (about one 
drop to the dozen or less), and disperse it thoroughly by 
agitation, shaking till the pills are nearly dry. Then turn 
them out into the silver, cover with a piece of clean paper, 
and a few turns in the hand will produce a very brilliant 
result. 
I have adopted this plan for some years with unvarying 
satisfaction.—L. H. 
[231.]—BEETLE POWDER.—Powdered borax sprinkled 
in their haunts is certain destruction to them. I can vouch 
for its efficacy.—H. C. B. 
[236.]—DISPENSING. 
R. Potasses Chloratis ,“ij 
Potassii Bromidi §j 
Inf. Gent, recentis ad ^viij 
A sixth part thrice a day. 
In reference to the foregoing prescription sent by J. II. G., 
South Hants, we have received the following communica¬ 
tions :— 
I should, if possible, have seen the prescriber—presuming, 
of course, that he was what is called a duly qualified medical 
man—to call his attention to the unusual and excessive 
dose ordered, and been guided by his instructions; or if this 
had not been convenient, I should have dispensed it with 
potassii bromid. 5jj which was doubtless the quantity in¬ 
tended,—especially so as this quantity, if taken as directed, 
would give the usual full dose of ten grains. 
I should also have made a note on the margin of the pre¬ 
scription, saying what I had done, partly for the guide of 
future dispensers, but chiefly to attract the attention of the 
prescriber, should he again see it.— J. B. Leslie, Sheffield. 
No doubt the sign gj was a slip of the pen, and was in¬ 
tended for 5j by the prescriber. I should have felt justified in 
dispensing 5j of bromide of potassium, as the sixth part of 
an ounce would be so much in excess of the maximum dose 
of the B. P.—H. J. B. 
The 5j is evidently a mistake, 5j no doubt having been in¬ 
tended; and, in the event of J. H. G. being unable to com¬ 
municate with the physician, he would be perfectly jus¬ 
tified in refusing to dispense such a prescription.— Geoege 
Masson. 
[* # * We do not think the opinion expressed by our corre¬ 
spondents is correct, for notwithstanding the dose stated as 
the maximum in the B. P., it is a fact that bromide of po¬ 
tassium is given now in very much larger doses, and we do 
not think the quantity stated in the prescription is at all 
excessive or unusual.— Ed. Phaem Jouen.] 
[237.]—RED INK.—I have found the following answer 
very well:— 
R. Carminse 9j 
Liq. Ammon. Fort. 5 s s 
Gum. Acacias 3j 
Aq. Destil. 3i'j- 
Misce.—H. J. Blackbouen. 
[239.]—FURNITURE CREAM.—The following will be 
found an excellent furniture cream:— 
R. Ceroe Fiav. 2| oz. 
„ Alb. 1 oz. 
Sapo. Cast. 5j 
01. Terebinth., 
Aq. Bull, ana 10 oz. 
Potass. Carb. 5j- 
Melt the wax and turpentine together, dissolve the soap 
and potass, carb. in the aqua, and mix while warm, stirring 
till cold.—S. D. 
[240.]—DISPENSING. 
R. Sp. JEtheris, 
„ Lavandulae, 
., Ammon. Ar., ana 5ij 
Mist; Camph. ad 3 viij. 
M. ft. mist. 
The above, if properly dispensed, would bo colourless or 
very slightly milky. Tinct. iavand. co. must have been put in 
the London mixture by mistake.—W. B. Oeton. 
The Loudon dispenser must have used tinct. Iavand. co. 
(which in E. Pli. was called sp. Iavand. co.) instead of sp. 
Iavand. as ordered. This would account for its being of a 
reddish colour. 
Properly dispensed, the mixture should be colourless, and 
perhaps almost imperceptibly turbid.—J. B. Leslie, Shefield. 
There can be no doubt, I think, that the prescription, as 
dispensed by Mr. Crookes, was correct, and as little question 
that in the former instance the compound tincture of lavender 
was employed in place of 'the spirit, which may, or may not, 
have been "intended. It may be urged against this conclusion 
that the spirit is rarely, if indeed ever prescribed, and more 
especially so in combination with spt. ammon. aroin.; but the 
duty of the dispenser in such a case as the present, seems to 
me "to be to send the substance ordered, and not what he may 
choose to think was intended, and the more so when the sub¬ 
stance is an official one; such a course of procedure at once 
removes any blame from the dispenser to the prescriber, 
whilst an opposite course might lay him open to censure. 
Every dispenser must be aware that in nine cases out of every 
teD, the compound tincture of the Pharmacopoeia is desig¬ 
nated a compound spirit, and for this reason and the liability 
to error by the accidental omission of the word comp., I think 
it is to be regretted that a substance of so little value and so 
seldom used, as the spirit of lavender, should have found its 
way into the Pharmacopoeia. Here we have a case in point 
of the value of an assertion made by Professor Attfield in his 
paper on the “ Nomenclature of the Pharmacopoeia,” that one 
name should be applied only to one substance (and surely 
synonyms are not required here) ; and if we are to have a 
compound tincture of lavender, do not let us have a com¬ 
pound spirit one time and a tincture the next. In such cases 
the dispenser is powerless to remedy the evil, and if physi¬ 
cians will persist in such a course, little else can be expected 
than embarrassment to the dispenser, and consequent incon¬ 
venience, perhaps danger to the patient. How much need¬ 
less perplexity would be saved, it the present nomenclature 
were studied and adopted by preservers ! What is a dispenser 
to do when sodee carb., or, worse still, sodas sesquicarb. is 
ordered, say in a doubtful cai?e ? or in a mixture where he feels 
tolerably sure the bicarbonate is intended ? or aq. menthee 
without any clue as to whether viridis or piperitse is to used ? 
Every one knows such illustrations might be multiplied, they 
occur every day, and are productive of much uncertainty 
and anxiety.— Geoege Masson. 
I believe, in most large dispensing establishments, tinctura 
Iavandulce composite would be used, and would account for 
the reddish colour.—H. J. B. 
[241.]—WARTS.— Will any reader kindly inform me of a 
good application for warts. Caustic and acetic acid have been 
tried, but failed ?— Oaiega. 
[242.]—IODIDE OF STARCH.-I require a method of 
making this in powder. I have already made some, but it 
appears to be in solution and I cannot filter any out; by eva¬ 
poration, the colour disappears. —J. T. B. 
[243.]—HYPO CHLORIDE OF SULPHUR.—I should 
be glad if some of your chemical readers can give me any in¬ 
formation on the subject of the “ hypochloride of sulphur, 
which Mr. E. Wilson orders in the ointment he so frequently 
prescribes. What is it, what is its composition, and how is 
it made?—E. B. 
