26 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[July 9, 1871. 
Each, glycerine was tested by the same reagent, in the 
same relative quantity, at the same time; and the effect 
carefully noted. 
The glycerines, as they stood in their commercial 
attire before the examination, presented quite a contrast; 
the most pretentious was one of the latest comers into 
the market, No. 6; which, from the size of the bottle, 
would lead to the supposition that it contained more than 
a pound. This glycerine has attracted attention by rea¬ 
son of the free use of adjectives on the label, and on ac¬ 
count of a vigorous attack on the propriety of using 
adjectives by the editor of a trade journal. 
No. 5 is put up in a very attractive style, the blue 
stencilled label and the refractive property of the glyce¬ 
rine contrast to very good advantage. 
The American glycerines were in a plainer and neater 
dress, Nos. 1, 2 and 3 being put up in the usual glycerine 
_ bottle with a plain label. 
The result will be found in the foregoing table.— 
Proceed, of American Pharm. Assoc., 1870. 
SUPPOSITORIES. 
AN INAUGURAL ESSAY, BY F. M. GOODMAN. 
The etymology of the word suppository conveys at once 
an idea of the use of the class of pharmacal preparations 
to which it is applied. It is derived from suppositorius 
-—“underneath”; called also hypotheton, from hypo “un¬ 
der,” and tithemi, “to place;” and sometimes balanus 
(balanos ), an “acorn,” in reference to the shape, that of 
a sphere or an oblong body; these were intended for 
rectal use only. 
As it became evident that medicines applied to the 
mucous membranes of the vagina or rectum had the 
same systemic effect as when taken into the stomach, and 
that, being so applied, they were less repulsive to the 
patient, advantage was soon taken of this form of ad¬ 
ministration. It then became necessary to distinguish 
between rectal and vaginal suppositories, consequently 
the former were called suppositorium , and the latter sup¬ 
positorium uterinum , which were the medicated pessaries 
of the ancients, and are still frequently prescribed as 
pessaries; in fact, medicines applied to any of the mu¬ 
cous membranes were called suppositories—what is now 
termed a lozenge or troche, was formerly known as a 
suppository, or bacilla, the latter signifying “a stick.” 
From this method of treatment arose the custom, 
though not as yet very prevalent, of applying medicines 
in the solid form to the urethra, in the treatment of 
urethritis, etc. 
It is only within the last decade that this method of 
medication has reached a state approaching to perfection, 
but it is now such an important feature that it is almost 
of daily occurrence to dispense suppositories, though we 
have no officinal directions for their preparation. To 
those unaccustomed to dispensing suppositories, their 
preparation often proves a difficult task, but by experi¬ 
ence one may become so expert as to make a dozen within 
fifteen or twenty minutes, so that a patient is not called 
upon to wait longer for suppositories than for a dozen 
pills or powders. 
Moulds. —These are in great variety, but the most 
common are conical-shaped, and made of block tin; they 
are of two sizes, the vaginal and rectal; the former 
making a suppository weighing 2 drachms, and the latter 
one of 35 grains. It is customary for pharmacists to 
have these two sizes, but if an intermediate size were 
furnished, such as would mould suppositories weighing 
1 drachm each, the latter size would satisfy the majority 
of physicians better than those now dispensed. It is 
complained that the large are too large, and the small 
are too small , but if of the size above indicated, they 
could be used as vaginal or rectal, in most cases. 
In using these moulds a tray is necessary, which may 
be constructed in the following simple manner: For one 
dozen vaginal moulds, purchase a tin pan about 7 or 8 
inches in diameter and 4 inches in depth; have a sheet 
of tin cut to fit the pan about half an inch from the top, 
perforate the tin with holes sufficiently large to allow of 
the ready admission and removal of the moulds ; of 
course, the rectal moulds will require a smaller pan, or 
the same pan and a sheet of tin with smaller holes. 
If the inside of these moulds be examined, there will 
be observed a great number of annulations made by the 
instrument used in turning the model from which they 
were cast, but by polishing, these rings may be worn off, 
when the inside becomes very smooth. It is on this ac¬ 
count that suppositories are best made in old moulds. 
A very nice mould, called Weigand’s, invented by Mr. 
T. S. Weigand, of Philadelphia, is made on the principle 
of the ordinary bullet mould : two parallel bars of brass, 
with the proper cavities in each, are hinged at one ex¬ 
tremity, and have handles at the other; these moulds, 
when in use, are kept closed by slipping a ring, made 
for the purpose, over the handles. 
They are made for six, nine, or twelve suppositories, 
which weigh about 40 grains each. 
It has been asserted that these moulds are worthless, 
cracking the suppository in two, when opened, even when 
lycopodium, arrowroot, or other substance has been used 
to prevent adhesion. The writer has used these moulds 
a great deal, and has found the only and a sure way of 
making a perfect suppository is to have the moulds tho¬ 
roughly refrigerated, and their surfaces well polished ; when 
the latter requisite is once attained, it can be easily pre¬ 
served by rubbing whiting with a piece of chamois skin 
into the moulds each time, before putting them away, 
and wiping with the chamois before using. Wiegand’s 
moulds may be refrigerated very perfectly without the 
use of ice, in the following manner:—Close them, and 
place the handles in the spout of a hydrant, allowing the 
orifices of the moulds to be downward; place a box in 
the sink on which to rest the lower end, and set the 
water running gently over the moulds, before beginning 
to melt the ingredients; when wanted, wipe them quickly 
and fill; then set them into a shallow vessel containing 
water, and when a pellicle has formed on the surface of 
each suppository, replace the moulds under the hydrant. 
Some object to this method, saying that the water in 
passing over the suppositories dissolves out some of their 
soluble ingredients; but this cannot be considered an 
objection, for the moulds are very seldom or never filled 
exactly full, but a little too much is poured into each ; 
and when they are cold enough to be removed, the super¬ 
fluous material is scraped or trimmed off with a spatula, 
before the opening of the moulds. In doing this, the 
portion that has been exposed to the influence of the 
water is removed. 
Moulds are also made of paper, by having a piece of 
wood about six inches long, one end of which is formed 
into the shape of a suppository, which must be perfectly 
conical, and not like the ordinary suppository, which is 
more or less rounded at the apex; for if it be rounded in 
the least, it is impossible to wrap the stiff paper around 
it so as to make a neat-looking mould. 
The paper for this purpose may be thick writing-paper; 
tinfoil is also sometimes used, and answers the purpose 
very well. When in use, these moulds are held in an 
upright position by placing them in round holes bored 
through a thin board, or by standing in a vessel filled 
with flax-seed, or other suitable substance. 
The urethral mould, or syringe, as it is commonly 
called, is simply a glass or hard rubber tube, three or 
four inches in length, having a piston fitted to it. The 
calibre of these moulds is sufficiently large to make a 
suppository about an eighth or three-sixteenths of an 
inch in diameter, which is to be an inch and a half or 
two inches long, and to weigh from 7 to 14 grains. In 
using these moulds, two lengths are moulded at once, 
and the piece in then cut in the centre. An ordinary 
funnel-tube answers the purpose of a mould admirably. 
