■July 15,1871.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
49 
peared in the American Journal of Pharmacy, vol. 40, 
page 226, he considers it in accordance with a good pro¬ 
duct to have the moulds dusted with lycopodium, arrow- 
root, or other similar substance, as well as being chilled, 
and this may be essential if the moulds are never cleaned, 
but is certainly not, as he has probably observed, if they 
are properly polished. A mould, after having been used 
five or six times, should be well cleaned with powdered 
pumice, then polished with whiting, and this must bo 
• done if we expect a good product. 
In making extract of opium suppositories, some pow¬ 
der the extract, in order to do which it has to be perfectly 
dry, and in drying it loses from 5 to 15 per cent, of mois¬ 
ture, which necessarily increases its strength. The 
writer, however, prefers reducing this extract, as well as 
most others, to a thin consistence with water, which in 
the amount necessary is unobjectionable. Sometimes 
glycerine is better. 
Elm is frequently prescribed in the form of a supposi¬ 
tory for its emollient effect, and may be incorporated in 
the following manner : Cut the elm into small thin 
strips, macerate for half an hour in hot water, strain 
through muslin with strong expression; repeat the ma¬ 
ceration and straining again; mix the strained liquids 
and evaporate. If any salts are prescribed in connection 
with the elm, they should be dissolved separately and 
mixed with the mucilage, and the whole should be eva¬ 
porated to a very thick consistence; to this paste, while 
still hot, the melted vehicle should be added, in small 
quantities at a time, with vigorous stirring. When it 
begins to thicken, fill the moulds, and when cold, with a 
spatula, scrape the surface quite level. 
If the operations have been properly conducted, the 
suppositories will drop out upon inverting the mould. 
From the foregoing remarks we extract the following 
three paragraphs as giving the essential requirements 
for the production of perfect suppositories:— 
First. Have the moulds clean. 
Second. Have them very cold when filled. 
Third. Have the substance about the consistence of 
treacle when poured into the moulds. 
Dispensing. —In dispensing suppositories care should 
be taken that they are placed in a box of the proper size, 
. and are well packed to prevent their being broken while 
in the hands of the messenger. In very warm weather 
some pharmacists direct the messenger to carry the 
package by a loop in the string, which they form for 
that purpose in tying it up. This is to prevent their 
becoming soft, which might happen if put into the pocket 
or grasped with the hand; but this precaution is unne- 
•cessary in moist weather; indeed, it can scarcely be called 
a precaution , for, being carried in that manner it is apt 
to be exposed to the direct rays of the sun diming trans¬ 
portation, which would be more apt to fuse them than 
.the heat from the body. 
It is customary to place cotton above and below the 
-.suppositories in dispensing, and for this purpose the com¬ 
mon white cotton is frequently employed, but the bright 
pink, or jeweller’s cotton, appears much better. It 
should be laid on the counter and pressed with the hand, 
.and then cut of the proper size to fit the box, which 
. should be of the following dimensions : —for one dozen 
vaginal, three and one-fourth inches long, two and one- 
fourth inches wide, one and three-fourth inches deep. 
For one dozen rectal, two inches long, one and a half 
inches wide, one and three-eighth inches deep. 
The box should be constructed with regard to its use, 
and be made of some material that will not show the 
grease spots. A box covered with paper made in imita¬ 
tion of morocco, of a dark brown or black colour, is per¬ 
haps best adapted to this purpose, for it does not show 
the grease, and on this account would be preferred by all 
■who wish the reputation of neat and tasty dispensers.— 
The Chicayo Pharmacist. 
THE PHARMACY BILL. 
MEETING AT HULL. 
At a Meeting of Chemists and Druggists, held on Tues¬ 
day evening at the Cross Keys Hotel, Market Place, 
Hull, which was well attended, Mr. Baynes in the chair, 
the following resolutions were unanimously adopted :— 
“ 1st. That this Meeting having carefully considered 
the proposed Government amendments to the new Phar¬ 
macy Bill, acknowledges the desire of the Right Honour¬ 
able W. E. Forster to meet the wishes of the trade, but 
is of opinion that the compulsory and penal clauses of 
the amended Bill are highly objectionable, and would 
fail to accomplish the objects sought, and strongly urges 
the withdrawal of the Bill, or reference to a select Com¬ 
mittee, it being impossible to deal with the question of 
poisons during the present session of Parliament, and 
without full information on the subject.” 
“ 2nd. That in the interests of the public, and on prin¬ 
ciple, this meeting strongly objects to any compulsory 
regulations or penal restrictions, which do not apply to 
all dispensers of poisons alike, whether keeping open 
shops or not.” 
“ 3rd. That the best and most effective protection 
against accidental poisoning is the competency of the dis¬ 
penser, and this being provided for by the Act of 1868, and 
registered chemists being already under stringent regu¬ 
lations in the sale of poisons and heavy responsibilities 
in the event of culpable negligence, and abundant evi¬ 
dence having been found during the recent agitation 
that great care is exercised by them in the dispensing 
and storing of poisons in the manner best adapted to 
their respective businesses, so as to ensure freedom from 
accidents, this meeting is of opinion no necessity exists, 
nor can any case be established for special legislation in 
the case of registered chemists.” 
u 4tli. That the preamble of the Pharmacy Act, 1868, 
declaring it is expedient for the safety of the public 
I 4 that chemists and druggists should possess a compe- 
I tent practical knowledge of their business,’ will be best 
complied with and the object attained, by the Pharma¬ 
ceutical Society devoting itself energetically to the ad¬ 
vancement of pharmaceutical education, especially in 
the provinces, and that any action taken by the Society 
having reference to the internal management of phar¬ 
macies, should be in the form of suggestions or recom¬ 
mendations only, it being, in the opinion of this meeting, 
impossible to frame regulations which could safely or 
judiciously be made compulsory on all chemists through¬ 
out the kingdom.” 
“5th. That the Secretary be instructed to forward a 
copy of the foregoing resolutions to the Members of 
Parliament for the borough and East Riding, asking 
them still to oppose the Bill, and that they be forwarded 
to the Pharmaceutical Journal.” 
MEETING AT NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE. 
A Meeting of the Pharmaceutical Chemists and Che¬ 
mists and Druggists of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Gates¬ 
head, was held in the College of Medicine, Newcastle, 
July 12, 1871, to consider the alterations proposed to be 
made in the “Pharmacy Act Amendment Bill;” J. W. 
Swan, Esq., in the chair. 
The Bill as first printed, together with the proposed 
amendments having been read and considered, it was 
moved by Mr. Swan, seconded by Mr. Hunter, and re¬ 
solved, “ That this meeting sees in the new Pharmacy 
Bill an uncalled-for, premature and dangerous unsettling 
of the Act of 1868, under which poison regulations are 
now in force, and which duly provides for the enact¬ 
ment of additional regulations, presumably on the neces¬ 
sity for such arising ; that in the opinion of this meeting 
the question of the enactment of additional compulsory 
