338 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[October 21,18"2. 
[285.]—SYRUPUS CROCI made by form given on 
page 707 is not very satisfactory; a portion of the sugar 
remains undissolved at the bottom of the syrup bottle, 
and the syrup (?) above is in a gelatinous state, so the 
bottle may be turned upside down and well shaken with¬ 
out the contents leaving. Colour and smell are good, 
the only fault apparent is that of its being a little too 
thick.— Iota. 
[286.]—DISPENSING. 
Spt. Ammon. Co. 3ss 
Liq. Ammon. Acet. 5ij 
Quinre Sulph. gr. x 
Liq. Morph. 5j 
Spt. Ether. Nit. 5iss 
Acid. Citric. 5j 
Potass. Bicarb. 5iss 
Mist. Camph. £iij 
Inf. Gentian, ad ^vj. 
M. ft. mist. 
3j tertia vel 4tis horis. 
I should first form citrate of potash, then add the 
other ingredient and finally the quinine. 
The mixture presents a slightly opaque appearance, 
with crystals of quinine floating about in it, and should 
therefore be labelled, u Shake the bottle.”—AY. B. 
Cordley. 
[It would be better to powder the quinine slightly before 
adding it to the mixture. The folio-wing we find yields 
a more satisfactory result, as the quinine is held in solu¬ 
tion.— Ed. Pharm. Journ.] 
Appearance a bright orange-straw colour. 
Quinise Sulph. gr. x 
Acid. Citric. 5j 
* Mist. Camph. siij. 
Potass. Bicarb. 5iss 
Inf. Gentian, ^ij et ^iij. 
Mix. After effervescence, add : 
Spt. Ammon. Co. 5ss. 
Liq. Ammon. Acet. 5ij 
Liq. Morph. 5j 
Spt. Ether. Nit. 5iss. 
—C. H. SNELL. 
[287.]—HOTCHKISS’ OIL OF PEPPERMINT.— 
Your correspondent “ Philos” is labouring under a diffi¬ 
culty, the counterpart of which I have for a long time 
experienced. Like himself, I was a few years ago able 
to buy Hotchkiss’ ol. m. pip. -which was perfectly soluble 
in sp. vin. rect. 56 o. p., one part to seven. I now use 
sp. vin. rect. 60 o. p., but still have the result he com¬ 
plains of, viz. a milky fluid, which no kind or extent of 
paper filtering will clear. AVhen first made, and for a 
considerable time after, the mixture is unsaleable; but 
in the course of four or five months it loses, in some de¬ 
gree, its turbidity, and becomes comparatively clear, 
depositing on the sides and bottom of the vessel in which 
it is made a dirty precipitate. I have hitherto been un¬ 
able to find out any other means of getting over the 
difficulty, except by making my stock of ess. menth. pip. 
Rome six months before it is wanted.—E. R. B. 
I find that the oil of peppermint manufactured by L. 
B. Hotchkiss wall become milky if mixed with more 
than an equal volume of S. Y. R. 56 o. p.; but the mix¬ 
ture becomes clear if kept for a few days, and a kind of 
resin is deposited. I should like to know if any of our 
fellow readers can tell us wdiat this resin is ; if it is used 
as an adulteration, or is an impurity in the oil.— 
Ferrum. 
My experience coincides with that of 11 Philos” 
Hotchkiss’ ol. m. pip. did formerly dissolve at once in 
sp. vin. rect. For a long time it has not done so. If 
“ Philos ” will put the turbid liquid by for a fortnight, it 
will clear itself; or if a little magnes. carb. is added to it, 
the effect will be much expedited.— Iota. 
The milkincss complained of upon mixing the oil with 
sp. vin. rect. 56 o. p. is entirely removed by adding a 
little magnesia, shaking it occasionally for a few days, 
and then filtering.—J. AY. Hadingham. 
S. P. Z. R. suggests the same remedy. 
[290.]—MILDEAV.— 11 Primus” asks to be informed 
of an effectual remedy for mildew. 
[291.]—GOLDEN INK.—AV'ill any correspondent 
oblige me with a receipt for golden ink, which is used 
for gilding, writing, etc. ? —Senega. 
[292.]—ZINCI OXTD. BENZOAS.—Can you fur¬ 
nish me with a form for making zinci oxid. benzoas ?— 
A. A. 
[293.]—DISPENSING.—AYill some of your readers 
inform me how they would dispense the following pre¬ 
scription ? 
British Pharmacopoeia. 
Potassse Chloratis, 2 oz. 
Aquae, 18 fl. oz. 
Tinct. Aurantii, 12 fl. drs. 
Tinct. Cinchona) Flava) Liquid. 4 fl. drs. 
Mix and label two small tablespoonfuls with the same? 
quantity of water twice a day, 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. 
—X. Y\ Z. 
ferespn htm. 
*** jYo notice can be tahen of anonymous communica¬ 
tions. Whatever is intended for insertion must be authenti¬ 
cated by the name and address of the ivriter ; not necessarily 
for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith. 
Provincial Education. 
Sir,—Air. Smith’s thoughtful and suggestive paper forms 
an excellent groundwork for discussing the important and 
too-long neglected question of provincial education. For ai 
long period of years provincials have contributed largely to 
the educational establishment in Bloomsbury Square, without 
receiving or expecting any very direct benefit in return- 
Air. Alackay, in his address, remarked that as an educating- 
body its days were probably numbered; and, however start¬ 
ling the prophecy may be, there is little doubt of its truth, 
such a result being a natural sequence of the legislation of 
1868. 
In the face of such a probability, it is the plain duty of tho 
Council to encourage by every means in their power the- 
establishment and development of schools of pharmacy 
throughout the provinces, and provided no parliamentary 
ghost appears, much may be accomplished in a year or two. 
A few provincial schools have been started,—I fear it cam 
hardly be said established,—each groping its own way, but. 
as yet making little real progress, mainly for want of a di¬ 
recting power at the helm. I trust the able letter of Air- 
Smith, and the discussion arising thereon, will lead to a better 
state of things. 
The sectional arrangement of Air. Smith accords exactly 
with that adopted by our Hull Association two or three years 
ago. We do not, however, disregard the education of assist¬ 
ants, but admit them on equal terms with apprentices, for ia 
many cases they need our sympathy, having unexpectedly to> 
undergo an examination not contemplated when they entered 
the trade. We also allow them to compete for senior prizes. 
I think all will agree that the management of provincial 
schools must of necessity be in the hands of local associa¬ 
tions, assisted, if need be, by liberal grants from the parent 
society; the grants at present made are not only small in 
amount, but clogged with such conditions as to rob them of 
half their value. A very small portion of the large funds cl’ 
