March 16, 1872.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
741 
PHARMACY IN THE LABORATORY. 
BY A. F. HASELDEN, F.L.S. 
Many months ago I drew the sketch, or draft, of a 
paper tending to inquire how far the manufacture of 
the Pharmacopoeia preparations could be carried out 
in ordinary establishments, but put it aside until 
reminded of it by the following sentence in Mr. 
Greenish’s excellent paper upon pharmacy in North 
Germany:—“ Until within the last ten years every 
pharmacist was bound to make the preparations of 
the Pharmacopoeia in his own laboratory ; since that 
time they are at liberty to purchase.” In England 
the pharmaceutist has never been compelled, at least 
in our time, to make the Pharmacopoeia preparations 
in his own laboratory. And yet practical pharmacy 
in the laboratoiy, independently of the dispensing 
counter, abounds in matter of interest; the opera¬ 
tions are numerous and various, the processes in 
many instances easy of performance, admitting some¬ 
times of alteration attended with improvement, for 
as old teachers pass away, new ones take their places, 
and naturally endeavour to satisfy the prevailing 
thirst for something new, and with varying success. 
Under the conviction that all admit, if not the ne¬ 
cessity, at least the advantage of performing a cer¬ 
tain amount of practical laboratory work in studying 
pharmacy, I propose running quickly through those 
preparations which it is quite possible to make in 
an establishment of any pretension. I am further 
induced to consider this matter from facts which 
have come to my knowledge, showing that in many 
establishments, practical manufacturing pharmacy 
is little or not at all carried out; nearly every pre¬ 
paration is bought: roots, barks, etc. for tinctures 
are purchased in a state ready for maceration or 
percolation, and even the tinctures themselves are 
purchased. Is it marvellous, under these circum¬ 
stances, that roots, barks, fruits, gum-resins, etc. etc. 
in the unbruised or unpowdered state are not readily 
recognized by candidates for examination ? I am 
anxious to alter this, and induce all pharmaceutists 
to prepare as much as possible at home ; appren¬ 
tices would then be better informed, there would be 
more real workers, and the natural supposition fol¬ 
lows, that pharmacy would be a gainer. 
For the manufacture or production of most of the 
preparations used in pharmacy, some description 
of workshop or laboratory is indispensable, and 
such work requires more or less personal attention 
on the part of the operator. When so engaged, the 
shop and dispensing-counter cannot at the same time 
be efficiently attended to by the same person; there¬ 
fore, when I speak of things as desirable, where 
possible, I do not mean that they are indispensable. 
In the centre of London and other large towns, rent 
would prove a difficulty in the way of a laboratory 
attached to or in communication with the other part 
of the premises, but for want of a better, a back 
kitchen on the basement may be made available. 
In the outskirts, however, or in the country, a suit¬ 
able building may be arranged without much diffi¬ 
culty or outlay. Where there’s a will there’s a way. 
While I write, I feel that there will be the will; it 
is growing with those who are now being trained 
for the future practice of pharmacy; students will 
not be satisfied with buying and selling without 
making and knowing more about the preparations 
than they have been in the habit of doing; besides, 
the knowledge acquired by making is a knowledge 
Third Series, No. 90. 
not readily forgotten. Commercially, it pays to make 
many preparations, strictly pharmaceutical, and yet 
these are frequently bought. 
To return to our subject. Amongst those things 
which for many reasons it would seem desirable, but 
which might not be always convenient, to make, I 
may mention the simplest of the Pharmacopoeia, the 
waters. And here, at the very threshold, difficult}' 
apparently stares one in the face; nevertheless, it is 
a difficulty which is not insurmountable. All the 
waters, not excepting even those which it is admitted 
can be as well prepared by a simpler process, are 
directed to be prepared by distillation. For this, a 
still is absolutely necessary; it need not, however, bo 
very large, say 20 gallons, for which, with the con¬ 
denser and a fair supply of water, room is required. 
The idea of utilizing the kitchen-boiler, mentioned 
by Mr. Staples, has been known for many years, as 
stated by Mr. Bottle and others, although not car¬ 
ried out as advised by Mr. Staples. Distilled water 
by such an arrangement, and some others which 
could be mentioned, may be obtained in sufficient 
quantity and purity for all ordinary requirements. 
These are not few in number or importance—to wit, 
infusions, decoctions, tinctures, liquid and solid ex¬ 
tracts, mixtures, etc. Did the Pharmacopoeia not 
direct the employment of distilled water, practical 
men are aware of the advantages in most, and the 
necessity in some, cases for its use. In dispensing, 
much discomfiture would occasionally result from 
the use of water not distilled, although water that 
has been boiled and left to become cold, and some¬ 
times rain water filtered, have been substituted with¬ 
out much disadvantage, when distilled water could 
be obtained only at great inconvenience or charge 
for carriage. The adaptation of the kitchen-boiler 
would not answer for the flavoured waters, as they 
would render it useless for all ordinary purposes,—to 
say nothing of the inconvenient necessity of cleaning 
it from a previous odour. I may here mention that 
as far as my experience goes, the most effectual way 
of cleaning or driving out the flavour of a previous 
distillate from the worm is by passing steam through 
it from the still for twenty minutes, having run off 
the water from the worm-tuhe or condenser. All 
the waters of the Pharmacopoeia, with two excep¬ 
tions, are directed to be prepared by distillation from 
the flowers, fruits, leaves, or bark, as the case may 
be. That the waters distilled from the fruits, etc. are 
superior to those triturated with the essential oils, is 
not a matter to be questioned; it has been admitted, 
as set forth frequently by others as well as myself. 
If it were possible to make cinnamon water as good 
from the oil as from the bark, there would be always 
a possibility of adulteration. It is well known that 
the oil of cinnamon leaves has been constantly mixed 
with the oil of the bark, when the latter has been 
dear, though not used for preparing the water; at 
the present time it is very difficult to obtain essence 
of lemon in a state of purity, as well as other 
essential oils which could be mentioned. Rose water 
prepared with otto is less stable than that distilled 
from the petals, although the addition of a little 
good otto to the distilled water improves it as a 
perfume. Aniseed water is not in the Pharmaco¬ 
poeia, but it is frequently ordered. Made from the oil, 
it is poor and very soon spoils; distilled from the 
fruit, it keeps well, and is very agreeable, and might 
often be prescribed with advantage as a menstruum 
in mixtures for children. It has a sweet flavour, 
