ON THE PHARMACEUTICAL APPLICATIONS OF GLYCERINE. 211 
vantage of being easily removed from the skin without the aid of soap or 
friction. 
Those preparations in which glycerine alone is the basis have received the 
name of glyceroles. Many substances'are more soluble in glycerine than in water 
or alcohol. When an aqueous or spiritous solution is applied to the skin it ra¬ 
pidly becomes dry; and it seems reasonable to suppose that absorption would 
then be greatly retarded. Glycerine is free from this objection, and its pecu¬ 
liar power of penetrating the pores of the skin renders it the best menstruum for 
many substances. Dr. Richter, of Vienna, proposed, in 1857, a caustic appli¬ 
cation, composed of one part of iodine, two of iodide of potassium, and two of 
glycerine. I am surprised that this in various states of dilution has not been 
more frequently used instead of the tincture. Glycerine dissolves five grains of 
iodine to the ounce without the addition of iodide of potassium. A glycerole, 
composed of tannin one part, glycerine four parts, is a very elegant preparation, 
and is used as an application to the throat, etc. per se, and as an addition to 
gargles, lotions, injections, etc. One ounce of glycerine dissolves fifteen grains 
of atropine, and seems to offer some advantages over solutions containing acids 
in combination with the alkaloid in ophthalmic surgery. Borax is soluble in 
glycerine to the extent of fifty per cent., and by adding this solution to tincture 
of myreh, we obtain a “tincture of myrrh with borax” superior to that pre¬ 
pared in the ordinary manner. The non-resinous vegetable extracts are soluble 
in glycerine,—a solution of the alcoholic extract of Calabar bean has lately been 
used with success. 
In the other class of medicaments, viz. internal remedies, the use of glycerine 
has hitherto been more limited. Although glyceroles have often been brought 
before our notice as substitutes for syrups, I do not find that they generally 
possess any superiority. I have prepared the glycerole of iodide of iron in two 
ways:—first, by making a very concentrated solution of iodide of iron (about 
equal weights of water and iodine with iron wire, q. s .) and filtering this solu¬ 
tion into glycerine; and, secondly, by a process suggested by Mr. James C. 
Leamy, of America, in 1848, viz. to make a more dilute solution of the iodide, 
mix with the glycerine, and evaporate the water over a water-bath. The former 
is nearly colourless, but remains so only for a few days. The latter is of a pale 
straw colour, and appears much less liable to undergo further change. A gly¬ 
cerole of carbonate of iron may be made by dissolving separately, each in 2 
ounces of glycerine, 76 grains of sulphate of iron and about 60 grains of carbo¬ 
nate of potash, and mixing the solutions. The result will be a pale-green solu¬ 
tion of carbonate of iron, containing 1 gr. in f 5 i, which will keep a considerable 
time without change. The carbonate of iron is thrown down as a flocculent pre¬ 
cipitate on the addition of water. Gum Ammoniacum forms a white creamy 
emulsion with glycerine, in the proportion of 5i to f ^i, which, according to De- 
marquay, does not separate. I imagined this might be useful for the instanta¬ 
neous production of a kind of Mist. Ammoniaci, but the result of my experience 
is that the resinous part of the Ammoniacum gradually separates and rises to the 
surface, leaving an opalescent solution of the gummy constituents below. There 
is one other use for glycerine which must not be overlooked,—that of an.exci¬ 
pient in pill-masses. Alone or diluted with an equal weight of water it is de¬ 
cidedly the best thing for “ making up ” pepsine and vegetable powders, care 
being taken not to add too much, and to thoroughly knead the mass. Pills made 
with this do not become hard, and are therefore always in a condition to be 
readily dissolved in the stomach. A two-ounce wide-mouthed bottle fitted with 
a cork perforated in two places, through one of which a piece of quill is inserted 
for dropping the glycerine from, will be found a very serviceable adjunct to the 
dispenser’s board. 
Glycerine has been honoured with a place in the British Pharmacopoeia, where 
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