IIEVIEW OF THE FRENCH CODEX. 
391 
whilst the name pastille is reserved for those which are made with granular sugar and 
water, by the aid of heat. The mucilage employed in the preparation of tahlettes is 
almost always made with tragacanth, and is carefully prepared so as to be of uniform 
consistence. The officinal tahlettes are tolu, bicarbonate of soda, catechu, calomel, char¬ 
coal, chlorate of potash, burnt sponge, ferruginous, gum arabic, althaea, ipecacuanha, 
kermes mineral, Iceland moss, magnesia, magnesia and catechu, manna, peppermint, 
santonin, sulphur, bismuth. The only officinalis that of peppermint; but the 
bicarbonate of soda tablette is also known as the Pastille de Vichy ou de UArcet, and 
the peppejraint tablette is also known as Pastille de Menthe Anglaise. 
Amongst the compound powders, a formula is given for Poudre de Dower, or Pulvis 
Doiveri (as the French alphabet does not contain a ic, the authorities seem to have taken 
unnecessary trouble in borrowing one for this occasion). The formula given for this 
powder (also called Poudre d'Ipecacuanha Opiacee) is as follows:— 
Powder of Nitrate of Potash, forty grammes (G17'52 grains). 
„ „ Sulphate of Potash, forty grammes (ditto). 
„ „ Ipecacuanha, ten grammes (154*38 grains). 
„ „ Liquorice, ten grammes (ditto). 
Extract of Opium, powdered and dried, ten grammes (ditto). 
Dry all these powders completely, and mix them with the greatest care. One gramme 
(15*438 grains) of this powder contains 0*09 gr. (9 centigrammes = 1*3887 grains) of 
dry extract of opium. Custom has consecrated this formula in France, although it 
includes*extract of opium instead of crude opium, and the powder possesses about twice 
the activity of that of the English formula. 
Amongst the pills, a formula is given for Pilules Ecossaises ou d'Anderson (^= Pilules 
d'Anderson = Pilules d'Aloh et de Gomme- Gutte), namely, of powdered Barbadoes aloes 
20 parts; of powdered gamboge 20 parts ; volatile oil of anise 1 part; of Narbonne honey 
10 parts. 
Pomrnades and ointments, which we separated into distinct classes, differ chiefly in 
this, that pomrnades never contain resinous substances, whilst ointments do not contain 
metallic medicines ; otherwise they are almost identical. 
Sparadraps are plasters, composed of a variety of substances, spread upon cotton, silk, 
or paper. The word is applied to such preparations as sticking-plaster, court-plaster, 
blistering tissues, etc., such as are kept in readiness, and are thus distinguished from the 
ordinary class of medicinal plasters, termed empldtres, which are made to order. 
Cacao Butter, I may note in passing, is employed as the basis of the ofiicinal suppo¬ 
sitories; it'is generally considered to be better than wax. 
Medicated Baths. —These baths are susceptible of great variation,—saline solutions, 
acids, alkalies, sulphurated or iodized. Gelatine or vegetable infusions are also some¬ 
times added. The quantity of water prescribed by the Codex for a complete bath is 
from 250 to 300 litres (55 to 66 gallons). Baths which contain metallic, sulphurated, 
iodized, or other preparations capable of acting upon the lining of ordinary Whs, are 
directed to be prepared in baths of wood or zinc. The officinal medicated baths are :— 
The alkaline hath, made with carbonate of soda (250 grammes) ; artificial Vichy hath, 
made with bicarbonate of soda (500 grammes) ; Plombieres hath, made with carbonate 
of soda (100 grammes), chloride of sodium (20), sulphate of soda (60), bicarbonate of 
soda (20), gelatine (100) ; artificial Bareges hath, made with crystallized protosulphuret 
of sodium (60 grammes), dry chloride of sodium (60), dried carbonate of soda (30); sul- 
phuroushath, made with solid tersulphuret of potassium (100 grammes) ; liquid sulphur 
hath, made with solid tersulphuret of potassium (100 grammes), water (200 grammes); 
in the former case the sulphuret is put into the bath solid, in the latter in a state of 
solution; sulphuro-gelatinous hath, made with solid sulphuret of potassium (100 grammes), 
gelatine (250) ; iodurated hath, made with iodine (10 grammes), iodide of potassium. 
(20), water (250); these ingredients are to be added to the usual quantity of water in a 
wooden bath ; corrosive suhUmate hath, made with corrosive sublimate (20 grammes), 
alcohol of the density *8228 (50), distilled water (200); scdt-ioater hath, made with sea- 
salt (5000 grammes): “if,” says the Codex, “you would approach as nearly as jDOSsible 
to a sea-water bath, you will employ the residue of the evaporation of 250 litres of sea¬ 
water, adding it to an ordinary fresh-water bath ;” gelatinous hath, made with gelatine 
(500 grammes); aromatic hath, made with aromatic spices (500 grammes), boiling water 
