54 
ON  SUPPOSITORIES. 
of  bj  the  physician  for  producing  local  irritation  or  being  ejected 
from  the  rectum  before  disintegration. 
There  are  occasional  prescriptions  of  medicinal  ingredients 
"where  the  ol.  theobromse  seems  to  require  an  addition,  and  it  can 
properly  be  made  where  a  large  amount  of  soft  medicinal  extract 
is  to  be  incorporated,  or  a  solution  of  subsulphate  of  iron,  for  in- 
stance ;  but  the  dry  powders,  vegetable  or  mineral,  need  no  as- 
sistance ;  they  contribute  to  the  hardening  of  the  butter,  and  in 
the  case  of  oxide  of  zinc,  carb.  of  lead,  iodides  of  lead  and  cad- 
mium, produce  rapid  aggregation. 
The  object  of  using  suppositories  is  only  gained  where  they 
fuse  slowly,  at  animal  temperature. 
Mr.  Markoe  moulds  his  mixture  of  wax  and  butter  and  has 
the  suppository  unmedicated  on  hand.  When  the  prescription 
arrives  for  their  preparation,  he  remelts  the  number  required, 
and,  after  medication,  remoulds,  thus  doing  away  with  the  trouble 
of  weighing  the  excipient,  and  insuring  exactness  in  result — a 
commendable  plan,  as  you  will  observe. 
The  greatest  annoyance  in  the  preparation  of  these  appliances 
occurs  when  the  pharmacist  is  called  at  night  from  his  bed,  the 
applicant  impatient,  weather  hot,  store  close,  and  flies  trouble- 
some, to  furnish  a  dozen  or  more.  There  is  no  supply  of 
ice  in  his  soda  water  apparatus,  cold  spring  water  is  not  to  be 
had  in  the  cities,  and  would  not  largely  facilitate  their  cooling 
in  the  mould.  The  temptation  is  certainly  great  to  add  a 
large  proportion  of  foreign  excipient,  and  I  am  aware  it  is  often 
done. 
To  reach  such  victims,  who,  regardless  of  a  trifling  expense, 
would  welcome  the  departure  of  his  customer,  I  ofi'er  a  plan 
which  answers  well  in  practice  :  Procure  a  tin  box  eighteen 
inches  long,  six  inches  broad  and  six  in  height,  arrange  a  cover 
of  fine  wire  gauze,  prepare  a  rest  for  suppository  moulds  made 
of  wires  crossing  at  right  angles  and  fastened  at  each  intersec- 
tion ;  a  ledge  of  tin  is  placed  on  the  sides  of  the  box,  upon  which 
the  wire  frame  rests.  One  end  of  the  box,  four  inches  from  the 
top,  is  perforated  three-eighths  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  to  admit 
the  discharging  tube  of  an  atomizing  apparatus.  All  things 
being  adjusted,  the  fluid  mass  is  poured  into  the  moulds  at  the 
