ON  SOAP  LINIMENT. 
121 
and  is  liable  to  be  exposed  to  rain,  by  which  it  is  lost.  The 
period  when  the  capsules  are  in  the  proper  condition  for  wound- 
ing, is  limited  ;  hence  the  tedious  labor  of  gathering  the  juice 
must  be  accomplished  promptly,  which  requires  many  hands,  and 
corresponding  expense.  Large  quantities  of  growing  poppies 
were  seen  by  the  writer  in  France,  Bavaria,  several  parts  of 
Germany  and  Belgium,  where  they  are  raised  for  the  oil  obtained 
by  expressing  their  seeds.  The  Germans  especially  are  noted 
for  perseverance,  and  for  low  wages,  and  it  has  repeatedly  oc- 
curred to  us,  why  do  these  people  not  make  opium,  if  it  is  a  pay- 
ing business,  when  they  could  do  so  and  have  the  seeds  for  ex- 
pression besides  ?  It  has  probably  been  ascertained  that  the 
time  required  for  gathering  the  juice  rendered  the  cost  too  great 
at  the  old  prices ;  possibly  the  present  price  may  induce  a  trial. 
In  the  Turkish  department  of  the  Paris  Exhibition  there  were 
a  great  many  samples  of  poppy  heads  with  part  of  the  stalk 
attached,  showing  the  wounds  caused  by  the  opium  gatherers, 
which  were  apparently  healed.  These  wounds,  in  all  cases 
noticed,  were  around  the  capsule  and  not  longitudinal.  The 
capsules  appeared  to  be  of  full  size. 
ON  SOAP  LINIMENT. 
By  J.  B.  Moore. 
There  are  but  few  preparations  in  the  Pharmacopoeia  more  in 
demand  in  the  daily  routine  of  business,  or  that  the  pharmacist 
is  more  frequently  called  upon  to  make,  than  this  Liniment.  It 
is  therefore  important  that  the  process  for  its  manufacture  should 
be  as  simple  and  as  easy  of  execution  as  possible.  But  unfortu- 
nately the  officinal  formula,  olTers  a  very  tedious  and  troublesome 
process,  requiring  several  hours  for  its  completion.  It  directs 
to  "  mix  the  alcohol  and  water,  digest  the  soap  with  the  mixture, 
by  means  of  a  water-bath,  until  it  is  dissolved,  &c."  To  effect 
the  solution  of  the  soap  in  this  way  requires  that  the  digestion  be 
continued  several  hours.  This  is  the  most  objectionable  feature 
in  the  process. 
Now,  I  propose  in  this  paper  to  offer  a  formula  which  I  have 
been  accustomed  to  use  for  the  manufacture  of  this  liniment  for 
