476 
EDITORIAL. 
About  40  new  articles  have  been  introduced,  mostly  chemicals  ;  of 
drugs  only  guarana,  helleborus  viridis,  kamala,  thea.  Nearly  250  arti- 
cles have  been  dropped,  among  them  acid,  benzoic,  hydrocyanic  and  suc- 
cinic, ammon.  carbon,  oleos.  and  succin.  oleos.,  about  20  distilled  waters, 
bulb,  colchici,  castoreum,  extract,  cascaril.,.  digitalis,  rhei,  valerian  and 
others,  morph.  acet.,  moschus,  vanilla,  zinci  valerian.  No  processes  are 
given  for  the  chemicals  which  are  usually  obtained  from  manufacturers, 
but  the  test  for  their  recognition  and  purity  are  mentioned. 
The  work  is  concluded  by  a  list  of  chemical  reagents  and  utensils, 
and  by  tables  on  the  comparison  of  weights,  specific  gravities,  solubilities, 
strength  of  acids  and  alkalies,  atomic  weights  and  maximum  doses.  The 
index  contains  all  the  synonyms. — Pharmac.  Zeitung,  1869,  W.  56. 
Ge]>atin-Coated  Pills. — Cauhape  &  Co.,  of  New  Lebanon,  Columbia 
County,  New  York,  have  sent  us  a  box  of  the  gelatin  pills  of  their  manu- 
facture. The  pills  are  oval  in  shape,  weigh  about  seven  grains,  and  the 
label  says  each  pill  contains  six  grains  of  the  compound  cathartic  pill 
mass  of  the  U.  S.  Pharmacopoeia,  which  is  called  a  dose.  On  cutting  a 
pill  open  the  gelatin  sack  was  found  very  thin  but  firm,  and  the  pill  itself 
made  intentionally  ovoid  to  facilitate  swallowing  ;  the  interior  retains  its 
softness  and  the  coating  is  warranted  to  remain  perfectly  soluble  in  any 
climate.  We  are  not  disposed  to  give  any  opinon  about  them  that  might 
be  construed  improperly.  The  coating  of  pills  with  gelatin  was  suggested 
by  M.  Garot  in  1838  (see  Yol.  X  of  this  Journal);  and  we  used  it  for 
the  purpose  more  than  twenty-five  years  ago,  hence  these  gentlemen 
can  hardly  patent  the  coating  with  gelatin,  but  only  the  particular  pro- 
cess they  employ.  Besides,  the  best  test  is  an  assafoetida  pill  for  the 
retentive  power  of  the  coating,  as  regards  odors ;  and  the  iodide  of  iron 
pill  for  its  excluding  power  for  moisture  and  oxygen.  A  hasty  opinion 
of  such  preparations  is  of  no  value  except  when  intended  to  be  used  im- 
properly. The  specimen  sent  is  made  very  neatly,  and  the  pills  retain 
their  polish  well. 
Dinner  and  Testimonial  to  John  Mackay,  Pharmaceutical  Chemist, 
OF  Edinburgh. — When  the  Pharmaceutical  Society  was  founded  in  1841, 
its  jurisdiction  was  made  to  include  England  and  Scotland,  Ireland  being 
already  provided  through  its  Apothecaries'  Hall.  Owing  to  the  remains 
of  Scotch  Nationality  of  feeling  it  was  deemed  best  to  include  the  Scotch 
in  a  separate  sub-society  under  the  name  of  the  North  British  Branch  of 
the  Pharmaceutical  Society,  which  had  its  separate  officers  and  adminis- 
tration yet  subordinate  to  the  parent  society,  represented  at  Bloomsbury 
Square.  For  twenty-eight  years  the  important  and  laborious  office  of 
Secretary  has  been  held  by  Mr.  John  Mackay,  to  the  entire  satisfaction 
of  his  colleagues  in  Scotland  and  England.  So  sensible  were  they  of 
this  that  for  some  time  past  it  had  been  determined  to  present  the  Sec- 
retary with  a  substantial  testimonial  and  a  dinner.    On  the  evening  of 
