326  Glucose  as  an  Excipientfor  Pill  Ilasses.  {^'^f,^'']^^^'''^' 
GLUCOSE  AS  AN  EXCIPIENT  EOR  PILL  MASSES. 
By  Peter  W.  Lascheid,  Ph.G. 
From  an  Inaugural  Essay. 
A  series  of  experiments  were  inade,  not  in  search  for  a  universal 
excipient,  but  with  a  view  of  determining  the  comparative  value  of 
some  of  the  most  prominent  excipients  recommended.  The  excipients 
used  were:  1,  glycerite  of  starch  ;  2,  glycerite  of  tragacanth,  made  with 
1  part  of  the  gum  to  8  parts  of  glycerin,  and  3,  glucose,  the  latter 
having  been  mentioned  by  Prof.  Remington  in  his  lectures. 
Vegetable  powders  are  not  unfrequently  prescribed  in  conjunction 
with  an  extract,  serving  as  an  excipient,  and  if  the  mass  be  too  hard  or 
too  soft  water  or  a  dry  substance  is  added  for  obtaining  the  proper 
consistency.  When  no  excipient  is  ordered,  the  use  of  glucose  will 
give  entire  satisfaction,  requiring  less  time  and  less  labor  than  the  other 
excipients,  and  adding  but  little  to  the  bulk  of  the  pill  as  compared 
witli  the  other  excipients. 
To  make  a  pill  mass  of  powdered  rJiubarb  18  parts  and  glucose  10 
parts,  or  glycerite  of  tragacanth  9  parts,  required  about  the  same  time 
and  labor,  but  with  glycerite  of  starch  10  parts,  more  labor  was  neces- 
sary. On  testing  the  pills  with  water  those  made  with  glucose  were 
completely  disintegrated  before  any  visible  effect  was  shown  upon  those 
made  with  the  other  excipients. 
Pilulse  aloes,  U.  S.  P.,  are  sometimes  prescribed  to  be  made  without 
soap.  Glucose  forms  with  aloes  an  excellent  pill  mass,  yet  it  cannot 
be  recommended  for  the  purpose,  as  the  pills  are  less  readily  soluble,, 
requiring  five  times  the  length  of  time  for  solution.  For  12  grains  of 
aloes  4  grains  of  glucose  and  2  drops  of  water  were  used. 
Vegetable  powders  and  scdts  are,  with  more  or  less  difficulty,  made 
into  suitable  pill  masses.  When  the  salts  are  in  excess,  Hager  recom- 
mends the  use  of  bread,  which,  however,  greatly  increases  the  size  of 
the  pills.  Ferri  sulphas  and  pulv.  glycyrrhizse  aa  gr.  x  were  made 
into  pills  with  glucose  gr.  ix,  glycerite  of  tragacanth  gr.  vi  and  with 
glycerite  of  starch  gr.  viii;  the  last-mentioned  excipient  is  the  least 
desirable,  since  the  mass  suddenly  softens.  In  this  case  glucose  is  to 
be  preferred  as  a  useful  excipient;  the  pills  made  with  it  were  com- 
pletely disintegrated  three  minutes  before  the  water  had  any  effect  upon 
those  made  with  the  other  excipients. 
Pill  masses  consisting  of  Ferri  sulphas,  Potassii  carbonas  and  Pulv.. 
