Am.  Jour.  Pharm. ) 
Nov.,  1881.  J 
Pharmaceutical  Notes. 
565 
PHARMACEUTICAL  NOTES. 
By  Robert  F.  Fairthorne,  Ph.G. 
Uagmntum  Aquce  Rosa\ — The  ointment  of  rose-water  of  the  U.  S. 
Pharmacopoeia  prepared  according  to  the  directions  given  in  that  work 
is,  in  most  respects,  j  ustly  regarded  as  a  satisfactory  preparation.  It 
is  not,  however,  entirely  unol3iectionable,  and  the  directions  can  be  so 
modified  that  those  enp:ao^ed  in  the  mannfacture  of  it  will  be  assisted 
thereby.  The  length  of  time  required  to  produce  an  ointment  such  as 
the  apothecary  desires  is  often  quite  a  serious  tax  upon  his  patience, 
and  in  order  to  lessen  this  I  would  recommend  it  to  be  made  in  the 
following  manner:  All  the  ingredients  employed  are  put  into  a  w^ide- 
mouthed  bottle,  placed  in  a  hot  water-bath,  and  allowed  to  remain 
until  the  solid  portion  is  melted,  then  the  bottle  is  taken  out,  and, 
having  tightly  corked  or  stoppered  it,  the  mixture  is  thoroughly 
shaken;  a  uniform  emulsion  will  result,  which  is  to  be  agitated  until 
solid. 
The  resulting  ointment  will  be  found  smoother  and  more  uniform 
than  that  produced  by  stirring,  and  the  operator  will  find  less  exertion 
required,  and  will  have  also  the  advantage  of  knowing  exactly  the 
right  moment  when  it  is  proper  to  stop  agitation  by  solidification 
taking  place.  If  in  making  it,  three  times  the  quantity  of  tile  ingre- 
dients ordered  by  the  Pharmacopoeia  are  used,  an  ordinary  preserving 
jar,  with  a  cover  that  screws  on,  will  be  found  a  very  convenient 
vessel  to  use. 
Cold  Cream,  and  a  Cheap  Substitute  for  Oil  of  Almond. — One  of 
the  objections  to  the  rose-water  ointment  of  the  Pharmacopoeia  is  its 
unstable  character.  It  seldom  remains  in  good  condition  more  than 
two  weeks,  by  which  time  in  many  cases  it  will  be  found  rancid  and 
the  rose-water  often  separated  in  globules,  giving  it  an  unsightly 
appearance.  For  these  reasons  it  has  been  customary  amongst  the 
druggists  to  make  a  substitute  for  it,  which  is  called  cold  cream,  either 
with  much  less  rose-water  or  without  any,  or  by  substituting  a  small 
amount  of  glycerin  for  it. 
The  use,  however,  of  oil  of  sweet  almonds  has  been  almost  univer- 
sally retained.  This  oil  is  certainly  unobjectionable,  but  can  be  replaced 
in  making  the  unofficinal  ointment  by  a  much  cheaper  one,  which  is 
sold  by  the  wholesale  druggists  under  the  name  of  nut-oil.  This  is 
obtainable  at  about  one-fourth  the  price  of  the  former,  to  which  it 
