THE 
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACY. 
JULY 1851. 
ON DRUG GRINDING. 
By Charles V. Hagner, of Philadelphia. 
The twenty first volume, No. 1, January, 1849, of the American 
Journal of Pharmacy, contains an interesting article on the sub- 
ject of Drug Grinding by Mr. Redwood. It is of peculiar interest 
to me, and in conversing with different druggists on the subject I 
have been repeatedly asked to make known some of the results of 
my experience in that line, and to furnish some views and obser- 
vations on the article referred to. My'experience has at least been 
of some duration ; I have been powdering drugs for this city, man 
and boy, thirty-nine years, having commenced it in 1812-13. 
My competitors of that day were John Price, a perfectly dependi- 
ble and honest man in his business, and an individual named Jack 
West. They operated with rude horse-power mills, and quite 
primitive apparatus. They will be remembered by all the old 
druggists and apothecaries of this city, who will also doubtless re- 
member, that not long after I commenced the business, I succeed- 
ed in raising the standard of powders (in point of fineness) equal 
if not superior to any in this country or in Europe, which 
standard I was subsequently forced to reduce by circumstances 
which I will state hereafter. 
One of my earliest attempts at grinding drugs was on a lot of 
cream of tartar, some 6000 lbs., for Dr. Haral, an extensive drug- 
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