204 
METHOD OF PREPARING PILULE HYDRARGYRI. 
property of iodine, as a means for detecting adulterations, in quite a list 
of the volatile oils, founded on the fact that this element reacts with very 
different degrees of rapidity with different oils. We are not aware that 
the reaction has been noticed before in relation to the iodide of sulphur. 
At first we supposed, that Dr. Patterson had inadvertently used an iodide 
partially decomposed, but on repeating the experiment with some recently 
prepared, the same phenomenon occurred. The very loose state of combi- 
nation of the elements of this salt, may account for its ready decomposition 
in the presence of certain volatile oils.] 
ON AN EXPEDITIOUS METHOD OE PREPARING PILULxE 
HYDRARGYRI. 
By James Beatson, 
Apothecary U. S. Naval Hospital, New York Station. 
The minute division of the mercury in this preparation, is gene- 
rally looked upon as an index to its therapeutic effects, and in or- 
der to accomplish this, various kinds of machinery have been em- 
ployed. 
By a very slight modification of the formula, I have found the 
pestle and mortar sufficient for supplying all our demands. I have 
used it for many years, and it has given me the most satisfactory 
results: 
Hydrargyri ^xxxij. 
Mellis Despumati 3vj. 
Aquse Rosae fl v i : j- 
Sacchari Ixxx. 
Rosae Gallicae pulv. giv. 
Glycyrrhizae pulv. 3xvj. 
The proportion of honey, rose water, sugar, and rose petals, cor- 
responds with the officinal formula for " Confectio Rosae," but 
instead of mixing the mercury with the confection thus prepared, 
I triturate the mercury with the honey until the former is complete- 
ly extinguished ; I then heat the rose water, add it along with the 
sugar, continue the trituration, and then add the powdered rose 
petals and liquorice root in succession. 
I thus have a uniform mass, of one third mercury, perfectly ex- 
tinguished, and with a very trifling amount of labor. 
