218 
on Hoffman's anodyne liquor. 
and which is not wholly removed in the rectification of whiskey. 
This matter, modified by the action of sulphuric acid and heat, 
with the volatile substances generated during the ether process, are 
contained in it. It may also be that the ether in this resi- 
due is more intimately combined with water than in a mere mix- 
ture of water, alcohol, and ether of the same strength, as sug- 
gested to me by Mr. Pemberton. 
The question very naturally arises, why do not the manufac- 
turers prepare the officinal Hoffman's anodyne, or why do they not 
furnish the ethereal oil of the Pharmacopoeia, that the apothecary 
may make it himself by simple mixing ? There are several rea- 
sons. 1st, the apothecary, the physician, and to a large extent the 
consumer, have become accustomed to the present commercial 
preparation, and the majority, both of apothecaries and physicians, 
would reject the true officinal spirit, if presented to them, as not 
correctly made ; 2d, druggists, as a general rule, would refuse to pay 
the greatly increased price, absolutely required to remunerate the 
manufacturer, for the greater consumption of time and materials, 
and increased skill and risk in manipulation. Having on several 
occasions prepared the officinal oil of wine and Hoffman's anodyne, I 
can corroborate the statements of Mr. Kent, at p. 255, relative to the 
small yield, and consequent costliness of officinal heavy oil of wine. 
The so-called oil of wine, w T hich is imported into this city from Eng- 
land, and which is sometimes employed for making the officinal spirit, 
is an ethereal solution of etherole, one specimen yielding only seven 
per cent, of it. And 3d, in the preparation of ether, the residue left 
in the still after the rectification of the ether above 54° Beaume, 
must either be thrown away, or converted to the only use to which 
it can be applied w 7 ith advantage, viz., Hoffman's anodyne. It is 
for this reason that the price of the commercial *' anodyne " is so 
low 7 , being about fifteen cents per pound. 
It may become a question in the next revision of the Pharma- 
copoeia, whether it would not be better to reconstruct the formula 
for compound spirit of ether, somewhat on the plan of the manu- 
facturers, or that quoted at page 213, from Lewis's Dispensatory, 
so as to render it more practicable and likely to be followed. Of 
course it should be done with due consideration of the difficulties 
involved in the production of a spirit of uniform strength. 
