244  Opium  Assay.  {^'''mly^l^!'^' 
* 
pose.  The  mass  soon  becomes  hard ;  each  tablette  is  then  wrapped  in 
paper  and  tinfoil  and  the  whole  preserved  in  a  tin  box.  For  use,  the 
wrapper  is  removed  and  the  tablette  placed  in  a  suitable  place  in  a 
room,  in  which  a  pretty  strong  odor  of  phenol  will  be  perceptible  for 
10  or  1 5  days,  according  to  the  temperature. — Jour.Phar.d^  Als.-Lorr.^ 
March,  1882,  p.  56. 
Collyrium  of  the  Benedictines. — Hager  publishes  the  following  for- 
mula :  Powdered  soot  100  gm.  is  digested  for  several  hours  with 
water,  250  gm.  Filter,  evaporate  to  dryness  and  dissolve  in  acetie 
acid  of  1*040  sp.  gr.,  and  distilled  water  each  100  gm. ;  alcohol,  50  gm. ; 
add  extract  of  hundred-leaved  rose  petals,  10  gm.,  previously  dissolved 
in  rose-water,  50  gm ;  macerate  for  a  day  and  filter. 
This  collyrium  is  much  employed  in  France,  particularly  in  the 
southwestern  part  thereof,  and  is  said  to  be  particularly  useful  in  scrofu- 
lous affections.  For  use,  20  or  30  drops  of  it  are  added  to  a  wine- 
glassful  of  lukewarm  water  and  this  is  applied  to  the  eyes  by  means 
of  linen. 
Another  formula  directs  200  gm.  of  good  wine  to  be  used  in  place 
of  the  distilled  water,  rose-water  and  alcohol. — Phar.  Centralhalle^ 
1882;  No.  10,  p.  112. 
The  formula  given  by  Dorvault  directs  extracting  60  gm.  of  soot, 
with  boiling  water,  filtering,  evaporating  to  dryness,  dissolving  in  a 
sufficient  quantity  of  strong  vinegar,  and  adding  for  every  75  gm.  of 
this  liquid  1*2  gm.  of  extract  of  rose-petals. 
Cosmetic  Wash,  Startin^s. — Dissolve  borax,  10  gm.,  in  orangeflower- 
water  1  liter,  and  add  glycerin  50  gm. — Revue  de  Therap.y  March, 
1882,  p.  165.   
OPIUM  ASSAY. 
FLiicKiGER's  Process  Modified  by  E.  R.  Squibb. 
Take  of  opium  in  its  commercial  condition  10  grams  =  154*32: 
grains. 
If  commercial  j)owdered  opium  is  to  be  assayed  for  morphia  it 
should  not  be  dried,  but  should  be  weighed  for  the  assay  in  the  condi- 
tion in  which  it  is  found  in  the  market,  and  in  which  it  is  to  be  dis- 
pensed. 
If  commercial  moist  opium  is  fo  be  assayed  for  morphia,  the  taking 
of  the  sample  for  assay  is  a  matter  of  great  importance,  because  it  is 
highly  probable  that,  unless  by  accident,  no  two  lumps  of  a  case  are  of 
exactly  the  same  morphia  strength.    Hence  it  is  that  assays  of  moist 
