Am,Mayj§7arm"}     Practical  Remarks  on  Fearl  Coating.  239 
believe  BlaucPs  Pills  should  be  really  a  preparation  of  FeCOs,  and  not 
a  preparation  of  FeS04,  intended  to  form  the  carbonate  in  the  stomach 
under  the  assumption  that  the  same  reaction  goes  on  in  that  place  as 
in  a  glass  measure.  Their  tendency  to  sweat  would  be  overcome,  I 
think,  by  varnishing  them  in  tolu  and  ether,  although  I  have  not  had 
time  to  test  the  value  of  that  suggestion.  Is  not  this  a  subject  suitable 
for  the  B.  P.  C.  Formulary  Committee  to  take  under  their  considera- 
tion, and  give  us  an  official  formula,  if  not  a  B.  P.  one  ? 
Note  by  the  Editor. — A  formula  similar  to  that  of  Mr.  Martin- 
dale's  was  published  in  Am.  Jour.  Pharm.,  1871,  p.  307.  For  other 
formulas  consult  this  Journal,  1871,  pp.  373  and  471 ;  1872,  pp. 
12  and  282  ;  1876,  p.  492  ;  1880,  p.  87  ;  1882,  p.  39  ;  1883,  p.  141 ; 
1885,  p.  595. 
PRACTICAL  REMARKS  ON   PEARL-COATING  OF 
PILLS. 1 
By  William  Gilmour. 
Pearl-coating  has  developed  to  a  most  extraordinary  extent  within 
the  past  few  years,  and  at  the  present  time  is  fast  revolutionizing  the 
pill-making  department  of  the  pharmacist's  work.  I  am  very  sorry 
for  this,  for  I  quite  foresee  that  in  allowing  this  department  to  pass 
into  the  hands  of  large  manufacturers  we  are  fast  drifting  on  to  another 
rock  not  less  serious  than  the  patent  medicine  one.  This  sub- 
ject is  too  acute  for  me  to  dwell  upon  at  the  present  time,  but  let  me 
point  out  in  justification  of  what  I  have  hinted  at  that  while  it  is  high- 
ly improbable  that  grocers  and  general  dealers  will  be  at  the  trouble 
and  expense  (even  were  it  legal)  to  buy,  spell  out  and  consult  the 
Pharmacopoeia  for  the  purpose  of  making  pills,  and  afterwards  coat- 
ing them,  there  is  nothing  remotely  improbable  in  them  buying  from 
the  wholesale  manufacturers,  and  successfully  competing  with  the 
more  highly  educated  pharmacist.  I  do  not  want  to  make  more  of 
this  point  than  is  necessary.  It  is  only  because  I  see  clearly  both  the 
weakness  and  strength  of  our  position,  and  in  the  hope  of  strengthen- 
ing our  weakness  that  I  refer  to  it  at  all. 
The  first  thing  that  I  would  notice  in  pearl-coating  is  that  it  in- 
1  Read  before  the  Pharmaceutical  Society  of  Great  Britain  at  ari  Evening 
Meeting  in  Edinburgh,  Wednesday,  March  16. 
