392  Improved  Process  for  Medicated  Waters. 
IMPROVED  PROCESS  FOR  MAKING  MEDICATED 
WATERS. 
By  Kichard  L.  Igel. 
The  solution  of  essential  oils  in  water  lias  always  been  a  matter  of 
considerable  importance  to  the  pharmacist.  To  produce  a  permanent 
clear  and  incontaminated  medicated  water  and,  at  the  same  time, 
avoid  the  tedious  process  of  distillation,  or  other  more  or  less  unsatis- 
factory and  troublesome  methods,  may  yet  be  worthy  of  the  pharma- 
cists' attention. 
The  objections  to  the  different  processess  and  methods  given  in 
books  on  pharmacy  may  be  summed  up  as  follows  : 
1.  Distillation  is  in  most  shops  unavailable  for  want  of  apparatus, 
time  and  experience  of  attendants. 
2.  The  process  with  the  aid  of  earth,  phosphate  of  calcium  or  car- 
bonate of  magnesium  is  the  most  objectionable,  owing  to  the  solubility 
of  these  substances  in  water,  no  matter  how  sparingly,  thereby 
contaminating  the  product.  To  the  careful  apothecary  this  is  a  con- 
stant cause  of  annoyance  in  dispensing,  as  well  as  in  the  unsightly  de- 
posit it  causes  on  the  inside  the  shop  bottle. 
3.  The  use  of  cotton,  although  not  having  any  of  the  above  ob- 
jections, does  not  yield  uniform  good  results,  since  the  pickiDg  of  the 
cotton  for  the  purpose  of  distributing  the  oil  is  tedious,  and  conse- 
quently often  done  imperfectly,  resulting  in  an  opaque  product ;  be- 
sides if  absorbent  cotton  be  used  as  indicated  the  cost  of  the  prepara- 
tion is  likewise  to  be  considered. 
The  following  process  I  would  suggest  as  an  improvement  on  all 
the  above.  It  has  been  used  by  me  successfully  for  some  time,  and 
recommends  itself  in  point  of  celerity,  economy  and  uniformity  and 
purity  of  product. 
For  example  to  make  2  pints  of  aqua  nienthre  piperita?  take  a  No.  33 
filter;  lay  it  upon  any  smooth  clean  surface,  a  light  of  window  glass 
or  a  pill  tile,  drop  upon  its  surface  thirty  minims  (well  distributed) 
oil  of  peppermint,  fold  the  paper  and  tear  it  into  small  fragments, 
introduce  them  into  any  suitable  bottle,  add  one  fluid-ounce  of  distilled 
wTater  and  shake  the  contents  to  a  pulpy  consistence  ;  now  add  water, 
one  or  two  fluid-ounces  at  a  time,  two  or  three  times  consecutively, 
shaking  well  after  each  addition,  then  add  all  or  most  of  the  two  pints  of 
water  and  throw  the  whole  upon  a  filter,  using  the  reserved  portion  of 
the  water  to  wash  the  pulp,  and  make  the  product  measure  two  pints. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharra. 
I     August,  1887. 
