FANCY  AND  FASHION  IN  PHARMACY. 
5 
ciallj  in  the  form  of  powder.  We  have  met  with  no  recipe  for 
its  preparation  in  any  of  the  works  on  pharmacy,  and  have 
heretofore  obtained  only  those  imported  from  France. 
In  the  absence  of  any  directions  in  the  books,  we  have 
adopted  the  following  process  with  complete  success : 
Two  sad-irons  are  warmed  to  a  temperature  at  which  they  may 
be  touched  without  burning  the  fingers,  not  so  hot  as  to  occasion 
a  globule  of  water  to  run  olF  when  thrown  on  the  level  surface. 
One  of  the  irons  is  maintained  at  a  slightly  increased  temperature 
by  inverting  it  over  the  gas  furnace ;  a  very  little  oil  of  almonds 
or  butter,  on  a  fragment  of  cotton  cloth,  is  now  rubbed  over  the 
surface  of  each  iron.  A  portion  of  the  finest  wheaten  flour, 
mixed  with  water  into  a  smooth  batter  or  thin  paste,  is  now 
poured  on  the  inverted  iron,  and  the  other  iron  is  immediately 
pressed  firmly  upon  it.  After  a  minute  or  two  the  wafer  is  re- 
moved and  trimmed  into  shape.  The  French  wafers  are  cut 
into  circular  disks  of  about  3i  inches  diameter,  which  appears  to 
be  done  by  the  use  of  annular  steel  punches.  We  think  the 
square  wafer  possesses  some  advantage  for  enveloping  powders 
and  pills,  by  folding  the  corners  into  the  centre.  In  using  the 
wafer,  it  is  to  be  moistened  by  dipping  into  a  tumbler  of  water, 
laid  on  the  palm  of  the  hand,  the  powder  or  pill  dropped  in  the 
centre,  the  edges  folded  over  it,  when  it  may  be  swallowed  like 
an  oyster,  without  tasting  its  contents. 
SUPPOSITORIES. 
"  Machine-rnade  Suppositories,"  of  elegant  quality  and  finish, 
made  of  cocoa  butter,  with  a  variety  of  medicinal  ingredients, 
have  lately  been  introduced  in  this  city,  and  have  led  to  enquiries 
among  our  pharmaceutists  as  to  the  best  arrangements  for  pro- 
ducing them. 
To  what  has  been  already  published  by  A.  B.  Taylor,  vol.  xxiv. 
p.  211  of  this  Journal,  and  in  Parrish's  Pharmacy,  second  edit, 
p.  611,  we  may  add  a  few  practical  suggestions,  the  result  of 
recent  experience  in  this  manipulation.  The  consistence  of  cocoa 
butter  alone  is  not  well  adapted  to  the  preparation  of  an  elegant 
and  firm  suppository.  It  is  a  good  basis  when  combined  with  a 
harder  and  rather  less  fusible  material.    We  have  found  wax,  in 
