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REPORT  ON  SUPPOSITORIES. 
REPORT  ON  SUPPOSITORIES. 
By  Alfred  B.  Taylor. 
(Read  at  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting  of  the  Philada  College  of  Pharmacy,  April  2d,  1861 ) 
The  demand  for  suppositories  has,  within  the  last  year,  large- 
ly increased,  and  much  attention  has  been  given  to  the  prepara- 
tion of  these  appliances.  The  method  of  preparing  them  in 
paper  moulds  has  been,  in  a  measure,  superseded  by  the  more 
elegant  and  convenient  one  of  casting  them  in  metallic  moulds. 
They  are  thereby  not  only  made  more  regular  and  handsome  in 
appearance,  but  at  the  same  time  a  greater  facility  is  given  for 
thoroughly  incorporating  the  medicinal  substances  prescribed. 
I  have  found  that  the  best  mode  of  making  suppositories,  is  to 
have  the  moulds  very  cold,  so  that  on  pouring  the  melted  mix- 
ture into  them,  it  becomes  immediately  solidified,  and  the  sus- 
pended powder  is  thereby  prevented  from  settling,  which  it  is 
almost  certain  to  do,  if  paper  moulds  are  used.  The  moulds 
may  be  made  cold  by  placing  them  on  the  ice  for  two  or  three 
minutes,  previous  to  using  them. 
The  subject  of  the  best  form  for  suppositories  having  been 
referred  to  me,  I  have  made  some  experiments  in  relation  thereto. 
It  occurred  to  me  that  an  improvement  might  be  made  on  the 
ordinary  form  of  suppositories,  (a  simple  cone,)  by  having  them 
so  shaped  as  to  fit  an  instrument  for  inserting  them.  Acting 
upon  this  idea,  I  have  procured  metallic  moulds,  which  are  here- 
with shown,  for  making  them  of  the  shape  of  the  annexed  figure, 
a,  as  also  an  instrument  for  inserting  them,  which  I  have  called 
a  8upposite7\  h. 
It  will  be  seen  that  they  can  be  used  either  with  or  without 
this  instrument. 
