Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
May,  1907. 
Pharmaceutical  Meeting. 
245 
Mr.  Wilbert  said  that  he  knew  the  late  Dr.  Gray  and  that  the 
formula  used  in  Utica,  N.  Y.,  where  he  lived,  differed  from  that  used 
in  Boston,  and  was  a  decidedly  bitter  tonic. 
Continuing  his  remarks,  Mr.  Cliffe  said  that  in  order  to  prepare 
the  antiseptic  solutions  of  the  National  Formulary  so  that  they  will 
be  acceptable,  it  is  necessary  to  use  essential  oils  of  a  high  grade. 
It  was  also  suggested  that  the  oils  be  dissolved  in  the  alcohol  and 
the  solution  allowed  to  stand  for  some  time,  the  final  preparations 
being  made  up  extemporaneously.  Mr.  Cliffe  also  pointed  out  that 
the  solution  of  peptonate  of  iron  with  manganese  on  the  market  is 
not  made  by  the  use  of  peptonate  of  iron,  but  by  the  use  of  solutions 
of  the  essential  constituents. 
Prof.  Chas.  H.  La  Wall  alluded  to  the  presence  of  saccharin  in 
glycerinated  elixir  of  gentian  and  asked  whether  its  use  is  advisable 
in  view  of  the  claims  made  by  Dr.  Vaughan  that  it  is  a  protoplasmic 
poison. 
Mr.  Wilbert  then  called  attention  to  the  formula  for  compound 
cathartic  elixir  which  directs  4-5  grammes  of  saccharin  to  1000  c.c, 
but  stated  that  the  intention  was  to  use  one-tenth  of  this  amount. 
He  said  that  saccharin  had  been  introduced  into  the  National 
Formulary  with  the  idea  of  imitating  proprietary  preparations,  but 
considered  its  introduction  a  mistake  and  at  variance  with  the 
original  intention. 
Commenting  on  this  feature  of  the  National  Formulary  Professor 
La  Wall  said  that  persons  who  evade  the  law  are  always  seeking 
justification  for  their  actions.  He  said  that  the  use  of  saccharin  in 
foods  is  prohibited  by  law,  but  that  those  persons  who  use  it  would 
seek  to  justify  their  course  by  referring  to  some  such  authority  as 
that  under  discussion.  .  , 
Mr.  Blair  said  that  the  use  of  aromatic  elixir  in  so  many  of  the 
elixirs  of  the  National  Formulary  gave  them  an  undesirable  same- 
ness. He  criticized  the  formula  for  elixir  of  Curacao  by  stating  that 
of  the  three  oils  of  orange  on  the  market  none  is  that  of  Curacao. 
Referring  to  the  elixir  of  terpin  hydrate,  Mr.  Blair  stated  that 
some  time  ago  he  carefully  made  up  the  quantity  of  elixir  directed 
by  the  formula,  and  that  about  15  fluid  ounces  had  been  placed  in  a 
bottle  and  kept  in  the  cellar  duly  protected  from  light,  but  that  it 
formed  a  deposit  about  inch  in  depth  which  consisted  of  sugar 
that  had  crystallized  out.  He  said  that  the  elixir  is  more  palatable 
without  the  syrup  and  therefore  saw  no  need  for  its  use. 
