4 
NOTE  ON  FUNNELS  AND  WEIGHTS. 
about  four  or  five  inches  long,  bent  into  the  form  of  the  capital 
letter  JJ.  One  end  of  this  implement  is  introduced  into  the 
bottle  before  inserting  the  funnel,  which  now  cannot  possibly 
fit  the  neck  so  as  to  obstruct  the  air  from  flowing  out ;  or  a 
narrow  strip  of  window-glass  or  two  may  be  cemented  on  to  the 
outside  of  the  funnel,  and  will  answer  the  same  purpose. 
The  subject  of  medical  weights  has  been  taken  up  in  the  late 
edition  of  the  Pharmacopoeia  of  the  United  States,  and  is  now 
occupying  the  attention  of  the  profession.  Small  weights  are 
very  subject  to  be  lost  or  blown  away,  and,  if  accurate,  are 
always  expensive.  Any  careful  person,  can,  however,  make 
their  own  email  weights  by  adopting  the  process  I  make  use  of, 
which  is  as  follows :  Procure  some  pieces  of  wire,  of  such  diame- 
ter that  about  three  or  three  and  a  half  inches  may  weigh  ten 
grains  in  an  accurate  balance.  Adjust  the  piece  you  are  about  to 
use  to  that  weight  exactly,  by  cutting  off  its  length  with  a  sharp 
pair  of  scissors  or  pincers.  Double  the  wire  into  two  equal 
halves,  and  with  a  sharp  chisel  and  blow  of  the  hammer  cut  the 
piece  in  two  at  the  bend.  Weigh  the  two  pieces  against  each 
other :  they  ought  to  be  exactly  five  grains  each.  Next  fix 
these  two  pieces  on  to  the  smooth  surface  of  a  piece  of  sheet 
lead  by  a  very  little  rosin  or  wax  cement.  Then,  with  an  ac- 
curate pair  of  small  dividers  or  compasses,  divide  each  wire 
into  five  equal  parts,  and  mark  the  divisions  slightly  on  the 
lead.  Then,  with  the  chisel,  as  before,  cut  off  one  division 
from  one  of  the  wires,  and  two  divisions  (in  one  piece)  from  the 
other.  Then  take  up  the  wires,  and,  by  the  heat  of  a  spirit 
lamp,  clean  off  all  the  cement  carefully,  and  you  will  be  in  pos- 
session of  a  one,  two,  three,  and  four  grain  weight ;  and  with 
them  any  number  of  grains  can  be  weighed  up  to  ten  grains. 
Lastly,  bend  the  one  grain  weight  into  a  circular  curve,  to  pre- 
vent its  rolling  about ;  the  two  grain  bend  to  the  shape  V ;  the 
three  grains  into  a  triangle ;  and  the  four  grain  into  a  square. 
Brass  or  iron  wire  will  answer,  but  for  the  best  weights  pla- 
tinum or  pure  gold  wire  should  be  selected.  By  using  finer 
wire,  and  beginning  with  one  grain,  decimals  of  a  grain  can  be 
obtained  ;  or  by  larger  wire,  the  decimals  of  a  gramme.  These, 
and  all  small  weights,  should  always  be  handled  by  a  pair  of 
nippers. 
