Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
July,  1917. 
Topical  Applications. 
301 
The  alkalinity  is  just  sufficient  to  make  it  act  as  a  good  cleansing 
agent. 
Formaldehyde  Preserving  Jelly. 
I£    Gelatin    1  ounce 
Solution  formaldehyde    2  drams 
Egg  albumen    Vz  ounce 
Glycerin    8  ounces 
Water    20  ounces 
Break  the  gelatin  into  small  pieces  and  allow  it  to  soak  in  twelve 
ounces  of  water  for  ten  hours,  then  transfer  to  a  porcelain  vessel, 
add  the  egg  albumen  and  the  remaining  eight  ounces  of  water  and 
the  glycerin ;  heat  until  all  of  the  egg  albumen  has  coagulated,  allow 
to  simmer  for  ten  minutes,  filter,  and  while  still  liquefied  but  cooled 
to  6o°  C,  add  the  solution  of  formaldehyde  and  allow  to  congeal. 
This  preparation  is  used  for  the  preservation  of  eye  specimens 
and  is  most  satisfactory  as  it  is  almost  perfectly  transparent. 
For  preserving  a  specimen  the  jelly  having  been  carefully  heated 
to  liquefaction  only  is  poured  over  the  specimen  and  the  container 
sealed. 
Working  with  the  following  substances  I  have  accumulated  the 
following  practical  experiences. 
Acacia  is  generally  employed  as  a  mucilage ;  when  used  as  a 
powder  vehicle  should  be  in  as  fine  a  state  as  possible. 
Acid  Boracic,  in  eye  lotions,  is  generally  used  from  1  per  cent, 
to  4  per  cent,  solutions  and  in  ointment  forms  from  5  per  cent,  to 
10  per  cent.  In  every  instance  the  chemically  pure  drug  only  should 
be  used. 
Acid  Picric:  in  making  solutions  there  should  be  50  per  cent,  of 
glycerin ;  the  ointments  should  have  the  acid  in  solution  before  in- 
corporation. 
Acid  Salicylic,  to  be  used  in  ointment  form,  should  first  be  dis- 
solved in  a  small  percentage  of  olive  oil,  and  then  incorporated  with 
the  base. 
Alcohol  as  a  stimulant  in  eye  lotions  should  not  exceed  2  per 
cent. 
Alum  is  generally  used  in  solution  in  combination  with  boracic 
acid.   Borax  should  never  be  used  in  combination  with  this  chemical. 
Antipyrine,  when  prepared  for  eye  solutions,  should  never  be 
dispensed  with  tannic  acid,  calomel  or  the  salicylates.    It  is  gen- 
