Quinia  Pills. 
{  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
t       April,  1878. 
a  great  demand  all  over  the  city.  Upon  receiving  the  article  in  ques- 
tion, from  its  apparent  bulk  and  grittiness  I  was  induced  to  make  a 
qualitative  examination,  which  showed  me  that  it  was  not  a  perfectly 
pure  oxide,  it  dissolving  with  effervescence  in  HC1,  and  a  precipitate 
forming  with  a  solution  of  BaCl2,  insoluble  in  excess  of  HC1.  A  quan- 
titative examination  was  made  to  determine  the  amount  of  C02  it  con- 
tained, and  by  volumetric  determination  with  Scheibler's  apparatus  the 
amount  of  C02  was  found  to  be  4*14  per  cent.,  corresponding  to 
MgO.C02.  The  amount  of  sulphuric  acid  present  was  found  to  be  i*l 
per  cent.,  equal  to  MgS04  r6  or  nearly  2  per  cent.  Na2S04,  which 
is  more  than  probable  it  was.  The  magnesia  in  question  resembled  in 
feel,  and  very  much  in  appearance,  the  old  magnesia  alba  of  the  shops, 
differing  only  in  its  greater  density.  It  was  not  as  unctuous  to  the 
feel  as  that  prepared  by  Messrs.  Powers  &  Weightman  of  our  city,  nor 
when  taken  was  it  near  so  palatable.  I  have  been  informed  that  the 
magnesia  was  of  foreign  manufacture,  and  was  sold  in  good  faith  to  the 
trade  as  being  absolutely  a  pure  oxide  of  magnesium  of  proper  density,  etc. 
West  Philadelphia,  Feb.  27,  1878. 
QUINIA  PILLS. 
Camp  Halleck,  Nevada,  Feb.  14,  1878. 
Editor  American  Journal  of  Pharmacy : 
As  I  have  often  seen  formulas  in  various  medical  journals  for  com- 
pounding pills  of  quinia,  none  of  which  seem  to  have  been  satisfactory, 
permit  me  to  inform  you  that  if  a  small  quantity  of  powdered  gum 
arabic  be  added  to  the  quinia  and  thoroughly  mixed  with  it,  and  glycerin 
added,  a  few  drops  at  a  time,  triturating  well  after  each  addition,  it  will 
make  an  excellent  mass,  which  can  be  easily  and  leisurely  worked  into 
nice  smooth  and  compact  pills,  which  will  remain  unalterable  indefinitely. 
I  have  used  the  above-mentioned  ingredients  in  the  preparation  of 
quinia  pills  nearly  seven  years,  and  think  if  they  are  tried  perfect  satis- 
faction will  result.  Yours  respectfully, 
James  E.  Brett. 
REMARKS  ON  PILULE  CATHARTICS  COMPOSITE, 
THEIR  INGREDIENTS,  AND  THE  PROCESS  OF 
COATING  THEM  WITH  GELATIN. 
By  G.  H.  Chas.  Klie. 
The  Pharmacopoeia  directs  to  make  this  pill  with  compound  extract 
