i66 
Compound  Cathartic  Pills. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharro. 
April,  1878. 
$0.42.37.  In  the  above,  extract  of  colocynth  was  reckoned  at  $0.30 
an  ounce,  powdered  aloes  at  $0.65  per  pound,  powdered  resin  of  scam- 
mony  at  $0.75  an  ounce,  powdered  cardamoms  at  $1.75  per  pound, 
and  powdered  soap  at  $0.60  a  pound. 
The  second  ingredient  of  compound  cathartic  pills  is  pulverized 
extract  of  jalap.  In  the  directions  for  the  preparation  of  this  extract 
the  Pharmacopoeia  says  :  "  Evaporate  to  the  proper  consistence,"  i.  e.y 
to  an  extract  of  such  consistence  that  pills  may  readily  be  formed  from 
it.  If  extract  of  this  consistence  is  evaporated  to  dryness,  a  troyounce 
will  lose  about  52  grains.  It  is  very  difficult  to  preserve  the  extract 
in  the  state  of  powder,  especially  in  warm  weather. 
Mild  chloride  of  mercury  and  pulverized  gamboge,  the  two  other 
ingredients,  can  be  procured,  of  excellent  quality,  in  the  market. 
The  perfect  round  form  of  compound  cathartic  pills  is  somewhat 
difficult  to  preserve.  In  warm  weather  they  become  flat,  and  when 
kept  in  a  oottle,  where  they  press  one  on  another,  assume  irregular 
shapes.  This  is  a  characteristic  of  the  pill,  which  is  brought  about  by 
the  resin  contained  in  extract  of  colocynth  and  jalap.  When  resin  of 
jalap  is  substituted  for  the  extract  the  pills  show  the  same  character- 
istic. The  pills  made  with  extracts  of  own  make,  for  medicinal  action 
can  be  uniformly  depended  upon. 
Below  I  give  a  list  of  comparative  prices  of  pills  made  with  pur- 
chased extracts  and  extracts  of  own  make. 
The  weight  of  one  piil  being  3^  grs.,  the  weight  of  five  hundred 
pills  =  i,79if  grs.,  or  3  troyounces,  5  drs.  5 if  grs. 
500  pills  contain  of: 
Compound  extract  of  colocynth 
Extract  of  jalap 
Mild  chloride  of  mercury 
Gamboge 
Grains. 
666f 
500 
500 
125 
Cost 
\hen  prepared 
with  purchased 
extracts. 
£0.3 1  00 
0.31. 51 
0.06.25 
0.01.56 
Cost  when  prepared 
with  extracts  of 
own  make. 
$0.26.87 
0.07.50 
0.06.25 
0.01.56 
50.69  96 
$0.42.73 
