290 
Aspidium  Margin  ale. 
{A.m  Jour.  Pharm: 
June,  1878. 
or  tragacanth  render  a  pill  in  time  hard  and  insoluble ;  honey  or 
molasses  are  inconvenient,  besides  attracting  swarms  of  flies  to  the 
prescription  counter,  and  crumbs  of  bread  and  confections  of  rose  are 
too  bulky. 
The  Glyceritum  amyli  of  the  B.  P.  is  a  step  nearei  perfection,  but 
is  wanting  in  adhesiveness,  and  decidedly  hygroscopic.  As  the  result 
of  quite  a  number  of  experiments  on  this  subject,  the  writer  has  found 
the  following  modified  formula  of  the  latter  to  serve  a  most  excellent 
purpose : 
R  Powdered  Starch,  ....  ^ss. 
Sugar,  .  .  .  .  .  &u 
"        Tragacanth,         .  .  .  ^ii. 
Water,  ..... 
Glycerin,  ....  ^iv. 
Triturate  the  powders  with  the  water  and  glycerin  until  a  homo- 
genous mixture  is  obtained  ;  transfer  to  a  porcelain  capsule  and  apply 
heat  untii  all  the  starch  granules  are  ruptured,  stirring  constantly  of 
course,  to  prevent  burning. 
This  forms  a  jelly-like  substance  of  such  consistence  as  to  be  readily 
taken  up  on  the  point  of  a  spatula.  It  undergoes  no  change  on  expo- 
sure (at  least  not  in  our  equitable  California  climate)  is  possessed  of 
enough  stickiness  to  subjugate  the  most  refractory  pill  mass,  and  con- 
tains sufficient  glycerin  to  prevent  the  pill  from  ever  becoming  hard  or 
insoluble. 
Oakland  Cal.,  May,  1878. 
ON  ASPIDIUM  MARGINALE,  Swartz. 
By  Chas.  H.  Cressler,  Ph.G. 
(Read  at  the  Phar?naceutical  Meetitzg,  May  21,  1878  ) 
In  September,  1874,  Dr.  J.  L.  Suesserott,  of  Chambersburg,  requested 
me  to  prepare  for  him  an  emulsion  of  oleoresin  of  male  fern,  which  he 
administered  with  the  result  of  the  expulsion  of  but  a  small  portion  of 
taenia.  The  oleoresin  furnished  the  doctor  was  bought  from  a  whole- 
sale druggist  of  good  repute,  and  had  the  appearance  of  a  pure  article, 
but  his  failing  to  get  a  satisfactory  result  caused  me  to  think  that,  if 
our  indigenous  fern  had  any  comparative  virtues,  we  could  furnish  a 
reliable  preparation  which  would  be  one  advantage  ;  and  even  if  it  were 
not  so  active  as  the  European  plant,  that  this  might  be  more  than 
