Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  ) 
July,  1878  J 
Hydrargyrum  cum  Creta. 
325 
DANGEROUS  HYDRARGYRUM  CUM  CRETA. 
By  Elwood  G.  Hendricks,  Ph.G. 
So  much  has  been  said  and  written  on  this  subject  that  every  phar- 
macist should  know  the  danger  of  this  preparation  when  not  properly 
made,  and  the  changes  it  undergoes  when  in  contact  with  the  atmos- 
phere. My  attention  was  attracted  not  long  ago  in  a  pharmacy  to  the 
upper  shelf,  where  there  was  an  array  of  8  oz.  salt-mouth  bottles,  con- 
taining various  preparations,  among  them  one  containing  hydrargyrum 
cum  creta,  probably  about  three  ounces.  Near  the  bottom  I  noticed 
a  peculiar  coloration,  and  on  closely  examining  it  observed  that  about 
one-sixth  of  the  whole  quantity  in  the  bottle  had  undergone  the  change 
and  formed  red  oxide  of  mercury.  The  proprietor  had  two  stores,  and 
in  this  one  he  also  kept  on  hand  a  small  2  oz.  bottle  to  supply  the  dis- 
pensing counter  ;  yet  serious  results  might  happen  in  case  a  new  or 
younger  assistant  should  be  left  in  charge  of  the  store. 
In  speaking  with  a  physician  of  Northumberland  county,  he  informed 
me  that  he  had  used  the  preparation  of  mercury  and  chalk  very  often 
with  bad  results,  viz.,  producing  vomiting  and  gastric  irritation,  and 
very  dangerous  symptoms.  He  afterwards  spoke  to  a  neighboring 
physician  about  the  preparation,  and  leared  that  he  also  had  experienced 
the  same  results  ;  both  have  not  prescribed  it  for  nine  years. 
A  very  interesting  and  instructive  article  on  commercial  hydrargyrum 
cum  creta,  by  Prof.  J.  P.  Remington,  was  published  in  the  "Am.  Jour. 
Phar.,"  1869,  p.  43,  in  which  he  speaks  of  Dr.  Squibb's  process  for 
preparing  this  officinal  article  with  honey,  which  prevents  the  oxidation 
of  the  metallic  mercury,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  all  pharmacists  will 
pay  more  attention  to  this  valuable  preparation  which,  through  careless- 
ness in  preparing  or  keeping,  may  become  such  a  dangerous  article. 
Note. — The  editor  agrees  with  Prof.  Procter's  opinion  appended  to 
the  paper  referred  to,  "that  this  preparation  as  made  by  the  officinal 
process  should  be  abandoned,  and  a  new  formula  adopted,  containing 
saccharine  matter,  as  in  blue  mass.''  Mr.  Bibby's  process,  published 
in  this  journal,  1876,  p.  269,  appears  to  be  well  adapted  for  pharmacists 
who  prefer  making  their  own  preparations,  and  we  invite  readers  who 
may  have  had  practical  experience  with  this  or  another  reliable  process, 
to  communicate  the  same. 
