^S^SfT1'}        Phosphorus  in  the  Pill  Form.  585 
rule  pills  do  not  produce  the  nauseating  effects  of  a  dose  of  phosphorus 
in  the  fluid  form  ;  pills  are  also  more  convenient  and  portable. 
Of  the  various  methods  recommended  and  mostly  used  for  render- 
ing phosphorus  into  pills  I  shall  mention  two,  and  the  objections 
attached  to  them.  The  first  method  is  to  dissolve  phosphorus  in  carbon 
disulphide,  to  pour  this  upon  compound  tragacanth  powder,  and  make 
into  a  mass  with  water.  The  other  method  is  to  dissolve  phosphorus 
in  melted  cacao  butter,  and  when  cold  rub  smooth  in  a  mortar,  and 
divide  into  pills.  Of  these  two  processes  I  give  the  preference  to 
the  former,  as  the  latter  is  most  impracticable,  for  from  the  greasy 
nature  and  low  melting  point  of  cacao  butter  it  cannot  be  handled  with- 
out clothing  the  fingers  with  a  covering  of  phosphorescent  fat,  very 
annoying  to  the  operator,  and  the  mass  does  not  yield  well  and  regu- 
larly under  the  pressure  of  the  pill-cutter,  but  breaks  into  irregular 
fragments,  which  necessitates  a  remixing.  My  principal  objection, 
however,  to  both  processes  is  that  much  loss  of  phosphorus  takes  place 
by  oxidation  during  the  process  of  manipulation,  and  unless  the  manipu- 
lation be  dexterously  and  expeditiously  carried  out  this  loss  is  consider- 
able ;  the  prevention  or  reduction  of  this  loss  to  a  minimum  is  the 
main  object  of  this  note,  and  the  following  is  the  process  I  have  em- 
ployed for  a  period  extending  over  a  year  with  very  good  results. 
I  will  give  a  formula  for  thirty  pills,  each  pill  to  contain  one-thirtieth 
of  a  grain  of  phosphorus. 
Take  of    Phosphorus,  .              .  .                   i  grain. 
Carbon  bisulphide,              .  .           20  minims. 
Compound  tragacanth  powder,  .              .  90  grains. 
Chloroform,           .              .  .a  sufficiency. 
Water,          .              .  .              .a  sufficiency. 
Place  the  phosphorus  in  a  wedgwood  mortar,  paur  over  it  the  carbon 
bisulphide,  then  add  the  tragacanth  powder  and  ten  minims  of  chloro- 
form, mix  into  a  uniform  product,  then  add  water  a  sufficiency  to  form 
a  pill  mass,  maintaining  during  the  whole  of  the  process  the  presence 
of  chloroform  ;  divide  into  thirty  pills. 
The  novelty  in  this  method  depends  upon  the  presence  of  chloro- 
form, and  the  explanation  of  the  part  it  serves  is  as  follows  :  Whilst 
chloroform  is  present  in  the  mortar  it  forms  a  heavy  vapor  which  sur- 
rounds the  phosphorus,  preventing  the  contact  of  air  and  the  conse- 
quent oxidation  ;  of  course,  as  soon  as  the  materials  are  kneaded  into 
