Am 'jui^iSJ""1'}       Notes  on  Practical  Pharmacy.  349 
one-eighth  grain ;  diluted  hydrocyanic  acid,  two  minims ;  spirit  of 
chloroform  and  mucilage  of  acacia,  each,  fifteen  minims,  and  syrup 
of  wild  cherry,  a  sufficient  quantity  to  make  one  fluid  drachm. 
Dose  :  one  fluid  drachm. 
Distilled  Extract  of  Witch  Hazel. — The  writer  has  been  informed, 
on  good  authority,  that  the  percentage  of  alcohol  in  commercial 
distilled  extract  of  witch  hazel  is  not  necessarily  an  index  of  its 
value,  for  the  reason  that  some  dealers  buy  the  cheaper  aqueous 
distillate  from  the  distiller  and  add  alcohol.  The  only  proper 
product  is  had  by  distilling  the  fresh  twigs  with  a  mixture  of  alco- 
hol and  water,  whereby  a  greater  quantity  of  volatile  oil  is  brought 
into  solution,  than  by  distillation  with  water  alone. 
Syrup  of  Wild  Cherry. — In  making  this  syrup,  more  especially  in 
the  summer  season,  when  fermentation  takes  place  readily,  it  is  ad- 
visable to  add  some  of  the  sugar  to  the  percolate  as  sooj  as  possi- 
ble, to  prevent  change.  The  pharmacopoeial  formula  of  1870  con- 
tained no  glycerin,  that  of  1880  ordered  five  per  cent.,  and  that  of 
1890  fifteen  per  cent  by  volume.  This  last  increase  seems  exces- 
sive. The  greater  the  percentage  of  glycerin,  the  greater  the 
amount  of  tannin  extracted,  up  to  a  certain  point.  It  is  a  question 
whether  this  increased  astringency  in  the  syrup  is  therapeutically 
desirable. 
Blauds  Pills  (Improved). — The  usual  formula  for  this  much-used 
unofficial  ferruginous  preparation  of  ferrous  sulphate,  potassium 
carbonate,  tragacanth  and  glycerin,  can  be  much  simplified  and 
made  to  yield  a  more  permanent  product  by  using  the  following 
formula  :  Potassium  carbonate,  one-third  grain ;  potassium  sul- 
phate, two  grains,  and  mass  of  iron  carbonate,  three  grains,  in  each 
pill.  Little  or  no  excipient  is  required.  The  pills  flatten  somewhat 
on  keeping,  and  are  best  dispensed  in  gelatin  capsules.  They  are 
small  in  size,  and  do  not  become  hard  and  reddish-brown  on  fracture, 
as  do  those  made  by  the  old  formula. 
Ointment  of  Ammoniated  Mercury. — This  ointment  is  most  diffi- 
cult to  make  by  the  official  process  and  secure  entire  freedom  from 
"  grit."  The  best  method  is,  for  example,  to  finely  powder  in  a 
mortar  48  grains  of  the  mercury  compound  and  beat  it  into  a 
smooth  paste  with  12  grains  of  glycerin;  and  make  the  official 
ointment  from  this,  as  wanted,  by  admixing  one  drachm  with  seven 
drachms  of  cerate.     In  this  connection,  criticism  may  be  made 
