^e/embe^woo™'}    Preparation  of  Tinctura  Opii  Deodorati.  577 
thus  have  the  strange  spectacle  of  two  preparations  of  the  same 
drug  having  identical  strength  of  active  principle,  of  which  the  least 
desirable  is  the  most  prescribed !  Then,  too,  this  is  an  unneces- 
sary multiplication  of  representatives  of  the  drug,  which  is  entirely 
foreign  to  the  tendency  of  the  age,  which  demands  a  simplicity  of 
standards.  I  venture  to  hold  the  hope  that  by  suggesting  a  method 
cheap  and  easy  of  application  for  the  making  of  the  better  prepara- 
tion, this  may  to  a  greater  extent  supplant  the  inferior,  and  I  would 
earnestly  ask  my  hearers  to  give  this  point  of  the  subject  their 
thoughtful  consideration,  that  some  good  may  come  from  the 
thought. 
Lest  I  be  accused  of  plagiarism,  I  wish  to  state  that  I  do  not 
claim  entire  originality  for  the  process  I  am  about  to  suggest;  as  I 
understand  it,  the  employment  of  paraffin  for  the  deodorizing  of 
opium  was  suggested  many  years  ago,  but  the  idea  was  never  taken 
up,  as  far  as  I  can  learn,  and  was  forgotten.  A  month  or  so  ago, 
the  idea  was  mentioned  in  conversation  by  Mr.  J.  R.  Elfreth,  of  this 
city,  as  being  possibly  of  value  and  practical ;  its  advantages  seemed 
so  great  at  once  to  both  of  us  that  we  determined  to  work  it  out 
practically.  To  him  belongs  the  credit  of  reviving  an  old  and  for- 
gotten idea;  my  share  was  in  the  testing  and  elaborating  of  a  prac- 
tical working  process.  I  may  state  that  the  assays,  etc.,  were  also  a 
part  of  my  work. 
The  process  I  have  the  honor  to  suggest  as  a  substitute  for  the 
present  U.S.P.  method  is  as  follows,  the  formula  being  for  1,000  c.c. 
of  finished  product : 
"  Take  of  granulated  opium,  of  U.S.P.  standard,  100  grammes  ;  put 
this  in  a  suitable  bottle  and  add  300  c.c.  of  boiling  water.  Macerate 
for  from  24  to  48  hours,  according  to  the  fineness  of  the  opium, 
with  frequent  agitation;  then  transfer  the  drug  and  menstruum  to  a 
percolator,  and  percolate  in  the  usual  manner  with  tepid  water 
until  the  drug  is  thoroughly  exhausted  {i.  e.y  until  a  drop  of  the 
percolate  is  entirely  free  from  taste  and  gives  only  a  slight 
cloudiness  with  Mayer's  reagent),  reserving  the  first  300  c.c.  of  per- 
colate and  collecting  the  dilute  percolate  separately.  Evaporate  at 
a  gentle  heat  the  dilute  percolate  to  200  c.c,  mix  this  with  the 
concentrated  portion  and  bring  both  to  a  temperature  of  about  1800 
F.  in  a  suitable  evaporating  dish.  Now  add  150  grammes  of 
paraffin,  U.S.P.,  having  a  melting  point  of  1200  approximately,  in 
