418 
Some  Old-Time  Medicines. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
June,  1 918. 
formula  corresponds  more  or  less  with  the  original  laudanum  of  the 
pharmacopoeias.  There  was  also  a  similar  preparation  known  as 
"black  drop,"  which  was  really  a  vinegar  of  opium.  There  was 
also  a  vinegar  of  opium  in  the  Edinburgh  and  Dublin  pharmaco- 
poeias. To-day  the  name  is  retained  as  a  synonym  of  the  official 
tincture  of  opium.  In  the  course  of  time  the  laws  regulating  the 
sale  of  narcotics  have  curtailed  the  sale  of  our  familiar  laudanum. 
There  are  doubtless  authorities  who  would  agree  that  the  original 
preparation  of  laudanum  had  advantages  over  the  present  official 
preparation  sold  under  this  name. 
Seidlitz  Powders. — It  has  been  suggested  that  this  term  is  a 
misnomer.  The  famous  Hoffman  discovered  the  Seidlitz  spring 
in  Bohemia  in  1724.  The  spring  owed  its  properties  to  the  pres- 
ence of  sulphate  of  magnesia  and  the  sulphate  of  soda.  It  is  stated 
this  spring  was  at  one  time  the  principal  source  of  epsom  salts  and 
it  is  well  known  that  epsom  salts  was  bottled  and  sold  under  this 
designation.  In  some  countries  to-day  the  term  Seidlitz  salts  is 
the  name  for  sulphate  of  magnesia.  The  original  Seidlitz  powder 
was  a  patented  preparation  claimed  to  possess  all  the  properties  of 
the  medicinal  Seidlitz  spring  in  Germany.  There  were  three  powders, 
tartrate  of  soda,  bicarbonate  of  soda,  and  tartaric  acid ;  they  were 
sold  under  numerical  designations.  The  real  Seidlitz  powder  as  we 
know  it  had  its  origin  in  the  substitution  of  a  pleasing  effervescent 
drink  for  a  nauseous  one.  Seidlitz  powders  have  in  the  course  of 
their  history  attained  widespread  popularity ;  at  times  their  use  has 
waned  by  the  introduction  of  mineral  waters  and  other  more  popu- 
lar aperients. 
Opodeldoc. — This  is  also  an  item  attributed  to  the  great  Para- 
celsus. The  original  preparation  was  opodeldoc  plasters  containing 
galbanum,  ammoniac,  bdellium,  litharge,  opodeldoc,  linseed  oil, 
waxes,  and  oil  of  laurel,  to  which  was  added  numerous  powders  in 
vogue  at  the  time  to  give  color  and  odor.  The  plaster  was  a  "heal 
all."  In  the  course  of  time  the  name  was  transferred  from  the 
plaster  to  a  liquid  soap  liniment  which  became  official  early  in  the 
eighteenth  century.  A  preparation  known  as  Steer's  Opodeldoc 
was  a  preparation  containing  ammoniac  added  to  the  original  soap 
liniment.  Opodeldoc  had  at  times  a  widespread  use.  To-day  it 
holds  only  a  subordinate  position.  Undoubtedly  for  many  purposes 
its  use  is  important. 
Paregoric. — In  its  origin  known  as  paregoric  elixir.    The  origi- 
