Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  } 
Jan.  1. 1872.  J 
A  New  Excipient  for  Pills. 
17 
A  NEW  EXCIPIENT  FOR  PILLS* 
By  J.  B.  Barnes. 
Soluble  cream  of  tartar  is  a  solution  of  bitartrate  of  potash  in  bi- 
borate  of  soda,  boracic  acid,  or  biborate  of  soda  and  tartaric  acid ; 
either  of  these  compounds,  when  evaporated  to  the  consistence  of  mu- 
cilage, is  heavy  and  adhesive. 
Having  had  my  attention  directed  in  an  especial  manner  to  the  me- 
dicinal properties  of  sulphur,  I  was  naturally  led  to  reflect  upon  the 
inelegant  mode  of  its  administration.  It  is  true  the  sulphur  electuary 
of  the  Pharmacopoeia  is  an  improvement  upon  the  horrible  mixture  of 
sulphur  and  treacle  in  common  use,  but  still  there  is  the  grittiness 
and  the  mess.  Sulphur  is  generally  taken  in  combination  with  bitar- 
trate of  potash ;  and  the  soluble  modification  of  this  salt  possessing 
the  above-mentioned  properties,  it  suggested  to  my  mind  the  employ- 
ment of  so  appropriate  an  excipient  for  the  conversion  of  this  sub- 
stance into  pills ;  and  I  venture  to  suggest  that  pills  so  prepared 
might  be  employed  when  this  substance  is  required  to  be  taken  in 
doses  of  between  four  and  twenty  grains. 
The  samples  of  sulphur  pills  on  the  table,  prepared  respectively 
with  the  sublimed  and  precipitated  varieties,  contain  in  each  four  or 
five  grains,  together  with  one  grain  in  twelve  pills  of  gum  tragacanth, 
and  a  sufficient  quantity  of  soluble  cream  of  tartar.  The  pills  con- 
taining four  grains  of  precipitated  sulphur  are  smaller  than  it  is  pos- 
sible to  prepare  them  with  any  of  the  ordinary  excipients,  being  not 
quite  so  large  as  a  five-grain  compound  rhubarb  pill,  and  as  hard  as  a 
lozenge.  When  placed  in  tepid  water,  the  soluble  cream  of  tartar 
speedily  dissolves,  and  the  sulphur  is  set  free. 
I  propose  to  call  them  "sulphur  and  cream  of  tartar  pills." 
I  have  also  prepared  five-grain  pills  of  hydrate  of  chloral,  Dover's 
powder,  nitrate  of  potash,  chlorate  of  potash,  citrate  of  potash,  and 
gallic  acid.    The  formula  used  for  the  chloral  pills  is  as  follows  : 
Hydrate  of  Chloral,  .  .  .  .  .1  drm., 
Soluble  Cream  of  Tartar  (of  the  consistence  of  mucilage,)  2  drops. 
Gum  Tragacanth,  .  .  .  .  .2  grs. 
Mix  and  divide  into  twelve  pills.  These  require  to  be  kept  in  con- 
tact with  lycopodium.    They  keep  their  form  perfectly  and  gradually 
*  Read  at  the  Evening  Meeting  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Society  of  Great  Brit- 
ain, Nov.  I,  1871. 
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