PHARMACEUTICAL PREPARATIONS. 123 
that finely divided condition best calculated to produce its 
peculiar effects. This arises partly from the length of time 
neccessary, and the amount of labour requisite in the pro- 
duction of a very fine powder: and partly, sometimes, from 
the disagreeable effects produced on those engaged in its 
preparation, being such as to induce them to shorten the 
process of trituration, and of course an inferior powder is 
obtained. 
With a view of remedying these difficulties in its prepa- 
ration, I have adopted the following manipulation, viz : 
Take of Ipecacuanha in powder, a drachm, 
Opium in powder, " 
Sulphate of Polassa, one ounce 
Alcohol (8.35°) a sufficient quantity. 
Mix the powders and sulphate of potassa, and when a 
coarse powder is produced, add sufficient alcohol to form a 
paste, and then levigate in a large flat mortar until the par- 
ticles of the pasty mass become impalpable ; allow it to be- 
come nearly dry, then triturate until quite dry; lastly, sift 
the powder. By this process the labor is much lessened 
and although the time intervening between the commence- 
ment and the end of the process, may be as long as in the 
method of the Pharmacopoeia, yet the time necessarily oc- 
cupied with it is not near so much. Alcohol is employed 
in preference to water on account of its greater volatility and 
its incapability of dissolving the sulphate of potassa. 
