EDITORIAL 
2S1 
Since the above was written, the Board of Trustees of the Philadel- 
phia College of Pharmacy have felt themselves called upon to memo- 
rialise the Honorable Secretary of the Treasury in reference to this 
subject : and we hope that the Honorable Secretary will so far respect 
the appeal as to appoint some one, we care not whom, who is ade- 
quate to the discharge the highly responsible duties of this office. 
Lmported Pharmaceutical Articles. — Our attention has been 
called to several pharmaceutical articles imported by George D. Phelps 
of New York, and among them maybe mentioned, li Brown's can- 
tharidin blistering tissue/' " Brown's tissue dressing." and " Brown's 
water proof transparent plaster.' 5 It has long been usual in Europe to 
employ blistering tissues instead of the ordinary blistering plas- 
ters in which the flies are introduced in substance. When such 
tissues are fully impregnated with cantharidin they form a very 
elegant substitute for the cerate of cantharides spread on skin, 
and are equally certain. The tissue above noticed consists of a 
flexible paper covered uniformly with a layer of cerated extract 
of cantharides. At page 226 the reader will find a notice of this 
kind of preparation. We think they may be introduced with ad- 
vantage into American pharmacy. 
The article called 11 Brown's Tissue Dressing " consists of 
tissue paper covered on one side with a thin layer of rose colored 
cerate which has been impregnated with benzoin to prevent its 
becoming rancid. We do not know the composition of the cerate but 
presume it to be analogous to spermaceti' cerate. Its odor is evidently 
that of benzoin, which substance is well known to possess the power 
of preventing in great measure the oxidation of fatty matter. For 
travellers, or for naval or military hospital purposes, we believe it will 
be found useful. We do not know how it keeps, nor whether it 
is applicable in all cases, but as a dressing for blisters it is a very ele- 
gant accompaniment to the blistering tissue. Each box contains 
twelve square feet of the tissue. 
l - Brown's water proof transparent plaster ? ' consists of a coarse 
white gauze coated continuously with a layer or layers of gelatine 
prepared in some way. Why it is called water proof we do not know, 
as it is not impervious to water or saliva. It is very adhesive, but 
would, we think, be of questionable utility in cases where the surfaces 
was frequently moistened. 
Hair gloves, straps, and flesh brushes, have of late years come into 
vogue as an auxiliary in those daily hygienic performances which 
are intended tojkeep up a healthy condition of the skin, by friction, 
with ablution or otherwise. We have examined several of the patent 
