188  Preparation  of  Medicated  Waters.  {kX™^T"~ 
ON  THE  PREPARATION  OP  MEDICATED  WATERS. 
By  James  Ruan,  G.  P. 
I  desire  to  present  to  the  consideration  of  the  readers  of  the  Jour- 
nal the  following  suggestion  for  the  preparation  of  the  different  med- 
icated waters  of  the  U.  S.  Pharmacopoeia  which  call  for  the  interven- 
tion of  magnesium  carbonate  in  their  preparation  ;  the  substance 
which  I  suggest  to  take  the  place  of  the  latter,  is  paper  pulp,  pre- 
pared from  chemically  pure  filtering  paper. 
The  following  is  the  "modus  operandi"  which  I  find  yields  very- 
satisfactory  results  : 
To  prepare  Aqua  Mentha  Piperita — 
Take  of  the  Oil  of  Peppermint  half  a  fluidrachm. 
Chemically  pure  filtering  paper  one  drachm. 
Distilled  water,  two  pints. 
The  paper  is  cut  into  small  pieces  and  beaten  up  in  a  mortar  with 
one  ounce  of  water  gradually  added  until  reduced  to  a  pulpy  consis- 
tence ;  the  oil  is  then  added  and  triturated  with  the  pulp  until  incor- 
porated ;  fifteen  ounces  more  of  water  is  to  be  gradually  added ;  the 
whole  is  then  poured  into  a  suitable  sized  bottle,  the  mortar  rinsed 
out  with  the  remaining  pint  of  water,  which  is  added  to  the  first. 
The  whole  is  then  to  be  well  shaken  and  then  filtered  through  paper. 
In  the  same  manner  prepare  other  aquae  medicatse,  which  call  for 
the  intervention  of  magnesium  carbonate.  Peppermint  water,  pre- 
pared as  above,  is  strongly  impregnated  with  the  oil,  and  beautifully 
transparent ;  some  which  I  had  prepared  over  three  weeks,  is  still 
clear,  with  no  appearance  of  sediment  or  separation  of  the  oil. 
Aqua  Cinnamomi,  prepared  by  the  above  process,  is  perfectly  co- 
lorless, with  the  odor  and  taste  strongly  defined. 
In  the  preparation  of  the  waters  by  the  above  process,  it  is  well  to 
allow  them  to  stand  a  few  hours  before  filtration,  occasionally  shaking 
so  as  to  thoroughly  disseminate  the  pulp  through  the  water,  thereby 
giving  the  water  greater  surface  to  act  on.  I  think  the  waters  pre- 
pared according  to  the  described  manner  equal  to  the  distilled.  The 
filters  can  be  reserved  for  making  additional  pulp.  I  am  not  aware 
that  the  process  I  have  described  has  been  used  before,  and  as  the- 
results  I  have  found  so  satisfactory  in  my  case,  I  thought  I  would  pre- 
sent the  process  to  the  Journal  for  publication. 
I  have  prepared  Aqua  Camphorse  by  the  same  process,  first  reduc- 
