An.  Jour.  Pparm.  \ 
May  1,1874.  j 
Aqua  Camphor ce. 
233 
AQUA  CAMPHORS 
By  Franklin  T.  Hartzell,  G-.  P. 
Extract  from  an  Inaugural  Essay. 
The  officinal  formula  for  this  preparation  seems  theoretically  de- 
fective. The  Pharmacopoeia  merely  directs  that  the  camphor,  re- 
duced to  a  pasty  mass  with  alcohol,  be  rubbed  with  the  carbonate  of 
magnesium  and  water,  and  filtered.  In  practice  I  have  found  that 
the  resulting  milky  liquid,  however  carefully  rubbed,  becomes  more 
or  less  lumpy  or  gritty  in  consequence  of  the  precipitation  of  the 
camphor  among  the  particles  of  the  magnesia  on  the  addition  of 
water.  It  is  obvious  that  the  particles  of  camphor  enveloped  in  these 
little  lumpy  masses  are  not  in  a  favorable  condition  for  solution  in 
the  water.  This  difficulty  is  easily  obviated.  In  making  camphor 
water  I  discard  the  use  of  alcohol  entirely.  With  a  few  drops  of 
ether  I  reduce  the  necessary  quantity  of  camphor,  in  a  mortar,  to  an 
impalpable  powder  in  a  few  moments.  The  ether  evaporates  instantly 
and  is  not  open  to  the  same  objection  as  the  alcohol,  that  of  contami- 
nating the  resulting  medicated  water  by  its  presence.  I  then  rub  the 
powdered  camphor  with  the  magnesia  and  a  part  of  the  water,  and 
pour  the  liquid  through  a  funnel  sieve  into  a  bottle  of  the  requisite 
size,  returning  to  the  mortar  the  lumpy  portions  that  at  first  refuse  to 
pass  through  the  sieve,  and  rubbing  them  with  more  of  the  water.  If 
the  resulting  milky  liquid  be  now  thoroughly  agitated,  and  filtered 
immediately,  the  camphor  water  will  be  found  to  be  decidedly  stronger 
than  many  specimens,  made  by  the  ordinary  process,  that  have  stood 
some  time  and  received  occasional  agitation  before  filtering ;  and  if  it  be 
allowed  to  stand  in  the  stock  bottle,  occasionally  agitated,  and  filtered 
off  when  wanted  for  use,  its  superiority  to  that  made  in  the  officinal  way 
will  be  perceived  to  be  unquestionable.  In  making  large  quantities  of 
camphor  water,  the  powdered  camphor  might  first  be  passed  through 
a  tolerably  fine  sieve,  dry,  so  as  to  avoid  the  annoyance,  when  rubbing 
it  with  the  magnesia  and  water,  of  encountering  any  lumps,  which, 
through  the  carelessness  of  the  operator,  might  have  been  left  undis- 
solved by  the  ether.  But  in  making  either  large  or  small  quantities, 
the  milky  liquid  should  be  poured  through  the  funnel  sieve,  and  the 
lumpy  portions  rubbed  down  in  the  manner  previously  described. 
