i88 
Liniment  of  Soft  Soap. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
April.  1896. 
It  consists  in  shaking  a  mixture  of  fixed  oil,  potassa  solution  and 
alcohol,  until  saponification  has  taken  place,  and  then  adding  the 
remaining  ingredients. 
To  make  a  liniment  by  this  process,  that  will  meet  the  Pharma- 
copceial  requirements,  the  formula  would  be  as  follows  : 
Linseed  oil    325  gms 
Potassa  75  " 
Oil  of  lavender  20  c.c. 
Alcohol  300  " 
Water,  a  sufficient  quantity  to  make  1,000  c.c. 
Dissolve  the  potassa  in  200  c.c.  of  water ;  put  the  solution  in  a  bottle  of 
about  1,500  c.c.  capacity,  together  with  the  linseed  oil  and  the  alcohol,  and 
shake  the  mixture  briskly  from  time  to  time,  until  there  is  no  further  separation 
of  oil  on  standing.  Let  the  solution  stand  in  a  moderately  warm  place  fortwenty- 
four  hours,  then  dissolve  in  it  the  oil  of  lavender  by  agitation,  and  add  enough 
water  to  make  the  product  measure  1,000  c.c.    Mix  and  filter. 
The  potassa  should  be  neither  stronger  nor  weaker  than  90  per 
cent.,  unless  allowance  be  made  for  the  difference  in  strength. 
The  length  of  time  required  to  finish  the  preparation  depends 
upon  the  persistence  with  which  the  mixture  is  shaken  at  the  begin- 
ning, but  it  can  easily  be  done  in  two  days,  at  least  with  quantities 
not  much  differing  from  those  of  the  formula  given  above.  Saponi- 
fication can,  of  course,  be  hastened  by  heating  the  mixture,  but  the 
gain  in  time  would  be  more  than  counterbalanced  by  the  risk  of 
vaporizing  some  of  the  alcohol. 
Some  of  the  constituents  of  oil  of  lavender  being  easily  acted 
upon  by  caustic  alkali,  this  oil  should  not  be  added  until  saponifica- 
tion is  complete.  About  twenty-four  hours  time,  after  complete  solu- 
tion of  the  linseed  oil,  is  required  for  this,  when  the  liniment  is  made 
at  the  ordinary  temperature. 
Refined  cottonseed  or  olive  oil  may  be  used  instead  of  linseed  oil, 
without  changing  the  proportion  of  potassa,  but  these  will  usually 
give  a  liniment  of  lighter  color  than  would  be  obtained  from  linseed 
oil. 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  March  16,  1896. 
The  French  War  Office  has  ordered  the  use  of  aluminum  drinking  and  mess 
vessels  for  the  army,  which  are  made  without  solder,  being  beaten  up  from 
plate.  They  resist  the  action  of  fire,  foods  and  cooking  liquids,  which  are  not 
in  contact  with  the  metal  for  long  periods. 
