490 
Gelatine  Capsules. 
/Am.  Jour.  Pharru. 
\  September,  1896. 
meaning  to  pills  alone.  A  pharmacist,  therefore,  has  no  right  to 
suppose  that  a  physician  wishes  to  order  a  pill  mass  when  he  orders 
powders,  especially  as  the  prescriber  has  it  in  his  power  to  add  the 
words  "fiat  massa,"  and  thereby  express  such  desire  if  it  existed. 
Where,  however,  such  a  remark  is  wanting,  there  is  no  reason  why 
a  mass  should  be  formed.  Powders,  not  pills,  are  ordered  to  be  put 
into  capsules,  and  the  pharmacist  who  changes  the  powders  into  a 
mass  doubtlessly  transgresses  the  limits  of  his  professional  liberties. 
And  what  other  motive  to  do  so  can  there  exist  but  the  desire  to 
save  time  and  labor  ?  The  tendency  of  late,  years  to  prepare  pre- 
scriptions at  lower  prices  than  all  the  competitors,  and  sacrifice 
everything  to  cheapness,  has  reduced  not  only  the  time  allotted  to 
each  prescription,  but  also  the  care  and  solicitude  so  necessary  in 
the  fulfilment  of  our  professional  duties.  It  goes  quicker  to  make 
a  mass  and  cut  into  so  many  parts  than  to  carefully  weigh  each 
powder,  and  let  the  accuracy  with  which  the  last  powder  balances 
the  calculated  weight  serve  as  a  proof  of  the  correctness  of  all 
powders. 
It  is  claimed  that  in  many  instances  the  bulk  of  the  dry  powder 
would  necessitate  a  very  large  capsule,  while  a  mass  could  be  com- 
pressed to  a  much  smaller  volume.  In  answer  to  this  argument  we 
must  not  forget  that  it  is  not  the  pharmacist's  province  to  regulate 
the  bulk  of  the  medicine,  or  to  correct  a  physician,  as  long  as  the 
dose  is  within  the  limits  of  safety.  If  a  physician  chooses  to  order 
a  mixture  containing  as  a  dose  grain  of  strychnine  dissolved  in 
a  tablespoonful  of  some  aromatic  liquid,  no  pharmacist  would  con- 
sider it  his  duty  to  change  the  tablespoon  to  a  teaspoon,  and  thereby 
reduce  the  bulk  of  this  medicine  to  one-fourth  of  the  prescription 
under  the  plea  that  the  bulk  of  the  dose  was  too  large.  If,  there- 
fore, the  physician  orders  a  powder  to  be  put  into  capsules  and  the 
largest  capsules  alone  will  hold  the  prescribed  dose,  there  is  no 
reason  why  the  pharmacist  should  change  the  order.  Nor  is  it 
always  true  that  a  mass  will  reduce  the  bulk.  In  the  first  place,  it 
is  always  necessary  to  add  some  excipient,  if  it  be  only  water, 
thereby  adding  to  the  weight;  very  often  adhesive  vehicles,  as  gum 
acacia,  tragacanth,  various  mucilages  or  glycerites  are  needed  to 
form  the  mass.  The  danger  of  adding  a  little  too  much  of  a  liquid 
vehicle,  and  then  being  compelled  to  correct  the  mistake  by  adding 
some  solid,  often  increases  considerably  the  bulk  of  the  mass  with- 
