Am'sJeptr."Sarm'}     Improved  Shape  for  Suppositories.  433 
compound  when  heated  in  small  quantities  in  test  tubes  fuses  to  a 
greenish  liquid,  which  rapidly  turns  to  a  dark  amber.  Upon  cool- 
ing it  deposits  crystals.  These  crystals  are  partly  soluble  in  alco- 
hol and  the  remainder  in  ether.  An  amorphous  residue  remains, 
which  contains  sulphur.  The  crystals,  when  purified,  are  all  found 
to  be  soluble  in  alcohol,  from  which  they  crystallize  in  very  fine 
crystalline  scales.  They  have  a  melting  point  of  1200  C,  and  to  all 
outward  appearances  are  identical  with  those  obtained  from  benzyli- 
dine  dipiperidine. 
Pharmaceutical  Laboratory,  Univ.  of  Wisconsin,  Madison. 
AN  IMPROVED  SHAPE  FOR  SUPPOSITORIES  AND 
BOUGIES. 
By  Henry  S.  Wellcome. 
[Read  before  the  American  Pharmaceutical  Association,  Chicago,  1893.] 
The  use  of  suppositories  as  vehicles  for  medication  and  alimenta- 
tion has  undoubtedly  greatly  increased  during  the  past  few  years, 
but  it  is  a  very  remarkable  fact  that  since  their  first  introduction 
into  pharmacy  there  has  been  scarcely  any  improvement  in  shape. 
The  ordinary  cone-shaped  suppository  which  has  so  long  done 
duty  is  easily  inserted,  but  often  more  easily  expelled,  and  this  great 
defect  has  caused  the  most  aggravating  annoyance  and  disappoint- 
ment to  both  physician  and  patient. 
When  a  suppository  of  the  ordinary  shape  is  introduced  into  the 
anus  or  fundament,  the  lower  extremity  of  the  great  intestine,  the 
pressure  of  the  muscles  which  are  peculiar  to  the  sphincter  ani  act 
entirely  with  expelling  force,  unless  the  suppository  is  introduced  a 
considerable  distance  into  the  rectum.  Even  then,  the  levator es  am, 
which  serve  to  dilate  and  draw  the  anus  up  to  its  natural  situation 
after  the  expulsion  of  the  faeces,  fail  to  grasp  the  suppository  when 
introduced  small  end  first  on  account  of  its  unreasonable  shape ;  in 
fact,  the  old  suppository  has  always  been  introduced  wrong  end 
first. 
A  double  cone-shaped  suppository  has  been  devised,  which  is 
certainly  an  improvement  over  the  ancient  form,  but  this  does  not 
in  all  cases  insure  retention,  as  the  double  cone  form  only  secures 
