Amkarch'i884rm*}    Soap  Manufacture  and  the  Soap  of  Commerce.  141 
should  contain  a  definite  dose  of  chlorate.  In  the  case  of  a  heavy  salt 
like  chlorate  of  potash ,  however,  subsidence  takes  place  so  rapidly 
that,  even  though  the  bottle  be  vigorously  shaken  immediately  before 
measuring  out  a  dose,  it  is  practically  impossible  to  obtain  a  reasonable 
approach  to  uniformity,  and,  therefore,  the  intention  of  the  prescriber 
cannot  be  attained. 
The  practice  to  which  this  note  is  meant  to  call  attention  is  then,  to 
say  the  least  of  it,  shown  to  be  undesirable ;  I  believe  it  to  be  also 
unnecessary. 
It  is  the  province  of  the  pharmacist  to  carry  out,  with  strict  fidelity, 
the  directions  of  the  physician,  and  he  may  not  presume  to  dictate. 
While  this  is  so,  however,  we  believe  that  it  is  not  only  his  province 
but  his  duty  to  draw  attention  to  defects  in  prevailing  methods  and  to 
devise  improvements. 
Believing  this  to  be  so,  I  venture  to  suggest  that  the  practice  referred 
to  might  be  advantageously  departed  from,  and  that  chlorate  of  potash 
for  such  purposes  should  always  be  prescribed  in  the  form  of  powders. 
The  patient  could  be  directed  to  add  the  requisite  quantity  of  water  at 
the  time  of  using ;  there  would  be  no  risk  from  crystallization,  and 
the  dose  would  be  uniform.  By  this  means  both  difficulties  would  be 
completely  disposed  of,  and  it  would  be,  in  every  respect,  a  more 
excellent  way. — Phar.  Jour,  and  Trans.,  Jan.  26,  p.  594. 
SOAP  MANUFACTURE  AND  THE  SOAP  OF  COMMERCE. 
By  Alfred  Smetham,  F.C.S. 
In  a  paper  read  before  the  Liverpool  Chemists'  Association,  Nov. 
8th,  1883,  the  author  first  briefly  described  the  raw  materials  employed 
by  the  soap  maker,  and  then  proceeded  to  the  processes  adopted  for 
their  conversion  into  soap.  The  boiler  first  supplies  himself  with  a 
weak  solution  of  caustic  and  then  melts  in  a  pan  a  quantity  of  the  fat 
to  be  operated  upon.  The  specific  gravity  of  the  lye — as  the  solution 
of  alkali  is  called — should  not  in  the  first  instance  exceed  1*050-1 '060. 
The  heat  is  maintained  by  means  of  steam,  the  direct  use  of  a  fire 
being  now  practically  obsolete.  The  first  action  of  the  caustic  is  to 
produce  an  emulsion,  and  when  this  is  properly,  formed  more  alkali  is 
added,  the  strength  of  the  lye  being  gradually  increased.  The  reason 
why  a  weak  lye  must  be  used  in  the  first  instance  is  that  soap  is  insol- 
