200  MODE  OF  MANUFACTURING  SUGAR-COATED  PILLS,  ETC. 
divided  previous  to  rolling  them  out  into  pills,  and,  further,  to 
insure  accuracy,  each  subdivided  piece  of  mass  is  carefully 
weighed  on  well  balanced  scales,  thereby  preventing  the  possi- 
bility of  any  pill  being  larger  than  another.  The  pills  are 
then  cut  by  machinery  suited  to  the  size  of  the  pill,  and  as 
they  are  formed  roll  into  large  shallow  trays  filled  with  some 
inert  powder,  which  acts  not  only  as  an  absorbent  of  the  moist- 
ure in  the  pill,  but  prevents  them,  while  drying,  from  becoming 
irregular  and  losing  their  shape.  I  would  state  that  the  trays 
vary  in  size  and  are  capable  of  holding  from  7  to  20,000  pills 
when  spread  evenly  over  the  surface.  When  filled,  the  trays  are 
removed  and  kept  in  a  heated  room,  the  temperature  of  which 
is  regulated  as  nearly  as  possible  to  from  80  to  90°  F. ;  when 
of  sufficient  hardness  they  are  separated  from  the  powder  by 
sifting,  and  a  coating  of  a  solution  of  warm  gelatine  is  placed 
over  them,  and,  when  thoroughly  diffused  over  the  pills,  some 
inert  powder  is  thrown  over  them,  to  prevent  their  adhering 
together.  After  the  gelatine  has  thoroughly  fixed  itself  upon 
the  pills,  they  are  thrown  into  a  large  circular  copper  pan, 
suspended  over  a  fire  by  means  of  chains  attached  to  the  ceiling, 
and  a  thick  syrup,  made  in  the  proportion  of  2  lb  av.  of  sugar  to 
^xii.  of  water,  is  added  successively  with  constant  attention 
until  dry,  and  so  on  until  the  pills  assume  a  neat  and  regular 
appearance.  The  time  it  takes  to  coat  pills  properly  varies 
much  according  to  their  nature ;  those  composed  of  resins 
which  become  soft  by  heat  it  takes  a  longer  time,  from  the  fact 
that  you  have  to  lower  the  temperature  of  the  fire,  and  conse- 
quently a  longer  time  is  required  to  drive  off  the  water  in  the 
syrup ;  but,  from  experience,  I  can  safely  say  that  the  average 
time  consumed  to  coat  properly  a  batch  of  7, 000. pills  is  from  9 
to  10  hours.  As  thus  prepared  the  sugar  crystallizes  regularly 
upon  the  pill  and  preseots  to  the  eye  not  only  a  uniform  but  a 
smooth  appearance ;  they  are  entirely  soluble  and  will  keep  for 
an  indefinite  period  without  becoming  hard,  and  consequently 
more  or  less  insoluble  in  the  gastric  juices  of  the  stomach.  I 
present  herewith  some  compound  cathartic  pills,  together  with 
granules  of  morphia  made  and  coated  by  the  above  process, 
and  have  been  on  hand  about  four  months. 
