332      NEW  MODE  OF  PREPARING  MERCURIAL  OINTMENT. 
which  remains  may  be  employed  in  a  subsequent  operation.  But 
the  principal  recommendation  to  the  process  is  that  it  affords  the 
means  of  obtaining  spirit  of  nitrous  ether,  on  the  large  or  small 
scale,  of  definite  and  uniform  strength,  and  composition,  and  of 
perfectly  good  quality.  As  these  objects  can  be  thus  attained 
with  ease  and  certainty,  without  any  increase,  but  rather  at  a 
reduction,  of  cost,  there  will  be  no  excuse  for  any  other  varia- 
tion in  the  product  than  such  as  may  arise  from  the  change  which 
necessarily  takes  place  to  some  extent  when  it  has  been  long 
kept  in  contact  with  the  air. 
Having  now  explained  the  practical  details  of  this  process,  I 
shall  not  pursue  the  subject  further  on  the  present  occasion,  but 
reserve  for  a  subsequent  communication  the  notice  of  some  points 
in  connection  with  it,  the  investigation  of  which  I  have  not  yet 
completed. — London  Pharm.  Jour.,  March,  1867. 
NEW  MODE  OF  PREPARING  MERCURIAL  OINTMENT. 
By  J.  H.  Hart,  Apothecary,  New  Orleans. 
Finding  the  mercurial  ointment,  as  usually  met  with  in  com- 
merce, to  vary  in  strength  and  purity,  and  many  complaints  by 
physicians  having  been  made  of  its  irritating  effects,  I  would 
suggest  the  following  mode  of  preparing  the  same,  as  offering 
the  advantages  of  certainty,  freshness  and  easy  execution : 
Take  of  stearine*  and  mercury,  each     .       1  lb. 
Tinct.  benzoin  (saturated)    .     .       4  drachms. 
Into  the  mortar  in  which  the  ointment  is  intended  to  be  made 
place  a  freezing  mixture  of  ice  pounded,  12  ;  salt,  5 ;  potass, 
nit.  5  parts.  Introduce  into  this  the  mercury  contained  in  a  test 
tube,  or  other  suitable  vessel ;  allow  it  to  remain  till  the  tem- 
perature has  fallen  to  32°,  or  below  ;  remove  and  wipe  the  mor- 
tar thoroughly  dry ;  immediately  introduce  the  stearine  and 
mercury ;  when  the  trituration  is  nearly  completed,  add  the  tinct. 
benzoin  by  small  portions  at  a  time.  In  this  manner,  under 
favorable  circumstances,  2  lbs  of  ointment  can  be  made  in  15 
minutes.  The  tincture  of  benzoin  can  be  omitted,  if  desired, 
but  will  be  found  of  great  benefit  in  retarding  rancidity. — The 
New  Orleans  Med.  and  Surg  Journ.,  May,  1867. 
*  Lard  deprived  of  its  fluid  parts  by  strong  pressure. 
