124  Preparation  of  Unguentum  H)'drargyri.{Am^™^v^m~ 
PREPARATION  OF  UNGUENTUM  HYDRARGYRI. 
Editor  American  Journal  of  Pharmacy  : 
In  my  examinations  of  the  various  works  on  pharmacy  published,. 
I  have  failed  to  discover  a  formula  like  that  by  which  I  have  pre- 
pared mercurial  ointment  for  the  last  five  years.  In  view  of  the 
great  saving  of  time,  it  may  be  of  general  interest  to  the  profession. 
By  this  formula  the  mercury  can  be  extinguished  inside  of  fifteen 
minutes.    It  is  as  follows  : 
Mercury,  8  parts. 
Mercurial  ointment,  I  part. 
Petrolatum,  I  part. 
Lard,  6  parts. 
The  formula  will  work  better  with  all  petrolatum  instead  of  lard, 
and  so  prepared,  the  mercury  will  be  incorporated  more  quickly, 
and  the  ointment  never  turn  rancid. 
Please  state  in  your  valuable  journal  if  there  is  any  objection  to 
its  use.  Yours,  etc., 
Charles  E.  King. 
Cincinnati,  February  9,  1891. 
[Note. — The  editor  can  see  no  objection  in  substituting  petrolatum  for  a  por- 
tion of  lard,  as  recommended  in  the  formula  given  above.  The  Pharma- 
copoeia directs  equal  weight  of  lard  and  suet ;  and  a  firmer  consistence  would 
result  if  in  the  above  formula  a  similar  course  was  followed.] 
Carpaine  is  the  name  of  a  new  alkaloid,  discovered  by  Dr.  M. 
Greshoff,  in  the  leaves  of  Carica  Papaya.  The  fruit  and  the  milky 
juice  of  the  Papaya  plant  contain  only  traces  of  it;  the  leaves 
0-25  per  cent,  (calculated  on  the  dry  substance).  It  is  very  bitter  ; 
limit  of  detecting  this  taste,  1  :  100,000.  It  responds  to  all  the 
alkaloidal  group  reactions  ;  yields  Prussian  blue  by  Lassaigne's  N 
test ;  is  alkaline  to  red  litmus  ;  has  no  color  reactions  of  its  own, 
with  Frohde's  reagent;  melting  point,  1 1 5 0  C;  crystallizes  in 
"  needles."  Physiological  experiments  with  it  are  very  desirable. 
(Mededeelingen  uit 's  lands  plantentuin,  Batavia,  1890). 
Dr.  Greshoff  is  director  of  a  newly  erected  laboratory  for  chemico- 
pharmaceutical  investigations  into  the  value  of  plants  growing  in 
Dutch  East  India.  The  laboratory  is  situated  in  the  beautiful 
botanical  garden  at  Buitenzorg,  Java.  J.  B.  N. 
