PHARMACEUTICAL  NOTICES. 
137 
especially  if  it  be  preserved  by  sugar.  It  will  be  necessary 
to  employ  a  larger  proportion  of  the  alkaline  carbonate,  vary- 
ing from  two  drachms  to  half  an  ounce  for  each  pint  of  the 
fluid  extract,  proceeding  in  a  similar  manner  to  that  for  cor- 
recting the  syrup  as  above.  My  friend,  Charles  Bullock,  has 
tried  this  remedy  for  the  gelatinized  fluid  extract  with  entire 
success.  There  is  nothing  in  this  addition  therapeutically  in- 
compatible, yet  it  is  possible  that  in  extemporaneous  mixtures 
chemical  incompatibility  may  occur,  but  this  the  apothecary 
may  guard  against. 
Furley's  albuminous  coating  for  Pills. — At  the  Pharmaceutical 
Meeting  (held  in  London,  Nov.  6th,  1861,)  Mr.  Furley  of  Edin- 
burgh exhibited  a  process  for  rendering  pills  tasteless,  by  a 
coating  of  albumen,  etc.,  which  he  had  patented.  The  process 
is  carried  out  in  the  following  manner: — Two  saucers  are  em- 
ployed ;  the  inner  surface  of  one  is  coated  with  albumen  prepared 
by  well  agitating  the  white  of  an  egg;  the  other  contains  a  fine 
powder,  composed  of  equal  parts  of  sugar  and  tragacanth.  The 
pills  to  be  coated  are  placed  in  the  first  saucer,  and  are  made  to 
revolve  in  it  by  a  series  of  circular  motions  communicated  by 
the  hand  whilst  the  saucer  is  held  horizontally.  This  speedily 
coats  them  with  a  thin  film  of  albumen,  when  they  are  quickly 
transferred  to  the  other  saucer,  in  which  they  are  again  caused 
to  revolve  and  become  coated  with  the  powder  of  sugar  and 
tragacanth.  The  peculiar  tenacious  consistence  of  the  albu- 
men tends  to  prevent  the  pills  from  getting  a  very  thick  coat- 
ing, but  it  is  sufficient,  if  continuous,  to  fix  on  their  surface 
sufficient  of  the  powder  to  form  a  thin  but  firm  and  tough  coat- 
ing when  dry.  The  quantity  of  albumen  to  place  in  the  saucer 
is  soon  learned  by  trial,  and  should  not  be  in  excess,  lest  the 
pills  get  too  heavy  a  coating  and  thus  dry  too  slowly.  The 
ready  solubility  of  the  albuminous  coating  in  the  gastric  juice 
is  a  great  advantage  in  this  agent.  Mr.  Furley  requires  of  each 
pharmaceutist  in  Great  Britain  a  fee  of  five  dollars  for  a  per- 
petual right  to  use  his  patent  process. 
Colocynthin  Under  this  name  there  are  several  substances 
or  preparations  now  to  be  found  in  some  of  the  shops  of  Phila- 
delphia.   Some  years  ago,  whilst  on  a  visit  to  the  Shakers  of 
