208 
PHARMACEUTICAL  NOTICES. 
also  prescribed  combined  with  iodide  of  potassium  in  the  pro- 
portion of  15  grains  to  1  flnidounce  of  syrup,  a  teaspoonful  of 
it  taken  three  times  a  day. 
Note. — If  the  ingredients  for  this  syrup  could  be  had  in 
powder  of  at  least  40  meshes  to  the  linear  inch,  the  amount  of 
menstruum  could  be  considerably  reduced,  and  the  syrup  made 
at  less  expense.  The  practical  suggestions  of  Professor  Proc- 
ter in  his  Essay  on  Fluid  Extracts  should  be  studied  by  every 
druggist.  The  "  Swift"  mill  or  similar  mills,  which  must  at 
present  answer  for  pharmaceutical  purposes  on  a  small  scale, 
and  where  mortar  and  pestle  prove  fruitless,  are  not  the  practi- 
cal mills  we  now  need.  I  have  never  been  able  to  grind  certain 
roots,  barks,  herbs,  &c,  to  finer  powder  than  will  go  through  a 
sieve  No.  18  or  20;  and  even  then  only  with  a  great  deal  of 
labor  and  loss  of  time.  To  break  up  drugs  of  hard  or  tenacious 
fibres  it  will  answer  well  enough,  but  to  grind  to  a  fine  powder 
to  go  through  a  sieve  of  No.  40  or  60,  we  want  certainly  an  im- 
provement. Not  long  since  I  spoke  on  that  subject  to  Mr.  N. 
Spencer  Thomas,  who  has  planned  out  a  mill  similar  to  his  large 
one,  and  says  that  the  pattern  has  been  of  considerable  expense 
to  him,  but  he  will  get  up  a  mill  suitable  for  powdering  small 
quantities,  if  he  can  only  find  a  sale  for  it.  A  mill  of  that  kind 
is  as  useful  as  a  mortar,  and  will  repay  the  cost  in  a  short  time 
by  the  saving  of  time  and  materials  now  idly  spent. 
Philadelphia,  April  5th,  1862. 
PHARMACEUTICAL  NOTICES. 
By  W.  Procter,  Jr. 
Tinctura  Ignatise  Composita — Bitter  drops,  (Grouttes  Ameres). 
— Several  physicians  of  this  city  having  prescribed  this  prepa- 
ration, and  some  apothecaries  being  unacquainted  with  the 
formula,  Mr.  Hubbell,  who  has  introduced  it  into  use,  informs 
us  that  it  is  made  by  the  following  recipe  to  be  found  in  "  Dor- 
vault's  Officine,"  page  337,  of  which  a  translation  is  here  given  : 
"  Bitter  drops. 
Take  of  spirit  of  wormwood,       .       .       1000  parts. 
"      Beans  of  St.  Ignatius,    .       .         500  « 
<«       Solution  of  carbonate  of  potassa,       15  " 
«      Pure  soot,         ...  5  " 
Digest  these  ingredients  during  fifteen  days  and  filter. 
