XVemTe'rPi9iT' }    Pharmacy  and  Medicine  in  Egypt.  501 
One  of  the  claims  made  for  this  preparation  is  .that  u  it  is  also  less 
expensive  "  than  preparations  of  the  same  salt  sufficiently  diluted  for 
immediate  use.  When  one  considers  that  the  solution  of  this  salt  re- 
quires a  considerable  excess  of  potassium  iodide  (the  preparation  on 
the  market  showing,  on  analysis/at  least  60  per  cent,  of  free  potassium 
iodide),  and  then  considers  the  price  of  potassium  iodide  even  in 
normal  times,  one  is  averse  to  agreeing  with  this  statement. 
It  is  also  well  to  remember  that  potassium  iodide  as  found  on 
the  market  is  usually  quite  alkaline,  and,  while  it  may  be  true  that 
such  a  preparation  is  painless  when  introduced  into  the  urethra,  that 
does  not  prove  that  it  is  harmless.  It  is  also  well  to  remember  that 
suspensions  of  silver  iodide  are  frequently  used  in  eye  infections,  and 
for  that  purpose  should  be  very  carefully  prepared,  the  silver  iodide 
first  being  very  carefully  and  thoroughly  washed  with  sterile  distilled 
water.  If  this  technic  is  not  followed,  the  application  of  the  prepara- 
tion to  an  eye  condition  will  result  in  much  irritation,  pain  and  an 
inflammatory  condition  that  is  difficult  to  control. 
The  writer's  investigation  of  this  preparation  revealed  that  it  can 
be  prepared  readily  according  to  the  following  formula : 
Silver  nitrate   3.70  Gm. 
Potassium  iodide    17.00  Gm. 
Distilled  water  ad   25.00  Mils 
This  volume  of  25  mils  solution,  when  added  to  75  mils  of  distilled 
water,  makes  a  5  per  cent,  suspension  of  silver  iodide. 
German  Hospital, 
Philadelphia. 
ANCIENT  AND  MODERN  PHARMACY  AND  MEDICINE 
IN  EGYPT. 
By  Ahmed  M.  El  Aguizy,  P.D. 
The  history  of  pharmacy  and  medicine  in  Egypt  may  be  roughly 
divided  into  three  periods — that  of  the  Ancient  Egyptian,  Mediaeval, 
and  Modern. 
The  ancient  Egyptian  or  Prehistoric  Period  includes  the  time  of 
the  Ptolemies. 
The  history  of  pharmacy  in  the  time  of  the  Pharaohs  is  not 
recorded  in  books,  but  the  inscriptions  indicate  that  they  knew  of 
