446  Pharmaceutical  Notes.  {^r^mf** 
coction  ;  but  the  pharmacist,  seeing  the  error,  took  the  infusion  in- 
stead. The  diagnosis  had  been  well  made,  the  therapeutical  indica- 
tions even  better  carried  out,  for  the  patient  felt  relieved.  The 
following  day  the  physician  ordered  this  prescription  to  be  repeated, 
which  was  done  by  another  pharmacist,  not  so  well  instructed,  who 
followed  servilely  the  formula  prescribed,  and  after  the  patient  had 
taken  two  spoonfuls  she  was  nauseated,  had  headache,  etc.  The 
physician  having  been  called  in,  learned,  on  inquiry,  that  his  pre. 
scription  had  been  properly  modified  the  first  time  and  had  been  fol- 
lowed literally  in  the  last  instance.  Such  and  similar  cases  may 
happen  in  countries  where  the  laws  allow  to  practice  pharmacy  with- 
out demanding  from  the  apothecaries  any  proofs  regarding  their 
knowledge  and  scrupulous  diligence,  "so  requisite  for  practicing  pro- 
perly a  profession  of  such  direct  influence  upon  the  health  and  life 
of  men.  On  this  subject  the  Chemical  News  says  :  "  An  ill  informed 
pharmaceutist  is  more  dangerous  than  an  ignorant  physician  ;  for  the 
former  may  cause  the  death  of  the  patient  directly,  while  the  physi- 
cian has  a  lightning  conductor  in  the  way  of  his  homicidal  prescrip- 
tions, and  this  lightning  conductor  is  the  pharmaceutist." 
Sometimes  pharmacists  do  not  take  the  trouble  to  weigh  the  sub- 
stances for  making  infusions  or  decoctions ;  principally  in  well  re- 
puted and  frequented  stores,  when  the  customers  urge  the  apothecary 
for  their  medicines,  inducing  him  to  shorten  his  operations,  to  the  dis- 
advantage of  the  medicine.  To  prevent  such  inconveniences  in  the 
case  of  digitalis,  I  have  prepared  a  syrup  which  has  been  employed 
for  some  time,  principally  in  the  store  of  Mr.  J.  Font.  The  formula 
is  as  follows  : 
Simple  syrup,  ....    2000  grams 
Hydro-alcoholic  extract  of  fox-glove,      .  50  grams 
Rain  water,   .  .  .  .  40  c.c. 
Concentrate  the  syrup  to  32°,  at  a  boiling  temperature,  re- 
move from  the  fire,  and  when  it  has  cooled  to  pretty  nearly  50°  C. 
add  the  extract  dissolved  in  the  water.  This  will  yield  a  syrup  of 
fox-glove  containing  one  gram  of  the  extract,  which  is  equivalent  to 
three  grams  of  the  leaves  in  40  grams  of  syrup.  By  dissolving  40 
grams  of  it  in  210  grams  of  water,  the  infusion  will  be  ready  for  use? 
strongly  bitter  and  possessing  its  characteristic  odor. 
Merida,  Yucatan,  August  8th,  1873. 
