1 62  Gleanings  from  the  Medical  Journals.  { f8h9trm- 
commended  to  the  revisers  of  our  own  pharmacopoeia.  Among  other 
things,  he  says :  "  It  is  of  no  use  shutting  our  eyes  to  the  fact  that 
modern  manufacturing  chemists  and  patent  medicine  vendors  are 
beginning  to  revolutionize  the  methods  of  preserving  and  adminis- 
tering drugs.  Years  ago  homeopathy  was  really  a  revolt  against 
the  over-physicking  habits  of  our  forefathers,  and  it  has  been  sus- 
tained much  more  by  its  practice  than  by  its  principle.  Though 
most  of  us  believe  that  in  strict  homeopathy  there  is  but  little  left 
but  the  "  suaviter  in  modo"  we  may  nevertheless  learn  a  lesson 
therefrom.  We  all  feel  that  it  is  our  duty  to  present  our  medicines 
to  our  patients,  and  especially  to  children,  in  the  least  objectionable 
form.  The  time  has  gone  by  when  the  administration  of  medicine 
was  considered  wholesome  discipline. 
*  -x-  *  *  *  *  -x 
You  cannot  present  a  5-grain  "  B.  P."  pill  of  carbonate  of  iron  to 
a  young  child,  but  at  four  years  of  age  one  of  my  own  children 
enjoys  10-grain  vanilla  jelloids,  and  greatly  benefits  thereby.  Why 
is  the  so-called  Tamar  Indien  so  largely  sold  in  spite  of  its  price? 
Because  even  the  baby  of  the  house  will  ask  for  it  as"  goody,*'  and, 
like  the  toffee  of  a  lady  friend  of  mine,  that  is  made  with  castor  oil 
instead  of  butter,  the  box  has  to  be  kept  out  of  the  way  for  fear  of 
disastrous  results.  Now,  gentlemen,  if  we  are  not  to  prescribe  pro- 
prietary medicines,  it  must  be  possible  for  us  from  the  "  B.  P."  to 
present  the  drugs  to  our  patients  in  an  equally  palatable  form, 
■x-  #  *  ~         #  -x-  -x  -x- 
The  globules,  tabloids,  jelloids,  palatinoids,  capsules  and  what 
not  at  present  in  the  market,  suggest  ways  by  which  the  older  prepa- 
rations might  be  supplemented  or  supplanted.  We  could  also  do 
with  an  innocent,  well-flavored,  soft,  or,  at  any  rate,  easily  masti 
cated  lozenge,  with  which  any  prescribed  drug  could  be  incorpo- 
rated. 
Indeed,  although  the  present  method  of  indicating  by  special 
preparations  in  what  form  drugs  are  most  advantageously  dispensed 
be  adhered  to,  it  would  not  be  amiss  to  supply,  in  the  "  B.  P.," 
formulae  for  each  of  the  elementary  preparations  in  which  the  ex- 
cipients  alone  are  included.  This  would  leave  the  prescriber  abso- 
lutely free  in  his  choice  of  the  active  ingredients,  and  thus  enable 
him  to  keep  to  the  "  B.  P."  whilst  avoiding  the  everlasting  mixture 
and  pills. 
