84 
3£au?*y's  Ointment 
Am.  Jour.  Pharos. 
Feb.,188C. 
"poor/'  according  as  they  are  light  slate,  slate,  light  blue,  and  blue 
in  color. 
For  the  purpose  of  ready  comparison,  the  series  of  the  six  colors, 
with  the  names  of  each  grade  attached,  are  arranged,  concentrically, 
around  the  central,  transparent  circle  of  the  glass  disk  of  the  glass 
plate,  and  any  variation  in  color  from  the  standard  is  thereby  quickly 
delected. 
Whilst  the  results  of  this  method  would  not  probably  be  received 
as  evidence  in  law,  yet  in  ordinary  practice,  for  the  approximate 
estimation  of  the  comparative  value  of  milk  and  the  ready  ascertain- 
ment it  would  give  of  the  presence  of  added  water,  it  stands  among 
the  very  best  of  the  instruments  in  present  use,  and  is  deserving  of 
more  general  employment. 
MAURY'S  OINTMENT. 
By  Joseph  W  England,  Ph.G. 
(Read  at  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting,  January  19th.) 
Under  this  name,  an  unctuous  solid  was  first  formulated  and  intro- 
duced into  the  Philadelphia  Hospital,  some  eight  years  ago,  by  Dr. 
Maury,  then  a  visiting  physician  of  that  institution,  for  the  external 
healing  treatment  of  sores,  ulcers,  etc.,  in  general,  and  as  especially 
serviceable  in  external  affections  of  the  skin,  dependent  upon  venereal 
origin.  Since  that  time,  in  the  medical  practice  of  the  Hospital  re- 
ferred to,  it  has  been  constantly  employed  by  the  resident  physicians, 
with  a  more  than  ordinary  uniform  success. 
Thinking  the  subject  might  be  a  matter  of  general  pharmaceutical 
interest,  I  present  the  formula  for  its  preparation,  as  there  practiced, 
and  submit,  at  the  same  time,  for  your  personal  inspection,  a  sample 
of  the  ointment  made  yesterday.  It  may  be  added  that  the  original 
formula  contained  simple  cerate  (Ceratum,  U.  S.  P.)  as  the  diluent, 
and  not  cosmoline,  as  hereafter  mentioned  : 
Nitrate  of  mercury  ointment,  5i. 
Powdered  rhubarb, 
Powdered  opium,  aa,  oss. 
Cosmoline  q.  s.  ad  Si. 
Triturate  the  rhubarb  and  opium  together  with  the  cosmoline,  until 
a  perfectly  smooth,  homogeneous  product  is  obtained.     Then  admix 
