124 
Size  of  the  Eye  Dropper \ 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
\      March,  1905. 
Mydriatics  and  myotics  are  usually  prescribed  in  aqueous  solu- 
tions and  applied  into  the  conjunctival  sac  of  the  eye  by  means  of 
an  eye-dropper.  If  the  quantity  so  applied  is  in  excess  of  what  the 
conjunctival  surfaces  will  absorb  or  imbibe,  this  excess  will  find  its 
way  with  the  tears  through  the  canaliculi  into  the  nose  and  thence 
into  the  mucous  membranes  of  the  upper  air  passages,  from  whence 
it  is  absorbed  into  the  circulatory  system.  In  this  way  you  will 
find  not  a  few  patients  return  to  your  office  much  depressed  and 
having  more  or  less  the  effects  of  acute  poisoning.  If  you  investi- 
gate how  this  condition  was  brought  about  you  will  discover  that 
the  patient  received  a  dropper  supplying  more  of  the  drug  than  you 
intended,  or  in  excess  of  physiological  limits. 
It  is  because  of  this  condition  that  I  have  consented  to  again  call 
your  attention  to  the  size  of  the  dropper  used  in  administering  solu- 
tions containing  alkaloids  into  the  eye.  Much  has  already  been 
written  on  this  subject,  but  from  personal  observation  little  practical 
attention  has  been  given  to  this  matter  by  the  pharmacist  compound- 
ing eye  preparations. 
In  the  American  Journal  of  Pharmacy  for  August,  1902,  you 
will  find  an  able  and  exhaustive  article  on  "  Drops  as  Dose  Meas- 
ure," by  Mr.  M.  I.  Wilbert,  Ph.M.,  Pharmacist  to  German  Hospital, 
with  a  long  bibliography  on  the  subject.  Mr.  Wilbert  suggests 
that  one  drop  of  water  should  be  regarded  to  be  equal  to  one- 
twentieth  part  of  a  gramme.  If  this  system  could  be  made  effective 
and  droppers  made  to  measure  the  indicated  quantity,  it  would  be  a 
ready  method  of  calculation,  and  also  quite  practical.  But  as  this 
has  not  been  adopted  we  still  have  to  contend  with  the  droppers  as 
they  exist.  There  is  little  doubt  but  that  all  oculists  accept  one 
minim  as  the  unit  of  measure,  and  that  one  drop  to  be  its  equiva- 
lent, they  intend  that  the  pharmacist  will  give  an  eye- dropper  that 
will  drop  only  that  quantity. 
From  the  variety  of  eye-droppers  which  I  here  present,  you  will 
observe  that  every  druggist  has  an  idea  of  his  own  as  to  what  shall 
constitute  one  drop.  It  is  because  of  this  irregularity  in  sizes  and 
shapes  that  the  attention  of  the  compounding  pharmacist  should  be 
awakened  to  the  necessity  of  carrying  out  the  intentions  of  the 
prescriber,  thereby  avoiding  often  much  inconvenience  to  the 
patient. 
From  a  number  of  trials  I  have  found  that  the  straight  dropper 
