* 
74  Improvement  in  Pill  Compressing.      { ^1™%*^*™° 
inches  in  diameter;  the  stems  range  in  length  from  4  inches  on  the 
10-inch  rings  to  9  inches  on  the  i-inch. 
The  stand  is  to  be  erected  by  first  screwing  the  brass  feet  to  the 
table  at  the  proper  distance  apart,  then  attach  the  long  iron  rods  and 
slip  the  brass  brackets  over  the  top;  fasten  them  each  firmly  to  the 
shelf  with  a  screw  bolt  and  nut;  next  place  a  clamp  on  each  end  of 
one  of  the  42-inch  rods,  and  attach  it  to  the  uprights  2  inches  from  the 
top;  attach  another  rod  in  the  same  manner  8  inches  from  the  bottom,, 
and  one  at  an  equal  distance  between  the  other  two;  the  remaining 
rod  is  attached  in  an  upright  position  to  the  top  and  bottom  rods.  The 
clamps  for  holding  the  rings  may  be  put  on  either  the  upright  or  hori- 
zontal rods  wherever  most  convenient;  there  is  also  one  hole  unoccu- 
pied in  each  clamp  used  in  setting  up  the  large  rods. 
I  had  also  a  number  of  circular  blocks  of  walnut  wood,  turned  with 
a  half-inch  raised  edge;  these  were  of  various  diameters,  and  were 
used  as  stands  for  the  receiving  bottles  during  percolation.  They  were 
secured  to  the  rings  by  small  bolts  with  thumb-screws/  These  blocks- 
also  answered  admirably  as  covers  for  funnels  and  percolators,  the 
small  hole  in  the  centre  admitting  the  rubber  tube  for  automatic  supply 
of  menstruum. 
The  rings  conveniently  hold  evaporating  dishes  and  cloth  strainers,, 
and  the  smallest  size  makes  a  good  burette  holder.  Any  of  the  vari- 
ous pieces  of  Dr.  Squibb's  apparatus  stand  may  be  used  on  the  upright 
rods. 
The  stand  is  capable  of  many  changes  in  addition  to  those  shown  in 
the  cut,  and  can  be  reduced  to  a  single  upright  rod,  a  few  clamps  and 
rings,  or  indefinitely  extended  as  the  needs  of  the  operator  may  require. 
IMPROVEMENT  IN  PILL  COMPRESSING. 
.  By  Bennett  L.  Smedley. 
In  the  many  mechanical  aids  to  the  busy  druggists,  which  of  late 
years  have  so  greatly  lightened  his  labor  and  simplified  the  process  of 
preparing  remedies  in  more  elegant  form,  none  surpass  the  pill  com- 
pressing machine. 
The  complex  mechanism  at  first  employed  has  now  been  simplified 
as  far  as  is  apparently  desirable,  and  pills  of  varying  composition  can 
