388  Correct  Numbering  of  Prescriptions.   { Am'i°gr; 
R        Sulphuric  acid,  .  .  .six  troyounces. 
Powdered  ginger,  .  .  one  troyounce. 
Oil  cinnamon,  .  .  .      eight  minims. 
Alcohol,  .  .  .  q.  s. 
Mix  the  oil  of  cinnamon  with  a  pint  of  alcohol,  and  percolate  the 
ginger  with  the  mixture  until  one  pint  of  tincture  is  obtained.  Add 
this  tincture  to  the  sulphuric  acid,  previously  mixed  with  a  pint  of  alco- 
hol, and  allowed  to  cool.  This  made  a  mixture  of  a  beautiful  brown- 
color,  and  very  little  deposit  occurred,  even  after  two  weeks'  standing, 
while  in  using  the  powdered  cinnamon  in  the  process,  I  have  always- 
had  a  precipitate  immediately  on  mixing  the  diluted  acid  and  the  tincture* 
I,  therefore,  concluded  that  the  deposit  in  question  was  owing,  in  a 
great  measure,  to  the  use  of  powdered  cinnamon  in  the  process,  and  as 
the  substitution  of  the  oil  seems  to  give  a  preparation  having  all  the 
medicinal  properties  required  without  the  unsightly  deposit,  I  would 
recommend  the  change  in  our  next  Pharmacopoeia. 
Nenvcomerstorwny  O.,  July  ioth,  1879. 
Note  by  the  Editor. — A  similar  change  was  proposed  by  Mr. 
Thomas  N.  Jamieson  in  1867  ("Amer.  Jour.  Phar.,"  1867,  p.  201), 
whose  formula,  as  published,  calls  for  oil  of  cinnamon,  12  minims  > 
tincture  of  ginger,  2  fluidounces:  alcohol,  24  fluidounces,  and  sulphuric 
acid,  6  troyounces.  This,  however,  does  not  give  the  full  amount  of 
ginger.  A  preparation  more  nearly  representing  the  officinal  one  would 
be  obtained  as  follows  :  Add  6  troyounces  of  sulphuric  acid  gradually 
to  a  pint  of  alcohol,  and  allow  the  liquid  to  cool;  mix  10  or  12  minims 
of  oil  of  cinnamon,  4  fluidounces  of  tincture  of  ginger  and  28  fluid- 
ounces  of  alcohol,  and  add  to  this  the  diluted  acid.  Thus  prepared^ 
aromatic  sulphuric  acid  is  of  a  lighter  color  than  the  officinal,  owing  to- 
the  absence  of  coloring  matter,  etc.,  derived  from  cinnamon. 
AN  AID  TO  THE   CORRECT   NUMBERING  OF  PRE- 
SCRIPTIONS. 
By   H.  Bowman. 
It  is  so  common  an  occurrence  to  number  prescriptions  incorrectly, 
and  to  have  the  error  continued  through  several  days  or  weeks  before 
discovery,  that  I,  some  years  ago,  adopted  a  simple  device  which  costs 
nothing  and  has  proved  entirely  satisfactory.    There  are  several  advan- 
