Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Sept.,  1879. 
Pill  Coating, 
435 
practical  experience,  I  think  Cox's  gelatin  to  be  better  adapted  for  our 
purpose  than  any  other  in  the  market. 
Moulding  of  the  gelatin,  both  in  solution  and  on  the  pill,  will  be,  to  a 
certain  extent,  remedied  by  the  addition  of  10  grains  salicylic  acid  in  solu- 
tion with  8  grains  borax  to  1  ounce  gelatin  and  |-  ounce  water.  If  the 
water-bath  is  made  properly  shallow, time  will  be  saved  in  melting;  but 
the  injury  caused  by  heating  the  mass  many  times  can  only  be  obviated, 
I  think,  by  using  the  solution  described  below.  The  time  occupied  in 
the  hardening  of  the  coat  sufficiently  for  placing  the  pills  in  a  box  is 
not  under  fifteen  minutes  in  the  most  favorable  dry  and  cool  weather, 
while  in  mine  it  will  average  ten  minutes. 
Of  the  different  kinds  of  coatings  having  gelatins  for  their  base, 
Garod's  consists  of  gelatin,  5  oz.  ;  gum  arabic,  3  oz.  ;  sugar,  2  oz. ; 
water,  q.  s.;  it  does  not  harden  as  quickly  as  gelatin  alone,  and  has  not 
as  bright  and  fine  an  appearance,  but  is  very  soluble.  It  has  probably 
been  suggested  by  the  composition  used  for  capsules. 
The  coating  most  satisfactory  to  me,  perhaps  because  originating 
with  me,  is  made  as  follows  : 
Take  of  Gelatin  (Cox's),  .  .  .  .  3v\ 
Acid  acetic,  No.  8,  .  .  .  f  ,^i  Jvi 
Spirit  of  nitrous  ether,    .  .  .  .  f 
Granulated  gum  arabic,         .  . 
Oil  of  gaultheria,  ....  Tr^v 
Dissolve  the  gelatin  and  gum  in  the  acetic  acid  with  the  aid  of  a 
water-bath,  then  add  the  other  ingredients,  and  mix.  If  the  coating 
solution  is  to  be  used  with  needles  alone,  substitute  for  the  gum  two 
drachms  more  of  geiatin.  Keep  securely  corked  in  a  wide  mouth  bot- 
tle. Make  the  pill  mass  a  very  little  softer  than  ordinarily  ;  use  as  little 
powder  as  possible  in  rolling  out  ;  when  the  mass  is  nearly  brought  to  the 
proper  length  for  cutting,  lay  a  thread  long  enough  to  reach  over  the 
sides  of  the  machine  before  the  pill  mass,  then  roll  to  the  proper  length 
and  form  pills  by  the  machine.  With  some  masses  it  may  be  necessary 
to  cut  with  a  sharp  knife  a  slit  in  the  top  of  the  roll,  then  lay  the 
thread  in  the  slit  and  close  by  rolling.  If  the  mass  is  of  proper  con- 
sistency and  the  machine  handled  right,  every  pill  will  be  nicely  formed 
and  all  connected  together  by  the  thread.  Then  take  hold  of  each  end 
of  the  string  of  pills,  shake  off  powder  if  there  is  any  adhering,  dip  in 
the  coating  solution  and  twirl  as  though  it  was  a  toy  buzz-wheel,  which 
will  throw  off  excess  of  coating  ;  then  hang  up  by  placing  pins  through 
