Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Sept.,  1879. 
Oil  of  Gaultheria, 
439 
quite  soft,  very  sticky  without  feeling  greasy,  and  rather  disagreeable  to 
the  touch,  while  that  prepared  from  olive  oil  was  of  an  opaque,  light 
yellow  color,  quite  smooth  and  soft  to  the  touch,  not  at  all  sticky,  and 
I  think  superior  to  that  produced  from  almond  oil. 
Taking  this  elaidin  prepared  from  olive  oil  as  a  base  for  the  oint- 
ment, the  following  formula  was  followed: 
R     Mercury,      .  .  .  .45  parts  by  weight. 
Nitric  acid  (sp.  gr.  1*42),       .  .  105 
Elaidin,        .  .  .  495 
This  produced  a  very  pretty  yellow  ointment,  and  one  which  I  have 
no  doubt  would  keep  well,  but  which,  even  at  the  ordinary  temperature, 
is  exceedingly  soft,  almost  liquid.    In  order  to  overcome  this  difficulty, 
I  substituted,  for  part  of  the  elaidin,  stearic  acid,  as  follows  : 
R     Mercury,      .  .  .  '45  parts  by  weight. 
Nitric  acid  (sp.  gr.  1*42),  .  .  105 
Elaidin,         .  .  .  247^- 
Stearic'acid,         .  .  .  247J 
This  I  found  to  produce  a  beautiful  pale  yellow  ointment,  about  the 
consistence  of  simple  cerate,  not  liable  to  change  color  or  to  decom- 
pose. The  greatest  objection,  however,  is  that  the  ointment  has  a 
slightly  granular  appearance,  and  does  not  soften  very  readily  at  the 
temperature  of  the  body.  Freshly-rendered  beef  suet,  a  substance  which 
is  scarcely  acted  upon  by  the  air,  was  therefore  used  in  place  of  the 
stearic  acid,  as  follows: 
&     Mercury,      .  .  .45  parts  by  weight. 
Nitric  acid  (sp.gr.  1*42),    .  .  105 
Elaidin,  ....  247^ 
Beef  suet,  .  .  .  247^ 
This  produces  a  beautiful  deep  yellow  ointment,  scarcely  of  the  con- 
sistence of  simple  cerate,  but  still  firm  enough  for  dispensing.  It 
retains  its  color  and  freedom  from  rancidity  perfectly,  and  I  feel  sure 
it  is  a  preparation  which  can  be  relied  upon. 
OIL  OF  GAULTHERIA. 
By  Joseph  Brakeley,  Ph  G. 
From  an  Inaugural  Essay. 
The  manufacturers  of  this  oil  are  generally  men  of  limited  means  and 
knowledge,  and  the  apparatus  used  is  very  crude  and  simple  in  its  arrange- 
ment, being  easily  taken  down  and  removed  to  other  parts  when  the 
