Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
April,  1888. 
Blaud^s  Pills. 
173 
In  conclusion  I  would  say  that  while  the  mucilage  prepared  from 
Irish  moss  has  proved  to  be  a  sure  and  safe  emulsifier^  I  doubt  its  ad- 
vantage over  gum  acacia  to  the  dispensing  pharmacist  in  prescription 
use,  excepting,  as  remarked  before,  where  it  could  be  used  when 
freshly  made  in  making  a  stock  emulsion  or  a  large  quantity  at  one 
time. 
The  difficulty  experienced  with  the  apparatus  at  the  command  of 
the  pharmacist,  and  the  time  occupied  in  making  a  good  quality  of  tlie 
gelatin  and  again  in  making  the  mucilage  from  the  gelatin,  and  allow- 
ing it  to  cool,  when  required  for  use,  places  gum  acacia  j?rs^  as  an  ex- 
cellent emulsifier  when  rightly  used,  both  as  to  convenience,  time  oc- 
cupied and  quality  of  the  emulsion,  and  expense  also  if  the  pharmacist 
figures  time  necessary  to  the  manufacture  of  the  gelatin. 
ON  BLAUD'S  PILLS. 
By  Jos.  W.  England,  Ph.  G. 
Read  at  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting,  March  15th. 
Every  little  while  a  call  is  made  for  Blaud's  pills  and  whenever 
practicable  the  use  of  Vallet's  ferrous  pill-mass  is  recommended  as 
far  preferable  as  it  is  more  definite  and  contains  a  larger  proportion  of 
ferrous  carbonate,  with  little  tendency  to  harden  or  become  oxidized. 
For  some  time  past  the  following  formula  has  been  used  with  great 
satisfaction  : 
Ferrous  sulphate,  exsiccated ;  sodium  bicarbonate,  aa  gr.  xviii ;  water 
mxii ;  powdered  althaea,  gr.  xii ;  glycerin  q.  s. ;  make  into  xii  pills. 
Put  the  salts  into  a  porcelain  mortar,  add  the  water  and  allow  them 
to  stand  till  effervescence  ceases ;  triturate  to  dryness,  add  the  marsh- 
mallow  powder,  then  the  glycerin  and  form  a  mass ;  enclose  in  gela- 
tin capsules.  The  chemical  decomposition  is  expressed  by  the  fol- 
lowing formula  : 
FeSO,  H2O  +  2  NaHCOg  =  ¥eCO,  -f  Na^SO,  -|-  2H2O  +  CO^. 
The  advantage  that  this  formula  possesses  over  the  older  ones  is 
that  the  conversion  of  the  ferrous  sulphate  into  carbonate  is  complete 
before  forming  the  pill ;  secondly,  that  there  is  no  excess  of  moisture, 
through  the  subsequent  evaporation  of  which  the  mass  becomes  hard  ; 
and  thirdly,  that  the  employment  of  althaea  gives  body  to  the  mass, 
whilst  the  glycerin  tends  to  prevent  hardening,  a  result  which  en- 
