504  Prescription  Kinks  and  Hints.  {A™;v;T 
our.  Pharm. 
ember,  1913. 
Scarlet  Red  ointment  is  frequently  prescribed  in  such  a  man- 
ner as  to  leave  the  selection  of  the  base  for  its  incorporation  to  the 
judgment  of  the  dispenser.  Petrolatum  is  the  base  most  frequently 
used.  The  dye,  however,  is  nearly  insoluble  in  this  medium.  It 
would  seem  reasonable  to  suppose  that  particles  of  a  substance 
coated  with  another  substance  in  which  they  were  insoluble  would 
have  little  or  no  action  upon  the  tissues  with  which  they  were 
brought  in  contact.  The  dye  is  soluble  in  benzoinated  lard  and 
the  ointment  so  made  is  certainly  smoother  and  probably  more 
efficient. 
A  prescription  was  received  for  soft  elastic  capsules  of  oil  of 
erigeron,  each  containing  3  or  4  drops.  It  was  necessary  to  add 
some  fixed  oil  as  a  diluent  in  order  to  fill  the  capsules  satisfactorily. 
Olive  oil,  the  usual  diluent  in  such  cases,  formed  a  cloudy  mix- 
ture, and,  with  an  old  sample  of  erigeron  oil,  even  threw  out 
resinous  masses.  Expressed  almond  oil  did  the  same.  Castor 
oil  made  a  very  clear  and  brilliant  solution  and  was  used  with 
satisfaction. 
The  following  prescription  for  an  injection  seems  simple,  but 
illustrates  how  a  very  slight  difference  in  manipulation  may  make 
considerable  improvement  in  the  finished  product. 
Tr.  Opii   fl.  dr.  1. 
Tr.  Catechu  Co  fl.  dr.  2. 
Plumbi  Acetatis    gr.  15. 
Zinci  Sulphatis    gr.  15. 
Aquae  Rosse  qs.  ad  fl.  oz.  8. 
M 
This  was  at  first  prepared  by  adding  the  Tr.  Opium  and  the 
Comp.  Tr.  Catechu  to  the  other  ingredients — previously  mixed 
"  secundum  artem."  It  was  found,  however,  that  the  precipitate 
subsided  very  rapidly  and,  with  some  specimens  of  Comp.  Tr. 
Catechu,  was  granular.  The  following  method  proved  better :  The 
Tr.  Opium  and  the  Comp.  Tr.  Catechu  were  mixed  with  4  fl.  ozs. 
of  the  Rose  water,  the  other  ingredients  mixed  secundum  artem 
with  the  balance  of  the  Rose  water  and  the  two  solutions  mixed. 
By  the  latter  method  the  ppt.  was  more  bulky  and  more  finely 
divided,  hence,  subsided  more  slowly  and  could  be  more  evenly 
administered. 
