164 
Cachets  de  Pain. 
<  Am.  Jour.  Pharm 
I      April,  1876. 
CACHETS  DE  PAIN. 
BY  ANDREW  BLAIR,  PH.G. 
I  have  read  the  article  in  the  March  "  Journal "  headed  "  Cachets 
de  Pain,"  by  H.  P.  Lechler,  Ph.G.,  and  extend  my  sympathy  to  him 
in  his  unfortunate  experience  with  the  article.  He  has  described 
correctly  the  manner  of  preparing  these  wafers,  but  his  manipulations 
have  not  been  successful ;  still  he  should  not  on  this  account  condemn 
the  whole  arrangement,  when  hundreds  of  others  will  testify  to  their 
success  in  preparing  them  and  the  great  satisfaction  given  both  to  phy- 
sicians and  patients  by  the  use  of  them.  I  desire  to  add  a  word  on  the 
subject  which  my  friend  <c  hopes  will  be  referred  to  as  a  thing  of  the 
past."  I  do  not  intend  or  wish  to  argue  that  these  wafers  will  be  or 
ever  were  intended  as  a  substitute  on  "  all "  occasions  for  the  usual 
pills  or  powders  ;  but  there  are  cases,  not  unfrequent,  where  the  phy- 
sician wishes  to  give  a  nauseous  or  bitter  dose,  the  taste  of  which  he 
would  like  to  disguise.  In  such  cases  these  wafers  answer  the  purpose 
admirably.  I  will  refer  to  the  different  points  mentioned  by  Mr.  Lech- 
ler, who  I  feel  has  not  been  correctly  informed  as  to  the  proper  way  of 
preparing  and  giving  directions  for  taking  these  wafers,  hoping  it  may 
enable  those  who  have  had  like  experience  with  him  to  dispense  the 
article  with  more  satisfaction  to  themselves  and  their  customers. 
Mr.  Lechler  declares  that  it  takes  at  least  five  times  as  long  to  pre- 
pare twelve  cachets  as  to  prepare  the  same  number  of  powders  or  pills. 
Our  experience  has  been  very  different.  We  have  prepared  thousands 
of  them  since  they  were  first  introduced,  and  the  time  required  has 
been  very  little  if  any  more  than  for  folding  the  same  number  of  pow- 
ders. The  complaint  that  the  discs  adhere  to  the  press,  indicates  that 
the  dies  are  not  clean,  or  have  become  wet  by  the  excess  of  moisture 
spoken  of  by  Mr.  Lechler.  All  kinds  of  apparatus  and  machinery, 
ever  so  complete  and  perfect  in  their  different  parts,  require  more  or 
less  skill  and  judgment  on  the  part  of  the  operator.  Sealing  corks 
with  a  metal  stamp  and  sealing-wax  is  a  very  simple  operation,  and 
makes  a  beautiful,  smooth  impression,  when  properly  done ;  but  by 
continued  use  the  stamp  gets  warm,  and  the  wax  begins  to  stick  to  it ; 
now,  if  the  operator  persists  in  trying  to  make  a  good  impression,  he 
will  fail  every  time  till  he  cleans  and  cools  the  stamp.  So,  also,  in 
using  the  wafer  machine.  Careful  drying  after  they  are  removed  from 
the  press  is  not  necessary  if  properly  prepared.    I  have  seen  quinine 
