Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  1 
April,  1876.  t 
Cachets  de  Pain. 
165 
wafers  prepared  by  the  hundred  and  thrown  into  a  large  bottle  imme- 
diately as  they  were  taken  from  the  press,  without  adhering  to  each 
other  in  any  instance.  There  is  no  occasion  at  any  time  to  have  an 
excess  of  moisture  on  the  rim  of  the  wafers  if  the  proper  appliances  are 
used.  There  is  to  be  had  what  is  called  a  "  Cachet  Machine,"  which 
has  among  its  several  parts  a  "Wetter,"  suited  to  each  of  the  three  sizes 
of  wafers  ;  also,  a  "  Wetting  Pad,"  by  the  use  of  which  just  the  proper 
quantity  of  moisture  is  applied,  and  in  just  the  proper  place  around  the 
rim  of  the  wafer.  If  my  friend  has  used  a  brush  to  accomplish  this 
(as  I  have  known  some  to  do),  I  can  easily  account  for  the  excess  of 
moisture  he  speaks  of. 
The  tendency  to  cause  a  rupture,  as  referred  to,  is  very  rare,  if  ua 
little  "  care  is  used  in  handling  them,  and  it  is  taken  into  consideration 
that  a  slight  pressure  of  the  hand  on  the  press  is  all  that  is  needed  to 
secure  the  edges  of  the  discs  to  each  other.  In  regard  to  the  direc- 
tions for  the  patient — "to  simply  dip  the  wafer  in  water,  then  with 
the  fingers  put  it  on  the  tongue,  and  swallow  with  a  draught  of  water," 
is  not  correct,  and  will  occasion  many  failures  in  attaining  the  object 
for  which  they  are  intended.  The  mere  dipping  in  water  is  not  suffi- 
cient to  make  them  soft  and  pliable  ;  and  if  they  are  held  long  enough 
to  accomplish  this,  they  become  so  glutinous  that  the  least  pressuse  of 
the  finger  would  cause  a  rupture. 
The  proper  directions  are  :  Place  a  wafer  in  a  spoonful  of  water, 
let  remain  a  few  seconds,  till  soft,  then  swallow  altogether.  "  If  nec- 
essary," it  might  be  well  to  add  "  the  patient  need  not  swallow  the 
spoon."  In  regard  to  the  physicians  not  giving  the  proper  directions 
for  taking  them,  this  can,  and  should  be  remedied  by  every  intelligent 
apothecary,  namely,  have  the  above  directions  printed  on  a  small  label, 
and  placed  on  the  box,  in  addition  to  the  usual  ]^  label.  Given  accord- 
ing to  these  directions,  Cachets  become  soft  and  pliable,  accommodate 
themselves  to  the  shape  of  the  throat  and  afford  no  discomfort  or 
inconvenience  to  the  patient.  A  child  can  take  the  large  size  without 
trouble. 
Any  one,  physician  or  patient,  seeing  a  new  thing,  for  the  first  time, 
without  any  explanation,  in  many  cases  will  be  perfectly  ignorant  of 
its  use  or  mode  of  operation,  and,  for  want  of  a  proper  explanation, 
it  may  fall  into  disrepute.  This,  no  doubt,  has  often  been  the  case 
with  Cachets. 
