Editorial.  189 
an  inky  coloration  with  salts  of  iron ;  he  ascertained,  even,  that  its  infusion  yields  a 
slight  precipitate  with  gelatin;  he  likewise  noticed  that  the  same  reagent  produces 
with  infusion  of  gentian  a  slight  precipitate,  which  at  first  sight  may  readily  be  mis- 
taken for  tannate  of  gelatin,  since,  after  draining,  it  will  be  colored  nearly  black  by 
iron  salts ;  this  color,  however,  is  completely  removed  by  washing  with  cold  water. 
A  very  interesting  experiment,  which,  in  our  opinion,  likewise  disproves  the  pres- 
ence of  tannin,  was  performed  by  Mr.  Patch,  by  exhausting  moistened  gentian  with 
washed  ether  and  evaporating ;  the  resulting  extract  was  treated  with  alcohol,  and 
this  solution  was  found  to  behave  to  iron  salts  in  a  similar  manner  as  tannin ;  yet, 
on  throwing  it  into  water  and  filtering,  the  clear  liquid,  which  should  contain  any 
tannin  present,  was  not  precipitated  by  gelatin.  In  his  paper  Mr.  Patch  stated  that 
he  did  not  regard  his  experiments  as  concluded,  but  would  continue  his  investiga- 
tions. Since  then,  Mr.  L.  D.  Drury  has  read  a  paper  before  the  Massachusetts  Col- 
lege of  Pharmacy,  in  which  he  arrived  at  the  same  conclusion  as  the  paper  pub- 
lished in  our  last  number. 
The  Pill  Question. — On  February  18th,  we  received  a  communication  from 
Mr.  Dunton,  which  we  could  not  notice  in  our  last  number,  and  in  which  he  objects 
to  the  conclusions  arrived  at  by  Mr.  Remington  in  his  paper  read  before  the  Amer- 
ican Pharmaceutical  Association.  The  points  relating  to  the  question  at  issue  are 
contained  in  the  following: 
In  1869  I  called  the  attention  of  the  medical  profession  to  the  advantages  of  the  compressed  pill,  viz. 
that- 
First.    No  extraneous  substances  are  added  to  produce  cohesion,  such  as  gum,  sugar,  starch,  soap, 
&c,  which  are  usually  employed  in  making  up  pill  masses,  and  often  detract  from  the  solubility  of  the  pill, 
while  they  add  to  its  bulk. 
Second.    Their  form  is  lenticular  instead  of  round  ;  they  consequently  present  a  larger  surface  to  be 
acted  upon,  and  are  more  promptly  effective.    Experience  has  shown,  also,  that  pills  in  this  shape  are 
very  easily  swallowed. 
This  statement  in  reference  to  the  solubility  of  the  pill  was  made  after  a  full  examination  of  the  sub- 
ject, by  frequent  comparative  tests,  made  by  myself  or  under  my  supervision,  with  pills  made  from  every 
excipient  known  to  us,  and  also  with  those  purchased  from  leading  pharmacies.  Never,  in  any  instance, 
did  we  find,  under  like  circumstances,  an  excipient  pill  dissolved  as  soon  as  the  non-excipient  or  com- 
pressed pill. 
To  avoid  the  republication  of  the  entire  paper,  Prof.  Remington  has,  at  our 
request,  embodied  in  his  reply  to  Mr.  Campbell  the  essential  portions  of  his  paper, 
so  as  to  enable  every  intelligent  reader  to  form  a  judgment,  or  to  repeat  the  com- 
parative experiments  for  himself.  With  these  remarks  we  feel  that  we  can  leave  the 
matter  to  the  decision  of  our  readers. 
The  Druggists  of  Minnesota,  we  have  been  informed,  are  taxed  under  a 
State  law  ten  dollars  each,  for  the  support  of  the  State  Inebriate  Asylum.  Why  the 
Solons  of  that  State  have  specially  selected  the  druggists  for  such  forced  contribu- 
tions is  unknown  to  us.  It  cannot  be  that,  as  a  class,  they  are  guilty  of  keeping 
tinpling-houses,  nor  because,  under  the  internal  revenue  law  of  the  United  Sfates, 
apothecaries  and  druggists  are  compelled  to  take  out  a  liquor  dealer's  license.  The 
druggists  have  recently  assembled  at  Minneapolis  to  protest  against  that  law  as  an 
outrage ;  and  in  their  attempt  to  secure  its  repeal  de.serve  the  good  wishes  of  all. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  ) 
April,  1876.  J 
