Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
June,  1876. 
Sugar  of  Milk. 
269 
Pilula  Hydrargyri:     Take  of  mercury, 
confection  of  rose, 
sugar  of  milk,      .       .       .       ad  %i 
Rub  the  mercury  with  the  confection  of  rose  and  sugar  of  milk,  until  metallic 
globules  are  no  longer  visible. 
Blue  mass,  prepared  in  this  manner,  has  about  the  same  pilular 
consistence  as  when  prepared  by  the  formula  of  the  "  U.  S.  Pharmaco- 
poeia." The  blue  pill  is  often  wanted  in  the  state  of  powder  ;  this  has 
led  to  quite  a  number  of  suggestions.  Some  have  recommended 
rubbing  together  mercury  with  honey,  until  globules  of  mercury  cease 
to  be  visible,  and  then  incorporating  other  ingredients,  the  whole  to  be 
set  aside  in  a  warm  place  to  dry,  and  then  reduced  to  powder.  Others 
recommend  rubbing  the  mercury  with  syrup  and  sugar,  and  dry  by  the 
aid  of  heat.  I  may  here  state  that  both  of  these  processes  are  exceed- 
ingly objectionable,  as  when  heat  is  employed  or  when  left  in  contact 
with  the  air,  the  mercury  becomes  oxidized,  and  renders  the  prepara- 
tion entirely  too  active.  Also  when  honey  or  sugar  are  employed,, 
the  preparation  is  liable  to  attract  moisture  from  the  atmosphere,  which 
causes  it  to  cake  together  and  become  hard. 
To  remedy  this,  and  at  the  same  time  produce  a  perfect  division  of 
the  mercury,  I  would  suggest  the  following  method  for  making 
Pul'vis  Pili  Hydrargyri. — Take  of  mercury, 
sugar  of  milk,  Sjii 
Triturate  the  mixture  thoroughly  until  the  powder  will  pass  through  a  fine  sieve,, 
or  fine  bolting  cloth. 
Prepared  in  this  manner,  powdered  blue  mass  is  a  light-grayish  pow- 
der, and  incapable  of  attracting  moisture  ;  and  so  thoroughly  is  the 
minute  state  of  division,  that  globules  of  mercury  cannot  be  seen  with 
the  aid  of  a  lens.  This  preparation  is  also  well  suited  for  conversion 
into  the  pilular  form. 
Mercury  with  chalk,  made  according  to  the  formula  in  the  "  U.  S. 
Pharmacopoeia,"  does  not  come  up  to  the  wants  of  the  physician,  on 
account  of  the  imperfect  division  of  the  mercury  ;  and,  owing  to  this 
fact,  it  has  fallen  considerable  into  disuse.  After  trying  various  means> 
none  answered  so  well  and  was  as  convenient  as  sugar  of  milk.  I 
prepare  it  in  the  following  manner  : 
Hydrargrum  cum  Cretd :    Take  of    Mercury,         .       .       .  ^iii 
Prepared  chalk,  .  .  ^iv 
Sugar  of  milk,         .  . 
Rub  the  mercury,  prepared  chalk  and  sugar  of  milk  into  an  impalpable  powder, 
and  pass  it  through  a  fine  sieve. 
