GLYCEROLE  OF  LACTUCARIUM. 
459 
that  the  mercury  in  mercurial  ointment  is  all  in  the  metallic 
state. — Journal  de  Pharmacie, 
[The  last  statement  in  this  paper  must  be  understood  as 
referring  to  the  absence  of  oxide  of  mercury  in  an  uncombined 
state  in  mercurial  ointment.  There  is  no  doubt  that  good  mer- 
curial ointment  always  does  contain  oxide  of  mercury  combined 
with  the  fat. — Ed.  London  Pharm.  Jour.] 
GLYCEROLE  OF  LACTUCARIUM. 
By  Fredeick  Stearns. 
The  acknowledged  value  of  lactucarium,  as  an  anodyne  and 
sedative,  where  opium  and  its  salts  are  objectionable  from  idio- 
syncracy  of  the  patient  or  peculiarity  of  the  disease,  has  led  to 
the  proposal,  by  various  pharmaceutists,  of  several  formulae, 
whereby  its  virtues  might  be  held  dissolved  in  some  convenient 
and  agreeable  vehicle.  To  all  such  as  are  laid  down  in  the  books 
there  exists  more  or  less  objection;  such  as  want  of  permanence, 
too  great  dilution,  excess  of  alcoholic  menstruum,  or  disagreeable 
taste. 
The  writer,  in  view  of  the  value  of  this  sedative  in  calming 
nervous  irritation,  and  especially  in  allaying  cough  in  phthisis 
and  other  pulmonary  affections,  suggests  the  following  formula 
for  a  fluid  preparation  of  it — a  glycerole,  as  preparations  are 
now  termed  of  which  glycerine  forms  a  large  portion  of  the  men- 
struum. It  is,  yet,  not  certainly  known  in  which  constituent 
of  lactucarium  the  active  medicinal  principle  resides,  if  we  are 
to  judge  from  the  differing  results  which  those  chemists  have 
arrived  at  who  have  made  the  investigation  of  the  subject  a 
a  special  study.  The  following  process  is  based  upon  the  as- 
sumption (warranted  by  the  analyses  of  Aubergier)  that  all  of 
its  active  matter  is  soluble  in  water,  alcohol  and  glycerine : 
Take  of  lactucarium,  one  ounce  (troy) ;  reduce  it  to  a  moder- 
ately fine  powder  ;  moisten  it  with  one  fluid  ounce  of  diluted 
alcohol,  and  pack  it  into  a  small  displacement  apparatus  (which 
may  be  made  from  a  piece  of  inch  glass  tubing,  or,  what  is 
better,  a  six  ounce  glass  syringe).  After  remaining  twelve  hours, 
pour  upon  it,  gradually,  diluted  alcohol,  until  the  filtrate 
measures  sixteen  fluid  ounces,  or  until  the  fluid  passes  without 
