YELLOW  WAX  COMPARED  WITH  WHITE,  ETC.  337 
stout,  and  in  oblong  pieces  measuring  about  17  inches  by  10. 
The  usual  method  of  putting  by  mounted  specimens  is  to  place 
them  loose  in  brown-paper  covers,  which  are  afterwards  arranged 
one  above  another  in  the  pigeon-holes  of  a  cabinet.  For  an 
herbarium  specially  pharmaceutical,  comprising  as  it  necessarily 
would  but  a  limited  number  of  specimens,  a  large  book,  made  so 
as  to  open  flat,  would  probably  be  even  more  convenient  than  the 
ordinary  loose  sheets  in  covers.  The  specimens  would  be  re- 
tained in  proper  sequence,  and  be  more  compact  and  manage- 
able than  if  upon  separate  sheets.  Some  well-arranged  volumes 
of  this  kind  would  afford  much  of  the  benefit  to  be  derived  from 
engraved  figures  : — in  fact  in  many  cases,  the  examination  of  an 
actual  specimen  is  far  more  impressive  and  informing  than  the 
inspection  of  a  plate.  The  authors  of  the  British  Pharmacopoeia 
have  carefully  mentioned  in  what  works  figures  may  be  found  of 
the  several  plants  enumerated  in  that  volume.  The  number  of 
works  thus  referred  to  is  twenty-six ;  many  of  them  are  of  great 
rarity  and  quite  inaccessible  to  the  majority  of  persons  who 
would  wish  to  consult  them, — while  to  purchase  the  whole  series 
a  sum  would  be  required  approaching  £230. 
I  trust  I  have  said  sufficient  to  show  that  the  formation  of 
herbaria  of  medicinal  plants  is  a  subject  that  merits  some  atten- 
tion at  the  hands  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Society. — Lond.  Pharm. 
Jour.,  May,  1866.  v 
ON  YELLOW  WAX  COMPARED  WITH  WHITE,  AS  A  CON- 
STITUENT OF  CERATES,  &c. 
By  Feeeis  Beinghuest. 
Having  for  some  time  theoretically  believed  in  the  superiority 
of  selected  yellow  wax  over  white  wax,  in  making  cerates,  oint- 
ments, suppositories,  &c,  and  having  practically  and  thoroughly 
tested  this  theory,  I  am  so  well  convinced  of  its  correctness,  as 
to  be  strongly  tempted  to  depart  from  the  strict  letter  of  the 
Pharmacopoeia,  and  use  the  yellow  to  the  exclusion  of  the  white, 
in  all  compositions,  officinal  and  non-officinal,  of  which  wax  is  a 
constituent. 
About  eight  months  ago  I  made  some  simple  cerate,  using 
22 
