Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  "j 
Feb.,  1875.  / 
On  Suppositories, 
ss 
is  only  partially  dissolved  by  alcohol,  the  insoluble  portion  giving  a 
blood-red  color  with  sulphuric  acid.  The  presence  of  tannin,  sugar  and 
starch  was  likewise  proven. 
ON  SUPPOSITORIES. 
BY  GEORGE  W.    KENNEDY,    PH.  G. 
[Read  at  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting,  January  i^th,  1875.) 
Considerable  has  been  said  of  late  as  to  the  best  method  of  making 
suppositories.  At  the  last  meeting  of  the  American  Pharmaceutical 
Association,  I  read  an  article  on  the  advantages  of  making  suppositories 
by  hand  over  the  mode  of  making  them  by  moulds.  1  his  created 
considerable  discussion,  which  was  participated  in  by  many  of  the  mem- 
bers present  pro  and  con,  and  being  called  upon  for  my  process  of 
operation,  I  gave  it  verbally — a  separate  paper  on  this  process,  which 
had  been  prepared  by  me,  having  been  accidentally  left  at  home.  I 
therefore  desire  to  give  it,  through  the  journal  of  Pharmacy^  to  all 
pharmacists  who  may  wish  to  experiment  with  it  and  to  adopt  it  in  the 
preparation  of  suppositories. 
During  the  last  few  years  I  have  read  quite  a  number  of  articles  in 
the  different  medical  and  pharmaceutical  journals  on  the  subject — "  sup- 
positories " — and  have  obtained  many  valuable  intimations  from  the 
authors,  but,  still,  there  appears  to  be  the  same  objection  to  most  of 
them,  particularly  in  relation  to  the  time  consumed  in  making  them, 
and  on  account  of  the  addition  of  some  hardening  material  to  give  the 
cones  a  greater  degree  of  stiffness.  I  do  not  wish  to  be  understood  here 
as  advocating  the  turning  out  of  suppositories  quickly,  and  lacking  in 
medicinal  strength  or  uniformity,  but  simply  to  stand  by  the  quickest 
way  of  making  them,  so  as  to  contain  exactly  what  the  physician  expects 
them  to  contain.  The  process  by  moulding  may  answer  the  purpose  of 
manufacturers  of  pharmaceutical  preparations,  who  make  them  in  large 
quantities  and  in  a  hurry,  regardless  of  the  equal  distribution  of  the 
medicament.  They  are  put  up  neatly,  look  elegantly,  and  the  manu- 
facturers are  largely  rewarded  for  their  labor,  but  never  once  think  of 
the  poor  sufferer,  who  expects  immediate  relief  only  to  be  disappointed, 
if  the  suppository  is  not  of  the  strength  represented.  Some  kinds  are  not 
used  often,  and,  when  stored  away  on  the  shelves  for  a  longtime,  will 
absorb  oxygen  and  become  rancid,  fatty  acids  being  liberated,  which 
are  irritants  and  render  such  suppositories,  therefore,  unfit  to  be  ap- 
