On  Suppositories. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Feb.,  1875. 
plied.  Another  objection  is  raised  :  when  made  with  English  narcotic 
extracts,  such  as  hyoscyamus,  belladonna,  and  others,  such  extracts 
contain  moisture,  and  the  suppositories,  if  kept  for  some  time,  mould, 
and  are  then  likewise  unfit  for  use.  This  proves  the  necessity  for 
each  and  every  pharmacist  of  making  all  suppositories  fresh  as  wanted. 
I,  for  one,  wish  suppository-moulds  had  never  been  introduced,  then 
manufacturers  of  the  like  would  never  have  made  them,  as  they  would 
not  be  sufficiently  compensated  for  their  time  and  trouble,  and  all  retail 
pharmacists  would  be  compelled  to  make  them  as  wanted. 
Pharmacists  are  not  always  to  blame  in  keeping  "A,"  "  B,"  or  ''C's 
suppositories,  but  frequently  physicians.    A  salesman  representing  some 
city  house  comes  along  wuth  a  list  of  suppositories,  representing  No.  I 
to  contain  cacao-butter  ;  No.  2,  i  grain  opium  ;  No.  3,  2  grains  opium, 
and  so  on.     Having  a  free  flow  of  language,  he  finally  persuades  the 
physician  to  use  them  in  his  practice,  and  in  this  way,  to  a  certain  ex- 
tent, we  are  compelled  to  keep  ready-made  suppositories  and  other 
preparations  made  by  different  parties.    When  I  receive  a  prescription 
for  "A,"      B,"  or  "  C's"  suppositories,  and  knowing  their  composi- 
tion, I  make  them  myself,  previously  informing  the  physician,  and  as 
yet  have  never  been  denied  that  privilege  by  any  ; 'and  I  believe  any 
other  pharmacist  could  do  the  same,  if  he  choose  to.    I  keep  nobody's 
suppositories  but  my  own,  and  generally  make  them  as  wanted.  There 
is  no  secret  in  making  suppositories,  and  there  is  not  a  pharmacist  in 
this  land  deserving  of  the  name  but  ought  to  make  all  that  go  out  of 
his  shop  ;  it  is  just  the  same  with  many  other  preparations  that  apoth-= 
ecaries  often  depend  on  manufacturers  for,  such  as  solid  and  fluid  ex- 
tracts, ethers,  and  even  elixirs,  syrups  and  cordials.  It  has  been  proved, 
by  Ottmar  Eberbach  (Proc.  Am.  Pharm.  Assoc.  for  1872,  page  264),, 
by  an  examination  of  some  of  the  more  prominent  elixirs  of  the  market, 
that  they  are  not  much  more  than  rnixtures  of  alcohol  and  water,  sweet- 
ened and  flavored,  many  of  which  are  used  more  as  intoxicating  stim- 
ulants than  as  a  medicine  ;  some  contain  fully  50  per  cent,  of  alcohol, 
and  no  doubt  in  this  way  find  a  readv  sale. 
Many  apothecaries  favor  the  addition  to  suppositories  of  some  hard- 
ening material,  while  they  differ  vastly  what  that  ingredient  should  be, 
and  also  what  quantity  to  be  added,  some  advocating  the  use  of  paraf- 
fin, spermaceti,  wax  or  Japan  wax.  I  beg  to  differ  with  all  those  who 
favor  the  addition  of  any  substance  for  the  purpose  of  giving  the  sup- 
pository a  greater  degree  of  stiffness.    In  the  opinion  of  the  writer,  it 
