Phosphorus  Pills.  253 
lage,  it  occurred  to  me  that  glycerin  would  apply  as  well  to  the  syrup. 
The  first  time  I  had  occasion  to  prepare  some  of  the  syrup  I  sub- 
stituted one  ounce  of  glycerin  for  one  ounce  of  the  water,  and  followed 
the  officinal  formula  in  other  respects. 
The  result  was  unsatisfactory,  as  some  sugar  was  precipitated.  Since, 
I  have  used  the  following : 
Take  of  Acacia,  in  pieces,       .....        2  troyounces, 
Glycerin,  .......    i  fluidounce. 
Water,  .......        7  fluidounces, 
Sugar,       .  .       ,       .       .       .        .       .13  troyounces. 
Mix  the  glycerin  and  water,  then  dissolve  the  gum  arable  in  the  mix- 
ture and  strain,  add  the  sugar  and  dissolve  with  a  gentle  heat ;  finish 
by  raising  to  the  boiling  point. 
PHOSPHORUS  PILLS. 
BY  WM.  H.  WALLING. 
[Read  at  the  Pharmaceutical  Meetings  May  iZth.) 
Various  excipients  have  been  proposed  for  phosphorus,  a  few  only  of 
which  I  shall  notice. 
At  the  request  of  physicians,  I  have  used  balsam  of  tolu,  dispensing 
the  pills  under  water,  also  coating  with  mucilage  gum  arable  and  French 
chalk.  The  balsam  is  very  easily  handled  by  triturating  it  and  the 
phosphorus  together  under  hot  water. 
After  repeated  experiments  with  various  substances,  I  adopted  the 
following  formula,  viz.. 
Take  of  Butter  of  cacao,       .       .       .       .       .       .       .       gr.  300 
Powdered  white  castile  soap,        .        .        .       .       •    gr-  ^00 
Phosphorus,      .        .        .        .        .       .       .        .       gr.    25  . 
Melt  the  butter  of  cacao  in  a  capsule,  transfer  to  a  quinine  bottle,  add 
phosphorus  and  shake  vigorously ;  add  the  soap  and  continue  agitation, 
applying  some  heat,  if  necessary,  until  the  phosphorus  is  all  taken  up. 
The  mass  is  easily,  if  rapidly,  worked.  Make  into  five  hundred  pills, 
containing  one-twentieth  grain  of  phosphorus  each.  Coat  with  muci- 
lage of  gum  arable  and  French  chalk.  They  will  stand  a  dry  heat  of 
110°  without  running  together.  Their  behaviour  under  heated  water 
compared  with  other  excipients  is  as  follows  : 
No.  I.  Pills  made  according  to  the  foregoing  formula;  No.  2,  by 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  \ 
June,  1875.  J 
