5o6 
Emulsifier, 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Nov  1875. 
necessary  to  cite  the  diversity  of  opinion  existing  regarding  the  mould- 
ing of  suppositories  and  the  preparation  of  a  well-made  emulsion.  In 
the  first  preparation,  the  use  of  the  mould  and  the  fingers  are  brought 
forth  in  opposition  to  each  other.  In  the  second,  the  shape  of  the  mor- 
tar is  brought  in  controversy,  one  strongly  advocating  the  broad  and 
shallow  shape,  while  the  other  party  are  equally  persisting  and  pro- 
claiming the  advantages  of  the  high,  tapering,  cone,  "  French  "  style. 
There  is  no  doubt  but  both  parties  are  successful  in  making  an  equally 
good  emulsion  in  the  very  opposite  character  of  the  mortars  used  ;  as 
often  so  considered,  marvelous  things  are  accomplished  by  practice 
only,  and  the  old  saying  that  "  practice  makes  the  master,"  has  un- 
doubtedly something  to  do  with  the  result.  Professor  Remington  has, 
in  his  lectures,  when  speaking  on  the  subject  of  making  the  ointment  of 
rose  water^  called  attention  to  the  use  of  an  egg-beater  (a  mechanical 
contrivance  much  in  use  in  the  culinary  department  of  the  good  house- 
wife), stating  that  by  its  aid  he  had  invariably  produced  a  more  elegant 
ointment  than  with  the  mortar  and  pestle.  This  led  me  to  apply  the 
same  mechanism  in  the  preparation  of  emulsions,  and  it  gave  in  nearly 
all  cases  very  satisfactory  results.  The  only  seemingly  serious  objection 
to  its  employment  would  arise  when  the  quantity  of  the  emulsion  ordered 
fell  below  four  fluidounces  ;  and,  as  this  is  of  more  frequent  occurrence 
in  the  dispensing  routine  of  the  shop  than  that  of  a  larger  quantity,  it 
seemed  necessary  to  me  to  look  about  for  a  contrivance  which  would 
overcome  this  objectionable  feature. 
After  many  trials  and  much  consideration  of  the  subject,  I  decided 
upon  the  use  of  the  ordinary  syringe,  and  found,  after  much  experi- 
mentation, that  it  met  all  the  requirements  of  a  perfect  emulsifier,  with- 
out the  risk  of  the  chances  of  failure  by  separation  or  the  lameness  of 
the  arm  usually  produced  by  the  use  of  the  mortar  and  pestle  in  the 
forming  of  an  emulsion  ;  the  only  muscular  exertion  required  being  the 
placing  of  the  mucilage,  oil  and  water  into  a  receptacle,  placing  into 
this  mixture  the  syringe,  and  moving  the  plunger  of  the  syringe  up  and 
down  a  number  of  times,  when  the  emulsion  will  have  been  formed 
equally  well  whether  the  operation  has  been  performed  by  an  expert  or 
a  novice,  and  the  big  "  bugbear  "  regarding  the  formation  is  entirely 
removed  by  this  simple  instrument,  which  is  to  be  found  in  every 
apothecary  shop.  The  style  and  size  that  I  have  found  to  answer  the 
purpose  best  has  been  a  one-ounce  glass  vaginal  syringe,  which,  were 
it  not  for  its  convex  point,  would  be  perfection  itself  ;  but  this  shape  is 
