AAuJg°usrt'  kK""'  \    Medical  and  Pharmaceutical  Notes.  569 
Black  Draught. — One  of  the  earliest  of  the  popular  laxative 
potions  was  devised  by  Mannagetta,  an  Italian  physician,  at  the  court 
of  the  Emperor  Rudolph  II,  about  1600.  His  prescription  became 
popular  under  the  title  of  aqua  or  potio  laxativa  viennencis  and 
was  popularly  known  in  Germany  as  "Wiener  Trank."  The  formula 
called  for  1  ounce  of  senna,  6  drams  of  currants,  2  drams  of  corian- 
der seeds,  and  2^2  drams  of  cream  of  tartar.  These  ingredients 
were  packed  in  a  bag  and  suspended  in  hot  water  for  a  night.  In 
the  morning  the  liquor  was  strained  off  and  5  ounces  of  manna  and, 
2  drams  of  cream  of  tartar  added.  The  dose  was  from  3  to  4  ounces. 
Various  modifications  of  this  appeared  in  the  various  formularies, 
the  juice  and  peel  of  lemon  being  included  in  some.  According  to 
Wooton  the  term  "black  draught"  first  appeared  in  Paris'  "Pharma- 
cologic" in  1824.  In  Brande's  "Materia  Medica  and  Pharmacy"  in 
1839  the  term  "black  dose"  was  given.  In  1885  the  synonym 
"black  draught"  appeared.  Dorvault  in  his  "L'Omcine"  gives  the 
formula  for  a  compound  senna  mixture  under  the  title  of  "Potion 
Noire  Anglaise." — Through  the  Merrell  Messenger. 
Oil  of  Bricks. — In  the  earlier  pharmacopoeias  of  London  and 
Edinburgh,  as  well  as  in  several  other  pharmacopoeias  of  the 
eighteenth  century  a  formula  was  given  for  the  preparation  of  "oil 
of  bricks."  According  to  the  London  Pharmacopoeia  of  1746  we  are 
told  to  heat  bricks  red  hot  and  quench  them  in  olive  oil  until  they 
had  soaked  up  all  the  oil.  They  were  then  broken  up  into  small 
pieces,  put  into  a  retort,  heated  on  a  sandbath  and  distilled,  produc- 
ing a  mixture  of  empyreumatic  oil  and  water  which  was  known  as 
oil  of  bricks,  oleum  sanctum,  oleum  divinum,  and  oleum  benedictum. 
— The  Merrell  Menssenger. 
Solvent  for  Acetyl-Salicylic  Acid. — Acetyl-salicylic  acid 
(aspirin)  is  practically  insoluble  in  water,  and  though  soluble  in 
alcohol  such  a  solution  is  not  generally  suitable  for  administration. 
It  is  therefore  usually  given  in  tablets  or  cachets.  Solution  may  be 
effected  by  addition  of  sodium  bicarbonate,  but  as  the  resulting  solu- 
tion is  merely  a  mixture  of  sodium  acetate  and  sodium  salicylate, 
this  method  is  not  admissible.  It  is  said  that  sodium  citrate  will  dis- 
solve acetyl-salicylic  acid  without  dissociation:  for  each  grain  of 
