ON  SUPPOSITORIES. 
199 
moved  from  these  if  the  inner  surface  is  dusted  with  lycopodium, 
or  some  similar  powder,  as  recommended  by  Mr.  J.  B.  Moore 
(Amer.  Jour,  of  Pharm.  3,  xvi.  223). 
Paper  moulds  have  almost  entirely  gone  out  of  use. 
In  the  British  Pharmacopoeia,  of  1864,  there  were  two  recipes 
given  for  suppositories.  These  formulae  directed  the  ingredients 
to  be  mixed  by  the  aid  of  heat,  and  after  they  cool  sufficiently, 
to  be  divided  into  equal  parts,  which  were  to  be  made  into  cones. 
These  were  to  be  dipped  into  a  mixture  of  eight  parts  of  lard 
and  one  of  white  wax,  melted  together,  which  gave  the  exterior 
portion  a  greater  degree  of  firmness  than  the  interior.  In  these 
formulae  there  was  no  butter  of  cacao,  but  in  the  present  edition 
the  excipients  are  mixtures  of  benzoated  lard,  white  wax,  and 
butter  of  cacao. 
Of  all  the  excipients  that  have  been  used  for  suppositories,  the 
butter  of  cacao  is  decidedly  the  best.  It  has  been  used  in  France 
for  this  purpose  for  more  than  half  a  century,  and  is  now  in 
general  use  in  the  United  States. 
Some  use  a  little  wax  with  it  for  convenience  in  dispensing  in 
warm  weather,  which  is  not  necessary  in  this  climate,  unless  the 
suppositories  contain  a  large  proportion  of  liquid  ingredients. 
Many  practitioners  object  to  the  admixture  of  wax,  because 
the  temperature  of  the  body  is  insufficient  to  overcome  its  high 
fusing  point.  Those  which  are  made  without  the  admixture  of 
wax,  should  be  thoroughly  chilled,  and  the  customer  instructed 
to  carry  them  properly,  and  to  keep  them  in  a  cool  place.  If 
one  is  placed  in  cold  water  a  few  minutes  before  required  for  use 
it  will  be  quite  firm. 
I  have  found  that  the  best  method  for  dispensing  suppositories 
with  dispatch,  is  to  first  place  the  butter  of  cacao  where  it  will 
slowly  melt,  reserving  a  portion — the  quantity  to  be  governed  by 
the  amount  of  the  medicinal  ingredients  to  be  incorporated — 
with  which  the  medicaments  are  to  be  triturated.  This  well- 
mixed  mass  should  be  thoroughly  incorporated  by  constant  stir- 
ring with  the  melted  butter  of  cacao,  which,  at  the  time  of 
admixture,  should  not  be  much  above  100°  Fahr.,  especially  if 
an  extract  is  present,  because  some  of  these  will  separate,  even 
at  a  lower  temperature. 
