LINIMENTUM  POTASSII  lODIDI  CUM  SAPONE. 
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LINIMENTUM  POTASSII  lODIDI  CUM  SAPONE. 
By  Nathaniel  Smith. 
This  liniment  owes  its  place  in  the  British  Pharmacopoeia  to 
Dr.  Rumsey,  of  Cheltenham,  a  member  of  the  Medical  Council ; 
the  formula  was  supplied  to  him  from  the  '  Form-book  '  of  the 
business  with  which  I  am  connected. 
The  liniment  has  been  in  use  in  Cheltenham  for  more  than 
twenty  years,  and  during  that  period  has  been  adopted  by  the 
medical  profession  in  this  locality  as  a  preparation  in  every  way 
more  desirable  and  efficacious  than  the  Unguent.  Potass.  lodid. 
The  formula  was  copied  from  a  Pharmaceutical  Journal  of 
some  twenty-five  or  thirty  years  ago  with  a  German  origin ;  it 
was  then  prescribed  with  a  large  quantity  of  spirit.  As  soap 
with  spirit  of  wine  in  a  solid  form  does  not  admit  of  being 
rubbed  in  so  easily  as  soap  with  water,  the  water  process  was 
adopted. 
The  directions  of  the  Pharmacopoeia  are  not  sufficiently  clear; 
for  instance,  no  soap  made  with  vegetable  oil  could  answer  well ; 
if  pure  curd  soap,  which  is  made  with  Russian  tallow,  were  used 
in  the  proportion  I  propose  naming,  and  the  directions  for  mix- 
ing followed,  I  think  all  who  now  condemn  the  preparation 
would  extend  to  it  a  verdict  exactly  the  reverse.  I  recommend, 
*White  curd  soap       .       .       .       .    2  oz. 
lodid.  Potass.    .       .        .       .       .    IJ  oz. 
Glycerin  ......    1  oz. 
Distilled  water  .       .       .       .       .  10  oz. 
Essential  oil  of  lemon  .  .  .  1  dr. 
Reduce  the  soap  into  fine  shreds,  and  melt  in  a  water-bath  with 
the  whole  of  the  water  and  the  glycerin  ;  when  the  soap  is  per- 
fectly .dissolved,  pour  it  into  a  No.  9  Wedgwood  mortar,  in  which 
the  iodide  of  potassium  has  been  previously  reduced  to  fine 
powder ;  mix  briskly,  and  continue  the  trituration  until  the  mor- 
tar has  become  cool,  and  the  liniment  assumes  the  character  of 
ice  cream.  Set  aside  for  an  hour,  after  which  gently  rub  in  the 
oil  of  lemons. 
*  For  this  use  the  white  curd  soap  made  by  Messrs.  Gibbs,  of  the  City 
Soap  Works,  or  Benbow's  curd  soap. 
