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FERRI CARBONAS. This preparation has for some time been frequently employed under the name of ferrum præcipitatum: it is one of the best and most convenient forms for administering iron. It is scarcely probable that it has any right to the title of a carbonate, even if that of a subcarbonate should be conceded to it.

LIQUOR FERRI ALKALINI. The tinctura martis alkalina of Stahl, probably a subnitrate of iron and potass.

HYDRARGYRI OXYDUM CINEREUM. Made by boiling calomel in lime-water. It has been often used as a mild alterative, as well as for mercurial fumigations.

DECOCTUM ALOES COMPOSITUM. A composition attributed to Hofmann, sometimes used under the name baume de vie; containing, besides the extract of aloes, some aromatic and saponaceous substances.

INFUSA. A number of useful infusions are introduced, many of which have been habitually ordered without particular formulæ. In the infusum sennæ, it is to be regretted that the College did not adopt the suggestion of one of their fellows, to add some cloves to the senna, in order to overcome its disagreeable taste and smell. A drachm and a half, or two drachms of cloves might be substituted for the drachm of ginger, without any inconvenience.

EXTRACTA. Several new extracts are inserted, and some of those, which were formerly directed, have been omitted. The extractum opii, like the extractum thebaicum of 1720, which had been somewhat too hastily abandoned, is an aqueous extract only; and it seems to be agreed, by a great number of practitioners, that it produces an equal effect as a narcotic, with less subsequent confusion and headache, than the tinctura opii.

MISTURA FERRI COMPOSITA. In this well-known chalybeate draught of Dr. Griffiths, the iron is supposed to remain less oxidized than when it is dried and exposed to the air. SPIRITUS AMMONIE AROMATICUS.

This useful medicine

is now to be prepared with the pure ammonia, instead of the carbonate. Dr. Powell observes, that-" in the old process, dis❝tillation was absolutely necessary; for the spirit of ammonia, "as there directed, would not unite with the oil by mixture "alone." The compound, however, thus obtained, was much more agreeable than the preparation now ordered, which has indeed often been substituted for it.

SPIRITUS AMMONIE SUCCINATUS. more permanent eau de luce.

A new formula for a

SPIRITUS LAVANDULE. SPIRITUS ROSMARINI.

:

For the former, rectified spirit is directed; for the latter, proof spirit only in the late Pharmacopoïa five pints of each are ordered to be drawn off from a gallon of proof spirit: this, in the first case, was certainly more economical; in the second, probably more practicable.

TINCTURA MYRRHE. Twenty-two fluidounces of rectified spirit, with twenty-four of water, are substituted, probably by some mistake in calculation, for about twenty-one of spirit, and eleven of water, formerly employed.

SPIRITUS ETHERIS AROMATICI. The sweet elixir of vitriol of 1745.

VINUM OPII. The liquid laudanum of Sydenham is now restored to the situation which it held in 1720, and which it appears to deserve at least in an equal degree with the tincture of opium.

SYRUPUS SENNÆ. A useful formula for giving senna and manna to children.

CONFECTIO AMYGDALE. Consists of almonds beaten up with sugar and a little gum, and is intended for making milk of almonds expeditiously, without being liable to be easily spoiled by keeping.

CONFECTIO opii. It ought to be remarked that, from the omission of the syrup of poppies, thirty-six grains of this confection must be directed, in order to give one of opium, to

which twenty-five of the former opiate confection were nearly equivalent.

CONFECTIO RUTE. A preparation intended for an enema, and resembling the electarium è baccis lauri of 1745.

PULVIS KINO COMPOSITUS. A useful astringent, containing one-fifth of cinnamon, and one-twentieth of opium.

PILULÆ CAMBOGIÆ COMPOSITE. Contain equal parts of gamboge, extract of aloë, and aromatic powder: they somewhat resemble the Scotch pills.

PILULE FERRI CUM MYRRHA. chalybeate pill.

PILULE GALBANI COMPOSITE.

Well known as Griffiths's

The opopanax is omitted;

the quantity of myrrh and sagapen increased.

PILULE HYDRAGYRI SUBMURIATIS. The pilulæ calome lanos compositæ of some pharmacopœïas, introduced by Dr. Plummer.

PILULE SAPONIS CUM OPIO. These are substituted for the pilulæ opii, which have been found too difficult of solution : they might however have been softened by the addition of a little honey or treacle, with less risk of loading a delicate stomach.

EMPLASTRUM AMMONIACI. Made by boiling the gum in vinegar.

EMPLASTRUM OPII. The opium is mixed with litharge plaster and frankincense.

CERATUM. Composed of wax and olive oil.

CERATUM SABINE. Adopted from Mr. Crowther's practice. UNGUENTUM HYDRARGYRI NITRICO-OXYDI. Well known to surgeons as the ointment of red precipitate.

UNGUENTUM PICIS ARIDE. The unguentum basilicum nigrum of 1745, not yet out of use.

UNGUENTUM SULPHURIS COMPOSITUM. Contains hellebore and nitre, which probably add more to its bulk than to its utility.

UNGUENTUM ZINCI. The oxid simply mixed with lard.

LINIMENTUM CAMPHORE. A solution of camphor in oil. LINIMENTUM HYDRARGYRI COMPOSITUM. A very useful composition, containing some camphor and some ammonia. LINIMENTUM TEREBINTHINÆ. Introduced for burns by Mr. Kentish.

CATAPLASMA FERMENTI. An effervescing mixture of flour and yeast.

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CATAPLASMA SINAPEOS. Linseed meal is substituted for bread, as remaining longer moist.

A considerable number of preparations, little used, have been very properly omitted: some of these will, however, still have their advocates. Among the least universally abandoned in practice, we may enumerate the succus ribis nigri spissatus, hydrargyrus acetatus, hydrargyrus cum sulphure, infusum sennæ tartarizatum, vinum antimonii, tinctura balsami tolutani, tinctura sabinæ composita, pulvis aloës cum canella, aloës cum ferro, myrrhæ compositus, scammonii compositus cum aloë, and scammonii cum calomelane, the whole chapter of trochisci, the emplastrum ladani compositum, and the unguentum canth aridis. The antimonial wine has been omitted principally on account of the uncertainty of its dose; but there is reason to believe that its operation is by no means perfectly identical with that of the vinum antimonii tartarizati: all wine contains more or less of the malic acid, and it is not improbable that the malate of antimony differs less from the antimonial powder in its effects on the animal economy, than the tartrate: and the dose even of the common antimonial wine may be ascertained without difficulty, for each portion, by progressive experiments. The trochisci are indeed seldom prepared by apothecaries, or even by retail chemists; but this is no reason that a correct rule should not be laid down for making them: they are by no means superfluous in practice; on the contrary, a good formula for a slightly sedative lozenge would be a very useful addition to the catalogue of domestic medicines.

These are the most remarkable changes which have been

made in the substance of the work: the alterations of nomenclature next demand our attention: the principles, by which these have been governed, will best appear from the comparison of a few specimens :

OLD NAMES.

NEW NAMES.

Acidum nitricum.

"Acetum distillatum..........Acidum aceticum.
"Acidum nitrosum....

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"Emplastrum lithargyri

"Hydrargyrus nitratus ruber...Hydrargyri nitrico-oxydum.

"Hydrargyrus muriatus

"Kali purum......

"Kali præparatum.

Emplastrum plumbi.

Hydrargyri oxymurias.

Potassa fusa.

Potassæ subcarbonas.

"Lapis calaminaris.

"Lithargyrus

Calamina.

"Natron præparatum.
"Natron tartarizatum.

"Oxymel æruginis

"Pix Burgundica
"Pulvis opiatus.
"Raphanus rusticanus.

" Sperma ceti

"Syrupus papaveris albi.
"Syrupus papaveris erratici....
"Thus

"Tinctura opii camphorata...

Plumbi oxydum semivitreum.
Sodæ subcarbonas.

Soda tartarizata.

Linimentum æruginis.

Pix arida.

Pulvis cornu usti cum opio.
Armoraciæ radix.

Cetaceum.

Syrupus papaveris.
Syrupus rhœados.
Abietis resina.

Tinctura camphoræ com.
posita."

The transposition of the terms employed to denote a neutral salt is perhaps a very warrantable liberty; but it would not be altogether a matter of indifference in a system of natural history, since the first term of the two has hitherto always

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