The official Powders are impalpable mixtures of one or more active drugs, usually with some nearly inert substance, such as Sugar, as a diluent, and Aromatics.

They are made by trituration.

Pulvis - Gm.in 100

Acetanilidi Compositus... ........... acetanilide 70, caffein

10.

sodium bicarbonate

20.

Aromaticus .................cinnamon (Saigon), ginger, each

35.

cardamom (seed), nutmeg, each

15.

Cretae Compositus . acacia p. 20; sugar 50; prep. chalk

30.

Glycyrrhizae Compositus ........... senna 18; glycyrrhiza

23.6

fennel oil 0.4; sulphur, washed, 8; sugar

50.

Ipecacuanhae et Opii.............. ipecac, opium pulv., each

10.

(Dover's Powder) sugar of milk

80.

Jalapae Compositus ............. potass, bitartrate 65; jalap

35.

Morphinae Compositus .............camphor 32; morphine

(Tully's Powder) sulph.

1.5

calcium carb., precip. 33.5; glycyrrhiza p.

33.

Rhei Compositus . magnesium oxide 65; ginger 10;

rhubarb

25.

For 12 power.; Gm.

in each Gr.

Effervescens Compositus........... (Seidlitz Powder) potassium and sodium tartrate

93

120

sodium bicarbonate

31

40

acid tartaric

27

35

Many methods are in use for the purpose of disguising the taste of disagreeable remedies in the powder form. Of these the most elegant and effective method is that of enclosing the powder in a cachet or wafer. Originally wafers were made of starch-paste in thin sheets; a piece about 0.5 dcm. (2 inches) square, immersed in water for a minute, being placed in a spoon, the powder poured into it, and then enwrapped by folding up the edges and swallowed with a little water. The cachets or "konseals" are wafer-disks consisting of two concentric halves, one of which is filled with the powder, and the other half attached by moistening the edge and pressing the edges together by means of various devices. These cachets are of three sizes, the largest holding 5 grains (0.3) Quinine Sulphate. After a moment's immersion in water they can be swallowed without any effort.