Antipyrinum

Use 1 grain of tragacanth for each 5 grains, and mass with as little water as possible; or use glucanth alone.

Apiol

Treat as an essential oil, or, if an iron salt is with it, use Roe's excipient, then pulv. trag. co. and glucose syrup.

Argenti Nitras

Two facts have to be taken into consideration regarding the massing of silver nitrate- first, the dose of the nitrate is a fraction of a grain only; and, second, the salt readily decomposes in presence of organic substances; therefore it should be rubbed to fine powder along with twice its weight of kaolin and massed with paraffin ointment, resin ointment, or lanoline. The following are typical combinations:

Fiat pilula. Mitte tales xij.

In the case of No. 1. the nitrate was mixed with 12 grains of French chalk and massed with resin ointment, the rest of the ingredients being mixed and massed with the same excipient, then the two masses were intimately blended. For No. 11. the excipient must be what will best suit the logwood extract. This may be 6 drops of proof spirit or 5 drops of glycerin for the dozen pills : either makes a nice mass.

Argenti Oxidum parts with its oxygen rather quickly when brought into contact with some things- e.g., creosote-and when massed with extract of gentian or confection of roses the pills have been known to explode. The best excipient is kaolin ointment. When extract of gentian is prescribed along with the oxide, Mr. Harold Wyatt, jun., recommends that the oxide be massed with resin ointment, the extract stiffened with powdered gentian, and the two masses mixed and divided. It would do, however, to add powdered gentian to the fatty mass in sufficient quantity to soothe the dispenser's conscience without disturbing the pill, for in all likelihood the prescriber of extract of gentian along with silver oxide has not the slight tonic properties of the extract in view, but desires to sport his galenical skill.