This commonly prescribed preparation may give curious results. Dispensers who find prescribers careless in regard to the suffixes 'dilutus' and 'fortis ' must observe from the amount indicated or the directions which is intended. For 'lotio plumbi' the liq. plumbi subacet. dil. is dispensed. The following are a few typical difficulties:

It is impossible to make this without a flocculent precipitate of lead albumen. Tincture of opium alone gives a precipitate of lead meconate with the liquor.

Lead chloride is formed, but a clear solution is obtained by dissolving the cocaine salt in 1 ounce of water, adding to it the bismuth solution mixed with 2 ounces of water, then adding the liq. plumbi drop by drop, stirring all the time, and making up. The ammonium citrate keeps the lead chloride in solution.

Mix the first two, then add the glycerin, again mix ; now stir well, and add, drop by drop, the spirit of peppermint. Do not stop stirring until all the spirit is worked in, otherwise the metallic precipitate becomes sticky.

The presentable lotion desired was made by heating the almond oil with water I drachm and potassium carbonate gr. x. on a water-bath for half an hour, cooling, and adding gradually, with shaking, the eucalyptus oil, carbolic acid, and the rest of the water, leaving room for liq. plumbi and S.V. R. 10 minims each.

Impossible to mix these without a vehicle. Ol. olivae 3J. suffices. Add it to the tincture, then add the liquor very gradually, shaking all the time, and finally the water in the same way.

Mix the oil and the tincture, then add the liquor gradually with shaking. There is no real difficulty in compounding this, strange to say.

It is not difficult to surmise from some of the foregoing that liq. plumbi subacet. plays the part of a saponifier if it has the chance. Dispensers will also note that 'liq. plumbi subacet.' represents the strong solution.