Fruit Basis

Take five hundred times the quantity of the drug ordered for one lozenge. Mix with 6.5 grammes [100 grains] of tragacanth and 26 grammes [400 1/2 grains] of refined sugar, both in fine powder. Add sufficient of the black-currant paste of commerce to produce 650 grammes [22 oz. 385 grains], beat into a uniform mass, divide into 500 equal lozenges, and dry in a hot-air chamber at a moderate temperature.

Rose Basis

Take five hundred times the quantity of the drug ordered for one lozenge. Treat it as described under 'Preparation with simple basis,'previously mixing with the refined sugar 0.025 millilitre [17/40 minim] of oil of rose.

Simple Basis

Take five hundred times the quantity of the drug ordered for one lozenge, mix it with 496 grammes [17 1/2 oz.] of refined sugar and 19.5 grammes [300 grains] of gum acacia, both in fine powder. Make the mixture into a paste with 35 millilitres [1 fl. oz. 115 minims] of mucilage of gum acacia and a sufficient quantity of distilled water, divide into 50c equal lozenges, and dry in a hot-air chamber at a moderate temperature.

Tolu Basis

Take five hundred times the quantity of the drug ordered for one lozenge; dissolve such salts of alkaloids as may be ordered in 10 millilitres [170 minims] of distilled water. Mix the solution with 482 grammes [17 oz.] of refined sugar and 19.5 grammes [300 grains] of gum acacia, both in fine powder. Incorporate 10 millilitres [170 minims] of tincture of balsam of tolu and any other drugs ordered for the lozenges. Make into a paste with 35.5 millilitres [1 fl. oz. 120 minims] of mucilage of gum acacia and a sufficient quantity of distilled water, divide into 500 equal lozenges, and dry in a hot-air chamber at a moderate temperature.

A mortar may be used for massing the lozenge-ingredients. The lozenge-machine resembles a pill-machine, but the sides do not slope, and are generally made to adjust to the required thickness of lozenge. A cylindrical roller is used for spreading out the mass, a mixture of starch and sugar being employed to keep it from sticking. For dispensing-purposes it will suffice to divide the mass into equal weighed portions, and form into a lozenge by squeezing into the lid of a pill-box, or any suitable mould. Otherwise the mass should be rolled and cut with a lozenge-cutter or into rectangular lozenges with a knife.

Lozenge-Paste Roller.

Lozenge-Cutter.

Pastilles are soft, jelly-like jujubes, variously medicated, made from a gelatin and glycerin base, called in the Throat Hospital Pharmacopoeia 'Glyco-gelatin,' which is best made according to the following formula:

Cut the gelatin into shreds and soak in the tolu-water for two hours; then transfer to a water-bath and heat with the glycerin until the gelatin is dissolved. Colour with the carmine solution, and pour into an oiled tray to cool.

The tolu-water is the liquor made by boiling 1 1/4J ounce of balsam of tolu in 20 ounces of water (contained in a covered vessel) for half an hour and straining off 16 ounces.

The solution of carmine is made as follows:

Carmine . . . . . . . 30 gr.

Solution of ammonia.....a sufficiency Dissolve the carmine in 6 drachms of the ammonia solution, filter, and wash the filter with more ammonia until 1 fluid ounce has been collected.

The medication of the pastilles is accomplished by melting the glyco-gelatin on a water-bath, adding the medicine (previously rubbed to a thick syrup with glycerin, if a powder), stirring until nearly cool, and pouring into an oiled mould.

Flavours for the pastilles other than tolu-water are the fruit-juices, orange-flower water, and glycyrrhizin. Rose or cinnamon water may also be used. Two drachms of cherry-laurel water with 2 1/4 ounces of distilled water imparts a pleasant almond flavour. Raspberry-juice may be used in the same proportion as orange-flower water, lime-juice in the proportion of half juice and half distilled water. Glycyrrhizin, 24 grains, dissolved in the water used to soak the gelatin, imparts an excellent liquorice flavour, which is useful to hide the taste of ammonium chloride.

The following examples from 'Pharmaceutical Formulas' show the nature of the combinations:

These pastilles should be made into circular discs with bevel-edges by means of Mr. F. Bilson's mould (made by Toogood), which is simply a series of small circular tin saucers secured to a metal base. This mould is exceedingly convenient, and the finished pastilles have the best appearance.

Glyco-gelatin pastilles are the most convenient form of lozenge for extemporaneous preparation. The following are the doses of medicaments usually required in each:

The glycyrrhizinated glyco-gelatin may be used for those marked *, and the carmine-coloured one for the others. The glyco-gelatin basis is not suitable for astringent medicaments, such as red gum, rhatany, or any other tannic substances.