sufficient weight, and in case of an excess, a slight tapping of the inverted capsule will throw out the surplus. The filled capsule must be carefully cleaned from adhering drug. This can be done by wiping each capsule with a clean dry cloth or, better, by use of the Remington capsule cleaner (Fig. 182). There have been a large number of special apparatus for capsule filling placed on the market. Of these, but two forms can here be taken up. The Ihrig capsule filler is shown in Fig. 183. It consists of a metal base with a movable plate, having perforations to hold the various sized capsules, which can be raised out of the perforations, Fig. 184.-Remington automatic capsule filler (see text). in this case by means of a thumb-screw instead of the inclined plane of an Acme machine. The perforations on the plate are arranged to fill the five sizes of capsules, each set of the different sizes of the perforations being arranged in the portion of the plate by itself. When the apparatus is used, as also in the case of the Acme apparatus, the shell of the capsule should be on a perfect level with the top of the plate, or a trifle below the surface. When the requisite amount of capsules have been placed in the plate, the powder is poured on that part of the plate and gradually forced into the shell of the capsule by the use of a spatula, the last portion of the work being aided by a punch which fits into three capsules at one time. When all the capsules have been filled, the thumb-screw is turned so that the plate is lowered against the pegs that project from the base, the plugs then pass into the perforations of the plate, thus pushing the shells above the surface of the plate. A cap is then placed on each shell, and the sealed capsule removed from the plate. The latest filler is the Remington automatic (Fig. 184), which uncaps, fills, recaps, and discharges the capsule with no handling beyond dropping it into the hole. CHAPTER XIX MASSES, CONFECTIONS, AND PILLS MASSES MASSES are combinations of medicines worked up with enough liquid to make solids of sufficient plasticity to roll into pills. The manufacture of the official masses is a matter of little difficulty, as in each recipe the quantity of liquid prescribed is sufficient to make a mass of the required plasticity. The manufacture of dry powders into pill masses is a matter requiring skill, and will be fully dealt with when considering pills. There are but two masses recognized by the pharmacopoeia; one of them is a chemical preparation (mass of ferrous carbonate), the other, a galenic (mass of mercury). Mass of copaiba was recognized in the pharmacopoeia of 1890, but was dropped at the last revision. SPECIAL NOTES ON OFFICIAL MASSES MASSA FERRI CARBONATIS. Mass of Ferrous Carbonate. This preparation, commonly called Vallet's mass, can best be studied among the preparations of iron in Part III. MASSA HYDRARGYRI. Mass of Mercury. Recipe and details of manufacture will be found in Part VII. Remarks.-Mass of mercury is the well-known "blue mass, and its manufacture by hand is a matter demanding skill and labor. The tendency of the mercury to run together and to form globules is well known, and in making the mass we aim to break the mercury into globules so small that they are not even visible under the glass magnifying ten diameters. These minute globules are coated with something that will prevent them from running together, and this process of division, called "extinguishing," is accomplished in the mass by triturating the mercury with honey of rose, and then adding althæa, glycyrrhiza, and glycerin. Dose.-250 milligrammes (4 grains) MASSA COPAIBÆ (U. S. P. 1890). Mass of Copaiba. This former official is interesting because 94 parts of the liquid, copaiba, are directed to be solidified by trituration with 6 parts of magnesia; this solidification being due to the formation of the magnesium salt of copaivic acid found in the oleoresin. (See p. 854.) Every specimen of copaiba, however, does not solidify on treatment with magnesia, nor is it fair to claim that such copaiba is not up to pharmacopoeial requirements. The copaibas of commerce are divided into two groups-the ordinary and the solidifiable; and in preparing the mass of copaiba the latter should be used exclusively. It is claimed, however, that much of the solidifiable copaiba of commerce is made so by addition of ordinary rosin. There are several proprietary articles on the market under the name of extract of copaiba which closely resemble the official mass. They, however, are usually solidified by trituration with the cheaper alkali, lime. By reason of the solidification of copaiba with magnesia, that substance is indicated as the excipient in making pills containing copaiba. CONFECTIONS Confections are a class of preparations in which medicinal substances are combined with saccharine substances, like jellies or the pulp of fruits. Confections are also called conserves and electuaries, the word confection being derived from the Latin "conficio," meaning to make up. In the days of ancient pharmacy confections were a favorite mode of administration of medicines, since nearly all medicines then administered were nauseous and disgusting, and in order to render them more palatable, attempts were made to cover the unpleasant features by combining them with sweet substances. In ancient times a large number of confections were used, a famous one of which was the confection of Damocratis, which contained from 40 to 50 ingredients. Instead of the long line of confections of the olden days, but two are recognized by the present pharmacopoeia, confection of rose and confection of senna. CONFECTIO ROSE. Recipe.-Red Rose, in No. 60 powder, eighty grammes.... mes. Confection of Rose. 80 Gm. 640 Gm. 120 Gm. 160 Cc. 1000 Gm. Clarified Honey, one hundred and twenty grammes. To make about one thousand grammes.. Rub the Red Rose with the Stronger Rose Water previously heated to 65° C. (149° F.), then gradually add the Sugar and Clarified Honey, and beat the whole together until a uniform mass results. Remarks. This has practically no medicinal value, but is a pleasant addition to pill masses. CONFECTIO SENNÆ. Confection of Senna. mes. Tamarind, one hundred grammes. Prune, sliced, seventy grammes. Fig, bruised, one hundred and twenty grammes.. Oil of Coriander, five grammes.. 100 Gm. 160 Gm. 100 Gm. 70 Gm. 120 Gm. 555 Gm. 5 Gm. To make one thousand grammes.. 1000 Gm. Digest the Cassia Fistula, Tamarind, Prune, and Fig with five hundred cubic centimeters of Water in a covered vessel, by means of a water-bath, for three hours. Separate the coarser portions and rub the pulpy mass, first through a coarse hair. sieve, and then through a muslin cloth. Mix the residue with one hundred and fifty cubic centimeters of Water, and, having digested the mixture for a short time, treat it as before, and add the product to the pulpy mass first obtained. Then, by means of a water-bath, dissolve the Sugar in the pulpy liquid, and evaporate the whole in a tared vessel, until it weighs eight hundred and ninety-five grammes. Lastly, add the Senna and the Oil of Coriander, and incorporate them thoroughly with the other ingredients while they are yet warm. Remarks.-Confection of senna is an admirable preparation furnishing an efficient laxative in a palatable form. A large number of preparations of composition similar to confection of senna have been put on the market as patent medicines, the semisolid mass being broken in pieces and eaten when required. The best known of this class of patents is Tamar Indienne. Of late years even the proprietary articles have fallen into disuse, while the official confection of senna is rarely prescribed by physicians. Dose.-4 Gm. (60 grains). PILLS Pills are spheric, globular, or lenticular masses, each containing a definite dose of medicinal substances, administered by swallowing whole. The manufacture of pills, while formerly one of the most important branches of pharmacy, is becoming a lost art, due to the introduction of machinery which can perform the work with much greater expedition; but since extemporaneously prepared pills are usually better than the manufactured ones, by reason of the greater solubility, it is important that all the details of their preparations be fully understood. The manufacture of pills by hand can be roughly divided into three parts: first, making the mass; second, dividing the mass; third, rolling the pills. Making the Mass.-In performing this operation the medicinal ingredients are, after careful trituration until uniform subdivision is obtained, worked into that plastic semisolid form known as a mass. This mass should possess four requirements if it be ideal: first, it should be sufficiently adhesive that it can be rolled without falling to pieces; second, it should be firm enough to retain its shape when rolled, and yet not so soft that the finished pills are flattened during drying; third, it should be plastic enough to be easily rolled-that is, not so hard as to make the rolling a matter of considerable labor; fourth, and most important of all, the pill mass should be soluble; that is, on being introduced into the stomach it should disintegrate within a reasonable time. In making a pill mass we usually have recourse to the excipient, and this excipient is different from what we usually and narrowly conceive it to be. Ordinarily, we consider it as a sticky mass with which we "paste" up a solid into pill form. In the broad sense, however, the term applies with equal force to those substances with which we solidify liquids into pill form-like the magnesia used to solidify copaiba. Among the excipients used in making pharmaceutic pills are water, sulphuric acid, syrup, syrup of acacia, mucilage of acacia, glycerin, glucose, honey, glycerite of tragacanth, extract of gentian, bread-crumbs, soap, resin cerate, petroleum mass. Water is used for making pills only when the pill mass contains some ingredient, which, when moistened, forms an excipient. Thus, if the mixed powder contains gummy substances, say, acacia or soap, the addition of a few drops of water and working up of the mixture will result in a pliable mass. In such cases, however, the action is the same as if mucilage of acacia or soap and water were used. Sulphuric acid, either concentrated or in the form of aromatic. sulphuric acid, is sometimes used as an excipient in the manufacture of pills of quinine sulphate. When the acid is added to this chemical it forms a soft and comparatively plastic mass of quinine bisulphate, which can be divided into pills if the mass is worked rapidly. Such method of dispensing quinine sulphate was very largely employed in the South in previous years, but is now falling into disuse. Syrup is used for certain forms of pills, but is scarcely efficient unless there is present in the mixed powder some gummy substance. Syrup of acacia would be an excellent excipient were it not for the fact that the finished product, when dry, is usually so hard as seriously to impair its solubility. Mucilage of acacia has the same advantages and disadvantages of syrup of acacia. Glycerin is rather extensively used in making the pills of the alkaloids, such as quinine sulphate. It has never been found satisfactory in the hands of the writer by reason of its lack of adhesiveness. One advantage of glycerin as an excipient is that its hygroscopic character keeps the pill soft and thus soluble for quite a while. Glucose is very largely used as an excipient, being both adhesive and plastic. Honey is sometimes used, but it has no advantage over glucose, of which it largely consists, and possesses the very decided disadvantage of imparting to the mass a slight brownish tint. Glycerite of tragacanth, consisting of three drachms of powdered tragacanth, three fluidounces of glycerin, and one-half fluid ounce of water, has always been the writer's favorite excipient, it yielding a |