Chap. XXXIX.

Of Pills.

631

terative; and on his authority they were at one time muchemployed; but they are now less extensively used than for-merly.

PlLUXTE SAPONIS CUM OPIO. Lotld.

Pills of Soap "with Opium.Take of

Hard opium, in powder, half an ounce;

Hard soap, two ounces.Beat them into a homogeneous mass.

PlLULiE E STY RACE.

Storax Pills.

Take of

Purified storax, three drachms ;Soft purified opium,Saffron, of each one drachm.

Beat them into an uniform mass.

Bub.

Ed.

Filvls. opiATiS ; olim Pilule thebaicjs.Opiate, or Thebaic Pills.Take of

Opium, one part;

Extract of liquorice, seven parts;

Jamaica pepper, two parts.Soften the opium and extract separately with diluted alcohol;

and having beat them into a pulp, mix them : then add the

pepper reduced to a powder : and, lastly, having beat them

v. ell together, form the whole into a mass.

It is unfortunate that these compositions should differ somuch in strength', the first containing one grain of opium inthree, the second one in five, and the last only one grain ofopium in ten of the mass. Under the idea that opium is tooperate as a sedative, the addition of the pepper is somewhatinjudicious. The title adopted by the Edinburgh college isambiguous, as it may be mistaken for pill* of opium, withoutany addition. That of the Dublin college is better, althoughit does not mention the only active ingredient, as it is oftennecessary to conceal from our patients that we are giving themopium, which both the name and smell of the storax enableus to do. But that of the London college is upon the wholeperhaps the best.