652. Medicines (Aperient)
In the spring time of the year, the judicious use of aperient medicines is much to be commended.
653. Spring Aperients
For children, an excellent medicine is
As this sometimes produces sickness, the following may be used:
This medicine may be dissolved in warm water, mint, or common tea. The powder can be kept for use in a wide-mouthed bottle, and be in readiness for any emergency. The druggist may be directed to treble or quadruple the quantities, as convenient.
654. Aperient Pills.
To some adults all liquid medicines produce such nausea that pills are the only form in which aperients can be exhibited; the following is a useful formula:
655. Black Draught
The common aperient medicine known as black draught is made in the following manner:
656. Tonic Aperient
The following will be found a useful medicine for persons of all ages.
657. Infants' Aperient
The following may be used with safety for young children.
658. Flour of Brimstone
Flour of brimstone is a mild aperient in doses of about a quarter of an ounce; it is best taken in milk. Flour of brimstone, which is also called sublimed sulphur, is generally put up in ounce packets at 7d.; its wholesale price is 4d. per pound.
A Spark may Raise an Awful Blaze.
659. Medicines
Preparations of them.—The following directions are of the utmost value in connection with the
Domestic Pharmacopœia
,
Diseases
,
Prescriptions
, and
Poisons
.
They will be found most important to emigrants, attendants upon the sick, and persons who reside out of the reach of medical aid, sailors, &c., &c. They contain instructions not only for the compounding of medicines, but most useful hints and cautions upon the application of leeches, blisters, poultices, &c.
660. Articles Required for Mixing Medicines
661. Medicine Weights and Measures.—Weights
When you open your box containing the scales and weights, you will observe that there are several square pieces of brass, of different sizes and thicknesses, and stamped with a variety of characters. These are the weights, which may now be explained.
662. Troy Weight
Medicines are made up by
troy
weight, although drugs are bought by
avoirdupois
weight. There are twelve ounces to the pound troy, which is marked
lb
.; the ounce, which contains eight drachms, is marked
ounce
i
; the drachm, containing three scruples, is marked
drachm
i
; and the scruple of twenty grains is marked
scruple
i
. The grain weights are marked by little circles, thus:
five grains
Each of the grain weights, in addition to the circles denoting their several weights, bears also the stamp of a crown. Care must be taken not to mistake this for one of the numerals. Besides these weights there are others marked
scruple
ss, which means half a scruple;
drachm
ss, meaning half a drachm; and
ounce
ss, meaning half an ounce. When there are ounces, drachms, or scruples, the number of them is shown by Roman figures, thus:—i. ii. iii. iv. v., &c., and prescriptions are written in this style.
663. Measures—Liquid
Liquid medicines are always measured by the following table:
And the signs which distinguish each are as follows:
Formerly drops used to be ordered, but as the size of a drop must necessarily vary, minims are always directed to be employed now for any particular medicine, although for such medicines as oil of cloves, essence of ginger, &c., drops are frequently ordered.
664. Specific Measuring Vessels
In order that medicines may be measured accurately, there are graduated glass vessels for measuring ounces, drachms, and minims.
665. Approximate Measures
When proper measures are not at hand, it is necessary to adopt some other method of determining the quantities required, and therefore the following table has been drawn up for that purpose:
These quantities refer to ordinary sized spoons and vessels. Some cups hold half as much more, and some tablespoons contain six drachms. A medicine glass, which is graduated so as to show the number of spoonfuls it contains, should be kept in every family.
To-day, Man Lives in Pleasure, Wealth and Pride.
666. Process of Making Medicines
To powder substances
.—Place the substance in the mortar, and strike it
gently
with direct perpendicular blows of the pestle, until it separates into several pieces, then remove all but a small portion, which bruise gently at first, and rub the pestle round and round the mortar, observing that the circles described by the pestle should gradually decrease in diameter, and then increase again, because by this means every part of the powder is subjected to the process of pulverization. In powdering substances, making emulsions, and whenever using a mortar, the pestle should always travel
from the right to the left
.
667. Preparation and Assistance
Some substances require to be prepared in a particular manner before they can be powdered, or to be assisted by adding some other body. For example, camphor powders more easily when a few drops of spirits of wine are added to it; mace, nutmegs, and such oily aromatic substances are better for the addition of a little white sugar; resins and gum-resins should be powdered in a cold place, and if they are intended to be dissolved, a little fine well-washed white sand mixed with them assists the process of powdering. Tough roots, like gentian and calumba, should be cut into thin slices; and fibrous roots, like ginger, cut slanting, otherwise the powder will be full of small fibres. Vegetable matter, such as peppermint, loosestrife, senna, &c., requires to be dried before it is powdered.
668. Care of the Mortar
Be careful not to pound too hard in glass, porcelain, or Wedgwood-ware mortar; they are intended only for substances that pulverize easily, and for the purpose of mixing or incorporating medicines. Never use acids in a marble mortar, and be sure that you do not powder galls or any other astringent substances in any but a brass mortar.
669. Sifting
Sifting is frequently required for powdered substances, and this is usually done by employing a fine sieve, or tying the powder up in a piece of muslin, and striking it against the left hand over a piece of paper.
670. Filtering
Filtering is frequently required for the purpose of obtaining clear fluids, such as infusions, eye-washes, and other medicines; and it is, therefore, highly important to know how to perform this simple operation. First of all take a square piece of white blotting paper, and double it over so as to form an angular cup. Open out this filter paper very carefully, and having placed it in a funnel, moisten it with a little water. Then place the funnel in the neck of the bottle, and pour the liquid gently down the side of the paper, otherwise the fluid is apt to burst the paper.
671. Maceration
Maceration is another process that is frequently required to be performed in making up medicines, and consists simply in immersing the medicines in
cold water
or spirits for a certain time.
672. Digestion
Digestion resembles maceration, except that the process is assisted by a gentle heat. The ingredients are placed in a flask, such as salad oil is sold in, which should be fitted with a plug of tow or wood, and have a piece of wire twisted round the neck. The flask is held by means of the wire over the flame of a spirit lamp, or else placed in some sand warmed in an old iron saucepan over the fire, care being taken not to place more of the flask below the sand than the portion occupied by the ingredients.
673. Infusion
Infusion is one of the most frequent operations required in making up medicines, its object being to extract the aromatic and volatile principles of substances, that would be lost by decoction, or digestion; and to extract the soluble from the insoluble parts of bodies. Infusions may be made with cold water, in which case they are weaker, but more pleasant. The general method employed consists in slicing, bruising, or rasping the ingredients first, then placing them in a common jug (which should be as globular as possible), and pouring boiling water over them. Cover the jug with a cloth folded six or eight times, but if there be a lid to the jug so much the better. When the infusion has stood the time directed, hold a piece of
very coarse
linen over the spout, and pour the liquid through it into another jug.
To-morrow, Poor—or Life Itself Denied.
674. Decoction
Decoction, or boiling, is employed to extract the mucilaginous or gummy parts of substances, their bitter, astringent, or other qualities, and is nothing more than boiling the ingredients in a saucepan with the lid slightly raised. Be sure never to use an iron saucepan for astringent decoctions, such as oak-bark, galls, &c., as they will turn the saucepan black, and spoil the decoction. The enamelled saucepans are very useful for decoctions, but an excellent plan is to put the ingredients into a jar and boil the jar, thus preparing it by a water bath, as it is technically termed; or by using a common pipkin, which answers still better. No decoction should be allowed to boil for more than ten minutes.
675. Extracts
Extracts are made by evaporating the liquors obtained by infusion or decoction, but these can be bought much cheaper and better of chemists and druggists, and so can tinctures, confections, cerates and plasters, and syrups: but as every one is not always in the neighbourhood of druggists, we shall give recipes for those most generally useful, and the method of making them.
676. Precautions to be Observed in Giving Medicines.
677. Sex
Medicines for females should not be so strong as those for males, therefore it is advisable to reduce the doses about one-third.
678. Temperament
Persons of a phlegmatic temperament bear stimulants and purgatives better than those of a sanguine temperament, therefore the latter require smaller doses.
679. Habits
Purgatives never act so well upon persons accustomed to take them as upon those who are not, therefore it is better to change the form of purgative from pill to potion, powder to draught, or aromatic to saline. Purgatives should never be given when there is an irritable state of the bowels.
680. Use of Alcohol
Stimulants and narcotics never act so quickly upon persons accustomed to use spirits freely as upon those who live abstemiously.
681. Climate
The action of medicines is modified by climate and seasons. In summer, certain medicines act more powerfully than in winter, and the same person cannot bear the dose in July that he could in December.
682. General Health
Persons whose general health is good bear stronger doses than the debilitated and those who have suffered for a long time.
683. Idiosyncrasy
By this is meant a peculiar temperament or disposition not common to people generally. For example, some persons cannot take calomel in the smallest dose without being salivated, or rhubarb without having convulsions; others cannot take squills, opium, senna, &c.; and this peculiarity is called the patient's idiosyncrasy, therefore it is wrong to
insist
upon their taking these medicines.
684. Forms best suited for Administration