The Druggist's Hand-Book

The Druggist's Hand-Book of Private Formulas by John H. Nelson was printed in 1882 in order to "place before every druggist reliable formulas for preparing well-known medicines not given in the US. Dispensatory or Pharmacopoeia. These preparations...have become so universal that there is scarcely a druggist within the length and breadth of the land who does not have more or less sale for them; and to be enabled to prepare them is not only a source of satisfaction, but is also very desirable on account of the increase of profits."

The following are some of the formulas printed in the book. Most of them are not familiar to us today, and not only do we wonder as to their use, but also as to their safety.

Elixir of Bismuth, Pepsin, and Strychnia

Elixir of Bismuth and Pepsin, 15 1/2 ounces;

Solution of Strychnia, 1/2 ounce.

Mix them thoroughly.

(Bismuth and Pepsin are to aid digestion, and Strychnia is used to induce vomiting.)

Wine of Iron (Vinum Ferri)

Steel Filings, 2 ounces;

Sherry Wine, 32 ounces.

Macerate for thirty days, agitating occasionally, and filter through paper.

(This was used for the treatment of anemia.)

Jackson's Cough Syrup

Syrup of Rhubarb, 4 ounces;

Syrup of Ipecac, 4 ounces;

Syrup of Senega, 4 ounces;

Syrup of Morphia, 12 ounces.

Mix them.

Teething Syrup

Syrup of Morphia, 8 ounces;

Essence of Anise, 1/2 ounce;

Syrup of Balsam of Tolu, U.S., 7 1/2 ounces.

Mix them.

(Although commonly prescribed for infants, this mixture, because of the morphine, was occasionally fatal.)

The Mullen Paper Tester

Although this paper tester is no longer manufactured, the company itself is still in business. The following quote is taken from the Perkins Catalog' p. 133 cat 1902:

"This machine is simply a small hydraulic press, with a High Class Standard Pressure Gauge attached' for registering the pressure exerted to break the paper. The paper is clamped over one end of a cylinder filled with liquid, with a flexible rubber diaphragm between the paper and liquid, put in such a way as not to require pressure to actuate it, and serving only to keep the liquid from moistening the paper. It will be readily seen that by this method the liquid, which is the breaking force, must conform perfectly to any irregularity which may happen to exist in the surface of the paper itself, or by reason of its not being properly clamped, and therefore the pressure will be exerted uniformly over the entire surface of the paper exposed.

By turning a hand-wheel at the other end of the cylinder, pressure is brought to bear on the paper and gauge at the same time, and through the same medium, viz., the liquid.

"As everyone familiar with hydraulics knows, there is no chance for variation caused by friction or lost motion, as in a tester where the force is transferred from the point where the paper is broken to an indicator by a complicated system of levers and springs.

When the paper breaks, the hand on the gauge remains stationary, until reset by a special attachment similar to that of a stop watch, registering the exact number of pounds per square inch required to break the paper.

This is the very latest improved machine, made with the best possible workmanship, has nickel trimmings, and is very handsome and highly ornamental.

"Our Claim

"We claim that the results obtained from the Mullen Tester are no arbitrary scale, set up by us and meaning nothing in particular, except when spoken of in connection with this particular machine, but are the adopted standard the world over of all pressure registering gauges, viz., pounds per square inch. In Maine or California the result will be the same.

"We claim that two samples of paper, uniformly made of the same stock, of equal weight, thickness and finish, tested on this machine, will show exact uniform tests, whether all the tests are made on the same machine or each on a separate one. Also, that if the two samples are not uniformly made, etc., the irregularity of the tests will show it.

The Mullen Paper Tester is the recognized standard among the largest mills, paper dealers, lithographers, printers, publishers, etc., throughout this country. Send for special catalog of the Mullen Paper Tester, giving further particulars regarding same, together with a large list of the well known houses using this machine exclusively."

"Price $150.00, less discount. Code Word, Mullen.

B. F. Perkins & Son, Holyoke, Mass., U.S.A."

Some Interesting Facts

What is a Plumb Line?

The plumb line is mentioned quite frequently in this exhibit, as it is used with many instruments. Egyptian builders as far back as 3000 BC were the first to use a plumb line ­ a weighted cord. They knew that their constructions stood exactly upright when they were parallel with the line.

The Heaviest and the Lightest Metals

The heaviest metal, and the heaviest element, is OSMIUM. A 12-inch cube of osmium would weigh about 1,345 pounds, or as much as 10 adults, each weighing 134 pounds. A 12-inch cube of LITHIUM, the lightest metal, would tip the scales at only 32 pounds - not much heavier than the average two-year-old child.

The Heaviest Living Thing on Earth

The heaviest living thing on Earth is the General Sherman giant SEQUOIA tree, in Sequoia National Park, California. It weighs an estimated 2, 765 tons.

Which Weighs More, the Eiffel Tower, the Empire State Building, or the Great Pyramid?

Made of iron, the Paris Eiffel Tower, completed in 1889, weighs 9,653 tons. Every seven years the tower is repainted with 5.5 tons of paint. The Empire State Building, built between 1929 and 1931, in New York City weighs 365,000 tons and is made of concrete and steel. The Great Pyramid of Egypt, made from more than 2,000,000 blocks of limestone, weighs 5,750,000 tons!

Which Weighs More, the Pig, the Elephant, or the Blue Whale?

The average pig weighs about 423 pounds. An adult bull African elephant, the largest animal on land, weighs about 5.5 tons, about the same as 26 pigs. A fully grown blue whale, the largest animal on Earth, weighs about 143 tons, about as much as 26 bull elephants.

The Statue of Liberty and the World's Largest Bell

The Statue of Liberty, excluding the pedestal, is surprisely light, weighing 225 tons. Dedicated in 1886, the statue is a thin layer of copper over an iron framework. The world's largest bell, The Tsar Kolokol bell at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, weighs 223 tons, almost the same as the Statue of Liberty. Cast in bronze in 1735, it cracked, and has never rung.

Gold

Gold is one of the heaviest of all metals. It is estimated that all the gold ever mined would weigh a total of about 165,347 tons. That sounds like a lot, but in fact it would only make a solid block about the size of a tennis court.

Lighter and Heavier than Air

HYDROGEN is the lightest gas, RADON the heaviest. Graf Zeppelin II, one of the two largest ever airships, held almost 7,062,940 cubic feet of hydrogen. Filled with radon, it could not have flown.

Birds

The OSTRICH is the biggest bird on Earth, but, although it can run fast (small chicks can reach 30 mph) it is unable to fly. The heaviest bird that can fly is the BUSTARD, which can weigh as much as the average six-year-old child (about 46 pounds) and more than 13,000 times as much as a BEE HUMMINGBIRD.

Growing Up

From 20 inches and 7.5 pounds when born, the average human increases in height by slightly more than three times, and increases in weight about 18 times. Although there are slight fluctuations, the growth rates of boys and girls remain similar until early adulthood, when men's rate overtakes women's.

The newborn kangaroo, or joey, is about the size of a paper clip and weighs only .030 ounces. By the time it is fully grown (about 44-46 pounds) it is some 30,000 times heavier than when it was born.

From "Compton's Pictured Encyclopedia," 1928 edition

Geodaesia

This book was written in 1688, by John Love for surveying in the American colonies. It is probably one of the books that George Washington used to teach himself surveying.

Odometer

About 15 BC the Roman architect and engineer Vitruvius mounted a large wheel of known circumference in a small frame, in much the same fashion as the wheel is mounted on a wheelbarrow; when it was pushed along the ground by hand it automatically dropped a pebble into a container at each revolution, giving a measure of the distance traveled. It was, in effect, the first odometer.