Chapter XLVI: Part 2 (7)

Humboldt has calculated that the food produce of the plantain is 44 times greater than that of the potato and 133 times that of wheat.

The banana is a species of plantain. See BANANA.

=PLASMA.= The liquor sanguinis. A tenacious plastic liquid, forming the coagulating portion of the blood, and that in which the corpuscles float.

=PLAS′TER.= (In boiling, &c.) See MORTAR.

=Plaster of Paris.= Calcined sulphate of lime. See ALABASTER, GYPSUM, LIME, &c.

=PLASTER.= (In pharmacy.) _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM, L. Plasters (emplastra) are external applications that possess sufficient consistence not to adhere to the fingers when cold, but which become soft and adhesive at the temperature of the human body.

Plasters are chiefly composed of unctuous substances united to metallic oxides, or to powders, wax, or resin. They are usually formed, whilst warm, into 1/2-lb. rolls, about 8 or 9 inches long, and wrapped in paper. When required for use, a little is melted off the roll by means of a heated iron spatula, and spread upon leather, linen, or silk. The less adhesive plasters, when spread, are usually surrounded with a margin of resin plaster, to cause them to adhere.

In the preparation of plasters the heat of a water bath, or of steam, should alone be employed. On the large scale, well-cleaned and polished copper or tinned copper pans, surrounded with iron jackets, supplied with high-pressure steam, are used for this purpose. The resins and gum resins that enter into their composition are previously purified by straining. After the ingredients are mixed, and the mass has acquired sufficient consistence by cooling, portions of it are taken into the hands, anointed with a little olive oil, and well pulled or worked until it becomes solid enough to admit of being formed into rolls. To promote the cooling of the plaster it is usual to plunge it into cold water, and to expose it to the action of the fluid by working it about under the surface, after which it is well pulled in the hands to remove the superfluous water; but this process must not, on any account, be practised on compound plasters, containing odorous substances, or substances soluble in water. These should be suffered to cool on an oiled marbled slab, until sufficiently ‘stiff’ to be formed into rolls. Many plasters, as those of lead and resin, derive much of their whiteness and beauty from the treatment just referred to. White plasters are not, however, always the best; but they are those which are most admired, and the most sought after in trade.

Plasters are preserved by enveloping the rolls with paper, to exclude the air as much as possible, and by keeping them in a cool situation. A few, as those of belladonna and ammoniacum with mercury, are commonly placed in pots. When kept for any length of time, they are all more or less apt to become hard and brittle, and to lose their colour. When this is the case, they should be remelted by a gentle heat, and sufficient oil added to the mass to restore it to a proper consistence.

The operation of spreading plasters for use requires skill and experience on the part of the operator. Various textures are employed for the purpose, of which linen or cotton cloth, or leather, are those most generally employed. Silk and satin are used for ‘court plaster.’ The shape and size must be regulated by the part to which they are to be applied.

On the large scale plasters are spread by means of a ‘spreading machine.’

Compound plasters are now much less frequently employed in medicine than formerly. Those principally in use are such as afford protection to sores and abraded surfaces, and give support to the parts. A few, however, which contain acrid, stimulating, and narcotic substances, and operate as rubefacients, blisters, or anodynes, are still retained in the Pharmacopœias.

=Plaster of Ac′onite.= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM ACONITI, L. _Prep._ (Curtis.) Gently evaporate tincture of aconite to the consistence of a soft extract, then spread a very small portion over the surface of a common adhesive plaster, on either calico or leather. Mr Curtis has strongly recommended this plaster in neuralgia. A little of the alcoholic extract may be employed instead of that obtained fresh from the tincture.

=Plaster, Adhe′′rent.= See PLASTER, SOAP (Compound).

=Plaster, Adhe′sive.= See PLASTER, RESIN, COURT P., &c.

=Plaster, Adhesive Lime.= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM ADHÆSIVUM CALCAREUM. _Prep._ Soap of lime, 200 parts; boiled turpentine, 100 parts; suet, 25 parts.

=Plaster, Ammoni′acal.= _Syn._ DR KIRKLAND’S VOLATILE PLASTER; EMPLASTRUM AMMONIÆ, E. A. HYDROCHLORATIS, L. _Prep._ Take of lead plaster, 1 oz.; white soap (shaved fine), 1/2 oz.; melt them together, and, when nearly cold, add of sal ammoniac (in fine powder), 1 dr. Stimulant and rubefacient. Dr Paris, who highly recommends it in pulmonary affections, employs double the above proportion of sal ammoniac. Its efficacy depends on the gradual extrication of free ammonia by the decomposition of the sal ammoniac, on which account it is proper to renew the application of it every 24 hours.

=Plaster of Ammoni′acum.= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM AMMONIACI (Ph. L., E., & D.), L. _Prep._ 1. (Ph. L. & E.) Ammoniacum (strained), 5 oz.; dilute acetic acid (distilled vinegar), 8 fl. oz. (9 fl. oz.——Ph. E.); dissolve, and, frequently stirring, evaporate by a gentle heat to a proper consistence.

2. (Ph. D.) Gum ammoniacum (in coarse powder), 4 oz.; proof spirit, 4 fl. oz.; dissolve by the aid of a gentle heat, and evaporate, as before.

_Obs._ This plaster is adhesive, stimulant, and resolvent, and is employed in scrofulous and indolent tumours, white swellings, &c. In the Ph. D. 1826 vinegar of squills was ordered instead of distilled vinegar.

=Plaster of Ammoniacum with Hem′lock.= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM AMMONIACI CUM CICUTÂ, L. _Prep._ (Ph. E. 1744.) Gum ammoniacum, 8 oz.; vinegar of squills, q. s. to dissolve; hemlock juice, 4 oz.; gently evaporate, as before. In cancerous and other painful tumours. A better plan is to add 1 dr. of extract of hemlock to 1-1/4 oz. of strained ammoniacum (previously reduced to a proper consistence with a little distilled vinegar), melted by a very gentle heat.

=Plaster of Ammoniacum with Mer′cury.= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM AMMONIACI CUM HYDRARGYRO (B. P., Ph. L., E., & D.), L. _Prep._ 1. (Ph. L. & E.) Olive oil, 1 dr.; heat it in a mortar, add of sulphur, 8 gr.; triturate; further add of mercury, 3 oz.; again triturate, and when the globules are extinguished, add it to ammoniacum (strained), 1 lb. (12 oz., B. P.), previously melted by a gentle heat, and mix them well together.

2. (Ph. D.) From ammoniacum plaster, 4 oz.; mercurial plaster, 8 oz.; melted together by a gentle heat, and then stirred constantly until nearly cold.

3. (_Wholesale._) Take of mercury, 38 oz.; prepared sevum, 5 oz.; triturate, as last, and add the mixture to strained ammoniacum, 10 lbs., previously sufficiently softened by a gentle heat. Possesses a fine blue colour, and is quickly made.

_Obs._ This plaster cannot be rolled till considerably cooled, and neither this nor the simple plaster must be put into water. It is powerfully discutient, and is applied to indurated glands, indolent tumours, &c.

=Plaster, An′odyne.= SEE PLASTER, OPIUM, PLASTER, BELLADONNA, &c.

=Plaster, Antimo′′nial.= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM ANTIMONIALE, E. ANTIMONII POTASSIO-TARTRATIS, L. _Prep._ (U. C. Hosp.) By sprinkling tartar emetic, in very fine powder, on the surface of a spread Burgundy pitch (or common adhesive) plaster. It has been successfully applied to the nape of the neck, in the scarlatina of children; also the chest, in phthisis; and, with the addition of a little opium, in rheumatic affections of the joints.

=Plaster, Arnica.= (Ph. U. S.) _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM ARNICÆ. _Prep._ Alcoholic extract of arnica, 1-1/2 oz.; resin plaster, 3 oz. Add the extract to the plaster previously melted over a water bath, and mix it thoroughly.

=Plaster, Aromatic.= _Syn._ STOMACH PLASTER; EMPLASTRUM AROMATICUM, L. _Prep._ (Ph. D. 1826.) Strained frankincense (thus), 3 oz.; beeswax, 1/2 oz.; melt them together, and, when the mass has considerably heated, add, of powdered cinnamon, 6 dr.; oils of allspice and lemons, of each 2 dr. Stimulant; applied over the stomach in dyspepsia, spasms, nausea, flatulence, &c. Camphor, 1 dr., is commonly added.

=Plaster of Assafœtida.= _Syn._ ANTIHYSTERIC PLASTER, ANTISPASMODIC P.; EMPLASTRUM ASSAFŒTIDÆ (Ph. E.), E. ANTIHYSTERICUM, &c., L. _Prep._ (Ph. E.) From lead plaster and strained assafœtida, of each 2 oz.; strained galbanum and beeswax, of each 1 oz.; melted together. Antispasmodic; applied to the stomach or abdomen in spasms, hysteria, &c.; and to the chest in hooping-cough.

=Plaster, Baynton’s Adhesive.= _Prep._ From yellow resin, 1 oz.; lead plaster, 1 lb.; melted together. Recommended for bad legs, and other like sores.

=Plaster of Belladon′na.= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM BELLADONNÆ (B. P., Ph. L., E., & D), L. _Prep._ 1. (Ph. L.) Soap plaster, 3 oz.; melt it by the heat of a water bath; add of extract of belladonna (deadly nightshade), 3 oz.; and keep constantly stirring the mixture until it acquires a proper consistence.

2. (Ph. E.) Resin plaster, 3 oz.; extract of belladonna, 1-1/2 oz.; as the last.

3. (Ph. D.) Resin plaster, 2 oz.; extract of belladonna, 1 oz.

4. (B. P.) Extract of belladonna, 3; resin plaster, 3; rectified spirit, 6; rub the extract and spirit together in a mortar, and when the insoluble matter has subsided, decant the clear solution, remove the spirit by distillation or evaporation, and mix the alcoholic extract thus obtained with the resin plaster melted at the heat of a water bath, continuing the heat until with constant stirring the plaster has acquired a suitable consistence.

_Uses, &c._ As a powerful anodyne and antispasmodic; in neuralgia and rheumatic pains, and as an application to painful tumours. The plaster of the shops is usually deficient in extract. The following formula is in common use in the wholesale trade:——Lead plaster and resin plaster, of each 2-1/2 lbs.; extract of belladonna, 1-3/4 lb. This plaster must not be ‘pulled’ in water.

=Plaster, Berg’s Antirheumatic.= _Syn._ GOUT PAPER; EMPLASTRUM ANTIRHEUMATICUM, CHARTA ANTIRHEUMATICA, L. _Prep._ By digesting euphorbium, 2 parts, and cantharides, 1 part (both in powder), in rectified spirit, 10 parts, for eight days; adding to the strained liquid, black resin and Venetian turpentine, of each 4 parts; assisting the mixture by a gentle heat. Two or three coats of the product are successively spread over the surface of thin paper. Used in gout and rheumatism. (‘Anat. of Quackery.’)

=Plaster, Black.= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM NIGRUM. _Prep._ Mr Sharp’s black plaster was formed by boiling together olive oil, 13 oz.; wax, 2-1/2 oz.; carbonate of lead, 10 oz.

=Plaster, Black Diach′ylon.= See COURT PLASTER.

=Plaster of Black Pitch.= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM PICIS NIGRÆ, L. _Prep._ (Ph. Wirtem.) Black pitch, black resin, and beeswax, of each 8 parts; suet, 1 part; melted together. Rubefacient and stimulant.

=Plaster, Blistering.= See PLASTER OF CANTHARIDES.

=Plaster, Bree’s Antiasthmatic.= _Prep._ From lead plaster, 1 oz.; olive oil, 1 dr.; melted together, and, when somewhat cooled, mixed with powdered camphor, 2 dr.; powdered opium, 1 dr., and at once spread on leather.

=Plaster, Brown.= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM FUSCUM, L.; ONGUENT DE LA MÈRE, Fr. The butter, lard, oil, suet, and wax should be first melted together, and the heat gradually increased until they begin to smoke; the litharge is then to be sifted in, and the stirring and heat continued until the mixture assumes a brown colour; the pitch is next added, and the whole stirred for some time longer.

=Plaster, Brown Diach′ylon.= See PLASTER OF GALBANUM.

=Plaster, Bryony.= (Boerhaave.) _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM BRYONIÆ. _Prep._ Strained galbanum, 4 oz.; wax plaster, 9 oz.; olive oil, 1 oz. Melt together and add powdered bryony root, 2 oz.; flowers of sulphur, 1 oz.; Ethiops mineral, 2 dr.; stir till cold.

=Plaster of Bur′gundy Pitch.= _Syn._ CEPHALIC PLASTER, BREATH P.; EMPLASTRUM PICIS (B. P., Ph. L. & E.), E. P. COMPOSITUM, E. P. BURGUNDICÆ, L. _Prep._ 1. (Ph. L.) Prepared (strained) Burgundy pitch, 2 lbs.; prepared frankincense (thus), 1 lb.; yellow resin and beeswax, of each 4 oz.; melt them together, then add, olive oil and water, of each 2 fl. oz.; expressed oil of nutmeg (mace), 1 oz.; and, constantly stirring, evaporate to a proper consistence.

2. (Ph. E.) Burgundy pitch, 1 lb.; resin and beeswax, of each 2 oz.; olive oil and water, of each 1 fl. oz.; oil of mace, 1/2 oz.; as the last.

3. (B. P.) Burgundy pitch, 26; common frankincense, 13; resin, 4-1/2; yellow wax, 4-1/2; expressed oil of nutmegs, 1; olive oil, 2; water, 2; add the oil and the water to the other ingredients, previously melted together; stir, and evaporate to a proper consistency.

_Uses, &c._ Burgundy-pitch plaster is stimulant, rubefacient, and counter-irritant. It is a common application to the chest in pulmonary affections, to the joints in rheumatism, and to the loins in lumbago. Spread on leather, it forms a good warm plaster to wear on the chest during the winter. “When it produces a serous exudation, it should be frequently renewed.”

The BURGUNDY-PITCH PLASTER of the shops is commonly made as follows:——Factitious Burgundy pitch (bright coloured), 42 lbs.; palm oil (bright), 3/4 lb.; beeswax (bright), 5 lbs.; melt, and, when nearly cold, add, of oil of mace, 6 oz.; oil of nutmeg, 1 oz.

=Plaster of Burgundy Pitch (Irritating).= (Ph. G.) _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM PICIS IRRITANS. _Prep._ Burgundy pitch, 32 oz.; yellow wax, 12 oz.; turpentine, 12 oz.; euphorbium, 3 oz.

=Plaster, Califa′cient.= _Syn._ WARM PLASTER; EMPLASTRUM CALEFACIENS (Ph. D.), L. _Prep._ (Ph. D.) 1. Plaster of cantharides, 1/2 lb. (1 part); Burgundy pitch, 5-1/2 lbs. (11 parts); melt them together by a gentle heat, and stir the mixture as it cools until it stiffens. Stimulant, rubefacient, and counter-irritant; in a variety of affections. In some persons, when long applied, it blisters or produces a running sore.

2. (Ph. B.) Cantharides in coarse powder, 4 oz.; boiling water, 1 pint; expressed oil of nutmeg, 4 oz.; yellow wax, 4 oz.; resin, 4 oz.; soap plaster, 3-1/4 lbs.; resin plaster, 2 lbs. Infuse the cantharides in the boiling water for six hours; squeeze strongly through calico, and evaporate the expressed liquid by a water bath till reduced to one third. Then add the other ingredients and melt in a water bath, stirring well till the whole is thoroughly mixed.

=Plaster, Camphor.= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM CAMPHORÆ. Camphor is best applied by sprinkling the powder on the warm surface of a spread adhesive or other plaster. Blisters are treated in this way to prevent strangury.

=Plaster, Can′cer.= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM ANTICANCROSUM, L. _Prep._ 1. Wax plaster, 1 oz.; extract of hemlock, 1 dr.; levigated arsenious acid, 1/2 dr.

2. (Richter.) Extract of hemlock, 1 oz.; extract of henbane, 1/2 oz.; powdered belladonna, 1 dr.; acetate of ammonia, q. s. to form a plaster. Both the above must be used with great caution. See CANCER, &c.

=Plaster of Canthar′ides.= _Syn._ BLISTERING PLASTER, VESICANT P., PLASTER OF SPANISH FLIES; EMPLASTRUM CANTHARIDIS (B. P., Ph. L., E., & D.), E. C. VESICATORÆ, E. LYTTÆ, L. _Prep._ 1. (Ph. L.) Yellow wax and suet, of each 7-1/2 oz.; lard, 6 oz.; resin, 3 oz.; melt them together, remove the vessel from the fire, and, a little before they concrete, sprinkle in of cantharides (in very fine powder), 1 lb. (12 oz. B. P.), and mix.

2. (Ph. E.) Cantharides, beeswax, resin, and suet, equal parts; as the last.

3. (Ph. D.) Spanish flies, 6 oz.; prepared lard, resin, and yellow wax, of each 4 oz.; proceed as before, and “stir the mixture constantly until the plaster is cool.”

4. (Wholesale.) From beeswax and good lard, of each 4 lbs.; flies and yellow resin, of each 6 lbs.; suet, 10 lbs. A commonly used formula, the product of which is, however, greatly inferior to that of the Pharmacopœia.

_Obs._ All the above are used to raise blisters. The plaster is spread on white leather with a cold knife, and is surrounded with a margin of resin plaster to make it adhere. A piece of thin muslin or tissue paper is usually placed between the plaster and the skin to prevent absorption. A little powdered camphor is sometimes sprinkled on the surface of the spread plaster, to prevent strangury. A better mode of obviating the action on the urinary organs is by the copious use of diluents. This plaster should be rolled in starch powder, and not with oil.

=Plaster of Cantharides (Compound).= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM CANTHARIDIS COMPOSITUM, L. _Prep._ (Ph. E.) Venice turpentine, 4-1/2 oz.; cantharides and Burgundy pitch, of each 3 oz.; beeswax, 1 oz.; verdigris (in fine powder), 1/2 oz.; powdered mustard and black pepper, of each 2 dr.; mix at a heat under 212° Fahr. Stronger than the last, and quicker in its action; but it causes more pain, and is much more apt to occasion troublesome ulcerations. Used in gout, spasms of the stomach, &c.

=Plaster, Capuchin′.= See PLASTER OF EUPHORBIUM.

=Plaster of Car′bonate of Lead.= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM PLUMBI CARBONATIS, E. CERUSSÆ, L. _Prep._ (P. Cod.) Carbonate of lead, 1 lb.; olive oil and water, of each 2 lbs.; boil them together until they combine and form a plaster; lastly, remelt this with white wax, 3-1/2 oz. Its properties resemble those of ordinary lead plaster. An excellent emollient and defensive plaster. See PLASTER, MAHY’S.

=Plaster, Cephal′ic.= _Syn._ LABDANUM PLASTER; EMPLASTRUM CEPHALICUM, E. LABDANI, L. _Prep._ (Ph. L. 1788.) Labdanum, 3 oz.; frankincense (thus), 1 oz.; melt, and add to the mixture, when nearly cold, powdered cinnamon and expressed oil of mace, of each 1/2 oz.; oil of mint, 1 dr. Applied to the forehead or temples, in headache; to the stomach, in colds, &c. See PLASTER OF BURGUNDY PITCH, &c.

=Plaster, Cheselden’s Stick′ing.= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM PLUMBI CUM PICE, L. _Prep._ From lead plaster, 2 lbs.; Burgundy pitch (genuine), 1 oz.; melted together.

=Plaster, Corn.= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM AD CLAVOS, L. _Prep._ 1. Resin plaster, 5 parts; melt, stir in of sal ammoniac (in fine powder), 1 part, and at once spread it on linen or soft leather.

2. (Kennedy’s.) From beeswax, 1 lb.; Venice turpentine, 5 oz.; verdigris (in fine powder), 1-1/2 oz.; mixed by a gentle heat, and spread on cloth. It is cut into pieces, and polished, and of these 1 dozen are put into each box.

3. (Le Foret.) Galbanum plaster, 2 oz.; melt by a very gentle heat; add, sal ammoniac and saffron, of each 1/2 oz.; powdered camphor, 2 oz.; and, when nearly cold stir in of liquor of ammonia, 2 oz. Applied, spread on leather, to the corn only, as it will blister the thinner skin surrounding its base.

4. (Ph. Sax.) Galbanum plaster, 1 oz.; pitch, 1/2 oz.; lead plaster, 2 dr.; melt them together, and add verdigris and sal ammoniac (in fine powder), of each 1 dr. For other formulæ, see PLASTER OF VERDIGRIS (_below_), and CORNS.

=Plaster, Court.= _Syn._ STICKING PLASTER, ISINGLASS P.; EMPLASTRUM ICHTHYOCOLLÆ, E. ADHESIVUM ANGLICUM, L. _Prep._ 1. Isinglass, 1 part; water, 10 parts; dissolve, strain the solution, and gradually add to it of tincture of benzoin, 2 parts; apply this mixture, gently warmed, by means of a camel-hair brush, to the surface of silk or sarcenet, stretched on a frame, and allow each coating to dry before applying the next one, the application being repeated as often as necessary; lastly, give the prepared surface a coating of tincture of benzoin or tincture of balsam of Peru. Some manufacturers apply this to the unprepared side of the plaster, and others add to the tincture a few drops of essence of ambergris or essence of musk.

2. (Deschamps.) A piece of fine muslin, linen, or silk is fastened to a flat board, and a thin coating of smooth, strained flour paste is given to it; over this, when dry, two coats of colourless gelatin, made into size with water, q. s., are applied warm. Said to be superior to the ordinary court plaster.

3. (Liston’s.) Soak isinglass, 1 oz., in water, 2-1/2 fl. oz., until it becomes swollen and quite soft; then add of proof spirit, 3-1/2 fl. oz., and expose the mixture to the heat of hot water, frequently stirring, until the union is complete; lastly, apply four coats of the solution to the surface of oiled silk nailed to a board, by means of a soft brush.

4. (Dr Paris.) Black silk or sarcenet is strained and brushed over 10 or 12 times with the following composition:——Gum benzoin, 1/2 oz.; rectified spirit, 6 oz.; dissolve. In a separate vessel dissolve of isinglass, 1 oz., in as little water as possible; strain each solution, mix them, decant the clear portion, and apply it warm. When the last coating is quite dry, a finishing coat is given with a solution of Chio turpentine, 4 oz., in tincture of benzoin, 6 oz.

_Obs._ The common ‘COURT PLASTER’ of the shops is generally prepared without using spirit, and with merely sufficient tincture of benzoin, or other aromatic, to give it an agreeable odour. Formerly, black silk or sarcenet was exclusively employed as the basis of the plaster, but at the present time checkered silk is also much in favour. ‘FLESH-COLOURED COURT PLASTER’ is likewise fashionable. ‘TRANSPARENT COURT PLASTER’ is prepared on oiled silk. ‘WATERPROOF COURT PLASTER’ is simply the common plaster which has received a thin coating of pale drying oil on its exposed surface. The FINEST COURT PLASTER of the West-end houses is now prepared on gold-beaters’ skin (or the prepared membrane of the cæcum of the ox), one side of which is coated with the isinglass solution, as above, and the other with pale drying oil or a solution of either gutta percha or caoutchouc in chloroform, or in bisulphuret of carbon.

=Plaster of Cro′ton Oil.= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM CROTONIS, E. OLEI TIGLII, L. _Prep._ (Bouchardat.) To lead plaster, 4 parts, melted by a very gentle heat, add of croton oil, 1 part. A powerful counter-irritant; it also generally acts powerfully on the bowels.

=Plaster of Cum′in.= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM CUMINI (Ph. L.), E. CYMINI, L. _Prep._ 1. (Ph. L.) Burgundy pitch, 3 lbs.; beeswax, 3 oz.; melt, add of cumin seed, caraways, and bay-berries, of each (in powder) 3 oz.; next add of olive oil and water of each 1-1/2 fl. oz., and evaporate to a proper consistence.

2. (Wholesale.) From yellow resin, 7 lbs.; beeswax and linseed oil, of each 1/2 lb.; powdered cumin and caraway seeds, of each 7 oz.; mix.

_Obs._ This is a mere revival of the formula of the Ph. L. 1724. In that of the Ph. L. 1778 no water was ordered, and the powders simply stirred into the melted mass shortly before it cools; the common practice in all laboratories.

Cumin plaster is carminative, stimulant, and discutient. It is applied over the regions of the stomach and bowels in colic, dyspepsia, and flatulence, and is also applied to indolent tumours. It has long been a favourite remedy with the lower classes.

=Plaster, Delacroix’s Agglu′tinative.= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM GLUTINANS SANCTI ANDREÆ A CRUCE, E. PICIS CUM ELEMI, L. EMPLÂTRE D’ANDRÉ DE LA CROIX, Fr. _Prep._ (P. Cod.) From Burgundy pitch, 25 parts; gum elemi, 6 parts; Venice turpentine and oil of bays, of each 3 parts; melted together, and strained.

=Plaster, Diach′ylon.= See PLASTER OF LEAD.

=Plaster, Diapal′ma.= See PLASTER, PALM.

=Plaster of El′emi.= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM ELEMI, L. _Prep._ From wax plaster, 3 parts; gum elemi, 1 part; melted together by a gentle heat. Stimulant and discutient. Used for issues, &c.

=Plaster of Euphor′bium.= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM EUPHORBII, L. _Prep._ 1. (Guy’s Hosp.) Burgundy pitch plaster, 8 oz.; melt, and add of euphorbium (in powder), 1 dr.

2. (CAPUCHIN PLASTER——Ph. Wirt.) Burgundy pitch and beeswax, of each 3 oz.; Venice turpentine, 1 oz.; melt them together, add, gum ammoniacum, olibanum, mastic, and lapis calaminaris, of each 1 oz.; euphorbium, pyrethrum, and common salt, of each (in powder) 2 oz.; and stir until the mass concretes. Both of the above are stimulant, rubefacient, and counter-irritant.

=Plaster, Fayard’s.= See PAPER (Gout).

=Plaster of Flower of Ointments.= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM FLOS UNGUENTORUM DICTUM, L. _Prep._ From frankincense (thus), yellow resin, suet, and beeswax, of each 1 lb.; olibanum, 1/2 lb.; Venice turpentine, 5 oz.; gum myrrh, 2 oz.; white wine, 16 fl. oz.; boil to a plaster, adding, before the mass cool, of camphor, 1/2 oz. Calorifacient and stimulant.

=Plaster of Frank′incense.= _Syn._ STRENGTHENING PLASTER; EMPLASTRUM THURIS, E. ROBORANS, L. _Prep._ (Ph. L. 1788.) To lead plaster, 2 lbs., melted by a gentle heat, add of frankincense (thus), 1/2 lb., dragon’s blood (in powder), 3 oz., and stir well. In muscular relaxations, weak joints, &c. Mr Redwood says that a “better-looking plaster is produced by melting the frankincense and dragon’s blood together, and straining them through a cloth, then mixing these with the lead plaster previously melted.” See PLASTER OF OXIDE OF IRON.

=Plaster of Gal′banum.= _Syn._ COMPOUND GALBANUM PLASTER, YELLOW DIACHYLON, GUM PLASTER, DIACHYLON WITH THE GUMS, EMPLASTRUM GALBANI (B. P., Ph. L.), E. GUMMOSUM (Ph. E.), L. _Prep._ 1. (Ph. L.) Take of strained galbanum, 8 oz.; common turpentine, 1 oz.; melt them together, then add of prepared frankincense (thus), 3 oz.; and next, of lead plaster, 3 lbs., previously melted over a slow fire.

2. (Ph. E.) Gum ammoniacum and galbanum, of each 1/2 oz.; melt them together, strain, and add, of litharge plaster, 4 oz.; beeswax, 1/2 oz. (both previously melted); and mix the whole thoroughly. These proportions are the same as those of the B. P.

3. (Wholesale.) From lead plaster, 42 lbs.; yellow resin, 12 lbs.; strained galbanum, 3 lbs.; strained assafœtida, 1 oz.

_Obs._ Galbanum plaster is stimulant and resolvent, and is much used in indolent, scrofulous, and other tumours, painful gouty and rheumatic joints, in rickets, &c.

=Plaster, Gaulthier’s.= _Prep._ (Guibourt.) Palm plaster, 12 parts; olive oil and white wax, of each 1 part; melt, and add of Venice turpentine, 2 parts. More adhesive than the simple PALM PLASTER.

=Plaster of Gin′ger.= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM ZINGIBERIS, L. See GINGER.

=Plaster, Gout.= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM ANTARTHRITICUM, L. See PLASTER OF GALBANUM, PITCH, &c.; PAPER, GOUT.

=Plaster of Gum.= See PLASTER OF GALBANUM.

=Plaster of Hem′lock.= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM CONII, E. CICUTÆ, L. _Prep._ 1. Wax, 1 part; Burgundy pitch, 9 parts; melt them together, and add of extract of hemlock, 3 parts.

2. (Ph. Bat.) Lead plaster and beeswax, of each 1 lb.; olive oil, 6 fl. oz.; melt, and add of powdered hemlock (recent), 1 lb.

_Obs._ Hemlock plaster is occasionally used as an application to painful and malignant ulcers and tumours, painful joints, &c. A spread plaster of it, with 6 or 8 gr. of tartar emetic (in very fine powder) sprinkled over its surface, has been highly extolled as a counter-irritant in hooping-cough, phthisis, &c.

=Plaster of Hen′bane.= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM HYOSCYAMI, L. _Prep._ As the last, but using henbane instead of hemlock. As an anodyne, in various external affections.

=Plaster of I′odide of Lead.= (Ph. B.) _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM PLUMBI IODIDI. _Prep._ Add iodide of lead in fine powder, 1 oz.; to soap plaster and resin plaster, of each 4 oz., previously melted together. Mix thoroughly.

=Plaster of Iodide of Potas′sium.= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM POTASSII IODIDI (Ph. L.), L. _Prep._ (Ph. L.) Iodide of potassium, 1 oz.; olive oil, 2 fl. dr.; triturate them together, then add, of strained frankincense (thus), 6 oz.; wax, 6 dr.; and stir constantly until the mass cools. “This plaster is to be spread on linen, rather than on leather.” Used as a discutient or resolvent; more particularly as an application to scrofulous tumours and indurations.

=Plaster of I′odine.= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM IODINII, L. _Prep._ Triturate iodine, 1 dr., in a warm mortar, with olive oil, 1 oz.; then add, of beeswax, 1 oz.; yellow resin, 1/2 oz.; previously melted together, and stir the whole until it concretes. It should be, preferably, spread at once on leather, and applied shortly after being prepared. Used as the last.

=Plaster of Iodine (Compound).= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM IODINII COMPOSITUM, L. _Prep._ 1. Iodine, 1 dr.; iodide of potassium, 2 dr.; rub them to a fine powder, add this to lead powder, 2 oz.; Burgundy pitch, 1 oz.; previously melted together, and just about to concrete. More active than either of the preceding.

2. (EMP. IOD. CUM BELLADONNÂ.) To belladonna plaster, 2 oz., melted by a very gentle heat, add iodine and iodide of potassium (in fine powder), of each 1 dr.; and stir the mixture until nearly cold. Powerfully resolvent and anodyne. Used in the same cases as the preceding, when there is much pain.

=Plaster of I′ron.= See PLASTER OF OXIDE OF IRON.

=Plaster of I′′singlass.= See PLASTER, COURT.

=Plaster, Is′sue.= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM AD FONTICULOS, SPARADRAPUM PRO FONTICULIS, L. _Prep._ 1. From beeswax, 1/2 lb.; Burgundy pitch and Chio turpentine, of each 4 oz.; vermilion and orris powder, of each 1 oz.; musk, 4 gr.; melted together and spread upon linen. This is afterwards polished with a smooth piece of glass moistened with water, and cut into pieces.

2. (Ph. Aust.) Yellow wax, 6 oz.; mutton suet, 2 oz.; lard, 1-1/2 oz.; melt, add of turpentine, 1-1/2 oz., and afterwards of red lead, 4 oz.; dip pieces of linen into the melted mixture, pass these between rollers, and, when cold, polish them, as before, and cut them into squares. The issue plaster (issue paper; charta ad fonticulos) of the Ph. Suecica is a nearly similar compound, with the addition of about 1-48th part of verdigris, in very fine powder, and being spread upon paper.

=Plaster, Kennedy’s.= See PLASTERS, CORN.

=Plaster, Kirkland’s.= See PLASTER, AMMONIACAL.

=Plaster of Lab′danum.= See PLASTER, CEPHALIC.

=Plaster of Lead.= _Syn._ LEAD PLASTER, LITHARGE P., COMMON P., DIACHYLON, SIMPLE DIACHYLON, WHITE D.; EMPLASTRUM PLUMBI (B. P., Ph. L.), E. LYTHARGYRI (Ph. E. & D.), E. COMMUNE, DIACHYLON SIMPLEX, L. _Prep._ 1. (Ph. L.) Oxide of lead (litharge), in very fine powder, 6 lbs.; olive oil, 1 gall.; water, 1 quart; boil them over a slow fire, constantly stirring to the consistence of a plaster, adding a little boiling water, if nearly the whole of that used in the beginning should be consumed before the end of the process.

2. (Ph. E.) Litharge, 5 oz.; olive oil, 12 fl. oz.; water, 8 fl. oz.; as the last.

3. (Ph. D.) Litharge, 5 lbs.; olive oil, 1 gall.; water, 1 quart.

4. (Otto Kohnke.) For each lb. of litharge employed, add 1/4 pint of colourless vinegar (each fl. oz. of which is capable of saturating 1/2 dr. of carbonate of potassa); add the oil, boil until all moisture is evaporated, and until only a few striæ of litharge rise to the surface, then remove the vessel from the heat, add gradually 1/3 to 1/2 as much vinegar as before, and boil the mixture to a proper consistence.

5. (Wholesale.) From Genoa oil, 7 galls. (or 65 lbs.); litharge (perfectly free from copper), 28 lbs.; water, 2-1/2 galls.; boil to a plaster, as before.

6. (B. P.) Oxide of lead, in very fine powder, 1; olive oil, 2-1/2; water, 1; boil all the ingredients together gently by the heat of a steam bath, and keep them simmering for 4 or 5 hours, stirring constantly until the product acquires the proper consistence for plaster, adding more water during the process, if necessary.

_Obs._ The London College orders too little oil. The second, fourth, and fifth formulæ produce beautiful plasters, that keep well; those of the others, although very white, get hard and brittle much more rapidly. The proper proportion of oil is fully 2-1/3 times the weight of the litharge,——2-1/2 times appears the best quantity; and without this is used, the plaster speedily gets hard and non-adhesive. The process consists in putting the water and the litharge into a perfectly clean and well-polished tinned copper or copper-pan, mixing them well together with a spatula, adding the oil, and boiling, with constant stirring, until the plaster is sufficiently hard, when thoroughly cold. This process usually occupies from 4 to 5 hours, but by adopting the fourth formula an excellent plaster may be made in from 20 to 30 minutes. This plaster is generally cooled by immersion in cold water; and to render it very white, a quality highly prized in the trade, it is usual to submit it to laborious ‘pulling,’ in the manner already noticed.

_Use._ As a simple defensive plaster or strapping; but principally as a basis for other plasters.

=Plaster, Liston’s.= See PLASTER, COURT.

=Plaster, Mahy’s.= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM PLUMBI CARBONATIS, E. P. C. COMPOSITUM, L. _Prep._ (Ph. U. S.) Carbonate of lead (pure white lead), 1 lb.; olive oil, 32 fl. oz.; water, q. s.; boil them together, constantly stirring until perfectly incorporated; then add, of yellow wax, 4 oz.; lead plaster, 1-1/2 lb.; and when these are melted, and the mass somewhat cooled, stir in of powdered orris root, 9 oz. A favourite application in the United States of America to inflamed and excoriated surfaces, bed sores, burns, &c.

=Plaster of Mel′ilot.= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM MELILOTI, E. È MELILOTO, L. _Prep._ 1. (Ph. E. 1744.) Fresh melilot, chopped small, 6 lbs.; suet, 3 lbs.; boil until crisp, strain with pressure, and add, of yellow resin, 8 lbs.; beeswax, 4 lbs., and boil to a plaster. Stimulant. Used to dress blisters, &c. The greater portion of this plaster in the shops is made without the herb, and is coloured with verdigris. (See the next formula.)

2. (Wholesale.) Take of yellow resin, 18 lbs.; green ointment, 4-1/2 lbs.; yellow wax, 3 lbs.; finely powdered verdigris, q. s. to give a deep-green colour.

=Plaster, Mercu′′rial.= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM MERCURIALE, E. HYDRARGYRI (B. P., Ph. L., E., & D.), L. _Prep._ 1. (Ph. L.) Add, gradually, of sulphur, 8 gr., to heated olive oil, 1 fl. dr., and stir the mixture constantly with a spatula until they unite; next add of mercury, 3 oz., and triturate until globules are no longer visible; lastly, gradually add of lead plaster (melted over a slow fire), 1 lb., and mix them all well together. (About 1 fl. dr. of balsam of sulphur may be substituted for the oil and sulphur ordered above.) These proportions are the same as those of the B. P.

2. (Ph. E.) Resin, 1 oz.; olive oil, 9 fl. dr.; mix by heat, cool, add of mercury, 3 oz., and triturate until its globules disappear; then add of litharge plaster, 6 oz. (previously liquefied), and mix the whole thoroughly.

3. (Ph. D.) Oil of turpentine, 1 fl. oz.; resin, 2 oz.; dissolve, with the aid of heat; add of mercury, 6 oz.; triturate until the globules disappear, and the mixture assumes a dark grey colour, then add of litharge plaster (previously melted), 12 oz., and stir the whole until it stiffens on cooling.

4. (Wholesale.) Take of mercury, 7 lbs.; prepared serum, 1/2 lb.; triturate until the globules disappear, and add the mixture to lead plaster (melted by a gentle heat), 36 lbs.; stir them well together, and until they concrete. Very fine bluish-slate or lead colour.

_Obs._ Mercurial plaster is used as a discutient in glandular enlargements, and other swellings; and is also applied over the hepatic regions in liver complaints.

=Plaster, Mercurial, with Belladon′na.= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM HYDRARGYRI CUM BELLADONNÂ, L. _Prep._ From mercurial plaster, 6 dr.; extract of belladonna, 2 dr.; olive oil, 1 dr.;mixed by a gentle heat. One of our most useful anodyne and discutient applications, in painful scirrhous, scrofulous, and syphilitic tumours. The Medico-Chirurgical Pharm. orders 1/2 fl. dr. of hydrocyanic acid to be added to every 2 oz. of the above.

=Plaster of Mezereon and Cantharides.= (Ph. G.) _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM MEZEREI CANTHARIDATUM. _Prep._ Cantharides in coarse powder, 3 oz., mezereon cut and dried, 1 oz.; acetic ether, 10 oz. by weight. Macerate for 8 days, filter, and dissolve in the filtered liquid 175 gr. of sandarac, 87 gr. of eleme, 87 gr. of resin, which, spread on silk previously covered with the following solution; isinglass, 2 oz.; distilled water, 20 oz.; rectified spirit, 5 oz. by weight.

=Plaster of Min′ium.= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM MINII, E. È MINIO, E. PLUMBI OXYDI RUBRI, L. _Prep._ (Ph. L. 1746.) Olive oil, 4 lbs.; minium (red lead), in fine powder, 2-1/2 lbs.; water, q. s.; proceed as for lead plaster (which it closely resembles).

_Obs._ To ensure a good colour and the quality of keeping well, the quantity of oil should be increased about 1-3rd. When discoloured by heat it forms the ‘brown minium plaster’ (emp. è minio fuscum) of old pharmacy. Lead plaster, either alone or with the addition of a little red lead, is usually sold for it.

=Plaster of Minium (Compound).= _Syn._ NUREMBERG PLASTER; EMPLASTRUM MINII COMPOSITUM, L.; EMPLÂTRE DE NUREMBERG, Fr. _Prep._ (Soubeiran.) Red lead, 12 parts; olive oil, 8 parts; grind them together on a porphyry slab, and add the mixture to lead plaster, 50 parts, beeswax, 24 parts, melted together; lastly, when nearly cold, stir in of camphor, 1 part.

=Plaster, Morrison’s Adhesive.= _Syn._ MORRISON’S ADHESIVE PASTE. From wheaten flour, 2 oz.; mild ale, 1/2 pint; stir them together, and heat the mixture to the boiling point; when cold, add of powdered resin, 3 oz.; and, constantly stirring, again heat them to boiling. Used as a depilatory in ringworm, &c.

=Plaster of Mu′cilages.= _Syn._ DIACHYLON COMPOSITUM, EMPLASTRUM È MUCILAGINIBUS, L. _Prep._ (Ph. L. 1746.) Beeswax, 20 oz.; oil of mucilages, 4 oz.; melt, and add them to strained ammoniacum, 3 oz.; common turpentine, 1 oz., previously melted together. Stimulant and emollient.

=Plaster of Mus′tard.= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM SINAPIS, L. This is always an extemporaneous preparation. Flour of mustard is made into a stiff paste with lukewarm water, or with vinegar, and is then spread on a piece of calico or linen (folded two or three times); over the surface of the mustard is placed a piece of gauze or thin muslin, and the plaster is then applied to the part of the body it is intended to medicate. Its action is that of a powerful rubefacient and counter-irritant; but its application should not be continued long, unless in extreme cases. Its effects are often apparently wonderful. We have seen very severe cases of facial neuralgia, sore throat, painful joints, rheumatic pains, &c., relieved in a few minutes by means of a mustard plaster or ‘poultice.’

=Plaster, Nuremberg.= See PLASTER, MINIUM (COMPOUND).

=Plaster of Oak-mistletoe.= (Hardy.) _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM VISCI QUERCINI. _Prep._ To 2 parts of melted beeswax add gradually 1 part of juice of true oak mistletoe, and form a plaster. In neuralgic pains.

=Plaster of O′′pium.= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM ANODYNUM, E. OPII (B. P., Ph. L. E. & D.), L. _Prep._ 1. (Ph. L.) Lead plaster, 8 oz.; melt, and add of frankincense (thus), 2 oz.; next, add of extract of opium, 1 oz., previously dissolved in boiling water, 1 fl. oz.; and, constantly stirring, evaporate the mixture over a slow fire to a proper consistence. This plaster is much stronger than that of the Ph. L. 1836 and of the other British Colleges.

2. (Ph. L. 1836.) Lead plaster, 1 lb.; melt, add of powdered thus, 3 oz.; mix, and further add, of powdered opium, 1/2 oz., water, 8 fl. oz., and boil to a proper consistence.

3. (Ph. E.) Litharge plaster, 12 oz.; Burgundy pitch, 3 oz.; liquefy by heat, then add, by degrees, of powdered opium, 1/2 oz., and mix them thoroughly. This and the preceding contains only 1-3rd part of the opium ordered in the present Ph. L. & D.

4. (Ph. D.) Resin plaster, 9 oz.; opium, in fine powder, 1 oz.; as the last. Same as B. P.

5. (Ph. B.), Powdered opium, 1 oz.; resin plaster, 9 oz.; melt the plaster and add the opium.

_Obs._ The above plaster is reputed anodyne, and useful in various local pains; but its virtues in this way have been greatly exaggerated. The formula of the Ph. L. 1836, from being less costly, is still often employed in place of that of the Ph. L. 1851. The following is commonly used:——Lead plaster, 14 lbs.; yellow resin, 2 lbs.; powdered opium, 1/2 lb.

=Plaster of Opium and Camphor.= (Dr Paris.) _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM OPII ET CAMPHORÆ. _Prep._ Opium and camphor, of each 1/2 dr. Lead plaster q. s. Mix.

=Plaster of Ox′ide of I′ron.= _Syn._ IRON PLASTER, FRANKINCENSE P., STRENGTHENING P.; EMPLASTRUM ROBORANS, E. FERRI (B. P., Ph. L. E. & D.), E. THURIS, E. FERRI OXYDI RUBRI, L. _Prep._ 1. (Ph. L.) Lead plaster, 8 oz.; frankincense (thus), 2 oz.; melt them together over a slow fire, sprinkle into the mixture sesquioxide of iron, 1 oz., and mix the whole well together.

2. (Ph. E.) Litharge plaster, 3 oz.; yellow resin, 6 dr.; beeswax, 3 dr.; melt them together, then add of red oxide of iron, 1 oz., previously triturated with olive oil, 3-1/2 fl. dr.

3. (Ph. D.) Litharge plaster, 8 oz.; Burgundy pitch, 2 oz.; peroxide of iron, in fine powder, 1 oz.; as No. 1. Same as B. P.

4. (Wholesale.) From lead plaster (quite dry), 84 lbs.; powdered yellow resin, 14 lbs.; ‘crocus martis’ (lively coloured), 14 lbs.; olive oil, 3 pints; as No. 2.

5. (B. P.) Add hydrated peroxide of iron in fine powder, 1 oz., to Burgundy pitch, 2 oz., and litharge plaster, 8 oz., previously melted together, and stir the mixture constantly till it stiffens on cooling.

_Obs._ Iron plaster is reputed strengthening and stimulant. It is employed as a mechanical support in muscular relaxation, weakness of the joints, &c., especially by public dancers. Its tonic action is probably wholly imaginary. No. 4 is the ‘EMPLASTRUM ROBORANS’ of the shops at the present time.

=Plaster, Oxycro′ceum.= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM OXYCROCEUM, L. _Prep._ 1. (Ph. E. 1744.) Beeswax, 1 lb.; black pitch and strained galbanum, of each 1/2 lb.; melt, and add of Venice turpentine, powdered myrrh, and olibanum, of each 3 oz.; powdered saffron, 2 oz.

2. (Wholesale.) From black pitch, 9 lbs.; black resin, 11 lbs.; beeswax and lard, of each 2-1/2 lbs.; melted together. Warm; discutient. Still popular with the lower orders. The saffron of the original formula never finds its way into the oxycroceum plaster of the druggists.

=Plaster, Palm.= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM DIAPALMUM, L.; DIAPALME, EMPLÂTRE DIAPALME, Fr. _Prep._ (P. Cod.) Lead plaster, 32 parts; yellow wax, 2 parts; melt them together, add of sulphate of zinc, 1 part, dissolve in a little water, and continue the heat, with constant agitation, until all the water is evaporated.

_Obs._ This plaster originally contained palm oil, and this ingredient is still ordered in the formulæ of Plenck and Reuss. Soubeiran directs white wax to be employed.

=Plaster, Paracelsus’s.= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM PARACELSI, E. STYPTICUM, L. _Prep._ From lead plaster, 28 lbs.; galbanum plaster, 2 lbs.; powdered white canella and gum thus, of each 1-1/2 lb.; melted together. The original formula, as well as that of the Ph. L. 1721 were similar, although much more complicated.

=Plaster of Pitch.= _Syn._ POOR MAN’S PLASTER, GOUT P., ANTI-RHEUMATIC P.; EMPLASTRUM PAUPERIS, E. ANTIRHEUMATICUM, E. ANTARTHRITICUM, E. PICIS COMMUNE, L. This has been already noticed under the head of RESIN PAPER. It is also, but less frequently, spread on cloth and leather.

=Plaster, Prestat’s Adhe′sive.= _Prep._ From lead plaster, 2-1/2 lbs.; yellow resin, 5 oz.; Venice turpentine, 4 oz.; gum ammoniacum and mastic, of each 1-1/4 oz.; made into a plaster, and spread on linen or calico.

=Plaster of Red Lead.= See PLASTER OF MINIUM.

=Plaster of Res′in.= _Syn._ ADHESIVE PLASTER, RESINOUS P.; EMPLASTRUM ADHESIVUM, E. RESINÆ (B. P., Ph. L. & D.), E. RESINOSUM (Ph. E.), E. LYTHARGYRI CUM RESINÂ, L. _Prep._ 1. (Ph. L.) To lead plaster, 3 lbs., melted by a gentle heat, add of resin, 1/2 lb., also liquefied by heat, and mix. The formula of the Ph. U. S. is similar.

2. (Ph. E.) Litharge plaster, 5 oz.; resin, 1 oz.; mix with a moderate heat.

3. (Ph. D.) To litharge plaster, 2 lbs., melted by a gentle heat, add, of powdered resin, 4 oz., Castile soap, in powder, 2 oz., and mix them intimately.

4. (Wholesale.) Pale lead plaster (from a previous batch, and quite dry), 72 lbs.; olive oil (Genoa), 3 lbs.; melt them together in a bright and perfectly clean copper pan, and sift in of pale yellow resin (in powder), 12 lbs., stirring all the while. The mixture is to be cooled, and ‘pulled’ or ‘worked,’ after the manner of lead plaster.

5. (B. P.) Resin (in powder), 2; litharge plaster, 16; hard soap, 1; melt the plaster with a gentle heat, add the resin and soap, first liquefied, and mix.

_Obs._ Resin plaster, spread upon calico, forms the well-known ‘STRAPPING’ or ‘ADHESIVE PLASTER’ so extensively used to protect raw surfaces, support parts, and for dressing ulcers, retaining the lips of recent cuts and wounds in contact, &c. It is gently stimulant, and is thought to assist the healing process. It is also employed as a basis for other plasters. The ‘HOSPITAL PLASTER’ of certain houses is of this kind. See PLASTER OF SOAP, COMPOUND.

=Plaster, Resol′vent.= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM RESOLVENS, E. EX MIXTIS QUATUOR, L. _Prep._ (P. Cod.) Galbanum, hemlock, mercurial, and soap plasters, equal parts, melted together.

=Plaster, Roper’s Royal Bath.= _Prep._ (Cooley.) Strained black pitch, 16 oz.; Burgundy pitch, 10 oz.; tar and beeswax, of each 1 oz.; melt, and, when considerably cooled, add of expressed oil of mace, 2 dr.; croton oil, 1 dr.; and spread the mixture upon heart-shaped pieces of white sheep-skin, without remelting it. Stimulant and counter-irritant; recommended by its proprietor as a cure for all human ailments. The ‘BATH-PLASTER PILLS,’ also prepared by Mr Roper, resemble several of the aperient pills already noticed. (See ‘Anat. of Quackery.’)

=Plaster, Scott’s.= _Prep._ From lead plaster, 14 oz.; olive oil and white resin, of each 1 oz.; melted together, and spread on calico.

=Plaster, Sharp’s Black.= _Prep._ From olive oil, 5 parts; carbonate of lead, 4 parts; beeswax, 1 part; boiled to a plaster.

=Plaster, Simple.= See PLASTER, WAX.

=Plaster of Soap.= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM È SAPONE, E. SAPONIS (Ph. L. E. & D.), L. _Prep._ 1. (Ph. L.) To lead plaster, 3 lbs., melted by a slow heat, add of Castile soap, sliced, 1/2 lb., resin, 1 oz., both (also) liquefied by heat, and, constantly stirring, evaporate to a proper consistence.

2. (Ph. E.) To litharge plaster, 4 oz., gum plaster, 2 oz., melted together, add of Castile soap, in shavings, 1 oz., and boil a little.

3. (Ph. D.) To litharge plaster, 2-1/2 lbs., melted over a gentle fire, add of Castile soap, in powder, 4 oz., and heat them together (constantly stirring) until they combine.

4. (B. P.) Hard soap (in powder), 6; lead plaster, 36; resin (in powder), 1; to the lead plaster, previously melted, add the soap and the resin, first liquefied, then, constantly stirring, evaporate to a proper consistence.

_Obs._ Care must be taken to evaporate all the moisture from the above compounds, as, if any is left in the plaster, it turns out crumbly, and does not keep well. Much heat discolours it. (See _below_.)

Soap plaster is emollient and resolvent, and is used in abrasions and excoriations, and as a dressing to soft corns, lymphatic tumours, &c.

=Plaster of Soap (Camphorated).= (P. Cod.) _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM SAPONIS CAMPHORATUM. Soap plaster, 10 oz.; camphor, 48 gr.

=Plaster of Soap (Compound).= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM SAPONIS COMPOSITUM, E. ADHÆRENS, L. Prep. (Ph. D. 1826.) Resin plaster, 3 oz.; soap plaster, 2 oz.; melted together.

_Obs._ Less emollient, but more stimulant, than the simple plaster. The ‘EMPLASTRUM È MINIO CUM SAPONE’——Ph. E. 1744 was made by melting 1 part of soap with 5 parts of minium plaster. Neither of the above must be put into water. See PLASTER OF RESIN, Ph. D.

=Plaster of Soap-ce′rate.= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM CERATI SAPONIS (B. P.). _Prep._ 1. From soap cerate, heated by means of a water bath until all the moisture is evaporated. Sometimes 2 or 3 dr. each of powdered mastic and gum ammoniacum are added for each pound of cerate. The product is generally spread whilst still warm. Said to be suppurative, resolvent, cooling, and desiccative. See CERATE (soap).

2. (B. P.) Hard soap, 10; beeswax, 12-1/2; oxide of lead (in powder), 15; olive oil, 20; vinegar, 160; boil the vinegar with the oxide over a slow fire, or by a steam bath, constantly stirring them until they unite; then add the soap and boil again in a similar manner until all the moisture is evaporated; lastly, mix with the wax previously dissolved in the oil, and continue the process till the product takes the consistence of a plaster.

=Plaster of Squill, Compound.= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM SCILLÆ COMPOSITUM. _Prep._ Galbanum, 1/2 oz.; soap, 1/2 oz.; litharge plaster, 2 oz.; melt together, and add opium, 1 dr.; ammoniacum, 1/2 oz.; vinegar of squills, 3 oz., mixed together; keep them over the fire constantly stirred till they are incorporated.

=Plaster, St Andrew’s.= _Prep_. From yellow resin, 8 oz.; gum elemi, 2 oz.; Bordeaux turpentine and oil of the bay-laurel, of each 1 oz.; melted together by a gentle heat. A stimulant, resolvent, and adhesive plaster, once supposed to possess extraordinary virtues.

=Plaster, Stick′ing.= See PLASTER, COURT, PLASTER OF RESIN, &c.

=Plaster, Stom′ach.= See PLASTER, AROMATIC, &c.

=Plaster, Strength′ening.= See PLASTERS OF FRANKINCENSE and OXIDE OF IRON.

=Plaster, Styp′tic.= See PLASTER OF OXIDE OF IRON, PARACELSUS’S P., &c.

=Plaster of Sul′phate of Quinine′.= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM QUINIÆ, E. Q. DISULPHATIS, L. _Prep._ 1. Sulphate of quinine, 1 dr.; resin plaster, 1 oz. Applied to the abdomen in intermittents.

2. Sulphate of quinine, 1 dr.; mercurial plaster, 2 oz. In affections of the liver or spleen, following intermittents, applied over the regions of those viscera.

3. Resin plaster, 9 dr.; sulphate of quinine, 1 dr.; camphor and oil of cajeput, of each 1/2 dr. Applied over the epigastrium as a prophylactic of cholera.

=Plaster of Thus.= See PLASTER OF FRANKINCENSE.

=Plaster of Ver′digris.= Syn. EMPLASTRUM ÆRUGINIS, E. CUPRI SUBACETATIS, L. Prep. (P. Cod.) Beeswax, 4 parts; Burgundy pitch, 2 parts; melt, add of Venice turpentine and prepared verdigris (in powder), of each 1 part, and stir until the mass is nearly cold. For other formulæ, see PLASTER, CORN, &c.

=Plaster, Ver′mifuge.= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM VERMIFUGUM, E. ANTHELMINTICUM, L. Prep. From powdered aloes, 1 dr.; oil of chamomile, 10 drops; croton oil, 2 drops; oil of turpentine, q. s.

=Plaster, Vigo’s.= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM VIGONIS, L. _Prep._ (P. Cod.) Lead plaster, 40 oz.; mercury, 12 oz.; liquid styrax, 6 oz.; beeswax, turpentine, and resin, of each 2 oz.; ammoniacum, bdellium, myrrh, and olibanum, of each 5 dr.; saffron, 3 dr.; oil of lavender, 2 dr.; made into a plaster s.a.

=Plaster, Warm.= See CALEFACIENT PLASTER, BURGUNDY PITCH P., &c.

=Plaster of Wax.= _Syn._ SIMPLE PLASTER; EMPLASTRUM ATTRAHENS, E. SIMPLEX (Ph. E.), E. CERÆ, L. _Prep._ 1. (Ph. E.) Beeswax, 3 oz.; suet and yellow resin, of each 2 oz.; melt them together, and stir the mixture briskly until it concretes by cooling.

2. (Ph. L. 1836.) Yellow wax and suet, of each 3 lbs.; yellow resin, 1 lb.; as the last. Intended to be employed as a simple dressing, especially to blistered surfaces. It is now seldom used.

=Plaster, White Diach′ylon.= See PLASTER OF LEAD.

=Plaster, Yellow Diach′ylon.= See PLASTER OF GALBANUM.

=Plaster, Zinco-lead.= _Syn._ EMPLASTRUM ZINCO-PLUMBICUM, E. DIAPOMPHOLYGOS, L. _Prep._ (Ph. Suec.) Beeswax, 1 lb; olive oil and graphite (black lead), of each 6 oz.; carbonate of lead, 4 oz.; oxide of zinc (impure), 3 oz.; olibanum, 1-1/2 oz.; boil to a plaster. Astringent and desiccant. Other forms substitute an equal weight of litharge for the graphite.

=PLATE.= The name is commonly given to gold and silver wrought into instruments or utensils for domestic use.

The cleaning of plate is an important operation in a large establishment, as its durability, and much of its beauty, depend on this being properly done. The common practice of using mercurial plate powder is destructive to both of these, as mercury not only rapidly erodes the surface of silver, but renders it soft, and, in extreme cases, even brittle. The only powder that may be safely used for silver is prepared chalk, of the best quality. For gold, the form of red oxide of iron, known as _Jeweller’s Rouge_, is the most useful and appropriate.

In his ‘Workshop Receipts’ Mr Spon recommends the following:——“Take an ounce each of cream of tartar, common salt, and alum, and boil in a gallon or more of water. After the plate is taken out and rubbed dry it puts on a beautiful silvery whiteness. Powdered magnesia may be used dry for articles slightly tarnished, but if very dirty it must be used first wet and then dry.”

Chamois leather, a plate brush, or very soft woollen rags, should alone be used to apply them; and their application should be gentle and long continued, rather than the reverse. Dirty plate, after being cleaned with boiling water, may be restored by boiling it in water, each quart of which contains a few grains of carbonate of soda, and about an ounce of prepared chalk, calcined hartshorn, or cuttle-fish bone, in very fine powder. The ebullition sets up a gentle friction, which effects its purpose admirably. The boiled plate, after being dried, is best ‘finished off’ with a piece of soft leather or woollen cloth which has been dipped into the cold mixture of chalk and water, and then dried. The same method answers admirably with German silver, brass, pewter, and all the softer metals. See POWDER (Plate), &c.

=PLAT′INA.= See PLATINUM.

=PLA′′TING.= The art of covering copper and other metals with either silver or gold.