Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1871-04-19

Bg We copy the annexed article from
the New York Druggists Price Current, as it
gives information which is not only of import
ance to the medical profession, but to the
public generally:
Pure Medicinal Preparations.
The history of improvements made within q
few years past, in the preparation of medicinal
agents, is scarcely known except by the more
intelligent class of druggists and the medical
profession, and statement embracing all the
really valuable additions to pharmacy and the
convenience of the physician, would be enter
tanning and profitable reading for the public
generally.
In the absence of such details in form for
reference. we propose to give our readers from
time to time some facts respecting the more
important advances in this direction, and espe
cially the improvements, which experience has
amply demonstrated to be of value to the
world at large. Every careful reader of the
leading medical journals published at home
and abroad must be aware of the great diff
Guilty encountered by the pioneers in new
methods of preparation or the administration
of medicinal agents, and whoever promulgates
a new theory at once subjects himself to the
severest criticisms, and success can only be
realized, when the improvement offered has
been put through the crucible of professional
scrutiny, and thoroughly tested by practical
application on scale sufficient to afford I'M
questionable results. and this is the only way
we have ever arrived at proper estimate OF
the real and permanent value of improve
ments.
It must be considered that in all the range
of scientific development there is no depart
ment which SO directly involves the welfare of
mankind, because after all, the enjoyment of
| health and protection against disease are abso-
! lutely necessary for our success I; hence it is
that from the earliest tines the Medical Pro-
| fession has been adorned by the highest order
/ of intellectual endowments and scholarly at
| tainmens3, exhibiting an amount of skill and
wisdom hardly aggregated IN any other of the
learned professions.
We did not intend to say so much in general
terms, as our object was to give our readers
some idea of an establishment which more
than any other in this country or perhaps in
the world has contributed to the wants of the
Medical Profession and Druggists generally
we refer to Messrs. TILDEN & Co., of New
Lebanon, and in this city-and, if space would
allow, we sure the maj GRITTY of our readers
would like more details than we can give at
this time.
It is now nearly twenty years since the
! Messrs. TILDEN commenced the manufacture
of their s'Fluid and Solid Extracts" in vacuo.
to which they have since added "Sugar-coated
| Pills and Granules," of the U. s. Pharmaco-
peia, Concentrations, and many of the most
valuable Pharmaceutical Preparations.
the vacuum apparatus, which was then scarce
| " known, they have studied, assiduously, to
apply every Improvement as fast as experience
| has demonstrated its value, and now their es-
Enlistment may be said to embrace all the
appliances of modern invention required for
the best possible manipulation of medicinal
| agents, and their works have been remodeled
and received additions from time to time, I'M
! til the premises now occupy about half an
acre of ground, and the vast amount of ma
chinery is driven by powerful steam-engine
! located in adj dining fire-proof building.
Anything like a description of the numerous
! appliances in the different departments OF
| their extensive laboratory, would require more
than the columns of our paper but, we car
| give some idea, when we state that the capacity
of the entire number of vacuum pans employ
| ed exceeds six thousand gallons, and these
are used in the manufacture of Solid and Fluid
Extracts.
! In the department for Pills and Granules
every recent improvement is adopted, besides
the various devices for saving labor and waste
of material, which are the result of a long an6
practical experience in the manipulation of the
more delicate combinations of potent drugs
| and the necessity of accurate and strictly cor.
rect exhibition of quantities required in the
minutest attenuations
/ The advantages enjoyed by the Messrs Til
den, of a local character. are worthy of men
ton, and explain how they have attained such
value of their preparations.
All the herbs, barks and roots of Indigenous
growth are gathered by those who have expe,
rience, and each and every article is brought
into the Laboratory at the season when it con.
tains most of medicinal value. A large amount
of these materials are gathered by the farmers
and others over large section of country
around the Laboratory, and, in addition tc
such supplies the Messrs. Tilden have un-
der cultivation some forty acres near theil
/ premises.
The advantages, acquired by a long expert
4 ence and patient well as persistent labor
afford the facilities which are of greatest i'm
portance in this business and cannot be enjoy
ed except by those similarly situated, and Civ
ing attention, more or less, to the cultivation
OF Indigenous medicinal products and SO as tC
get all the benefits of improved culture
In this connection, it is only doing justice
to speak of Mr.. FL. A. Tildens various and
! important contributions to medical science
we refer more especially to his elaborate re-
port to the Pharmaceutical Society upon the
cultivation of narcotic plants, in which he
carefully illustrates how fully the active prop.
critics can be developed at will, by scientific
culture.
The profession are hardly aware of the Ia
Dor required to reach the developments and
improvements which have been made in the
4 long experience of this establishment Be.
sides the general business. they issue valua-
bic Journal of Materia Medica from their ex
tenslve printing department., and have recent
ly issued their Supplement to Materia Medica
which is valuable addition to the library OF
every physician, and useful as reference book
for druggists generally.