The prelude to the _Pharmacopœia_, sufficiently informs you, the _College of Wigs_ are empowered by royal sanction to invent, or constitute forms, and the _cabinet_ to enforce them; but your superior knowledge sets such arbitrary dictation at defiance, and your _practical arts_ will ever supersede their _theoretical_ penetration. Let them happily enjoy the power to alter names, and improve forms of all the compositions in that _laughable farrago_, their _new dispensatory_; they have the province to direct, and you have the pleasure to evade; obeying their injunctions no farther than is strictly consistent with your own interest and convenience. To assist the aptitude of your fertility, let me introduce to your attention (as specimens of what may be done) some few of the advantageous alterations that may be made in medicinal composition, to promote your certain emolument, without arraigning your _integrity_. In that expensive preparation _confectio cardiaca_ (newly named by college sagacity _confectio aromatica_) opportunity offers to display a part of your privilege in substituting the use of _saffron paper_, which will impart to the composition the rich colour of the original _crocus_; for those other high priced articles _cardamoms_, _cinnamon_, _nutmegs_, and _cloves_, applicable and proportional quantities of those cheaper (and equally efficacious) _cordials_ and _carminatives_, _ginger_, _grains of paradise_, or any of the inferior spices may be added. In large preparations of the _electarium lenitivum_, an introduction of the _pulp of prunes_ for the _pulp of cassia_, will save much additional expence and trouble.—In the _syrupus e spina cervina_, treacle is certainly preferable to the finest lump sugar, with this advantage, that the predominant nausea will prevent the discovery. Experience will convince you that _spiritus c. c._ (_per se_) obtained by distillation from the accumulated stale urine of a parish workhouse, or the bones of animals, will be by far preferable to that drawn from the purest _cornu cervi_; as are the rasura c. c. from the shank bones of horses, or cows, preferable to all other.—_Sp. terebinthinæ_ (carefully and proportionally incorporated) becomes an admirable associate with the _ol. juniperi_.—_Ol. amygdalinum_ (and many other articles blended _secundum artem_) form an excellent combination with, and increase the stock of _ol. anisi verum_.—_Genuine gum guaiacum_—_galbanum_—_storax_, and _bals. tolutanum_, may undergo the process of _purification_ much better, if impregnated with the occasional assistance of either the _resina nigra_, or _flava_.—The various unguents will derive advantage from the salutary introduction of _auxungiæ porcincæ_, as a substitute for those more _expensive and unnecessary_ articles _cera flava_ and _ol. olivarum_.