TABLETS are made by granulating a substance damped with a suitable menstruum; the mixture is then divided into even granules (about 20 mesh or smaller), and dried at a low temperature. A definite volume of the granules is compressed to a tablet by a machine so constructed that the weight of the tablets does not vary greatly. The damping liquid is not necessarily water, and Borne foreign matter is usually introduced during granulation to make the substance bind together. Saccharin tablets always

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... contain some sodium bicarbonate. This addition has the twofold advantage of converting the insoluble saccharin intro the soluble aodiurn salt and of causing the evolution of carbon dioxide on adding them to water, thus hastening the dissolution. A formula for Tablettce glusidi (saccharin tablets) is given in the British Pharmaceutical Codex, 1911. The gluside of the B.P., 1898, is recommended in the 1911 edition. It corresponds approximately with what is known in commerce as 330 saccharin, and contains 60 per cent. of 0-benzoyl-sulphonimide ; consequently the tablet contains 0.3 grain of saccharin, corresponding in sweetness to 165 grains of sugar, or to a very large lump. Tablets of this strength being found too sweet for many palates, a custom arose of selling tablets containing less saccharin, such tablets beiug issued under a name which indicated that they were not the B.P.C. tablet. Their strength was usually half or two-thirds of the B.P.C. tablets. When the control of saccharin was undertaken by the Ministry of Food, tablets were required to be either full strength, containing 0.3 grain of British saccharin per tablet (and weighing 1 grain each), or half strength, containing 0.15 grain of British saccharin (and weighing either 0.5 grain or 2 grains), and the label of the package had to include the strength, price, and maker's name. The price of these tablets was controlled, and is now fixed at Is. 7id. per 100 for full strength, and Is. per 100 for half strength. Saccharin is also allowed to be imported, and tablets made from it are under no control whatsoever. good deal higher than that of controlled saccharin ; they are sometimes issued under fancy names. I n the ANALYST (1918, 349) one of us has shown that British saccharin contains on an average 97.6 per cent, of o-benzoyl-sulphonimide, and since 95 per cent. is the lowest limit at which British saccharin may be issued, it follows that controlled full-strength tablets should contain between 01300 and 0.285 grains of o-benzoylsulphonimide. It is impossible, however, to make each individual tablet identical in weight and composition, so that an allowance of 5 per cent. either way is reasonable, and it may be espected that the controlled tablets should contain between The control extended to all British-made saccharin. Such tablets are sold at a price