remove_empty_inscription(you.inv[item_slot]);

        //

        // plus2 tracks how many times the player has zapped it.
        // If it is -1, then the player knows it's empty.
        // If it is -2, then the player has messed with it somehow
        // (presumably by recharging), so don't bother to display the
        // count.
        mitm[p].plus2 = 0;

        else if (item_plus2 == ZAPCOUNT_EMPTY)
            buff << " {empty}";
        else if (item_plus2 > 0)
            buff << " {zapped " << item_plus2
                 << ((item_plus2 > 1) ? " times" : " time")
                 << '}';

        you.inv[item_slot].plus2 = ZAPCOUNT_EMPTY;

        if ( !item_ident(you.inv[item_slot], ISFLAG_KNOW_PLUSES) )
        {
            if ( you.inv[item_slot].inscription.find("empty") ==
                 std::string::npos )
            {
                if ( !you.inv[item_slot].inscription.empty() )
                    you.inv[item_slot].inscription += ' ';
                you.inv[item_slot].inscription += "empty";
            }
        }

    // take off a charge

    // increment zap count
    if ( you.inv[item_slot].plus2 >= 0 )
        you.inv[item_slot].plus2++;

};
enum zap_count_type
{
    ZAPCOUNT_EMPTY = -1,
    ZAPCOUNT_UNKNOWN = -2

bool remove_empty_inscription( item_def& item );

// Remove the "empty" autoinscription, if present.
// Return true if the inscription was there, false otherwise.
bool remove_empty_inscription( item_def& item )
{
    const char* empty_inscription = "empty";
    size_t p = item.inscription.find(empty_inscription);
    if ( p != std::string::npos )
    {
        // found it, delete it
        size_t prespace = 0;
        // if preceded by a space, delete that too
        if ( p != 0 && item.inscription[p-1] == ' ' )
            prespace = 1;
        item.inscription =
            item.inscription.substr(0, p - prespace) +
            item.inscription.substr(p + strlen(empty_inscription),
                                    std::string::npos);
        return true;
    }
    else
        return false;
}

        remove_empty_inscription(wand);

        // don't display zap counts any more
        wand.plus2 = ZAPCOUNT_UNKNOWN;