[ 46 } ‘ 
XI. Notices respecting New Books. 
Observations on the Preparation of Extracts which are ob- 
tained by the Method of Storck, and on the spirituous Ex- 
tract of Vanilla. By Dr. F. Marapetui, Emeritus Professor 
in the University of Pavia, &c.* 
Tx pharmacy there is a number of important remedies derived 
from the vegetable kingdom, and known by the generic name of 
Extracts, Modern chemists have counted among the immediate 
principles of vegetables, one, designated by the name of extractive 
principle, having particular characters; but the class of medicines 
known in pharmacy as extracts, although they contain this ex- 
tractive principle are yet very compound bodies, having it. mixed 
more or less with different other substances. The exact and 
perfect preparation of these extracts has in all ages occupied the 
attention of the zealous cultivators of pharmacy. Hence it has 
happened te these medicines, the same as to all others, that it 
depends on the manner in which they are prepared, to account for 
their greater or less efficacy in the diseases to which they are ap- 
plied ; and also, whether they are entirely inert, or even injurious. 
To obtain these extracts in a state fit for the yarious purposes to 
which they are employed in medicine, it is generally necessary, 
besides the usual precautions for the preparations of all extracts, 
to observe also another relative to the particular kind or species 
of such remedies. in fact, how much does it assist in the pre- 
paration of some extracts, such as those of chicory, yellow suc- 
cory, and many others, to conduct the process so that they may 
not contain the smallest portion of green fecula, or that sub- 
stance known under the name of parench yma, which is of a re- 
sinous nature, while in other cases it is equally useful that they 
should retain this green fecula, which separates in boiling from 
the juice employed for the preparation of these extracts, parti- 
cularly those from poisonous plants, such as cicuta, aconitum, 
stramonium, hyoscyamus, &c.! The fecuda of the juice of vege- 
tables from which the first-mentioned extracts are made, is known 
to be destitute of any medical virtue ; and hence, whenever, in the 
preparation of these extracts, the juice only carefully purified is 
not used, or when the process is not conducted in a manner so 
as not to contain the smallest portion of fecula, extracts will be 
produced mixed more or less with an inert substance, which is a 
useless weight on the stomach: on the other hand, the celebrated 
Dr, Baron de Storck has demonstrated, that in the Jecula incor- 
porated with the other abovementioned extracts resides in a great 
measure the activity of those remedies, Under this impression 
* From the Giornale di Pavia, 4to. Bimestre, Aug. 1818. 
he 
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