MEDICINAL USES OF HOPS. 19 



should be obtained as fresh as possible ; and the medicinal 

 tincture made from a fresh, well-matured hop is preferable 

 to one made from old lupuline, although it would not be as 

 uniform in strength, from the great range in quality ; but 

 as it is difficult to obtain either hops or lupuline fresh at 

 all times, the lupuline is preferable, as it is of more uniform 

 strength, and refiiins its properties longer. The hop, when 

 old, is of very unequal strength, from the loss of lupuline 

 sifted out in handling. For pharmaceutical use hops are 

 pressed into quarter-pound, half-pound, and pound packages. 

 It is somewhat remarkable that lupuline has not found a 

 place in the new Pharmacopoeia of this country. It may, 

 however, be said that it is not altogether ignored, inasmuch 

 as it is extracted for that purpose, but the amount of it in 

 different samples varies considerably, and it is certain that 

 this peculiar powdery matter represents the active principles 

 of the entire strobili in a concentrated form. 



In order to free lupuline from sand, which often contami- 

 nates it, Sarrazin proposes to wash it with water. The 

 lupuline was several times suspended in 10 parts of water, 

 and poured off rapidly. It was then collected on a filter, 

 and dried on it, at between 77 and 86 Fahr. From 5 

 grams he obtained 34 grains of purified lupuline, and the 

 washings only contained between 2 and 3 grains of extract. 

 The medicinal effect of the lupuline was not affected by the 

 washing. Sarrazin* also proposes a liquid extract prepared 

 as follows : 



Thirty parts lupuline are macerated in 100 parts alcohol for two days, 

 filtered, the residue washed with a little more alcohol, and then infused in 



* Arch. Phar.,' Oct. 1874, p. 333. 



C 2 



