174 FORMS OF BOTANICAL MEDICINES. 



the most concentrated fluid forms in which the drug 

 may be obtained. Fluid Extracts are made in a variety 

 of ways — evaporation by heat, in vacuo ; cold percola- 

 tion ; high pressure, &c. — each drug being treated in 

 that manner by which its properties may be best ex- 

 tracted and held in concentrated solution. The strength 

 of Fluid Extracts is i in i, or i ounce fluid represents 

 i ounce of crude drug — for instance, i ounce of Fl. Ext. 

 Golden Seal would represent the medicinal value of i 

 ounce of Golden Seal Root. Fluid Extracts are daily 

 becoming more popular, and, as they may be easily 

 obtained, bid fair to rival the Tinctures and Prepara- 

 tions which have made Homoeopathy so popular with 

 those who seek an easy way of keeping a household 

 stock of domestic remedies. 



SOLID EXTRACTS 



Are prepared by evaporating to the consistence of 

 honey the fresh juices or strong infusions of vegetable 

 drugs. They may also be manufactured by a spirituous 

 process, in which case the alcohol is recovered by 

 means of distillation from a strong tincture of the 

 drug. 



Solid Extracts are employed chiefly in the manu- 

 facture of pills, plasters, ointments, and in more recent 

 years also for compressed tablets. 



TINCTURES 



Are spirituous preparations made with pure or diluted 

 spirits of wine of drugs containing gummy, resinous, 

 or volatile principles, or of any drugs rendered useless 

 by the application of heat in any form, or of the great 

 number of drugs which will not yield their properties to 

 water alone, as their active principles are more readily 

 extracted by spirit, better held in solution and pre- 

 served from deterioration. 



Tinctures are generally made in a strength of i or 2 

 ounces of drug to the pint. The dose varies according 

 to the active principles contained in the drug. 



