Pharmaceutical Considerations 45 



IMPROVING CONDITIONS 



Reference has been made to successive pharma- 

 copeial revisions improving conditions. 



There is before me as I write this section (1916) 

 advanced proof from the Ninth United States Phar- 

 macopeia revision. Fluidextracts are directed to be 

 made according to type processes; process A is by 

 percolation with a menstruum of alcohol or alcohol 

 and water; process B uses glycerin or an acid in 

 extraction and two menstrua (alcohol the second) 

 are successively used; process C is that of fractional 

 percolation, and process D employs boiling water, 

 alcohol being added to the concentrated extract 

 as a preservative. A is used in 29 official fluidex- 

 tracts, B in 10, C in 3, and D only in extracting 

 cascara and triticum. Licorice and senega are ex- 

 tracted by special processes. Temperature must 

 never exceed 140 F. in process A and only to a 

 portion of the filtrate; process B the same; process 

 C no heat; process C uses boiling water, but the 

 temperature is not continued higher than the water- 

 bath runs. Nearly all of these fluidextracts are 

 strongly alcoholic. 



Tinctures are not appreciably improved in the 

 Ninth Revision except that veratrum viride is alone 

 recognized, veratrum album being dropped. There 

 are, as regards a few drugs, some improvements in 

 detail. Powdered and pilular extracts are made by 

 much improved processes. 



Wherever assay processes are defined, they are 

 recognized. The 49 United States Pharmacopeia 

 fluidextracts, Ninth Revision, are to be commended 

 as an advance over previous products; but many 

 will be used that are nonofficial; and in purchasing 



