THE CODEX AND THE BRITISH PHAHMACOPffilA. 
i3 
CHAPTER XX. 
ALCOHOLS. ETHERS. CHLOROFORM. 
Comprising rectified alcohol at 88° or 90°, pure alcohol 95°, sulphuric ether, 
alcoholic sulphuric ether, acetic ether, and chloroform. 
173. Ether Sulfurique Alcoolise*. 
Liqueur d’ Hoffman. JEther Sulfuricus Alcoolisatus. 
A mixture of equal parts, by weight, of sulphuric ether, a 0*720 and alcohol 
at 90°. This is known in French pharmacy as Hoffman’s liquor, but the Hoff¬ 
man’s anodyne of English pharmacy is a mixture of ether, rectified spirit, and 
ethereal oil, also known as spiritus setheris sulphurici compositus. 
174. JEther Acetique*. C 4 H 5 O, C 4 H 3 O s = 88. 
JEther Aceticus. Acetic JEther. 
Alcohol at 90° . . . Three thousand grammes 3000 
Acetic ether at 1 *063 . Two thousand grammes . 2000 
Sulphuric acid at 1 *84 . Six hundred grammes . 600 
Mix the alcohol and acetic ether in a glass retort, then add gradually the 
sulphuric acid agitating so as to mix well; adapt the retort to a flask or receiver 
by a connecting tube, and distil by means of a sand-bath heat until about four 
thousand grammes of product have been obtained, to the distilled liquor add a 
small quantity of carbonate of potash, agitate, and after some hours of contact 
decant the liquor and distil afresh, so as to obtain three thousand grammes of 
acetic ether having a density of 0*92. Not in the P. B., but of late frequently 
required. 
CHAPTER XXI. 
NEUTRAL ORGANIC SUBSTANCES. 
In this chapter are found mannite, santonine, digitaline, cantharidine, and 
pepsin e. 
180. Pepsine. 
Pepsina. Pepsine. 
Pepsine is a peculiar principle, secreted in the stomach of mammiferous ani¬ 
mals and birds, and to which is attributed the most important part in the phe¬ 
nomenon of digestion in the stomach; for medicinal purposes it is not employed 
altogether in a pure state ; as obtained by the process hereinafter described, 
which gives it mixed with a certain number of other bodies, it possesses, by 
means of the mediation of an acid, in a very marked degree, the property of dis¬ 
solving azotized food. Pepsine, however, being very liable to change, is with 
difficulty preserved, and medicaments which contain it may be variable and 
uncertain in their action. 
To obtain medicinal pepsine, take a number of the rennet bags of fresh-killed 
sheep, empty them and wash quickly, and divide the internal membrane by 
rubbing strongly with a brush of dog’s-grass or couch grass, macerate during 
two hours only the resulting pulp in water, at 15° Centigrade, throw the whole 
upon a coarse cloth, add to the strained, but not filtered, liquor, a solution of 
neutral acetate of lead ; an abundant precipitate is formed, decant the super¬ 
natant liquor and replace it twice by fresh water. Finally dilute the precipitate 
with fresh water, and pass into it a stream of sulphuretted hydrogen until there 
is a manifest excess. 
Distribute the liquor and the black precipitate-upon a great number of filters, 
VOL. IX. I 
