ON A NEW PREPARATION OF LUPULINE. 247 
cally with success, we must apply the same solvents as we do in the cases of 
drugs of that class. 
The preparations in the United States codex are arranged with due regard 
to this point, and, in recommending these to more careful notice in England, 
I should have little or nothing to add, were it not that I believe I have ob¬ 
served the fact that the aromatic spirit of ammonia is a better solvent of this 
substance than any other yet proposed. The American tincture and fluid ex¬ 
tract are prepared with rectiiied spirit, and the oleo-resin, as in the case of 
Filix-mas, is procured by means of aether. The two former turn milky on 
the addition of water, and, what is more noteworthy, cast off the resin they 
hold in solution, which appears as a film on the surface of the mixture. This 
resin I find cannot be taken up again by adding excess of alkalies, such as 
liquor potassae, bicarbonate of soda, or aromatic spirit of ammonia. If, how¬ 
ever, either of these preparations be put into a dry vessel, and about an equal 
bulk of spiritus ammoniae aromatici is mixed with it, and water subsequently 
be added, a good solution is formed, pleasant-looking, though not quite clear. 
I have devised another preparation which, I think, will prove most useful 
whenever it is desired to use the hop. It is an ammoniated tincture, and 
should be made in the same way as the other ammoniated tinctures of the 
Pharmacopoeia. Like valerian, which also contains an oil and a resiu, lupu- 
line is best exhausted by the aromatic spirit of ammonia, and the reason for 
this appears to be that this preparation contains the combination of alkali 
and rectified spirit necessary to the solution of the various elements in these 
drugs. Certainly no agent that I have tried extracts the virtues of lupuline 
so well as sal-volatile. The result is a strong richly-coloured tincture. Neither 
rectified spirit, aether, nor, of course, proof spirit produce so strong a prepara¬ 
tion.* I recommend the following formula:—Lupuline, 2 oz., spir. ammon. 
arom., a pint: macerate for seven days, agitating occasionally, then filter and 
add sufficient of the menstruum to make up to a pint.f The dose of this is 
from "i 20 to fl. 5j. I propose to call it “ tinctura lupulinse ammoniata.” 
I have no hesitation in directing attention to this preparation of the hop as 
the best we at present possess. According to Christison, the dose of tinc¬ 
tura lupuli should be fl. 5j to fl. £iss to produce any hypnotic effect; the ordi¬ 
nary dose consists of as many drachms. Dr. Ives, of New York, states that 
the tincture of lupuline is an effectual hypnotic in restlessness, the result of 
nervous irritability, and in delirium tremens.J Some advantage, too, is de¬ 
rived from the presence of ammonia in considerable quantity, and this 
whether the preparation be exhibited as a hypnotic, or as a tonic combination 
of bitter and ammonia. 
CHINA EHUBAKB. 
TO THE EDITOR OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL. 
Sir,—In the report of the Pharmaceutical Conference, Norwich, remarks 
are made concerning China rhubarb, by which it might be inferred that its 
* According to Royle, the active properties of lupuline are completely extracted by spirit. 
I am inclined to doubt this. He recommends a tincture of it, however, in preference to 
tinct. lupuli. 
t A specimen of it was exhibited in the Annual Museum of the British Medical Association 
at Oxford, in August last. Mr. Hall, of Wiginore Street, who made this for me, recommends 
that percolation should not be employed. 
X Vide American Codex, also Nevins’ Transl. of Loud. Pharm. 1851. 
