REMARKS UPON TINCTURES. 341 
quite safe till Christmas. He hoped this matter would be subject to regula¬ 
tion between the Pharmaceutical Society and the Privy Council. 
Mr. Burden asked whether any discretion was given to a magistrate in re¬ 
gard to the amount of the penalty. 
The Chairman said the penalty was not exceeding £5 for the first offence, 
and not exceeding £10 for the second. 
REMARKS UPON TINCTURES. 
BY A. F. HASELDEN. 
Tinctures, as a subject for discussion, might seem, at the first blush, to have 
been exhausted ; but, in addition to some experiences of my own, I have been 
reminded by two articles in the October number of the ‘ Pharmaceutical 
Journal ’ and one by Mr. Savage, read at the Bath meeting of the Conference, 
that such in reality is not the case. The tinctures contained in the Pharmacopoeia 
make up, or form, a considerable and important portion of that book, and there 
are many others in use but mot contained therein. From the nature of their 
component parts they rank among the costly portion of a pharmaceutist’s stock- 
in-trade. 
There are, I know, some, and there may be many, who hold the opinion that, 
as regards the Pharmacopoeia preparations, the directions therein laid down, 
with respect, at least, to Galenicals, should be strictly followed, even when by 
a deviation a better product might result. Orthodox myself, I should be sorry 
to lead any astray, though they should be advantaged thereby; but there are 
some tinctures not necessarily Pharmacopoeia property, and which may be pre¬ 
pared after one’s own peculiar notions, provided such are not substituted for 
the Pharmacopoeia articles. I may instance the tinctures of rhubarb, senna, 
alias “Daffy’s Elixir,” chamomile and ginger, orris root, musk seed, and 
essence of ginger, now introduced as strong tincture of ginger, and others. 
Some of these, as retail articles, have been prepared for years according to 
forms differing from those of the Pharmacopoeia; and old customers, who have 
for years enjoyed tincture of rhubarb flavoured with liquorice and ginger 
instead of cardamoms and coriander, have a wish to be supplied with the same 
still, and I submit that I have a right to furnish them with that article, and to 
prepare it in such a way as I may think best and most advantageous. Many 
other similar cases might be pointed out, but one is sufficient for the purpose. 
I feel, therefore, that it may not be out of place to review the preparation of 
tinctures, and make such suggestions as may possibly be approved, although 
not necessarily carried out. 
The gentlemen whose papers have reminded me of this work had evidently 
different objects in view. Mr. Savage’s wish was to find out or prove the ad¬ 
vantage of this or that mode of preparation over another, and to arrive at, or 
determine, the best by the amount of extractive contained in a given quantity 
of tincture. The value of this mode of proceeding, if fully and fairly carried 
out, can hardly be estimated as a matter of reference; but, to be worked suc¬ 
cessfully, each tincture should be prepared by the same person according to 
each recognized process, and from the same parcel of material. The extractive 
should be evaporated to dryness, and should, both before and after evaporation, 
be examined as to its constituents, as much aroma would in many cases be 
destroyed by desiccation ; and also by long-continued maceration some ingre¬ 
dients would yield extractive not of an active or valuable nature, and much 
would depend upon other circumstances, namely, the amount and kind of pres- 
