544 
PHARMACEUTICAL MEETING. 
of attention it may receive, as it is in the ordinary process of maceration. 
Then, as no personal attention is required during the period of maceration, 
there is no temptation or excuse for any deviation from the prescribed instruc¬ 
tions. All that is required is, that the ingredients should be bruised, or other¬ 
wise prepared as directed, and after being put into the apparatus, that they 
should be left there for the prescribed time. This time is not inconveniently 
long, nor is it difficult to keep a correct account of it in the preparation of 
Automatic Displacement Apparatus. 
several tinctures. There is a little card-frame attached to the front of the 
apparatus, into which a card is put, with the name of the tincture and the 
date at which the process was commenced. When the macerating time lias 
expired the tincture is drawn off, and should be put into a bottle or other 
vessel that will form a measure of the quantity of tincture to be produced. 
In the draining of the liquid from the bag in this part of the process, the solid 
ingredients will pack themselves so as to be prepared for the next operation. 
The cylinder is now to be introduced; and in doing this, if the sides of the 
bag be slightly squeezed with the hands, there will be no difficulty in pushing 
the cylinder between the bag and its contents. The ingredients should then 
be pressed down with a rod, and the remaining fourth of the spirit poured 
over them. All the difficulties of the ordinary process of percolation are thus 
got rid of. If there be only a small quantity of solid ingredients, requiring a 
bag much shorter than the cylinder, the top of the latter will of course project 
above the ring, and as this would obstruct the fixing of the cover in its place 
while the ring rests on the upper studs, it will be necessary in such case to put 
the ring on to the lower studs. The percolation under these circumstances 
will take place without further attention ; and when completed, the cylinder 
is to be removed, the bag separated from the ring, and with its contents sub¬ 
mitted to expression. The pressed tincture, and that obtained by displace¬ 
ment in the previous part of the process, are to be added to the tincture first 
made by maceration, and the whole made up to the specified quantity by fur¬ 
ther addition of spirit. 
Tinctures made in this way appear to be unexceptionable in every respect, 
and the process will recommend itself by its applicability to all tinctures, and 
to operations upon the large as well as the small scale, and also by the perfect 
facility with which it is performed. 
Mr. Deane was very glad to have an opportunity of offering a few words 
on the subject of percolation. Much, however, that he had intended saying 
