August 3, 1872.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
97 
special method of preparing them.” This is no douht a 
satisfactory reason for omitting to give minute details 
relating to the manufacture of articles that can only be 
made on the large scale, such as oil of vitriol, acetic acid, 
carbonate of soda and alum, and it may he also applied 
to many other articles that are only made by the manu¬ 
facturing chemist; hut we think it is carried too far in 
the work before us. We often hear of instances in 
which chemical processes given in the Pharmacopoeia, 
although seldom used, yet sometimes prove serviceable; 
and we believe the wholesale omission of such processes 
would he a subject of regret to many of those who use 
the Pharmacopoeia. If for no other purpose than that of 
keeping constantly before the notice of those who from 
■day to day are using the articles the methods by which 
they are produced, the descriptions given in the Phar¬ 
macopoeia are not without their use. To the pharmacist 
the Pharmacopoeia is, or should he, something more than 
a work of reference; it is his daily companion, anc. 
information contained in it which he might otherv 
miss or forget is forced upon his attention and kept fresh 
in his memory. We think, therefore, that some account 
should he given of the origin and mode of production o’ 
every article described in the Pharmacopoeia. This may 
sometimes he very brief, as in the descriptions given in 
our Pharmacopoeia of arsenious, benzoic, carbolic, nitric, 
and sulphuric acids, hut still in connection with the 
characters and tests, which are more fully d escribed, it 
supplies what is required in those cases. Now, referring 
to the descriptions of those articles given in the German 
Pharmacopoeia, we find that in only one instance, that 
of benzoic acid, is there any reference made to their 
origin or mode of production. The same thing might he 
said in a great number of other instances in which, 
although minute details are not required, something 
more might with reason he looked for than is given, 
Put there are some cases in which the want of a process 
with even minute details, is an obvious defect. Thus, 
for instance, Acidum chromicum , is described as a red 
•crystalline acid, the characters and tests of which are 
given with sufficient minuteness, but nothing is said as 
to its source or mode of production ; yet chromic acid, 
when used as a medicinal agent, as it sometimes is, 
might be required to be made, and might without 
difficulty be made, by the pharmacist, if proper, and they 
.should be minute, instructions were given for the pur¬ 
pose of enabling him to do so. 
Put while there is reason, we think, to regret the 
.absence of some information which would be acceptable, 
nnd the omission of which has surprised us the more, 
because German pharmacists used to be required to 
make many preparations that are not generally made by 
the same class in this country, and we were, therefore, 
prepared to look to the German Pharmacopoeia for pro¬ 
cesses suitable to such cases, yet, notwithstanding some 
disappointment in this respect, we find much to satisfy 
us in other respects. Especially we commend the 
copious reference made to the use of tests, and the gene¬ 
ral tendency manifested and progress made towards the 
.simplification of old complex formula} for galenical pre¬ 
parations. 
Pefore referring more minutely to that class of prepa¬ 
rations, however, we must allude to the strength of the 
mineral acids. Sulphuric acid is ordered in four different 
states. First, we have Acidum sulfuricum fumans, Nord- 
haussen oil of vitriol, the strongest fuming acid, sp. gr. 
TS6 to 1’90. Then we have Acidum sulphuricum crudum, 
common unpurified oil of vitriol, sp. gr. T830 to T833. 
Then we have Acidum sulphuricum , or distilled oil of 
vitriol, sp. gr. I •840. And, lastly, we have Acidum sul¬ 
phuricum dilution , sp. gr. IT 13 to 1T17. This diluted 
acid is made by mixing one part by weight of sulphuric 
acid, sp. gr. T84, with five parts of water; it is much 
stronger than our diluted acid, the sp. gr. of which is 
only T094, but both the crude and rectified acids are less 
concentrated than the sulphuric acid of the British 
Pharmacopoeia. There are also four sorts of nitric acid 
described. The strongest is Acidum nitricum fumans, a 
fuming reddish-brown acid, of sp. gr. 1 , 520 to T525. 
This is the most concentrated nitric acid that can be 
obtained, but no process is given for its preparation, 
which we think is a mistake, for it does not keep well, 
and should be prepared when wanted, by distilling a 
mixture of commercial nitric acid and oil of vitriol. 
Acidum nitri cum crudum is common Aqua fort is, sp. gr. 
T323 to 1-331. The Acidum nitricum of the Pharma¬ 
copoeia is described as a colourless acid, sp. gr. IT85, 
and containing only 30 per cent, of true nitric acid 
(HN0 3 ); it is, therefore, a very weak acid as compared 
with ours. Acidum nitricum dilutum is prepared by 
mixing equal parts by weight of nitric acid and water. 
Its sp. gr. is T086 to 1-089; it is, therefore, weaker 
than the diluted nitric acid of our Pharmacopoeia. 
Hydrochloric acid is ordered in three different states. 
Acidum hydrochloricum , the strong pure acid, is weaker 
than our strong acid, the sp. gr. being only l - 124. It 
contains 2-5 per cent, of anhydrous hydrochloric acid. 
Acidum hydrochloricum crudum is about the same 
strength as our pure acid, sp. gr. T16 to 1*17, and per¬ 
centage of anhydrous acid from 30 to 33. Acidum hy¬ 
drochloricum dilutum , made by mixing equal parts by 
weight of hydrochloric acid and water, has a sp. gr. 
T060. It is rather stronger than ours. 
We may perhaps infer that sulphurous acid is in less 
repute in Germany than here, as it is not in any form 
included in the German Pharmacopoeia, unless, indeed, 
we consider hyposulphite of soda to represent it. But 
the omission of sulphurous acid is amply compensated 
for by the introduction of a considerable number of 
chemical remedies not mentioned in our Pharmacopoeia. 
Among these are boracic, chromic, lactic, succinic, and 
valerianic acids, acetic ether, petroleum ethex-, Dutch 
liquid (under the name of (Ethylenum chloratum ), nitrate 
of silver and potash, chloride of gold and soda, valeri¬ 
anate of bismuth, bisulphide of carbon, hydrate of 
chloral, iodoform, etc. 
Of course there are many preparations that we are not 
familiar with, and there are methods new to us for 
making preparations with which we ai'e familiar. Am¬ 
monium carbon icum pyrooleosum , the existing representa¬ 
tive of the old Sal volatile cornu ccrvi , which is now 
made by mixing carbonate of ammonia with the dis¬ 
gusting DippeRs oil, is a remnant of ancient pharmacy 
which wo might soon hope to have seen the last of. In 
the same category might also be included Aqua fcettda 
antihysterica , Decoctum sarsaparilla composition Zittmaum , 
and FJectuarium Thcriaca. 
With reference to decoctions, it may be well to remark 
that, unless otherwise directed, they are to be so prepared 
;hat ten parts of strained product are obtained from one 
xart of the drugs operated upon; if, however, concen¬ 
trated decoctions are ordered, the solid ingredients are 
•;o be increased to one half more ; and for tlie most con¬ 
centrated (concentratissimus) they are to be increased to 
double. The decoctions are made by heating the in¬ 
gredients together for half an hour in a steam-batli. 
In making infusions the same proportions of solid in¬ 
gredients to the water are ordered as for decoctions, and 
as in the case of decoctions, there are three strengths, 
the two strongest of which are distinguished as “ con¬ 
centrated” and u most concentrated.’ They ai-e made 
by pouring boiling water over the ingredients in a suit¬ 
able closed vessel, and immersing this in a steam-bath 
'or five minutes. The shortening in this way the dura- 
ion of the process of infusion or digestion, is certainly 
an important consideration .f t ie results should be found 
i;o be equally good. 
A somewhat similar mode of operating is directed to 
be adopted in making some of the tinctures. All tin j- 
tui-es are made by maceration or digestion, continued tor 
eight days, the ingredients being confined in partly-filled 
bottles, and shaken every day. Maceration is conducted 
