September 14, 1S72.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
215 
Four pounds of ginger are stirred up with one gallon 
of rectified spirit and left for 48 hours. The superna¬ 
tant spirit is put aside, and the deposit poured into the 
percolator. As soon as the tincture passes through 
bright, which it does in the course of three or four 
minutes, the percolator is placed in the stand, and 
allowed to stay till all the spirit has been poured on. 
In this case 88 ounces will have passed through, while 
72 will have been absorbed by the ginger. A consider¬ 
able quantity of water is then gently poured .on the top 
of the ginger, and allowed to displace the spirit till the 
gallon of tincture is obtained. If only a few drops more 
are allowed to go through, the resin will be deposited, 
.showing that the water has made its appearance. 
For the second instance let us take Tinct. Colchici 
sem. Two and a half pounds of the powdered seeds are 
mixed with two gallons of proof spirit and allowed to 
macerate for 48 hours. The supernatant liquid is then 
poured off, and the dregs placed in the percolator as ^be¬ 
fore described, and the spirit displaced by water. With 
this quantity 32 ounces will have been absorbed by the 
.seeds. 
It will thus be seen that we dispense with the. use of 
rthe press or the extra quantity of spirit by allowing the 
ingredients to settle spontaneously, or, in other words, to 
pack themselves. 
To show you that such is the case, Mr. Tucker and I 
have made nearly all the tinctures and wines of the 
Pharmacopoeia, and drawn up the following table of 
results. The only ones omitted are the following 26, 
because they have no relation to the point at issue. 
Tinct. Aloe3 
„ Assafoetida 
.,, Benz. Co. 
,, Camph. Co. 
■» 
}> 
» 
tt 
11 
11 
11 
Cannab. Ind. 
Cantharid. 
Castorei 
Chlorof. Co. 
Cocci 
Ferri Acet. 
Ferri perchlor. 
Guaiaci Am. 
Iodi 
Tinct. Kino 
,, Limonis 
„ Myrrhae 
„ Opii Am. 
„ Quinite 
„ Tolut. 
Yin. Aloes 
„ Antim. 
„ Aurant. 
„ Ferri 
„ Ferri Citrat. 
„ Opii. 
,, Quinite. 
All the experiments were conducted in the following 
manner:—The sp. grav. were taken by the ordinary 
bottle, or by Regnault’s modification, or by Mohr’s hy¬ 
drostatic balance. The evaporation was first conducted 
in a Griffin’s hot-air bath at a temperature which never 
•exceeded 212° F. till a soft extract was obtained. The 
capsule was then removed and placed on an air-pump 
over sulphuric acid, and dried in vacuo till no further 
loss was sustained, and instantly weighed by an Ortling 
balance. This method was thought preferable to that 
employed by Mr. Savage on a sand bath, or that recom¬ 
mended by Dr. Burton, which was at the temperature of 
230° in an American oven. For, in many instances, it 
was found that partial decomposition was produced be¬ 
fore complete desiccation. 
To measure the tincture for evaporation a cylindrical 
nairow measure was first used, but the measurement was 
not found to be sufficiently accurate for comparison 
where the difference was small. A narrow glass tube 
graduated into cubic inch was substituted, and found 
to give a satisfactory and uniform result. 
Before commencing, the sp. grav. of the proof and rec¬ 
tified spirits were carefully adjusted to 920° and 838°. t 
The ingredients were weighed and sifted. The proper 
quantity for half a pint of each tincture was taken and 
placed in a stoppered bottle with the proof, rectified 
or ammoniated spirit, as the case may be. One lot was 
allowed to macerate for seven days and the other for 48 
hours, preparatory to percolation. When the tinctures 
were finished the sp. grav. were taken, and a fluid ounce ■ 
-evaporated. 
No. i Name. 
1 
Tinct. Aconiti 
0 
eJ 
it 
it 
3 
tt 
a 
4 
it 
Arnicae 
5 
» 
ii 
6 
it 
it 
7 
it 
Aurantii 
8 
if 
55 
9 
if 
Belladonnas 
10 
tt 
55 
11 
if 
55 
12 
it 
Buchu 
13 
ft 
a 
14 
it 
a 
15 
a 
Calumbae 
16 
it 
35 
17 
it 
55 # 
18 
ft 
Capsici 
19 
a 
35 
20 
it 
55 
21 
it 
Card. Co, 
22 
a 
13 
23 
a 
55 
24 
i t 
Casearillas 
25 
a 
31 
26 
it 
33 
27 
i t 
Catechu 
28 
i t 
53 
29 
i t 
Chirataj 
30 
a 
33 
31 
a 
33 
32 
it 
Cinch. Co. 
33 
n 
11 
34 
a 
33 
35 
a 
Cinch, flav. 
36 
it 
a 
37 
it 
3 3 
38 
tt 
Cinnam. 
39 
a 
tt 
40 
a 
H 
41 
a 
Colch. Sem. 
42 
tt 
11 
43 
tt 
..11 
44 
tt 
Conii 
45 
a 
33 
46 
a 
33 
47 
a 
Croci 
48 
a 
33 
49 
a 
33 
50 
i t 
Cubebse 
51 
a 
33 
52 
tt 
33 
53 
a 
Digitalis 
54 
it 
it 
55 
it 
33 
56 
„ 
Ergotae 
57 
a 
33 
58 
it 
33 
59 
it 
Gallae 
60 
„ 
33 
61 
a 
33 
62 
a 
Gent. Co. 
63 
it 
tt 
64 
a 
33 
65 
„ 
Hyoscy. 
66 
tt 
it 
67 
i t 
tt 
68 
a 
Jalapee 
69 
a 
33 
70 
it 
33 
71 
a 
Kramer. 
72 
a 
33 
73 
a 
35 
74 
n 
Lavand. Co. 
75 
a 
ii 
76 
it 
Lobeliae 
77 
it 
33 
78 
ii 
11 
79 
it 
Lobel. 2Eth. 
80 
it 
31 
81 
a 
Lupuli 
82 
it 
it 
83 
11 
a 
84 
it 
Nuc. Vom. 
85 
tt 
11 
86 
it 
33 
87 
a 
Opii 
88 
tt 
13 . 
89 
it 
Pyrethri 
Method. 
Grs. per oz. of 
ingred. used. 
O 
g o 
fciD— 
. o 
CO 
o 
> 4^ 
Ct O 
f-i ^ 
1 
. rH 
P4 
CO 
Total contents 
per oz. in 
grains. 
Per cent, of in¬ 
gred. | dissolved. 
M 
54-68 
•838 
•8480 
6-30 
11-5 
P 
54-68 
•838 
•8619 
7‘22 
13-2 
8 
54-68 
•838 
•8620 
7-26 
13-2 
M 
21-87 
•838 
*8460 
3-80 
17-3 
P 
21-87 
•838 
‘8557 
4-61 
21-0 
s 
21-87 
•838 
•8560 
4-84 
22-1 
M 
43-75 
•920 
•9380 
14-50 
33-1 
S 
43-75 
•920 
•9410 
17-00 
88-8 
M 
21*87 
•920 
•9300 
662 
30-2 
P 
21-87 
•920 
•9285 
6 29 
28-7 
S 
21-87 
•920 
•9290 
5"65 
25-8 
M 
51-68 
•920 
•9320 
10-39 
19-0 
P 
54-68 
•920 
•9323 
10*50 
19 2 
S 
54-68 
•920 
•9340 
10-53 1 
19-2 
M 
51-68 
•920 
•9320 
7-08 1 
12-9 
P 
54-68 
•920 
•9389 
8-10 1 
14-8 
s 
54-68 
•920 
•9390 
8T3 | 
14-8 
M 
16-40 
•838 
*8428 
6-31 
3S-4 
P 
16-40 
•838 
•8429 
6-32 
38-5 
s 
16-40 
•838 
*8431 
6 56 
40-0 
M 
68-62 
•920 
•9552 
30-40 
41-3 
P 
68-62 
•920 
*9550 
29 11 
42 4 
S 
68-62 
•920 
•9530 
28'54 
41-6 
M 
54-68 
•920 
•9277 
8-33 
15-2 
P 
54"68 
•920 
•9298 
10-75 
19-6 
s 
54-68 
•920 
•9305 
10-87 
19-9 
M 
76-56 
•920 
•9619 
43-52 
56-3 
S 
76-56 
•920 
•9700 
43 98 
61-3 
M 
54-68 
•920 
•9274 
4-84 
8-8 
P 
54-68 
•920 
•9278 
5-83 
10*6 
s 
54-68 
•920 
•9280 
5.99 
10-9 
M 
81-00 
•920 
•9402 
20 99 
25-9 
P 
81-00 
•920 
•9414 
21-19 
26-1 
s 
81-00 
•920 
•9423 
21.20 
26-1 
M 
87-50 
•920 
*9383 
1613 
18-2 
P 
87-50 
•920 
•9387 
16T9 
18*5 
S 
87-50 
•920 
•9441 
1618 
18 2 
M 
54-68 
•920 
•9306 
8-98 
16-6 
P 
54-68 
•920 
•9307 
8-99 
16-4 
S 
54-68 
•920 
•9308 
8-96 
16-4 
M 
54-68 
•920 
•9263 
511 
9*3 
P 
54-68 
•920 
•9284 
5-34 
9*7 
S 
54-68 
•920 
"9305 
5 36 
9-8 
M 
54-68 
•920 
•9260 
5 63 
10-3 
P 
54-68 
•920 
•9280 
6-33 
11.0 
s 
51-68 
•920 
•9285 
6-45 
11-8 
M 
21-87 
•920 
•9259 
10-99 
50-2 
P 
21-67 
•920 
•9281 
15-08 
68-9 
S 
21-87 
•920 
•9312 
18-47 
84-4 
M 
54-68 
•838 
•8448 
10-10 
18-5 
P 
54-68 
•838 
•8454 
10-54 
19-2 
s 
54-68 
•838 
•84G0 
10-65 
19-4 
M 
64-68 
•920 
•9375 
8-93 
16-4 
P 
54-68 
•920 
•9372 
8-42 
15-4 
s 
54-68 
•920 
•9389 
8-36 
15*2 
M 
109-37 
•920 
*9367 
16-44 
15'0 
P 
109-37 
•920 
•9366 
16 'E 
14-9 
S 
109-37 
•920 
•9366 
16-89 
, l5‘4 
M 
54-68 
•920 
•9658 
41-74 
76*3 
P 
54-68 
•920 
•9632 
36-13 
66-0 
s 
54-68 
•920 
‘9605 
35-93 
65-6 
M 
60-15 
•920 
•9430 
23-70 
39-4 
P 
60-15 
•920 
•9436 
25-79 
42-8 
s 
60-15 
•920 
•9438 
25-85 
1 42*9 
M 
54-68 
•920 
•0290 
15-30 
27-9 
P 
54-68 
•920 
•9320 
21-61 
45-0 
S 
54-68 
•920 
•9323 
24-97 
45-6 
M 
54-68 
•920 
•9323 
18-20 
] 53-2 
P 
54-68 
•920 
•9324 
18-24 
j 33*3 
S 
54-68 
•920 
•9382 
I 18-24 
1 33-3 
M 
54-68 
•920 
•9140 
| 17-56 
1 32-1 
P 
54-68 
•920 
•9371 
17-88 
1 32-6 
s 
54-68 
•920 
•9393 
17-96 
| 32-8 
M 
15-00 
•838 
*8395 
I 6-57 
j 43-3 
S 
15-00 
•838 
*8415 
6 38 
42 ■ a 
M 
54-68 
•920 
•9286 
12T6 
1 22-2 
P 
54-68 
•920 
•9325 
13-31 
24*3 
S 
54-68 
•920 
•9333 
13-40 
24-o 
M 
54-68 
•809 
•8270 
7 06 
| 12-9 
s 
54"68 
•809 
•8278 
8-43 
1 16*4 
M 
54-68 
•920 
•9320 
12-94 
1 23*6 
P 
54-63 
•920 
•9320 
13-71 
25'0 
s 
54-68 
•920 
•9295 
13-72 
25-0 
M 
43-75 
•838 
•8390 
6-00 
13-7 
P 
43-75 
•838 
•8391 
6-45 
| 14-7 
8 
43*75 
•838 
•8152 
6-49 
| 14-8 
M 
32-81 
•920 
•9323 
20-36 
j 62’0 
S 
32-81 
•920 
•9325 
20-90 
! 6o-6 
AI 
87-50 
•838 
•8391 
4 60 
j 6-2 
