Jane 14, 1573.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
989 
THE PHARMACY OF THE UNITED STATES’ 
PHARMACOPOEIA. 
BY WILLIAM MARTINDALE, F.C.S., 
Dispenser , and Teacher of Pharmacy to the University 
College Hospital. 
{Continued from page 902.) 
Extract a. —There are thirty-four formulae for these, 
and the following instructions are prefixed to this 
class of preparations:*—Unless otherwise directed, 
they are to he evaporated “ as quickly as possible in 
a broad, shallow vessel, by means of a water-bath, 
until they have acquired the consistence proper for 
forming pills; and towards the end of the process 
stir them constantly with a spatula. _ Sprinkle upon 
the softer extracts a small quantity of alcohol.” . 
In all except six cases the process of percolation is 
adopted for exhausting the crude drugs in making 
these extracts. The exceptions are the extracts of 
fresh parts of plants,—the leaves of belladonna, 
conium and hyoscyamus, and taraxacum rootex¬ 
tract of opium is made like B. P.—three cold mace¬ 
rations in water and evaporation ot the clear liquors; 
extract of logwood is also made like B. P. from a 
decoction with water, and the subsequent evaporation 
of this. 
The official extracts may be divided into five 
classes, viz. :— 
Pure alcoholic. —The extracts of ignatia, nux vo¬ 
mica, cannabis americana, cannabis indica, and phy- 
sostigma. The drugs are taken in powder, of various 
degrees of fineness, and percolated with alcohol (sp. 
gr. *835), a sufficient quantity. The spirit is distilled 
from the tincture so obtained, and the residue eva¬ 
porated by a water-bath to a soft extract. _ The last 
three drugs are macerated for four days with a por¬ 
tion of the spirit before proceeding to percolate. 
Semi-alcoholic. —Of these there are— 
a. Extracts in which diluted alcohol only is used 
as a solvent— Extractum dulcamarce, extractum senegce, 
extractum stramonii seminis, and extractum colocyn- 
thidis. The spirit is directed to be recovered from 
all, except senega, by distillation. In extract of colo- 
cynth, the colocynth pulp is first macerated with a 
portion of the spirit and pressed, the marc percolated 
with more spirit, the mixed liquors are then distilled 
to collect the alcohol, the residue being afterwards 
dried and powdered. About seven ounces of extract, 
it is stated, are obtained from forty-eight ounces of 
colocynth fruit (with seeds). Extractum colocynthidis 
* Dividing the preparations into classes allows the 
editors of a national pharmacopoeia the opportunity of 
giving general instructions for preparing each class, which, 
in the compilation of the British Pharmacopoeia, was not 
embraced—the strict alphabetical arrangement of the 
whole being adhered to. The alphabetical and class arrange¬ 
ments might, I think, with advantage be blended together 
so as to permit some instructions to be given under the 
head of each class. Many pages of space might have been 
saved by such means by condensing and omitting the re¬ 
petition of the process for making tinctures by maceration 
and percolation under each separate formula in the British 
Pharmacopoeia. In the London Pharmacopoeia short 
heads of this kind were appended to some classes, which 
were often useful. As an example of the effect of such 
omission, none of the infusions in any of the three Phar¬ 
macopoeias under notice are directed to be agitated, as they 
ought to be, during their maceration, and the consequence 
is that, in perhaps seven cases out of ten, when negligently 
prepared according to the Pharmacopoeia, they are never 
agitated at all until they are strained off.—W. M. 
Third Series. No. 155. 
compositum is a mixture of this simple extract with 
purified aloes, resin of scammony, cardamom, and 
soap, all in the state of fine powder. 
h. Extracts in which the powdered drugs are per¬ 
colated, first with alcohol (sp. gr. ’835) and then with 
diluted alcohol ; the two percolates are partially eva¬ 
porated separately, and then mixed and evaporated 
to a proper consistence. The following are so pre¬ 
pared : — Extractum aconiti , extractum conii alcoholi- 
cum (leaves), extractum digitalis , extractum hellebom , 
extractum podophylli, extractum rhei, extractum stra¬ 
monii foliorum, extractum valeriance. 
c. Extracts in which the powdered drugs are 
treated by percolation, first, with a mixture of two 
volumes of alcohol (sp. gr. -835) and one of water, and 
afterwards with diluted alcohol, and the mixed per¬ 
colates evaporated to an extract. The following are 
so made :— Extractum arnicce (flowers), extractum bel¬ 
ladonnas alcoholicum (leaves), and extractum hyoscyami 
alcoholicum (leaves). 
d. Extracts in which the powdered drugs are 
treated by maceration and percolation, first with 
alcohol (sp. gr. -835) and then with common water. 
The first portion of percolate is distilled to recover 
the spirit, and the two products are separately evapo¬ 
rated until syrupy, mixed and concentrated to an 
extract. These are extractum cinchonce (yellow 
bark),* and extractum jalapce. 
Aqueous. —Extracts prepared by percolation of the 
powdered drugs with colei water, and the subsequent 
evaporation of the percolate to a proper consistence. 
These are extractum gentiance , extractum juglandis 
(butternut bark), extractum kramerice , and extractum 
quassice. The evaporation of the percolate from 
rliatany, after heating to the boiling point and 
straining, is to be continued at a temperature net 
exceeding 160°, to form an extract. Extractum opH 
and extractum hcematoxyli, before mentioned, are aho 
aqueous extracts. . 
Acetous. — Extractum colchici aceticum. This is 
prepared by diluting acetic acid with four volumes 
of water, percolating the powdered dried “ root {sic) 
with this solvent, adding more water until the drug 
is exhausted, and evaporating the percolates in a 
water bath to a proper consistence. 
Extracts of fresh parts of plants. —There are four of 
these preparations ; three of them are prepared from 
the fresh leaves separated from the branches entirely 
(not like the B. P., or Mr. P. Squire, in this respect) 
—these are the extracts of belladonna, conium, ar.d 
hyoscyamus. The leaves are bruised in a store 
mortar, sprinkled with a little water, and the jjuh e 
expressed ; then having heated this to the boilii g 
point, the liquor is strained and evaporated io 
a proper consistence. The chlorophyll is tin s 
separated from these extracts. They will there¬ 
fore not be green extracts in the sense in which 
we understand the corresponding preparations of 
the British Pharmacopoeia. When the chlorophyll 
is separated from these extracts, they are ' ei y 
hygroscopic in their nature, and troublesome to 
manage pharmaceutically, especially when preset ibod 
in the form of pills, else the separation of the chlo¬ 
rophyll is an advantage therapeutically, as it is 
merely an inert substance which increases the bum 
* I have previously mentioned that common water is 
ordered in the preparation of extractum cmchonce and 
extractum cinchonas fluidum. This appears ’ o be a grea. 
oversight.—W. M. 
