50S 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. [December 24,1870, 
have had prescriptions for this hcer from men who lay 
claim to a scientific training, and have in each case ad¬ 
vised the patient or messenger to procure the same by 
the gallon at some saloon, where they may obtain it at 
first cost. 
This proves the truth of the saying, “There’s some¬ 
thing in a name and malt extract is equally as good a 
term as the eelehrated strengthening tonic, “ Stomach 
Bitters,” whose chief advantage is the quantity of alcohol 
hidden by the high-sounding titles, and made into a 
fancy tippling drink by the aid of a few bitter roots, 
herbs and spice 3 . But the greatest shame of all is the 
frequent recommendations and endorsements by letters 
which are published by the factors of these vile nos¬ 
trums, and scattered broadcast to the public ; and these 
testimonials are frequently from men who occupy pro¬ 
minent positions in science,—yes, even teachers in medi¬ 
cal colleges. But, alas! wo were lately astounded by 
seeing such an endorsement from a gentleman occupying 
the chair of Pharmacy in the St. Louis College of Phar¬ 
macy. His private endorsement might have been over¬ 
looked, but when he attached to his name his position in 
the College, to give it extra weight, he gave an insult to 
the entire organization in which he holds the office of a 
teacher; the remedy of making a few examples by ex- 
communication would go far towards stopping this prosti¬ 
tution of our profession to such base uses. 
Of the second class of malt extracts, sometimes called 
Liebig’s, we have seen two samples from German manu¬ 
facturers, Ed. Loeflund and Dr. H. E. Linck, both of 
Stuttgart. They were put up in patent medicine style, 
each claiming originality in the process of manufacture. 
This point is questionable, as malt extract has been 
officinal in the London, Edinburgh and Belgium Phar¬ 
macopoeias, and in long use in Germany under the name 
of malt sugar ( Gersten-zucker). 
Professor Liebig does not lay any claim to the disco¬ 
very or introduction of this preparation. We have 
heard him, during his lectures, denounce this attach¬ 
ment of his name to these extracts, it having been done 
in opposition to his wishes by parties who hoped to in¬ 
crease their sales by this seeming endorsement of their 
articles. We have lately made the malt extract at the 
urgent request of physicians, and give herewith the pro¬ 
cess, so that pharmacists may prepare it themselves, 
instead of relying upon the specialist to supply it at 
exorbitant prices. 
Take of Barley Malt, kiln dried, 10 lb. av. 
Water, q. s. 
The malt can be obtained at the malt-houses or brew¬ 
eries by the bushel; reduce it by means of the drug mill 
so that it will pass through a No. 20 sieve, and add to 
the meal a sufficient quantity of cold water to form with 
it a soft dough; then add about two gallons of hot 
water, and apply heat so as to raise the temperature of 
the mixture to 150°, or not to exceed 158°. Maintain 
this temperature, with occasional stirring, for several 
hours, or until the whole of the starch is converted (by 
moans of the diastase of the malt) into dextrine and 
glucose. _ The absence of starch can be ascertained by 
the application of tinct. iodine to a small quantity of the 
liquor, when, if the starch has been wholly converted, 
no blue coloration will bo evident. Then express the 
liquor rapidly, and pass it through a strainer. This is 
the most difficult part of the process, as it speedily clogs 
the strainer. This can be averted to some extent by 
making a pulp by means of water from common unsized 
paper, or filtering-paper, and mixing this pulp with the 
expressed liquid previous to straining. The perfectly 
clear fluid is finally to be evaporated, by means of a 
watei-bath, to the consistence of a thick syrup, having 
the sp. gr. 1-500, or approximately one pint, weighing 
1 ^ lb. av. 
This extract has an agreeably, syrupy taste, and con¬ 
tains, besides the sugar of the malt, dextrine, albumen, 
and the phosphates of the grain. In very hot summer 
weather it is liable to go into fermentation, but this 
can be prevented by the addition of a small quantity of 
glycerine .—The Chicago Tharmacist. 
Suicide by Carbolic Acid. —An inquest was held 
a few days back upon the body of a servant girl, who was 
found by her master lying- dead in her room. It ap¬ 
peared from the evidence that she had been in depressed 
spirits, and suffering from pains in her head, and had 
committed suicide by drinking a quantity of carbolic 
acid, which had been obtained for disinfecting purposes.. 
The coroner, Dr. Lankester, said the public ought to be 
put on their guard respecting this compound. 
The Royal Society Medals.— The following award 
of medals was made at the annual meeting of the Royal 
Society on Nov. 30tli:—The Copley medal to Mr. James 
Prescott Joule, F.B.S., for his experimental researches 
on the dynamical theory of heat; a Royal Medal to Pro¬ 
fessor W. H. Miller, Foreign Secretary to the Society, 
for his researches and writings on mineralogy and crys¬ 
tallography, and his scientific labours in connection with 
the national standard of weight; a Royal Medal to Mr. 
Thomas Davidson, F.R.S., for his work on the recent 
and fossil brachiopoda ; and the Romford Medal to M. 
Alfred Olivier des Cloizeaux, for his researches in mineral 
optics. 
Kow to Apply Leeches. —A correspondent in the 
Lancet writes, that having had occasion to order a 
mustard-poultice for a patient, it became requisite to put 
some leeches on the same place. He was told that they 
fastened instantly, filled rapidly, and that the blood 
streamed afterwards into bread-poultices as if it would 
never stop. Now, whenever he orders leeches, he always 
has a mustard-poultice applied first, then the leeches 
(two or three instead of half-a-dozen), and then bread- 
poultices. The flow of blood is, however, sometimes so- 
much greater than would bo thought likely or possible, 
that it is necessary to add a few words of caution,—an 
adult female patient, of average strength, bled to faint¬ 
ing from only two leeches applied in this way. 
Origin of Malaria, — The British Medical Journal in 
noticing a book by Dr. Taussig, alludes to the theory of 
Dr. Balestra, who considers the malaria prevalent at 
Rome to be due to the seeds of a microscopic alga con¬ 
stantly present in all marshes, for whose vegetation 
and propagation the necessary conditions are stagnant 
water, a high temperature, and the vicinity of decom¬ 
posing vegetable matter. These spores, he says, can be 
introduced into the system by the stomach, lungs, or 
skin, but when brought into contact with a solution of 
either sulphite of soda, arsenic, or quinine, they lose all 
power of vegetation, and undergo a change of structure. 
Almond Powder for Preparing Emulsions.— 
M. Ch. Meniere suggests the following means of facili¬ 
tating the dispensing of almond emulsions : Make an 
emulsion of almonds blanched, 50 grams, and water, then 
add 390 grams of sugar in powder, and evaporate with a 
gentle heat until the mixture assumes a pasty consis¬ 
tence ; spread it upon plates, dry thoroughly by artificial 
heat, and reduce it to powder, adding five grams of pul¬ 
verized tragacanth. To prepare the emulsions of the 
Codex, take of the powder 32-5 parts, and triturate with 
orange-flower water 10, common water 120 parts. Ac¬ 
cording- to M. Meniere, an emulsion can thus be speedily 
prepared, and leaves nothing to be desired.— Joarn. de 
Fharmcicie et cle Chimie. 
Syrup cf Iodide of Iron.— M. Jeanncl has observed 
that the addition of 7o 1 ou part of tartaric acid renders 
syrup of iron clear when it has decomposed, at the same 
time diminishing notably its inky taste.— Bull, de la Soc* 
de Bhann. dc Bordeaux. 
