Juno 10, 1871.] 
TIIE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
9S5 
BEEF EXTRACT IX COMBINATION. 
BY PROFESSOR EDWARD PARRISH. 
The greatly increased reliance by practitioners of 
medicine on the use of proper nutriment, not only as 
an aid to convalescence, hut also to sustain the forces 
of life in the incipient stages, and, indeed, through¬ 
out the course of some very prevalent diseases, has 
called for a variety of beef extracts for the ready 
preparation of essence of beef and beef-tea. The 
large sale of these attests the value placed on them, 
not only by physicians but by the public at large, 
and yet the idea of making articles of diet from some- 
thing bought at the drug store, and having some of 
the characters of a medicine, is so repulsive to the 
keen sensibilities of many invalids, that often resort 
is had to the tedious extemporaneous methods of 
extracting the juice directly from fresh beef. 
Moreover, it is often observed that, however nicely 
made, essence of beef and beef-tea soon lose their 
relish when given constantly, under medical advice, 
or as a part of the treatment—a distaste which is 
sometimes due to the disease, but perhaps oftener to 
the fact, that variety constitutes one of the chief 
attractions in matters dietetic. 
In giving medicines, the importance of consulting 
the taste of the patient is less recognized; they are 
taken as a disagreeable necessity, and are not ex¬ 
pected to possess the attractions which usually per¬ 
tain to articles of diet. 
These considerations seem to favour the idea of 
combining beef extract into pharmaceutical prepara¬ 
tions, and thus giving it at stated intervals, nolens 
volens. 
The composition of such preparations being un¬ 
known to the patient, and the taste being disguised 
by admixture with suitable adjuvants, that feeling 
of disgust created by the idea of animal food in an 
undefined state, intermediate between medicine and 
diet, is avoided. 
Of the several proprietary beef compounds recently 
introduced I have little knowledge, and have no 
doubt that they are useful. The object of tliis paper 
is not to supersede these, but to point out a method 
of varying the composition of nutritive medicinal 
compounds, and to put it within the reach of all to 
meet the requirements of the medical practitioner, 
by furnishing any of these extemporaneous]}', as 
required. 
Beef stock, as sold in tin cans, soldered, has been 
cheap since the war, and by solution in glycerine, 
diluted with water, may be brought to a tolerably 
permanent fluid, miscible with pharmaceutical pre¬ 
parations. The proportion may be six parts of beef 
stock to three or four of water, and one of glycerine. 
In time this becomes gelatinous, probably by the 
glycerine combining with gelatine, always present in 
the stock. 
Experiments tried by exposing this fluid to a 
temperature and other circumstances favourable to 
putrefaction, indicate that in midsummer it would be 
necessary to keep it in a cool place, yet probably 
no further difficulty would be experienced with this 
than with many other preparations which during 
the intense heat of our summers require special pre¬ 
cautions to prevent decomposition. 
In the absence of beef stock, resort may be had to 
either of the solid extracts of beef. I have dissolved 
Tourtellot’s extract in eight parts of water, and 
added half a part of glycerine, blit the solution, like 
Third Series, No. 50. 
the foregoing, is very inelegant. A good addition to 
either of these is caramel, which improves the colour 
and gives a flavour of bitterness. 
Gelatine is the ingredient which interferes with 
the eligible appearance and physical properties of 
these solutions, and hence to remove this without 
materially impairing their nutritive qualities is a 
desideratum. Solutions of tannin added in small 
portions, after largely diluting with water, causes a 
white flocculent to separate, which may be removed 
on a filter or Canton flannel strainer, and then, on 
evaporation to about the consistence of syrup, we have 
what may be termed a clarified solution of beef ex¬ 
tract, preserved by glycerine. The tannin should 
be added with care, not to have an excess, and the 
filtration should be resorted to before the solution is 
inspissated, and yet after heat has been applied.* 
The beef basis being at hand, it is easy to make 
suitable extemporaneous mixtures with iron, quinine, 
the phosphates, and other tonics, dissolved either in 
very dilute alcoholic, or in saccharine menstrua. 
Some judgment is required in the selection of these. 
As a rule, sweet syrups are best adapted to children; 
molasses is used in one of the popular proprietary 
nutritive tonics ; but, on the other hand, great care 
is required not to cloy the stomach of an adult with 
sweets constantly administered. 
Fluid extract of liquorice is one of the best ex¬ 
cipients for disguising the meat flavour; that made 
from the root by the use of diluted alcohol gives a 
strong liquorice flavour and taste without much body. 
Diluted phosphoric acid, or the compound syrup of 
phosphates, is a good addition. Strong alcoholic 
liquids would be incompatible with it, but wines mix 
well, increasing fluidity and producing but slight 
precipitation. Wine of iron or bitter wine of iron 
may be advantageously added in the proportion of 
one part of the wine to three of the extractum carnis 
fluidum.— American Journal of Pharmacy. 
BRISTOL PHARMACOLOGY. 
BY W. W. STODDART, F.C.S., F.G.S. 
[Continued from paye 922.) 
Nat. Ord. Urticace^e. 
This, though not a very extensive Order, yet is 
one containing plants of great utility, some sup¬ 
plying edible fruits, some valuable textile fibres and 
others caoutchouc. From others, also, is procured 
the terrible upas poison, the intoxicating cliurrus, 
the fig and the mulberry. 
Humulus Lupulus (Linn.). 
This well-known climber is often seen on the 
hedges near Stapleton, Flax Bourton, Crew’s Hole, 
Saltford and Bishops worth. Near the last locality 
it has been seen growing with the Cuscuta Europcea. 
The Hop plant was introduced into England from 
Flanders in the reign of Flenry VIII.:—• 
“Hops, reformation, bays and beer, 
Came into England all in one year.” 
Some naturalists have hesitated to consider the Hop 
* Liebig’s beef extract is free from the objection arising 
from the presence of gelatine, and, as it is desirable to dis¬ 
pense with the tannin treatment, and to be able t-o prepare 
an eligible fluid by an easy and quick process, resort may be 
had to this elegant though, costly product. 
