July 15,1371.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
45 
TABLE OF REPERCOLATIONS. 
Portion of 
Percolate. 
YELLOW CINCHONA BARK. 
Grains. 
• 
DANDELION ROOT. 
Grains. 
SENNA LEAF. 
Grains. 
1st Portion. 
2nd Portion. 
3rd Portion. 
1st Portion. 
2nd Portion. 
1 
3rd Portion. 
1st Portion. 
! 2nd Portion. 
3rd Portion. 
Pints. 
Difference. 
Extract. 
Difference. 
Extract. 
Difference. 
Extract. 
Difference. 
Extract. 
Difference. 
Extract. 
Difference. 
Extract. 
Difference. 
Extract. 
Difference. 
Extract. 
Difference. 
Extract. 
1 
398 
514 
587 
757 
765 
988 
803 
1927 
1484 
3539 
1624 
3374 
563 
1166 
841 
1742 
1098 
2275 
9 
155 
200 
280 
361 
493 
636 
374 
892 
676 
1612 
1000 
2385 
286 
593 
485 
1005 
878 
1819 
3 
70 
90 
230 
297 
321 
414 
169 
403 
293 
711 
70 4 
1679 
103 
213 
258 
535 
370 
767 
4 
48 
62 
195 
252 
260 
336 
119 
284 
156 
372 
405 
966 
46 
95 
169 
350 
289 
599 
5 
53 
68 
135 
174 
193 
249 
53 
126 
125 
299 
234 
558 
47 
98 
132 
274 
229 
475 
6 
26 
31 
91 
121 
175 
226 
31 
74 
97 
231 
161 
384 
36 
75 
100 
207 
145 
301 
7 
28 
So 
87 
112 
183 
236 
8 
19 
102 
243 
137 
327 
34 
71 
65 
135 
128 
265 
8 
65 
84 
112 
145 
1S2 
235 
7 
17 
95 
226 
112 
267 
31 
64 
51 
106 
110 
228 
9 
95 
123 
86 
111 
16S 
217 
75 
179 
95 
228 
18 
37 
45 
93 
113 
235 
10 
71 
92 
87 
112 
153 
197 
57 
136 
80 
191 
23 
48 
34 
70 
100 
207 
11 
31 
40 
65 
81 
134 
173 
66 
155 
0 
A 
4 
42 
87 
94 
192 
12 
SO 
39 
48 
62 
106 
137 
43 
103 
4 
8 
48 
99 
75 
156 
13 
26 
34 
38 
49 
91 | 
118/ 
39 
81 
68 
141 
14 
14 
18 
47 
61 
1 1 
130 
33 
68 
48 
99 
15 
32 
41 
41 
53 
71 
91 
16 
25 
32 
45 
58 
83 
107 
17 
38 
49 
40 
51 
48 
62 
1205 
1555 
2217 
2860 
3527 
4552 
1569 
(71 
CO 
3165 
754S 
4661 
11,117 
1226 
2540 
2342 
4S52 
3745 
7759 
■will yield accordingly, the larger portions being more 
economical. 
In the case of dandelion (should not the Pharmacopoeia 
change the English name to taraxacum F) the Pharma¬ 
copoeia is estimated to get 86 per cent, or 3222 grains of 
the extract in its pint. This would make the first two 
pints of the last dandelion column nearly officinal. But 
if the standard he reduced to the 80 per cent, uniformity, 
or 2993 grains instead of 3222 to the pint, the column 
would yield nearly 2\ pints of that strength. 
In the case of senna, the Pharmacopoeia, as estimated, 
may get 78 per cent, or 1972 grains of the extract in its 
prescribed pint of fluid extract. The last senna column 
of the table would yield about 2 J pints of this strength. 
But if the standard be increased to 80 per cent., or 2032 
grains of extract to the pint, the column would yield just 
2 pints of this strength. 
Of course the weaker percolates of these final columns 
of this table yield proportionately more when applied 
to other fresh portions of powder, but in some instances 
at least, if not in all, repercolation cannot be carried on 
indefinitely, because of the weak percolate becoming 
overloaded with extract—the 20 per cent, which is re-! 
jected and goes on accumulating—which is assumed here 
to be medicinally feeble. After a year or two of active I 
practice, it becomes necessary to recover the alcohol from 
the weaker of the weak percolates, only carrying on the | 
stronger ones. In no case need each separate portion of 
the residuary weak percolate be kept separate from one 
making to the next, but the different strengths may be 
grouped together so as to preserve the whole in three or 
four bottles for each substance. 
From the above considerations it would follow that a 
fluid extract representing a drug minim for grain, might 
be defined or described as a solution containing 80 per 
cent, of the extract of that drug, which is soluble in a 
given prescribed menstruum. And fluid extract of senna, 
for example, would be powdered senna repercolatcd with 
diluted alcohol until equal volumes of the menstruum 
and percolate weighed at the same temperature, differ to 
the extent of 14*5 per cent. = 988 grains to the pint. 
The menstrua for fluid extracts need much revision and 
much research, for upon the menstruum a large part of 
the therapeutical as well as pharmaceutical success de¬ 
pends. The writer has only very imperfectly studied 
this branch of the subject, and yet too much time and 
space would be required to give an abstract of the ob¬ 
servations made. He must therefore be content with 
offering his judgment as based on his experience. 
The officinal “ alcohol,” defined as “ spirit of the spe¬ 
cific gravity 0-835,” seems to be no longer needed in the 
Pharmacopoeia, its place having been well taken by the 
common so-called “95 per cent, alcohol,” or “alcohol 
fortius” of the Pharmacopceia. This might now be 
called in the Pharmacopoeia, as it is in the market, sim¬ 
ply alcohol. Since the last revision of the Pharmacopoeia 
the Government has taken charge of the spirit market, 
and one result of legislation upon it has been to reduce 
the strength of the market grades. Ten years ago it 
was easy to get the so-called “ 95 per cent, alcohol ” and 
“ cologne spirit ” from any good maker, containing 92 
per cent., or of the officinal specific gravity 0-817. But 
of late years, in the writer’s experience, this is always 
difficult and generally impossible. In a review of some 
fifty barrels or more from several good makers, including- 
“Atwood’s Alcohol,” at various times within the past 
year, and all bought to special order, and not in the 
general market, the specific gravity has only once reached 
•817, all the others varying between -818 and -824 with 
an average of about -820. A ten-gallon keg bought in 
the common market, of a first-rate house, and with the 
brand of a good maker on it, stamped by the United 
States Revenue officer as containing “ 10 wane gallons,” 
“ Proof 18S,” contained 8 gallons and 7 pints, yet gave 
no evidence of leakage, and had a specific gravity of 
•82058. This probably fairly represents the market at 
the present day, and if so, 91 rather than 92 per cent, 
should be aimed at by the Pharmacopoeia. 
Some reform in the mercantile management of alcohol 
is much needed, and the influence of this Association 
might be used to bring this about at an earlier day than 
it would naturally come through popular demand. When 
the so-called “95 per cent, alcohol” sold for 40 to 45 
cents per gallon, the “shortage” of half a gallon or a 
gallon on each barrel was of far less moment than it is 
now with a price of $2, or thereabouts ; and the differ¬ 
ence of temperature between summer and winter,—or 
between 10° C. =50° F., and 30° C. = 86° F.—of a frac¬ 
tion over 2 per cent, in the measuring, was also of less 
moment. Either through erroneous gauging, or through 
some skill in making barrels, or through both together, 
it is very rare to find a barrel of alcohol that holds out 
measure even in summer temperatures, and the rule is 
that they fall short from half a gallon to one and a half 
