254 
ON TIIE PROCESSES EOR PREPARING SOME OE THE 
TINCTURES OF THE PHARMACOPEIAS. 
BY ME. W. D. SAVAGE. 
{Bead at the Bath Meeting of the British Pharmaceutical Conference, Sept. 18G4.) 
Anxious to do something, however little, to promote the objects of the 
Pharmaceutical Conference,—I accepted for consideration the resinous tinc¬ 
tures, but I soon found the subject would be so limited, and of so little gene¬ 
ral interest, that I deviated from my first intention, and endeavoured by some 
mechanical experiments to estimate the relative proportions of extractive 
matter in some of the more generally used tinctures possessing active pro¬ 
perties, and, so far as I could to ascertain the respective merits of the different 
processes of manipulation. The tinctures were carefully prepared by my son 
from the same ingredients, at the same temperature, and with the same spirit; 
so that the results may be estimated with more exactitude. In some cases a 
second specimen was obtained from other makers. The quantity operated 
upon in each case was only 5 ) (by weight); I have, therefore, for convenience 
of comparing the product with the pharmacopoeia proportions, multiplied it for 
5 ], and as the relative proportions are given in the subjoined table of the sub¬ 
stances in the L. P. and P.P., it will at one view show the advantages or 
otherwise of the different modes of preparation. In order to render the com¬ 
parison a fair one and as analogous as possible, I adopted the following course 
of action :—As a source of heat I used one of Griffin’s earthenware spirit-lamp 
cylinders (6 inches high and 4 inches in diameter); on the top of this was 
placed a circular tin basin inches diameter and little more than an inch 
deep, filled with sand. On this I put four watch-glasses each containing 5 j 
of the same tincture made by the four different processes. (I found in prac¬ 
tice that it required 2 oz. of methylated spirit, and about three hours for the 
evaporation of one batch, but in some cases, where the result seemed unsatis¬ 
factory, a second and even a third trial was necessary.) The watch-glasses 
having been previously numbered with a diamond, and their respective weights 
accurately ascertained, it was easy to ascertain the weight of residual extract, 
and this was done before any of the extracts absorbed moisture. After I had 
carried out my plan, I found from references made by Dr. Attfielcl to Dr. 
Purton’s experiments, recorded in the 5th vol. of the Pharmaceutical Journal, 
that the same course of testing the quantity of extractive matter in tinctures 
had been carried on by him, but on a much more extended scale, for the 
purpose of showing the advantage of suspending the ingredients in the men¬ 
struum instead of the usual plan of simple infusion. By the way, if Burton’s 
plan is really so effective as it seems to be, and metal vessels (as Mr. Haselden 
says) not objectionable, Loysell’s percolator would be an excellent means for 
making tinctures, and, I should think, an improvement on the mode adopted 
by Dr. Burton. 
In making comparisons, in the subjoined table, it will be necessary to bear 
in mind the relative quantities of solids given in the London and British 
Pharmacopoeias. The quantifies are placed in juxtaposition for convenience 
of reference. It seems to me quite evident, that the time allowed for macera¬ 
tion, usually 48 hours, in the British Pharmacopoeia, is not sufficient, and as a 
rule not less than 14 days ought to have been recommended ; this with per¬ 
colation would have yielded the best results, for although I have given 21 
days, I found in most cases that 14 days was quite as effective when the mate- 
rials were properly shaken during the process. 
The tinctures were all shaken up at least three times a day, and each one 
filtered before it was evaporated. 
