306 
EXTRACTS OF THE BRITISH PHARMACOPOEIA. 
to three ounces of extract from one pound of root. In the extract which I have 
here with the others, and recently prepared the product, was two and a half 
ounces from one pound, being one ounce more than obtained by the Pharma¬ 
copoeia process and direction. To carry the question still further, I may say 
that a very creditable extract may be prepared by percolation with boiling 
water, the product being three and a quarter ounces from one pound of root, 
being three-quarters of an ounce increase upon the quantity obtained by the 
cold water process. In this last extract there is undoubtedly a considerable 
amount of starch; the relative proportion of the three preparations as to 
quantity stands thus :— 
British Pharmacopoeia extract 1^ oz. from 1 pound of root. 
Cold Water. 2% oz. ,, 
Boiling Water.3^ oz. ,, 
I am not quite sure that percolation has any advantage over maceration in 
the matter of calumbo, for every one who has practised upon it must have 
experienced the fact that calumbo is not the most tractable substance one 
could have in the percolator. 
It may also be a question for consideration whether the absence of the 
starch in the extract and the infusion is an advantage or not,—whether the 
propensity in the present day to leave out everything which has the cha¬ 
racter of being inert matter is always an improvement; and I am sometimes 
doubtful whether in some pharmaceutical preparations, the scientific fever is 
not carried too far. 
When we call to mind that calumbo is often given in an irritable and weak 
condition of stomach, and after attacks of diarrhoea, when more active tonics 
might not be advisable, the question will occur, is not that starch, 'which 
some are so desirous of leaving out, the very thing that might be useful? 
Arrow-root and other starches are naturally suggested as articles of diet 
for persons so suffering ; permit me to quote in addition a few words from 
one of our lost friends, but no mean authority. The late Lr. Pereira says :— 
“ Calumbo is one of our most useful stomachics and tonics. Its great value 
consists in its not being apt, like other and more powerful tonics, to create 
nausea, sickness, febrile disorder or headache, so that it is tolerated when 
other remedies of .this class would be immediately rejected. Indeed, on many 
occasions it evinces a positive power of checking vomiting. Probably it owes 
these valuable properties to a combination of circumstances ; such as its free¬ 
dom from acidity and astringency, the large quantity of starch which it con¬ 
tains (from wdiich it acquires its demulcent properties), and the peculiar ope¬ 
ration of its bitter principle.” But one word more, and that for ourselves : 
every dispenser knows that extracts "when made into pills require something 
to give them consistence and render them permanent in shape,—the starch 
would do this in extract of calumbo. 
II. Extractum Glycyrrhizce. 
The next extract upon which I beg to offer some remarks is that of Liquo¬ 
rice, and I am induced to select it because the process of the British Phar¬ 
macopoeia is just the reverse of that of the London Pharmacopoeia, which 
has hitherto been our guide. 
In order to be plain and clearly understood by any who may not be con¬ 
versant with the process and directions of the British Pharmacopoeia, I will 
just read the form. 
“ Take of liquorice-root, in coarse powder, 1 pound, distilled water a 
sufficiency, macerate the liquorice-root in 8 fluid ounces of the w 7 atcr, for 
