Du Mez-—The Galenical Oleoresins. 
929 
similarity, the following general statement of the pharmacopoeial 
methods is also given: 
Take of the Drug, in powder, a pound; 
Ether a sufficient quantity. 
Put the drug into a percolator, and having packed it carefully, pour 
the ether gradually upon it until two pints of filtered liquid are ob¬ 
tained, then distill off by means of a water-bath, at a gentle heat, a pint 
and a half of the ether, and expose the residue in a shallow vessel, until 
the whole of the ether has evaporated. 
a 
The methods in general as they were given in the United 
States Pharmacopoeia of 1860 differ from the above only in the 
quantity of drug and menstruum directed to be taken. Thus, 
twelve troy ounces of drug were directed to be subjected to per¬ 
colation with ether until twenty-four fluidounces of filtered 
liquid were obtained, when eighteen fluidounces of the ether 
were to be removed by distillation. In the preparation of the 
oleoresin of ginger, however, the following method of procedure 
was given: 
‘ ‘ Take of Ginger, in fine powder, twelve troy ounces; 
‘ 1 Stronger ether twelve fluidounces; 
c 1 Alcohol a sufficient quantity. 
“Put the ginger into a cylindrical percolator, press it firmly, and pour 
upon it the stronger ether. When this has been absorbed by the powder, 
add alcohol until twelve fluidounces of filtered liquid have passed. Re¬ 
cover from this, by distillation on a water-bath, nine fluid-ounces of ether, 
and expose the residue in a capsule until the volatile part has evaporated. ’ 1 
That the Pharmacopoeial Revision Committee was informed 
of the work of Beral in this connection appears to be clearly 
evident, as it was he, who first suggested this procedure (1834), 
also, in the preparation of the ’oleoresin of ginger, then known 
as the Piperoide du Gingemhre. 
In 1866, Rittenhouse, commenting on the methods in gen¬ 
eral, which were given in the United States Pharmacopoeia of 
1860, stated that about thirty-six fluid ounces of ether were re¬ 
quired to extract the drug when proceeding as officially directed. 
He, however, conceived the idea of reducing the amount of ether 
by a procedure similar to that employed in extracting the gin¬ 
ger rhizomes. Alcohol did not appeal to him as the proper 
**follow up IJ solvent for this purpose and he, therefore, con¬ 
ducted a series of experiments, in which he made use of benzin, 
59—-S. A. CL. 
