1106 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters. 
No. 60 power for percolation. Owing to the large fatty oil 
content, this degree of fineness is difficult to attain, and, as 
experiments conducted in the laboratory indicate that a No. 
40 powder is equally satisfactory for this purpose, it appears 
that a change to this effect in the pharmacopooeial directions 
is desirable. 
3) Ether is the solvent directed by the Pharmacopoeia to be 
used for the extraction of the substances constituting the oleo- 
resin. Observations made in the laboratory indicate that 
other solvents may also be employed for this purpose without 
in any way detracting from the value of the finished product. 
Thus, acetone and petroleum ether were found to yield pro¬ 
ducts almost identical with that obtained by the use of ether. 
The latter is to be preferred to benzin as suggested by Bering- 
er (1892) since its composition is more constant. Alcohol 
which is used commercially in the preparation of some of the 
so-called liquid apiols dissolves a considerable amount of col¬ 
oring matter and other inert substances and, therefore, yields 
a product of inferior quality. 
4) For a description of the various forms of percolators which 
have been designed to meet the specifications of the Pharma¬ 
copoeia, see Part I under “Apparatus used”. 
5) The pharmaeopoeial directions governing the extraction of 
the oleoresinous material are to slowly percolate the drug with 
ether, added in successive portions, until complete exhaustion 
has been effected. Here again, the use of some form of contin¬ 
uous extraction apparatus would appear to be an improve¬ 
ment over the present method. 
6-7) For comments on this step in the pharmaeopoeial method 
of preparation, see under comments on the oleoresin of cubeb. 
8) Upon the complete removal of the solvent from the perco¬ 
late, the residual oily liquid deposits a small amount of waxy 
matter which the Pharmacopoeia directs shall be removed by 
decantation. When either is the solvent used in extracting 
the drug, this deposit amounts to less than 1 per cent of the 
oleoresin, while the percentage is somewhat greater, about 1.5 
per cent when acetone is used. The deposit resulting when 
benzin was the solvent employed was found by Beringer to be 
equal to about 3 per cent. 
9) The oleoresin should be kept in well-stoppered bottles as 
