2  VACUUM  MACERATION,  ETC. 
being  larger  than  those  of  wheat  or  corn,  and  smaller  than  those 
from  the  potato — approaching  more  nearly  the  starch  from  the 
bean,  both  in  size  and  form. 
With  iodine  the  characteristic  blue  of  the  iodide  of  starch 
was  obtained. 
The  starchy  matter  formed  about  14  per  ceat.  of  the  moist 
opium. 
MiDDLETOWN,  K  Y.,  Nov.,  1868. 
YACUUM  MACERATION :— DUFFIELD'S  PROCESS  FOR 
FLUID  EXTRACTS. 
By  the  Editor. 
For  some  time  past  the  Medical  Journals  of  the  West  and 
North,  have  had  notices  of  a  class  of  fluid  extracts  known  as  'vDuf- 
field's,"  claiming  for  them  great  merit  as  being  prepared  without 
heat  or  evaporation.  We  have  not  seen  these  preparations, 
but  being  interested  in  all  improvements  in  pharmaceutical  pro- 
cesses, we  wrote  to  Dr.  Duffield  for  information  in  regard  to  his 
process  if  he  was  disposed  to  give  it,  so  that  the  merits  of  the 
process,  if  any,  might  be  known  to  the  revisors  of  the  Pharma- 
copoeia, and  the  following  is  in  substance  his  reply : — ■ 
Detroit,  Mich.,  Oct.  6th,  1868. 
''Dear  Sir. — Your  favor  came  duly.  *  *  *  *  * 
As  regards  my  process,  it  is  not  patented.  It  differs  from  Dr.  Squibb's 
in  my  not  percolating  ;  it  differs  from  Thomas'  in  every  respect,  except 
that  I  use  a  press.  The  whole  thing  you  will  appreciate,  although  it  is 
difficult  to  make  every  M.  D.  understand  when  I  say  it  is  a  vacuum  ma- 
ceration. I  macerate  in  vacuo,  cold,  using  the  menstrua  of  the  Pharma- 
copoeia and  expressing  with  hydraulic  pressure  until  I  get  one  pint  for  one 
pound  of  dry  ground  drug.  All  I  claim  in  way  of  novelty  is  maceration 
in  vacuo  for  6  to  10  days,  and  expression,  allowing  the  liquid  to  settle  in 
carboys  of  glass  and  decant  clear  withglasss  syphons  and  bottle. 
"I  am  satisfied  that  percolation,  as  carried  on  in  large  establishments, 
with  a  class  of  workmen  usually  employed,  gives  very  variable  results. 
*  *  It  takes  more  alcohol  to  work  my  way,  but  it  gives  fluid  ex- 
tracts on  the  large  scale  equal  to  those  I  made  when  in  the  drug  business 
from  your  published  formulae.  I  enclose  [the  printed  account  of]  ray  pro- 
cess, and  will  be  happy  to  give  you  more  light  on  the  subject. 
Yours,  &c., 
S.  P.  Duffield." 
