PHARMACEUTICAL  STILL. 
197 
does  not  belong  to  the  class  of  drying  oils.  Its  odor  is  analo- 
gous to  that  of  olive  oil ;  and  it  is  not  soluble  to  the  extent  of 
a  trace  in  alcohol ;  but  is  soluble  in  all  proportions  in  chloro- 
form. 
A  quantity  of  seed  were  placed  in  a  mattrass,  connected  with 
a  suitable  condensing  apparatus,  and  subjected  to  distillation. 
The  distillate  was  carefully  examined  and  found  to  contain  no 
traces  of  volatile  oil ;  neither  did  the  distillate  present  any  acid 
reaction  upon  litmus.  The  presence  of  an  acid  was  detected  in 
the  seed,  but  afforded  such  a  slight  reaction  as  to  warrant  the 
belief  that  it  is  not  the  active  principle. 
I  have  found  as  the  other  constituents,  gum,  sugar,  starch 
and  chlorophyll.  My  desire  has  been  to  present  something  of 
utility,  rather  than  any  attempt  of  chemical  research.  But  it 
is  my  further  desire  to  discover  the  active  principle,  and  present 
it  in  an  isolated  form,  which  task  is  reserved  until  a  future  op- 
portunity presents  itself. 
PHARMACEUTICAL  STILL. 
By  Charles  0.  Curtman,  M.  D.,  Professor  of  Chemistry  in  the  Missouri 
Medical  College.''^ 
The  recovery  of  alcohol  and  ether,  used  as  a  solvent  in  the 
preparation  of  extracts,  etc.,  is  of  considerable  importance  to 
the  manufacturer  at  any  time,  and,  at  present  prices,  amounts  to 
a  necessity.  Much  of  the  success  of  the  operation  depends  upon 
the  form  and  convenience  of  the  distilling  apparatus  used  for 
that  purpose ;  and  the  want  of  a  simple  still,  cheap  and  easily 
managed,  adapted  to  the  use  of  both  the  retail  druggist  and  the 
country  practitioner,  has,  in  many  instances,  prevented  them 
from  preparing  their  own  extracts  and  other  medicaments  re- 
quiring distillation,  and  has  prompted  them  to  purchase  those 
articles  from  large  manufacturers,  some  of  whom  are  not  always 
over  scrupulous  about  the  purity  of  their  productions.  Much 
has  been  accomplished  in  the  construction  of  a  still,  at  once 
cheap  and  simple,  and  easily  manipulated,  by  Prof  Procter,  of 
*  Communicated  by  the  Author — from  proof-sheet  of  the  St.  Louis 
Medical  Recorder  for  March,  1869. 
