192 
Correspondence. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
April,  1910. 
Prof.  Philip  Asher,  New  Orleans,  contributes  the  following: 
An  experience  of  twenty-two  years  in  pharmaceutical  laboratories 
with  both  methods  is  decidedly  in  favor  of  percolation. 
In  the  case  of  the  exudates,  as  asafetida,  myrrh,  etc.,  it  has 
proven  more  satisfactory  than  maceration  and  obviates  the  un- 
necessary cleansing  of  the  utensils,  so  common  with  the  latter 
process. 
The  following  has  been  the  modus  operandi  employed:  The 
receptacle  is  graduated.  The  neck  of  the  percolator  is  plugged 
with  cotton  moistened  with  alcohol.  Over  this  a  layer  of  well- 
packed  excelsior  is  placed,  acting  as  a  porous  diaphragm.  The 
asafetida  is  placed  in  the  percolator  and  some  alcohol  added,  but 
not  sufficient  to  cover  the  asafetida.  This  is  allowed  to  macerate 
a  short  time,  after  which  the  asafetida  is  disintegrated  by  poking  it 
with  a  sharp  stick.  After  standing  a  short  while  to  allow  settling, 
percolation  is  started,  and  the  disintegration  repeated  if  necessary. 
Instead  of  adding  the  required  menstruum  at  once,  it  is  preferable 
to  add  only  sufficient  to  leave  a  small  layer  above  the  drug. 
The  above  process  followed  as  outlined  exhausts  the  asafetida 
completely,  long  before  all  the  menstruum  has  been  used,  as  evi- 
denced by  lack  of  precipitation  when  a  few  drops  of  the  percolate 
are  permitted  to  fall  into  water. 
By  this  method,  the  so-called  fluid  asafetida,  as  offered  by  the 
pharmaceutical  houses,  can  be  made,  heat  being  absolutely  unneces- 
sary in  any  of  the  stages,  which  represents  50  per  cent,  of  the 
soluble  principles. 
Dr.  J.  M.  Francis,  Detroit,  discusses  the  subject  as  follows: 
Without  entering  into  any  prolonged  discussion  of  the  matter,  we 
beg  to  say  that  our  experience  would  seem  to  indicate  that  macera- 
tion in  the  original  sense  is  not  at  all  necessary  and  is  not  nearly 
so  satisfactory,  all  things  considered,  as  percolation  when  properly 
conducted.  Consequently  we  believe  we  are  correct  in  saying  that 
the  old  form  of  maceration  is  hardly  ever  employed  in  our  laboratory 
at  the  present  time. 
It  might  be  well  for  the  sake  of  clearness  to  state  that  by 
"  maceration  "  we  refer  to  the  old  procedure  whereby  an  excess 
amount  of  liquid  is  placed  in  contact  with  the  drug  and  allowed 
to  stand  or  macerate  for  several  days,  the  liquid  then  being 
decanted  or  drawn  off:  a  fresh  portion  of  liquid  in  excess  being 
added  to  the  drug,  maceration  continued,  and  the  process  repeated. 
