Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  i 
April,  1910.  / 
Correspondence. 
197 
served  no  very  great  difference  in  this  respect  between  the  products 
of  the  two  processes  under  consideration. 
I  hold  very  strongly  the  opinion  that  all  drugs  that  are  suitable 
to  be  extracted  by  maceration  or  percolation  should  be  treated  by 
the  process  of  percolation,  provided  that  the  material  is  not  of 
such  character  that  the  particles,  when  moistened  with  the  proper 
menstruum,  will  adhere  so  closely  that  the  menstruum  does  not 
properly  permeate  the  mass,  or  when  the  characteristics  are  such 
that  it  would  be  harmful  to  the  substance  to  reduce  it  to  a  state 
of  division  suitable  for  percolation.  The  degree  of  fineness  should 
be  sufficient  to  avoid  permitting  the  menstruum  to  pass  freely 
through  the  spaces  between  the  particles  of  the  drug.  Finally,  it 
is  my  belief,  that  those  pharmacists  who  have  become  familiar  with 
the  process  of  percolation  will  endeavor  to  avoid  maceration 
processes. 
Irwin  A.  Becker,  Ph.G.,  Michael  Reese  Hospital,  Chicago,  writes 
that  the  only  U.S. P.  process  for  tinctures  which  he  has  modified 
is  that  for  tincture  of  capsicum,  his  process  being  as  follows :  The 
drug  is  macerated  for  from  three  to  five  days,  followed  by  filtration, 
the  marc  being  transferred  to  the  filter  as  early  in  the  process  as 
practicable.  Sufficient  menstruum  is  added  through  the  filter  to 
give  the  required  measure.  The  resulting  tincture  usually  has  a 
deeper  color  and  appears  more  brilliant  than  that  made  by  percola- 
tion. Tinctures  were  made  from  four  different  purchases  of  drug, 
three  being  those  from  local  jobbers  and  the  other  being  Gilpin, 
Langdon  &  Company's  "  powdered  capsicum  for  percolation."  One 
of  the  observations  in  this  series  of  experiments  was  that  while 
G.  &  L.'s  powder  was  lighter  in  color  than  the  others,  the  tincture 
is  as  deep  colored  as  those  made  from  the  other  powders. 
Air.  Becker  incidentally  mentions  that  he  has  trouble  in  re- 
moving the  last  traces  of  petroleum  benzin  in  the  process  for 
tincture  of  deodorized  opium. 
