30 
ON  FLUID  EXTRACT  OF  GENTIAN. 
simple  fluid  extract  and  evaporate  it  to  ten  fluid  ounces.  Macerate 
the  orange  peel  and  coriander  in  a  mixture  of  eight  fluid  ounces 
of  alcohol  and  four  fluid  ounces  of  water  for  twelve  hours,  intro- 
duce them*  into  a  percolator  and  pour  gradually  on  sufficient 
diluted  alcohol  to  displace  twelve  fluid  ounces  of  tincture. 
Evaporate  this  to  six  fluid  ounces  by  a  gentle  heat,  (120°  F.) 
add  it  to  the  solution  of  gentian  while  hot,  and  strain.  When 
finished,  the  fluid  extract  should  measure  a  pint. 
Thus  prepared  compound  fluid  extract  of  gentian  is  a  colored, 
thin,  syrupy  liquid,  similar  to  the  simple  fluid  extract. 
With  fluid  extract  of  gentian  as  a  basis,  the  physician  may 
prescribe  various  combinations  of  ingredients  to  meet  particular 
indications.  For  instance  should  an  aperient  tonic  be  desired 
with  ant-acid  properties,  the  following  form  may  be  used  : 
R.     Extracti  Gentians  fluidi,  f.Jij. 
Extracti  Rhei  fluidi,  f.gij. 
Potassae  Bi-carbonatis,  jj. 
Tincture  Zingiberis,  f . ^ ij . 
Misce  sec.  art. 
A  teaspoonful  of  this  mixture  will  be  equivalent  to  about  forty 
grains  of  gentian,  six  grains  of  rhubarb  and  three  grains  of  bicar- 
bonate of  potassa. 
When  a  chalybeate  tonic  is  desired,  the  following  association 
may  be  adopted : 
R.  Ferri  et  quiniae  citratis,  3j. 
Aquae,  f.3vj. 
Liqua  et  adde 
Extracti  Gentianae  fluidi,  f.^ij. 
A  teaspoonful  of  this  liquid  will  represent  about  45  grains  of 
gentian  and  three  grains  of  citrate  of  iron  and  quiniae,  which 
last  contains  half  a  grain  of  citrate  of  quinia. 
Or  should  the  iron  not  be  indicated  the  fluid  extract  of  bark 
may  be  substituted  for  the  citrate  of  iron  and  quinia. 
A  fluid  extract  of  columbo  may  be  prepared  in  a  similar  man- 
ner, except  that  the  extracting  menstruum  should  consist  of  one 
part  of  alcohol  and  three  of  water. 
When  the  aromatic  or  stimulant  tonics,  as  chamomile,  cascarilla, 
etc.,  are  wanted  in  the  form  of  fluid  extract,  the  process  laid  down 
in  this  Journal  for  fluid  extract  of  serpentaria,  (vol.  xxiii.,  page 
19,)  should  be  followed. 
