ON    THE  PHARMACY  OF  CIMICIFUGA. 
107 
paration,  but  is  too  alcoholic  when  its  use  is  to  be  long  con- 
tinued. In  view  of  this,  the  following  recipes  for  a  solid  and  a  fluid 
extract  are  offered,  as  affording  to  the  practitioner  the  most  eligible 
means  of  prescribing  this  drug  either  in  pills  or  mixture. 
Fluid  Extract  of  Cimicifuga. — Select  sixteen  ounces  (troy)  of 
recently  dried  black  snake  root,  reduce  it  to  coarse  powder,  intro- 
duce it  properly  into  a  displacer  for  volatile  liquids,  and  pour  on 
gradually  a  mixture  of  one  pint  of  alcohol  and  half  a  pint  of  ether. 
When  the  liquid  commences  to  pass,  close  the  orifice  so  that  its  pas- 
sage shall  be  by  drops;  and  when  the  menstruum  disappears  above, 
immediately  add  diluted  alcohol  until  the  filtered  tincture  measures 
a  pint  and  a  half.  Set  this  aside  in  a  capsule  in  a  warm  place 
until  it  is  reduced  to  half  a  pint,  and  has  lost  its  ethereal  odor. 
Meanwhile  continue  the  percolation  with  diluted  alcohol  until  two 
pints  more  tincture  are  obtained.  Evaporate  this  in  a  water  bath 
to  eight  fluid  ounces,  and  mix  it  gradually  with  the  first  product 
so  as  to  avoid  as  much  as  possible  the  precipitation  of  the  resin 
from  the  latter.  After  standing  a  few  hours  the  fluid  extract 
should  be  filtered,  and  if  it  does  not  measure  a  pint  add  a  sufficient 
quantity  of  alcohol  to  make  that  measure. 
If  the  amount  of  resin  precipitated  is  considerable,  it  may  be 
separated  by  a  cloth  strainer,  redissolved  in  a  little  alcohol,  and 
added  to  the  solution,  which  should  then  be  filtered. 
As  thus  prepared,  fluid  extract  of  cimicifuga  has  a  dark  red- 
dish brown  color,  like  laudanum,  is  transparent,  and  possesses  the 
bitter  disagreeable  taste  of  the  root  in  a  marked  degree. 
Extract  of  Cimicifuga. — In  making  this  preparation  proceed  in 
the  same  manner  as  above  described  to  exhaust  the  root,  and  con- 
tinue the  evaporation  of  the  solutions  separately  until  they  have  a 
syrupy  consistence,  mix  them,  and  finish  the  evaporation  with  care 
over  a  water  bath  with  constant  stirring.  Eight  grains  of  this  ex- 
tract represent  a  drachm  of  the  root. 
Macroytin  or  Cimicifuga  Resin. — The  eclectic  practitioners  at- 
tribute the  powers  of  the  cimicifuga  to  this  substance.  Some  have 
regarded  it  as  having  a  more  decided  effect  on  the  cerebral  nerves 
than  the  root  at  large.  As  it  is  readily  obtainable,  and  can  easily 
be  prepared,  (see  E.  Parrish's  article,  vol.  xxiii.,  p.  329,)  by  pour- 
ing the  concentrated  alcoholic  tincture  into  water,  its  medicinal 
value  should  be  tried  by  some  of  our  medical  men. 
