PHARMACEUTICAL  OBSERVATIONS  ON  BUCHU.  489 
his  case,  I  have  been  led  to  the  impression  that  irritable  condition 
of  the  bladder  was  induced  sympathetically  by  functional  disease 
of  the  kidneys,  and  partly  connected  with  a  morbid  condition  of 
the  prostate  gland  and  surrounding  parts.  Whatever  may  have 
been  the  pathological  condition  of  the  parts  throughout  in  the 
case,  it  will  be  sufficient  for  me  on  the  present  occasion  to  say, 
that  notwithstanding  my  having  resorted  to  the  usual  diuretics 
and  other  remedial  agents  without  the  success  I  desired,  I  was, 
through  your  suggestion,  induced  to  make  trial  of  the  fluid  extract 
of  buchu.  I  directed  a  fluid  dram  to  be  given  three  or  four  times 
daily.  This  course  was  continued  until  my  patient  had  taken 
five  or  six  fluid  ounces.  The  relief  was  gradual  from  day  to  day, 
until  the  patient  was  finally  relieved.  Capt.  B*****  assures  me 
that  he  considers  himself  effectually  relieved,  insomuch  as  he  has 
up  to  the  present  time  had  no  return  of  his  distressing  symptoms." 
Before  closing  this  thesis  I  would  briefly  state  the  advantages 
which  I  conceive  the  fluid  extract  above  proposed  possesses  over 
any  other  preparation  of  buchu. 
In  using  infusion  of  buchu  more  or  less  of  the  volatile  oil  is 
unavoidably  dissipated,  and  the  resinous  matter  probably  nearly 
all  left  behind  undissolved.  This  objection  applies  with  even 
greater  force  to  the  home-made  infusion  often  ignorantly  prepared, 
and  still  more  to  the  solid  extract,  which  must  be  nearly  inert. 
The  tincture  of  buchu  probably  contains  most  of  the  active  matter, 
but  has  the  stimulant  and  irritating  properties  of  a  large  propor- 
tion of  alcohol  to  a  very  small  proportion  of  the  remedial  agent. 
Neither  of  the  fluid  extracts  which  have  been  already  put  before 
the  public  appear  to  me  to  possess  to  so  great  a  degree  as  the  one 
I  have  above  proposed  the  sensible  and  active  properties  of  the 
buchu,  and  one  of  them  in  particular  seems  very  deficient  herein. 
On  the  other  hand  this  fluid  extract  has  the  volatile  oil  and 
resinous  matter  taken  up  by  the  ether  and  alcohol,  with  sufficient 
carbonate  of  potassa  to  retain  them  in  solution  afterwards,  and 
the  bitter  extractive  of  Brandes  with  the  brown  substance  and 
nitrogenous  substance  mentioned  by  him,  taken  up  and  retained 
by  the  alcoholized  water  holding  the  carbonate  of  potassa  in  so- 
lution. At  the  same  time  the  quantity  of  this  alkaline  salt  in 
each  dose  of  the  extract  is  so  small  as  not  to  be  likely  to  interfere 
