20 
PHARMACEUTICAL  NOTICES. 
2d.— Exhaust  with  alcohol  and  evaporate  by  water-bath  to  a 
thin  syrupy  consistence. 
3d. — Next  displace  to  exhaustion  with  the  water,  and  evapo- 
rate to  a  syrupy  consistence. 
Mix  these  products,  decant,  in  order  to  leave  behind  the  inert 
waxy  matter,  filter,  and  add  enough  syrup  of  orange  peel  to  make 
the  whole  measure  twelve  fluid  ounces.  Its  color  is  brown,  its 
taste  is  somewhat  acidulous,  acrid,  its  odor  like  ipecacuanha, 
and  its  dose  as  a  cathartic  is  from  half  to  one  fluid  drachm  ;  as  an 
alterative,  from  ten  to  twenty  drops.  Two  drachms  of  it  acted 
with  great  energy,  producing  vomiting  and  active  purging. 
The  fluid  preparations  of  Podophyllin,  on  account  of  their  un- 
pleasant taste  and  odor,  will  never  come  much  into  vogue,  as 
the  pillular  form  presents  a  more  desirable  mode  of  administra- 
tion.   Its  substitution  for  scammony  in  the  compound 
Extract  of  Oolocynth. — It  can  readily  be  substituted,  but 
being  stronger  in  its  effects  than  scammony,  one-half  of  it  will 
answer  the  same  purpose  as  the  whole  quantity  of  the  scammony 
ordered  in  the  formula. 
While  its  cost  would  remain  unchanged,  its  strength  would 
be  more  uniform,  which  is  not  always  the  case  when  scammony 
is  employed,  owing  to  the  inferior  qualities  of  it  used,  in  the 
manufacture  of  this  extract. 
The  formula  is  as  follows  : 
Take  of  Colocynth,  sliced  and  deprived  of  seeds,  six  ounces. 
Aloes,  in  powder,  twelve  " 
Podophyllin,  two  " 
Cardamon,  in  powder,  one  " 
Castile  soap,  three  " 
Diluted  alcohol,  one  gallon. 
Proceed  in  the  manner  directed  by  the  U.  S.  Ph.  Its  dose 
is,  like  the  old  extract,  from  five  to  thirty  grains,  according  to 
the  constitution  of  the  patient. 
Podophyllin  can  likewise  be  substituted  for  extract  of  jalap, 
in  the  preparation  of  the  compound  cathartic  pills ;  and  while 
it  reduces  their  size  three-fourths  of  a  grain  each,  their  cost  will 
not  be  augmented,  as  three  drachms  of  the  extract  of  jalap 
amounts  to  as  much  as  the  forty  five  grains  of  Podophyllin 
which  takes  its  place.    (Only  one  fourth  of  Podophyllin  is  used 
