NOTES  ON  THE  FLUID  EXTRACTS  OP  BUCHU,  ETC.  315 
if  an  alcohol  of  about  sixty  per  cent,  was  chosen.  Should 
the  extract  contain  nothing  of  medicinal  importance  but  a 
volatile  oil,  its  incorporation  with  sugar  and  subsequent  dis- 
solving in  water  might  be  resorted  to,  so  as  to  separate  inert 
matter.  The  residuary  material  might  then  be  exhausted  with 
diluted  alcohol  or  any  other  proper  menstruum ;  the  resulting 
tincture  to  be  properly  evaporated  or  distilled  to  regain  the 
alcohol.  Drugs  containing  volatile  principles  if  treated  in  ac- 
cordance with  these  suggestions,  I  am  inclined  to  think,  will  yield 
fluid  extracts  containing  all  that  is  valuable  and  desirable  to  pre- 
serve. I  have  not  had  occasion  to  follow  these  hints  practi- 
cally, for  which  purpose  I  intend  to  employ  some  of  the  stronger 
odoriferous  drugs. 
The  separation  of  chlorophylle  from  the  fluid  extract  of  buchu 
has  occasioned  me  a  good  deal  of  trouble.  The  residue  of  the 
ethereo-alcoholic  tincture  is  a  liquid,  and  chlorophylle  of  a  semi- 
fluid consistence,  to  which  some  odorous  matter  persistently  ad- 
heres; to  separate  the  latter,  I  threw  the  chlorophyll  precipitate, 
mixed  with  some  diluted  alcohol,  upon  a  moistened  filter,  in  the 
hope  of  being  able  to  wash  it  out ;  but  the  chlorophylle  soon 
settled  down,  gradually  displaced  the  moisture  from  the  filter, 
and  then  slowly  passed  through.  It  was  dissolved  in  alcohol, 
and  after  finishing  the  extract,  and,  while  still  warm,  I  pressed 
it  through  flannel  and  canton  flannel,  but  the  finely  divided 
chlorophylle  likewise  passed  mostly  through,  and  as  you  will  per- 
ceive in  the  specimen  in  your  possession,  has  since  separated 
cream-like  to  the  surface,  leaving  the  syrupy  liquid  beneath  per- 
fectly transparent.  The  addition  of  more  alcohol  would  dissolve 
it,  but  as  it  has  no  medicinal  value,  I  should  consider  this  addi- 
tion no  improvement.  I  believe  it  more  advisable  to  make  more 
experiments  in  the  direction  pointed  out  above,  with  the  ultimate 
view  of  separating  it  entirely. 
In  preparing  fluid  extract  of  matico,  the  separation  of  chlo- 
rophylle is  attended  with  less  difficulty,  being  readily  separated 
by  flannel,  when  it  may  be  washed  with  a  little  diluted  alcohol ; 
it  is  much  firmer  than  that  obtained  from  buchu  which  is  proba- 
bly intimately  associated  with  some  waxy  matter. 
As  you  will  perceive,  the  above  fluid  extracts  have  been  made 
to  contain  in  the  fluid  ounce  the  virtues  of  one  ounce  Troy  of 
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