538  FORMULA  FOR  THE  FLUID  EXTRACTS. 
Class  Fifth.  Acetic  Fluid  Extracts. 
EXTRACTUM  ERGOTS  FLUIDUM. 
Take  of  Ergot,  in  fine  powder,  (No.  60, )       16  ounces 
Acetic  acid,  half  a  fluid  ounce, 
Diluted  alcohol,  a  sufficient  quantity. 
Mix  the  acid  with  three  pints  of  the  diluted  alcohol,  moisten 
the  ergot  uniformly  with  half  a  pint  of  the  mixture,  pack  it  in 
a  conical  percolator,  cover  it  with  a  disc  of  cloth,  and  add  grad- 
ually the  remainder  of  the  acidulated  alcohol,  reserving  the  first 
twelve  fluid  ounces  of  tincture,  and  continuing  the  process  until 
three  pints  more  have  passed,  using  diluted  alcohol  at  the  last. 
Evaporate  this  last  portion  to  four  fluid  ounces,  at  a  temperature 
not  exceeding  150°  F.,  mix  it  with  the  reserved  tincture,  and 
filter  through  paper. 
In  the  same  manner  prepare 
EXTRACTUM  CONII  FLUIDUM. 
From  Hemlock  leaves  in  powder,  No.  60. 
EXTRACTUM  LOBELIA  FLUIDUM. 
From  Lobelia  leaves  in  powder,  No.  60. 
Remarks. — In  each  of  the  drugs  yielding  these  fluid  extracts, 
there  exists  an  alkaloid  united  with  an  organic  acid,  as  a  salt, 
which  is  so  unstable  in  its  nature,  as  in  each  case  to  be  partially 
decomposed  by  the  ebullition  of  its  solution.  This  is  more  par- 
ticularly the  case  with  Conium  and  Ergot.  The  acetic  acid  con- 
trols this  tendency  almost  completely,  below  150°  Fahr.  It 
will  be  observed  that  this  formula  differs  from  that  proposed  two 
years  ago  in  a  report  to  the  Association,  in  which  Ether  was  em- 
ployed to  remove  the  fixed  oil.  Ergot  percolates  more  readily 
and  effectually  after  the  removal  of  the  oil  by  Ether,  than  before, 
but  when  it  is  reduced  to  a  powder  by  a  seive  of  60  meshes  per 
inch,  it  is  readily  exhausted  by  slow  percolation  with  the  pre- 
cautions indicated.  Further,  the  fluid  extract  prepared  in  this 
manner  has  been  carefully  tested,  during  twelve  months,  by 
several  practitioners  who  are  satisfied  of  its  efficiency. 
The  fluid  extracts  of  Conium  and  Lobelia  made  in  this  way, 
from  the  carefully  dried  plants,  are  quite  unexceptionable. 
