544 
FORMULA  FOR  THE  FLUID  EXTRACTS. 
EXTRACTUM  SARSAPARILLJS  FLUIDUM  COMPOSITUM. 
Take  of  Sarsparilla,  in  powder,  No.  30,      twelve  ounces  Troy. 
Dulcamara  in  powder,  No.  30, 
Guaiacum  wood,  rasped, 
Pipsissewain  powder,  No.  30,  each,  four  ounces.  " 
Liquorice  Eoot  in  powder, 
Sassafras  Bark  in  powder  of  each,  two  ounces.  " 
Sugar,  ten  ounces.  " 
Diluted  Alcohol,  a  sufficient  quantity. 
Mix  the  Sarsaparilla,  Dulcamara,  Guaiacum,  Pipsissewa  and 
Liquorice  Root  intimately  together,  moisten  them  with  two  pints 
of  diluted  alcohol,  allow  them  to  macerate  twenty-four  hours  in 
a  covered  vessel,  pack  them  tightly  in  a  cylindrical  percolator, 
and  pour  on  diluted  alcohol  until  five  pints  have  slowly  passed. 
Moisten  the  Sassafras  with  a  fluid  ounce  of  the  tincture,  pack  it 
in  a  percolator  and  pour  on  more  of  the  tincture  till  two  fluid 
ounces  have  passed.  Evaporate  the  remainder  of  the  tincture 
on  a  water  bath  to  a  pint,  add  the  sugar,  continue  the  evapora- 
tion till  reduced  to  14  fluid  ounces,  add  the  tincture  to  sassafras, 
mix  them  and  strain,  so  as  to  get  a  pint  of  fluid  extract. 
Remarks. — The  writer  is  aware  of  the  difficulty  that  will  pre- 
sent in  following  rigidly  the  directions  of  this  formula,  owing  to 
the  trouble  of  obtaining  the  ingredients  in  powder.  This  is, 
however,  not  insuperable,  either  with  the  mortar  on  a  small  scale 
or  through  the  drug  grinder  in  quantity.  Yet  in  view  of  the 
probability  of  the  ingredients  being  used  in  very  coarse  powder, 
it  has  been  directed  to  mix  them  intimately  and  macerate  in 
sufficient  menstruum  to  saturate  them,  then  to  pack  them  tightly 
in  the  percolator.  On  a  small  scale  it  will,  under  these  circum- 
stances, be  found  advantageous  to  beat  the  ingredients  in  a  mor- 
tar before  packing.  On  a  large  scale,  digestion  for  a  time  in  hot 
dilute  alcohol  at  150°  in  a  close  vessel,  will  aid  greatly  in  the 
subsequent  extraction  by  percolation. 
It  will  be  observed  that  very  material  changes  are  suggested 
in  this  formula.  As  it  now  stands  in  the  Pharmacopoeia,  this 
preparation  is  little  different  from  the  simple  fluid  extract,  for 
which  a  formula  has  been  given  in  the  fourth  class.  The  intro- 
duction of  Dulcamara,  Pipsissewa  and  Guaiacum  is  the  result  of 
an  experience  of  twenty  years  in  the  preparation  of  such  an  ex- 
tract, and  competent  medical  testimony  in  favor  of  its  efficiency. 
