140 
American  Tinctura  Quillajce. 
(  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
I      March,  1889. 
The  tinctures  and  percolates  were  examined,  with  the  following  re- 
sults : — 
Extractive  Sapogenin  Glucose  Saponin 
per  cent.  per  cent.  per  cent.  per  cent. 
A  4-28  0  74  1-6  2  63 
B  4-02  0-67  1-4  2  30 
C  0.14  Trace.  Trace.  — 
D  0  23  0  06  Distinct  trace.  0  20 
C  and  D  are  the  water  percolates  from  the  marcs  of  A  and  B  re- 
spectively. These  results  indicate  that  the  most  satisfactory  tincture 
is  obtained,  and  that  the  drug  is  most  efficiently  exhausted  by  cold 
maceration  and  percolation. 
A  tincture  of  quillaja  is  frequently  used  in  Edinburgh  for  hairwashes, 
and  I  find  a  general  impression  prevails  to  the  effect  that  by  using 
heat  a  stronger  and  more  syrupy  tincture  is  obtained,  which  froths 
more  readily  and  is  a  better  emulsifying  agent.  The  foregoing  results 
do  not  tend  to  support  such  an  impression.  Possibly  the  small  quan- 
tity of  glucose  in  the  tincture  made  by  heat  may  give  a  certain  tenacity 
to  the  liquid,  which  tends  to  preserve  the  froth  longer ;  but  a  few  ex- 
periments made  with  A  and  B,  both  as  to  frothing  and  emulsifying, 
indicate  little  or  no  difference,  and  if  there  is  any  difference  it  is  in 
favor  of  the  cold-made  tincture.  In  any  case  boiling  should  be 
avoided,  and  if  heat  is  to  be  used  at  all,  it  should  only  be  in  the  form 
of  infusion. 
It  will  also  be  seen  from  the  above  table  that  the  quillaia  is  prac- 
tically exhausted  by  the  cold  process,  whereas  exhaustion  is  less  com- 
plete by  the  comparatively  rough  method  of  washing  the  marc  on  the 
strainer,  as  ordered  in  the  American  process. 
The  decomposition  of  the  saponin  does  not  come  out  fully  in  the 
above  table,  because,  though  the  change  has  taken  place,  the  quantity 
of  alcohol  is  sufficient  to  keep  in  solution  the  sapogenin  formed.  That 
such  a  change  has  taken  place,  however,  is  indicated  by  means  of 
Fehling's  solution.  If  a  little  of  the  American  tincture  is  warmed 
with  Fehling's  solution  reduction  takes  place  immediately.  With  the 
cold-made  tincture,  under  similar  circumstances  reduction  does  not 
take  place  until  it  has  been  boiled  for  a  time. 
Another  feature  in  the  American  formula  which  seems  unnecessary 
is  the  intermediate  stage  of  mixing  the  watery  decoction  with  alcohol, 
allowing  to  stand  twelve  hours  and  filtering.  There  does  not  appear 
to  be  any  advantage  in  dissolving  out  mucilaginous  matter  with  water 
