242  Abstracts  from  the  French  Journals.  {AmMayy'i889arm* 
weakest  samples  appear  to  have  been  made  of  half  strength  for  the 
purpose  of  retailing. 
Tinctura  Opii  deodorata. — Win.  H.  S.  Bateman  proposes  a  modifi- 
cation of  the  pharmacopoeial  process  as  follows  :  Percolate  powdered 
opium,  10  parts,  with  stronger  ether  28  parts;  dry  the  powder;  di- 
gest it  for  two  hours  at  175°  F.  (80°  C.)  with  water  40  parts ;  repeat 
this  operation  twice  ;  mix  the  expressed  liquids,  evaporate  to  60  parts; 
filter  ;  wash  the  filter  with  water  to  obtain  80  parts  of  filtrate  and  add 
alcohol  20  parts. 
Tinctura  Scillw  produces  a  precipitate  which  may  be  prevented,  ac- 
cording to  F.  B.  Quackenbush,  by  putting  quite  a  quantity  of  cotton 
in  the  neck  of  the  percolator. 
Tinctura  Vanillae. — The  labor  of  powdering  the  vanilla  is  much 
lessened  by  the  use  of  a  small  proportion  of  coarse  sand  previously 
sifted  and  washed.  F.  B.  Quackenbush  believes  that  maceration 
brings  out  the  flavor  better  than  percolation,  and  that  the  longer  the 
maceration  proceeds,  the  more  delicate  will  be  the  aroma  of  the  tinc- 
ture. 
ABSTRACTS  FROM  THE  FRENCH  JOURNALS. 
Translated  for  the  American  Journal  op  Pharmacy. 
The  use  of  cold  in  the  preparation  of  extracts. — In 
a  communication  to  the  SocietS  Chimique,  M.  Adrian  describes  his 
process,  which  may  be  stated  as  follows  :  The  ordinary  vegetable 
preparation  (maceration  or  decoction)  is  filtered  with  pressure  and 
placed  in  a  cooling  machine  where  it  is  subjected  to  a  temperature  of 
— 10°  O,  [  +  14°  F.].  The  congealed  blocks  are  then  crushed  and 
placed  in  a  rapidly  acting  essorage  apparatus  which  separates,  in  a 
solid  state,  about  75  per  cent,  of  the  water,  deprived  of  nearly  all  of 
its  soluble  principles.  The  fluid  extract  thus  obtained  is  again 
congealed  at  a  lower  temperature  and  the  rest  of  the  previous  process 
repeated.  The  product  consists  of  a  highly  concentrated  syrupy 
extract  equal  to  12>  to  15  per  cent,  of  the  original  liquid,  which  may 
now  be  evaporated  to  any  desired  degree  in  vacuo.  These  extracts  are 
not  so  dark  in  color  as  those  made  by  the  usual  processes,  they  give 
clearer  solutions,  and  they  present  in  the  highest  degree  the  organa- 
leptic  character  of  the  substances  which  have  furnished  them.  The 
editor  of  U  Union  Pharm.  (March)  from  which  these  details  are  taken, 
