Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
July,  1889. 
Infusion  of  Digitalis. 
343 
To  compare  this  result  with  those  of  infusions  made  from  the  No. 
80  powder  (same  strength,  conditions,  etc.)  ten  different  specimens 
were  made  from  commercial  samples.  The  results  are  variable,  as  fol- 
lows : 
Solids  in  fl.  oz.,  14, 1-26,  112,  0-98,  1"4, 1*4,  14, 112,  1'12,  1*26  grains. 
It  should  be  mentioned  that  in  all  these  experiments  the  so-called 
English  leaves  were  used.  Right  here,  it  is  of  value  to  know 
whether  the  popular  prejudice  in  favor  of  the  English  leaf  is  founded 
on  any  other  basis  than  that  of  custom.  So  ten  infusions  of  German 
digitalis  leaves,  as  found  in  commerce  (120  grains  to  the  pint,  cold 
Avater,  two  hours'  maceration,  etc.)  were  prepared.  The  results  were 
as  follows  : 
Solids  in  fl.  oz.,  1'4,  ll2,  1-105,1-4,  1-105,  T12,  1*4,  T26,  1'4, 14  grains. 
It  will  be  observed  that  the  amount  of  solids  dissolved  is  not  con- 
stant, as  in  the  commercial  English  leaf.  Examination  of  the*  com- 
mercial German  leaves  reveals  the  fact  that  they  have  not  been  as 
carefully  selected  and  freed  from  stalks,  etc.,  as  the  English  leaves. 
That  the  difference  in  the  care  of  collection  and  selection  is  the  only 
difference  is  shown  by  the  fact,  that  the  infusion  when  made  of  leaves 
selected  from  each  of  the  ten  specimens  above  evinced  1*4  grains  of 
dissolved  solids  in  each  flnidounce,  as  in  the  English-leaf  infusions, 
and  that  the  infusion  when  made  of  stalks,  etc.,  selected  from  each  of 
the  ten  specimens  above  gave  but  0-98  grs.  of  dissolved  solids  in  each 
flnidounce,  indicating  that  it  was  the  large  and  varying  quantity  of 
stalks  in  the  commercial  German  leaves  which  caused  the  variability 
in  the  amount  of  solids  dissolved,  and  that  the  English  leaves  were 
superior  to  the  German  only  because  the  commercial  samples  of  the 
former  were  carefully  selected  and  freed  from  the  stalks ;  thereby  re- 
ducing the  element  of  variability  to  a  minimum.  In  point  of  fact, 
it  has  been  intimated  that  some  of  the  English  dealers  buy  their  digi- 
talis leaves  in  the  German  markets,  and  select  and  repack  them  as 
English  leaves.  Whether  this  is  the  case  or  not  the  writer  does  not 
know. 
That  the  small  quantity  of  solids  dissolved  in  the  infusion  made  of 
stalks  shows  a  low  percentage  of  active  ingredients,  is  indicated  by 
the  experiments  of  Mr.  Broeker,1  who,  while  he  found  about  1  per 
cent,  of  digitalin  in  the  parenchyma  of  the  leaf  (the  stalks  and  nerves 
1Amer.  Drugg.,  Jan.,  1888,  p.  10  ;  from  Niew  Tijdschr.  voor  de  Pharm.  in  Neth- 
erland. 
