Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  "I 
April,  1881.  j 
Extract  of  Butternut. 
153 
esprit  de  vie  de  Matthiole.  Its  formula  is  as  follows :  Take  of  cinna- 
mon 30  parts ;  galangal,  marjoram,  mint,  cubeb,  aloes  wood,  ginger, 
zedoary,  clove,  nutmeg  and  mace,  of  each  15  parts;  calamus,  thyme, 
wild  thyme,  sage,  rosemary,  red  rose,  of  each  8  parts ;  yellow  santal 
w^ood,  cardamom,  anise,  fennel,  of  each  4  parts ;  lemon  peel,  45  parts ; 
80  per  cent,  alcohol,  3,000  parts.  After  sufficient  maceration,  the 
mixture  is  distilled  until  all  the  spirit  has  been  recovered. 
EXTEACT  OF  BUTTERNUT. 
By  B.  F.  Moise,  Jr. 
Abstract  of  an  Inaugural  Essay. 
The  author  endeavored  to  obtain  from  the  bark  of  Juglans  cinerea  an 
extract,  wdiich  should  be  equally  sufficient  but  in  much  smaller  doses 
than  the  one  now  officinal,  prepared  wdth  cold  water. 
A  quantity  of  butternut  bark  was  powdered  so  as  to  pass  through  a 
No.  20  sieve,  and  by  percolation  exhausted  with  distilled  water;  the 
extract  obtained  (quantity  of  the  bark  not  given)  weighed  4*989  grams 
=  77  grains,  and  ])roved  to  be  an  efficient  cathartic  in  doses  of  20  to 
30  gr. 
An  extract  was  next  prepared  with  alcohol,  the  amount  of  bark 
being  the  same  as  in  the  preceding  experiment.  This  extract  weighed 
10*84  gm.  =  166*6  gr.  It  contained  some  fixed  oil,  which  keeps  it  of 
a  plastic  consistency  and  prevents  its  adhering  to  the  jar  and  spatula. 
In  doses  of  3  and  4  grains  the  extract  had  a  gentle  laxative  effect;  5 
grains  acted  as  a  good  purge  and  10  grains  proved  to  be  quite  actively 
cathartic. 
The  extract  prepared  with  diluted  alcohol  weighed  10*216  gm.  = 
157*2  gr.  It  was  free  from  fixed  oil,  and  in  doses  of  5  grains  acted 
promptly,  nearly  equal  to  10  grains  of  the  alcoholic  extract,  while  the 
diluted  alcohol  extract  in  doses  of  10  grains  acted  as  a  prompt,  reliable, 
and  certain  cathartic.  The  stools  were  sometimes  of  a  semi-solid  con- 
sistency, at  times  w^atery,  and  accompanied  with  a  feeling  of  sickness 
and  inclination  to  headache. 
A  few  experiments  were  made  with  an  alcoholic  fluid  extract  of 
butternut  bark.  By  diluting  with  water  and  acidulating  with  hydro- 
chloric acid  a  blackish  precipitate  was  obtained,  which  was  soluble  in 
alcohol  and  ether,  sparingly  soluble  in  benzin  and  oil  of  turpentine, 
and  consisted  of  resin,  with  a  little  fatty  matter. 
