-Am.. four.  Pharm. 
Nov.,  1881 
•|  Ergothi.  561 
the  aqueous  extract  to  be  evaporated  to  one-third  of  a  kilogram  and 
then  the  addition  of  two  liters  of  alcohol.  It  has  been  calculated  on 
the  basis  before  explained,  that  the  aqueous  extract  would  retain  about 
■one  hundred  and  sixty-seven  grams  of  water  ;  two  kilograms  of  alco- 
hol, specific  gravity  0*835,  would  weigh  sixteen  hundred  and  seventy 
grams ;  hence,  the  proportion  of  alcohol  to  water  would  be  as  10  :  1, 
•or  the  highest  proportion  in  the  above  table. 
The  diluted  alcohol  of  the  German  Pharmacopceia  is  obtained  by 
mixing  two  parts  by  weight  of  alcohol,  specific  gravity  0*830  to  0*834 
with  one  of  water,  and  is  stated  to  have  a  specific  gravity  of  0*892  to 
'0*893,  and  to  contain  sixty-nine  to  sixty-eight  per  cent,  of  absolute 
alcohol.  Taking  the  highest  strength  as  the  proper  one,  an  alcoholic 
:strength  would  result  in  this  process  considerably  lower  than  the  lowest 
proportion  in  the  table,  the  percentage  of  absolute  alcohol  being  50*4, 
while  a  preparation  of  2  :  1  would  give  56*66  per  cent.  Besides 
these  two  alcoholic  strengths,  a  third  one  containing  sixty-five  per 
cent,  of  absolute  alcohol  was  adopted  for  my  experiments,  in  the 
'belief  that  this  might  more  nearly  correspond  to  the  strength  origin- 
ally obtained  by  Bonjean.  Such  a  strength  is  obtained  when  one  part 
of  water  is  mixed  with  2*5  parts  of  alcohol  of  specific  gravity  0*820 
(or  twenty-six  parts,  specific  gravity  0*822). 
The  three  sets  of  percolates  were  separately  concentrated  to  the 
:syrupy  condition  within  the  above  meaning,  viz.: 
Set  A:  containing  4,061  grains  of  dry  extract  to  8,122  grains. 
SetB:         "  477  '*  "         954  " 
SetC:         "  175  "  "         350  " 
In  the  case  of  set  A,  being  more  concentrated,  the  first  fraction  was 
•evaporated  by  itself,  the  second  and  third  together  to  a  very  thin 
syrup  and  then  added  to  the  first,  and  the  evaporation  completed.  Set 
A  was  selected  for  making  ergotin  by  the  three  different  methods, 
suitable  fractions  being  taken  for  each.  From  set  B  and  C  ergotin 
w^as  only  prepared  by  that  method  in  which  an  alcoholic  strength  of 
^65  per  cent,  obtains. 
This  method  I  shall  provisionally  designate  as  Bonjean^ s  {f)  method. 
In  each  case  2*5  parts  alcohol,  specific  gravity  0'820,  was  added  to  two 
j)arts  of  the  syrupy  extract,  followed  by  sufficient  of  a  mixture  of  2*5 
parts  of  the  same  alcohol  and  one  part  of  distilled  water  to  make  the 
mixture  weigh  six  parts.  After  agitating  a  number  of  times  the  \)VQ- 
cipitate  was  allowed  to  subside,  the  clear  liquid  decanted,  and  the  pre- 
,36 
