126  Frangula  and  Cascara  Barks.  {^mSS?™' 
diluted  acetic  acid.  The  liquid  was  clear  and  of  a  light  amber 
color. 
It  will  be  observed  that  the  object  of  these  experiments  is  to  as- 
certain whether  acetic  acid  can  advantageously  replace  alcohol  in  the 
extraction  of  a  drug  like  nux  vomica.  The  answer  is  decidedly  in 
the  affirmative.  Acetic  acid  may  be  used  for  exhausting  a  drug 
known  to  be  difficult  to  exhaust,  like  nux  vomica. 
A  solid  preparation  can  be  made  from  it  ;  this  can  be  assayed  and 
standardized,  and  the  liquid  preparations  made  by  re-dissolving  the 
solid  in  various  mixtures  of  alcohol  and  water,  with  or  without  gly- 
cerin, and  of  different  strengths  of  acetic  acid. 
If  the  proper  menstruum  be  chosen,  the  residue  will  be  inert,  and 
may  be  filtered  out.  A  number  of  other  drugs  have  been  exhausted 
with  varying  strengths  of  acetic  acid,  such  as  sanguinaria,  kola, 
ipecac,  squill,  cinchona  and  colchicum  seed. 
A  number  of  samples  are  presented,  and  especial  attention  is  called 
to  sanguinaria  with  aceticacid  60  per  cent.  This  fluid  extract  has  been 
made  four  years,  and  does  not  show  the  least  sign  of  precipitation. 
It,  doubtless,  would  be  just  as  satisfactory  if  made  with  U.S. P. 
acetic  acid,  and  experiments  are  being  conducted  now,  which  will 
prove  this  view. 
FRANGULA  AND  CASCARA  BARKS. 
TO  DISTINGUISH  BETWEEN  RHAMNUS  PURSHIANA  AND   RHAMNUS  FRAN- 
GULA, AND  TO  EXCLUDE  RHAMNUS  CALIFORNICA,  IN  THE 
STATE  OF  POWDER, 
By  L.  E.  SAYRE, 
Member  of  the  Research  Committee  C,  of  the  Committee  of  Revision  of  the 
United  States  Pharmacopoeia. 
One  of  the  problems  submitted  to  this  committee  is  embraced  in 
the  title  to  the  present  paper.  For  the  purpose  of  the  investi- 
gation, authentic  specimens  of  the  barks  were  received  from  the 
chairman  of  the  sub-committee,  Dr.  Rusby,  who  had  them  specially 
collected  for  the  work. 
In  order  to  arrive  ata  conclusion  as  to  the  bestmethod  of  distinguish- 
ing  the  barks  in  the  state  of  powder,  it  was,  of  course,  necessary, 
first  to  study  them  microscopically,  and,  if  possible,  find  distinctive 
elements  which  might  survive  pulverization,  and  be  recognizable  in 
the  state  of  powder. 
