EDITORIAL. 
93 
almost everything besides, she shall not always be second in furnishing 
means for properly educating so responsible a class of men as her apothe- 
caries. 
It was then unanimously resolved that the thanks of this meeting be pre- 
sented to Dr. Jones for his able and well-directed efforts in this matter r and 
also for so generously throwing open his house for this meeting. 
At a late hour the meeting was adjourned to Friday, Dec. 13, 1850, at 3 
o'clock, P. M. S. R. Philbrick, Secretary." 
Shaker's Extracts. — A member of " the United Society (of Shakers) at 
New Lebanon, N. Y., has sent to us some samples of medicinal extracts 
prepared at their establishment, desiring our opinion of their merits. Al- 
though we have no disposition to covet presents of this kind for any value 
they may have intrinsically; nor yet because we are desirous of assuming 
the troublesome, and often difficult task of deciding on the relative or positive 
merits of pharmaceutical preparation.*; we nevertheless are not unwilling to 
give a portion of time and labor to their consideration when our examina- 
tion may prove servicable to our readers, or may tend to improve the quality 
of articles largely consumed. It is of no import to us in whose hands the 
preparation of extracts may fall, provided they are well made from the best 
materials. The Society of Shakers have long been engaged in the prepara- 
tion of medicinal extracts, in connection with their other business of collecting 
medicinal plants, and the amount of their extracts consumed annually, is 
if we are rightly informed, very considerable; hence any improvement that 
can be affected in their processes will be a general benefit, to the extent of 
the consumption. In a recent number we noticed several of the products 
of the Messrs. Tilden & Co., and referred to their having introduced the 
vaccuum apparatus, on a large scale, in the manufacture of extracts. Follow- 
ing the example of these gentlemen, the Society of Shakers have provided 
their laboratory with a vaccuum evaporator, and the extracts now submitted 
to our notice are a portion of its first fruits. 
The extract ofconium has a brownish green color, its consistence is hardly 
firm enough. Mixed with a strong solution of potassa the odor of ammonia 
and conia are at once developed, and the latter in sufficient force to indicate 
a fair extract. It would have been improved had the juice been developed 
and the latter in sufficient force to indicate a fair extract. Jt would have 
been improved had the juice been deprived of chlorophylle before evaporation. 
Recent observations (see page 73) show conclusively that the salts of conia 
are decomposed gradually during evaporation ; hence too much care cannot be 
observed in conducting the inspissation of the juice. Nor should the plant be 
gathered before or after the season most favorable to the developement of the 
activity of the leaves. This is considered to be when the flowers are fairly 
developed on the terminal umbels Mr. Brande considers the extract of the 
leaves superior to that of the whole plant. The most critical point in the evapo- 
ration of hemlock juice, according to Dr. Christison, is when it attains a syrupy 
consistence at which period with a heat of 212° Fah., ammonia is given off to- 
gether with a modified odor of conia; and in proportion as the ammonia is 
