408 
PHARMACEUTICAL  NOTICES. 
gest  to  your  readers  whether  there  does  not  lie  in  this  direction  an 
open  field  of  enviable  usefulness. 
PHARMACEUTICAL  NOTICES. 
By  William  Procter,  Jr. 
SUCCUS  TARAXACI  PARATUS. 
The  preparations  of  Taraxacum,  or  dandelion  root,  have  within  a 
few  years  past  attracted  considerable  attention  from  the  medical 
profession,  and  have  been  an  object  of  experiment  from  skilful 
pharmaceutists  both  in  England  and  the  United  States.  The  hurt- 
ful effect  exercised  by  heat  in  evaporating  solutions  of  the  soluble 
matter  of  dandelion,  has  long  been  noted,  and  many  recollect  the 
molasses-like  extract  which  formerly  was  too  commonly  seen,  un- 
marked by  any  distinct,  sensible  property  of  the  recent  root.  The 
application  of  spontaneous  and  vacuum  evaporation  in  making 
the  solid  extract,  demonstrated  this  beyond  cavil,  and  in  the  last 
U.  S.  Pharmacopoeia  directions  were  given  for  this  precaution,  as 
well  as  in  regard  to  the  period  of  collecting  the  root.  The  Liquor 
Taraxaci  (fluid  extract)  described  by  Mr.  Redwood  in  Gray's 
Supplement,  is  prepared  by  macerating  four  pounds  of  the  recently 
dried  root  in  sufficient  cold  water  for  24  hours,  expressing,  and 
evaporating  to  36  fluid  ounces,  to  which  liquid  12  fluid  ounces  of 
alcohol  is  added ;  hence  each  fluid  ounce  of  the  preparation  repre- 
sents a  troy  ounce  of  the  dried  root.  The  dried  root  of  the  dande- 
lion is  more  easily  extracted  than  when  it  is  recent,  owing  to  the 
glutinous  character  of  the  juices  and  the  difficulty  of  effectually 
disintegrating  the  tissue  of  the  root,  so  as  to  completely  reach  the 
contained  matter  by  menstrua ;  yet  it  is  more  than  probable  that 
the  evaporation  of  the  aqueous  solution  to  the  proper  degree  of 
concentration,  not  to  speak  of  the  effect  of  the  process  of  drying 
the  root  in  the  first  place,  injures  the  product.  This  is  partially 
avoided  by  a  process  which  I  published  in  the  20th  volume,  page 
86,  of  this  Journal,  the  recent  root  being  employed,  and  the  result- 
ing preparation  representing  about  twice  its  weight  of  the  fresh 
root.  In  the  preparation  about  to  be  described,  the  virtues  of  the 
root,  be  they  what  they  may,  are  preserved  unimpaired,  as  no  heat 
