}  Preparations  of  Aconite.  565 
grain.  A  pot  of  English  extract  labeled  "Extractum  Aconite,  manu- 
factured by  George  Allen  &  Co./^  the  word  'Heaves"  being  written  on 
tbew^rapper  in  pencil,  was  bought  for  trial.  This  is  supposed  to  be  the 
officinal  extract  of  the  British  Pharmacopoeia.  The  appearance  of  the 
extract  is  good,  and  it  is  of  proper  pilular  consistence.  On  careful 
comparison,  a  half  grain  of  this  extract  dissolved  in  a  fluidrachm  of 
water  was  just  about  equal  in  effect  to  half  a  minim  of  the  standard 
fluid  extract  of  the  root  in  the  same  quantity  of  water.  So  also  the 
tenth  of  a  grain  of  it  gave  about  the  same  impression  as  the  tenth  of  a 
minim  of  the  fluid  extract.  The  stated  dose  of  the  U.  S.  Dispen- 
satory for  this  extract  is,  therefore,  not  far  from  correct,  while  the  dose 
given  in  the  National  Dispensatory  is  one-half  too  small. 
The  next  preparation  still  not  uncommonly  used  is  a  tincture  of  the 
leaf,  and  when  "tincture  of  aconite"  is  written  or  asked  for,  this  is 
the  preparation  that  is  always  dispensed  by  the  careful  pharmacist, 
though  in  most  cases  it  is  probably  not  what  the  physician  wants. 
There  is  no  authorized  formula  for  this  tincture  in  the  principal  phar- 
macopoeias, it  having  been  dismissed  from  them  all.  In  the  U.  S. 
Pharmacopoeia  of  1860  the  tincture  is  directed  to  be  made  of  the 
strength  of  2  troyounces  to  the  pint.  This  is  8  minims  of  tincture  to 
each  grain  of  powdered  leaf.  And  as  the  root  is  nine  times  stronger 
than  the  leaf,  the  8  minims  of  this  tincture  would  be  represented  by 
one-ninth  of  a  grain  of  the  powdered  root  or  one-ninth  of  a  minim  of 
the  standard  fluid  extract  of  the  root.  Then,  as  a  minim  of  this  fluid 
extract  is  the  standard  dose,  the  equivalent  dose  of  this  tincture  of  the 
leaf  would  be  (9  X  8  — )  72  minims,  or  1*2  fluidrachm.  This  com- 
pletes the  commonly-known  preparations  of  the  leaf. 
Of  the  preparations  of  the  root,  the  powder,  fluid  extract  and  extract 
have  been  considered.  The  four  tinctures  of  aconite  root  in  common 
use  are,  first,  that  of  the  U.  S.  Pharmacopoeia,  which  is  6  troyounces 
to  the  pint.  This  is  2-66  minims  of  the  tincture  to  1  grain  of  pow- 
•dered  root  or  1  minim  of  fluid  extract  of  the  root. 
Second.  The  tincture  of  the  British  Pharmacopoeia,  which  is  2J 
avoirdupois  ounces  of  powdered  root  to  1  imperial  })int.  This  is  (437'5 
grs.  X  2*5  =)  1,093*75  grains  of  powdered  root  in  9,218  minims  of  the 
tincture,  or  about  8*434  minims  of  the  tincture  to  1  grain  of  the  j)ow- 
dered  root,  or  1  minim  of  fluid  extract  of  the  root. 
The  tincture  of  the  German  Pharmacopccia  is  1  i){U't  by  Aveight  of  the 
<Jomminuted  root  to  10  parts  by  weight  of  diluted  alcohol,  s.  g.  -892. 
