566 
Preparations  of  Aconite, 
( Am.  Joiir.  Pharm^ 
I      Nov.,  1882. 
Diluted  alcohol  of  '892  s.  g.  weighs  6,506  grains  to  the  pint  of  7,680- 
minims.  Therefore  this  tincture  would  be  made  from  650*6  grains  of 
the  powdered  root  to  6,506  grains  of  the  dihited  alcohol,  and  the  pro- 
duct would  be  7,680  minims  of  the  tincture.  Then  each  grain  of  the 
powdered  root  would  be  represented  by  (7,680  -i-  560*6  =)  11'8  min- 
ims of  the  tincture. 
Fleming's  tincture  of  aconite  root,  as  given  in  the  U.  S.  Dispensa- 
tory, page  1492,  foot-note,  is  made  so  that  16  troyounces  of  powdered 
root  is  nearly  represented  by  24  lluidounces  of  the  tincture,  which  is 
in  the  proportion  of  1*5  minim  of  the  tincture  to  1  grain  of  the  pow- 
dered root  or  1  minim  of  the  fluid  extract. 
Compactly  stated,  the  approximate  equivalency  is  as  follows  :  1  grain 
=  65  milligrams  of  powdered  aconite  root  of  good  quality,  equal 
to  1  minim  ==  '0616  cc.  of  M^ell-made  fluid  extract  of  the  root  is  rep- 
resented in 
Alcoholic  extract  of  aconite  root,  by     i  grain     =  11  milligrams. 
IT.  S.  P.  tincture  "       "        2'66  minims  =     464  cubic  centimeter^ 
Br.  P.         "  "       "        8-434     "      =     -520  " 
German  P.  "       "       11-8        "       =  -727 
Fleming's   "  "       "        1*5        "       =     -0924  "  " 
Powdered  aconite  leaf,     .       .       .9    grains    =     '583  gram. 
Fluid  extract  of  aconite  leaf,      .      9    minims  =     "554  cubic  centimeter. 
Alcoholic  extract  of  dried  aconite 
leaf,  1'5  grain     =  99  milligrams. 
English  extract  of   iTesh  plant, 
Allen's,  1     grain      =65  " 
Tincture  of  aconite  leaf,  .       .       .72    minims  =    4*44  c.  centimeters. 
Therefore,  if  one  minim  of  the  fluid  extract  be  the  commencing 
dose,  the  columns  represent  the  equivalent  doses  of  all  these  prepara- 
tions, provided  the  preparations  be  properly  made  from  good  material. 
The  same  physiological  test  was  applied  to  the  four  aconitias  which 
are  commonly  used  in  this  market,  and  the  same  standard  was  adopted 
in  judging  of  their  relative  strength,  namely,  1  minim  of  fluid  extract 
of  aconite  root  equal  to  1  grain  of  powdered  root.  As  before,  the  fluid 
extract  was  so  diluted  that  each  fluidrachm,  or  'S'7  cc,  represented  J 
of  a  minim  of  the  fluid  extract,  and  a  fluidrachm  of  this  dilutic  n  Avas 
used  for  each  trial,  this  being  the  quantity  which  gave  a  full,  strong 
impression,  the  duration  of  which  was  about  an  hour  and  a  half.  The 
quantities  of  aconitia  were  all  dissolved  in  this  same  quantity  of  water^ 
and  the  impressions  made  were  compared  both  in  intensity  and  in 
duration  by  repeated  trials.    The  primary  solutions  of  the  aconitias 
