112 
ON  SOME  PREPARATIONS  OF  CALAMUS  ROOT. 
but  nothing  as  to  its  use  in  this  country  that  I  have  met  with ; 
thinking  it  might  interest  thy  readers  to  describe  our  experience 
with  it,  and  perhaps  induce  further  trials  of  it,  is  my  apology 
for  troubling  thee  with  this  letter. 
Thy  friend, 
R.  H.  Stabler,  M.  D. 
Alexandria,  1st  mo.  25th,  1860. 
ON  SOME  PREPARATIONS  OF  CALAMUS  ROOT. 
By  Johm  M.  Maisch. 
The  gratefully  aromatic  odor  and  taste  of  calamus  root  have 
caused  it  to  be  regarded  as  a  valuable  domestic  medicine  in  many 
parts  of  this  and  the  old  continent;  but  the  use  of  this  drug  in 
regular  practice  is  extremely  limited  in  this  country.  There 
can  be  but  little  doubt,  that,  in  a  great  measure,  this  neglect  of 
such  a  pleasant  and  strong  indigenous  aromatic  is  owing  to  the 
want  of  suitable  pharmaceutical  preparations  which  might  be 
offered  to  the  inquiring  physician.  In  1857,  in  a  communication 
to  the  American  Pharmaceutical  Association,  I  have  drawn  at- 
tention to  this  fact,  and  suggested  a  tincture  of  the  strength  of 
four  ounces  to  the  pint.  Lately,  I  have  induced  Mr.  George  E. 
Hayes,  of  Ga.,  a  student  of  the  Philadelphia  College  of  Phar- 
macy, to  make  some  experiments,  with  a  view  of  arriving  at 
concentrated  and  pleasant  preparations  of  this  hitherto  neglected 
remedial  agent.  The  following  embraces  Mr.  Hayes'  results, 
together  with  other  observations  and  suggestions  on  the  same 
subject: 
Extractum  Calami  Fluidum  was  prepared  from  the  powdered 
root  in  accordance  with  Professor  Procter's  directions  for  his 
sixth  class  of  fluid  extracts.  (See  Amer.  Journ.  Pharm.,  1859.) 
Sixteen  ounces  of  the  powdered  root  passed  through  a  sieve  of 
50  meshes  to  the  inch,  was  moistened  with  alcohol,  pressed  into 
a  cylindrical  percolator,  and  alcohol  allowed  to  slowly  pass 
through  it;  the  first  12  fluid  ounces  being  reserved,  the  remain- 
der of  the  tincture  was  evaporated  below  160°  to  4  fluid  ounces, 
and  added  to  the  reserved  portion.  A  slight  turbidity  was 
thereby  occasioned  and  the  extract  was  set  aside  to  settle, 
