326 
ON  PYROPHOSPHATE  OF  IRON. 
FLUID  EXTRACT  OF  LEPTANDRA. 
Take  of  Leptandra  root,  in  coarse  powder,  1  pound, 
Alcohol  of  sp.  gr.  871°  q.  s. 
Moisten  the  powdered  root  with  alcohol,  and  allow  it  to  stand 
twelve  hours  ;  then  pack  it  in  a  percolator,  and  pour  on  alcohol 
until  the  material  is  fully  covered.  Allow  it  to  digest  for  forty- 
eight  hours ;  then  displace  gradually,  returning  to  the  displacer 
the  first  runnings,  until  what  passes  is  clear,  adding,  if  neces- 
sary, more  alcohol,  until  twelve  ounces  shall  have  passed.  Set- 
ting this  aside,  cover  the  material  with  diluted  alcohol,  and  con- 
tinue the  displacement  until  the  root  is  entirely  exhausted  of  its 
medicinal  properties  ;  evaporate  in  a  vacuum  to  four  fluid  ounces, 
and  mix  with  the  twelve  fluid  ounces  reserved,  making  one  pint 
of  fluid  extract. 
This  gives  a  preparation  of  the  strength  of  one  ounce  of  crude 
material  to  one  fluid  ounce  of  extract ;  and  as  the  dose  of  the 
powdered  root  is  from  twenty  to  sixty  grains,  that  of  the  fluid 
extract  will  form  one-third  to  one  fluid  drachm. 
The  form  of  a  fluid  extract  allows  of  its  ready  combination 
with  other  fluid  extracts,  depending  upon  the  purpose  for  which 
the  combination  is  made. 
Leptandra  possesses  valuable  tonic,  chologogue  and  laxative 
properties  ;  is  much  employed  in  hepatic  affections — and  for  this 
purpose  is  not  unfrequently  combined  with  the  fluid  extract  of 
mandrake,  in  bilious  and  typhoid  fevers,  in  dyspepsia  and  dysen- 
tery— Journ.  of  Mat.  Med.,  April,  1860. 
ON  PYROPHOSPHATE  OF  IRON. 
By  Mr.  Robins. 
Among  all  the  elementary  bodies,  not  one  gives  so  large  a  num- 
ber of  beautiful  and  interesting  preparations  employed  as 
remedial  agents  as  iron  ;  and  were  it  not  that  the  medical  man 
has  already  so  large  a  number  at  his  command  that  he  is  some- 
what perplexed  in  making  a  selection,  the  number  might  be  in- 
creased almost  ad  infinitum. 
One  of  the  most  recently  introduced  curative  agents  is  (the 
