ARSENIC  IN  A  DRINKING  WATER. 
541 
cited  to  prove  the  superiority  of  the  alcoholic  extracts,  but  the 
matter  being  in  the  hands  of  the  Committee  of  Revision  of  the 
Pharmacopoeia  of  1860,  will  no  doubt  receive  proper  attention. 
It  is  now  proposed  to  vary  from  the  process  of  the  Pharmaco- 
poeia in  the  preparation  of  alcoholic  narcotic  extracts,  as  fol- 
lows, taking  for  the  type  extract  of  hyoscyamus : 
Extract  of  Hyoscyamus. 
Take  of  Hyoscyamus  leaves  in  coarse  powder,  12  ounces. 
Alcohol,  ....         2  pints. 
Water,  a  sufficient  quantity. 
Moisten  the  powdered  hyoscyamus  leaves  with  part  of  the  al- 
cohol, let  it  stand  24  hours  in  a  covered  vessel,  then  transfer 
to  a  displacer,  and  add  gradually  the  remainder  of  the  alcohol ; 
reserve  what  passes  through  after  the  addition  of  the  alcohol, 
and  set  it  aside  for  spontaneous  evaporation.  Displace  the  re- 
mainder with  water  to  exhaustion  ;  evaporate  this  portion  in  a 
water-bath  to  the  proper  consistence ;  and  add  the  portion 
which  was  previously  set  aside,  and  mix  the  whole  thoroughly. 
The  other  narcotic  extracts  may  be  prepared  in  the  same 
manner. 
By  adding  strong  alcohol  to  the  leaves  at  the  commencement 
of  the  process,  the  chlorophylle  or^green  coloring  matter  of  the 
leaves  is  extracted,  which  when  added  to  the  other  portion  and 
thoroughly  incorporated  with  it  gives  the  extract  a  fine  green 
tint,  without  affecting  its  sensible  properties  or  adding  mate- 
rially to  its  weight.  Stramonium  ointment  of  very  superior 
quality,  fine  color  and  appearance  may  be  made  from  extract  of 
stramonium  prepared  after  the  above  manner. — Jour.  Md.  Col. 
Pharm.,  Sept.,  1860. 
ARSENIC  IN  A  DRINKING  "WATER. — NOTE  ON  THE  ARSENICAL 
WATER  OF  WHITBECK,  CUMBERLAND 
By  Arthur  H.  Church,  F.  C.  S. 
The  recent  reliable  accounts  of  arsenic  eating  in  Styria,  the 
controversy  as  to  the  effect  on  the  Thames  water  of  arsenical 
perchloride  of  iron,  and  the  detection  of  arsenic  in  numerous 
mineral  waters  and  deposits,  invite  special  notice  to  the  occur- 
