12 
ON  SOME  PHARMACEUTICAL  APPARATUS. 
be  strong ;  next  that  the  menstruum  used  should  be  the  right  solvent 
for  the  principles  to  be  extracted  ;  and  lastly,  that  it  should  not 
be  so  alcoholic  as  to  evaporate  too  rapidly,  or  to  be  too  stimula- 
ting. The  following  recipe  which  I  have  used  for  many  years, 
was  adopted  by  the  revisional  committee  of  the  Philadelphia 
College  of  Pharmacy,  and  is  worthy  of  attention. 
Take  of  Arnica  Flowers,  six  ounces, 
Alcohol, 
Water,  of  each  a  sufficient  quantity. 
Mix  three  parts  of  alcohol  -835,  with  one  of  water,  and 
having  sprinkled  the  flowers  with  a  small  portion  to  prevent 
dust,  bruise  them  thoroughly  until  fit  for  percolation,  then  pack 
the  arnica  in  a  percolator,  and  pour  on  the  menstruum  so  that 
it  shall  pass  slowly  until  two  pints  of  tincture  are  obtained. 
This  tincture  has  a  dark  greenish  brown  hue,  quite  different 
from  that  made  with  alcohol  alone,  a  decided  odor  of  the  drug, 
and  its  activity  in  full,  as  I  had  occasion  to  learn  from  the  acci- 
dental swallowing  of  a  teaspoonful  of  it  by  a  lady,  who  took  it 
instead  of  Warner's  cordial — the  symptoms  of  poisoning  (as 
stated  by  the  authorities)  being  rapidly  manifested. 
ON  SOME  PHARMACEUTICAL  APPARATUS. 
By  Wm.  R.  Warner. 
It  has  occurred  to  me  that  the  pharmaceutist  is  illy  supplied 
with  cheap  and  efficient  means  of  conducting  many  processes 
and  operations  which  it  would  appear  to  be  his  duty  to  per- 
form. We  rely  upon  the  manufacturer  for  the  supply  of  prep- 
arations which  the  pharmaceutist  should  prepare  himself,  if  not 
as  a  duty,  at  least  as  a  matter  of  pecuniary  interest  or  pastime. 
But  the  want  of  appropriate  apparatus  within  our  reach,  well 
adapted  to  our  purposes,  falls  greatly  in  the  way  of  officinal 
manufacturing  ;  such  as  may  properly  belong  to  the  scope  of 
ordinary  shop  duties.  While  we  believe  there  is  a  great  defi- 
ciency in  these  aids,  there  is  much  room  for  improvement  in  pro- 
cesses and  the  means  of  conducting  them,  and  proportionably  as 
we  can  avail  ourselves  of  these  facilities  we  are  able  to  perform 
our  work  better.  It  certainly  detracts  from  our  scientific  claims 
if  the  necessities  of  the  case  do  not  stimulate  invention  to  re- 
lieve our  wants,  whilst  ingenious  manufacturers  prompted  by 
the  demand,  exert  themselves  to  invent  apparatus  and  discover 
