16  GLEANINGS  FROM  THE  FRENCH  JOURNALS. 
GLEANINGS  FROM  THE  FRENCH  JOURNALS. 
By  the  Editor. 
On  Syrup  and  Extract  of  Cinchona  of  normal  strength. — 
M.  Guilliermond,  in  an  elaborate  paper  on  this  subject,  proposes  to 
make  a  normal  or  uniform  alcoholic  extract  of  cinchona  which 
shall  contain  about  one-sixth  of  quinia  or  in  the  ratio  of  32 
grammes  of  sulphate  of  quinia  from  each  kilogramme  of  cinchona. 
This  will  make  it  necessary  to  use  only  the  better  quality  of 
cinchona,  and  where  the  percentage  strength  is  less  than  3»2 
percent,  of  sulphate  of  quinia  ;  he  proposes  to  mix  richer  barks 
with  the  weaker  so  as  to  make  the  average.  M.  Guilliermond 
finds  that  when  such  bark  is  extracted  with  alcohol  of  80  per 
cent.,  it  yields  about  one-fifth  of  its  weight  of  extract,  and  this 
extract  is  the  preparation  from  which  he  proposes  to  make  hia 
normal  syrup  of  cinchona,  such  extract  containing  about  15 
percent,  of  quinia. 
To  make  the  syrup,  the  following  recipe  is  recommended : 
White  Spanish  wine,  500  grammes ;  sugar,  500  grammes ; 
alcoholic  extract  of  cinchona,  10  grammes.  The  extract  is  first 
dissolved  in  the  wine  and  the  sugar  afterwards.  The  syrup  has 
about  three-quarters  of  a  grain  of  quinia  for  each  fluidounce. 
The  idea  of  graduating  the  strength  of  galenical  preparations 
by  preliminary  testing,  has  been  repeatedly  brought  forwards, 
but  the  impracticability  of  recipes  thus  constructed,  except  in 
expert  hands  renders  their  general  adoption  inexpedient.  The 
irregularity  in  the  composition  of  even  the  better  class  of  cin- 
chona barks  is  sufficiently  great  without  combatting  that  of  the 
inferior  grades.  M.  Guilliermond  concludes  his  paper  with  a 
tabular  view  of  the  strength  of  the  several  commercial  cinchona 
barks  enumerated,  which  must  only  relate  to  the  particular 
specimens  examined,  and  not  to  all  the  samples  of  each  parti- 
cular kind. 
yields.         per  ct. 
Flat  Calisaja  without  epidermis   6-  to  3-2 
Quill  Calisaya  with  epidermis   1-5  to  2- 
Flat  Carabaya  bark  of  Peru  without  epidermis   1*5  to  18 
Quill  Carabaya  bark  of  Peru  with  epidermis   -8  to  1*0 
Flat  red  Cusco  bark  without  epidermis   *4 
Quill  red  Cusco  bark  with  epidermis   *0 
