ON  SOME  PREPARATIONS  OF  THE  U.  S.  PHARMACOPOEIA.  209 
With  the  remainder  of  the  solution,  oxalate  of  ammonia  pro- 
duced a  white  precipitate,  thus  indicating  the  presence  of  lime. 
The  insoluble  portion  of  the  ash  was  well  washed  with  distilled 
water  and  then  boiled  with  a  solution  of  potassa ;  it  was  then  fil- 
tered, and  yielded,  on  the  addition  of  diluted  acids,  a  white  pre- 
cipitate, which  on  drying,  was  found  to  be  insoluble  in  water  and 
diluted  acids,  thus  indicating  the  presence  of  Silica. 
From  the  foregoing  experiments,  the  organic  constituents  of 
the  root  of  Caulophyllum  thalictroides  are :  1st,  Albumen ; 
2d,  Gum ;  3d,  Starch ;  4th,  Phosphoric  acid ;  5th,  Extractive ; 
6th,  Resin,  soluble  in  alcohol  and  insoluble  in  ether ;  7th,  Resin, 
soluble  in  alcohol  and  ether  ;  8th,  greenish  yellow  coloring  mat- 
ter ;  9th,  a  body  analogous  to  saponin. 
The  inorganic  constituents  are  :  Salts  of  potassa,  magnesia, 
lime,  iron,  and  silica. 
Philadelphia,  February r,  1864. 
REMARKS  ON  SOME  PREPARATIONS  OF  THE  U.  S. 
PHARMACOPOEIA,  1860. 
By  William  Procter,  Jr. 
This  work  has  now  been  in  the  hands  of  American  pharma- 
ceutists for  many  months  and  it  is  presumed  that  every  pharma- 
ceutist, who  makes  an  effort  to  keep  up  with  the  progress  of 
his  art,  has  more  or  less  informed  himself  of  its  contents.  On 
a  former  occasion  it  was  hinted  that  notices  of  some  of  the 
preparations  would  be  brought  forward,  from  time  to  time,  and 
it  is  now  proposed  to  begin  them.  Every  Apothecary  should 
carefully  read  and  fix  in  his  memory  the  important  preliminary 
notices  which  refer  to  weights,  measures,  temperature,  percola- 
tion and  powders.  Indeed  so  highly  important  is  it  to  fully 
comprehend  the  theory  of  the  process  of  extraction  by  percolation, 
as  it  is  intended  by  the  framer3  of  the  Pharmacopoeia,  and  to 
skilfully  apply  the  principles  involved  in  practice,  that  perco- 
lation, and  the  preparation  of  powders  it  requires,  may  be  con- 
sidered as  the  fundamental  processes  of  galenical  pharmacy.  The 
beginner  should  follow  closely  the  directions  of  the  Pharmaco- 
poeia, whatever  may  be  his  preconceived  notions,  bearing  in 
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