EDITORIAL. 
333 
entirely  agree  with  Trof.  Redwood  as  to  the  value  of  this  method  compar- 
ed  with  ordinary  maceration,  hut,  when  compared  with  percolation,  it  is 
far  inferior,  both  as  regards  eeoru  my  of  time  and  readiness  of  execution, 
when  the  trouble  of  using  1  he  press  and  filter  are  kept  in  view.  The 
great  points  in  the  process  of  percolation  are  familiarity  with  the  proper 
fineness  of  powders,  fiimness  of  packing,  and  in  proceeding  at  once, 
without  maceration.  The  powders  are  more  thoroughly  exhausted,  and 
there  is  less  waste  of  the  active  matter  of  the  drugs  than  by  any  other 
means.  As  regards  the  waste  of  menstruum  at  the  las.,  it  need  not  be, 
as  the  absorbed  alcohol  may  be  in  great  measure  displaced  by  water,  pnd 
the  impure  liquid  thus  obtained,  mixed  with  other  residues  for  piecipita. 
tion,  when  they  accumulate  sufficiently.  There  are  substances  which  will 
not  admit  of  this  percolation  by  water,  where  glutinous  matter  is  present 
in  quantity,  but,  where  a  conical  percolator  or  a  funnel  is  used,  this  ob- 
jection, except  in  a  few  instances,  is  overcome.  Until  the  recent  war  tax 
on  alcohol  has  raised  its  price  so  greatly,  the  saving  of  the  absorbed 
menstruum  was  not  important,  but  now,  economy  in  alcohol  is  a3  im- 
portant to  us  as  to  our  English  brethren.  The  greatest  defect  in 
the  mode  of  employing  percolation  in  the  British  Pharmacopoeia  is 
the  previous  maceration  in  three-fourths  of  the  menstruum.  In  our 
Pharmacopoeia,  the  slight  moistening  of  the  powders  is  intended  to 
favor  the  descent  of  the  liquid  by  inviting  it  from  particle  fco  particle 
as  well  as  to  render  packing  more  easy.  "Wnen  a  liquid  is  poured  upon 
a  dry  powder  the  enclosed  air  often  opposes  its  descent,  more  especially 
if  the  liquid  is  aqueous.  In  concluding  this  notice,  for  the  present,  we 
cannot  I  ut  admire  the  earnestness  with  which  the  English  pharmaceut- 
ists have  taken  hold  of  their  Pharmacopoeia,  and  speak  out  their  views  in 
regard  to  its  imperfections.  This  honest  criticism  will  do  more  to  correct 
these  faults  and  substitute  better  processes  than  any  other  means,  and 
will,  we  hope,  result  in  the  next  edition  being  the  work  of  a  joint  commis- 
sion of  physicians  and  pharmaceutical  chemists.  The  great  point  is  now 
gained  ;  having  but  one  national  Codex— on  this  as  a  ba.<is,  they 
may  erect,  by  future  revision,  a  work  that  will  compare  favorably  with 
that  of  any  country,  whether  viewed  in  relation  to  the  comprehensive 
scope  of  its  Materia  Medica,  the  scientific  construction  of  its  formulae,  or 
the  elegance  and  efficiency  of  its  preparations. 
Prospectus  of  the  Forty.fourth  Course  of  Instruction  in  the  Philadelphia 
College  of  Pharmacy,  to  commence  Oc'ober,  1864,  preceded  by  an  Histori- 
cal Sketch  of  the  School.    Philad.,  186  i,  pp.  10. 
We  are  reminded  by  this  pamphlet  of  the  approach  of  the  lecture  sea- 
son, and  Jake  this  means  of  suggesting  that  all  those  of  our  readers  or 
their  friends,  who  m  iy  desire  to  attend  a  course  of  instruction  in  this 
College,  or  who  may  wish  information  about  it,  cau  have  a  copy  sent  to 
