PREPARATIONS  OF  THE  U.  S.  PHARMACOPEIA,  1860.  405 
Ext.  Veratri  Viridis  Fluid,  is  made  by  extracting  sixteen 
ounces  of  the  finely  powdered  root  with  strong  alcohol,  reserv- 
ing half  a  pint  and  evaporating  the  remainder  to  the  same  bulk 
and  mixing  them.  It  is  an  efficient  preparation,  twice  the 
strength  of  Norwood's  tincture,  when  made  from  well  selected 
hellebore. 
Ext.  Zingiberis  Fluidum  is  made  by  a  formula  similar  to  that 
for  fluid  extract  of  valerian  and  of  the  same  strength. 
The  consumption  of  alcohol  in  making  fluid  extracts,  viewed 
in  cpnnection  with  the  present  high  price  of  that  article  is  a 
subject  demanding  the  most  serious  consideration  of  manufac- 
turers, druggists  and  apothecaries.  The  question  has  been 
raised  whether  it  is  good  policy  in  the  government  to  tax  this 
agent  of  production  so  heavily  ;  whether  it  does  not  decrease 
the  consumption  and  consequently  the  manufacture  of  many 
preparations,  and  thus  injure  the  revenue  to  an  extent  that  will 
more  than  counterbalance  that  arising  from  the  tax.  This  re- 
mark of  course  applies  only  to  alcohol  used  in  chemical  and 
pharmaceutical  manufacturing  and  the  arts.  But  this  is  not 
the  proper  time  for  this  discussion ;  a  more  important  one  is 
that  of  economizing  the  use  of  alcohol  in  manufacturing  phar- 
macy. To  make  a  gallon  of  a  tincture  of  gentian  it  is  clear 
enough  that  four  pints  of  alcohol,  besides  that  portion  retained 
in  the  ingredients,  must  be  consumed.  But  to  make  a  gallon 
of  fluid  extract  of  gentian  12  pints  of  alcohol  are  required,  and 
yet  but  about  three  pints  are  retained  in  the  preparation,  ail 
the  rest  being  either  lost  by  evaporation  or,  if  saved,  regained 
as  far  as  possible  by  distillation,  but  always  with  a  considerable 
loss.  A  part  of  the  alcohol  consumed  is  that  retained  in  the 
ingredients,  for  in  order  to  obtain  the  prescribed  quantity  of 
tincture  the  addition  of  the  menstruum  must  go  on  until  it  all 
passes.  This  applies  equally  to  ordinary  tinctures  and  to  fluid 
extracts  and  many  syrups.  Dr.  Edward  E.  Squibb,  of  Brook- 
lyn, has  suggested  the  idea  whether  it  will  not  be  more  econo- 
mical on  the  one  hand  and  produce  more  efficient  preparations 
on  the  other,  in  making  fluid  extracts,  to  stop  the  percolation 
when  twelve  fluid- ounces  of  percolate  has  passed  from  16  troy 
