2 
Fluid  Extract  of  Cimicifuga. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
I      Jan.,  1878. 
each  experiment,  and  generally  carry  on  three,  unless  very  large 
amounts  are  being  worked  ;  thus  an  error  at  any  point  in  one  of  the 
experiments,  or  the  neglect  to  secure  a  percolate  at  the  proper  time, 
will  not  cause  the  loss  of  time  necessitated  by  the  repetition  of  an 
extended  experiment. 
It  is  necessary,  for  proper  comparison,  to  use  material  of  the  same 
quality  throughout  the  entire  operation.  This  point  I  always  endeavor 
to  provide  for  by  supplying  myself  with  an  abundance  before  com- 
mencing. For  these  experiments  I  directed  that  1,000  pounds  of 
crude  cimicifuga  root  be  taken  from  a  large  pile,  just  as  it  came.  I 
object  to  selecting  a  superior  quality,  as  my  aim  is  to  experiment  with 
such  as  is  found  upon  the  market,  and  we  may  expect  the  majority 
afterward  to  operate  with.  One-half  of  the  thousand  pounds  was 
powdered  in  a  chaser  ;  the  other  half  was  coarsely  ground. 
In  evaporating  percolates,  I  find  it  almost  impossible  to  work  large 
amounts  with  any  degree  of  satisfaction.  A  skim  usually  forms  over 
the  surface,  which  frequently  almost  completely  prevents  evaporation 
from  beneath  ;  from  eight  to  ten  days  it  may  be  expected  will  be 
required  when  this  is  the  case,  and  even  then  all  the  liquid  may  not  be 
driven  off.  The  addition  of  a  known  amount  of  dry  sand  facilitates 
the  operation  ;  but  I  seldom  use  this  plan,  as  frequently  the  residuum 
is  to  be  examined,  and  the  sand  interferes.  I  favor  moderately  small 
portions  of  liquid,  and  in  the  experiments  recorded  here  the  second 
part  of  the  first  is  the  only  example  where  more  than  one  cubic  centi- 
meter was  evaporated.  Great  care  must  be  taken  to  expel  all  the  alco- 
hol from  residuums,  but  too  great  a  heat  must  be  guarded  against  with 
an  equal  degree  of  caution.  All  extractive  matters  are  not  like  that 
obtained  from  cimicifuga.  A  heat  of  1500  to  1600  Fah.  is  sufficient 
for  this  article.  I  obtain  the  requisite  temperature  from  a  steam-coil 
drying-room  ;  cold  air  passes  over  the  coil  of  pipes  at  the  bottom  of 
the  room,  and,  circulating  around  alternate  ends  and  over  the  shelves, 
escapes  at  the  top. 
I  take  three  equal  amounts  of  each  percolate  ;  if  there  is  sufficient 
variation  to  justify,  I  average  the  weight  of  the  residuums.  Mistakes 
may  be  very  easily  made,  and  often  it  is  a  satisfaction  to  have  dupli- 
cates, especially  where  the  result  is  contrary  to  preformed  opinions. 
For  a  base  to  compare  with  in  this  line  of  experiments  I  sought  to 
find  the  amount  of  dry  alcoholic  extract  a  given  number  of  grains  of 
