AmjJa°n"ri8P78arin'}        Fluid  Extract  of  Cimicifuga.  5 
Percolators  6,  7,  8  and  9  allowed  the  alcohol  to  run  directly  through 
until  from  4  to  8  fluidounces  had  passed,  it  was  uncolored,  then  the 
flow  slackened  and  the  percolate  became  dark.  I  regulated  the  drop- 
ping and  returned  the  alcohol  which  had  passed,  this  last  I  had  no 
authority  for  doing  as  our  direction  is  positive  to  percolate  24  fluid- 
ounces  and  reserve  the  first  14.  The  operation  was  finished  as  the 
Pharmacopoeia  directs.    See  table  No.  1. 
Recapitulation. — According  to  the  Pharmacopoeia  the  powders  are  to 
remain  in  the  percolators  four  days  to  macerate,  but  16  fluidounces  of 
alcohol  are  used,  and  the  reading  of  the  general  directions  leads  me  to 
expect  a  percolate  will  appear.  This  is  not  the  case,  however,  16  troy- 
ounces  of  powdered  cimicifuga  will  absorb  and  hold  24  or  25  fluid- 
ounces  of  alcohol  ;  to  remedy  this  discrepancy  the  alcohol  must  be 
increased  to  at  least  24  fluidounces.  At  the  end  of  four  days  I  care- 
fully removed  the  tin  and  papers,  the  powders  were  found  filled  with 
numerous  fissures  from  a  mere  fracture  to  one-eighth  of  an  inch  in 
diameter,  in  every  case  the  powder  had  contracted  and  separated  from 
the  side  of  the  percolators  ;  they  were  not  in  a  condition  to  percolate 
satisfactorily,  but  my  object  was  to  follow  the  process  of  the  Pharma- 
copoeia, and,  after  replacing  the  papers,  I  proceeded  with  the  operation 
according  to  directions.  By  refering  to  the  table  it  will  be  seen  that 
the  most  successful  pint  of  fluid  extract  represents  nearly  9  troyounces 
of  cimicifuga,  the  poorest  a  fraction  over  5  troyounces.  As  regards  the 
directions  given  in  the  U.  S.  P  ,  I  believe  in  all  instances,  except  that 
mentioned  which  favored  the  extract,  they  were  followed  exactly  ; 
true,  it  may  be  said,  a  good  pharmacist  will  not  be  likely  to  use  a  per- 
colator 7*35  inches  in  diamater  to  work  16  troyounces  of  cimicifuga  in, 
and,  yet  as  the  Pharmacopoeia  does  not  mention  the  diameter  of  the 
percolator  to  be  employed,  it  might  be  answered  that  the  diameter  of 
the  percolator  is  likely  not  a  consideration  of  much  importance  else  it 
would  be  named — that  each  of  the  extracts  found  in  table  No.  1  are 
official  fluid  extracts,  inasmuch,  as  the  requirements  of  the  Pharmaco- 
poeia were  met  in  the  preparation  of  them  all,  and  that  an  official  fluid 
extract  of  cimicifuga  may  contain  the  virtues  of  from  5  to  9  troyounces 
of  cimicifuga  in  16  fluidounces  of  the  fluid  extract. 
It  will  be  seen  that  the  first  three  percolators  produced  extracts 
which  contained  more  extractive  matter  than  any  of  the  others,  but 
the  second  contains  more  than  the  first,  which  is  rather  an  exceptional 
