Am  jan'-ifyt™' }         Fluid  Extract  of  Cimicifuga.  7 
with  one  exception,  the  eighth,  where,  by  a  somewhat  remarkable  coin- 
cidence, corresponding  percolates  contain  the  same  amount  of  extrac- 
tive matter.  There  is  a  rapid  decrease  in  the  value  of  the  extracts 
from  the  first  to  the  seventh,  beyond  which  the  diameter  of  the  per- 
colator does  not  influence  the  result.  The  seventh,  with  a  height  of 
powder  2*14  inches,  furnishes  an  extract  inferior  to  the  tenth  with  only 
1*5  inches  ;  indeed,  this  last  is  superior  to  any  above  it,  until  the  sixth 
is  reached.  It  will  be  remembered  that  in  my  comments  upon  the 
first  table  I  imputed  this  (much  larger)  irregularity  to  be  mainly  due  to 
the  fissures  in  the  powder,  caused  by  the  process  of  maceration.  There 
are  other  causes  why  a  powder  of  little  depth  cannot  be  exhausted  with 
any  degree  of  certainty — causes  which  I  believe  the  most  careful  can- 
not easily  overcome,  or  sufficient  usually  to  about  counterbalance  the 
advantage  accruing  from  so  slight  an  increase  of  depth  as  there  was 
between  the  powders  in  each  of  the  latter  five  percolators.  I  believe 
these  variations  in  every  case  are  governed  by  natural  laws,  which  I 
cannot  dwell  upon  just  now.  The  ten  pints  of  finished  fluid  extracts 
contained  a  total  of  41965*88  grains  extractive  matter  an  average  of 
8*7  troyounces  to  the  pint.  The  extracts  from  table  No.  1  represented 
only  7*2  troyounces,  being  a  difference  of  21  per  cent,  in  favor  of  per- 
colation without  maceration.  Taking  the  first  percolator  of  each  table, 
the  difference  is  30  per  cent,  in  favor  of  percolation  without  maceration. 
TABLE  2. 
Amount   of  pow- 
dered Cimicifuga 
in  each  percola- 
tor. 
Diameter  of  perco- 
lator. 
Height  of  powder. 
Am't  of  dry  ext've 
matter  cont'd  in 
1  cc.  of  the  per- 
colate, 14  floz. 
Total  dry  extrac- 
tive matter  in  14 
floz, 
I  Amount  of  dry  ex- 
tractive  matter 
cont'd  in  1  cc.  of 
the  percolate,  10 
floz. 
To'l  extract'e  mat- 
ter contained  in 
percolate,  10  floz. 
Total  extractive 
matter  contained 
in   the  finished 
fluid  extract. 
Finished  fluid  ex- 
tract represents 
powdered  Cimi- 
cifuga. 
Grains. 
Inches. 
Inches. 
Grains. 
Grains. 
Grains. 
Grains. 
Grains. 
Grains. 
7680 
2*45 
15" 
r67 
690-18 
•46 
13579 
82597 
5597*52 
7680 
3'46 
7*5 
1-52 
628  19 
'44 
129-89 
758-08 
5i37'44 
7680 
4-24 
5" 
1*22 
504-20 
•60 
177-12 
681.32 
4617-24 
7680 
4  9° 
3*75 
II9 
491*80 
'57 
168-26 
66o'o6 
4473-I7 
7680 
5*48 
3* 
117 
483*54 
•55 
162-36 
645-90 
4377*21 
7680 
6- 
2"5 
I'lO 
454'6i 
■42 
123  98 
578*59 
3921*05 
7680 
6'48 
2-14 
•83 
343-02 
'49 
144*65 
487  67 
3304*90 
7680 
5-93 
i-88 
•85 
351*29 
'53 
156-46 
507'75 
3440-98 
7680 
7'35 
1-67 
'99 
367-60 
"47 
13874 
506-34 
3431*42 
7680 
775 
i-5 
•83 
343-02 
•67 
197-78 
540-80 
3664-95 
76800 
4657-45 
i535*o3 
6192*48 
41965-88 
