Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  ) 
April,  1878.  J 
Compound  Cathartic  Pills. 
163 
of  colocynth,  in  powder,  1 J  grain  ;  extract  of  jalap  (in  fine  powder), 
mild  chloride  of  mercury,  of  each  1  grain  ;  gamboge,  in  fine  powder, 
\  grain — for  one— which  weighs  3^  grs.  For  a  good  and  active  pill, 
it  is  of  primary  importance  to  use  active  and  pure  ingredients. 
The  compound  extract  of  colocynth  consists  of  3J  troyounces 
extract  of  colocynth,  12  troyounces  of  purified  aloes,  3  troyounces  of 
resin  of  scammony,  \\  troyounce  of  cardamom  and  3  troyounces  of 
soap,  all  to  be  finely  powdered  and  then  intimately  mixed. 
One  of  the  most  active  ingredients  in  this  compound  extract  is 
the1  extract  of  colocynth.  The  Pharmacopoeia  has  it  prepared  by 
macerating,  for  four  days,  48  troyounces  of  colocynth,  deprived  of  the 
seeds,  with  8  pints  of  dilute  alcohol,  expressing  strongly,  packing  the 
broken  up  residue  in  a  percolator,  and  pouring  on  dilute  alcohol  until 
the  percolate  and  expressed  tincture  mixed  together  measure  16  pints. 
Ten  pints  of  alcohol  are  to  be  regained  by  distillation,  the  residue  dried 
on  a  water-bath  and  reduced  to  a  fine  powder.  The  last  time  that  I 
prepared  the  extract  I  proceeded  as  follows  :  48  troyounces  of  colo- 
cynth (not  of  the  best  quality  of  colocynth,  the  fruit  being  of  medium 
size,  with  quite  a  number  of  small  ones,  and  some  discolored 
and  misshapen)  were  deprived  of  the  seeds  and  yielded  15  troy- 
ounces of  pulp,  which  was  ground  tolerably  fine  and  macerated 
for  five  days  with  4  pints  of  alcohol,  this  being  just  sufficient 
for  complete  immersion,  if  the  powder  is  pressed  down.  The 
expressed  liquid  measured  3J  pints.  To  ascertain  the  strength  of  the 
tincture  the  alcohol  was  regained  by  distillation  and  the  residue  evap- 
orated to  dryness  ;  it  weighed  3  troyounces.  The  expressed  mass  was 
then  broken  up  thoroughly  and  packed  in  a  percolator.  If  tightly 
packed,  it  was  found  percolation  would  proceed  but  very  slowly.  The 
alcohol  that  had  been  recovered  was  properly  diluted  and  poured  on. 
The  bulk  of  the  colocynth  in  the  percolator  increased  fully  one-fourth. 
5  pints  of  dilute  alcohol,  altogether,  was  used.  When  3  pints  of  per- 
colate had  been  obtained,  percolation  ceased.  The  mass,  subjected  to 
powerful  pressure,  yielded  \\  pint  more  of  tincture,  making  in  all  4J 
pints.  The  alcohol  was  regained  from  this,  and  the  residue  was  evap- 
orated to  dryness  on  a  vapor-bath  ;  the  yield  was  2J  troyounces,  mak- 
ing a  total  yield  of  troyounces  from  48  troyounces  of  colocynth, 
or  15  troyounces  without  the  seed.  The  extract  was  easily  pulveriz- 
able  in  a  flat-bottomed  porcelain  mortar. 
