232  Fluid  Extracts  by  Reper eolation.      { *m£y%s£rm' 
34-14  per  cent,  of  the  weight  of  the  powder.  The  32  troyounces= 
995*33  grams,  of  powder  should  therefore  give  (84*96  x  4=)  339*84 
grams,  of  extract.  But  when  the  extract  actually  obtained  from  the 
four  percolations  is  summed  up,  it  is  found  to  be  only  (84*96-f-86*23+ 
71  *92-f-73'84— )3 1 6*95  grams,  or  22*89  grams,  less  than  the  indicated 
quantity.  This  is  therefore  an  apparent  loss  of  (As  995*33  :  3I6*95 
:  :  100  :  31*84,  and  34*14 — 31*84=)  2*3  per  cent.,  which  considering 
the  apparent  quality  of  final  extracts  in  repercolation,  is  quite  unimpor- 
tant, at  least  in  view  of  the  far  greater  deficiencies  of  the  officinal 
processes,  or  any  modification  of  them  hitherto  used. 
Now  if  each  troyounce  of  powder  is  to  be  represented  by  a  troy- 
ounce  of  the  fluid  extract,  and  the  fluid  extract  be  adjusted  to  the  solid 
extract  obtained,  then  the  reserved  percolates  should  weigh,  respec- 
tively, 186*6,  248*8,  248*8,  and  248*8  grams,  and  should  contain 
59*41,  79*22,  79*22,  and  79*22  grams,  of  extract.  But  by  the  table 
the  reserves  weigh  206*78,266*60,261*73  and  249*24,  and  contain 
56*27,  67*43,  56*22  and  73*97,  thus  making  a  very  imperfect  exhibit 
though  still  far  ahead  of  the  present  or  past  officinal  processes.  The 
conditions  being  new  each  percolation  was  varied  in  management  in 
order  to  reach  the  best  method,  it  was  not  reached  until  the  fourth 
percolation,  and  one  or  two  more  percolations,  using  much  more  liquid 
to  moisten  the  powder,  would  have  been  needed  to  obtain  greater 
precision  and  uniformity.  The  total  finished  fluid  extract  which 
should  represent  30  troyounces=933  grams,  of  the  drug,  when  made 
to  bear  the  relation  of  minim  for  grain  weighed  984  grams,  and  was 
therefore  considerably  too  heavy.  This,  and  the  tendency  of  the 
percolate  to  become  overloaded  with  extractive,  at  the  same  time  that 
it  illustrates  the  value  and  appropriateness  of  the  principle  of  reperco- 
lation, also  shows  that  this  new  menstruum  has  too  little  alcohol,  and 
leads  to  the  inference  that  a  menstruum  of  2  parts  stronger  alcohol 
and  1  part  water  would  be  better  adapted  to  Cimicifuga  than  either  of 
the  extremes  here  tried.  Such  a  proportion  would,  by  repercolation, 
probably  yield  a  fluid  extract  which  in  the  proportion  of  weight  for 
weight,  would  also  have  the  proportion  of  minim  for  grain, — or  what 
would  represent  the  drug  better  because  more  accurately  than  by  any 
known  method  of  percolation, — including  repercolation, — namely  90 
to  95  minims  for  each  100  grains  of  the  drug.  In  readjusting  all  fluid 
extracts  therefore  to  bear  the  relation  of  weight  for  weight  to  the  drug, 
