Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  ) 
July,  1878.  J 
Fluid  Extracts, 
333 
ammonia,  and,  having  moistened  the  seneka  with  35  parts  of  the  mix- 
ture, put  it  into  a  narrow  conical  glass  percolator  in  small  portions, 
each  portion  being  well  shaken  down,  and  when  all  is  in  pack  firmly 
with  a  pestle,  cover  the  surface  of  the  powder  with  a  layer  of  cotton, 
which  keep  in  place  by  two  or  three  glass  stoppers,  and  gradually  add 
the  menstruum.  When  the  percolate  amounts  to  75  parts  expose  it 
in  a  shallow  dish  to  the  open  air  until  it  has  lost  about  5  parts,  or  until 
the  odor  of  ammonia  is  no  longer  perceptible.  Continue  the  percola- 
tion with  the  same  menstruum  until  the  seneka  is  exhausted  ;  evaporate 
this  percolate  by  means  of  a  water-bath  to  30  parts,  mix  it  with  the 
reserved  portion,  and  make  up  the  quantity  to  100  parts  with  alcohol. 
This  fluid  extract  is  quite  dark  in  color,  forms  no  deposit  on  stand- 
ing and  remains  clear  when  mixed  with  simple  syrup  to  make  syrup  of 
seneka. 
If  the  percolation  proceeds  slowly  the  odor  of  ammonia  will  not  be 
perceptible  in  the  75  parts  of  reserved  percolate,  but  it  was  thought 
best  to  expose  it  to  spontaneous  evaporation  to  make  sure  that  no  free 
ammonia  should  be  present  in  the  finished  preparation.  The  addition 
of  an  alkali  to  the  preparations  of  seneka  is  by  no  means  original ;  it 
has  been  previously  suggested  by  Prof.  Procter  and  Mr.  Bullock  ("Am. 
Jour.  Phar.,"  1862,  p.  136),  by  Dr.  Squibb  ("Proceedings  Am.  Pharm. 
Assoc. ,"  1 87 1,  p.  454),  by  Prof.  Markoe  (u  Proceedings  Am.  Pharm. 
Assoc. ,"  1873,  p.  519)  and  by  Prof.  Maisch.  The  first  two  gentle- 
men added  bicarbonate  of  potassium  to  the  fluid  extract  ;  Dr.  Squibb 
used  ammonia  ;  Prof.  Markoe  did  not  specify  what  alkali,  and  Prof. 
Maisch  used  bicarbonate  of  sodium.  I  was  led  to  the  use  of  water  of 
ammonia  by  the  ease  with  which,  owing  to  its  volatility,  any  excess 
might  be  removed. 
Fluid  Extract  of  Senna. 
Take  of  Senna,  in  powder  No.  40,  .  .    100  parts 
Alcohol,  s.  g.  '822, 
Water,  each,  a  sufficient  quantity. 
Mix  50  parts  of  alcohol  with  100  parts  of  water,  and  moisten  the 
senna  with  35  parts  of  the  mixture,  mix  well  and  pass  through  a  No. 
18  sieve,  then  put  into  a  narrow  conical  glass  percolator,  in  small  por- 
tions, each  portion  being  well  shaken  down,  and  when  all  is  in  pack 
firmly  with  a  pestle,  cover  the  surface  of  the  powder  with  a  layer  of 
cotton,  which  keep  in  place  by  two  or  three  glass  stoppers  ;  add  the 
