6 
Practical  Notes, 
J  Am.  Jour.  Pharm, 
t        Jan.,  1877. 
I  2 
3 
4 
5  6 
Extractum 
Gentianaefiuidum 
,  360  grs.  800  grs. 
1070  grs. 
720  ?rs. 
1440  grs.  850  grs. 
senna? 
(< 
840  "   IOIO  " 
720  " 
54o  " 
1380  "    825  " 
rhei 
a 
480  «  1235  " 
1210  " 
960  " 
1500  "    800  " 
« 
sciHae 
(t 
1000  "  1068  " 
1300  " 
800  " 
1680  "  1080  " 
« 
ergotae 
480  "    420  " 
550  « 
480  " 
780  "    780  " 
Solubility  of  Drugs. — Philip  J.  Laver  has  determined  the  amount 
of  moisture  in  the  following  air-dried  powdered  drugs  by  keeping 
them  in  an  air-bath  at  a  temperature  of  no°F.  until  they  ceased  to 
lose  weight ;  those  containing  volatile  oil  were  dried  over  lime  in  an 
air-tight  box.  The  amount  of  soluble  matter  was  ascertained  by 
percolating  960  grains  of  the  air-dry  drugs  with  the  menstrua  directed 
by  the  "  U.  S.  Pharmacopoeia,"  using  sufficient  quantities  for  preparing 
the^officinal  tinctures  ;  the  residues  were  afterwards  dried  as  before, 
and  the  difference  in  weight,  after  deducting  the  previously  ascertained 
amount  of  moisture,  was  regarded  as  the  weight  of  the  soluble  matter 
contained  in  the  tincture.  In  this  manner  the  following  figures  were 
obtained  : 
960 grs.  of  airdry  Ginger,  Valerian,  Lobelia,  Calumba,  Sanguinaria,  Cinchona,  Arnica,  Digitalis,  Krameria, 
Lost  in  drying, 
40 
100  74 
102 
106 
100 
98 
72 
60  grs, 
Yielded  solu-  > 
139  146 
44o  " 
ble  matter,  j 
55 
151 
213 
i54 
192 
328 
Or  pr.  fluid  oz. 
6£ 
8  H  9* 
9  1% 
x3  A 
14  A 
18 
20J 
*7h" 
Tinctura  Cinchonse  Comp. — Wm.  D.  Robinson  has  examined  a 
number  of  specimens  of  this  tincture,  which  had  been  obtained  from 
various  sources.  After  some  preliminary  experiments,  Winkler's  pro- 
cess was  decided  upon,  and  5  fluidounces  and  100  minims  of  the 
tincture,  representing  250  grains  of  red  cinchona,  were  treated  with 
the  same  weight,  each  of  slaked  lime  and  animal  charcoal,  the  sedi- 
ment repeatedly  treated  with  cold  alcohol,  and  the  mixed  alcoholic 
liquids  evaporated.  Regarding  the  residue  as  nearly  pure  alkaloids, 
the  barks  used  in  preparing  the  tinctures  were  found  to  contain 
respectively  the  following  percentages  thereof :  '287,  *8i,  '871,  1*03, 
1-09,  1-13,  x-20,  1-27,  1-38,  1-62,  171,  178,  2*05,  2-13,  3-09,  3-11 
and  4*46,  showing  a  great  variation  in  the  quality  of  the  barks 
employed. 
