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FLUID  EXTRACT  OF  LUPULIN. 
mixed  with  an  equal  bulk  of  water  and  triturate,  and  then  the 
remainder  of  the  water,  so  as  to  get  a  clear  solution.  Pour  this 
into  a  quart  flask,  add  the  fusel  oil  and  shake  them  together  at 
short  intervals,  until  the  reaction  has  abated  and  the  temperature 
decreased.  Then  attach  the  flask  to  a  Liebig's  condenser  (or 
use  a  retort  and  receiver),  apply  heat,  and  distil  a  pint  of  liquid 
from  the  mixture.  The  distillate  (which  consist  of  a  watery 
solution  of  valerianic  acid,  with  an  oily  mixture  of  valerianic 
acid  and  valerianate  of  oxide  of  amyl,  or  apple  oil,  floating  on 
its  surface)  should  then  be  put  in  a  flask,  and  solution  of  ammonia 
added  with  agitation,  until  in  slight  excess,  and  the  liquid  ceases 
to  redden  litmus  paper.  The  apple  oil  floating  on  the  surface 
should  then  be  removed,  and  the  solution  evaporated  on  a  water 
bath  till  syrupy,  mixed  with  alcohol,  as  before  noticed,  and  set 
aside  to  crystallize. 
A  very  neat  process  is  to  pass  gaseous  ammonia  through 
syrupy  valerianic  acid  till  super-saturated,  and  then,  after  slightly 
heating  the  dense  solution,  to  remove  the  excess  of  ammonia, 
crystallizating  by  aid  of  alcohol,  as  above. 
Valerianate  of  ammonia  is  a  colorless  salt,  crystallizing  in 
very  thin  micaceous  quadrangular  plates,  soluble  in  water  and 
alcohol  in  all  proportions.  When  added  to  washed  ether,  a 
part  of  the  salt  seizes  on  the  water  and  attaches  itself  to  the 
sides  of  the  vessel,  whilst  another  is  retained  by  the  ether.  Its 
taste  is  at  first  sharp,  and  then  sweetish,  its  odor  slightly  valeri- 
anic, like  valerianate  of  soda.  When  its  aqueous  solution  is 
boiled,  ammonia  is  perceptible  in  the  vapor.  According  to  Lowig 
it  volatilizes  without  decomposition,  and  Gregory  gives  it  the 
formula  Nil1,  O  +  C10  H9  O3.  Although  very  soluble,  this  salt 
effloresces  when  exposed  to  the  air.  I  have  not  determined  its 
amount  of  water  of  crystallization,  nor  have  I  been  able  to  find 
any  statement  of  the  dose  of  the  salt,  as  the  paper  in  the  Exa- 
miner speaks  of  a  "  solution"  without  noting  its  strength. 
FLUID  EXTRACT  OF  LUPULIN. 
By  the  Editor. 
For  the  convenience  of  prescribing,  a  fluid  extract  of  lupulin  has 
been  offered  to  the  physician  by  some  of  our  pharmaceutists,  and 
