100 
EXTRACTUM  COLOCYNTHIDIS  COMPOSITUM. 
flannel,  and  the  tube  is  then  set  upright  in  the  centre  of  the  jar 
so  as  to  form  a  well  for  the  percolate.  Thus  disposed  three 
gallons  of  the  Diluted  alcohol  is  poured  upon  this  residue,  the  jar 
covered,  and  allowed  to  stand  in  a  warm  place  two  or  three  days. 
It  is  then  percolated  with  the  remainder  of  the  Diluted  alcohol, 
the  percolate  being  drawn  from  the  central  well  by  means  of  a 
very  small  India  rubber  tube  syphon.  The  liquor  is  then  finally 
expressed,  and  with  the  percolate  strained  into  the  receiving 
vessel*  with  the  first  portion,  the  whole  well  stirred  together  and 
allowed  to  stand  two  days.  The  clear  tincture  is  then  drawn  off 
with  a  syphon,  and  carefully  measured  into  a  still,  leaving  the 
muddy  portion,  amounting  to  about  4  pints,  in  the  vessel.  This 
muddy  portion  is  collected  and  boiled  with  the  pint  of  Alcohol, 
cooled,  and  strained  through  flannel.  If  the  attempt  is  made  to 
filter  this  without  some  such  treatment  as  this  boiling  with  alcohol, 
a  very  imperfect  result  will  be  obtained,  and  much  time  lost, 
for  the  tincture  will  evaporate  faster  than  it  will  pass  the  clogged 
filter.  Even  by  this  method  about  3  hours  is  required  to  get  off 
the  clear  tincture.  The  whole  tincture  having  been  carefully 
measured,  one  fourteenth  part  is  separated,  and  evaporated  to 
dryness  in  a  tared  basin.  The  weight  of  this  dry  extract  mul- 
tiplied by  fourteen  gives  the  weight  of  the  whole  yield.  If  the 
yield  thus  indicated  be  over  four  pounds  avoirdupois,  as  will 
commonly  be  the  case,  the  surplus  is  taken  from  this  dry  extract 
and  put  aside  for  a  future  operation.  The  remainder,  or  amount 
necessary  to  make  the  proper  proportion  in  the  compound  ex- 
tract, is  added  with  the  aloes. 
About  8  gallons  of  dilute  alcohol  is  then  recovered  from  the 
tincture  by  means  of  a  water  or  steam  bath,  and  this  is  reserved 
for  a  future  process.  The  residuary  liquor  in  the  stili  is  then 
transferred  to  a  tared  evaporating  basin  and  evaporated  over  a 
steam  jet  to  the  consistence  of  honey.  The  powdered  aloes  is 
then  added  and  the  mixture  stirred  till  the  heat  has  melted  the 
aloes.  The  soap,  previously  dried  and  powdered,  is  next  added 
and  thoroughly  incorporated.  Then  the  scammony,— and  finally 
the  cardamom  powder  is  added,  and  the  whole  stirred  well  for 
*  This  second  tincture  yields  on  evaporation  3-06  per  cent,  of  dry  extract, 
similar  in  all  its  sensible  properties  to  that  from  the  first  tincture. 
