110 
PHARMACEUTICAL  NOTICES. 
The  tincture  by  this  process  may  be  well  made  in  a  short  tjme, 
but  if  made  by  maceration,  in  alcohol  only,  at  least  two  or  three 
weeks  should  be  allowed,  owing  to  the  horny,  close  texture  of  the 
beans,  the  bassorin  in  which  resists  the  action  of  the  solvent  on 
the  enclosed  strychnia  and  brucia  salts.  The  dose  of  this  tinc- 
ture prescribed  was  ten  drops  three  times  a  day. 
Tincture  of  St.  Ignatius's  Bean  may  be  made  extemporane- 
ously from  the  alcoholic  extract,  using  half  an  ounce  of  extract 
to  the  pint  of  alcohol,  or  fifteen  grains  to  the  fluid  ounce.  The 
quantity  of  extract  is  based  on  the  assumption  that  it  is  of  average 
strength.  When  however  it  is  purely  alcoholic,  three  drachms  is 
sufficient,  and  if  hydro-alcoholic  it  may  require  five  drachms, 
Owing  to  the  variable  quality  of  the  extract  in  the  shops  it  is 
safer  to  make  the  tincture  at  once  from  the  beans,  unless  the 
actual  strength  of  the  extract  is  known. 
Liquor  Acidi  Sulphurosi, 
Aqueous  solution  of  sulphurous  acid  has  been  repeatedly  pre- 
scribed in  this  city,  and  although  a  saturated  solution  is  called 
for,  in  practice  such  a  preparation  is  not  eligible  as  the  natural 
variations  in  temperature  cause  the  escape  of  gas.  The  follow- 
ing proportions  and  arrangement  we  have  resorted  to  in  making 
the  solution  : 
Take  of  Copper  turnings,       -       -       four  ounces. 
Sulphuric  acid,         -       -       eight  fluid  ounces. 
Put  the  copper  in  a  tall  flask  of  the  capacity  of  three  pints, 
and  pour  in  the  acid,  set  the  flask  securely  in  a  shallow  sand 
bath  over  a  gas  burner,  and  by  means  of  bent  tubes  and  corks 
connect  the  flask,  first  with  an  empty  half  pint  bottle,  and  this 
with  a  bottle  containing  four  pints  of  clear  water,  the  tube  pass- 
ing down  in  the  water  nearly  to  the  bottom.  The  joints  should 
be  carefully  made  and  luted,  and  the  bottle  of  water  to  be 
charged  should  be  set  in  a  vessel  of  cold  water.  Heat  should  then 
be  applied  to  the  sand  bath  until  effervescence  commences,  and 
then  carefully  regulated  so  as  to  prevent  the  black  froth  from 
passing  over  into  the  first  vessel.  As  soon  as  the  gas  ceases  to 
come  over,  remove  the  bottle  of  solution  before  the  lamp  is  ex- 
tinguished and  put  the  solution  in  pint  or  half  pint  bottles,  (ac- 
cording to  the  quantity  usually  prescribed,)  nearly  filled,  and 
cork  and  seal  them. 
