AlocSber)Pil9a6rrn- }    A  Ikaloidal  Method  f or  Fluid  Extracts.  5  3  5 
SOME    RESULTS    OBTAINED   WITH    LLOYD'S  ALKA- 
LOIDAL  STANDARDIZING  METHOD  FOR  FLUID 
EXTRACTS. 
(Abstracts  from  Theses.) 
Contribution  from  the  Chemical  Laboratory  of  the  Philadelphia  College  of 
Pharmacy.   No.  158. 
The  following  outline  of  the  method  proposed  by  Prof.  J.  U. 
Lloyd  for  standardizing  some  fluid  extracts  which  contain  alkaloids, 
is  taken  from  the  Proceedings  of  the  American  Pharmaceutical 
Association,  p.  128,  1 891,  where  it  is  given  as  a  scheme  to  assay 
fluid  extract  of  guarana  :  "  In  a  flat-bottomed  mortar,  with  a  good 
lip,  mix  5  ex.  of  the  fluid  extract  with  2  c.c.  of  official  solution  of 
ferric  chloride.  Add  sodium  bicarbonate  with  constant  trituration, 
until  a  stiff  magma  results.  Abstract  the  magma  by  repeated  tritu- 
rations with  chloroform,  using  first  20  c.c.  and  then  three  portions 
of  10  c.c.  each,  decanting  them  severally.  (This  excludes  tannates, 
gums,  albuminates,  mineral  salts,  most  vegetable  acids  and  salts, 
and  most  coloring  matters.  The  chloroform  extracts  the  caffeine 
and  an  insignificant  amount  of  coloring  matter.)  Mix  the  chloro- 
formic  solutions,  evaporate  in  a  tared  dish  and  weigh  the  residue. 
The  caffeine  will  be  but  little  colored,  and  will  be  crystalline." 
The  process  has  been  applied  to  the  fluid  extracts,  and,  in  some 
of  the  cases,  to  other  forms  of  the  following  caffeine-yielding 
drugs : 
Tea. — William  L.  Mountaine,  Ph.G.,  assayed  six  samples  of  fluid 
extract  of  tea.  He  found  the  same  results  by  using  three  portions 
of  10  c.c.  each  of  chloroform  as  when  following  the  prescribed 
quantity.  The  percentages  are  based  On  the  assumption  that  a 
c  c.  equals  a  gramme  of  the  drug  : 
Assays. 
Samples. 
1. 
2. 
3- 
4- 
5. 
6. 
roo 
1-25 
1-40 
1  "30 
o-8o 
1  -oo 
b  . 
1 -05 
I"22 
* -45 
1  "32 
o-8o 
0-98 
roS 
i'25 
t  "45 
1-30 
o-So 
1  *oo 
d  . 
ro6 
1-24 
1  "43 
I/3I 
