500 
Tincture  of  Vanilla, 
J  Am.  Jour.  Pharrp. 
t       Oct.,  1885. 
from  the  former,  8  ounces  yielding  160  grains  or  4^  per  cent.,  and  by 
evaporating  the  aqueous  fluid  used  in  precipitating  the  resin  210  grains 
or  5j^  per  cent.,  making  a  total  of  370  grains  or  9f  per  cent.  The 
resin  is  found  to  be  soluble  in  diluted  alcohol,  alcohol,  in  liquor  potassse 
with  a  claret  wine  color,  in  sulphuric  acid  with  a  red  color;  also  in 
ether  and  chloroform,  but  insoluble  in  water.  The  aqueous  extract 
was  soluble  in  water,  sparingly  soluble  in  alcohol,  soluble  in  dilute 
alcohol,  insoluble  in  ether  and  chloroform,  soluble  in  liquor  potassse 
with  a  purplish  red  color  and  in  sulphuric  acid  with  a  reddish  brown 
color.  As  to  the  laxative  and  cathartic  properties  of  these  two  I  found 
the  resin  decidedly  the  stronger,  requiring  3  grains  for  a  laxative  action, 
while  the  aqueous  extract  required  4 "to  5  grains  to  have  the  same 
effect. 
From  the  above  observations  on  the  resins  and  extracts  obtained 
from  these  barks,  I  would  unhesitatingly  conclude  that  the  prepara- 
tions manufactured  from  Rhamnus  Purshiana  are  decidedly  the  more 
active.  Before  closing  I  desire  to  return  my  thanks  to  Messrs.  Parke, 
Davis  &  Co.,  of  Detroit,  Mich.,  who  kindly  accommodated  me  with 
material  to  make  these  investigations. 
TINCTURE  OF  VANILLA. 
By  R.  RoTHfjR. 
After  vanilla  pods  there  are  few  if  any  other  crude  articles  to  be 
found  in  mercantile  pharmacy  having  such  a  diversity  of  quality  as 
inferred  from  their  market  value.  In  consequence,  tincture  of  vanilla 
for  flavoring  purposes  can  be  prepared  rich  in  vanilla  at  a  relatively 
moderate  cost,  and  scant  in  vanilla  at  a  comparatively  exorbitant  cost. 
Connoisseurs  claim  that  they  can  easily  discern  the  differences  in  these 
various  preparations.  Since,  however,  the  consuming  public  are  in  no 
sense  experts  in  such  matters,  all  grades  of  these  products  find  a  ready 
market.  Viewed  from  the  standpoint  of  the  trained  palate,  the  public 
taste  is  exceedingly  perverted  when  it  deliberately  prefers  tonka-mixerl 
vanilla  or  even  tonka  pure  and  simple  to  the  best  vanilla. 
Manufacturers  of  flavors  have  not  been  slow  to  recognize  the  advan- 
tage of  such  a  disposition  to  themselves,  and  as  a  consequence  of  the 
greatly  increased  demand  the  cost  of  tonka  bean  has  steadily  risen  to 
an  unprecedented  level  of  late  years.  The  cost  of  vanilla  has,  how- 
ever, ap[>reciably  declined.    That  this  was  caused  by  the  introduction 
