SUBSTITUTES  FOR  ETHER  AND  ALCOHOL,  ETC.  25 
might  be  still  further,  profitably  pushed  in  other  directions 
where  it  would  be  of  more  importance  than  in  this  immediate 
connection. 
The  uniformity  of  the  methods  of  preparing  oleo-resins  is 
such  that  what  would  apply  to  one  would  to  all.  I  therefore 
selected  cubebs  for  my  experiments,  it  being  the  most  important 
and  the  type  of  its  class. 
Without  going  into  detail  of  the  various  trials,  it  will  be  suffi- 
cient to  give  the  general  results  of  my  observations. 
The  Pharmacopoeia  directs  12  oz.,  troy,  of  cubebs  to  be  per- 
colated with  ether  until  24  fluidounces  of  percolate  have  passed. 
To  obtain  this  quantity  it  is  necessary  to  use  about  36  fluid- 
ounces  of  ether,  (the  dregs  retaining  12  fluidounces,  or  one-third 
the  quantity  used,)  then  recovering  18  fluidounces  of  ether  by 
distilling  the  percolate.  The  dregs  might  also  be  made  to  yield 
some  ether  by  distilling,  where  the  appliances  are  at  hand  for  so 
doing ;  but  the  labor  and  risk  of  accident  is  apt  to  counter-bal- 
ance any  saving  from  this  source  in  most  cases. 
Four  ounces,  troy,  of  cubebs  were  packed  in  a  funnel,  and 
6  fluidounces  of  ether  poured  over  the  surface  in  the  usual  way, 
and  the  funnel  covered ;  when  percolation  had  ceased,  4  fluid- 
ounces  of  benzine  were  added  to  the  drug,  and  the  percolation 
continued  until  6  fluidounces  of  percolate  was  obtained,  the  last 
portions  coming  away  almost  colorless.  Upon  evaporating  the 
last  ounce  spontaneously  until  it  ceased  to  lose  weight,  twenty- 
five  drops  only  of  oleo-resin  were  'obtained,  while  one  ounce  of 
the  first  four  ounces,  when  treated  in  the  same  way,  yielded  two 
fluidrachms  of  oleo-resin,  having  all  the  characteristics  of  a  good 
preparation  without  any  odor  of  ether  or  benzine. 
This  experiment  was  repeated  in  various  ways  with  glycerine, 
benzine  and  water,  after  the  ether  first  added  had  ceased  to 
pass,  with  about  the  same  results,  though  the  benzine  was  the 
most  satisfactory.  It  was  also  tried  with  the  other  officinal  oleo- 
resins,  and  the  same  general  results  obtained. 
Benzine,  I  think,  answers  better  than  any  other  liquid  as  a 
substitute  on  account  of  its  cheapness  and  volatile  nature.  In 
the  quantity  used,  very  little  can  pass  into  the  percolate,  and 
that  little  is  easily  dissipated.    The  percolation  in  one  case  was 
