26  SUBSTITUTES  FOR  ETHER  AND  ALCOHOL,  ETC 
continued  after  the  first  six  ounces  were  obtained,  but  the  odor 
of  cubebs  was  very  faint,  and  the  color  pale,  almost  colorless. 
Prof.  Procter,  in  the  May  number  of  the  Journal  of  Pharmacy 
for  this  year,  has  given  some  important  results  in  the  preparation 
of  the  oleo-resin  of  cubebs.  He  there  shows  that  the  first  per- 
colate contains  practically  all  or  nearly  all  the  medicinal  virtues 
of  the  drug. 
Dr.  Squibb  has  also  shown  the  same  thing  in  his  paper  "  On 
the  Economy  of  Alcohol  in  the  Preparation  of  Fluid  and  Solid 
Extracts,"  published  in  the  March  number  of  the  same  journal 
of  the  present  year. 
From  the  above  reports,  I  think  two  conclusions  may  be 
drawn  :  1st,  That  there  is  double  the  quantity  of  ether  used  in 
these  preparations  than  is  absolutely  necessary ;  and  2d,  That 
percolation  may  be  stopped  with  advantage  in  this  class  of 
officinals  much  sooner  than  is  now  directed. 
I  do  not  claim  that  the  drugs  in  this  way  are  thoroughly 
exhausted,  but  for  all  practical  purposes  they  are,  and,  as  is 
seen,  great  economy  will  result  in  the  use  of  the  ether  and 
alcohol  directed  to  be  employed.  In  short,  "  sacrifice  the 
cheaper  drug  for  the  sake  of  saving  the  dear  menstruum." 
As  these  preparations  do  not,  when  finished,  correspond  in 
dose  to  any  given  quantity  of  drug,  I  think  the  following  general 
plan  might  be  employed  with  advantage  : — 
Take  of  the  drug  any  convenient  quantity ;  for  each  ounce 
thus  employed,  1J  fluidounce  of  ether,  and  one  ounce  or  q.  s. 
of  benzine.  Pack  the  drug  in  a  suitable  apparatus,  add  the 
ether,  and  when  it  has  ceased  to  pass,  pour  on  the  benzine  in 
the  proportion  of  one  ounce  to  each  ounce  of  drug  employed,  or 
until  as  much  percolate  has  been  obtained  as  equals  the  amount 
of  ether  used.  Recover  the  ether  by  distillation  in  the  usual 
manner. 
With  care  in  watching  the  process,  the  contamination  of  ben- 
zine is  so  slight  as  to  be  scarcely  perceptible  in  the  percolate, 
and  not  at  all  in  the  finished  preparation. 
Glycerine  may  be  used  instead  of  benzine,  if  preferred,  as, 
in  case  any  of  it  passes  through,  it  being  insoluble  in  ether,  is 
easily  separated.    The  oleo-resin  of  ginger  differing  somewhat 
