134     IMPROVED  PROCESS  FOR  FLUID  EXTRACT  OF  BUCHU. 
Moisten  the  remainder  of  the  buchu  with  the  second  portion 
of  the  percolate  from  the  second  percolation,  and  having  packed 
it  in  the  cylindrical  percolator,  pour  on  the  third  and  fourth 
portions  of  the  percolate  from  the  second  percolation  in  suc- 
cession, and  after  these,  eight  fluidounces  of  alcohol  in  two  por- 
tions.   Finally  add  water,  and  proceed  as  in  the  first  percolation. 
Keceive  the  percolate  in  two  separate  portions  of  twenty  and 
ten  fluidounces  (or  the  remainder),  and  set  the  last  of  these  away, 
to  be  used  as  so  much  alcohol  at  the  next  making  of  this  fluid 
extract. 
Finally,  mix  all  the  three  portions  of  reserved  percolate  to- 
gether, and  make  the  whole  measure  three  pints  by  the  addition 
of  whatever  may  be  wanting  of  that  measure  from  the  final  per- 
colate set  away  for  the  next  making. 
In  repeating  this  process  twice  with  care,  it  was  found  to  work 
well  in  practice,  and  to  yield  a  preparation  which  is  at  least  equal 
to  the  officinal  in  therapeutic  value. 
The  total  quantities  of  material  used  are  as  follows : 
Powdered  Buchu,  3  lbs.  5£  oz.  @  80  cts.,        .  $2.67 
Alcohol,  4 J  pints,  @  55  cts.,       .         .  2.34 
For  three  pints,  weighing  2  lbs.  11  oz.,    .       .  $5.01 
"   one        "         "      14  oz.,      .        .       .  1.67 
This  requires  but  one  more  pint  of  alcohol  for  the  three  por- 
tions than  the  officinal  process  requires  for  one  portion,  and 
diminishes  the  cost  exceedingly  ;  but  it  requires  more  education 
and  skill,  and  involves  more  risk  of  an  imperfect  preparation 
through  want  of  skill.  The  result  of  the  first  percolation  is  least 
important,  since' the  quantity  of  menstruum  there  used  is  as  great 
as  in  the  officinal  process,  and  the  exhaustion  thereby  secured; 
but  as  the  errors  of  packing  and  management  are  easily  seen  in 
this  first  percolation,  they  can  be  as  easily  corrected  in  the  suc- 
ceeding trials,  and  thus  tend  to  safety  and  uniformity  of  result. 
The  powder,  when  properly  moistened  and  packed,  holds  with 
great  uniformity  about  fifteen  fluidounces  of  menstruum,  and  by 
the  dexterous  use  of  water,  as  directed,  eleven  fluidounces  of  this 
may  be  each  time  recovered  by  pushing  it  through.  Thus  the 
total  loss  of  alcohol  in  this  way  does  not  exceed  twelve  to  fifteen 
