PHARMACY  OF  THE  CINCHONAS. 
513 
potassce  arsenitis,  and  that  its  peculiar  officinal  coloring  matter 
is  necessary  to  give  that  preparation  its  proper  color,  was  one 
reason  for  not  using  the  cochineal  in  constructing  the  officinal 
formula.  Further,  the  percolation  of  the  cloudy  solution  of  the 
oils  through  the  aromatics,  in  substance,  clarifies  it ;  and,  as  the 
aroma  of  the  spices  is  nearly  always  more  delicate  than  the  com- 
mercial oils,  the  preparation  is  more  agreeable  in  consequence. 
For  these  reasons  we  very  much  doubt  the  advantage  of  substi- 
tuting this  recipe  for  the  officinal.— Editor  Amer.  Jour. 
Pharm. 
PHAEMACY  OF  THE  CINCHONAS. 
By  Edward  R.  Squibb,  M.  D.,  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 
(Continued  from  page  414.) 
The  finished  extract  consists  of  about  four-fifths  alcoholic  ex- 
tract of  the  Cinchonas,  and  one-fifth  Glycerin.  The  alcoholic 
extract  of  Red  Cinchona  contains  in  the  four  troyounces  262 
grains  of  impure  alkaloids,  equal  to  about  336  grains  of  the 
crystallized  sulphates  ;  or  about  65  grains  of  alkaloids,  equal  to 
84  grains  of  sulphates  to  the  troyounce.  This  gives  for  the 
finished  extract  (with  the  Glycerin)  about  52  grains  alkaloids,  or 
equal  to  67  grains  of  sulphates  to  the  troyounce. 
Made  from  the  Yellow  Cinchona,  which  contains  over  four  per 
cent,  of  alkaloids  instead  of  3*4  per  cent.,  the  proportion  will  be 
over  one  sixth  more,  or  about  64  grains  impure  alkaloids  to  the 
troyounce,  and  these  mainly  quinia,  whilst  in  the  Red  Cinchona 
the  quinia  and  cinchonia  may  be  in  nearly  equal  proportions. 
It  will  be  sufficiently  accurate  for  therapeutic  application  to  con- 
sider such  extracts  as  containing  about  the  equivalent  of  10  grs. 
of  the  sulphates  of  Cinchona  alkaloids  to  the  drachm,  or  half  a 
grain  in  each  three-grain  pill,  the  form  in  which  it  would  be  most 
conveniently  used.  But  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  alka- 
loids are  not  the  only  tonic  constituents  of  such  an  extract,  and 
it  might  perhaps  be  fairly  assumed  that  in  tonic  effect  a  three- 
grain  pill  of  such  extract  might  equal  a  grain  of  Sulphate  of 
Quinia  or  Cinchonia. 
In  some  trials  made  with  the  oldest  and  hardest  of  these  pills 
33 
