516 
PHARMACY  OF  THE  CINCHONAS. 
Take  of  Glycerin,  eight  fluidounces,  or  nine  troyounces  and 
two  hundred  and  eighty  grains. 
Alcohol,  six  pints  and  ten  fluidounces. 
Water,  a  sufficient  quantity. 
Mix  the  Cinchona  with  thirty  fluidounces  of  the  Alcohol 
thoroughly,  in  a  proper  vessel,  by  stirring  them  together  ;  cover 
the  vessel,  and  allow  the  mixture  to  stand  half  an  hour.  Then 
transfer  it  to  a  glass  funnel,  prepared  for  percolation,  and  pour 
the  remainder  of  the  Alcohol  on  top,  as  required,  following  it 
with  water  after  the  last  of  the  Alcohol  has  sunk  below  the  sur- 
face, until  the  percolate  becomes  cloudy  and  makes  a  precipi- 
tate in  the  receiving  vessel.  Distil  off  the  Alcohol  from  the 
percolate  by  means  of  a  water  *bath?  until  the  distillation  has 
nearly  ceased,  or  until  the  residue  in  the  still  weighs  six  troy- 
ounces or  less.  Add  to  this  the  Glycerin,  and  warm  the  mixture 
well  in  the  water  bath.  Finally,  cool  the  mixture,  and  make  it 
up  to  the  measure  of  a  pint  from  the  Alcohol  recovered  by  the 
distillation,  and  agitate  the  whole  well  together.  The  weight  of 
the  pint  of  finished  fluid  extract  will  vary  with  the  temperature  at 
which  it  is  weighed,  and  with  the  character  of  the  Cinchona,  from 
8282  grs.  to  8366  grs. ;  and  each  minim  represents  one  grain  of 
the  Cinchona  in  a  half  minim  of  Glycerin,  the  remainder  being 
Alcohol  and  water. 
This  fluid  extract  is  almost  black  in  color  when  seen  in  mass, 
but  of  a  rich  dark  ruby  red,  approaching  to  garnet,  when  seen 
in  thin  strata  by  transmitted  light,  and  is  perfectly  transparent. 
It  is  about  the  consistence  of  Simple  Syrup  at  the  same  tem- 
perature, has  the  aroma  of  good  Cinchona,  and  a  clean,  clear, 
bitter  taste,  much  modified  by  the  sweetness  of  the  Glycerin. 
It  makes  a  transparent  solution  with  all  proportions  of  Glycerin 
or  Alcohol,  and  with  all  mixtures  of  the  two.  It  also  makes  a 
nearly  transparent  solution  with  a  mixture  of  equal  parts  of 
Glycerin  and  water,  and  with  brandy  and  whisky,  but  makes  a 
cloudy  solution  with  wines. 
The  dose  is  from  ten  minims  to  a  fluidrachm,  according  to 
the  indications  to  be  met  by  it,  and  it  is  best  administered  in  a 
tablespoonful  or  more  of  sherry  wine  just  before  meals.  It  has 
been  so  used  by  a  few  physicians,  for  some  months  past,  with 
