274 
Oleum  Peponis. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
June,  1890. 
that  devised  by  Kromayer,  both  starting  with  an  infusion  of  the 
herb,  appear  to  be  the  best  that  can  be  devised,  owing  to  the  spar- 
ing solubility  of  the  principle  in  water. 
From  the  observations  made  it  is  obvious  that  diluted  alcohol  is 
not  a  suitable  menstruum  for  the  preparation  of  the  fluid  extract. 
Using  a  liquid  composed  of  2  parts  of  water  and  3  parts  of  alcohol 
with  5  per  cent,  of  glycerin,  the  deposition  of  crystals  commenced 
even  before  the  fluid  extract  was  finished.  A  menstruum  prepared 
from  2  parts  of  alcohol  and  one  of  water  with  5  per  cent,  of  glycerin 
yielded  a  fluid  extract  remaining  free  from  crystalline  deposit. 
It  should  be  stated  yet  that  marrubiin  crystallizes  best  from  cold 
alcohol ;  the  crystals  from  hot  alcohol  are  less  compact,  and  ether 
and  chloroform  evaporate  too  rapidly  to  permit  of  the  formation  of 
handsome  crystals. 
OLEUM  PEPONIS. 
By  Louis  Augustus  Minner,  Ph.G. 
From  an  Inaugural  Essay. 
Two  samples  of  oil  of  pumpkin  seed  were  procured,  one  each 
from  New  York  and  Philadelphia.  Only  insufficient  information 
could  be  had  as  to  their  mode  of  preparation.  They  were  of  a  pale 
yellow  color  and  became  semi-solid  at  3 2°  F.  One  sample  had 
considerable  of  a  deposit  resembling  lard  in  color  and  consistency, 
and  was  rather  freely  soluble  in  alcohol.  Both  oils  were  administered 
for  taenia,  in  the  form  of  emulsions  and  in  doses  of  half  an  ounce, 
followed  by  a  dose  of  castor  oil,  without  expelling  the  tape  worm. 
The  same  quantity  of  the  oleoresin  of  pumpkin  seed  ejected  promptly 
large  portions  of  the  taenia. 
For  preparing  this  oleoresin  the  seeds  were  reduced  to  a  coarse 
powder  by  triturating  them  in  a  mortar  with  pumice  stone,  exhaust- 
ing with  ether  by  maceration  and  percolation,  and  evaporating  the 
solvent  at  a  gentle  heat.  After  washing  the  oil  with  some  alcohol 
it  formed  a  thick  liquid  of  a  red  color,  had  a  peculiar  unpleasant 
odor  and  a  disagreeable  rank  taste.  Its  specific  gravity  at  6o°  F.  is. 
about  0  924.  It  is  almost  insoluble  in  alcohol,  soluble  in  chloro- 
form, ether,  benzin  and  benzol,  and  does  not  congeal  at  3 2°  F. 
Strong  sulphuric  acid  changes  the  color  to  green,  then  dark  green, 
and  after  several  hours  to  a  dull  red-brown,  a  blackish  deposit 
