22 
Tinctures  of  Potent  Remedies. 
S  Am.  .lour.  Pharrm. 
1    January,  1903. 
One  other  feature  that  a  review  of  the  obtained  results  will  reveal 
is  that  of  estimating  the  drug  content  from  the  measure  of  the  result- 
ing preparation;  these  proposed  international  tinctures  will  average 
about  9  per  cent.  With  the  single  exception  of  tincture  of  ipecac, 
the  resulting  preparations  are  elegant  in  appearance,  quite  perma- 
nent, and  do  not  offer  any  particular  difficulties  in  the  methods  of 
procedure. 
With  these  preliminary  explanatory  remarks  we  may  proceed  to 
a  more  detailed  examination  of  the  various  preparations  before  us. 
Tincture  of  Aconite. — This  preparation  has  been  the  source  of  con- 
siderable comment  in  various  directions  ;  nevertheless,  it  must  be 
admitted  to  be  the  most  desirable  preparation  of  a  particularly 
active  and  useful  drug.  As  is  well  known,  our  own  U.S. P.  tincture 
of  aconite  is  much  more  potent  than  any  of  the  similar  preparations 
official  in  other  pharmacopoeias.  Ground  or  coarsely  powdered 
aconite  root  lost,  on  drying,  an  average  of  8  per  cent  of  its  weight ; 
IOO  grammes  of  the  air-dry  root  lost,  on  percolation  with  the  re- 
quired 70  per  cent,  alcoholic  menstruum,  and  subsequent  drying  in 
the  manner  described  above,  40  grammes.  Allowing  8  per  cent, 
for  the  contained  moisture,  this  would  give  us  a  net  loss  of  32 
grammes  of  extractive  to  the  menstruum.  One  thousand  grammes 
of  the  tincture  measured  1,104  c.c,  while  1  litre  of  the  same 
weighed  906  grammes,  at  25 0  C.  In  this  particular  instance  there 
is  no  difference  in  the  composition  of  the  menstruum,  the  present 
U.S.P.  directing  70  per  cent,  of  alcohol  as  a  menstruum.  There 
would,  however,  be  a  considerable  difference  in  the  average  dose  of 
the  resulting  preparations.  The  U.S.P.  tincture  of  aconite  is  usually 
given  in  doses  varying  from  0-03  to  0-20  c.c,  while  the  proposed 
international  standard  preparation  could  be  given  in  doses  of  from 
O-IO  to  0-70  c.c,  giving  a  much  more  tractable  variation  and  quan- 
tities that  will  be  more  in  harmony  with  the  doses  of  other  potent 
tinctures. 
Tincture  of  Belladonna. — Belladonna  leaves,  coarsely  powdered, 
lost  on  drying  4  per  cent,  of  their  weight ;  IOO  grammes  of  the  air-dry 
drug  lost  a  total  of  32-5  grammes  to  the  menstruum  of  70  per  cent, 
alcohol,  with  subsequent  drying,  or  a  net  loss  of  28- 5  grammes. 
One  thousand  grammes  of  the  tincture  measured  1,106  c.c,  while 
1  litre  weighed  904  grammes,  at  25 0  C.  In  appearance  this 
proposed  international  tincture  does  not  differ  materially  from 
