Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  l 
January,  1903.  J 
Tinctures  of  Potent  Remedies. 
23 
that  now  official  in  the  U.S. P.;  there  is,  however,  a  marked  differ- 
ence in  the  alcoholic  strength  of  the  prescribed  menstruum,  the 
present  pharmacopoeia  directing  U.S. P.  dilute  alcohol,  while  the 
international  standard  directs  dilute  alcohol  containing  70  per  cent, 
of  alcohol.  The  dose  would  be  about  one-third  more,  or  instead  of 
being  from  0-06  to  0-05,  would  be  from  O-IO  to  0-70,  practically  the 
same  as  that  for  international  standard  tincture  of  aconite.  This 
correlation  of  doses  is  one  of  the  strongest  arguments  in  favor  of 
adopting  these  proposed  international  standards,  the  relations 
existing  between  the  drug  and  the  resulting  preparations  being 
uniform  and  easily  remembered. 
Tincture  of  Cantharides. — This  is  one  of  the  preparations  to  which 
objections  might  be  raised,  on  the  plea  that  the  resulting  tincture 
would  be  much  stronger  than  that  official  in  the  U.S. P.  In  answer 
to  this  it  might  be  said,  however,  that  the  preparation  is  but  sel- 
dom used,  not  being  very  popular  with  the  medical  practitioners  of 
this  country.  Ground  cantharides  lost  3  per  cent,  on  drying,  while 
the  air-dried,  powdered  drug  lost  a  total  of  27-5  grammes  to  the  pre- 
scribed menstruum,  or  a  net  loss  of  24-5  grammes  for  each  IOO. 
One  thousand  grammes  of  the  tincture  measured  1,092  c.c,  while  I 
litre,  at  25 0  C,  weighed  900  grammes.  The  average  dose  of 
the  U.S.P.  preparation  is  from  0-20  to  roo  c.c,  while  that  of  the 
international  standard  preparation  would  be  from  O-IO  to  0-50,  or 
nearly  the  same  as  that  of  tincture  of  aconite  or  tincture  of  bella- 
donna. 
Tincture  of  Colchicum  Seed. — Colchicum  seed  was  accepted  in 
preference  to  the  root,  on  account  of  the  greater  content  of  the 
active  alkaloid,  and  also  because  the  seeds  are  more  reliable  and 
more  uniformly  active  than  the  root.  The  ground  seeds  lost  on 
drying  4  per  cent,  of  their  weight.  The  total  loss  of  weight  after 
percolating  with  the  required  menstruum  was  24-3  grammes  for 
IOO  grammes,  or  a  net  loss  of  20  3  grammes  of  extractive.  The 
difference  in  the  alcohol  content  of  the  menstruum  is  from  60  per 
cent,  directed  by  the  U.S.P. ,  1890,  to  70  per  cent,  directed  by  the 
International  Conference.  One  thousand  grammes  measured  1,104 
c.c.  and  1  litre  weighed,  at  25 0  C,  901  grammes.  The  dose  of  the 
international  standard  tincture  would  be  about  one-third  greater, 
or  about  from  i-oo  to^-oo  c.c.  instead  of  from  o*6o  to  4-00  as  directed 
for  the  U.S.P.  preparation. 
