42      CUBEBIN  AND  THE  DIURETIC  PRINCIPLE  OF  CUBEBS. 
proceeds  slowly  and  regularly,  and  when  three  pints  shall  hare 
passed  the  drug  will  be  found  practically  exhausted,  the  last  por- 
tions of  the  percolate  giving  only  a  slight  precipitate  with  solu- 
tion of  acetate  of  lead  or  solution  of  bichloride  of  mercury  and 
bicarbonate  of  potassa.  Thus  prepared,  fluid  extract  of  Ergot  is 
a  thin,  dark  colored  liquid,  and,  though  not  entirely  freed  from 
inert  matter  and  containing  only  one  fourth  of  its  bulk  of  alco- 
hol, keeps  well.  Gently  heated  with  a  slight  excess  of  potassa, 
propylamia  is  freely  evolved. 
Ergot  is  chiefly  employed  to  facilitate  parturition,  by  its  power 
of  promoting  uterine  contraction.  For  this  purpose,  and  also  in 
the  treatment  of  other  complaints  where  the  use  of  Ergot  is  in- 
dicated, the  fluid  extract  forms  a  convenient  and  ready  means  of 
administering  the  drug,  and,  it  seems  to  me,  satisfies  every 
therapeutic  requirement.  If  desired,  however,  an  efficient  solid 
extract  could  be  prepared  by  exhausting  the  Ergot  with  acidu- 
lated water;  evaporating  to  a  syrupy  consistence;  precipitating 
the  albumen,  etc.,  with  alcohol;  filtering  and  again  evaporating 
to  a  proper  consistence. 
ON  CUBEBIN  AND  THE  DIURETIC  PRINCIPLE  OF  CUBEBS. 
By  F.  Y.  Heydenreich. 
"  To  what  constituent  or  constituents  does  cubeba  owe  its  diuretic 
power  ?  and  what  relation  does  cubebin  hold  to  the  soft  resin  and  vola- 
tile oil  in  the  therapeutic  action  of  the  drug?" 
The  oleo-resin  of  cubebs  is  generally  regarded  as  containing 
all  the  remedial  properties  of  the  drug.  In  order  to  answer  this 
query,  it  was  necessary  first  to  prepare  the  oleo-resin,  and  then 
to  separate  the  various  substances  contained  in  it.  To  this  end 
80  ounces  of  cubeb  berries  were  taken,  reduced  to  fine  powder, 
and  then  subjected  to  the  action  of  ether,  for  the  purpose  of  ob- 
taining the  oleo-resin.  The  quantity  thus  obtained  was  19  oz., 
or  nearly  24  per  cent.  The  oleo-resin  was  then  subjected  to  dis- 
tillation with  water,  to  separate  sufficient  volatile  oil  for  experi- 
ments, and  afterwards  heated  on  a  water -bath,  to  drive  away  the 
remainder  of  the  volatile  oil.  The  loss  of  weight  by  this  opera- 
tion was  10  ounces  and  7  drachms,  showing  the  presence  of  this 
amount  of  volatile  oil,  or  a  little  over  13  per  cent.,  and  leaving 
