Am.  Jodr.  Pharm.  ) 
March  1,1871.  J 
Tincture  of  Nux  Vomica. 
107 
and  with  powders  of  different  degrees  of  fineness,  I  became  convinced 
that  a  finer  powder  than  is  directed  in  the  officinal  formula  was  neces- 
sary to  insure  the  perfect  exhaustion  of  the  drug,  and  that  some 
change  in  the  process  was  also  required.  As  the  result  of  my  efforts, 
I  offer  the  following  modification  of  the  officinal  process  as  affording 
the  most  satisfactory  results  : 
R        Pulv.  Nux  Vomica,  No.  80,        ^viij  Troy. 
Alcohol,  a  sufficient  quantity. 
Mix  the  powder  with  one  and  a  half  pints  of  alcohol,  and  digest 
for  twenty-four  hours,  in  a  close  vessel,  at  a  temperature  of  120°, 
with  occasional  agitation  ;  then  strain  through  muslin  with  strong 
expression,  and  rub  the  residue  through  a  No.  20  sieve ;  then  pack  it 
firmly  in  a  glass  cylindrical  percolator,  and  gradually  pour  upon  it 
the  expressed  liquid,  and  when  it  has  all  been  absorbed,  continue 
the  percolation  with  alcohol  until  two  pints  of  tincture  are  obtained. 
Instead  of  digesting  the  drug  with  only  a  pint  of  alcohol,  as  directed 
by  the  Pharmacopoeia,  I  use  a  pint  and  a  half,  as  it  is  desirable  to 
secure  the  solvent  action  of  as  much  of  the  menstruum  as  is  possible 
during  the  digestion. 
I  also  direct  the  mixture  to  be  expressed  at  the  completion  of  the 
digestion,  as  the  residue  can  then  be  properly  packed  for  percolation. 
This  is  of  paramount  importance  to  the  success  of  the  operation,  and 
is  much  better  than  pouring  the  mixture  into  the  percolator  and  allow- 
ing it  to  settle  and  adjust  itself,  as  in  the  officinal  formula,  because  in 
doing  so  the  homogeneous  condition  of  the  mass  is  disturbed  by  the 
partial  separation  of  the  finer  and  coarser  particles. 
The  residuum  should  be  packed  so  firmly  in  the  percolator  that, 
when  percolation  commences,  the  tincture  will  not  pass  at  a  faster  rate 
than  from  five  to  eight  drops  per  minute. 
If  the  above  directions  are  carefully  complied  with  a  good  and  re- 
liable preparation  will  result.  When  the  process  is  completed,  the 
dregs  in  the  percolator  will  be  found  to  be  tasteless  or  nearly  so. 
The  almost  insuperable  difficulties  attending  the  reduction  of  nux 
vomica  to  a  very  fine  powder,  with  the  facilities  afforded  by  any 
ordinary  retail  drug  store,  forbid  the  idea  of  any  pharmacist  attempt- 
ing to  powder  the  drug  for  himself,  consequently,  nearly  all  are  com- 
pelled to  rely  upon  the  wholesale  market  for  their  supply ;  therefore, 
I  think  that  our  wholesale  druggists  should  keep  constantly  on  hand 
nux  vomica  in  very  fine  powder.    I  presume  it  is  quite  a  difficult 
