92  Fluid  Extract  of  Cascara  Sagrada.  {'^"'ieTiS^''"'" 
It  is  very  evident  that  an  analysis  of  any  plant  which  attempts  to 
give  the  exact  proportions  of  all  its  constituents,  such  as  the  percent- 
age of  its  various  ingredientSj  cannot  be  accepted  as  authoritative  or 
as  indicating  the  composition  of  any  other  specimen  of  such  plant,  ex- 
cept the  one  directly  nnder  consideration.  It  appears  to  us  more  im- 
portant to  establish  the  average  quantity  of  medicinally  active  ingredi- 
ents from  the  best  representative  specimens  of  vegetable  drugs  obtaina- 
ble, because  such  a  knowledge  admits  of  a  practical  apphcation  to  the 
establishment  of  a  standard  and  for  purposes  of  assay,  so  that  uniform 
pharmaceutical  products  may  be  obtained.  From  what  we  have  al- 
ready demonstrated,  it  will  be  seen  that  an  assay  of  the  bark,  ob- 
tained in  a  fresh  condition,  cannot  tally  exactly  in  its  results  with  one 
arrived  at  from  a  sample  of  aged  bark,  in  which  decomposition  pro- 
cesses have  been  going  on  since  its  removal  from  the  plant. 
Detroit,  Laboratory  of  Parke  Davis  &  Co. 
FLUID  EXTRACT  OF  CASCARA  SAGRADA. 
Editor  Americax  Jourxal  of  Pharmacy: 
Sir  : — After  having  tried  all  published  formulas  for  the  extract  of 
cascara  sagrada  that  came  under  my  observation,  and  finding  them 
deficient  in  preservative  properties,  that  is,  the  extracts  all  precipitated 
heavily  after  a  few  weeks,  I  endeavored  to  find  a  more  suitable 
menstruum  for  the  drug,  and  believe  I  have  succeeded.  With  this 
note  you  will  find  a  specimen  of  the  fluid  extract  remaining  clear  after 
six  months'  standing,  and  prepared  by  the  following  process : 
Drug  in  No.  60  powder   1  lb. 
Alcohol   1J4  pts. 
Water   >^  pt. 
Moisten  and  pack  in  percolator;  macerate  for  forty-eight  hours, 
collect  the  first  13  fluid-ounces,  evaporate  the  remainder  to  3  ounces, 
and  mix  with  the  reserved  portion. 
Among  the  many  readers  of  the  Journal  some  may  have  had  the 
same  trouble  with  cascara,  which  may  be  avoided  by  using  the  above 
menstruum. 
Germantown,  Philadelphia,  Jan.  23,  1888.         Amours,  etc., 
Wm.  Bichy. 
