ON  FLUID  EXTRACTS  OF  ERGOT  AND  CINCHONA.  17 
slip  of  platina  foil,  and  heated  in  the  flame  of  a  spirit  lamp  ; 
it  inflamed  without  previously  fusing,  and  left  a  large  amount  of 
black  ash,  which,  by  a  continuance  of  the  heat,  became  nearly 
white.  This  ash  was  almost  tasteless,  insoluble  in  water  or  al- 
cohol, soluble  in  dilute  acids,  and  on  being  tested  proved  to  be 
magnesia. 
A  weighed  quantity  of  the  impure  alkaloid  was  washed  with 
boiling  alcohol  until  entirely  exhausted  ;  the  residue,  when  care- 
fully dried,  amounted  to  38  per  cent,  of  the  original  weight. 
Like  the  ash  obtained  in  the  first  experiment,  it  consisted  of 
magnesia. 
The  veratria  experimented  with  was  obtained  about  fifteen 
months  ago,  directly  from  the  manufacturer.  A  second  lot, 
procured  from  the  same  house  twelve  months  later,  yielded  36 
per  cent,  of  magnesia  ;  but  a  portion  obtained  a  few  days  since 
was  apparently  free  from  mineral  impurity. 
Strychnia  and  some  salts  of  quinia  and  morphia  prepared 
by  the  same  manufacturers,  were  carefully  examined,  and  did 
not  appear  to  contain  any  inorganic  substance. 
It  is  therefore  to  be  inferred  that  the  presence  of  magnesia  in 
this  instance  is  due  to  an  accidental  circumstance  in  the  pro. 
cess  of  manufacture,  and  points  a  caution  to  operators  who 
employ  a  process  in  which  magnesia  is  used. 
Philadelphia,  11th  mo,  21th,  1857. 
REMARKS  ON  FLUID  EXTRACTS  OF  ERGOT  AND  CINCHONA. 
By  Henry  Thayer,  M.  D. 
To  the  Editor : — The  remarks  upon  these  two  fluid  extracts 
in  the  last  number  of  the  Journal  of  Pharmacy,  were  read  by 
me  with  much  interest,  and  I  am  induced  to  send  you  an  account 
of  my  manipulations  in  preparing  them. 
By  my  formula,  fluid  extract  of  Cinchona  differs  from  that 
made  by  Mr.  Taylor's  formula,  in  being  a  stronger  preparation, 
in  containing  a  less  amount  of  sugar,  and  a  proportion  of  alco- 
hol, the  change  being  made  to  secure  a  solution  of  the  precipi- 
tates, a  greater  degree  of  permanency,  and  from  a  knowledge  of 
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