PHARMACEUTICAL  PREPARATIONS  OF  CINCHONA.  45 
15.  Many  substances  are  reputed  to  contain  fluorine  without 
containing  any :  the  fluorine  which  has  been  found  in  their  pro- 
ducts of  decomposition,  has  been  introduced  by  the  reagents,  and 
especially  by  the  sulphuric  acid  employed.—  London  Chemist, 
November  1857,  from  Comptes  Eendus. 
ON  SEVERAL  PHARMACEUTICAL  PREPARATIONS  OF 
CINCHONA. 
By  T.  R.  Spence,  M.  I>.,  Pharmaceutist,  of  Detroit. 
Considerable  attention  of  late,  has  been  given  by  pharmaceu- 
tists, to  the  fluid  extract  of  bark,  and  several  formulas  have  been 
published.  I  propose  the  following  process,  which  produces  an 
elegant  and  efficient  preparation. 
Fluid  Extract  of  Cinchona, 
Take  of  Calisaya  Bark,  coarsely  powdered,       four  lbs.  avoird. 
Dilute  Alcohol,    ....       eight  pints. 
Macerate  the  bark  with  a  portion  of  the  alcohol,  in  a  closed 
vessel,  kept  in  a  hot  water  bath  for  24  hours.  Transfer  to  a 
displacing  apparatus,  pour  on  the  remainder  of  the  menstruum 
and  pass  it  slowly  through  twice.  Continue  the  displacement, 
with  dilute  alcohol,  until  completely  exhausted,  and  remove  the 
first  quantity  (eight  pints)  when  recovered.  Evaporate  this,  by 
means  of  a  water-bath,  to  six  pints,  and  the  second  quantity,  in 
like  manner,  to  four  pints,  and  add  together.  Allow  it  to  remain 
quiet  for  about  two  days — decant  and  filter,  and  dissolve  in  it 
Refined  Sugar — four  lbs.  avoird. 
Collect  the  precipitate  of  cinchona  red,  and  resinous  matter, 
and  dissolve  in  it 
Alcohol — one  pint — 
which  is  to  be  added  to  the  extract  gradually,  with  agitation, 
I  recover  the  alcohol  used  by  distillation,  which  is  an  important 
consideration,  in  an  economical  point  of  view,  though  not  at  all 
essential  to  the  process. 
It  will  be  readily  seen,  that  the  first  portion  of  the  tincture 
must  be  exceedingly  rich  in  the  soluble  principles  of  the  bark, 
and  that  the  slight  amount  of  heat  required  in  the  evaporation 
cannot  deteriorate  it  in  the  least. 
