72  Fluid  Extracts  of  the  New  PharmaGopoeia.  { ^"  Feb^'iSr""' 
cult  to  understand  why  a  weaker  menstruum  should  be  employed  for 
the  fluid  extract. 
ExTRACTUM  Cannabis  Indicj^  Fluidum. — Fluid  Extract  of  In- 
dian Cannabis, — This  is  first  made  officinal  in  the  present  Pharma- 
copoeia, the  menstruum  directed  is  alcohol.  There  is  also  an  officinal 
tincture  of  Indian  cannabis,  not  made  as  formerly  from  the  extract, 
but  from  the  herb.  It  does  seem  that  this  drug  would  be  sufficiently 
represented  in  the  liquid  form  by  the  fluid  extract. 
ExTEACTUM  Capsici  Fi.uiDUM. — Fluid  Extract  of  Capsicum.— 
This  is  also  a  new  preparation.  With  the  oleoresin  and  tincture 
already  officinal,  the  need  for  a  fluid  extract  of  capsicum  seems 
extremely  limited.  This  pre^jaration  was  not  recommended  by  the 
Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy,  but  is  one  of  the  eleven  introduced 
by  the  Committee  of  Revision ;  the  menstruum  directed  for  its  prepa- 
ration is  alcohol,  which  will  no  doubt  furnish  a  product  fully  repre- 
senting the  drug,  and  possessing  much  warmth  of  character. 
ExTRACTUM  Castaxe.e  Fluidu.ai. — Fluid  Extract  of  Castanea. — 
This  is  also  one  of  the  newly-introduced  fluid  extracts ;  in  the  prepa- 
ration of  this  fluid  extract  the  Committee  of  Revision  direct  five  hun- 
dred cubic  centimeters  of  boiling  water  to  be  added  to  one  hundred 
grammes  of  chestnut  leaves,  in  number  thirty  j^owder;  after  two  hours 
maceration  the  liquid  is  to  be  expressed,  the  residue  transferred  to  a 
percolator,  and  w^ater  added  until  the  powder  is  exhausted.  Tlie 
united  liquids  are  to  be  evaporated  to  two  hundred  cubic  centimeters, 
and  after  cooling,  sixty  cubic  centimeters  of  alcohol  are  added;  after 
the  insoluble  matter  has  subsided,  the  clear  portion  is  to  be  decanted 
and  the  remainder  filtered,  the  united  liquids  are  to  be  evaporated  to 
eighty  cubic  centimeters,  allowed  to  cool,  and  then  enough  alcohol  is  added 
to  make  the  fluid  extract  measure  one  hundred  cubic  centimeters. 
The  formula  recommended  by  the  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy 
avoids  the  treatment  with  hot  water,  the  repeated  evaporations  of  the 
entire  quantity  and  also  the  total  loss  of  sixty  per  cent,  of  alcohol 
involved  in  the  officinal  formula.  The  menstruum  recommended  in 
this  formula  was  composed  of  alcohol  one  part,  and  water  two  parts; 
to  eighty  parts  of  this  mixture  twenty  parts  of  glycerin  were  added, 
and  after  this  was  used,  the  percolation  was  finished  with  the  alcohol 
and  water,  the  first  seventy-five  parts  of  percolate  being  reserved  and 
Ihe  remainder  evaporated  to  a  soft  extract,  dissolved  in  the  reserved 
