"^'"Mal-^'^issir'^"  }     Fl^id  Extracts  of  the  New  Pharmacopoeia.  1 21 
ounce  of  glycerin  to  the  dilute  percolate  before  evaporation.  The 
present  Pharmacopoeia  directs  dihited  alcohol,  and  the  Philadelphia 
College  of  Pharmacy  recommended  one  part  of  alcohol^  and  two  parts 
of  water  as  the  menstruum.  A  sample  thus  prepared  in  January, 
18S0,  has  only  a  moderate  deposit,  which  formed  soon  after  the  sample 
was  made;  it  is  extremely  doubtful  if  the  stronger  officinal  menstruum 
possesses  any  advantages  in  this  preparation. 
ExTRACTUM  Ergot.^:  Fluidum. — Fluid  Extract  of  Ergot. — This 
is  one  of  the  most  important  preparations  in  the  Pharmacopcjeia.  A 
reputation  gained  among  physicians  for  having  this  article  always  of  a 
reliable  quality,  will  contribute  largely  to  the  professional  standing 
and  pecuniary  success  of  the  pharmacist;  more  especially  will  this  be 
the  case  if  the  preparation  is  the  product  of  his  own  skill ;  if  the  phar- 
macist sells  the  preparation  of  a  manufacturer  even  of  the  highest 
reputation  for  reliability,  he  gains  nothing  but  the  dealer's  profit,  which, 
indeed,  is  all  that  he  deserves,  for  all  the  credit  of  making  a  good 
article,  belongs  to  the  man  who  makes  it,  and  not  to  the  mere  shop- 
keeper who  simply  sells  it. 
As  the  menstruum  for  this  preparation  the  Pharmacopoeia  of  1870 
directed  alcohol  eight  fluidounces,  glycerin  three  fluidoi;nces,  and 
water  five  fluidounces,  finishing  the  percolation  with  diluted  alcohol, 
and  adding  one  fluidounce  of  glycerin,  and  half  a  fluidounce  of  acetic 
acid  to  the  dilute  percolate  previous  to  evaporation.  The  i)resent 
Pharmacopoeia  directs  a  mixture  of  three  })arts  of  alcohol,  and  four 
parts  of  water,  adding  six  per  cent,  of  diluted  hydrochloric  acid  to 
the  dilute  percolate  before  evaporation.  The  Philadelphia  College  of 
Pharmacy  recommended  one  part  of  alcohol,  and  one  part  of  water, 
with  one  per  cent,  of  acetic  acid  added  to  the  dilute  percolate.  The 
officinal  menstruum  may  be  readily  obtained  by  using  equal  volumes 
of  alcohol  and  water,  which  have  the  specific  gravity  of  'OoS,  while 
the  officinal  is  only  '936,  and  as  equal  weights  of  alcohol  and  water, 
have  the  specific  gravity  of  '928,  the  difference  between  the  officinal 
menstruum,  and  that  recommended  by  the  Philadelphia  College  of 
Pharmacy  is  insignificant,  therefore,  the  two  preparations  may  be  con- 
sidered identical,  except  in  the  use  of  different  acids  in  the  dilute  ]>er- 
colate;  recent  scientific  investigations  having  conclusively  established 
the  fact  that  no  acid  is  required  for  the  protection  or  preservation  of 
the  active  constituents  of  ergot,  such  addition  might  well  be  omitted, 
