126  Fluid  Extracts  of  the  New  Pharmacopceia.  {^"'Mr^l'issr'"'" 
ounces  of  glycerin,  and  five  fluidounces  of  water,  finishing  the  perco- 
lation with  dihited  alcohol,  and  adding  one  fluidounce  of  glycerin  to 
the  dilute  percolate  before  evaporation.  The  present  Pharmacopoeia 
directs  alcohol,  with  thirty-five  per  cent,  of  glycerin  in  the  first  one 
hundred  parts  of  menstruum  ;  the  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy 
recommended  alcohol  also,  but  with  only  twenty  per  cent,  of  glycerin. 
A  sample  thus  prepared  in  November,  1879,  now  shows  only  a  mod- 
erate precipitate,  about  the  one-eighth  of  an  inch  deep  in  a  four  ounce 
bottle,  the  sides  of  the  bottle  are  coated  with  a  uniform,  exceedingly 
thin,  brown  transparent  deposit,  the  fluid  extract  retains  its  deep  red 
color,  and  is  without  any  signs  of  gelatinization.  Another  sample  pre- 
pared at  the  same  time  as  the.  first,  and  differing  only  in  containing 
forty  per  cent,  of  glycerin,  now  shows  considerable  deposit,  about  the 
one-fourth  of  an  inch  deep  in  a  four  ounce  bottle,  the  coating  on  the 
sides  of  the  bottle  is  less  uniform,  and  of  a  bright  red  cobr,  numerous 
masses  of  gelatinous  substance,  very  small  at  the  top,  and  increasing  in 
size  towards  the  bottom,  are  also  attached  to  the  sides  of  the  bottle; 
about  one-fourth  of  the  lower  portion  of  the  fluid  extract  has  gela- 
tinized, it  however  mixes  readily  with  the  remaining  portion,  and  the 
whole  of  it  still  retains  its  deep  red  color.  From  this  it  would  appear 
that  twenty  per  cent  is  a  decidedly  better  proportion  of  glycerin  than 
forty,  or  so  near  an  approach  to  that  amount  as  thirty-five;  if  the 
alcohol  used  was  absolute,  and  the  glycerin  of  the  highest  attainable 
specific  gravity,  then  it  is  possible  that  forty,  or  even  fifty,  per  cent, 
could  be  employed  without  injuriously  affecting  the  preparation,  but 
the  nine  per  cent,  of  water  in  officinal  alcohol,  and  the  varying  amount 
in  the  best  commercial  glycerin,  are  sufficient  to  cause  the  preparation 
to  prove  unstable,  it  having  been  conclusively  shown  that  the  failure 
of  the  former  officinal  process  was  due  to  the  presence  of  water  in  the 
menstruum. 
ExTRACTUM  Grindeli^  Fluidum. — Fluid  Extract  of  Grindelia. 
— This  is  a  newly  introduced  fluid  extract,  the  Pharmacopoeia  directs 
a  menstruum  composed  of  three  parts  of  alcohol,  and  one  part  of 
water;  the  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy  recommended  alcohol, 
and  a  sample  so  prepared  in  December  1879,  now  contains  only  a 
very  slight  precipitate,  is  of  a  pure  green  color,  and  apparently  has 
undergone  no  change  whatever.  Another  sample  prepared  with  the 
officinal  menstruum,  in  November,  1882,  is  of  a  brownish-green  color, 
has  a  slight  deposit  of  a  white  substance  like  fine  sand,  the  sides  of  the 
