128  Fhdd  Extrats  of  the  New  Pharmacopmia.     { '^"£%ri883 
ounces  of  glycerin,  and  one  fluidounce  of  water,  finishing  the  percola- 
tion with  diluted  alcohol,  and  adding  one  fluidounce  of  glycerin  to  the 
dilute  percolate  before  evaporation.  The  present  Pharmacopoeia  directs 
three  parts  of  alcohol,  and  one  part  of  water,  and  the  Philadelphia 
College  of  Pharmacy  recommended  the  same  menstruum.  A  sample 
thus  prepared  in  December,  1879,  now  contains  only  a  very  slight 
deposit,  less  than  the  one-eighth  of  an  inch  deep  in  a  four-ounce  bottle ; 
this,  with  a  few  small  specks  of  matter  attached  to  the  sides  of  the 
bottle,  is  the  only  change  that  the  sample  appears  to  have  undergone. 
Another  sample  made  at  the  same  time  as  the  first,  with  alcohol  alone 
as  the  menstruum,  now  contains  a  very  large  deposit,  being  fully  an 
inch  deep  in  a  four-ounce  bottle,  also  considerable  matter  on  the  sides^ 
and  a  coating  of  waxy  nature  on  the  upper  part  of  the  bottle  above  the 
fluid  extract. 
The  appearance  of  these  samples  indicates  that  the  oflicinal  men- 
struum is  best  for  this  preparation.  These  experiments  were  made 
with  Allen's  English  leaves ;  if  the  ordinary  commercial  leaves  had 
been  used,  the  result  might  have  been  different. 
ExTRACTUM  Ipecacuanh^e  Fluidum. — Fluid  Extract  of  Ipecac. 
— For  this  preparation  the  Pharmacopoeia  of  1870,  directed  twenty- 
four  fluidounces  of  stronger  alcohol  and  twelve  fluidounces  of  water, 
finishing  the  percolation  with  diluted  alcohol,  and  adding  eight  fluid- 
ounces  of  glycerin  to  the  entire  percolate  before  evaporation.  The 
present  Pharmacopoeia  directs  the  use  of  alcohol  as  the  menstruum, 
and  by  means  of  a  water  bath  distils  off  the  alcohol  from  the  entire 
percolate,  which  is  then  to  be  evaporated  to  seventy-five  cubic  cen- 
timeters, and  when  cool  filtered,  the  precipitate  on  the  filter  is  to  be 
washed  with  water,  until  the  water  passes  through  tasteless,  the  filtrate 
and  washings  are  to  be  reduced  by  evaporation  to  fifty  cubic  centime- 
ters, and  when  cool,  enough  alcohol  is  to  be  added  to  make  the  fluid 
extract  measure  one  hundred  cubic  centimeters.  The  Philadelphia 
College  of  Pharmacy  recommended  a  menstruum  composed  of  three 
parts  of  alcohol  and  one  part  of  water ;  a  sample  thus  prepared  in 
January,  1880,  deposited  soon  after  it  was  made,  a  moderate  precip- 
itate, which  has  not  been  increased  since,  and  the  sample  now  appears 
to  be  in  very  good  condition. 
The  Committee  of  Revision  must  have  been  convinced  before  they 
adopted  the  present  officinal  fi)rmula,  that  the  repeated  and  prolonged 
applications  of  heat  therein  directed,  do  not  injuriously  affect  the  active 
