Am.  Jour.  Pliarm, ) 
April,  1883.  j 
Fluid  Extracts  of  the  New  Pharmacopoeia. 
187 
adding  one  per  cent,  of  acetic  acid  to  the  dilute  percolate  before  evap- 
oration ;  a  sample  thus  prepared  in  January,  1880,  now  contains  only  a 
moderate  precipitate,  but  the  sides  of  the  bottle  are  thickly  coated  with 
a  transparent  yellowish-red  substance;  the  fluid  extract  is  still  very  dark 
in  color,  transparent  and  deep  red  in  thin  layers.  The  product  of  the 
officinal  menstruum  may  undergo  less  change,  but  it  is  doubtful  that 
this  preparation  can  ever  be  made  permanent. 
ExTEACTUM  Sarsaparill^  Compositum  Fluidum. — Compound 
Fluid  Extract  of  Sarsaparilla. — For  this  preparation  the  Pharma- 
copoeia of  1870  directed  a  menstruum  composed  of  eight  fluidounces 
of  alcohol,  four  fluidounces  of  glycerin,  and  four  fluidounces  of  water, 
finishing  the  percolation  with  diluted  alcohol,  and  adding  four  fluid- 
ounces  of  glycerin  to  the  dilute  percolate  before  evaporation.  The 
present  Pharmacopoeia  directs  a  menstruum  composed  of  one  part  of 
alcohol  and  two  parts  of  water,  with  ten  per  cent,  of  glycerin  in  the 
first  one  hundred  parts ;  the  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy  recom- 
mended the  same  menstruum,  and  one  part  more  of  glycyrrhiza  and 
one  part  less  of  mezereum  than  the  Pharmacopoeia  directs ;  a  sample 
thus  prepared  in  January,  1880,  now  contains  only  a  moderate  pro- 
oipitate,  and  is  otherwise  in  good  condition. 
ExTRACTUM  Sarsaparilla  Fluidum. — Fluid  Extract  of  Sarsa- 
parilla.— For  this  preparation  the  menstruum  employed  is  the  same  as 
that  for  the  compound  fluid  extract ;  a  sample  prepared  in  December, 
1879,  now  contains  a  rather  large  precipitate,  nearly  half  an  inch  deep 
in  a  four-ounce  bottle ;  the  fluid  extract  is  very  dark-brown  in  color, 
and  appears  to  be  in  good  condition. 
ExTRACTUM  SciLLA  Fluidum. — Iluid  Extract  of  Squill. — For 
this  preparation  the  Pharmacopoeia  of  1870  directed  a  menstruum 
composed  of  fourteen  fluidounces  of  alcohol  and  two  fluidounces  of 
glycerin,  finishing  the  percolation  with  alcohol.  The  present  Pharma- 
copoeia directs  alcohol,  and  the  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy 
recommended  the  same  menstruum  ;  a  sample  thus  })repared  in  June, 
1879,  is  now  entirely  without  precipitate,  and  appears  to  have  under- 
gone no  change  whatever. 
The  choice  of  menstruum  was  between  that  used  in  the  above 
formula  and  diluted  alcohol,  which  also  furnishes  a  transparent  and 
permanent  fluid  extract,  but  not  more  than  fifty  parts  of  the  percolate 
€an  be  reserved  when  this  menstruum  is  used,  as  the  dilute  percolate 
contains  a  large  proportion  of  gummy  matter;  various  intermediate 
