234  Fluid  Extracts  of  the  New  Pharmacopceia.     { "^"^May 'iss?™' 
not  keep  any  better.  With  the  object  of  ascertaining  if  a  weaker  alco- 
hol would  not  answer  the  purpose,  a  number  of  experiments  were  made 
with  a  menstruum  composed  of  one  part  of  alcohol  and  two  parts  of 
water  alone,  and  with  various  percentages  of  glycerin ;  while  these 
menstruums  exhausted  the  senna  readily,  the  fluid  extracts  prepared 
with  them  precipitated  very  much,  the  glycerin  not  having  the  slightest 
effect  in  preventing  this  result ;  glycerin  does,  however,  appear  to 
cause  all  the  separated  matter  to  collect  on  the  bottom  of  the  bottle,, 
and  not  adhere  to  the  sides.  Therefore  it  seems  probable  that  diluted 
alcohol,  with  five  or  ten  per  cent,  of  glycerin  in  the  first  one  hundred 
parts,  would  be  the  best  menstruum  for  this  preparation. 
ExTRACTUM  SERPENTAEiiE  Fluidum. — Fluid  Extrcict  of  Serpen- 
tarid. — For  this  preparation  the  Pharmacopoeia  of  1870  directed  alco- 
hol, the  present  Pharmacopoeia  directs  three  parts  of  alcohol  and  one 
part  of  water,  and  the  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy  recom- 
mended the  same  menstruum ;  a  sample  thus  prepared  in  Novembery 
1879,  now  contains  a  slight  granular  precipitate  and  a  very  thin  coat- 
ing of  similar  granules  on  the  sides  of  the  bottle;  in  all  other  respects 
the  fluid  extract  appears  to  be  unchanged. 
ExTKACTUM  Spigeli^  Feuidum. — I^luid  Extract  of  Spigelia. — 
For  this  preparation  the  Pharmacopoeia  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  fluidounces  of  glycerin  to  the  dilute  percolate 
before  evaporation.  The  present  Pharmacopoeia  directs  diluted  alcohol, 
and  the  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy  recommended  the  same 
menstruum;  a  sample  thus  prepared  in  October,  1879,  now  contains 
only  a  very  slight  precipitate  and  has  undergone  no  apparent  change 
whatever. 
ExTR ACTUM  Stillingee  Fluidum. — Fluid  Extract  of  Stillingia,-^ 
For  this  preparation  the  Pharmacopoeia  of  1870  directed  a  menstruum 
composed  of  twelve  fluidounces  of  alcohol,  three  fluidounces  of  glycerin, 
and  one  fluidounce  of  water,  finishing  the  percolation  with  diluted 
alcohol,  and  adding  one  fluidounce  of  glycerin  to  the  dilute  percolate 
before  evaporation.  The  present  Pharmacopoeia  directs  diluted  alcohol, 
the  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy  recommended  three  parts  of 
alcohol  and  one  part  of  water,  as  the  menstruum ;  a  sample  thus  pre- 
pared in  December,  1879,  now  contains  only  a  moderate  precipitate, 
and  in  every  other  respect  is  in  most  excellent  condition;  another 
