PROPOSED  ECONOMY  OF  ALCOHOL  IN  PERCOLATION,  ETC.  117 
and  this  directed  the  attention  of  the  writer,  during  these  ex- 
periments, to  some  points  which  appeared  worthy  of  a  critical 
review  in  this  new  relation  to  the  increased  cost  of  alcohol. 
First,  it  was  found  that  the  quantity  of  menstruum  used  to 
moisten  the  powder  before  packing,  was  a  matter  of  much  im- 
portance. Thus,  powdered  colchicum  seed,  in  the  officinal  quan- 
tity, moistened  with  four,  six,  eight,  or  ten  fluidounces  of  men- 
struum, and  packed  as  well  as  possible,  one  after  the  otjier,  in 
the  same  percolator,  gave  reserved  percolates  containing  984, 
1024,  947,  and  786  grains  of  solid  dry  extract,  thus  showing 
conclusively  that  the  officinal  proportion,  namely,  six  fluid- 
ounces,  is  the  best  adapted  to  the  rapid  or  early  exhaustion  of 
this  drug.  The  packing  is  much  better  and  the  percolation 
slower  when  eight  or  ten  fluidounces  are  used,  but  the  point  of 
practical  exhaustion  is  attained  later,  and  the  difference  is  more 
marked  the  earlier  the  observation  is  made  in  the  progress  of 
the  percolation.  When  eight  fluidounces  of  percolate  has  passed, 
the  difference  is  very  great.  When  twelve  fluidounces  has  passed, 
the  difference  is  as  above  given.  When  a  pint  has  passed,  the 
difference  is  smaller,  but  still  notable.  After  this,  the  difference 
becomes  so  small  as  to  be  quite  unimportant ;  and  when  carried 
to  the  extent  of  the  officinal  directions,  the  exhaustion  is  prac- 
tically the  same  in  all. 
The  form  of  percolator  best  adapted  to  this  drug  was  next 
examined.  Six  experiments  with  each  form,  conical  and  cylin- 
drical, .all  resulted  very  decidedly  in  favor  of  the  cylindrical 
form  by  a  difference  of  50  to  59  grains  of  dry  extract  in  the 
reserved  percolate.  If  the  percolation  be  carried  out  to  any-' 
thing  like  the  extent  directed  by  the  Pharmacopoeia,  however, 
the  results  are  practically  the  same  whichever  form  be  used.  But 
should  the  formula  ever  be  modified  upon  the  basis  of  the  plan 
here  proposed,  the  form  of  percolator  to  be  used  should  be 
changed  to  the  cylindrical. 
It  was  found  in  practice  with  this  drug,  as  with  percolation 
in  general,  that  much  alcohol  may  be  saved  by  the  skilful  and 
judicious  use  of  water  to  push  the  last  part  of  the  percolate 
through.  The  constant  quantity  of  liquid  held  by  sixteen  troy- 
ounces  of  powdered  colchicum  seed  is  from  sixteen  to  seventeen 
