122    PROPOSED  ECONOMY  OF  ALCOHOL  IN  PERCOLATION,  ETC. 
peutically  like, the  others  were,  by  commencing  with  the  stand- 
ard dose  and  then  increasing,  so  as  to  be  able  to  state  definitely 
the  quantity  that  produced  no  sensible  effect.  But  instead  of 
this,  one  single  dose  oflTJ-  minims  at  6.30  P.M.  and  24  minims 
at  10  P.  M.  was  taken,  this  being  nearly  2J  times  the  standard 
dose.  This  produced  a  distinct  and  decidedly  greater  purgative 
effect  than  the  standard  dose,  and  a  far  longer  and  more  dis- 
tressing nausea.  Indeed,  the  nausea  continued  for  36  hours, 
long  after  the  purgative  effect  had  ceased.  As  a  matter  of  fair 
judgment  or  opinion,  it  may  be  stated  that  perhaps  less  than 
double  the  quantity  of  this  preparation  would  have  produced 
the  same  effect  as  the  standard  dose,  and,  to  be  quite  secure 
against  overstatement,  one  and  a  half  times  the  quantity  of  the 
officinal  may  be  set  down  as  its  therapeutic  equivalent. 
This  preparation  also  cost  90  cents  for  the  quarter  pound  and 
bottle,  or  $3.60  per  pound,  including  bottle.  The  first  gives 
evidence  of  plenty  of  badly  rectified  spirit  or  whiskey  in  its 
preparation,  and  but  little  colchicum  seed.  The  second  gives 
evidence  of  little  spirit, — just  enough  to  preserve  it, — and  a  de- 
ficiency also  of  colchicum  seed,  extracted  with  a  menstruum  so 
watery  that  »the  mucilaginous  part  of  the  seeds  was  extracted 
and  held  in  solution  in  undue  quantity.  These  preparations 
are  both  at  least  50  per  cent,  deficient  in  strength ;  and  one  cer- 
tainly more  than  110  per  cent,  deficient,  as  judged  of  by  thera- 
peutic comparison  with  a  carelessly  made  officinal  fluid  extract. 
And  yet,  upon  these  preparations,  differing  between  themselves 
at  least  60  per  cent,  in  medicinal  value,  the  general  character  of 
colchicum  seed  as  a  medicinal  agent  depends.  Any  comments 
upon  this  condition  of  the  materia,  medica  seems  quite  unneces- 
sary. 
Percolation  of  Powdered  Calisaya  Bark. 
The  next  drug  taken  up  for  examination  was  Calisaya  bark. 
Two  lots  of  calisaya  bark  of  five  ceroons"  each  are  represented 
in  the  examination.  These  were  bought  at  different  times,  and 
the  lots  powdered  separately.  Both  were  undoubtedly  true 
calisaya  bark, — the  officinal  Cinchona  Flava, — and  yet  presented 
as  great  differences  in  the  manipulation  as  are  ever  met  with  in 
