246  EMPLOYMENT  OF  BISULPHIDE  OF  CARBON  IN  PHARMACY. 
It  will  be  noticed  the  quantity  of  soap  in  this  form  is  larger 
than  in  that  of  the  Pharmacopoeia.  At  Dr.  Rumsey's  sugges- 
tion, and  while  the  B.  P.  was  in  process  of  construction,  the 
glycerin  was  added  ;  it  was  subsequently  found  necessary  to  in- 
crease the  soap,  and  hence  the  12  drams  were  increased  by  4 
drams. 
I  purpose  sending  to  Bloomsbury  Square  a  specimen  of  the 
liniment  made  from  the  above  directions. — Fliarm.  Journ.,  Lond. 
March,  1870. 
Cheltenham,  February  ISth,  1870. 
THE  EMPLOYMENT  OF  BISULPHIDE  OF  CAEBON  IN 
PHARMACY. 
M.  Lefort  has  been  making  experiments  upon  the  employment 
of  bisulphide  of  carbon  in  the  preparation  of  what  he  calls 
^'  sulpho-carbonic  extracts  "  of  medicinal  plants.  Since  moist- 
ure opposes  a  certain  obstacle  to  the  solvent  action  of  the  sul- 
phide of  carbon,  he  first  dries  the  powdered  vegetables  at  a 
temperature  of  about  50°  to  60°  C.  He  then  exhausts  the  dry 
powder  by  maceration  with  several  quantities  of  the  sulphide 
successively  applied,  decanting  and  filtering  the  solution  obtained. 
The  exhausted  vegetable  powder  retains  about  half  its  volume 
of  the  liquid,  which  can  be  recovered  by  distillation.  The  tinc- 
ture obtained  is  distilled  by  means  of  a  water-bath,  the  residue 
being  freed  from  the  last  traces  of  sulphide  of  carbon  by  heating 
gently  in  the  open  air.  When  this  has  been  entirely  expelled, 
the  odor  peculiar  to  the  plant  is  distinctly  apparent.  100  grams 
of  dry  powdered  leaves  of  digitalis,  belladonna,  henbane,  stra- 
monium, aconite,  and  conium  have  given  quantities  very  nearly 
approaching  to  3  grams  in  each  case ;  but,  if  we  consider  that 
the  plants  lose  during  desiccation  three-fourths  of  their  weight, 
we  may  conclude  that  the  fresh  leaves  contain  no  more  than  75 
per  cent,  of  principles  soluble  in  bisulphide  of  carbon. 
In  all  these  extracts  four  chief  constituents  have  been  found : 
1.  A  fatty  matter,  apparently  identical  in  the  several  cases. 
2.  Chlorophylle.  3.  An  odorous  principle  differing  with  each 
vegetable.  4.  One  or  more  organic  bases  in  the  condition  of 
the  salts  contained  naturally  in  the  plants.    The  presence  of 
