ijo  Extractum  Giycyrrhiz^  Liquidum.     {  ^'"•mIT"x^8o"'"'" 
a  very  copious  precipitate  of  cuprous  oxide,  showing  a  large  percentage 
of  grape  sugar.     No  traces  of  tartaric  acid  were  found. 
Summing  up  the  constituents,  we  have  pectin,  grape  sugar,  malic 
acid  and  potassium  as  acid  potassium  malate,  a  crystalline  principle  not 
further  investigated,  and  probably  traces  of  calcium  and  of  phosphates. 
EXTRACTUM  GLYCYRRHIZiE  LIQUIDUM, 
Editor  of  the  American  Journal  of  Pharmacy: 
I  take  this  opportunity  to  bring  before  you  the  following  method  of 
preparing  the  German  succus  liquiritiae  depuratus,  often  perscribed  in 
this  country.  I  call  it  liquid  extract  to  distinguish  it  from  the  fluid 
extract  of  the  root.     The  process  is  as  follows: 
Placing  alternate  layers  of  the  commercial  extract  of  licorice,  in 
unbroken  sticks,  and  clean  straw  into  a  sufficiently  large  percolator,  1 
proceed  to  exhaust  the  licorice  with  water,  to  which  a  small  quantity 
of  ammonia  water  is  added — about  4  ozs.  to  the  gallon.  You  will  at 
once  see  the  object  in  using  ammonia.  It  combines  with  the  glycyr- 
rhizin,  which  becomes  freely  soluble,  and  is  therefore  more  readily 
exhausted  from  the  extract ;  and  as  the  percolate  will  have  to  be  con- 
centrated by  evaporation,  there  will  be  no  danger  of  having  free 
ammonia  in  the  product.  I  prepare  it  of  such  a  strength  that  each 
pint  represents  i  lb.  of  the  solid  extract. 
Whenever  the  powdered  extract  is  to  be  dispensed  in  solution  I  use 
this  liquid  extract,  which  imparts  a  much  better  appearance  than  the 
powder,  and  has  just  as  much,  if  not  more,  of  the  sweet  principle  of 
licorice;  at  the  same  time,  the  preparation  is  free  from  the  large 
amount  of  inert  matter  contained  in  the  commercial  extract  of  licorice. 
I  also  obtained  an  excellent  aromatic  syrup  of  licorice  from  the  for- 
mula published  in  the  ''Amer.  Jour.  Pharm.,"  1877,  page  578,  by  sub- 
stituting this  liquid  extract  for  the  powdered  extract.  I  proceed  exactlv 
the  same  way  as  does  the  writer,  only  making  this  substitution.  It  is 
true  that  nearly  all  the  aromatic  properties  of  the  drugs  are  lost  by  this 
process,  but  still  enough  are  retained  to  give  the  syrup  a  very  pleasant 
aroma.  I  have  introduced  this  to  physicians  whenever  I  could,  and 
always  received  their  full  approbation  that  it  is  a  most  excellent  vehicle 
for  quinia  preparations.  Yours,  etc., 
Wm.  Mittelbach. 
St.  Louis,  Mo.f  January  30,  1880. 
