EXTRACTUM  IGNATLE  AMARUS  ALCOHOLICUM.  227 
crystals  on  further  evaporation.  After  being  dried  between 
bibulous  paper  it  was  pure  enough  for  medicinal  purposes,  though 
by  treating  it  with  ether,  the  fatty  oil  which  adheres  to  it  can 
be  entirely  removed. 
By  this  process  I  obtained  about  80  grains  of  amygdalin  to 
to  the  pound,  somewhat  less  than  the  yield  from  bitter  almonds ; 
but  when  we  take  into  consideration  the  reasonable  price  at 
which  the  peach  kernels  can  be  obtained,  I  think  they  will  form 
an  advantageous  substitute. 
The  peach  kernels  yield  about  one  fourth  of  their  weight  of 
fixed  oil,  which  when  not  too  much  heated  in  the  process  of 
pressure,  will  be  found  to  answer  most  of  the  purposes  of  oil  of 
sweet  almonds. 
Philadelphia,  April,  1855. 
EXTRACTUM  IGNATJLE  AMAILE  ALCOHOLICUM. 
By  the  Editor. 
For  several  months  past  some  of  the  pharmaceutists  of  Phila- 
delphia have  been  called  on  for  an  alcoholic  extract  of  the  bean 
of  St.  Ignatius,  required  in  the  form  of  pills,  each  containing 
three  quarters  of  a  grain,  the  pills  being  intended  as  a  "  remedy" 
for  dyspepsia,  attended  with  nervous  depression.  The  formula 
for  the  pills,  it  appears,  is  furnished  by  a  clergyman  of  Brooklyn, 
to  all  who  may  apply,  he  having  been  cured  by  it.  That  so  potent 
a  medicine  should  be  prescribed  in  this  loose  way,  the  patient 
being,  in  fact,  the  prescriber,  inasmuch  as  he  decides  that  it  is 
indicated  in  his  case,  is  a  little  extraordinary,  and  may  yet  lead 
to  mischief.  As,  however,  several  physicians  are  trying  its 
merits,  it  will  soon  be  ascertained  whether  these  seeds  possess 
any  peculiar  or  specific  power,  not  found  in  their  congener,  nux 
vomica,  or  whether  any  advantage  their  extract  may  possess,  is 
due  solely  to  the  larger  proportion  of  strychnia  which  they  are 
known  to  contain. 
The  beans  of  St.  Ignatius,  like  nux  vomica,  have  a  very  horny 
and  tough  kernel,  (due  to  bassorin  and  fixed  oil,)  which  renders 
it  difficult  to  powder  them  so  as  to  extract  their  soluble  matter. 
We  have  tried  several  plans,  but  prefer  the  following  for  their 
extraction.    The  beans  are  bruised  in  an  iron  or  brass  mortar 
