ON  FLUID  EXTRACT  OF  ERGOT. 
303 
together  with  the  objectionable  size  and  character  of  the  dose, 
the  advantages  of  a  preparation  combining  the  valuable  proper- 
ties of  ergot  to  the  exclusion  of  the  inert  constituents,  which 
only  serve  to  increase  the  bulk  of  the  dose,  are  apparent.  The 
use  of  the  formula  given  below,  will  secure  such  a  preparation : 
J$.  Ergot,  freshly  powdered,  2  lbs.  avd. 
Ether, 
Alcohol  80  per  cent. 
Water, 
Simple  syrup,  aa.  q.  s. 
1st.  Displace  the  ergot  with  ether  until  the  menstruum  comes 
through  nearly  colorless,  and  evaporate  spontaneously  to  procure 
the  oil. 
2d.  Next  displace  with  the  alcohol  to  exhaustion,  and  evapo- 
rate by  water-bath  to  a  thin  syrupy  consistence. 
3d.  Next,  displace  to  exhaustion  with  the  water,  and  evaporate 
the  resulting  liquid  as  fast  as  it  is  obtained,  in  order  to  guard 
against  chemical  changes.  Then  strain  to  separate  albumen ; 
after  which  mix  it  with  the  alcoholic  extract,  and  evaporate  the 
whole  to  a  syrupy  consistence.  The  evaporated  mixture  of  the 
aqueous  and  alcoholic  extracts  should  then  be  incorporated  with 
with  the  oil  first,  and  afterward  with  sufficient  simple  syrup  to 
make  up  the  measure  of  two  pints.  To  each  fluid  drachm  of 
this  add  one  minim  of  oil  of  peppermint. 
The  dose  of  this  preparation  is  a  fluid  drachm,  which  repre- 
sents two  scruples  of  powdered  ergot. 
Upon  reference  to  the  description  of  the  analysis  alluded  to 
in  the  first  part  of  this  article,  it  may  be  seen  that  the  arrange- 
ments for  displacing  in  preparing  the  Fluid  Extract  of  Ergot 
are  in  reverse  order  to  those  used  in  making  the  analysis.  My 
reasons  for  this  change  in  the  arrangement  are  based  upon  the 
information  developed  by  the  analysis,  and  are  as  follows.  As 
the  ether  is  used  for  the  extraction  of  the  oil  only,  those  constitu- 
ents which  required  other  solvents  were  calculated  to  retard  and 
prevent  by  their  presence  the  entire  extraction  of  the  oil  in  the 
isolated  condition — for  one  of  the  resins  of  ergot  is  also  soluble 
in  ether — and  coming  away  with  the  oil  would,  in  a  quantitative 
analysis,  serve  only  to  multiply  processes ;  hence  the  necessity, 
in  making  a  quantitative  analysis,  of  employing  the  ether  last, 
