478 
EDITORIAL. 
tainty.  The  Senna  is  excellent,  and  is  'all  the  better  for  being  made  in 
vacuo — as  are  the  compound  extracts  containing  it,  Spigelia,  Taraxacum, 
and  Rhubarb.  They  are  all  preserved  with  sugar  and  have  a  syrupy  con- 
sistence. The  fluid  extract  of  Buckthorn  is  made  from  the  nearly  ripe 
berries,  and  presents  the  form  of  a  dense  reddish-brown  syrup,  from  which 
a  portion  of  the  sugar  has  crystallized,  owing,  probably,  to  the  alcohol 
added  to  keep  it.  Its  activity  is  such  that  a  tea-spoonful  is  given  as  a  dose. 
Serpentaria,  Chamomile,  and  Gentian. — There  are  two  formulae  for  fluid 
extract  of  Serpentaria — that  of  Alfred  B.  Taylor,  made  with  diluted  alcohol, 
of  the  strength  §i  to  f^i,  and  that  of  John  C.  Savory,  preserved  with  sugar, 
and  of  the  strength  ^ss  to  fji.  The  latter  appears  to  be  that  followed  by 
Mr.  Tilden.  The  fluid  extract,  however,  does  not  possess  the  decided 
bitterness  and  camphorous  pungency  that  it  should,  nor  is  its  aroma  as 
well  marked  as  it  should  be.  The  Chamomile  represents  only  the  bitter 
extractive,  as  none  of  the  aroma  of  the  flowers  is  perceptible.  Although 
difficult  to  retain,  when  water  is  the  menstruum,  a  preliminary  tincture 
with  alcohol,  to  be  evaporated  afterwards  spontaneously  and  added  to  the 
concentrated  infusion,  would  ensure  the  presence  of  the  volatile  portion  to 
a  considerable  extent.    The  Gentian  is  well  prepared. 
Citnicifuga,  Scutellaria,  Buchn,  and  Uva  Vrsi  well  represent  the  respec- 
tive drugs.  The  Scutellaria  has  recently  been  tried  by  Dr.  Bates  with 
marked  success  in  nervous  diseases.  The  aroma  of  the  Buchu  speaks  for 
itself. 
Sarsaparilla,  Compound  Sarsaparilla,  Stillingia,  Bumicis  Crispus,  and 
Taraxacum.  The  fluid  extract  of  Sarsaparilla  is  not  the  officinal  prepara- 
tion, nor  is  the  compound  extract  made  by  that  recipe,  but  contains  conium 
— the  simple  extract  is  probably  made  from  American  Sarsaparilla  (Aralia 
Nudicaulis),  as  neither  its  odor  or  taste  are  those  of  the  Smilax.  The  Stillin- 
gia and  Yellow  Dock  are  indigenous  medicines,  gaining  favor  with  the 
profession  ;  in  this  form  they  will  be  found  very  convenient.  Lastly,  the 
Taraxacum  was  examined  and  found  to  be  a  saccharine  liquid  having  the 
odor  and  taste  of  the  root,  but  not  manifest  to  the  same  degree  as  in  the 
spirituous  fluid  extract,  or  the  prepared  juice. 
Having  thus  hurriedly  passed  the  several  preparations  of  the  Messrs. 
Tilden  in  review,  it  seems  right  in  the  connection  to  make  a  few  remarks 
on  this  new  branch  of  the  enterprise  of  these  gentlemen.  With  their  gar- 
dens and  apparatus  described  before  (see  vol.  xxiii.,  page  386)  they  have 
great  advantages  for  the  preparation  of  the  fluid  extracts  of  indigenous 
plants ;  and  for  the  same  reason,  with  choice  drugs,  they  may  equally  well 
prepare  fluid  extracts  from  them.  There  are  some  cases,  however,  where 
the  apothecary  should  always  prepare  them  himself,  because  so  much 
depends  on  their  uniformity  that  he  is  not  justified  in  relying  upon  a  com- 
mercial article  of  which  he  cannot  be  assured  of  the  age  and  condition. 
On  the  other  hand,  there  are  many  which  those  gentlemen  may  produce 
