ON TINCTURE OF KINO. 
297 
for me. It is known in common as Jamaica Sarsaparilla." 
From comparison, we can see no difference between the 
Sarsaparilla sent and the article known in commerce as Red 
or Jamaica Sarsaparilla. The locality from which the arti- 
cle is derived, we conceive to be satisfactorily settled by 
this communication of Dr. Burt, viz., the most southern 
part of North America. 
ART. LXIX.— ON TINCTURE OF KINO. 
Editors of American Journal of Pharmacy : 
Gentlemen, — Appended to the formula in Wood and 
Bache's Dispensatory, for preparing Tincture of Kino, is 
the remark, that "This tincture very frequently becomes 
gelatinous, and at length loses almost entirely its astrin- 
gency and " until some mode is discovered of obviating 
this evil, the tincture seems scarcely to be a proper object 
of officinal direction." Having had repeated occasion to 
regret the existence, long continued, of the above deficiency 
in our knowledge of the mode of preparing this tincture, I 
instituted some experiments with the view of ascertaining 
the means of remedying the defect. The result was the 
discovery of the fact, that, by making the preparation with 
Proof Spirit, instead of rectified spirit, as ordered in the 
Dispensatory, I obtained a tincture which keeps perfectly 
well, is more astringent, and less stimulating than we 
have before been able to obtain it. 
On subsequent investigation, I discovered that an error 
had been committed in transferring the London formula to 
the pages of the Dispensatory, by construing " Spirit us 
Tenuior," which is ordered in the original, as " Rectified 
Spirit," and hence the defect.* The Dublin College also 
* We have not a copy of the London Pharmacopoeia at hand, bat all 
the English books we have referred to. quoting that authority, direct 
Kino and Rectified Spirit as in the U. S. Dispensatory. We have 
some observations to offer on this subject, but will take advantage of 
a future occasion to present them. — Ed. 
