Adi.  Jour.  Pharm. ) 
February,  1909.  >" 
Fluidgly cerates. 
85 
Digitalis,  -fluidgly cerate. 
Digitalis  10  Gm. 
Glycerin  and  water,  equal  amounts,  sufficient  to  make..  100  c.c. 
The  drug  was  moistened  with  the  menstruum,  packed  in  a  small 
percolator,  macerated  forty-eight  hours,  and  then  100  c.c.  of  perco- 
late collected. 
Ergot,  alcoholic. 
Ergot   20  Gm. 
Acetic  acid   0.4  c.c. 
Alcohol,  dilute,  sufficient  to  make  ..40  c.c. 
Ergot,  fluidgly  cerate. 
Ergot  20  Gm. 
Acetic  acid   0.4  c.c. 
Glycerin  and  water,  equal  amounts,  sufficient  to  make... 40  c.c. 
Sufficient  menstruum,  containing  the  acetic  acid,  was  used  to 
moisten  the  drug,  which  was  packed  in  a  small  percolator,  macerated 
forty-eight  hours,  and  then  40  c.c.  of  percolate  collected,  the  percola- 
tion being  allowed  to  proceed  very  slowly. 
The  digitalis  preparations  were  tested  on  frogs.  The  alcoholic 
preparation  required  0.005  c-c-  Per  gramme-weight  of  frog  as  the 
minimum  lethal  dose,  while  the  glycerate  required  0.025  c.c.  per 
gramme-weight  to  produce  the  same  results.  The  alcoholic  prep- 
aration was  administered  in  the  presence  of  the  alcohol. 
In  testing  the  action  of  the  ergot  equal  amounts  of  the  two  pre- 
pared liquids  were  administered  to  roosters  by  injecting  them  into 
the  thigh  muscle.  Although  the  sample  was  apparently  of  rather 
poor  quality  a  typical  darkening  of  the  comb  was  produced  by  the 
hydro-alcoholic  extract,  while  the  hydroglycerin  extract  produced 
only  a  slight  paling  of  the  comb  and  wattles,  which  soon  passed  off. 
This  test  was  carried  out  in  duplicate,  four  roosters  being  used  for 
this  purpose. 
The  physiological  testing  of  digitalis  on  frogs  affords  results  that 
are  approximately  quantitative,  hence  the  results  obtained  would 
indicate  that  the  hydro-alcoholic  preparation  is  five  times  more 
potent  than  hydroglycerin  preparation. 
The  testing  of  ergot  on  roosters  does  not  afford  quantitative  re- 
sults, and  sometimes  the  results  are  not  very  satisfactory  considered 
qualitatively.  But,  having  made  duplicate  physiological  tests  of 
each  preparation,  the  writer  feels  convinced  that  the  hydro-alcoholic 
