272 
ON THE EXTRACT OF RHATANY. 
of the extract. What, then, would result from careless ma- 
nipulation but a sand-like deposite, equally disagreeable and 
inert. 
The experiments which have been made above have refer- 
ence to products carefully obtained by the different processes; 
but in order to exhibit the character of the article in actual 
use, the solubility of specimens from various sources have 
been tried with the following results, viz: 
No. l. 
" 2. 
« 3. 
« 4. 
" 5. 
" 6. 
100 parts of extract yielded 50 parts of insoluble ma 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
17 
25 
50 
70 
50 
ter. 
The formula for extract of rhatany, introduced into the last 
edition of the U. S. Pharmacopoeia, resembles that of Boullay 
by displacement with cold water, but differs by raising the 
temperature of the cold infusion to the boiling point and 
straining previous to evaporation; the advantage of which is 
not very obvious, as no vegetable albumen or other coagu- 
lable matter has been observed in the root. It should be es- 
pecially observed, that it is this soluble aqueous extract 
which is directed by that authority in the preparation of 
syrup of rhatany. As, therefore, only the soluble parts of the 
extract can enter into the composition of the syrup, the em- 
ployment of one made by boiling will reduce the strength of 
the preparation to one-half. 
