Fluid Extracts of the New Pharmacopoeia.

By ALONZO ROBBINS.

Read at the Pharmaceutical Meeting, January 16th.

Related entries: Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4

In this, perhaps the most important class of officinal preparations, great changes and many additions have been made; therefore a brief review of these changes and additions seems desirable.

In the table herewith presented, the attempt has been made to compare the list of fluid extracts of the new Pharmacopoeia with the list recommended to the Committee on Revision by the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy; in this list the finished preparation represented the drug weight for weight, as it was found to be entirely practicable to make all of the fluid extracts recommended by that method. The difference in strength and necessary dose, from those made by the old method of grain to minim, or by that now officinal of gramme to cubic centimeter, is in most cases quite unimportant, perhaps in no case equaling the variations in quality met with in the drugs from which fluid extracts are made.

The decision of the Committee of Revision to make the finished product represent the drug volume for weight, appears to be an entirely unnecessary exception to the general plan of the Pharmacopoeia; in all other respects, no doubt most of the formulas will prove satisfactory, and with perhaps one exception, the required manipulations are exceedingly simple, and can be readily carried out by any pharmacist.

It will be observed that although the finished product is volume for weight, the menstruums are all prepared with parts by weight.

The Philadelphia College of Pharmacy recommended formulas for seventy-eight fluid extracts, of which number forty-six were those of the old Pharmacopoeia and thirty-two were new; of these all the old except two were retained, and twenty-four of the new ones adopted by the Committee of Revision; they also added eleven more new ones to the list, making the total number of officinal fluid extracts seventy-nine.

Fluid Extracts of the New Pharmacopoeia. Amer. Jour. Pharm., Feb, 1883.

The ten rejected were: Ext. Anthemidis fl., ext. Asari fl., ext. Aurantii Dulcis Corticis fl., ext. Erigerontis Canadensis fl., ext. Helianthemi fl., ext. Juniperi fl., ext. Lappae fl., ext. Spigeliae et Sennae fl., ext. Sumbul fl., and ext. Thujae fl.

The eleven added are; Ext. Aromaticum fl., ext. Capsici fl., ext. Cypripedii fl., ext. Hamamelidis fl., ext. Iridis fl., ext. Lactucarii fl., ext. Nucis Vomicae fl., ext. Quassiae fl., ext. Rosae fl., ext. Stramonii fl., ext. Viburni fl.

It may be said of several of these eleven, that they are of no more value than some of the ten which were stricken off; it is particularly unfortunate that fluid extract of spigelia and senna was dropped from the list, as it is much used, and an excellent formula was given for its preparation; a satisfactory preparation cannot be made by mixing the respective fluid extracts, even if both have been prepared with the same strength of menstruum.

In the preparation of the fluid extracts, the mode of procedure recommended by the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy has been generally adopted, with some unimportant changes.

The method briefly is as follows: One hundred grammes of the powdered drug are moistened with a specified quantity of the menstruum, usually about thirty-five grammes, the moistened powder is then packed in a cylindrical percolator, and enough of the menstruum added to saturate it and leave a stratum above; when the percolate is about to drop, the lower orifice is closed, the percolator closely covered, and the contents allowed to macerate for forty-eight hours. The percolation is then allowed to proceed, gradually adding more menstruum,, until the drug is exhausted. A specified quantity of the first percolate, usually about eighty cubic centimeters, is reserved, and the remainder evaporated to a soft extract; this is to be dissolved in the reserved portion, and enough of the original menstruum added to make the fluid extract measure one hundred cubic centimeters.

The direction to dissolve the soft extract in the reserved percolate is an important improvement, as it will in most cases be found to dissolve much more completely in this than it will in the menstruum with which the drug was exhausted.

The table furnishes the following information: As to fineness of powders, in twenty-four cases the Committee agrees with the Philadelphia College, in twenty-three cases finer powder is directed, and in nineteen cases coarser.

In regard to the use of glycerin, the Committee has directed it in seventeen cases, and the Philadelphia College recommended it in seventeen also, though not all the same ones; in eight cases the same quantity was recommended by both; in three cases the Committee ordered the larger, and in three the smaller quantity.

Alcoholic strength of menstruum: In thirty-eight cases the same strength is directed by both; in twenty-one cases the Committee directed a stronger, and in ten cases a weaker menstruum.

Quantity of menstruum to moisten the powder previous to packing: In twenty-seven cases both agree; in fifteen cases the Committee direct more, and in twenty-three less.

Reserved percolates: In twenty-nine cases both agree; in twenty-one cases the Committee reserves more, and in sixteen cases less than the Philadelphia College recommended.

Taking up the fluid extracts in their regular order, the first on the list is:

EXTRACTUM ACONITI FLUIDUM.—Fluid Extract of Aconite.—This appears now first under the name of fluid extract, but it differs from the liniment of aconite of the Pharmacopoeia of 1870, only in the absence of one-eighth of its volume of glycerin; it is made from aconite root, which is now the only officinal part of the plant. The menstruum used is alcohol, the addition of one per cent. of tartaric acid seems to be unnecessary, as if good root be employed there can be no doubt of the sufficient activity of the product.

EXTRACTUM ARNICAE RADICIS FLUIDUM.—Fluid Extract of Arnica Root.— This is also a new preparation, and one likely to prove useful; the menstruum directed is diluted alcohol, which is now conceded to best extract both arnica root and flowers. The necessity for the introduction of a tincture of arnica root, also, is not apparent; it might be supposed that the tincture of the flowers and the fluid extract of the root would sufficiently represent even so valuable an article as arnica.

EXTRACTUM AROMATICUM FLUIDUM.—Aromatic Fluid Extract.—This also makes its first appearance in the present Pharmacopoeia; it was not on the list recommended by the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, but is one of the eleven added by the Committee of Revision; it is made from the officinal aromatic powder with alcohol as the menstruum, and will no doubt retain its properties longer than the powder does, but the necessity for its introduction is not very apparent.

EXTRACTUM AURANTII AMARI FLUIDUM.—Fluid Extract of Bitter Orange Peel.—This is also a newly-introduced fluid extract; it was recommended by the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, with alcohol of the specific gravity .822 as the menstruum; the Committee of Revision have directed a menstruum composed of two parts of alcohol and one part of water, instead; without having had an opportunity of testing it. I am inclined to think favorably of the weaker menstruum. This fluid extract is to be made from the orange-peel in ribbons or quarters, with the epidermis of a dark brownish-green color, such as is known in commerce as Curacoa orange-peel; it yields a preparation very much superior to that made from the ordinary bitter orange-peel.

The Philadelphia College of Pharmacy also recommended a fluid extract of sweet orange-peel, made from the recently dried yellow portion of the peel of sweet oranges, using alcohol as the menstruum; the Committee of Revision, perhaps unwisely, rejected this and directed a tincture containing twenty parts of the peel in one hundred, also using alcohol as the menstruum.

EXTRACTUM BELLADONNAE FLUIDUM.—Fluid Extract of Belladonna.—This was officinal in the Pharmacopoeia of 1870, under the name of fluid extract of belladonna root, and was so recommended by the Philadelphia College for the present Pharmacopoeia; as the belladonna leaves are still officinal, and the tincture and alcoholic extract are directed to be made from them, it would certainly have been more definite to have retained the former title. The menstruum directed in the Pharmacopoeia of 1870, was alcohol s. g. .835 twelve fluidounces, glycerin three fluidounces, water one fluidounce, finishing the percolation with diluted alcohol s. g. .941. The menstruum directed in the present Pharmacopoeia is alcohol, that recommended by the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy was alcohol three parts, water one part. Without doubting the superiority of the product of the officinal process, it may be stated that the opinion of several previous investigators has been in favor of a weaker menstruum.

EXTRACTUM BRAYERAE FLUIDUM.—Fluid Extract of Brayera.—The desirability of a permanent liquid preparation of koosso has long been manifest. For this newly introduced fluid extract, alcohol is directed as the menstruum; various weaker alcohols were tried alone and with glycerin, but they all precipitated badly, even the sides of the bottles being covered with waxy resinous matter. The menstruum adopted furnishes a good preparation with comparatively a slight deposit; this menstruum also appears to best dissolve the active principle of koosso.

EXTRACTUM BUCHU FLUIDUM.—Fluid Extract of Buchu.—The menstruum for this popular and efficient fluid extract has been very much changed from that directed in the Pharmacopoeia of 1870, alcohol s. g. .835 being then employed, and some prominent pharmacists, recommending that of s. g. .817 as being even better for its preparation. In the present Pharmacopoeia, a menstruum composed of alcohol two parts and water one part, is directed to be used. This menstruum, furnishes a fluid extract very much superior to that made with alcohol alone. That it completely exhausts the buchu was proved by the following experiment: After making the fluid extract the residue was dried, and then it retained only the slightest odor of buchu; it was then percolated with alcohol s. g. .822, yielding a light green percolate without perceptible taste or odor of buchu,; this percolate when evaporated left a very small quantity of tasteless, brownish-green extract.

A sample of fluid extract made from the long leaf, had the specific gravity of .988, one from the short leaf .997, and from equal parts of the long and short leaf .994. These samples three years after being made are still almost free of precipitate, and otherwise in good condition.

EXTRACTUM CALAMI FLUIDUM.—Fluid Extract of Calamus.—In this newly-introduced preparation, alcohol is employed as the menstruum. The well known properties of calamus are here presented in a concentrated, elegant, and permanent form, which should induce its employment in place of other more expensive aromatics of foreign origin.

EXTRACTUM CALUMBAE FLUIDUM.—Fluid Extract of Calumba.—The menstruum directed for this preparation in the Pharmacopoeia of 1870, was alcohol fourteen fluidounces, and glycerin two fluidounces, finishing the percolation with a mixture of two volumes of alcohol and one volume of water. The present Pharmacopoeia directs diluted alcohol to be employed; the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy recommended two parts of alcohol and one part of water as the menstruum which possesses the advantage of percolating freely and of yielding a fluid extract from which only a slight precipitate separates. As the Committee of Revision have directed three parts of alcohol and two parts of water as the menstruum for the tincture of calumba, it is difficult to understand why a weaker menstruum should be employed for the fluid extract.

EXTRACTUM CANNABIS INDICAE FLUIDUM.—Fluid Extract of Indian Cannabis.—This is first made officinal in the present Pharmacopoeia, the menstruum directed is alcohol. There is also an officinal tincture of Indian cannabis, not made as formerly from the extract, but from the herb. It does seem that this drug would be sufficiently represented in the liquid form by the fluid extract.

Cont'd on next page.

The American Journal of Pharmacy, Vol. 55, 1883, was edited by John M. Maisch.