Fluid Extracts of the New Pharmacopoeia. Part III, cont'd.

Cont'd from previous page.

EXTRACTUM QUASSIAE FLUIDUM.—Fluid Extract of Quassia.—This is one of the eleven added to the list by the Committee of Revision; the menstruum directed is diluted alcohol, which will no doubt thoroughly exhaust the drug.

EXTRACTUM RHEI FLUIDUM.—Fluid Extract of Rhubarb.—For this preparation the Pharmacopoeia of 1870 directed a menstruum composed of fourteen fluidounces of alcohol and two fluidounces of glycerin, finishing the percolation with a sufficient quantity of a mixture of two volumes of alcohol and one of water. The present Pharmacopoeia directs three parts of alcohol and one part of water, and the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy recommended the same menstruum.

After many preliminary experiments, seven samples were prepared in August, 1879, the menstruum employed for each, the results obtained, and the present condition of the product of each of the series is, for the convenience of comparison, arranged in tabular form.

Number two is the formula recommended to, and finally adopted by, the Committee of Revision; it remains at present in good condition, but is rather thick and lumpy, and in this respect only is inferior to number three, which has kept better than any of the other samples. From the rapidity of exhaustion, and the appearance of the fluid extract when first made, it seemed that alcohol, with twenty per cent. of glycerin in the first one hundred parts, would be the best menstruum for this drug; therefore two samples, numbers six and seven, were so prepared to more thoroughly test the menstruum; the product precipitated considerably in a few months, and now contains a very large deposit on the bottom and sides of the bottles, the remainder of the preparation is quite fluid and transparent in thin layers; samples numbers four and five, which also contain twenty per cent. of glycerin, likewise proved failures, and the result of these experiments appears to fully demonstrate, not only that glycerin is of no service in this preparation, but also that its employment is decidedly detrimental to the permanence of the Product. Sample number three having undergone no change since its preparation, the menstruum therein used, four parts of alcohol and one part of water, is recommended. in place of the present officinal menstruum.

EXTRACTUM RHOIS GLABRAE FLUIDUM.—Fluid Extract of Rhus Glabra.—This is a newly-introduced preparation; the Pharmacopoeia directs diluted alcohol, with ten per cent. of glycerin, in the first one hundred parts of the menstruum. The Philadelphia College of Pharmacy recommended a menstruum composed of one part of alcohol and two parts of water, with twenty per cent. of glycerin in the first one hundred parts; a sample thus prepared in December, 1879, contains now only a minute precipitate, is perfectly fluid, of a deep red color, and transparent in thin layers; this sample has kept so well it would seem impossible for the officinal, or any other menstruum, to yield a better preparation.

EXTRACTUM ROSAE FLUIDUM.—Fluid Extract of Rose.—This is one of the eleven added to the list by the Committee of Revision; the Pharmacopoeia directs diluted alcohol, with ten per cent. of glycerin in the first one hundred parts of the menstruum; the product will no doubt well represent red rose, and perhaps prove a useful addition to the practice of elegant pharmacy; it would seem that this fluid extract might as well have been directed for the preparation of the honey of rose, as for the syrup.

EXTRACTUM RUBI FLUIDUM.—Fluid Extract of Rubus.—For this preparation the Pharmacopoeia of 1870 directed a menstruum composed of eight fluidounces of alcohol, three fluidounces of glycerin, and five fluidounces of water, finishing the percolation with diluted alcohol, and adding one fluidounce of glycerin to the dilute percolate before evaporation. The present Pharmacopoeia directs forty-five grammes of alcohol, thirty-five of water, and twenty of glycerin, and then finishes the percolation with a sufficient quantity of a mixture of nine parts of alcohol to seven parts of water. The Philadelphia College of Pharmacy recommended diluted alcohol, with ten (In the table this was incorrectly given as twenty parts.) per cent. of glycerin in the first one hundred parts of menstruum; a sample thus prepared in January, 1880, now contains a rather large precipitate, about half an inch deep in a four-ounce bottle, the fluid extract appears to be in good condition, is very dark, brownish-red, and transparent in thin layers. The officinal menstruum differs chiefly in containing ten per cent. more of glycerin, as the very unusual proportions of nine parts of alcohol to seven parts of water, really is less than six per cent. stronger than diluted alcohol; another sample prepared at the same time as the first, with a menstruum composed of two parts of alcohol to one part of water, and also containing ten per cent. of glycerin, now contains only a very slight deposit, and is in every other respect remarkably well preserved; this menstruum would therefore seem better adapted to blackberry bark than the officinal.

EXTRACTUM RUMICIS FLUIDUM.—Fluid Extract of Rumex.—For this newly-introduced preparation the Pharmacopoeia directs diluted alcohol, and the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy recommended the same menstruum; a sample thus prepared in January, 1880, has only a slight precipitate, and is otherwise in excellent condition.

EXTRACTUM SABINAE FLUIDUM.—Fluid Extract of Savine.—For this preparation the Pharmacopoeia of 1870, the present Pharmacopoeia, and the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy all agree in the use of alcohol as the menstruum; a sample thus prepared in December, 1879, now contains only a very slight precipitate, and is otherwise in excellent condition.

EXTRACTUM SANGUINARAE FLUIDUM.—Fluid Extract of Sanguinaria.—For this newly-introduced preparation the Pharmacopoeia directs the use of alcohol as the menstruum; the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy recommended two parts of alcohol and one part of water, adding one per cent. of acetic acid to the dilute percolate before evaporation; a sample thus prepared in January, 1880, now contains only a moderate precipitate, but the sides of the bottle are thickly coated with a transparent yellowish-red substance; the fluid extract is still very dark in color, transparent and deep red in thin layers. The product of the officinal menstruum may undergo less change, but it is doubtful that this preparation can ever be made permanent.

EXTRACTUM SARSAPARILLAE COMPOSITUM FLUIDUM.—Compound Fluid Extract of Sarsaparilla.—For this preparation the Pharmacopoeia of 1870 directed a menstruum composed of eight fluidounces of alcohol, four fluidounces of glycerin, and four fluidounces of water, finishing the percolation with diluted alcohol, and adding four fluidounces of glycerin to the dilute percolate before evaporation. The present Pharmacopoeia directs a menstruum composed of one part of alcohol and two parts of water, with ten per cent. of glycerin in the first one hundred parts; the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy recommended the same menstruum, and one part more of glycyrrhiza and one part less of mezereum than the Pharmacopoeia directs; a sample thus prepared in January, 1880, now contains only a moderate precipitate, and is otherwise in good condition.

EXTRACTUM SARSAPARILLAE FLUIDUM.—Fluid Extract of Sarsaparilla.—For this preparation the menstruum employed is the same as that for the compound fluid extract; a sample prepared in December, 1879, now contains a rather large precipitate, nearly half an inch deep in a four-ounce bottle; the fluid extract is very dark-brown in color, and appears to be in good condition.

EXTRACTUM SCILLAE FLUIDUM.—Fluid Extract of Squill.—For this preparation the Pharmacopoeia of 1870 directed a menstruum composed of fourteen fluidounces of alcohol and two fluidounces of glycerin, finishing the percolation with alcohol. The present Pharmacopoeia directs alcohol, and the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy recommended the same menstruum; a sample thus prepared in June, 1879, is now entirely without precipitate, and appears to have undergone no change whatever.

The choice of menstruum was between that used in the above formula and diluted alcohol, which also furnishes a transparent and permanent fluid extract, but not more than fifty parts, of the percolate can be reserved when this menstruum is used, as the dilute percolate contains a large proportion of gummy matter; various intermediate strengths of menstruum were experimented with, but in each case the product separated into two clear layers, which became milky when shaken together.

EXTRACTUM SCUTELLARIAE FLUIDUM.—Fluid Extract of Scutellaria.—This is one of the newly-introduced fluid extracts; the Pharmacopoeia directs a menstruum composed of one part of alcohol and two parts of water; the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy recommended diluted alcohol; a sample thus prepared in December, 1879, now has some oily matter on the sides of the bottle above the fluid extract, and also contains quite a large precipitate, which is divided into two equal layers, the lower of a bright green, and the upper of a dull brown color, the fluid extract otherwise is in rather bad condition; diluted alcohol is evidently not suited for this preparation, but the remedy would seem to be more in the direction of a stronger menstruum than a weaker one, such as the officinal.

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