OFFICIAL PREPARATIONS. 457 of drugs which can be produced, and are prepared by percolating the powdered drug with Stronger Ether until exhausted, recovering the greater part of the ether by distillation, and exposing the residue in a capsule to spontaneous evaporation until the remaining ether has evaporated. There are 6 official Oleoresins, viz. Oleoresina Aspidii (10-15). Oleoresina Cubeba (18-25). Oleoresina Lupulini (50). The figures in parentheses show the percentage of oleoresin yielded by each drug. Collodia, Collodions,-are liquid preparations having for their base a solution of Pyroxylin in a mixture of Ether and Alcohol. They are intended for external use, being applied to the skin by means of a brush, and producing a film on the surface after the evaporation of the menstruum. There are 4 official Collodions, viz.— Collodium. Collodium cum Cantharide. Collodium Flexile. The Flexible Collodion contains 5 per cent. of Canada Turpentine, and 3 per cent. of Castor Oil. Styptic Collodion contains 20 per cent. of Tannic Acid. OLEAGINOUS PREPARATIONS. Linimenta, Liniments,-are very thin ointments for external application and intended to be applied with friction to the skin. They are solutions of various substances in oily liquids or in alcoholic liquids containing fatty oils. Of the following 10 official Liniments the first 4 have Cotton-seed Oil, the next 4 have Alcohol and the last 2 have Oil of Turpentine as their respective bases. Linimentum Ammoniæ. Linimentum Calcis. Linimentum Camphora. Linimentum Plumbi Subacetatis. Linimentum Belladonnæ. Linimentum Sinapis Comp. Linimentum Cantharidis. Oleata, Oleates,-are liquid solutions of metallic salts or alkaloids in Oleic Acid, intended for external administration. They are not definite chemical compounds, though the term is also employed in trade to designate certain solid preparations which are claimed to be chemical compounds of the same acids with various bases. [See under ACIDUM OLECIUM, ante, page 34.] There are 2 official Oleates, as follows, viz.— Oleatum Hydrargyri (10 per cent.). Oleatum Veratrinæ (2 per cent.). ACETOUS PREPARATIONS. Aceta, Vinegars,-are solutions of the active principles of certain drugs in Diluted Acetic Acid. They are made by percolation and each contain the soluble principles from 10 per cent. of drug. Acidulous menstrua form soluble salts with the alkaloids and possess antiseptic qualities. The official Vinegars number 4, viz. Acetum Lobeliæ. Acetum Sanguinariæ. GLYCERIN PREPARATIONS. Glycerita, Glycerites,-are mixtures of medicinal substances with Glycerin. In the U. S. Phar. of 1870 there were 5 official Glycerites, which were solutions of Carbolic, Gallic, and Tannic Acids, Tar, and Sodium Borate in Glycerin. They were very useful preparations for dispensing purposes, as they could be readily diluted with water or alcohol without precipitation. Only 2 Glycerites are now official, viz.— Glyceritum Amyli. Glyceritum Vitelli. SOLID PREPARATIONS. Extracta, Extracts,-are solid or semi-solid preparations obtained by evaporating solutions of vegetable principles. The drug is first powdered, then percolated with the appropriate menstruum to exhaustion. The first third of the percolate is reserved, the remainder is evaporated at a temperature not above 122° F. until its weight is ten per cent. of that of the drug used, then mixed with the reserved portion, and both are evaporated to a pilular consistence. The above is the general rule, but in several instances maceration is directed for 1 to 4 days before percolation; and in other cases, instead of reserving a portion of the percolate, the whole quantity is distilled until the alcohol is removed, and the residue is evaporated to a pilular consistence. The menstrua used are,-in 5 cases Alcohol, in 15 cases Diluted Alcohol of varying strength, in 8 Water, in 1 Water with 5 per cent. of Aqua Ammoniæ, and in 1 a diluted Acetic Acid. One extract is an inspissated juice (Ext. Taraxaci); one is made by evaporating a fluid extract (Ext. Ergotæ), and one by mixing OFFICIAL PREPARATIONS. 459 extracts with aromatics (Ext. Colocynthidis Comp.). Five per cent. of Glycerin is added to 10 to prevent their becoming hard. The official Extracts number 32, and are named as follows, the letters in parentheses showing the nature of the menstruum used in extraction in each case, viz.— Extractum Hæmatoxyli (W). Ext. Hyoscyami Alcoholicum (A,W1). (A,W1). Ext. Juglandis (A). Extractum Aconiti (A). Ext. Euonymi (DA). Ext. Gentianæ (W). Ext. Glycyrrhiza (W). Ext. Glycyrrhizæ Purum (W). Ext. Nucis Vomicæ (A ̧W1). Ext. Opii (W). Ext. Physostigmatis (A). Ext. Rhei (A,W1). Ext. Stramonii (DA). The proximate principles which are generally present in extracts, besides the peculiar principles of plants, are sugar, tannin, extractive, chlorophyll, coloring-matter, and salts. When an alcoholic solvent is used there are also present resins, fats and often volatile oil, and when the menstruum is not purely alcohol there is more or less gum and starch. One of these ingredients, named Extractive or Apotheme, is a deposit, soluble in water and alcohol, which has the singular property of passing into an insoluble substance under the influence of the atmospheric air with heat. It also has a tendency, when precipitated from solutions, to unite with other principles carrying them down with it. It is frequently present in extracts, hence its name. Abstracta, Abstracts,-are solid, dry, powdered preparations, containing the soluble principles of the drugs from which they are made, and each representing twice the strength of the corresponding drug or its fluid extract. They are prepared by spontaneous evaporation of an alcoholic tincture at a low temperature (not exceeding 122° F.), mixing with it enough dried Sugar of Milk to make the product weigh one-half the weight of the drug, and then reducing it to a fine and uniform powder. They are permanent and portable preparations, not subject to variation in strength, nor to become hard and brittle. They were first introduced into the U. S. Pharmacopoeia in the edition of 1880, and are 11 in number, viz.— The menstrua used for these are Alcohol 8 Water 1 for the two last-named, and Alcohol for the others; but 2 per cent. of Tartaric Acid is added in the case of Aconite, and 6 per cent. of HCl in the case of Conium. Resina, Resins,-are solid preparations obtained by precipitating the resinous principles of plants from their alcoholic solution by the agency of water. They differ from alcoholic extracts in containing only those principles which are soluble in alcohol and insoluble in water, while the extracts contain all principles which are soluble in alcohol. There are 4 official Resins, viz. Resina Copaibæ. Resina Podophylli. Resina Scammonii. Massæ, Masses,—are Pill-masses prepared as described in the next paragraph. The official Masses number 3, viz.— Massa Copaibæ. Massi Ferri Carbonatis. Massa Hydrargyri. Pilulæ, Pills, are spherical masses composed of medicinal agents and intended to be swallowed whole. The "mass" consists of the active ingredients and the excipient or substance which gives the mass its adhesive and plastic qualities. In official pharmacy the excipients are specified both as to composition and quantity in each case, and those directed to be used in the preparation of the 3 official Masses and the 15 official Pills are as follows, viz.— 5 are made with Soap and Water, viz.-Pil. Aloes, Pil. Aloes et Asafoetidæ, Pil. Asafoetida, Pil. Opii, Pil. Rhei. 3 are made with Water alone, viz.-Pil. Aloes et Mastiches, Pil. Cathartica Comp., Pil. Rhei Comp. 3 are made with Syrup, viz.-Pil. Aloes et Myrrhæ, Pil. Ferri Comp., Pil. Galbani Comp. I with Mucilage of Tragacanth, viz.-Pil. Antimonii Comp. I with Acacia and Water, viz.-Pil. Ferri Iodidı. I with Glycerin and Water, viz.-Pilulæ Phosphori. I with Confection of Rose, viz.-Pilula Aloes et Ferri, 1 with Honey, Syrup and Water, viz,-Massa Ferri Carbonatis. I with Glycerin and Honey of Rose, viz.-Massa Hydrargyri. I has no excipient, viz.-Massa Copaibæ. The pharmacopoeial directions for the formation of the pillmass vary in each case, but in general they prescribe that the OFFICIAL PREPARATIONS. 461 ingredients shall be mixed intimately, then beaten with the excipient to form a mass and divided into a certain number of pills. Two of the official pills are directed to be coated with an ethereal solution of the Balsam of Tolu, viz.-Pilulæ Ferri Iodidi and Pilulæ Phosphori. Full descriptions of the various details of pill-making are given in the section on Extemporaneous Pharmacy. The number of official pills is 15, for the composition of which the student is referred to their several titles in the section on Materia Medica. They are named as follows, viz. Pilulæ Aloes. Pilulæ Aloes et Asafoetidæ. Pilulæ Catharticæ Compositæ, Pilula Ferri Iodidi. Pilula Galbani Compositæ. Pilula Phosphori. Pilula Rhei. Pilula Rhei Compositæ. Trochisci, Troches,-also called Pastilles, Tablets or Lozenges,—are small flattened cakes of medicinal substances, prepared from a mass made with a basis of Sugar, some having Mucilage of Tragacanth, others Orange-flower Water, Syrup of Tolu, etc., as excipients. They are convenient preparations for the pocket-case, and are especially useful when the active ingredients are intended to come into contact with the mucous surface of the throat. There are 16 official Troches, named as follows, viz. Confectiones, Confections,-consist of medicinal substances formed into a mass with Sugar, Honey, Water, etc., with the object of rendering them palatable and of preserving them from change. Electuaries are similar preparations, but this term is now obsolete. There are only two official Confections, viz.Confectio Rosæ. Confectio Sennæ. Pulveres, Powders,-are usually prepared extemporaneously, but a few compound ones have been made official, the ingredients being simply directed to be rubbed together until reduced to a |