Pulparum Extmactio. Extraction of Pulps

"Fruits which afford a pulp, if unripe, or if ripe and dry, are to be boiled in a small portion of water, till they become soft; then the pulp is to be pressed through a hair sieve, and afterwards boiled in an earthen vessel with a gentle heat, stirring frequently to prevent it from burning, until it acquire the consistence of honey.

"In like manner the pulp of Cassia fistula is to be boiled out from the bruised pod, and then brought to a proper consistence by evaporating the water.

"The pulps of recent and ripe fruits are to be pressed through a sieve without being previously boiled."

Succi Spissati. Inspissated Juices

"Beat the fresh substance, and press it strongly through a canvass bag, in order to obtain the juice; which being put into a wide, shallow vessel, and heated by means of boiling water saturated with sea-salt, is to be reduced to the consistence of honey. The mass, when cold, is to be put into glazed earthen vessels, and moistened with strong alcohol."

The juices of fresh vegetables obtained by expression contain, besides the sap of which they chiefly consist, mucilage, fecula extractive matter, and the other proper juices and active principles of the plants. When newly expressed, these matters are mixed together, and form a viscid, heterogeneous fluid, which gradually separates by rest into two parts; the one formed of a deposit of all the insoluble components of the juice generally involved in mucilaginous matter; the other a clear liquor, consisting of water, holding some mucilage in solution, with the acids and salts, if any, and other soluble principles of the juice. As the clear liquor is that which is wished to be obtained for medical use, it is separated by first decanting it from the deposit, then filtering it repeatedly through a linen cloth, and adding about one-fortieth part of its weight of alcohol; after which it is allowed to remain at rest for some time, and again filtered previous to being put into the bottles in which it is intended to be preserved.

The bottles should be kept in a cool cellar, and sunk up to the neck in sand.

By whatever means they are prepared, vegetable juices undergo chemical changes, and spontaneous decompositions from keeping, which necessarily affect their virtues as medicines.

The articles given in the Edinburgh Pharmacopoeia, under the title Succi spissati, being associated by the London College with the extracts, and the difference between these preparations being scarcely sufficient to constitute a generic distinction, we have thought it proper not to alter the London arrangement in this respect, and have therefore placed the whole under the title, Extracts.

Extracta Simpliciora. Dub. Simple Extracts

" All simple extracts, unless otherwise ordered, are to be prepared according to the following rule: -

"The vegetable matter is to be boiled in eight times its weight of water, which is to be reduced by boiling to one half; the liquor is then to be expressed, and after the faeces have subsided, to be filtered and evaporated by the heat of boiling water, until it begin to thicken; and is to be, finally, inspissated by a medium heat, from the steam of boiling water; frequently stirring, until it acquire a consistence proper for forming pills."