As a homoeopathy practitioner have to know the botanical description, natural history, medical history, chemical analysis, and method of preparation of each remedy.
TINCTURES : Four fundamental rules in the preparation of tinctures: First, A tincture should contain all of the medicinal properties of its drug, and, in order to accomplish this, the drug must be entirely exhausted. Second, Alcohol is not a universal solvent of the medicinal properties of plants. Third, Some drugs require, for the extraction of all their dynamic or medicinal properties, not simply water and alcohol, but hot water or alcohol. Fourth, That where it is possible, a tincture should be made from the fresh plant. This last rule, I have no doubt, is followed by many of our pharmacists, certainly by the well-known house of Boericke and Tafel. It is our deliberate opinion that in no case should tinctures be made from the dried plants and roots, except when it is impossible to procure the fresh. It is equally important that these plants should be gathered at the proper time, i.e. , the season in which their medicinal qualities exist in their greatest potency. We know that Messrs. Boericke and Tafel have been particularly careful in carrying out this recommendation.
In making a tincture from a fresh plant, we can nearly always succeed in exhausting it by simple maceration in alcohol of 94 to 98 per cent. proof. Where it is necessary to use the dried plant, the alcohol should be diluted by an amount of distilled water equal to the amount of water lost during the process of drying. In those plants where we have no table showing the loss of water, it will be necessary to estimate, from the general appearance, etc., the proportion of water lost in drying, thus following out the plan so vigorously enforced by the "British Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia"--making all tinctures as near the standard of a fresh plant tincture as possible.
Decoction tincture : Decoction tincture. There are a few plants which, in the ordinary tincture, have always disappointed us, but, when used in the form of infusion or decoction, act with promptness and certainty. In such cases I have made officinal this new tincture, prepared as follows: Take of the powdered or bruised drug one part, prepared as for ordinary tinctures, pour upon it seven parts distilled water at about 2000 F.; allow to stand, tightly covered, for from six to twelve hours; add three parts 96 per cent. alcohol, and allow to stand six hours; filter slowly, and then add to the residue left in the filter two parts more of alcohol; allow to percolate slowly, and until the substance is dry. This tincture will be found to possess all the promptness and certainty of action of the infusion or decoction, and also have all the advantages of any tincture. Each ounce represents one-tenth of an ounce of the crude drug, about two parts of the liquid being lost by evaporation, etc., during the process of manufacture. many new indigenous foreign and other remedies. An enumeration will show their number and importance. They are: Amyl Nitrite, Apomorphia, Aranea diadema, Arsenite of Iron, arsenite of Quinia, Berberina, Caffeine, Cedron, Chionanthus, Clematis Virginiana, Coccus cacti, Croton chloral, Digitaline, Ergotine, Eucalyptus globulus, Euphorbia hypericifolia, Fagopyrum esculentum, Ferro-cyanarct of Potassium, Gallic acid, Hecla lava, Hydrophyllum, Ilex opaca, Iodide of Barium, Juniperus communis, Kaolin, Kino, Lapis albus, Lobelia cardinalis, OEnanthe crocata, Oleum Cajuputi, Oleum Jecoris Aselli, Oleum Ricinus communis, Opuntia vulgaris, Pancreatine, Passiflora incarnata, Pepsin, Protosulphide of Mercury, Ricinus communis, Solanum nigrum, Strychnia, Tanacctum vulgare, Thaspium aureum, Valerianate of Ammonia, Viscum album; 44 in all. Of these, nineteen have been subjected to physiological experimentation on the healthy, sufficient to enable us to fix upon certain symptoms which may be relied upon as characteristic. Of the others we have only fragmentary provings, or clinical experience. Pharmacology
