Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1906-01-18
AS2&
Home Health
i Club
By DAVID Il. REEDER. Phi. D.. Nd.
La Porte, Ind

~
/ think | will comply with the re-
quests which / have been receiving. and
tell you how to make extracts, infu-
sions, etc., because l have told you of sc
many formulas in which a knowledge
of these things is essential. will first
tell you how to make essences.
A solution of an essential or aromatic
Oil in pure alcohol is called an essence,
Or a spirit of that subject. Sassafras,
dill, fennel, wintergreen, rosemary, pep
permint. and many other agents may be
attained in the form of essence. In collie
these diffusive essences may be given
to great ADVANTAGE few drops on
sugar or n>hot water. One ounce of oil
in nine ounces of alcohol is about the
proportion which will constitute the
average essence In making pills it is
customary to add to the mass some es-
sence of peppermint to disguise the taste
and prevent gripping. You will remem-
DER that | told you some time ago that
the essence Of peppermint was one of
the best agents to be had for expelling
hatus, or wind, from the bowels; and
because of it's beneficial action it is a
most practical addition when COM
pounding pills. You should be careful
not to confound an essence with a tine
ture. In making the essence of win
tergreen. only. about one-half the
amount of alcohol is used as in making
other essences.
Fluid and Solid Extracts.
Extracts are a very convenient meth
cd of preparing remedial agents. Fluid
extracts are made by ~macerating the
crude drugs in water and alcohol, con
tanning a small quantity of glycerin. and
then evaporating to a degree that will
cause one pound of the fluid extract tc
represent n pound of the crude druf
In medicinal strength. Nearly all veg
etable remedies may be obtained in
the fluid extract form, and when they
are manufactured by first-class drug
firms they may be depended upon
The majority of fluid extracts become
cloudy and a sediment will be found
In the bottom Of the bottle when water
has been added. The solid extract o.
remedies is obtained by long steepins
the crude drugs in hot water or alec
hol or cold water, and then %evaporat
ing in porcelain dishes until only
solid remains. The principal use o
solid extracts is in making pills.
Infusions.
One of the simplest and most eff
fective methods of administering tn
herb remedies consists in extracting
their virtues by warm or hot water
These are called infusion, or hot waite
extracts. Coarsely ground articles ar
best for infusions on account of tn
fact that they may be readily strained
although the pulverized drugs may b
used if desired. In fact, in the PREF
aration of some infusions the remedia
qualities are much more readily e1
tracted if the drug is thoroughly pu
verified. This is especially true of cir
t ger. AS a rule one ounce of the dru
: is the proper amount to be used fo
making an infusion with one pint /
boiling water; and after preparing, tn
infusion is better if allowed to stee
for 90 minutes, or even longer.
Bitter herbs do not require so lare
T a quantity to the pint, and in maxim
an infusion of capsicum Only a fe
grains are required. One-half drachn
which is equivalent to about half a tet
e spoonful, would be ample for a pi1
e of boiling water, when preparing a
e infusion of capsicum, or red peppe
The aromatic drugs, and those co,
/ tanning tanin, or volatile oils, are il
jured by pouring boiling water upo
them; they should therefore be trea
ed with very warm water instead, an
be allowed to steep for half an hol
or longer. Among the more prominel
herbs that would come under this hea
ing, may be mentioned bayberry, ca
nip, wild cherry, peach leaves, blaC
cohosh, witch hazel, elecampane, etc.
T%inctures.
There are two forms or methods
preparing tinctures. The most cor
monty used is that which is extrac
ed by the alcoholic method. When tn
kind is used internally, it should
first put in hot water in order to exp
the alcohol which was necessary to e
tract the medicinal principal. Fl
MANY tinctures are very co
venient, especially for outward app
cations. They are prepared by soa
ing six ounces of the ground drugs
a pint each of water and alcohol fl
ten days, and then filtering. Glyceri
tinctures without alcohol may be pr
pared by macerating the drugs in OF
1 part of glycerin and four parts
water. The eiycerin %tinctures are n
k so effective for external use as are Il
alcoholic tinctures.