The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1906-01-27
Home Health
Club
By DAVID n. REEDER. Ph. D., MI
La Porte, Ind.

think | will comply with the re
quests which | have been receiving. anC
tell you how to make extracts. infu
Sions. ETC.. because | have told you of sc
many formulas in which a knowledge
of these thingn is essential. l will frs
tell you how ~ make sen
n solution of an essential or aromatic
oil in pure alcohol is called an essence
or a spirit of that subject. S~assafras
dill. fennel, w~intergreen. 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-a few drops on
sugar or in hot water. One of oil
in nine ounces of alcohol is about the
proportion which will constitute tie
average essence. In making pills it is
customary to add to the mass some es-
M of peppermint to disguise the taste
and prevent gripping. You will remem-
Der that | tolo 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 its beneficial action it is a
most practical addition when COM
pounding pills. You should be careful
not to confound an essence with a tine
Sure. In making the essence of win
tergreen. only about one-half the
amount of alcohol is used as in making
other
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
'lhen evaporating to a degree that will
cause one pound of the fluid extract to
represent one pound of the crude drug
an medicinal strength. Nearly all veg
etable remedies may be obtained in
the fluid extract form. and when thew
are manufactured by first-class drug
hrms they ms,y be depended upon.
The majority Of fluid extracts become
cloudy and a sediment will be found
the bottom Of the bottle when water
has been added. The solid extract of
is obtained by long steering
The crude drugs in hot water or aIco-
or cold water. and then eyaporat-
In porcelain dishes until only a
SOLID remains. The principal use of
solid extracts is in making pills.
illusions.
One OF he simplest and most eff
receive methods of administering the
herb remedies consists In extracting
heir virtues by warm or hot wafer.
fhese are called infusion, or hot water
Coarsely ground articles are
for infusions on ccount of the
act that they may be readily strained;
although the pulverized drugs NAV be
Used II desired. In fact, in the prep
ration Of some infusionS the remedial
are much more readily ex-
if the drug is thoroughly pull
'erlzed. This is especially true of gin
AS d rule one ounce of the drug
5 the proper amount to be used for
making an infusion with n pint of
oiling water: and after preparing, the
Infusion is better if allowed to steep
20 minutes. or eve longer.
Bitter herbs do not require so large
quantity to the pint. and in making
n infusion of capsicum only a few
rains are required. One-half drachm,
hitch is equivalent to about half a tea
p%oOnful. would be ample for a pint
I boiling water. when preparing an $
of capsicum, or red pepper. -,
he aromatic drugs, and those con-
tanin, or volatile oils, are in [
ired by pouring boiling water upon |
lem; they should therefore be treat
l with very warm water instead, and r
, allowed to steep for half an hour @
longer. Among the more prominent +
cribs that would come under this head u
'g. may be mentioned bayberry, cat r
lp. wild cherry. peach leaves, black h
'hosh, witch hazel. elecampane, etc. h
Tinctures. u
There are two forms or methods of h
tinctures. The most COM 9
only used is that which is extract -
by the alcoholic method. When this
nd is used Internally, it should be s.
st put in hot water in order to expel q
le alcohol which was necessary @ ex- !;
act the medicinal principal. For !;
any purposes tinctures are very con o.
especially for outward appli- :
.tions. They are prepared by soak
g six ounces of the ground drugs in h
pint each of water and alcohol for .,
n days. and then fltering. Glycerin 81
without alcohol may be pre- n
red by macerating the drugs in one ;s
.rt of slycerin and four parts of n,
ater. The glycerin tinctures are not :
effective for external use as are the =,
tinctures. =;