PART in.
Tinctures.
rs7
Table shewing which of the officinal spirits are prepared withrectified Spirit of wine, and which with proof Spirit.
Rectified Spirit is employed in preparing [
Spiritus Ammoniae aromaticus,
---------Ammoniac succinatus,
---------Camphorae,
i Lavandulae,---------Rosmarini, E.
Proof Spirit is employed in jn-eparing
Spiritus Ammonias,
--------- Anisi,
---------Armoraciae comp.
---------Carui,
--------- Cinnamomi,
---------. Juniperi comp.
----------Mentha piperitae,
---------Menthae viridis,
---------Myristicae, "
---------Pimentae,
■ Pulegii,---------Rosmarini, L. D.
TINCTURJE.
TlNCTURES.i
These are spirituous solutions of such of the proximateprinciples of vegetables and animals, as are soluble in purealcohol or in proof spirit. From vegetable matter submittedto its action, alcohol takes up Sugar, Resin, Extractive, Tan-nin, Cinchonin, Camp/ior,' volatile Oils, several acids, Veratrinv,Scillatin, Elatiii, and Morphia ; proof spirit also takes up thewhole of these partially, and is besides the proper menstruumfor gum-resins; so that alcohol, either in a concentrated ordiluted form, is capable of separating the greater part of theactive principles of vegetables from the ligneous inert fibres.The tinctures obtained from animal substances are very few innumber, and the principles taken up by the spirit are analogousto those enumerated above, belonging to the vegetable kingdom.Pure alcohol is required in a very few instances only for theformation of tinctures, proof spirit being adequate for almostevery purpose. The dilution of the spirit, however, must bevaried according to the known principles of the substance to besubmitted to its action; when resin predominates, it mustnecessarily be more concentrated; when gum-resin or extrac-tive are the most abundant constituents, proof spirit then mustbe employed. In consequence of the great affinity of water
1 Arnold de Villa Nova, who was professor of medicine at Montuellier, in-vented tinctures about the end of the 13 th centun.
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