Glyceritum Hydrastis. U. S.

Glyceritum Hydrastis. U. S.

Glycerite of Hydrastis. Glycer. Hydrast. [Glycerite of Golden Seal]

Related entries: Hydrastis
Preparations: Glycerite of Hydrastis

"One hundred mils of Glycerite of Hydrastis yields not less than 1.12 Gm. nor more than 1.37 Gm. of the ether-soluble alkaloids of hydrastis." U.S.

Glycere d'Hydrastis du Canada, Fr.; Gelbwurzel-Glycerit, G.

"Hydrastis, in No. 60 powder, one thousand grammes [or 35 ounces av., 120 grains]; Glycerin, Alcohol, Water, each, a sufficient quantity, to make about one thousand mils [or 33 fluidounces, 6 ½ fluidrachms]. Moisten the Hydrastis with three hundred and fifty mils [or 11 fluidounces, 401 minims] of Alcohol, pack it firmly in a cylindrical percolator; and add enough Alcohol to saturate the powder and leave a stratum above it. When the liquid begins to drop from the percolator, close the lower orifice, and, having closely covered the percolator, macerate for forty-eight hours. Then allow the percolation to proceed slowly, gradually adding Alcohol, until the drug is exhausted. Remove nearly all of the Alcohol, by distillation or evaporation, pour the thick concentrated liquid into four hundred and fifty mils [or 15 fluid-ounces, 104 minims] of ice-cold Water, and set it aside, in a cold place, for twenty-four hours. Then filter and assay a portion of this filtrate by the process given below, and, from the result thus obtained, ascertain by calculation the amount of ether-soluble alkaloids in the remainder. of the liquid. Add to this enough cold water to make each one hundred mils of the product contain 2.5 Gm. of the ether-soluble alkaloids of hydrastis. Finally add an equal volume of glycerin, and mix." U. S.

"Assay.—Proceed as directed under Fluidextractum Belladonna Radicis, first line of the Assay, modifying the process there given by using 5 mils of Glycerite of Hydrastis instead of 10 mils of fluidextract of belladonna root and using only ether as the immiscible solvent throughout the assay. Wash the final ether extractions with 10 mils of distilled water, draw off the water and discard it. Then filter the ether solution through a pledget of purified cotton, wash the cotton with ether, evaporate the filtrate and washings, and dry the residue at 100° C. (212° F.) to constant weight instead of titrating it. The weight represents the amount of ether-soluble alkaloids in 5 mils of the Glycerite of Hydrastis." U. S.

The process for this glycerite has been improved by adopting J. U. Lloyd's suggestion to concentrate the alcoholic tincture by distillation or evaporation and pouring the thick liquid into ice-cold water, for the purpose of separating the oily and resinous matter which is useless. F. A. Sieker found that glycerite of hydrastis as made by the former U. S. process varies greatly in strength. (See Proc. A. Ph. A., 1893, 691; also Ph. Rund., 1895, 236, and Proc. A. Ph. A., 1894, 668.) Its medicinal properties are those of hydrastis.

Dose, from one-half to one fluidrachm (1.8-3.75 mils).


The Dispensatory of the United States of America, 1918, was edited by Joseph P. Remington, Horatio C. Wood and others.