"When the Temperance Hospital was first opened, it became a question of practical importance, what should be done with regard to the alcohol so largely employed as a vehicle and drug excipient. Not that the principle of the treatment of disease without the ordinary administration of alcoholic beverages precludes the employment of alcoholic tinctures, but it was felt that in such a test case as this it was important to obviate the objection that while withholding alcohol as a beverage, it was given in the medicine. As a matter of fact, it is surprising, when one looks into it, how much alcohol is often given merely as a vehicle for other drugs, and without the special action of alcohol being required or desired. In prescriptions which are to be seen in many text-books, it is not uncommon to find from one to two or three, or even four drachms of rectified spirit in the form of tinctures or spirits. This is very undesirable. If alcohol is needed it should be given in proper measured dose. But if it is not indicated, then it is not well to administer it in this indirect manner. "Experiments were therefore made, partly at the hospital and specially by Messrs. Southall Bros. & Barclay, of Birmingham, with the result that new non-alcoholic tinctures were made replacing the following alcoholic tinctures and wines:-- Tinct. Aloes. " Arnicae. " Aurantii. " Belladonnae. " Buchu. " Calumbae. " Camph. Co. " Capsici. " Cascarillae. " Catechu. " Chiratae. " Cinchonae Co. " " Flav. " Cinnamomae. " Colchici Sem. " Conii. " Digitalis. " Ferri Acet. " Ferri Perchlor. " Gentiani Co. " Hyosciami. " Kino. " Krameriae. " Limonis. " Lobeliae. " Nucis Vomicae. " Opii. " Quassiae. " Rhei. " Scillae. " Serpentariae. " Stramonii. " Valerianae. " " Ammon. Vin. Aloes. " Colchici Rad. " " Sim. " Ipecac. " Opii. " Rhei. "These were made by extracting the principles of the drugs in the usual way except that instead of alcohol a mixture of glycerine and water was used in the proportion of one-fourth to one-third part of glycerine, and about five per cent. of acetic acid. These made very elegant preparations, and in the majority of cases appeared to have just the same, and just as great physiological action. Subsequently the ordinary tinctures were distilled, and the extracts thus obtained dissolved in the above menstruum, as far as was possible, in most cases the residuum being found to be inert.