Tinctura Arnica. U. S. (Br.) Tincture of Arnica. Tr. Arnic. [Tinctura Arnicae Florum, U. S. 1890]
Related entries: Arnica
Tinctura Arnicae Florum, Br., Tincture of Arnica Flowers;
Teinture (alcoole) de Fleur d'Arnica, Teinture d'Arnica, Fr. Cod..; Tinctura Arnicae, P. G.; Arnikatinktur, G.; Tintura di Arnica, It.; Tintura alcoholica de arnica, Sp.
"Arnica, in No. 20 powder, two hundred grammes [or 7 ounces av., 24 grains]; Diluted Alcohol, a sufficient quantity, to make one thousand mils [or 33 fluidounces, 6 ½ fluidrachms]. Moisten the drug with five hundred mils [or 16 fluidounces, 435 minims] of diluted alcohol, transfer it to a percolator, and, without pressing the powder, allow it to stand well covered for twenty-four hours, then pack it with moderate pressure and allow the percolation to proceed slowly, pouring on additional diluted alcohol as needed. When the percolate measures two hundred and fifty mils [or 8 fluidounces, 218 minims] stop the flow, macerate the drug for an additional twenty-four hours, and then continue the percolation until the total percolate measures five hundred mils [or 16 fluid-ounces, 435 minims]. Again interrupt the percolation, macerate the drug for another twelve hours and afterwards collect an additional two hundred and fifty mils [or 8 fluidounces, 218 minims] of percolate. Again macerate the drug for twelve hours and then allow the percolation to proceed slowly, pouring on sufficient diluted alcohol to make one thousand mils [or 33 fluid-ounces, 6 ½ fluidrachms] of Tincture." U. S.
"Arnica Flowers, in No. 20 powder, 100 grammes; Alcohol (45 per cent.), sufficient to produce 1000 millilitres. Moisten the powder with two hundred millilitres of the Alcohol, and complete the percolation process." Br.
The U. S. IX and Br. Pharm., 1914, have dropped arnica root and tincture of arnica flowers alone represents arnica in both Pharmacopoeias. Tincture of Arnica Root, Br., 1898, was made by percolating 50 grammes powdered arnica rhizome with 70 per cent. alcohol, until one thousand mils were obtained. Tincture of arnica root was solely intended for internal administration and confusion arose from the similarity in names.
The U. S. P. tincture of arnica differs from that official in 1870 in the menstruum selected, which is now diluted alcohol in place of alcohol. The change was advocated by numerous pharmaceutical writers, and there is no question of the ability of the menstruum to exhaust the arnica flowers, if they are tightly packed in the percolator. The principal objection to the change is the greater difficulty that will be experienced in mixing the tincture with liniments containing oily and alcoholic liquids.
Either alone, or diluted with water, soap liniment, etc., tincture of arnica is often applied popularly to bruises, sprains, tumors and local rheumatic pains, under the impression that it has extraordinary healing powers. It probably acts merely as a counter-irritant. On some skins it produces a violent eczematous inflammation. If given internally, the dose would be from ten to thirty minims (0.6-1.8 mils), increased until some effect was produced.
Dose, of the British tincture of the root, twenty minims to half a fluidrachm (1.3-1.8 mils).
