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Tincture
 
 
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In medicine
Medicine

Medicine is the art and science of healing. It encompasses a range of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
, a tincture is an alcohol
Alcohol

In chemistry, an alcohol is any organic compound in which a hydroxyl Functional group is bound to a carbon atom of an alkyl or substituted alkyl group....
ic extract
Extract

An extract is a substance made by wikt:extracting a part of a raw material, often by using a solvent such as ethanol or water. Extracts may be sold as tinctures or in powder form....
 (e.g. of leaves or other plant material) or solution
Solution

In chemistry, a solution is a homogeneous mixture composed of two or more substances. In such a mixture, a solute is dissolved in another substance, known as a solvent....
 of a non-volatile
Volatility (chemistry)

Volatility in the context of chemistry, physics and thermodynamics is a measure of the tendency of a substance to vaporize. It has also been defined as a measure of how readily a substance vaporizes....
 substance; (e.g. of iodine
Iodine

Iodine , is a chemical element that has the symbol I and atomic number 53. Naturally-occurring iodine is a single isotope with 74 neutrons....
, mercurochrome). To qualify as a tincture, the alcoholic extract is to have an ethanol
Ethanol

Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatility , flammable, colorless liquid....
 percentage of at least 40-60% (sometimes a 90% percent pure liquid is even achieved). Solutions of volatile substances were called spirit
Spirit

The English word "spirit" comes from the Latin "spiritus" . The term is commonly used to refer to a supernatural being which is transcendence and therefore metaphysical in nature....
s, although that name was also given to several other materials obtained by distillation
Distillation

Distillation is a method of separation process mixtures based on differences in their Volatility in a boiling liquid mixture. Distillation is a unit operation, or a physical separation process, and not a chemical reaction....
, even when they did not include alcohol.

neral method of preparation on how tinctures can be prepared is the following:

To make a more precise tincture
Tincture

In medicine, a tincture is an alcoholic extract or solution of a non-Volatility substance; . To qualify as a tincture, the alcoholic extract is to have an ethanol percentage of at least 40-60% ....
, more extensive measuring can be done by combining 1 part herbs with a water-ethanol mixture of 2-10 parts, depending on the herb itself.






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In medicine
Medicine

Medicine is the art and science of healing. It encompasses a range of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
, a tincture is an alcohol
Alcohol

In chemistry, an alcohol is any organic compound in which a hydroxyl Functional group is bound to a carbon atom of an alkyl or substituted alkyl group....
ic extract
Extract

An extract is a substance made by wikt:extracting a part of a raw material, often by using a solvent such as ethanol or water. Extracts may be sold as tinctures or in powder form....
 (e.g. of leaves or other plant material) or solution
Solution

In chemistry, a solution is a homogeneous mixture composed of two or more substances. In such a mixture, a solute is dissolved in another substance, known as a solvent....
 of a non-volatile
Volatility (chemistry)

Volatility in the context of chemistry, physics and thermodynamics is a measure of the tendency of a substance to vaporize. It has also been defined as a measure of how readily a substance vaporizes....
 substance; (e.g. of iodine
Iodine

Iodine , is a chemical element that has the symbol I and atomic number 53. Naturally-occurring iodine is a single isotope with 74 neutrons....
, mercurochrome). To qualify as a tincture, the alcoholic extract is to have an ethanol
Ethanol

Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatility , flammable, colorless liquid....
 percentage of at least 40-60% (sometimes a 90% percent pure liquid is even achieved). Solutions of volatile substances were called spirit
Spirit

The English word "spirit" comes from the Latin "spiritus" . The term is commonly used to refer to a supernatural being which is transcendence and therefore metaphysical in nature....
s, although that name was also given to several other materials obtained by distillation
Distillation

Distillation is a method of separation process mixtures based on differences in their Volatility in a boiling liquid mixture. Distillation is a unit operation, or a physical separation process, and not a chemical reaction....
, even when they did not include alcohol.

General method of preparation

A general method of preparation on how tinctures can be prepared is the following:
  • Herbs are put in a jar
    Jar

    A jar is small, approximately cylindrical container for food, made of glass or clay, and also plastic as in the case of a "jar" of peanut butter.Jar or JAR can also mean:...
     and a spirit of 40°C pure ethanol
    Ethanol

    Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatility , flammable, colorless liquid....
     is added
  • The jar is left to stand for 2-3 weeks, shaken occasionally.


To make a more precise tincture
Tincture

In medicine, a tincture is an alcoholic extract or solution of a non-Volatility substance; . To qualify as a tincture, the alcoholic extract is to have an ethanol percentage of at least 40-60% ....
, more extensive measuring can be done by combining 1 part herbs with a water-ethanol mixture of 2-10 parts, depending on the herb itself. With most tinctures, however, 1 part water at 5 parts ethanol
Ethanol

Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatility , flammable, colorless liquid....
 is used.

Examples of tinctures

Some examples that were formerly common in medicine include:
  • Tincture of Cannabis sativa
    Cannabis sativa

    Cannabis sativa is an annual plant in the Cannabaceae family. It is a herb that has been used throughout recorded history by humans as a source of fiber, for its seed oil, as food , as a drug , as medicine , and for spiritual purposes ....
  • Tincture of Benzoin
    Tincture of benzoin

    Tincture of benzoin is a pungent solution of benzoin resin in alcohol. A similar preparation called Friar's Balsam or Compound Benzoin Tincture contains, in addition, aloe and storax ....
  • Tincture of cantharides
    Cantharidin

    Cantharidin, a type of terpenoid, is a poisonous chemical compound secreted by many species of blister beetle, and most notably by the Spanish fly, Lytta vesicatoria....
  • Tincture of ferric citrochloride (a chelate of citric acid
    Citric acid

    Citric acid is a weak organic chemistry acid, and it is a natural preservative and is also used to add an acidic, or sour, taste to foods and soft drinks....
     and Iron(III) chloride
    Iron(III) chloride

    Iron chloride, Generic name called ferric chloride, is an industrial scale commodity chemical compound, with the formula IronChlorine3....
    )
  • Tincture of green soap
    SOAP

    SOAP, originally defined as Simple Object Access Protocol, is a protocol specification for exchanging structured information in the implementation of Web Services in computer networks....
     (which also contains lavender
    Lavender

    The Lavenders Lavandula are a genus of 39 species of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae, native to the Mediterranean region south to tropical Africa and to the southeast regions of India....
    )
  • Tincture of guaiac
    Guaiacum

    Guaiacum, or guajacum, is a genus in the family Zygophyllaceae. The six species are shrubs and trees, native to subtropical and tropical regions of the Americas....
  • Tincture of iodine
    Tincture of iodine

    Tincture of iodine is a disinfectant, usually 2-7% potassium iodide or sodium iodide in ethanol....
  • Tincture of opium
    Opium

    Opium is a narcotic formed from the latex released by lacerating the immature seed pods of Opium poppy . It contains up to 12% morphine, an opiate alkaloid, which is most frequently processed chemically to produce heroin for the illegal drug trade....
     (laudanum
    Laudanum

    Laudanum , also known as opium tincture or tincture of opium, is an alcoholic Herbalism of opium. It is made by combining ethanol with opium latex or powder....
    )
  • Camphor
    Camphor

    Camphor is a waxy, white or transparent solid with a strong, aromatic odor. It is a terpenoid with the chemical formula carbon10hydrogen16oxygen....
    ated opium tincture (paregoric
    Paregoric

    Paregoric, or camphorated tincture of opium, also known as tinctura opii camphorata, is a medication known for its antidiarrheal, antitussive, and analgesic properties....
    )
  • Tincture of Pennyroyal
    Pennyroyal

    The herb Pennyroyal , is a member of the mentha genus; an essential oil extracted from it is used in aromatherapy. Crushed Pennyroyal leaves and foliage exhibit a very strong spearmint fragrance....


Examples of spirits include:
  • Spirit of ammonia
    Ammonia

    Ammonia is a chemical compound with the chemical formula nitrogenhydrogen. It is normally encountered as a gas with a characteristic pungent odor....
     (also called spirit of hartshorn)
  • Spirit of box, or ethanol
    Ethanol

    Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatility , flammable, colorless liquid....
    , which was derived from the destructive distillation of boxwood
    Boxwood

    Boxwood may refer to:* Boxwood , a genus of about 70 species in the family Buxace?* Boxwood Public School, a school located in Markham, Ontario...
  • Spirit of camphor
    Camphor

    Camphor is a waxy, white or transparent solid with a strong, aromatic odor. It is a terpenoid with the chemical formula carbon10hydrogen16oxygen....
  • Spirit of ether, a solution of diethyl ether
    Diethyl ether

    Diethyl ether, also known as ether and ethoxyethane, is a clear, colorless, and highly flammable liquid with a low boiling point and a characteristic odor....
     in alcohol
  • "Spirit of Mindererus", ammonium acetate
    Ammonium acetate

    Ammonium acetate is a chemical compound with the formula CH3COONH4. It is a white solid, which can be derived from the reaction of ammonia and acetic acid....
     in alcohol
  • "Spirit of nitre" is not a spirit in this sense, but an old name for nitric acid
    Nitric acid

    Nitric acid , also known as aqua fortis and spirit of nitre, is a highly corrosion and toxic strong acid that can cause severe burns....
     (but "sweet spirit of nitre" was ethyl nitrite
    Ethyl nitrite

    The chemical compound ethyl nitrite is an Alkyl nitrites. It may be prepared from ethanol:Ethyl nitrite is the main ingredient in a traditional ethanol-based South African remedy for colds and flu known as Witdulsies and sold in pharmacies....
    )
  • Similarly "spirit of salt" actually meant hydrochloric acid
    Hydrochloric acid

    Hydrochloric acid is the solution of hydrogen chloride in water. It is a highly corrosive, strong acid mineral acid and has major industrial uses....
  • "Spirit of vinegar
    Vinegar

    Vinegar is an acidic liquid processed from the fermentation of ethanol in a process that yields its key ingredient, acetic acid . It also may come in a diluted form....
    " was glacial acetic acid
    Acetic acid

    Acetic acid, CH3COOH, also known as ethanoic acid, is an organic acid which gives vinegar its sour taste and pungent smell. Pure, water-free acetic acid is a colourless liquid that absorbs water from the environment , and freezes at 16.7 Celsius to a colourless crystalline solid....
     and
  • "Spirit of vitriol" was sulfuric acid
    Sulfuric acid

    Sulfuric acid, hydrogen2sulfuroxygen4, is a strong mineral acid. It is soluble in water at all concentrations. Sulfuric acid has many applications, and is one of the top products of the chemical industry....
  • "Spirit of wine" or "spirits of wine" is an old name for alcohol (especially food grade alcohol derived from the distillation of wine
    Wine

    Wine is an alcoholic beverage often made of fermentation grape juice. The natural chemical balance of grapes is such that they can ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes or other nutrients....
    )
  • "Spirit of wood" means methanol
    Methanol

    Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol, carbinol, wood alcohol, wood naphtha or wood spirits, is a chemical compound with chemical formula carbonhydrogen3oxygenhydrogen ....
    , often derived from the destructive distillation
    Destructive distillation

    Destructive distillation is the process of pyrolysis conducted in a distillation apparatus to allow the volatile products to be collected. The process led to the discovery of many chemical compounds before such compounds could be prepared synthetically....
     of wood
    Wood

    Wood is an organic material; in the strict sense wood is produced as secondary xylem in the stems of woody plants, notably trees but also shrubs, etc....


See also

  • Nalewka
    Nalewka

    Nalewka is a traditional Poland category of ethanolic tincture. The alcoholic beverage is usually 40 to 45% alcohol by volume and is made by maceration of various ingredients in alcohol, usually vodka or Rectified spirit....
     - a traditional Polish
    Poland

    Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian Enclave and exclave, to the north....
     category of alcoholic tincture.
  • infusion
    Infusion

    An infusion is the outcome of Wikt:steep plants with a desired flavour in water or edible oil.An infusion is very similar to a decoction but is used with herbs that are more volatile or dissolve readily in water, or release their active ingredients easily in oil....
     - a water or oil based extract with similar historical uses to a tincture.
  • Elixir
    Elixir

    An elixir , Russian language,???????. From Greek language, ??????, "medical powder", from Greek language, ?????, "dry". Eliksir is a pharmaceutical preparation containing an active ingredient that is dissolved in a solution that contains some percentage of Ethanol and is designed to be taken orally....
     - A pharmaceutical preparation containing an active ingredient that is dissolved in a solution containing some percentage of ethyl alcohol
    Ethanol

    Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatility , flammable, colorless liquid....
    .
  • Extract
    Extract

    An extract is a substance made by wikt:extracting a part of a raw material, often by using a solvent such as ethanol or water. Extracts may be sold as tinctures or in powder form....


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