Galenical preparations are medicines prepared according to formulas of Galen that contain mainly herbal or vegetable matter. They are prepared through extraction of active plant principles using solvents like water or alcohol. Common types include infusions, decoctions, tinctures, oils, and extracts. Extraction methods involve comminution, penetration of the plant material by the solvent, dissolution and diffusion of active principles, and separation from insoluble material. Key terms include menstruum (solvent), marc (insoluble plant material), and various extraction techniques like percolation, expression, filtration, and distillation. Common classes of compounds extracted include volatile oils, resins, gums, glucosides, alkaloids

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2. Galenical Preparations
Medicines prepared according to the formulae of Galen. Medicinal
preparation composed mainly of herbal or vegetable matter. It is
prepared by extraction of crude vegetable drugs (active principles)
with suitable solvent(s). -The term is now used to denote standard
preparations containing one or more active constituents of a plant
and made by a process that leaves the inert and other undesirable
constituents of the plant un-dissolved .. Galenicals Galen is a
Greek anatomist whose theories formed the basis of European
medicine until the Renaissance (between 4 th and 17 th ).
Pharmaceutical preparations are divided into: Galenical
preparation and Non-Galenical preparations ..

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General method of Preparation:
Comminution (reducing substances to small size)
Penetration of the crude drug by the menstrum.
Dissolution of the active principles by the menstrum.
Diffusion of the dissolved active principles through the cell
wall to the surrounding menstrum.
Separation of the dissolved active principles from the marc
by straining, filtration or expression ..

4. Nomenclature:
Galenicals :
owing to Galen who discovered it.
Menstrum :
Solvent used for extraction (ex. water, alcohol, ether)
Marc :
The inert fibrous and other insoluble materials remaining after
extraction

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Types:
Infussions
Decoctions
Fluid extracts
Semisolid extracts
Dry extracts
Tinctures
Medical oils

6. Extraction,
The process by which a solvent (or menstruum) removes
from a drug one or more of its soluble constituents. Four
types of extraction are made use of by the pharmacist.

7. (i) Infusion
In this process a suitably finally divided drug is treated with either hot or cold water for a
certain length of time, after which the fluid portion is strained off and retained and the solid
portion rejected.
(II) Decoction
In this process the active principle is extracted by boiling in water.
(III) Maceration
In this process the drug is placed in a vessel, the solvent poured upon it, and left to stand for a
suitable length of time with occasional agitation. The fluid is then filtered off; the marc or
solid portion pressed out, the fluid thus obtained being added to the filtrate and the marc
rejected.
(IV) Percolation
In this process the drug is packed in a conical vessel (a percolator) with a small outlet at its
lower end and moistened with the solvent which is added from time to time, and allowed to
run off slowly from the lower outlet until a certain quantity of solvent has passed through. The
marc is usually pressed out and the fluid obtained added to the percolate.

8. Expression
In this process the drug is subjected to pressure and thus its juices
are obtained.
Filtration
In this process solids are separated from fluids by allowing the latter
to pass out through a porous diaphragm.
Vesication
In this process the watery constituents of drugs are got rid of by the
aid of currents of either hot or cold air.

9. Distillation
In this process volatile substances are separated from non-volatile or less volatile
by the aid of heat. The volatile substances are passed over a cooled surface on
which they condense and are collected.
Pulverization. By this process the drug is reduced to a very finely divided condition
(or powder). The degree of fineness is determined by the number of meshes to the
linear inch of the finest sieve through which the powder can pass. The sieves used
contain 20, 40, 60, 80, 100 meshes to an inch. The simplest method of pulverizing
the drug is by means of a mortar and pestle but in large pharmaceutical houses
this end is usually obtained by means of a mill.
Trituration
This term may be used as synonymous with pulverization, but more commonly
refers to an intimate mixing and powdering of two drugs by means of a mortar and
pestle or of a spatula.

10. Fixed Oils
(e.g. Castor Oil, *01ive Oil), - fluid esters of the higher fatty acids with
glycerol (glycerin C3H5(OH)3) obtained by expression from fruits,
seeds, etc. They cannot be distilled without decomposition. They are
freely soluble in ether, chloroform, carbon bi-sulphide, and benzene,
slightly soluble in alcohol, but insoluble in water.
Fats, (e.g. Lard) - are solid esters of higher fatty acids and glycerol
and are soluble in the same reagents as the oils. They are usually
mixtures.
Waxes, (e.g. cera flava) - are usually mixtures of higher fatty acids
and glycerol and higher alcohols.

11. Volatile or Essential Oils, (e.g. Oil of Cloves, Turpentine) -
are usually mixtures of hydro-carbons chiefly fluids
terpenes associated with more highly oxidized members
stearoptenes which may be obtained in a solid state, (e.g.
Camphor). They are usually isolated from plants by
distillation. They are all soluble in ether, chloroform,
carbon bi-sulphide, and benzene, fairly soluble in alcohol,
slightly in water.

12. Resins
Resins, (e.g. Scammony Resin) - solid preparations obtained
from oils by oxidation. The pharmacopoeial resins are usually
mixtures of resins as defined above and other bodies many of
which are weakly acid. They are insoluble in water but soluble
in alkaline solutions, alcohol, and ether.
Oleo-resins, (e.g. Copaiba) natural mixtures of volatile oils and
resins semi-liquid in consistency.
Balsams, (e.g. Benzoin, Balsam of Tolu) resins or oleo-resins
either liquid or solid which contain benzoic or cinnamic acids
or both.

13. Balsams, (e.g. Benzoin, Balsam of Tolu) resins or oleo-resins
either liquid or solid which contain benzoic or cinnamic acids or
both.
Gums, (e.g. Acacia and Tragacanth) solid or semi-solid
exudations of plants which dissolve either partially or
completely in water, forming a mucilage or an adhesive jelly,
and are precipitated by alcohol. They are complex hydro-
carbons yielding pentoses on hydrolysis.
Gum-resins, (e.g. Myrrh) mixtures of gums and resins.

14. Glucosides, (the important pharmacopoeial examples are, - Digitalin, Salicin,
Santonin) active principles which may be readily broken up by acids or alkalies
in the presence of water setting free glucose.
Alkaloids, (e.g. Morphine and Strychnine) nitrogenous organic bases usually
pyridine derivatives which are generally crystalline though some are liquid.
They are usually sparingly soluble in water, but readily in alcohol, chloroform,
benzene, and ether. Like alkalies they form salts with acids. Those with
inorganic acids are usually soluble in water, those with organic acids much
less so
Tannins or Tannic Acids, - These are weak acids containing a benzene ring,
astringent in taste, freely soluble in alcohol and water. They occur very
commonly in barks and roots and hence in pharmaceutical preparations of
these they give precipitates with iron salts and some alkaloids. Their presence
must be remembered when such preparations are prescribed..