Peppermint Spirit
DEFINITION
Peppermint Spirit contains, in each 100 mL, NLT 9.0 mL and NMT 11.0 mL of peppermint oil.
Peppermint Oil 100 mL
Peppermint, in coarse powder 10 g
Alcohol, a sufficient quantity to make 1000 mL
Macerate the peppermint leaves, freed as much as possible from stems and coarsely powdered, for 1 h in 500 mL of purified water, and then strongly express them. Add the moist, macerated leaves to 900 mL of alcohol, and allow the mixture to stand for 6 h with frequent agitation. Filter, and to the filtrate add the oil, and add alcohol to make the product measure 1000 mL.
ASSAY
•  Content of Peppermint Oil
Sample:  5.0 mL of Spirit
Analysis:  Transfer the Sample to a Babcock bottle, graduated to 8%. Add 1.0 mL of kerosene, and mix. Add a saturated calcium chloride solution, acidified with hydrochloric acid, almost to fill the bulb of the bottle. Rotate the bottle vigorously to ensure mixing, and then add a sufficient quantity of the calcium chloride solution to bring the separated oil into the neck of the bottle. Centrifuge at about 1500 rpm for 5 min, and read the volume of oil in the stem. Subtract five divisions for the kerosene added, and multiply the remaining number of divisions by 4.2 to obtain the volume, in mL, of peppermint oil in 100 mL of the Spirit.
Acceptance criteria:  9.0–11.0 mL
SPECIFIC TESTS
•  Alcohol Determination, Method II 611: 79.0%–85.0% of C2H5OH
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
•  Packaging and Storage: Preserve in tight containers, protected from light.
Auxiliary Information— Please check for your question in the FAQs before contacting USP.
Topic/Question Contact Expert Committee
Monograph Robert H. Lafaver, M.S.
Scientific Liaison
1-301-816-8335
(EXC2010) Monographs - Excipients
USP35–NF30 Page 4268