Tinctire, a solution of a vegetable, animal, or in some cases mineral substance in alcohol, dilute alcohol, or ether. As tinctures present the active principles of many drugs in a small bulk, and are little liable to change, they are largely used in medicine. They are made by maceration or displacement. The former process consists in soaking the drug for a time which varies greatly in different cases. Displacement or percolation is largely employed in the preparation of fluid extracts as well as of tinctures, and consists in allowing the fluid employed to filter slowly through the powdered drug, the lower layer of fluid, containing a large portion of the soluble constituents, being constantly drawn off and its place supplied by fresh strata from above. This process is in most cases much more rapid than maceration. Tincture of iodine and tincture of the chloride of iron demand no maceration, as iodine dissolves rapidly in alcohol or ether, while the iron preparation is a mere mixture of a solution with alcohol.