SYRUPS 203 



1. Medicinal syrups. 



a. Oflficinal, simple and medicated. 



b. Patent and proprietary medicated syrups. 



c. Medicinal preparations containing syrup or saccharine substances. 



2. Soda fountain syrups. 



3. Fruit juices containing sugar. Fruit juice concentrates. 



4. Syrups, molasses, treacle. 



Syrups contain cane sugar in variable amount. Many of 

 them also contain variable amounts of invert sugars. The 

 pharmaceutical syrups are numerous and may be prepared with 

 sugar or simple syrup. The chemicals and therapeutic agents 

 which are added undoubtedly have some influence on the keeping 

 qualities of the preparations, but thus far no one has made any 

 extensive report on the contaminations of medicinal preparations 

 containing sugar or syrup. The soda fountain syrups are essen- 

 tially sweetening and flavoring agents used in the preparation 

 of the famihar soda fountain beverages, ice creams and sundaes. 

 They may also contain physiologically active ingredients such as 

 caffeine, cocaine, cocoa, ginger, etc. 



Manufacturers have more or less difficulty in preparing syrups 

 which will endure without spoiling. Simple syrup and the fruit 

 juices in particular are hkely to undergo yeast fermentation, and 

 in many instances there is also mold development, more com- 

 monly the Penicillium glaucum. The contaminations of medicinal 

 syrups and medicines containing syrup are very variable. Some 

 of these preparations keep for a long time, while others appear 

 to be quite susceptible to the invasion of yeasts. In many in- 

 stances the initial yeast invasion is soon followed by the develop- 

 ment of bacteria and also mold. 



Among the organisms which are most likely to attack syrups 

 and solutions containing sugar are the so-called potato group of 

 bacilli. The most common and most destructive members of 

 this group are Bacillus vulgatus,B. liodermos,B. mesenterkus Juscus, 

 B. mesenterkus ruber and B. levaniformans , which latter species 

 is really the group tjrpe. These bacteria are widely distributed in 



