382 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. [November 16 , 1872 . 
two ounces when dry; it will he evident then that 
this quantity will be required to make one pint of 
tincture, and that four ounces of water must be 
omitted in making the proof spirit. Although recti¬ 
fied spirit might be the best solvent of the volatile 
oil, etc., in the peel, there is an objection to its use, 
as it tends to harden the peel, rendering it more 
crisp and less permeable. In the winter I usually 
make sufficient to carry me safely through the sum¬ 
mer, when the fruit is difficult to procure, but taking 
the quantity of the pharmacopoeia for example I 
proceed thus:—Six ounces of thin fresh peel, cut 
small, are macerated 48 hours with four ounces of 
distilled water; 12 ounces of rectified spirit are 
then added, and the maceration continued with 
occasional agitation for one month ; filtered, pressed, 
and the product made to measure one pint wutli 
proof spirit. Set aside in a moderately cool place 
for use. 
Tincture of Quinine, prepared from the fore¬ 
going tincture in the summer, deposits in the winter 
—so it frequently does when prepared with the B.P. 
tincture,—presuming, of course, that pure quinine be 
used (not the unbleached, which frequently, if not 
always, contains cinchonine). Now, to prepare, say 
tw r o pints, tincture suitable for comp, tincture of 
quinine, I proceed thus:—Take six ounces fresh 
peel, two ounces dry peel (in fine shreds, known as 
machine cuttings), add four ounces water, and after 
48 hours, 32 ounces rectified spirit ; allow to stand 
as before, but, after pressing, make up the deficiency 
with rectified instead of proof spirit. Thus a tinc¬ 
ture is obtained of fine flavour, and capable of re¬ 
taining the quinine in solution. Here it might be 
objected that I am introducing a third strength of 
spirit, and with it complication. This is to some 
extent true, and I should be the last to do so if no 
practical results were to be gained, but it must have 
occurred to many persons as being somewhat incon¬ 
sistent that in the B.P. we should have but two 
strengths of spirit (and these more or less arbitrary) 
as being best capable of dissolving and preserving 
the active principles of the whole materia medica. 
Syrup of Orange Peel. —Most of what I have 
written with regard to the tincture from fresh peel 
wall apply to the syrup made from that tincture, but 
with this exception, it does not lose anything of its 
fine aroma by age. Sugar appears to possess a pre¬ 
servative influence, and this suggests an experiment 
worth trying when Seville oranges are again in sea¬ 
son, viz.:—Take the six ounces of fresh peel and 
beat well with an ounce or two of sugar, before 
adding the water and spirit, for producing the tinc¬ 
ture ; will it retain its fresh flavour quite un¬ 
changed ? 
THE MICROSCOPE IH PHARMACY. 
BY HENRY POCKLINGTON. 
('Continued from p. 341.) 
Jamaica Sarsaparilla. —The following structures 
enter into the composition of this root, and will be 
treated separately:—The rind, or bark, the cortical 
substance, single circle of dark-coloured cells envelop¬ 
ing the meditullium, the vascular system, and the 
central cellular substance which sometimes contains 
isolated vessels in the case of the root of Smilax 
officinalis, and in some species frequently does so. 
1. The outer bark, or rind, consists of three or 
four layers of oblong cells, frequently much thickened, 
and reddish brown in colour. The outer layer is 
sometimes furnished with cylindrical multi-cellular 
hairs. The cells of this layer are much compressed. 
2. The cortical substance is composed of short 
cylindrical cells, which contain a variable quantity 
of starch. The proportion of starch is an important 
element to be taken into consideration wflien deciding 
upon the nature of a specimen under examination, 
as the officinal root contains a much less proportion 
of starch in the cortical layers than most other kinds. 
The cells of the cortical layer are tliinwvalled, 
porous, and, excepting near the rind, of very regular 
size. 
3. The vessels surrounding the central w r ood 
cylinder are long tubular cells with thickened walls, 
and are not easily distinguished in longitudinal sec¬ 
tions, but are readily recognized in cross sections. 
4. The vascular system is usually said to be 
arranged in wedges. Some describe the vessels as 
being arranged in alternating circles. Neither 
are very evidently true. From five to seven 
large pitted (oval pits) vessels are arranged, the 
largest vessel towards the centre, and the smallest 
near the single circle last mentioned, in what may be 
considered w T edges ; and between the thin ends of each 
two of these wedges a third wedge of smaller vessels, 
or more frequently an oval structure composed of 
oblong porous cells. A cylindrical vessel, enveloped 
by several layers of liber cells, sometimes is placed 
at the base of these w r edges, and occasionally in the 
officinal root, very frequently in some others, similar 
vessels are found in the central portion. Three 
classes of structure appear to enter into the structure 
of these vessels as in those of the stem. The vessels 
proper are interesting objects, the pitting on some is 
scalariform, on others punctate. The accompanying 
structures are also pitted or porous. 
5. The cells of the central portion resemble those 
of ’the cortical substance, excepting where modified 
by the proximity of the vessels. 
The cell contents, in addition to the colouring 
matter, are acicular raphides and starch granules. 
The latter are compound granules, and composed of 
from tw r o to six without central cavity, but with a 
punctate, or radiate liilum, which is generally indis¬ 
tinct. Schleiden claims to have found amorphous 
starch in the bark of this root, but his observations 
have not been, so far as I know, confirmed. Very 
minute granules are found here as elsewhere, and 
appear amorphous under a low pow r er; more than 
this I have not seen. 
It will not be necessary to go into the structural 
details of the other roots, as they all present the 
same general features, and several of them are evi¬ 
dently either specifically identical or very closely 
allied to the officinal root. Amongst these are 
“ Lima,*” “ Valparaiso,” and “ Vera Cruz,” which 
do not differ, excepting in the quantity of starch in 
the cortical substance. 
Honduras Sarsaparilla. —The first distinguishing 
feature is the much greater proportion of starch in 
the cortical substance. The number of vessels in the 
wedges of the meditullium usually ranges from two 
to four, only the liber is more developed, and two 
* Smilax (species incerta), named only after tlie supposed 
habitat or place of export. My thanks are due to Mr. J. 
Collins for these and other species not commonly met with. 
