6.30 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[February 3,1872. 
then mixed with the reqixired amount of alcohol. Acetic 
acid could he used as well, and even to advantage, if no 
objection be raised against the presence of the resulting 
acetate formed by neutralizing the acid with any de¬ 
sirable base after its catalytic action is no longer needed. 
When operating upon squill, it is always desirable to 
leave it in as coarse a condition as possible. The sliced 
root is often best; No. 12 powder is very convenient, 
and for purposes of extraction none should be finer than 
No. 20. 
No preparation of squill should ever be made from the 
fluid extract. 
Vinegar of squill is best produced from the sliced root 
by maceration; an insufficiency of water is first used 
with all of the acetic acid intended for the finished pro¬ 
duct, after due maceration the liquid is separated by 
means of a press, measured, and then as much water as 
wdll be necessary to complete the whole measure of the 
finished preparation added to the residue ; after a short 
maceration this is also pressed out, the whole mixed to¬ 
gether and filtered. 
Syrup of squill should never be made by heat, as it is 
invariably clouded with flocculent matter, which has 
separated during the process. A bright and beautifully 
clear syrup will always be obtained when the sugar is 
dissolved in the vinegar of squill without heat. This is 
accomplished by first filtering the vinegar if necessary, 
pouring part of it upon the sugar to cause this to 
crumble, then adding the remainder, agitating frequently 
until the sugar is dissolved, and finally straining through 
muslin. The straining of cold syrups is best performed 
by placing a large square sheet of muslin upon a propor¬ 
tionately large funnel, then pouring on the syrup until 
the funnel is filled; by now folding any two opposite 
sides of the strainer together and twisting the ends in 
contrary directions, the syrup is rapidly forced through. 
Compound syrup of squill can only be rendered per¬ 
manent by the intervention of a small proportion of 
alcohol. 
The seneka and squill entering into its composition 
can best be exhausted with a weak alcoholic menstruum. 
A portion of the alcohol should be expelled, and the dis¬ 
solved albumen coagulated by slowly heating to the boil¬ 
ing-point, filtering after cooling, and dissolving the 
sugar and antimonial tartrate in the filtrate with heat. 
The process yields a product which meets every require¬ 
ment, and is executed as follows : •— 
Take of Seneka root in No. 20 powder— 
Squill „ „ ,, of each 8 troy oz. 
Sugar 76^ troy ounces. 
Antimonio-potassic tartrate 96 grains. 
Alcohol, 
Water, of each sufficient. 
Mix one measure of officinal alcohol and 3 of water, 
pour three pints of this mixture upon the powdered 
roots and let macerate for twenty-four hours. Now place 
this into a cylindrical percolator forming a moderately 
low column, and pour on more of the menstruum until 
4 or 5 pinjts of percolate has slowly passed; heat this 
slowly to the boiling-point and then evaporate to 3^ pints, 
let cool, filter and in the filtrate dissolve the sugar and 
antimonial tartrate with heat, and strain through muslin 
while hot; the product measures 6 pints. 
Fluid extract of squill is sometimes prescribed, and it 
is advisable for the pharmaceutist to prepare it himself, 
and always to have some on hand. For this purpose 
either the sliced root or the No. 12 powder can be used. 
The sliced root is treated by maceration, and the powxler 
is percolated. The process with powder is as follows :— 
Take of Squill, in No. 12 powder . .16 troy ounces. 
Sulphuric Acid.1 troy ounce. 
Calcium Carbonate . . . sufficient. 
Alcohol.4 fluid ounces. 
Water.sufficient. 
Mix the sulphuric acid with 3 pints of water; pour 
the mixture upon the squill and let it macerate several 
days. Now place it into a cylindrical percolator, form¬ 
ing a low column, and pour on water until 4 pints of 
percolate has passed; evaporate this to 2 pints with 
boiling, and while hot add calcium carbonate in slight 
excess; filter; wash the residue in the filter with a small 
quantity of water; evaporate the whole filtrate to 12 
fluid ounces, and then slowly pour in the alcohol with, 
constant stirring and strain through muslin.— Chicago- 
Pharmacist. 
SYRUPUS ASSAFCETID2E. 
BY JOHN M. MAISCH. 
Some years ago Mr. Richard Peltz proposed a syrup 
of assafoetida containing 15 grains of the gum resin in. 
each fluid ounce, as a permanent substitute for the U. S. 
officinal mistura assafoetida), which in the course of a 
few days usually spoils. During the prevalence of 
whooping-cough, a few years ago, when assafoetida was 
often prescribed, I prepared a syrup, which was used, 
by several physicians to their entire satisfaction, and. 
which has kept well up to the present time. Instead, 
of the boiling water used by Mr. Peltz, I have employed 
water at the ordinary temperature, and added some 
orange-flower water, which covers to some extent the* 
odour of assafoetida, without masking it altogether. 
Two drachms of selected tears of assafoetida are tritu¬ 
rated with a sufficient quantity of water until three- 
fluid ounces of emulsion have been obtained, to which 
half a fluid ounce of triple orange-flower water is added, 
and afterwards six troy ounces of sugar, which is to be 
dissolved by agitation wdthout the aid of heat. It is 
important to perfectly emulsionize the assafoetida with 
the small amount of water, which, though more difficult 
than the preparation of lac assafoetida), is readily accom¬ 
plished by judicious trituration with small portions of 
the water, and the removal of the concentrated emul¬ 
sion, when trituration is continued with another portion. 
The syrup thus prepared is whitish opaque and sepa¬ 
rates, on long standing, a portion of the resin like- 
cream, which on occasional exposure to the air acquires 
a pinkish hue, and, subsequently, a deep pink colour t 
it can be readily mixed with the syrup by agitation. 
The change in the colour of the resin, of course, alters- 
the appearance of the syrup in course of time, it be¬ 
coming of a pinkish colour after the separated resin has- 
again been diffused in it. An officinal preparation simi¬ 
lar to the one described, it appears to me, would be by 
far preferable to the milk, since it is permanent, and 
affords an opportunity of combining assafoetida with, 
other liquid medicines without much trouble.— Chicago- 
Pharmacist. 
NITRITE OF AMYL AND CHINESE SAM3HU. 
Dr. F. Porter Smith writes to the Practitioner for 
January, with reference to “ the effect of nitrite of amyl 
in causing flushing of the face, that Chinese ‘ samshu ’ 
(i.e. thrice distilled), or native corn-brandy, produces- 
upon the people a remarkable reddening of the eyes and 
whole head, with a very evanescent excitement. This 
is due to the presence of fusel-oil (amyl-alcohol), and has- 
exercised no small influence upon the drinking habits of 
the Chinese. The suffusion of the head and face imme¬ 
diately proclaims the fact of having drunk wine. The- 
smell of the spirit, depending upon propylic and butyric 
as well as amylic compounds, acts as another tell-tale. 
Very strong and cheap spirit is easily obtainable in China,, 
and may be used in the preparation of tinctures, due- 
allowance being made for the presence of the amyl com¬ 
pound, which the Chinese distillers never remove by 
rectification. It acts like the salutary stink of gas, in 
giving timely warning of its near neighbourhood. Why 
remove fusel-oil from British brandy Y* 
