972 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[June 1,1S72;. 
cost—for preparations that, if prepared by the pharma¬ 
ceutist, would not exceed the cost of ordinary tinctures. 
I have attempted to simplify formulas as much as 
possible, in order that such as are but seldom demanded 
may be prepared as wanted. With this in view 
I prepared a simple elixir, an elixir of Calisaya bark, 
a wine flavoured with orange, various solutions of 
essential oils in alcohol, and cochineal colouring; of 
which I usually keep in stock, and prepare by their aid, 
such preparations as may happen to be in demand. 
5 xxiv, 
§xvi. 
sfr- 
31S3. 
5 u j* 
3j- 
3 V 11 J- 
ELIXIR OE CALISAYA BARK. 
Take of Calisaya bark . 
Curasao orange-peel (ribbons) 
Coriander . 
Cardamom . 
Cinnamon (Ceylon) . . . 
Anise. 
Cocoa (Baker’s). 
Reduce to a moderately fine powder ; displace with a 
mixture consisting of one part by measure of stronger 
alcohol and three parts of water; obtained two and a 
half gallons of percolate. 
Meanwhile prepare from six pints of solution of ter- 
sulph. of iron, hydrated sesquioxide of iron by the for¬ 
mula of the Pharmacopoeia, measure it, and add to every 
four measures one measure of alcohol; then add of this 
sufficient to the percolate obtained as above to deprive it 
of its cincho-tannic acid. The absence of the latter is 
readily ascertained by the addition of a drop of muriated 
tincture of iron to a filtered portion of the liquid in 
operation, which should not be coloured by such addition. 
Should colouration result, the intensity or faintness will 
serve as a guide to the further quantity of hydrate ses- 
quioxide.of iron necessary to completely detannate the 
preparation. As soon as this result is obtained, strain 
the mixture upon a muslin strainer; and, when the 
liquid ceases to pass, wash the residue upon the strainer, 
with sufficient of a mixture of one measure of stronger 
alcohol to three of water to make the strained liquid 
measure five gallons. Now triturate together oil of 
orange (fresh), f|ss. (or solution, f*v. ; see further 
on) ; carbonate of magnesia, 5 vj. When thoroughly 
mixed, incorporate it with the strained liquid obtained 
as above, agitate well, and filter through paper ; express 
the filter between muslin, filter the expressed liquid, and 
mix with the previous filtrate, in which dissolve 15 lb. 
av. of sugar. If necessary, filter the elixir thus ob¬ 
tained ; but simple straining will usually answer. 
Triturate together, and add syrup, f 3 ij.; sherry 
wine, f^xiij. ss. ; mix thoroughly and filter. 
The wine obtained in this way has an agreeable 
flavour of orange. The use of carbonate of magnesia 
renders it neutral, and thus enables the introduction of 
medicinal compounds that are liable to decomposition in. 
the presence of acids. 
SOLUTION or ESSENTIAL OILS. 
I have been in the habit of dissolving essential oils 
that are liable to change in alcohol, and have found 
these solutions very convenient for measuring minute 
quantities of oils. They are prepared by dissolving 
essential oil, one part (by measure), in alcohol fort., 
nine parts; which strength is invariably meant when, 
in the formulas, I direct the use of solutions of essential 
oils. 
COCHINEAL COLOUR. 
Take of Cochineal . . 
Carb. potassa . 
Powd. alum 
Cream of tartar 
Water . . . 
3 J* 
oSS. 
3ss. 
3 j* 
o vn j- 
Reduce the cochineal to a fine powder, add the car¬ 
bonate of potassa, and triturate with three ounces of 
the water. Allow the mixture to stand one hour, add 
the alum and cream of tartar successively, and, when 
effervescence has ceased, the remaining water; filter. 
This solution imparts to the elixirs a fine red colour; 
but is in some respects unsatisfactory, as it soon spoils. 
The above are all the preparations that need to bo 
kept in stock; and with them, and such other ingre¬ 
dients as are readily obtained by purchase, almost all 
the elixirs and wines now prescribed may be prepared 
extemporaneously. The exceptions to these are :—• 
SIMPLE ELIXIR. 
Take Oil of orange (fresh) f x] for sol. f 
Oil of cinnamon . irx 
O il of anise . . . tqiv 
Oil of bitter almonds rrm 
Tinct. of cardamom, fgx 
}> 
ir 
5 X )- 
IRC. 
iRxl. 
1RXX. 
COMPOUND ELIXIR OF TARAXACUM, 
which being used for the purpose of disguising the- 
extreme bitterness of quinia, should be prepared accord¬ 
ing to the original formula of Mr. Candidus, as commu¬ 
nicated by him to the American Pharmaceutical Asso¬ 
ciation. 
ELIXIR OF PYROPHOSPHATE OF IRON, QUINIA, AND 
* STRYCHNIA 
requires particular manipulation, which precludes the 
use of simple elixir. The following formula—the result 
of concert of experiments of my friend Mr. E. Scheffer 
and myself—has been used by me since autumn, 1869, 
and I can recommend it as uniformly successful when the 
manipulation is carefully conducted:— 
Take Sulphate of quinia.GO gr. 
Strychnia.1 gr. 
Citric acid.,5 gr. 
Stronger alcohol.f^hj- 
Stronger alcohol 
- O' 
3j j 
Solution of oil of orange 
in. 1. 
f 
Dissoh e the oils in the alcohol, add the tincture, and 
triturate the solution with a previously-powdered mix¬ 
ture of cocoa (Baker’s), *j.; carb. magnesia, *ij. Then 
add gradually four and a half pints of water, transfer 
the mixtuie to a one-gallon bottle, agitate occasionally 
ioi several horns, and filter; express the filter between 
mus m, filter the expressed liquid, mix the previous 
filtrate, and dissolve in it 31b. av. of sugar ; filter or 
strain as may be necessary. 
The simple elixir thus prepared has the colour of dark 
Madeira wine,, and an exceedingly pleasant taste. It 
sei\es as a vehicle for many medicines, disguising - them 
to a great extent and rendering them generally more 
palatable. J 
WINE OF ORANGE. 
Take Oil of orange (fresh) . n^v (or sol. nil) 
Alcohol.f ? S3 
Carb. magnes . . . s ss 
5ss. 
hb 
Syrup . 
Pyrophosphate of iron 
Distilled water.f^vij. 
Aqua ammonia.q. s 
Triturate the sulphate of quinia, strychnia and citric- 
acid together until minutely divided, then add the alco¬ 
hol and solution of oil of orange. Warm the syrup 
slightly (to about 150° F.), and add to the turbid al¬ 
coholic mixture ; when, upon stirring, the mixture be¬ 
comes clear. To this add the pyrophosphate of iron, 
previously dissolved in the distilled water, and finally 
aqua ammonia carefully (drop by drop), until the elixir 
is perfectly neutral to test paper; filter. 
The finished preparation has a greenish yellow colour, 
a pleasant flavour of orange, and is permanent. 
ELIXIR OF CALISAYA BARK WITH IRON. 
Take of pyrophosphate of iron 128 grains, soften in 
f5ij- °f water, and stir in gradually 1 pint of Elixir of 
Calisaya Bark; filter. 
