8 
LECTURES ON THE BRITISH PHARMACOPEIA. 
SuppOSiTORiiE —The basis of the suppositories is white wax and lard. Tanner 
(Pharm. Journ. 2ndser. vol. iv. p. 514) demonstrated the great superiority of 
cacao butter for these and similar preparations, and it is already extensively used 
for this purpose in other countries (Med. Times and Gaz., 1864, vol. i. p. 374). 
In the next edition of the Pharmacopoeia the formulae will possibly be altered. 
Syrupi. — Syrupus Aurantii is now made by mixing the tincture of orange 
peel with simple syrup, instead of dissolving sugar in an infusion of the peel, as 
directed in all the old Pharmacopoeias. Savory (Pharm. Journ. vol. ii. p. 453) 
pointed out the troublesome character of the syrup prepared from the peel; and 
Southall (Pharm. Journ. 2nd ser. vol. i. p. 12) suggested spirit instead of water 
for extracting the orange peel, which was in effect recommending the tincture. 
The new syrup will be found to be much superior to the old. 
Syrupus Ferri Ioclidi. The strength of the new syrup is the same as that of 
the last three Pharmacopoeias,—that is, about five grains of iodide of iron in one 
fluid drachm ; but the proportion of sugar is much increased. Tichborne showed 
(Pharm. Journ. 2nd ser. vol. i. p. 170) that the weaker the syrup the more 
prone to decomposition, and suggested a preparation approaching perfect satura¬ 
tion with sugar. The present syrup is exactly such as recommended by Tich¬ 
borne. Evaporation of water from it must be carefully guarded against, or 
some of the sugar will crystallize out. No process is given for estimating the 
amount of iodide of iron in the syrup, which, according to E. Smith (Pharm. 
Journ. 2nd ser. vol. i. p. 272), is liable to great variation. A volumetric method 
however, by T. and EL Smith, is given in the ‘ Pharmaceutical Journal,’ 2nd ser. 
vol. i. p. 353. 
Syrupus Ferri Pliosphatis. The formula and process for the preparation of 
this syrup is almost word for word that of Gale, as described in the ‘Pharmaceu¬ 
tical Journal,’ 2nd ser. vol. i. p. 497 : granulated instead of ordinary sulphate of 
iron being employed,—quite an unnecessary piece of refinement. This is the only 
syrup in which the product is said to “ measure ” instead of “ weigh ” a certain 
amount. Gale described his product by measure, and the authors of the Phar¬ 
macopoeia have not, apparently, thought uniformity of expression sufficiently 
important to induce them to take the trouble of translating the description. 
Gale says that this syrup will be found to be definite in strength, permanently 
bright, and easily made. Each drachm contains about one grain of phosphate 
of iron, 3 Fe 0,P0 5 , or rather more than one grain and a quarter of the hy¬ 
drated blue phosphate of iron, 3 FeO,P0 5 -j- 8 HO, with twenty-five minims 
of diluted phosphoric acid. 
Syrupus Jlemidcsrni. This, in the Dublin formula, is made by dissolving sugar 
in an infusion of the hemidesmus. Bell recommended (Pharm. Journ. vol. iii. 
p. 240) percolation of the hemidesmus to avoid loss of the highly volatile 
flavouring principle, and suggested a syrup five times stronger than the one now 
introduced. 
Syrupus Mori. The process for this syrup would be improved if the mul¬ 
berry juice were heated to 212°, and strained before adding the sugar, as sug¬ 
gested by Southall (Pharm. Journ. 2nd ser. vol. i. p. 12). Heating after the 
.sugar is added renders filtration difficult. 
Syrupus Papaveris. The process by which syrup of poppies is now to be 
made is that of Groves (Pharm. Journ. vol. xiv. p. 203) ; it is an improvement 
on one previously suggested by T. and H. Smith (Pharm. Journ. vol. xii. p. 283), 
and its chief feature is that of the addition of spirit to a concentrated infusion 
of poppies, by which mucilaginous and fermentative matter is precipitated ; the 
spirit being subsequently removed by distillation. Several pharmaceutists have 
proposed processes for making syrup of poppies, but the products have, sooner 
or later, been proved to be unsatisfactory. That now given is improvable, its 
author admitting it to be “ somewhat troublesome.” 
