THEOEY OF THE UNIVEESAL CODEX. 
637 
tliought, of wliicli tlie very illustrations given by Dumas, while advocating the 
advantage of the Universal Codex, is sufiScient proof. “ The time has arrived 
when countries which are in incessant communication, which every day ex¬ 
change their visitors by thousands, should feel it their duty to examine whether 
it be not a matter of inconvenience to specify, for example, under the common 
name of Syrup of Hydrocyanic Acid, a remedy which in Belgium contains four 
milligrammes of Hydrocyanic Acid in a tablespoonful, and ten milligrammes 
in France according to the new Codex, or even seventeen according to the old 
Pharmacopoeia ?” 
The Commission, it appears, were not able to affect this assimilation. “ But,” 
I translate once more, “ it has gone further as far as concerns Cherry-laurel- 
water, also a powerful remedy, and it has completely assimilated the French and 
Belgian formulae.” 
What Pharmaceutist in this room, save those who make French Pharmacy 
their study, ever heard of the preparation “ Syrup of Hydrocyanic Acid ”? In 
what English recipe has it yet been seen? Do you keep it in your Phar¬ 
macies? Is there an English Pharmaceutist to whom the idea of the assimila¬ 
tion of distilled Aqua Laurocerasi would suggest itself as a question of import¬ 
ance ? Before we smile at the selection of these formulae as either trivial or 
childish, let us turn to one of the most important chapters of the Codex, the 
Syrups, in all about 115. Were we in one word to describe French Pharmacy, 
w'e should probably say “ Sugar.” It is not my duty to-night to enter into 
details, but three of these syrups are so important that they had better be 
enumerated, 
STROP DAICODE. 
Syruj)tis de Papavere alho. 
Ext. Opii.0’50 (50 centigrammes.) 
Aq. Best.4 50 (4 grammes and 50 centigrammes.) 
Syrup. Simpl. . . . 995'00 (995 grammes.) 
1000-00 
Dissolve the Extract of Opium in distilled water, filter, and add the Syrup. 
Twenty grammes contain 0-01 (one centigramme) of Extract of Opium. 
SIITOP b’OPIUM. 
Sj/ru2ni$ cum extracto Opit. 
. . . . 2 (2 grammes.) 
. . . . 8 (8 grammes.) 
. . . . 990 (990 grammes.) 
1000 
Dissolve the Extract of Opium in cold distilled water, filter, and mix with Syrup. 
Twenty grammes contain 0-04 (4 centigrammes) of Extract of Opium. 
STROP DE KARABE. 
Made by the addition of 0*50 (50 centigrammes) of Spirit of Amber, to each 100 
grammes of the Syrup of Extract of Opium. 
Respecting these, and a mass of distinctive formulae, assimilation is impos¬ 
sible, no counterpart existing among ourselves. There can be no assimilation 
without corresponding points of similarity ; on the other hand, either blame or 
ridicule attached to this class of remedies would betray ignorance of the require¬ 
ments of special and characteristic Pharmacy. 
The special mode of the manufacture of the Syrups,—their strength, which 
in our eyes would be considered weakness,—and their Pharmaceutical applica¬ 
tion, would well serve as a subject for an evening lecture. 
AVe next come upon a whole train of Mellites and Oxymellites, Conserves, 
Ext. Opii . 
Aq. Destill. 
Syrup. Simpl. 
