108 
ECLECTIC  PHARMACY. 
ON    SYRUP   OF  SANGUINARIA. 
By  Thomas  S.  Wiegand. 
Having  been  requested  to  make  a  preparation  of  Sanguin- 
aria,  which  should  contain  in  a  small  bulk  an  adequate  dose  of  the 
root,  and  at  the  same  time  be  pleasant  to  the  palate,  several  ex- 
periments were  made  to  ascertain  the  most  desirable  formula  ;  the 
following  was  adopted  as  the  most  consistent  with  the  chemical 
habitudes  of  the  article,  and  being  at  the  same  time  easy  of  exe- 
cution, it  is  hoped  that  it  may  be  found  worthy  of  adoption  by  the 
trade  generally. 
Jfc.    Sanguinaria  in  coarse  powder,         8  ounces, 
Acetic  acid,  4  " 
Water,  5  pints. 
Sugar,  2  lbs.  troy. 
Mix  two  fluid  ounces  of  the  acetic  acid  with  a  pint  of  water,  and 
thoroughly  moisten  the  root  with  it ;  after  three  days  maceration 
transfer  to  a  displacement  apparatus,  and  displace  with  the  re- 
mainder of  the  water  previously  mixed  with  the  other  half  of 
the  acetic  acid  If  the  percolation  has  been  carefully  conducted,  the 
root  will  be  exhausted.  Evaporate  by  means  of  a  water  bath  to 
eighteen  fluid  ounces,  and  add  to  it  the  two  pounds  of  sugar,  form 
a  syrup  and  strain  if  necessary. 
When  thus  prepared  the  syrup  is  of  a  deep  ruby  color,  opaque  in 
quantity,  but  transparent  in  thin  strata,  and  possessed  of  a  strongly 
acrid  and  bitterish  taste.  It  has  been  exhibited  in  several  cases 
very  satisfactorily. 
Philadelphia,  Feb.  4th,  1854. 
ECLECTIC  PHARMACY. 
In  the  Eclectic  Medical  Journal,  for  January  1854,  is  an  article 
headed  "  Officinal  preparations  of  the  United  States  Eclectic  Dis- 
pensatory." About  forty  years  ago,  Samuel  Thompson,  of  New 
England,  an  energetic  but  illiterate  man,  commenced  the  practice 
of  that  system  of  empyricism  that  subsequently  under  the  name  of 
Thomsonianism  was  seized  upon  by  the  popular  mind,  and  for  a  lime 
became  the  favorite  practice  of  a  numerous  class  of  persons,  espe- 
cially among  farmers,  who,  pleased  with  the  idea  of  being  their 
