146 
SYRUP  OF  IPECACUANHA. 
The  process  which  the  writer  has  adopted,  and  found  to  com- 
pletely fulfil  every  object  in  view,  is  the  following : 
Take  of  Ipecacuanha  in  powder  (prepared  by  passing  through 
a  seive  of  60  meshes  to  the  linear  inch)  two  ounces : 
Prepare  a  menstruum  of  one  part  of  water  and  seven  parts  of  95 
per  cent,  alcohol ;  add  sufficient  of  this  to  dampen  the  powder 
uniformly,  (about  six  fluidrachms)  pack  it  tightly  in  a  funnel 
displacer*  and  having  laid  over  the  surface  a  piece  of  perforated 
paper,  pour  on  eight  fluid  ounces,  or  less,  of  the  above  men- 
struum, covering  the  top  of  the  funnel  with  oiled  silk  to  prevent 
evaporation.  When  two  and  a  half  fluid  ounces  of  liquid  pass, 
remove  it  and  submit  to  spontaneous  evaporation  until  reduced 
to  one  and  a  half  fluid  ounces :  continue  the  percolation  until 
five  and  a  half  fluid  ounces  more  pass,  evaporate  this  by  means 
of  placing  the  dish  over  hot  water,  contained  in  a  suitable  ves- 
sel and  removed  from  the  fire,  until  reduced  to  half  a  fluid 
ounce ;  mix  this  with  the  fluid  ounce  and  a  half  first  obtained 
and  filter. 
The  result  is  a  fluid  extract  of  which,  it  is  believed,  one  fluid 
ounce  fully  represents  one  ounce  of  the  root,  and  which  may  be 
prepared  in  any  convenient  quantity.  The  portion  of  liquid 
submitted  to  spontaneous  evaporation,  contains  nearly  all  the 
active  principle  of  the  above  quantity  of  root ;  the  percolation 
is  continued  to  insure  its  complete  exhaustion,  and  in  evaporating 
this  latter  product  the  object  is  to  prevent  the  temperature  rising 
higher  than  140°  Fahr. 
To  convert  this  quantity  of  fluid  extract  into  syrup  of  the 
officinal  strength,  pour  it  upon  eight  ounces  of  white  sugar  in 
powder,  contained  in  a  large  mortar  or  dish  and  expose  it  until 
all  the  alcohol  has  evaporated,  and  a  perfectly  dry  powder  re- 
sults ;  dissolve  this  in  a  quart  of  water,  and  after  standing 
awhile  with  occasional  agitation,  strain  it  through  a  muslin  cloth 
to  separate  a  little  resinous  or  waxy  matter  which  will  be  found 
floating,  remove  this  and  treat  it  with  two  fluidrachms  of  water 
in  a  mortar,  then  mix  it  with  the  strained  liquid  and  filter  all 
through  paper ;  add  sufficient  powdered  sugar  to  make  the  whole 
*  An  ordinary  glass  funnel  with  a  loose  plug  of  cotton  in  the  upper  part 
of  the  neck. 
