2 
Syrujjs  by  Percolation. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
\      Jan.,  1881. 
accomplish  this  so  as  to  secure  an  unexceptional  preparation  requires 
not  only  the  careful  and  judicious  selection  of  the  drug,  but  also  due 
€are  in  manipulation;  in  flict,  it  I'equires  a  considerable  amount  of 
experience.    To  make  syrups  by  percolation  successfully  requires  not 
nearly  so  mucli  experience.    If  certain  conditions  in  the  construction 
of  the  apparatus  are  attended  to  the  rapidity  of  the  solution  of  sugar 
by  the  process  varies  only  in  so  much  as  the  menstruum  may  be  more 
or  less  viscid.-  Since  the  Pharmacopoeia  directs  to  exhaust  roots,  herbs, 
gums,  etc.,  by  percolation,  requiring  quite  an  amount  of  care,  attention 
and  experience,  why  should  not  the  simple  solution  of  sugar  be 
effected  by  the  same  process,  since  this,  in  comparison,  requires  little 
attention,  furnishes  a  product  unexceptional  in  appearance  and  superior 
in  flavor  (in  such  as  have  volatile  ingredients)  to  those  made  by  heat? 
Syrups  are  also  made  by  agitating  or  shaking  together  the  sugar  and 
menstruum.    But,  in  the  first  place,  it  takes  longer  to  dissolve  sugar 
by  this  process  than  by  percolation,  and,  secondly,  if  any  quantity  of 
air  is  incorporated  the  tendency  to  spoil  is  accelerated.    When  syrups 
are  prepared  by  boiling  they,  or  at  least  quite  a  number,  need  constant 
supervision  to  prevent  waste  by  boiling  over;  with  ever  so  much  atten- 
tion to  cleanliness,  the  straining  cloths  will  still  often  be  found  defec- 
tive, and  when  the  hot  syrup  is  strained  into  a  glass  vessel  too  much 
care  can  hardly  be  exercised  to  prevent  breakage.    Straining  through 
even  close  cloth  doeg  not  furnish  an  absolutely  clear  syrup.    In  perco- 
lation breakage  of  vessels  by  heat  is  out  of  the  question,  and  the  pro-  . 
duct  has  (when  the  process  has  been  properly  conducted)  the  perfect 
clearness  attained  by  filtering  through  paper.    When  the  simplicity 
and  cleanliness  of  the  process  is  contemplated,  the  conclusion  is  irre- 
sistible that  it  ought  to  have  been  adopted  by  the  Pharmacopoeia. 
Purthermore,  it  would  be  but  consistent  to  direct  the  process  by  which 
the  soluble  parts  of  substances,  apparently  difficult  of  solution,  are 
extracted,  for  the  mere  solution  of  sugar,  which  is  not  at  at  all  diffi- 
cult to  dissolve.    Percolation  is  also  illustrated  to  perfection  when 
sugar  is  dissolved  by  the  process. 
Percolation  of  roots,  herbs,  etc.,  with  an  aqueous,  spirituous  or 
ethereal  menstruum,  and  that  of  sugar  by  water,  an  infusion,  decoc- 
tion, a  partly  spirituous  or  otherwise  tincture,  cannot  be  conducted  in 
the  same  manner  in  every  particular.  Undoubtedly,  because  this  has 
often  been  attempted  failure  was  the  result.  Writer  of  this,  about 
nine  years  ago,  read  in  some  pharmaceutical  journal  (I  believe  it  was 
