^"'Dec'*i88i™''}    Gomp.  Syr.  SarsapariUa  without  Alcohol.  ^^25 
now  we  take  the  Celandine.  A  Mr.  M.,  of  Lexington,  Ky.,  two  years 
ago  was  "  given  up  "  by  tlie  pliysicians  as  a  victim  to  consumption. 
He  heard  of  the  former  case,  sent  for  the  Celandine,  used  it  and  is 
now  apparently  as  hearty  a  man  as  you  would  desire  to  see.  His  age 
is  about  65  years.  There  are  so  many  instances  of  the  very  good 
effects  of  Celandine,  so  well  authenticated,  that  I  have  at  last  come  to 
the  conclusion  that  there  is  certainly  more  real  merit  in  the  herb  than 
the  books  indicate.  The  manner  of  using  it  here  is  as  follows:  Two  or 
three  ounces  of  the  fresh  root  is  put  in  one  pint  of  whisky,  let  mace- 
rate one  week ;  then  take  one  teaspoonful  at  a  dose  when  required, 
which  is  about  three  times  daily. 
I  give  you  this  information  thinking,  perhaps,  if  in  your  mature 
judgment  it  is  wwtli  the  while,  you  might  give  the  public  or  profes- 
sion the  benefit  of  its  worth.  In  case  it  is  desirable,  I  can  give  you 
verbatim  statements  from  at  least  a  score  of  persons  within  very  con- 
venient reach,  who  will  vouch  for  its  efficiency. 
Chas.  O.  Thiebaud,  Ph.G.. 
Vevay,  Incl. 
COMPOUND  SYKUP  of  SARSAPARILLA  MADE  WITH- 
OUT THE  USE  OF  ALCOHOL. 
(Intermittent  Displacement  Employed.) 
By  Robert  F.  FaiRthorxk,  Ph.G. 
A  question  that  has  often  presented  itself  to  my  mind  is  whether 
there  is  any  necessity  for  the  use  of  alcohol  in  making  the  compound 
syrup  of  sarsaparilla  of  the  U.  S.  Pharmacopoeia,  and,  after  reflection 
and  experiment,  I  have  found  that  there  is  none.  This  conclusion 
has  been  arrived  at  from  the  following  reasons : 
1.  That  in  the  officinal  syrup  there  is  little  or  no  alcohol;  2.  That 
by  the  process  now  used  only  such  principles  as  are  soluble  in  water 
are  retained,  the  remainder  being  separated  by  filtration  previous  to 
the  addition  of  the  sugar;  3.  That  by  intermittent  displacement  with 
cold  water  as  much  of  the  medicinal  virtues  of  sarsaparilla  can  be 
obtained  and  retained  in  solution  as  when  diluted  alcohol  is  employed 
in  the  quantity  ordered  by  the  Pharmacopoeia,  with  subsequent  eva- 
poration. 
The  directions  given   are  to  macerate  24  troyounces  of  sarsa- 
'  4(1 
