626  Comp.  Syr.  Sarsaporilla  loithout  Alcohol.  {^^eZissL™" 
parilla  in  moderately  fine  powder  and  other  ingredients  in  3  pints  of 
diluted  alcohol  for  4  days^  and  to  gradually  displace  with  diluted  alco- 
hol until  6  pints  of  tincture  have  passed.  This  liquid  is  then  evapor- 
ated to  3  ])ints,  when  one  pint  of  water  is  added  and  the  sugar  neces- 
sary to  make  the  officinal  syrup. 
When  the  tincture  is  reduced  to  3  pints  there  will  be  left  in  solution 
such  substances  only  as  are  soluble  in  water,  witli  a  trace  of  such  as 
dissolve  in  extremely  dilute  mixtures  of  alcohol  with  water,  on  account 
of  the  very  small  amount  of  spirit  retained  after  evaporation.  When, 
therefore,  another  pint  of  water  is  added  we  may  reasonably  suppose 
that  even  the  small  amount  which  might  possibly  be  retained  in  the 
liquid  will  be  almost  entirely  precipitated,  so  that  practically  it  would 
contain  no  substances  that  are  not  soluble  in  water  alone  after  filtration. 
Now,  by  the  method  adopted  by  the  Pharmacopoeia  the  tincture  is. 
•deprived  of  its  alcohol  by  the  heat  of  a  water  bath,  which  requires  an 
exposure  of  several  hours'  duration,  during  which  time  it  is  not  only 
2)ossible,  but  very  probable,  that  a  part  of  the  sarsaparillin,  and  cer- 
tainly of  the  essential  oi],  is  volatilized.  This  being  the  dase,  I  believe 
that  if  cold  water  only  is  employed  for  the  extraction  of  the  medici- 
nal virtues  of  the  root  that  a  syrup  can  be  made  by  means  of  it  that 
will  be  equal  in  every  respect  to  that  as  now  made  with  diluted  alco- 
hol.   What,  therefore,  is  the  advantage  of  its  employment?  Some 
druggists  may,  perhaps,  be  inclined  to  think  that  the  use  of  spirit 
ensures  greater  permanence  to  the  finished  preparation,  on  account  of 
some  of  the  inert  constituents  of  sarsaparilla  being  insoluble  in  alcohol 
but  dissolving  in  water,  such  as  albumen,  pectin  and  gum;  although 
these  substances  are  not  soluble  in  strong  spirit,  yet  they  will  dissolve 
to  a  certain  extent  in  equal  parts  of  water  and  alcohol,  and  will  there- 
fore be  present  in  the  tincture  which  is  used  in  preparing  the  officinal 
•syrup.    This  being  the  case,  I  do  not  see  what  advantage  there  is  in 
using  diluted  alcohol.    In  order,  therefore,  to  test  this  practically  I 
have  prepared  tlie  syrup  in  the  following  manner: 
Having  taken  24  troyounces  of  sarsaparilla  in  moderately  fine  pow- 
der and  the  other  solid  ingredients  called  for  in  the  Pharmacopoeia, 
with  the  exception  of  sugar,  for  making  about  a  gallon  of  syrup,  I 
put  them  loosely  into  a  percolator  which  had  previously  been  closed 
by  means  of  a  cork.  Cold  water  was  then  poured  on  and  sufficient 
was  added  to  saturate  the  ingredients.  After  standing  24  hours  in  a 
cool  place  the  cork  was  removed,  the  articles  firmly  pressed  and  packed 
