200  ON  CANE  SUGAR,  ETC. 
• 
As  the  experiments  in  tbis  essay  were  chiefly  made  in  refer- 
ence to  pharmacy,  the  conclusions  arrived  at  are  as  follows  ; 
That  in  many  of  the  U.  S.  P.  formulae,  the  proportion  of  sugar 
employed  is  either  too  great  or  insufficient ;  while  in  others, 
the  quantity  of  fluid  preparation,  when  made,  does  not  bear 
that  proportion  to  the  drug  or  active  principle  which  was  evi- 
dently intended. 
Among  the  first  may  be  noticed  simple  syrup,  syrup  wild 
cherry  bark  and  syrup  ipecac  ;  among  the  latter,  fluid  extract 
senna  and  fluid  extract  rhubarb  and  comp.  syrup  squills. 
Syrup  made  according  to  the  officinal  directions,  will  crystal- 
lize, unless  in  very  warm  weather,  and  will  have  a  specific  gravity 
of  1-327,  instead  of  1'319.  If  a  syrup  that  will  not  deposit 
crystals,  and  having  a  density  of  about  1-320,  should  be  chosen 
by  the  framers  of  the  forthcoming  Pharmacopoeia,  the  following 
formula  will  meet  these  requirements  : 
Dissolve  with  heat,  sugar  36  oz.,  water  20  fluid  ounces; 
when  finished,  this  should  be  made  to  measure  44  fluid  ounces, 
or  weigh  55  oz.  by  the  addition  of  water  if  necessary. 
The  following  formulae  may  prove  useful  to  the  apothecary  : 
To  make  a  pint  of  syrup  of  1-320  specific  gravity,  take  13i  oz. 
sugar  and  7|  fluid  ounces  of  water.  1  lb.  avoirdupois  requires  8i 
fluid  ounces  water,  and  should  measure  17|  fluid  ounces.  In  all 
these  cases  the  amount  lost  by  evaporation,  is  to  be  made  up  by 
the  addition  of  water. 
In  making  syrup  of  wild  cherry  bark,  we  find  that  the 
quantity  of  sugar  is  too  small  to  insure  stability  to  the  prepa- 
ration, it  being  only  24  oz.  to  the  pint  of  solvent.  By  taking 
28  oz.  a  better  syrup  is  obtained. 
In  following  the  officinal  directions  for  making  fluid  extract 
of  senna,  we  have  a  preparation  which  measures  33  ounces  and 
51  drachms.  If  the  fluid  extract  was  intended  to  represent  one 
ounce  of  the  drug  to  each  fluid  ounce,  it  follows  that  there  is 
either  too  much  sugar  employed,  or  that  the  alcoholic  tincture  is 
not  evaporated  sufficiently.  To  obtain  30  fluid  ounces  of  the 
extract,  retaining  the  same  relative  proportion  of  sugar,  evapo- 
rate the  tincture  to  18  fluid  ounces  and  add  18  oz.  of  sugar. 
In  fluid  extract  of  rhubarb,  the  same  remarks  are  applicable  ; 
in  carrying  out  this  formula,  we  obtain  a  product  measuring  8 
