446  Syrups  vs.  Cold  Per  eolation.         { Amseptu''i7h8arm" 
and  transparent,  provided  you  have  no  mishap,  but  it  is  impossible  to 
obtain  as  thick  a  syrup  as  you  can  when  heat  is  used.  To  speak 
strictly  about  the  scientific  properties  of  a  syrup  made  by  the  cold  pro- 
cess and  one  made  by  heat,  I  must  assert  that  the  one  made  by  heat  is 
by  far  the  best.  It  is  a  well-known  fact  that  sugar  prepared  from  the 
sugar  cane  contains  more  or  less  nitrogenous  matter,  and  to  some 
extent  impurities  of  an  organic  basis.  How  is  this  impure  matter 
removed  ?  In  making  a  syrup  by  heat  you  will  always  notice  a  large 
amount  of  scum,  and  by  removing  this  scum  you  are  removing  all 
impurities  which  the  sugar  may  contain.  But  it  may  be  asserted  that 
all  this  impure  matter  remains  in  the  sponge  which  is  used  in  the  cold 
process.  I  beg  leave  to  differ  with  the  assertion,  for  I  have  prepared 
simple  syrup  in  both  ways,  and  I  always  found  that  I  obtained  more 
impure  matter  out  of  a  syrup  made  by  heat  than  out  of  the  one  by 
cold  process.  It  is  also  claimed  that  heat  is  irregular  and  uncertain. 
This  argument  will  not  hold,  for  the  officinal  directions  say  plainly 
that  the  temperature  shall  be  boiling  point,  and  in  order  to  obtain  this 
you  need  no  thermometer,  for  the  naked  eye  will  tell  you  that  fact. 
One  word  more  in  reference  to  preparing  simple  syrup.  By  using 
heat  you  can  make  a  syrup  in  a  half  an  hour,  and  with  the  cold  process 
it  will  take  from  three  to  four  hours,  which,  under  all  circumstances,  is 
a  waste  of  time  that  speaks  decidedly  in  favor  of  the  officinal  process. 
The  other  officinal  syrups  are  prepared  in  like  manner  by  the  cold  pro- 
cess. It  is  necessary  to  obtain  a  menstruum  as  laid  down  in  the  Phar- 
macopoeia, and  this  is  poured  upon  the  sugar  as  directed  with  the  simple 
syrup. 
I  will  now  consider  the  officinal  syrup  of  orange-peel^  which  is  an 
inferior  preparation.  And  why  ?  Because  if  heat  is  used,  and  it  should 
be  used  carelessly,  then  the  result  will  be  that  the  heat  will  destroy  the 
delicate  flavor  for  which  this  syrup  is  noted.  On  this  point  the  advo- 
cates of  the  cold  process  and  myself  agree  ;  but  we  differ  in  regard  to 
the  change  of  formula  which  is  necessary.  They  want  a  concentrated 
tincture  of  8  troyounces  of  orange-peel  to  a  pint  in  the  strength  of  3  parts 
of  alcohol  to  1  part  of  water.  This  tincture  is  to  be  triturated  with  mag- 
nesium carbonate  and  some  sugar,  gradually  adding  water,  then  filter 
with  sufficient  water  to  make  it  measure  16  fluidounces.  This  filtrate 
shall  be  used  upon  the  sugar  as  directed  by  the  cold  process.  My  process, 
