Syrupus  Lactucarii, 
J  Am.  Jour.  Pharm, 
\       Dec,  1877. 
process  that  as  soon  as  the  alcohol  had  evaporated,  the  liquid  remain- 
ing in  the  evaporating  dish  became  turbid  ;  the  process  was  therefore 
continued  until  only  one-half  the  quantity  directed  by  the  Pharmaco- 
poeia remained.  This,  after  cooling,  was  added  to  an  equal  quantity 
of  alcohol,  which  immediately  redissolved  the  precipitated  "  resin,'7 
resulting  in  a  beautiful  light-brown  solution.  The  temperature  at 
which  the  process  of  evaporation  was  conducted  at  no  time  exceeded 
i6o°F. 
At  this  stage  of  the  process  the  solution  obtained  was  divided  in  two 
equal  parts,  one  of  which  was  mixed  with  syrup  previously  heated 
as  the  Pharmacopoeia  directs  ;  the  other  was  added  to  cold  syrup,  the 
resulting  preparations  both  being  superior  in  appearance  than  the  result 
generally  obtained  by  following  strictly  the  formula  of  the  Pharmaco- 
poeia ;  especially  the  one  in  which  cold  syrup  had  been  employed  is 
nearly  perfect  in  appearance.  Both  have  retained  their  original  state 
during  the  six  weeks  that  have  passed  since  first  made.  The  writer 
does,  however,  not  recommend  the  employment  of  chloroform  as  here 
used,  as  it  is  claimed  to  dissolve  a  portion  of  lactucin,  and  therefore 
would  reduce  the  strength  of  the  preparation. 
Lactucarium  contains,  according  to  several  accepted  analyses,  besides 
a  number  of  other  constituents,  pectic,  malic,  oxalic,  citric  and  other 
acids.  This  suggested  to  the  writer  the  employment  of  litmus  paper 
to  ascertain  what  reaction  the  different  syrups  in  his  possession  would 
give  on  the  same  ;  three  samples  were  tested,  and  all  gave  an  acid 
reaction.  It  was  decided  to  neutralize  this  acid  condition,  and  accord- 
ingly the  most  unsightly  of  all  the  syrups  was  selected.  This  had 
been  prepared  several  months  and  was  made  strictly  in  accordance 
with  the  Pharmacopoeia.  One  drachm  of  this  syrup  was  diluted  with 
an  equal  bulk  of  water,  and  liquor  potassae  was  added,  ten  drops  of 
which  sufficed  to  change  the  appearance  of  the  syrup  from  a  muddy 
into  a  beautiful  clear  dark-brown  preparation,  neutral  to  either  blue  or 
red  test  paper. 
Afterwards  some  of  the  same  syrup  was  neutralized  without  being 
diluted,  with  the  same  result.  The  addition  of  this  alkaline  solution 
changes  the  taste  from  an  acrid  bitter  to  a  sweetish  and  very  slightly 
alkaline.  Whether  the  alkali  is  objectionable  in  the  preparation  thera- 
peutically is  an  open  question. 
The  writer  is  therefore  of  the  opinion  that  the  cloudiness  of  syrupus 
