Am.  Jour.  Pbarru.  \ 
February,  1900.  / 
Syrupus  Aurantii. 
69 
The  British  Pharmacopoeia  requires  that  alcohol  in  which  bis- 
muth subsalicylate  has  been  shaken  should  not  be  colored  on  add- 
ing a  few  drops  of  iron  chloride,  absence  of  free  salicylic  acid. 
As  has  been  stated  above,  alcohol  decomposes  bismuth  subsali- 
cylate, consequently  this  test  is  too  rigid. 
Only  traces  of  arsenic  were  detected  by  Marsh's  test. 
Bismuth  subsalicylate  is  a  white  or  pinkish-white,  micro-crystal- 
line-amorphous powder,  nearly  odorless  and  tasteless,  insoluble  in 
water,  alcohol  and  glycerin,  but  is  slowly  decomposed  by  these 
liquids.  On  igniting  I  gramme  in  a  porcelain  crucible,  from  0*62  to 
O  64  gramme  of  residue  should  be  left,  corresponding  to  62  to  64 
per  cent,  of  bismuth  oxide.  Not  more  than  traces  of  chlorides, 
sulphates,  nitrates  or  arsenic  should  be  revealed  when  tested  ac- 
cording to  the  above-described  methods. 
SYRUPUS  AURANTII. 
By  F.  W.  Haussmann. 
The  desire  for  a  less  complicated  process  for  preparing  syrup  of 
orange  than  the  one  directed  by  the  Pharmacopoeia  has  repeatedly 
been  expressed. 
The  method  of  macerating  the  shredded  peel  in  boiling  alcohol 
appears  to  have  few  advocates. 
The  advantage  of  rapid  manipulation,  the  evident  object  of  the 
Pharmacopoeia,  is  opposed  by  the  liability  of  dissipating  a  portion 
of  the  volatile  oil  and  consequently  impairing  the  aroma  of  the  syrup. 
The  official  formula  has  been  variously  modified,  concentrated 
tinctures,  essences  and  infusions  have  been  proposed,  and  the  differ- 
ent suggestions  range  from  simple  admixture  of  the  extracts  with 
syrup  to  other  more  complicated  methods. 
Of  these,  the  recommendation,  based  chiefly  on  the  fact  that  the 
official  title,  Syrupus  Aurantii,  did  not  necessarily  imply  syrup 
prepared  directly  from  the  peel,  to  employ  an  alcoholic  solution  of 
the  oil,  deserves  attention. 
A  formula,  which  directs  the  syrup  to  be  made  from  spirit  of 
orange,  appears  to  possess  desirable  qualities,  easy  and  rapid  manip- 
ulation and  a  pleasant  odor  and  taste  for  the  preparation. 
Syrups  prepared  directly  from  the  oil,  however,  almost  invariably 
acquire  a  terebinthinate  odor  on  standing. 
A  syrup  possessing  the  agreeable  properties  of  orange  must  be 
