206 
Syrupus  Cubebce. 
(  Am.  Jocr.  Pha»m. 
|    May  1, 1872. 
The  above  proportion  approaches  so  nearly  to  the  original  that  I 
use  it  for  convenience.  In  this  case  it  is  very  necessary  to  use  pure 
honey,  and  to  insure  himself  the  apothecary  should  procure  it  in  the 
comb  and  render  it  for  use,  as  that  found  in  the  market  under  the 
name  of  "  clarified  honey"  is  of  uncertain  character,  and  generally 
contains  impurities. 
I  also  made  some  experiments  with  the  officinal  formula,  the  results 
of  which  tend  to  show  that  the  tendency  to  change  and  become  un- 
manageable is  not  overcome  by  very  careful  management. 
I  made  lots  with  honey  obtained  from  three  sources, — one  from 
Cuba,  another  from  New  York  (wild),  and  a  third  domestic,  procured 
in  the  comb  and  clarified  by  myself,  and  designated  in  the  experi- 
ments, pure  honey.  With  each  of  these  varieties  of  honey  I  made 
another  lot,  by  adding  the  proper  proportion  of  the  fluid  extract  of 
rose,  and  placed  their,  all  in  a  warm  place  on  the  upper  shelf  in  the 
store-room.  At  the  end  of  five  months  those  made  by  the  officinal 
process  were  in  the  following  conditions  :  That  made  with  Cuba 
honey  in  a  state  of  fermentation  and  deposition  ;  the  other  two  but 
little  changed,  thougli  apparently  becoming  gradually  thicker.  Those 
made  with  the  fluid  extract  were  in  their  normal  condition.  In  both 
instances  the  sample  with  pure  honey  was  much  the  nicest. 
The  first  translation  of  the  London  Dispensatory,  by  Nicholas  Cul- 
pepper, in  1650,  contains  a  formula  for  "  Honey  of  Roses,"  of  which 
the  following  is  a  copy  verbal,  et  liter 'at. ,  in  the  quaint  style  of  that 
age  :— 
"  Take  of  the  best  Honey  clarified,  ten  pound,  the  Juyce  of  fresh 
red  Roses  one  pound,  put  them  in  a  pan  over  the  fire,  and  when  they 
begin  to  boyl  ad  four  pounds  of  fresh  red  Roses,  the  whites  being  cut 
off',  let  it  boyl  till  the  juyce  be  consumed,  continually  stirring  it  and 
so  keep  it  for  your  use  being  strained." 
It  seems  strange  that  such  a  formula  should  ever  have  existed,  and 
still  stranger  is  the  fact  that  the  preparation  came  down  through 
nearly  two  centuries  with  but  little  change  and  scarcely  any  improve- 
ment. It  is  only  of  late  years  that  it  has  been  scientifically  im- 
proved. .  
SYRUPUS  CUBEBiE. 
By  Charles  L.  Mitchell. 
The  efficacy  of  cubebs  as  a  stimulating  expectorant  in  diseases  of 
the  throat  and  lung  passages  has  long  been  known  to  the  medical  pro- 
