Av£X'untM'}  Vaseline.  .  59 
Mix  the  glycerin  with  one  pint  of  water ;  moisten  the  bark  thor- 
oughly, and  let  it  stand  in  a  close  glass  vessel  for  24  hours ;  transfer 
to  a  glass  percolator,  pour  on  the  remainder  of  the  menstruum,  and 
then  water  until  two  pints  of  percolate  are  obtained.  Add  the  sugar 
to  the  percolate,  agitating  occasionally  until  dissolved.  Three  pounds 
of  sugar  in  winter  are  sufficient. 
This  syrup  keeps  well,  and  gives  more  of  the  characteristic  odor 
and  taste  of  syrup  of  wild  cherry  than  when  made  according  ta 
U.  S.  P. 
Wm.  H.  Walling. 
Philadelphia,  Jan.  13,  1874. 
Having  formerly  experienced  considerable  difficulty  in  obtaining  a 
good  syrup  of  wild  cherry,  I  have  been  using  the  following  formula 
for  a  year  or  more,  and  find  it  very  satisfactory : 
Ext.  Pruni  Virginianae,       .  .  .  f^v, 
Sacchari  Albi,         ....    Ibii  avd. 
Aquae,        .....  ^xi. 
Make  a  concentrated  syrup  with  the  sugar  and  water,  and  when 
cool  add  the  fluid  extract  and  sufficient  water  to  bring  the  measure  to 
two  pints.  M.  H.  E. 
Philadelphia,  Jan.  19,  1874. 
Note  by  the  Editor. — Regarding  the  last  formula,  we  have  to  re- 
mark that  neither  the  fluid  extract  of  wild  cherry  of  the  former  nor 
of  the  present  Pharmacopoeia  agrees  in  composition  with  the  syrup. 
The  fluid  extract  of  1860  bears  a  closer  resemblance  to  it  than  that  of 
1870  ;  it  is,  however,  of  but  about  one-half  the  strength  of  the  latter. 
VASELINE. 
By  Adolph  W.  Miller,  M.  D.,  Ph.  D. 
Read  at  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting,  January  20,  1874. 
Although  this*  is  declared  to  be  a  full,  clear  and  exact  description, 
which  will  enable  those  skilled  in  the  art  to  make  vaseline,  it  never- 
theless savors  strongly  of  mystification,  on  account  of  its  ambiguous 
terms  and  indefinite  language. 
In  the  first  place,  the  residuum  of  petroleum  is  directed  to  be  again 
subjected  to  distillation,  either  in  the  usual  manner  or  in  a  vacuum 
*See  Minutes  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting  this  number. 
