664 
Glycerite  of  Licorice. 
( Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
\   December,  1896. 
flavor  of  pure  licorice  extract  than  do  a  few  grains  of  caffeine  a 
cup  of  good  coffee.  It  is  entirely  odorless.  That  licorice  root  yields 
volatile  principles  is  well  known,  especially  to  those  who  reside  in 
the  vicinity  of  licorice-extract-making  establishments,  where,  for 
squares  around,  the  atmosphere  is  laden  with  the  odors  of  boiling 
licorice  solutions. 
It  is  obvious,  then,  that  a  satisfactory  liquid  licorice  preparation 
should  be  one  holding  in  solution  all  the  desirable  soluble  proximate 
principles,  free  from  acrid  resin  or  other  undesirable  products,  of  full 
odor  and  taste,  and  standardized  to  a  definite  strength.  These 
results  the  writer  has  endeavored  to  obtain  by  the  following 
process  : 
Take  of : 
Powdered  extract  of  licorice  8  troy  ounces. 
Water  32  fluid  ounces. 
Ammonia  water  1  fluid  ounce. 
Glycerine,  a  sufficient  quantity. 
Sift  the  powdered  extract  of  licorice  upon  the  water  and  water  of 
ammonia  contained  in  a  capacious  agate-ware  pan,  dissolve  as  far  as 
possible  and  pour  the  mixture  upon  a  specially  prepared  sand-bed 
(to  be  hereinafter  described)  contained  in  a  half-gallon  glass  funnel. 
Let  stand  for  twelve  hours,  or  over  night,  collecting  percolate. 
Then,  with  a  small  porcelain  capsule,  remove  the  gelatinized,  starchy 
mass  that  has  formed  upon  the  surface  of  the  sand-bed.  Add  water 
and  continue  the  percolation  until  the  soluble  matter  in  the  bed  has 
been  practically  washed  out.  Mix  percolates,  note  volume  in  fluid 
ounces,  evaporate  I  fluid  ounce  on  a  water- bath  to  a  constant  weight, 
weigh,  estimate  the  number  of  grains  contained  in  the  reserved 
percolates,  and  divide  by  240  to  obtain  the  number  of  fluid  ounces 
of  a  50  per  cent,  by  volume  solution  that  can  be  made.  Then,  by 
means  of  a  sand-bath,  carefully  evaporate  the  reserved  percolates 
down  to  three-fourths  of  the  estimated  volume,  and  add  sufficient 
glycerin  to  make  up  the  volume.  Care  must  be  used,  especially 
during  the  latter  part  of  the  evaporation,  that  the  product  be  fre- 
quently stirred  and  not  be  too  highly  heated,  as  it  is  then  very 
readily  scorched.  If,  during  evaporation,  turbidity  should  occur  as 
a  result  of  too  long  a  heating,  clearness  may  be  restored  with  a  few 
drops  of  ammonia  water. 
While  the  evaporation  of  percolates  is  proceeding,  another  lot  of 
