'^""'cfcT'^isS'^™'}    Elixirs  of  Quinine,  Simple  and  Compound.  479 
■as  it  imparts  to  neutral  and  alkaline  solutions  a  rich  purple  tint;  acid 
^solutions  become  scarlet  tinted  thereby. 
In  order  to  facilitate  and  effect  the  solution  of  the  oily  aromatics,  it 
is  customary  to  incorporate  them  first  with  magnesium  carbonate.  For 
various  reasons  this  body  is  objectionable.  The  writer  has  for  a  long 
time  employed  precipitated  calcium  carbonate  for  this  purpose,  with 
very  satisfactory  results.  The  process  of  the  Pharmacopoeia  by  means 
of  absorbent  cotton  is  not  to  be  recommended. 
The  incorporation  of  the  medicinal  agents  is  in  many  instances 
^accomplished  by  direct  addition.  In  some  cases,  however,  a  special 
procedure  is  necessary.  But  no  very  important  deviation  from  the 
fundamental  method  of  preparing  the  simple  elixir  is  in  any  case 
Tequired. 
The  process  for  preparing  a  simple  elixir,  and  essentially  most  com- 
pound elixirs  likewise,  is  based  upon  certain  practical  principles 
demanding  at  least  average  attention.  The  best  results  are  invariably 
secured  by  combining  the  aromatic  with  the  completed  menstruum. 
This  is  effected  by  first  dissolving  the  sugar  in  all  the  available  water 
and  then  adding  the  alcohol ;  then  thoroughly  triturating  the  oils  with 
the  calcium  carbonate,  and  gradually  adding  the  menstruum,  with  con- 
stant stirring,  until  one-sixteenth  to  one-twelfth  has  been  added ;  the 
Tesulting  mixture  is  then  poured  into  the  remaining  menstruum,  and 
the  whole  well  shaken  at  occasional  intervals  during  a  period  of  sev- 
-eral  hours,  and  finally  filtered.  The  first  small  portions  of  the  filtrate 
are  apt  to  contain  a  trace  of  turbidity  due  to  minute  particles  of  cal- 
•cium  carbonate.  The  remainder,  however,  passes,  beautifully  clear 
.;and  bright,  and  with  acceptable  rapidity. 
The  solution  resulting  from  48  troyounces  of  sugar  and  4  pints  of 
water  measures  about  6J  pints.  The  addition  of  one  and  a  half  pints 
of  alcohol  increases  this  to  about  7f  pints,  so  that  after  filtration  the 
measure  of  one  gallon  is  completed  by  adding  water  through  the 
filter. 
The  practice  of  employing  alkaloids  in  preparing  elixirs  of  cin- 
chona in  place  of  the  bark  has  become  almost  if  not  wholly  general. 
The  sulphates  being  the  commercial  form  are  mostly  used  for  this 
purpose. 
In  connection  with  iron  salts  the  sulphates  do  not  yield  presentable 
products,  and  in  contact  with  citrophosphates  and  citropyrophosphates 
;not  only  are  troublesome  precipitates  formed,  but  the  resulting  solu- 
