AROMATIC  SULPHURIC  ACID. 
Granules  are  made  upon  the  same  principle,  by  incorporating 
the  alkaloids  or  salts  with  some  inert  powder  and  gum  arabic 
for  its  adhesiveness,  and  are  dried  and  coated  in  the  same  way. 
I  could  still  further  enlarge  upon  the  above  process,  but  my 
sole  aim  is  to  present  in  as  brief  a  manner  as  possible  only  the 
chief  points  in  their  mode  of  manufacture. 
AROMATIC  SULPHURIC  ACID. 
By  Thomas  N.  Jamieson. 
This  preparation,  made  according  to  the  formula  as  revised 
in  the  last  edition  of  the  IT.  S.  Pharmacopoeia,  is  still  rather 
inelegant,  owing  to  the  copious  sediment  deposited  by  the  action 
of  the  sulphuric  acid  on  the  aromatics,  more  especially  the  cin- 
namon, as  observed  by  experiments.  Suspecting  that  the  qual- 
ity of  materials  used  might  have  something  to  do  with  causing 
the  precipitate,  two  experimental  lots  were  made,  one  by  using 
pure  Ceylon  cinnamon,  che  other  with  cassias  lignea,  or  commer- 
cial cassia,  and  after  allowing  them  to  stand  for  two  months; 
found  that  the  precipitate  was  almost  as  copious  in  one  as  the 
other.  The  tinctures  of  cinnamon  and  ginger  were  then  treated 
with  the  acid  separately,  to  ascertain  which  it  is  that  causes  the 
sediment,  and  I  find  that,  while  there  is  a  slight  precipitate  in  the 
ginger,  there  is  a  very  large  amount  in  the  cinnamon.  It  then 
occurred  to  me  that,  by  substituting  oil  of  cinnamon  or  cassia 
for  the  bark,  the  precipitate  might  be  avoided,  and  futhermore, 
that  this  preparation  might  be  made  extemporaneously  by 
using  officinal  tincture  of  ginger  and  the  oil  of  cassia,  instead  of 
the  present  method  of  first  making  a  tincture  of  the  aromatics. 
The  preparation  made  according  to  the  following  suggested 
formula  will  be  found  to  have  all  the  characteristic  properties 
of  the  officinal  preparation  except  in  color,  which  is  of  a  light 
straw : 
Formula. 
Take  of  Oil  Cinnamon  or  Cassia,  Twelve  minims. 
Tinct.  Ginger,  Two  fluid-ounces. 
Alcohol,  Twenty-four  fluid-ounces. 
Sulphuric  acid,  Six  troy-ounces. 
