AmjJu0nUer;Sam''}  ^  Syrupus  RkeL  267 
SYRUPUS  RHEI. 
ft 
By  F.  W.  Haussmann. 
Every  revision  of  the  United  States  Pharmacopoeia  within  the 
last  three  decades  witnessed  a  radical  change  from  the  previous 
formula  in  syrup  of  rhubarb. 
To  the  delight  of  the  operator,  who  believes  in  easy  and  rapid 
methods,  irrespective  of  appearance  of  the  finished  preparation  ; 
the  edition  of  1870  directed  simple  mixture  of  fluid  extract  and 
syrup. 
The  unsightly  preparation  produced  thereby  still  lives  in  the 
memory  of  older  pharmacists. 
A  radical  deviation  from  this  rapid  process  is  found  in  the  edi- 
tion of  1880,  the  syrup  being  directed  to  be  prepared  from  ground 
rhubarb  and  cinnamon,  the  extraction  of  active  principles  being 
aided  by  the  addition  of  potassium  carbonate. 
The  objections  to  this  process  are  chiefly  based  upon  the  extrac- 
tion of  mucilaginous  and  other  inert  principles,  which  impair  the 
stability  of  the  syrup,  while  being  utterly  without  value. 
The  British  Pharmacopoeia  directs  a  similar  process  and  objec- 
tions of  English  pharmacists  on  account  of  the  instability  of  the 
syrup  are  frequently  published. 
The  present  United  States  Pharmacopoeia  returns  in  a  measure  to 
the  process  of  1870,  simply  diluting  the  fluid  extract  with  syrup, 
but  retains  the  cinnamon  in  the  form  of  spirit  and  also  the  potas- 
sium carbonate. 
Several  objections  may  be  made  to  the  syrup  thus  prepared. 
The  too  diluted  condition  of  the  syrup  is  the  first,  the  cloudy 
syrup  being  too  thin  and  easily  fermenting  in  warm  weather. 
The  presence  of  alcohol  in  the  fluid  extract  as  well  as  addition  of 
glycerin  to  the  syrup  do  not  prevent  decomposition. 
Another  objection  is  furnished  by  the  precipitation  of  a  reddish- 
brown  compound  on  standing. 
This  appears  to  consist  of  mucilaginous  principles,  and  is  appar- 
ently the  factor  which  induces  fermentation. 
Improvement  of  the  official  syrup  rests,  therefore,  upon  the  above 
points,  increase  of  density  and  removal  of  inert  principles. 
After  a  number  of  trials,  the  following  simple  modification  of  the 
present  process  was  found  to  furnish  an  improved  syrup. 
