FERRATED  ELIXIR  OF  BARK. 
205 
orange  peel,  and  percolate  the  bark  with  the  mixture.  Dissolve 
the  pyrophosphate  of  iron  in  the  percolate,  add  the  alcohol, 
brandy  and  syrup,  and  filter  if  necessary. 
The  formula  for  the  Elixir  of  Bark  is  based  upon  one  by 
A.  B.  Taylor,  published  in  the  Journal  of  1859.  When  made  in 
that  manner,  however,  a  precipitate  occurs  in  a  short  time,  ren- 
dering it  turbid  and  unsightly.  By  treating  the  bark  with  an 
aqueous  menstruum,  and  afterwards  adding  enough  alcohol  and 
brandy  to  preserve  it,  less  of  the  cinchonic  red  is  taken  up,  and 
the  preparation  remains  clear  much  longer,  though  my  experi- 
ence is  not  yet  sufficient  to  say  that  no  deposit  will  eventually 
take  place. 
The  Tincture  of  Orange  peel  is  made  by  macerating  the 
finely  divided  fresh  rind  in  deodorized  alcohol,  using  a  pound 
to  the  quart;  it  is  a  delicious  flavorant  and  keeps  well,  some 
now  a  year  old  being  as  good  as  at  first.  The  object  of  mixing 
it  with  the  aromatic  waters  is  to  remove  the  resulting  cloudiness 
by  percolation,  and  if  the  tincture  is  not  on  hand  it  would 
probably  be  preferable  to  rub  the  fresh  rind  with  the  sugar  for 
the  syrup,  thereby  furnishing  a  purely  aqueous  menstruum  in 
greater  quantity. 
The  pyrophosphate  is  the  most  suitable  of  all  the  salts  of 
iron  for  prescribing  with  preparations  of  Peruvian  bark,  on 
account  of  its  not  blackening  with  the  tannin  of  cinchona  and 
its  freedom  from  chalybeate  taste.  A  very  convenient  form  in 
which  to  keep  it  is  the  solution  of  Dr.  Squibb,  as  given  in  the 
Journal  of  1860,  page  37,  with  the  addition  of  a  few  drops  of 
oil  of  cinnamon  or  cloves,  to  prevent  moulding.  With  this 
the  Syrup  or  Ferrated  Elixir  may  be  made  easily  and  quickly. 
Some  of  the  imported  article  in  scales  became,  after  a  time, 
quite  insoluble  in  water,  and  required  the  addition  of  ammonia 
for  its  ready  solution.  Although  not  darkened  by  infusion  of 
cinchona,  the  color  deepens  considerably  on  the  addition  of 
brandy,  which  contains  tannin,  derived  from  the  cask. 
The  Ferrated  Elixir  of  Bark,  prepared  as  above,  contains 
about  one  grain  of  pyrophosphate  of  iron  and  citrate  of  am- 
monia, and  two  grains  of  cinchona  bark  in  a  fluidrachms,  and 
i3  very  agreeable  in  taste  and  appearance.  The  proportion  of 
iron  may  be  increased  without  rendering  it  unpleasant. 
