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SYRUPUS  STILLINGI2E  compositus. 
SYRUPUS  STILLINGLE  COMPOSITUS. 
By  Joseph  A.  Heintzelman. 
For  some  time  back  I  have  received  prescriptions  for  an 
Eclectic  preparation,  a  compound  syrup  of  stillingia,  which,  being 
unofficinal,  I  obtained  of  several  Eclectic  druggists  of  the  city. 
But  of  late  the  call  has  been  so  frequent  that  I  now  prepare  the 
syrup  by  the  gallon. 
I  first  examined  the  recipe  described  in  King's  Dispensatory, 
and  have  found  it  to  yield  a  very  valuable  preparation  when  the 
manipulation  is  rightly  conducted. 
Most  of  the  ingredients  of  this  syrup  are  from  our  own  fields, 
growing  in  different  localities  of  the  United  States,  and  physi- 
cians should  be  encouraged  to  prescribe  medicines  from  sources 
near  home  instead  of  foreign  substances.  As  it  is  likely  to  be- 
come a  popular  medicine,  and  the  formula  published  not  being 
without  objections,  I  take  the  opportunity  of  offering  the  result 
of  a  satisfactory  experiment.  In  examining  King's  Eclectic 
Dispensatory,  T  found  the  manipulation  tedious  and  not  strictly 
scientific  ;  the  measure  of  menstruum  used  is  larger  and  more 
costly  than  necessary,  and  what  has  been  gained  by  extraction, 
is  lost  by  evaporation  and  superfluous  boiling.  Of  course,  if  the 
strength  of  such  a  preparation  should  be  estimated  by  its  color, 
it  may  be  called  a  good  preparation,  as  it  is  a  dark  brown  almost 
black  syrup,  depositing,  after  a  time,  much  sugar  in  crystals 
owing  to  the  large  amount  of  alcohol  retained,  and  containing 
little  of  the  fine  flavor,  depending  on  the  very  volatile  matter, 
which,  at  careful  evaporation,  is  preserved,  but  entirely  destroyed 
by  long  continuation  of  boiling. 
Take  of  Queen's  root,  (Stillingia  sylvatica,) 
Turkey-corn  root,  (Cordyalis  formosa,)  each  Jvi. 
Blue  flag  root,  (Iris  versicolor.) 
Elder  flowers,  (Sambucus,) 
Pipsissewa  leaves,  (Chimaphila,)  each^iij. 
Coriander  seed, 
Prickley  ash  berries,  (Xanthoxylum  fraxineum,)  each  gisfc. 
White  sugar,  seven  pounds,  avoirdupois. 
Alcohol, 
Water,  each, a  sufficient  quantity, 
