COMPOUND  DECOCTION  OF  SARSAPARILLA,  U.  S.  P. 
THe  experiments  were  interesting  in  the  case  of  ointment  of 
nitrate  of  mercury ;  that  made  with  benzoinated  lard  remained 
•unchanged  in  color,  odor  and  consistence.  In  making  the  oint- 
ment of  iodide  of  potassium  with  ointment  of  benzoin  (U.  S.  P.) 
the  color  changed  rapidly  to  yellow  during  the  process  of  making 
it. 
In  some  of  the  cases  mentioned  in  the  table,  sufficient  time 
has  not  elapsed  to  test  them  properly,  and  in  the  iodine  prepara- 
tions the  experiments  are  not  conclusive. 
When  it  is  considered  that  the  exposure  to  air  and  tempera- 
ture to  which  these  cerates  and  ointments  were  subjected,  was 
very  much  greater  than  they  would  ever  be  likely  to  receive  at 
the  hands  of  the  apothecary,  it  will  be  conceded  that  the  experi- 
ments were  very  satisfactory,  and  that  the  remark  made  in  a 
former  paper  can  be  repeated  here,  that  "  there  is  no  doubt 
that  the  benzoinated  lard  can  be  used  in  many  of  the  ointments 
of  the  Pharmacopoeia,  without  affecting  their  medicinal  quali- 
ties." 
Boston,  August,  1867. — Proc.  Amer.  Pharm.  Assoc.,  1867. 
ON  COMPOUND  DECOCTION  OF  SARSAPARILLA,  U.  S  P. 
By  William  Saunders. 
Query  6. — Is  the  direction  in  the  formula  for  compound  decoction  of 
sarsaparilla,  U.S.  P.,  to  macerate  the  ingredients  in  cold  water  for  twelve 
hours  previous  to  ebullition,  sufficiently  important  to  justify  the  delay  it 
occasions  ?  and  will  not  digestion  at  200°  F.  for  two  hours  be  a  judicious 
alteration? 
The  first  step  taken  in  collecting  material  for  a  reply  to  this 
query  was  the  preparation  of  the  officinal  decoction.  One-fourth 
of  the  quantity  ordered  in  the  Pharmacopoeia  was  made  at  a  time, 
containing  sarsaparilla  root  cut  into  short  pieces,  and  bruised  by 
passing  it  coarsely  through  a  Swift's  drug  mill.  One  and  a-half 
ounces  bark  of  sassafras  root,  bruised;  liquorice  root,  bruised, 
and  guaiacum  wood,  rasped,  of  each  a  quarter  of  an  ounce  ;  me- 
zereon  bark,  cut  into  small  pieces,  forty  grains.  These  ingredi- 
ents were  macerated  in  cold  water  for  twelve  hours,  then  placed 
on  the  fire  and  boiled  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  small  quantities 
of  water  being  added  from  time  to  time  to  make  up  the  loss  by 
