SYRUPUS  SENEGiE. 
45 
are  qualified  to  judge  of  its  value.  These  considerations  doubt- 
lessly prompted  the  Committee  on  Scientific  Queries  to  originate 
Query  9,  which  I  had  the  honor  to  accept  at  the  last  meeting. 
The  remedial  properties  of  seneka  appear  to  reside  chiefly  in 
the  polygalic  acid  (senegin) ;  the  volatile  principle,  virginic  acid, 
and  a  bitter  coloring  matter  probably  also  contribute  to  its 
activity,  while  the  other  constituents — tannic  acid,  gum,  pectic 
acid,  albumen,  cerin  and  fixed  oil — contribute  but  little  if  any  to 
its  medicinal  powers.  The  problem  to  be  solved  appears,  there- 
fore, to  be  the  embodiment  of  the  three  first  mentioned  constitu- 
ents in  the  form  of  syrup,  and  if  the  stability  of  the  prepara- 
tion demands,  to  sacrifice  one  or  all  the  others.  The  virtues  of 
senega  being,  according  to  various  authorities,  readily  extracted 
^by  cold  or  boiling  water,  and  diluted  or  strong  alcohol,  it  remains 
to  be  determined  which  of  these,  or  in  what  manner  they  are  best 
applied  to  the  extraction  of  the  above  mentioned  active  principles, 
without  extracting  the  inert  principles  favoring  decomposition. 
Accordingly  a  number  of  syrups  were  prepared  with  different 
solvents,  and  each  syrup  was  divided  in  3  vials,  two  of  which 
were  carefully  sealed,  the  other  loosely  corked.  One  of  the 
sealed  vials  was  kept  in  a  cool  cellar,  and  the  portion  thus  pre- 
served designated  A  ;  the  other  was  kept  in  the  store  room, 
exposed  to  all  the  variations  of  temperature,  and  is  designated 
B  ;  the  loosely  corked  vial  was  also  kept  in  the  store  room  and 
occasionally  opened,  so  as  to  represent  as  nearly  as  possible  the 
condition  it  would  be  under  in  the  dispensary  ;  this  was  desig- 
nated C. 
I.  Syrup  prepared  September,  1866,  according  to  the  formula 
of  the  U.  S.  Pharm.  Not  clear  when  first  made  ;  remained  un- 
changed up  to  date ;  mo  precipitate  formed ;  somewhat  more 
viscid  than  would  be  warranted  by  the  amount  of  sugar  contained 
in  it ;  of  a  color,  taste  and  odor  indicative  of  good  syrup  of 
seneka. 
II.  Syrup  prepared  October,  1866,  like  I,  differing  only  in 
using  but  14J  oz.  of  sugar  to  8  fluidounces  of  liquid,  instead  of 
15  oz.  required  by  the  Pharm.  formula.  Not  clear  when  first 
made,  but  when  allowed  to  stand  a  few  weeks  formed  a  bulky  de- 
posit, which  when  last  examined  was  disseminated  through  about 
