Am  juner/imrm"}  Syrup  of  Wild  Cherry.  269 
saturate  the  aqueous  menstruum,  being  more  than  three  times  as 
much  as  that  used  in  the  official  infusion  of  wild  cherry  (293  grains 
to  the  pint). 
The  aqueous  percolate  (which  is  really  a  cold  aqueous  infusion) 
employed  in  making  the  syrup,  is  a  saturated  solution  of  the  water- 
soluble  principles  of  wild  cherry  bark  ;  and  since  the  present  U.  S.  P. 
syrup  represents  only  a  little  more  than  25  per  cent,  of  aqueous  per- 
colate, and  the  syrups  formerly  official  represented  about  50  per 
cent.,  the  marked  decrease  in  strength  can  be  readily  seen.  In 
addition,  the  reduction  in  strength  of  the  formula  is  contrary  to  the 
experience  of  the  framers  of  the  previous  five  decennial  revisions  of 
the  U.  S.  Pharmacopoeia. 
Further,  the  absence  of  glycerin  in  the  percolating  liquid  is  a 
distinct  loss,  as  a  preventive  of  possible  fermentation  in  the  drug 
during  percolation.  The  addition  of  glycerin  to  the  aqueous  per- 
colate, as  directed  by  the  present  official  formula,  is  of  no  service,  save 
to  give  "  body,"  and  for  this  purpose  additional  sugar  could  have 
been  used,  and  the  quantity  of  aqueous  percolate  proportionately 
increased,  with  resulting  advantage  to  the  finished  product. 
The  1900  syrup  is  of  an  amber  color  and  insipid  taste;  the  1890 
syrup  is  of  a  deep  ruby- red  color;  and  while  more  astringent  in 
taste,  it  is  much  more  characteristic  of  the  bark,  and  its  astringency, 
especially  when  diluted  with  water,  as  on  administration,  is  prac- 
tically nil.  The  average  dose  of  the  1900  syrup  is  officially  stated 
to  be  one  fluidrachm.  This  is  entirely  too  small ;  the  general 
quantity  given  is  from  2  to  4  fluidrachms  or  one-half  fluidounce. 
Commercially,  five  wild  cherry  barks  are  known,  as  follows : 
The  green  skin,  the  thin,  the  extra  thin,  the  thick,  and  the  choke. 
The  official  barks  have  a  maximum  thickness  of  4  mm.  or  yfc  of  an 
inch.  \ 
Syrups  were  made  three  months  ago  from  each  of  these  five  barks, 
by  the  U.  S.  P.  1890  process  and  by  the  U.  S.  P.  1900  process,  and 
are  here  shown.  The  syrups  exhibited  radical  differences  in  physical 
properties,  according  to  the  process  used  ;  and  in  the  judgment  of  the 
writer,  the  formula  of  the  present  U.  S.  Pharmacopoeia  is  distinctly 
inferior  to  those  formerly  official.  He  would  recommend  the  use  ot 
the  formula  of  1890  slightly  modified,  as  follows  : — 
Wild  Cherry,  in  No.  20  powder,  5  oz.  av.  (150  gm.) 
Sugar,  granulated,  24  oz.  av.  (720  gm.) 
