55 
oz.  av.  and  dissolve  cold  by  frequent  agitation.  The  result  is  a 
beautiful  thick,  dark  orange-colored  syrup. 
I  present  this  to  the  readers  of  the  Journal.  In  case  they  are  in 
want  of  a  formula,  they  will  find  this  a  reliable  one. 
Yours  respectfully,  Geo.  W.  Kennedy. 
PottsviUe,  Pa..  Jan.  9th,  1871. 
ON  QUINIA,  AND  SOME  ANALOGOUS  SUBSTANCES  IN  PRE- 
SCRIPTIONS  AS  TONICS  AND  EFFICACIOUS  ANTIPERIODICS. 
By  J.  B.  R.  PuRNELL,  M.D.,  of  Snowhill,  Md. 
The  object  of  what  follows  (a  part  of  which  has  before  appeared  in 
the  Medical  and  Surgical  Reporter,  Oct.,  1869,)  is  not  to  allude 
to  medicine  of  agreeable  taste  any  more  than  to  speak  of  certain  com- 
binations as  more  efficacious  antiperiodics  than  quinia  sulphate  alone. 
Nevertheless,  a  knowledge  of  means  of  disguising  any  disagreeable 
taste — whenever  this  is  possible  without  damage  to  remedial  power — 
is  and  ought  to  be  admitted  as  important,  a  palatable  remedy  being 
essential  in  a  great  many  cases  to  comfort,  in  not  a  few  to  a  cure. 
And,  having  noticed  several  accounts  of  formulae  intended  to  conceal 
the  bitterness  of  quinia,  I  am  induced  to  make  some  statements — 
conclusions  which  I  think  can  be  relied  upon,  being  arrived  at  by 
some  years  of  observation  and  many  experiments  made  with  care.  * 
Ext.  glycyrrhizae  alone  (better  with  a  little  tannic  acid)  answers  a 
good  purpose  with  many  patients,  but  a  large  proportion  is  usually 
required  (5  grs.  may  be  used  for  each  grain  of  quinia  sulphate  or  2 
grains  of  cinchonia  sulphate),  and  I  find  the  taste  of  the  extract  is 
more  often  objected  to  than  that  of  some  other  things  that  may  be 
used — hence  the  importance  of  a  knowledge,  if  possible,  of  a  variety 
of  substances  to  be  employed  to  destroy  the  bitterness. 
Tannic  acid  used  in  large  proportion  with  quinia  sulphate — less  for 
cinchonia  sulphate  or  the  alkaloid  quinia — conceals  the  bitterness,  and 
the  fact  may  be.  well  known  to  the  profession  generally,  or  the  ma- 
jority ;  but  it  is  probably  not  generally  known  that  a  slightly  bitter 
taste  of  tannate  of  quinia — more  properly  a  minute  portion  of  pre-  ^ 
cipitated  quinine — will  be  perceived,  though  not  until  about  a  half 
minute  after  swallowing  the  mixture.  The  same  is  perceived,  to  some 
extent,  in  the  case  of  any  other  combination  by  which  the  bitterness 
of  quinia  or  cinchonia  is  disguised,  but  is  probably  more  distinct  with 
i,m"r'}  On  Quinia,  etc. 
Am.  Jodr.  Pharm 
Feb, 
