35o  Preparation  of  Syrup  of  Ipecacuanha.  {*mjl?ZJ7h9*rm 
impairing  the  efficiency  of  the  preparation,  unless  it  is  always  well 
shaken  before  being  administered,  a  precaution  very  likely  to  be  neg- 
lected by  the  average  consumer.  I  have  even  known  drug  clerks  to 
•omit  shaking  the  bottle  before  dispensing  the  syrup. 
About  the  only  recommendation  the  present  formula  seems  to  have 
is  that  the  article  is  easy  to  make  ;  this  is  certainly  a  very  insufficient 
reason  for  retaining  the  formula  when  one  can  be  di.vised  which,  with 
but  a  reasonable  amount  of  trouble,  produces  much  better  results. 
When  fluid  extract  of  ipecac  is  mixed  with  water  a  precipitate  of  the 
resinous  portion  of  the  drug  takes  place,  carrying  down  with  it  a  por- 
tion of  emetia  ;  the  precipitation  of  the  entire  amount  of  resinous  por- 
tion, however,  does  not  at  once  take  place  ;  to  accomplish  that  result 
the  mixture  must  stand  at  rest  two  davs,  or  thereabouts.  Now  in 
order  to  produce  from  the  fluid  extract  a  syrup  of  ipecac,  free  from  the 
objections  of  the  officinal  article,  we  must  first  entirely  free  the  fluid 
extract  used  in  the  process  from  that  portion  insoluble  in  water,  pro- 
ducing the  objectionable  precipitate  in  the  syrup.  And,  next,  in  order 
that  the  syrup  may  fully  represent  the  emetic  properties  of  the  drug,  we 
must  dissolve  the  emetin,  which  is  unavoidably  carried  down,  and  add  it 
to  the  syrup. 
The  writer  thinks  the  above  conditions  are  complied  with,  and  an 
unobjectionable  article  is  produced  by  the  following  process  :  One 
fluidounce  of  fluid  extract  of  ipecac  is  mixed  with  four  fluidounces  of 
distilled  water,  and  the  mixture  allowed  to  stand  at  rest  48  hours.  Put 
13  troyounces  of  best  white  granulated  sugar  into  a  flask  of  not  less 
than  one  pint  capacity,  then  pour  off  as  much  of  the  aqueous  solution 
of  ipecac  as  can  be  turned  perfectly  clear  and  add  it  to  the  sugar  within 
the  flask,  introduce  into  the  neck  of  the  flask  a  funnel  .containing  a 
double  paper  filter  previously  well  wetted  with  water  and  drained. 
This  double  filter  is  made  by  introducing  one  plain  filter,  folded  in  the 
usual  way,  into  another  in  such  a  manner  that  the  three  thickness  side 
of  each  shall  coincide  with  the  one  thickness  side  of  the  other.  Next 
thoroughly  shake  up  the  remaining  dregs  left  after  pouring  off  the  clear 
solution  of  ipecac,  and  put  it,  a  little  at  a  time,  upon  the  filter  and 
allow  it  to  drain  into  the  flask;  then  rinse  the  vessel,  from  which  the 
dregs  have  been  poured,  with  two  fluidounces  of  hot  distilled  water  in 
several  small  portions,  and  pour  the  rinsings  one  after  another  upon  the 
precipitate  in  the  filter,  wash  the  precipitate  with  the  remaining  two 
