Amji\y%^9&rm'}  Preparation  of  Syrup  of  Ipecacuanha.  351 
Huidounces  of  hot  water,  allowing  the  washings  to  mingle  with  the  con- 
tents of  the  flask,  then  warm  the  flask  until  the  sugar  is  all  dissolved, 
and  when  cold  add  sufficient  distilled  water  to  make  the  syrup  measure 
one  pint. 
Two  fluidounces  of  hot  water  are  quite  sufficient  to  remove  all  the 
cmetia  from  the  precipitate,  provided  the  washing  is  done  with  ordi- 
nary skill  and  care,  as  may  be  shown  by  testing  the  washings  with  tannic 
acid,  or  nitrate  of  potassium.  The  writer  has  tried  several  experi- 
ments in  making  syrup  of  ipecac,  and  the  formula  presented  produces 
the  most  perfect  article  of  any  process  tried  by  him  ;  some  of  the 
syrup  so  made  several  weeks  ago  as  yet  shows  no  sign  whatever  of 
separating,  buc  whether  it  will  stand  the  test  of  time  as  well  as  he 
expects,  of  course,  can  not  as  yet  be  definitely  determined.  An 
article  prepared  by  this  method  last  January,  except  that  the  mixture 
of  fluid  extract  and  water  was  allowed  to  stand  only  24  hours,  showed 
slight  floccula  diffused  through  it  after  standing  several  days,  which 
floccula  did  not  increase  or  go  to  the  bottom,  and  the  syrup  still  remains 
a  nearly  perfect  article. 
Another  article  prepared  by  mixing  one  fluidounce  of  fluid  extract 
of  ipecac  with  six  of  distilled  water,  at  once  filtering,  then  dissolving 
the  requisite  amount  of  sugar  in  the  mixture,  soon  after  separated  a 
-considerable  precipitate,  although  the  article  was  much  better,  in  this 
respect,  than  the  officinal.' 
Still  another  process  was  tried,  using  benzoic  acid  water  in  place  of 
distilled  water,  as  suggested  in  an  article  on  "  Benzoic  Acid  in  Phar- 
macy," published  in  the  "  American  Journal  of  Pharmacy,"  April, 
1878.  This  syrup  separated  as  badly  as  that  produced  by  the  third 
process  mentioned  in  this  article,  and  the  writer  can  see  no  use  what- 
ever for  benzoic  acid  in  syrup  of  ipecac,  and  if  of  no  use  of  course  it 
is  objectionable. 
In  conclusion,  allow  me  to  remind  the  members  of  this  association 
that  the  syrup  of  ipecac  is  an  important  preparation,  and  I  would  urge 
others  to  try  the  process  here  recommended,  and  other  processes  which 
may  occur  to  them,  with  a  view  of  offering  a  perfect,  as  a  substitute 
for  an  imperfect,  article  to  our  next  Pharmacopoeia, 
