162 
ON SYRUP OP WILD CHERRY BARK. 
Having observed the perfect manner in which this syrup 
kept whilst others under similar circumstances readily fer- 
mented, and with a view of ascertaining whether a smaller 
quantity of sugar might not answer the purpose of prevent- 
ing fermentation or decomposition of the preparation, I was 
induced to make the following experiments: — 
An infusion was made by maceration, as above directed, 
and divided into four equal quantities. One portion was 
made into a syrup with the usual quantity of sugar, in the 
second the amount of sugar and infusion were equal ; in 
the third the proportion was two of infusion to one of sugar ; 
and in the fourth portion as three to one. They were then 
placed together in a situation where the temperature varied 
from 75° to SO Fahr. No perceptible change took place 
in any of these syrups until about two months after they 
were prepared, although the corks of the bottles containing 
them were frequently opened. At this period a slight de- 
posite of apotheme began to take place in the syrup con- 
taining the least quantity of sugar. In a short time after 
a similar precipitate was observed in the syrup, in which 
the infusion doubled the sugar in quantity. The syrup 
containing equal parts of sugar and infusion, kept perfectly, 
in all respects, like that made with the full proportion of 
sugar. 
More than six months have now elapsed since these pre- 
parations were made (in which time they have been ex- 
posed to the ordinary temperature of the store during the 
past summer,) and the two last mentioned syrups remain 
unchanged, whilst the others, though they contain an in- 
creased deposite of apotheme, appear to retain their other 
properties unimpaired. 
With the design of discovering whether the hydrocyanic 
acid present in these syrups was the cause of their not fer- 
menting, an infusion similar to the other was boiled for some 
time, in order to dissipate that principle, and then divided 
into two portions. With one of these a syrup was made 
