PHARMACEUTICAL  NOTICES. 
103 
PHARMACEUTICAL  NOTICES. 
By  James  R.  Mercein. 
Syrup  of  Orange  Peel  The  officinal  formula  for  this  pre- 
paration is  liable  to  the  objection  that  the  boiling  water  used 
in  the  process  takes  up  a  large  quantity  of  the  inert  gummy 
matter,  which  causes  the  syrup  to  ferment  after  being  made  but 
a  short  time.  To  obviate  this,  I  have  devised  the  following 
mode  of  preparing  it,  which  I  find  to  answer  very  well.  The 
alcohol  that  remains  in  it  when  finished,  while  too  small  in 
quantity  to  act  as  a  stimulant,  serves  to  render  the  syrup  more 
stable.  This  method*  is  based  on  the  principle  Mr.  Finley  has 
so  happily  used  in  preparing  syrup  of  tolu,  (see  U.  S.  Disp.  p. 
1215)  i.  e.  impregnating  the  water  with  the  flavoring  ingredient 
by  means  of  magnesia. 
Tinct.  of  Orange  Peel,  Ivi. 
Carb.  Magnesia,  3ii. 
White  Sugar,  lbs.  iss.  (avoirdupois.) 
Water,  ^xii. 
Evaporate  the  tincture  to  ^ii.  by  means  of  a  water-bath;  then 
triturate  with  the  magnesia,  and  add  very  gradually,  the  water. 
Filter,  and  form  a  syrup  with  the  sugar. 
Citrine  Ointment, — In  making  this  ointment,  instead  of  con- 
fining myself  to  the  use  of  neats-foot  oil  as  in  the  officinal  pro- 
cess, I  have  tried  experiments  with  various  fixed  oils  and  fats. 
I  have  done  this,  partly,  because  I  desired  to  find  a  substitute 
for  the  officinal  ointment,  which  as  a  general  thing  does  not 
keep  well,  becoming  discolored  and  friable  in  a  short  time  ;  and 
partly  because  I  wished  to  discover  how,  and  in  what  degree, 
other  oils  and  fats  would  be  suitable  for  the  purpose,  in  case 
neats-foot  oil  was  not  readily  obtainable.  I  have  arrived  at  the 
following  conclusions,  which,  though  crude  and  imperfect,  yet 
convey  a  general  idea  of  what  can  be  done  in  this  way. 
From  Qastor  Oil.  The  ointment  made  from  this,  though  at  first 
of  a  good  color  and  consistence,  changed  in  a  short  time  to  a 
dark  brown  hue.  When  one-third  lard  was  added,  the  ointment 
retained  its  original  properties  very  well. 
*  Since  this  paper  has  been  in  type,  I  have  learned  that  a  similar  process  was 
published  in  this  Journal  in  1854,  page  298. 
