594 
Syrup  of  Lactmarium. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Dec,  1883. 
fluid  extract  a  great  end  is  accomplished  by  the  removal  of  the  objec- 
tionable and  inert  lactucerin  through  its  solubility  in  ether,  which  sol- 
vent when  used  leaves  unaffected  for  further  treatment  the  mass  con- 
taining the  active  principles.  But  the  U.  S.  P.  process  (1880)  is  at 
best  a  complicated,  troublesome  and  imperfect  formula,  and  a  partially 
approximate  result  can  only  l>e  obtained  by  its  use,  in  consequence  of 
the  lactucarium  being  ordered  "  in  coarse  pieces  when  first  macerated 
with  ether,  and  not  properly  disintegrated,  as  it  should  be  in  order  to 
obtain  the  full  action  of  the  solvent  on  the  drug.  It  therefore  must 
necessarily  leave  undissolved  a  large  quantity  of  lactucerin.  The 
syrup  made  from  it,  accordingly,  failed  partially  or  wholly  to  fulfill 
original  expectations,  and  clearly  the  whole  subject  needed  further 
investigation  in  regard  to  its  pharmaceutical  preparations. 
Following  out  the  line  of  experiment  already  spoken  of  in  the  pre- 
mises,^the  following  formula  was  constructed,  as  the  result  of  these 
investigations,  and  found  to  prove  entirely  satisfactory : 
Formula. 
Take  of  Allen's  lactucarium   1  troyounce. 
Powdered  quartz.   2  troyounces. 
Magnesium  carbonate   2  drachms. 
Sugar,  granulated   13  troyounces. 
Ether   1^  fluidounce. 
Glycerin   2  fluidounces. 
Alcohol  dilute  
Water   each,  a  sufficient  quantity 
I  |Reduce  the  lactucarium  to  a  fine  powder  with  the  powdered  quartz, 
macerate  for  several  days  with  the  ether,  decant  as  much  as  possible  of 
the  etherial  solution,  add  two  fluidounces  of  water,  and  remove  excess 
of  ether  by  cautious  evaporation.  When  this  has  been  done  add  to 
this  liquid  glycerin  two  fluidounces,  diluted  alcohol  eight  fluidounces, 
sugar  one  troyounce,  and  magnesium  carbonate  two  drachms. 
Place  in  a  tightly  stoppered  bottle  or  flask,  digest  in  a  water-bath, 
at  a  temperature  not  exceeding  130°F.,  for  12  hours.  Displace  in  a 
glass  funnel  through  absorbent  cotton,  evaporate  the  percolate  down 
to  6  fluidounces,  make  up  to  10  fluidounces  with  dilute  alcohol,  filter 
and  add  12  troyounces  of  sugar  to  the  filtrate,  dissolving'^with  the  aid 
of  heat.  Lastly,  add,  when  cold,  enough  syrup  to  make  the  finished 
product  measure  1  pint. 
Powdered  quartz  is  used  to  reduce  the  concrete  juice  to  a  fine  pow- 
