^"'d"y%!^T-'"-}  ^y^ne  of  'Var.  201 
B. — Tar,  pure,  ......    5xvi,  troy. 
Glycerin,  ...... 
Sherry  Wine,  ...... 
Honey,  .  .  .  .  .  .ad  f5viii. 
Acetic  Acid,       ......  fgi. 
Boiling  Water,  .  .  .  .  .  O  vi. 
Mix  the  glycerin,  sherry  wine,  honey,  acetic  acid  and  boiling  water 
together,  in  a  stone  jug  or  other  suitable  vessel  of  the  capacity  of  a 
gallon.  To  the  mixture  add  the  tar,  and  shake  the  whole  vigorously 
for  several  minutes.  The  vessel  is  then  to  be  tightly  stopped  and 
placed  upon  a  stove  or  in  a  water-bath,  resting  upon  folds  of  paper, 
and  the  mixture  digested,  for  an  hour  or  two,  at  a  temperature  of  from 
150°  to  160°.  During  the  digestion,  the  mixture  should  be  frequently 
well  shaken.  When  the  digestion  is  completed,  the  mixture  is  to  be 
set  aside  to  macerate,  in  a  warm  place,  for  a  few  days,  it  being  well 
shaken  occasionally  during  the  process.  Lastly,  strain  through  muslin^ 
and  filter  the  strained  liquid  through  paper. 
I  here  present  two  samples  of  the  wine  of  tar  ;  that  marked  No.  i 
being  made  in  exact  accordance  with  the  above  formula,  and  the  other, 
marked  No.  2,  made  by  the  same  formula,  omitting  the  acetic  acid. 
They  have  both  been  made  for  some  time  :  No.  i  since  the  middle  of 
last  October,  No.  2  since  the  ist  of  last  January. 
These  samples  have  been  recently  filtered,  and  are,  as  will  be  ob- 
served, beautifully  bright  and  transparent.  Both  were  of  a  lighter 
color  when  freshly  made,  but  have  gradually  become  darker  by  age. 
This  change  seems  to  have  been  much  greater  in  the  sample  contain- 
ing acetic  acid,  which,  in  fact,  when  first  made,  was  darker  and  seemed 
to  be  much  stronger  in  the  sensible  properties  of  tar  than  the  other. 
The  addition  of  the  acetic  acid  to  the  formula  I  consider  a  decided 
advantage,  as  it  not  only  increases  the  solvent  power  of  the  menstruum, 
but  also  imparts  to  the  preparation  the  well-known  and  valuable  refrig- 
erant properties  of  vinegar.  The  proportion  of  the  acetic  acid,  I  think, 
might  even,  with  advantage,  be  increased.  The  slight  acescency  given 
to  the  wine  by  the  acetic  acid  improves  its  taste. 
I  can  see  no  possible  advantage  that  can  be  derived  from  the  fermen- 
tation process  employed  in  the  old  formula,  as  it  cannot  confer  any 
special  therapeutic  value  upon  the  preparation,  while  it  renders  its 
manufacture  very  tedious  and  troublesome. 
Wine  of  tar,  at  best,  can  only  be  valued,  therapeutically,  for  its  tarry 
