39^  Medicinal  Syrups,  {^'^'sl^'.'Ijs''^' 
sistence  and  possessing  treble  the  stability  of  the  syrups  made  the  usual 
way. 
In  preparing  the  various  syrups  of  the  Pharmacopoeia  "  by  the  fore- 
going process,  it  is  advisable  to  note  the  following  particulars  :  The 
syrups  of  gum  arabic,  orange-peel  and  flowers,  tolu,  lemon,  rhatany, 
wild  cherry,  garlic,  sarsaparilla,  ginger  and  squill  are  all  treated  accord- 
ing to  the  "  Pharmacopoeia,"  till  that  part  where  boiling  the  sugar  in 
the  mestruum  is  directed  is  arrived  at  ;  here  the  menstruum,  impreg- 
nated with  the  medicinal  or  fragrant  virtues  of  the  drug,  is  poured  on 
the  sugar  and  treated  as  above  directed. 
For  syrup  of  red  rose,  I  would  suggest  that  the  sugar  be  first  per- 
colated with  the  mixture  of  extract  and  water,  obtained  as  per  "  Phar- 
macopoeia," and  the  first  portion  of  the  tincture  added  lastly  to  the  pre- 
pared syrup. 
A  practical  and  economical  process  for  syrup  of  iodide  of  iron  is  as 
follows  : 
Take  of  Iodine,    ......  3  troyounces 
Iron  (in  wire  and  cut  in  pieces),      .  .  .      300  grains 
Distilled  water,  a  sufficient  quantity. 
Sugar,  .  .  .  .  .  '132  troyounces 
Mix  the  iodine,  iron  and  three  fluidounces  of  distilled  water  in  a 
suitable  glass  vessel ;  when  the  reaction  has  ceased,  filter,  and  add  six 
fluidounces  of  distilled  water  to  the  filtrate  ;  pour  this  on  the  sugar 
previously  deposited  in  a  percolator,  as  directed  in  the  general  process. 
When  the  liquid  has  passed,  and  the  sugar  is  all  dissolved,  add  sufficient 
distilled  water  to  make  the  whole  measure  twenty  ounces.  While  pro- 
ceeding with  the  above  process,  care  must  be  taken  to  complete  it  as 
quick  as  possible,  and  to  carry  it  on  in  a  dark  glass  percolator.  Lastly,, 
it  may  be  filled  into  small  (two  or  three  ounce)  dark-glass  bottles  ^  and 
a  bit  of  iron  wire  added  to  each. 
Thus  far  we  have  been  bordering  on  an  impossibility  to  procure,  by 
the  formulas  commonly  in  vogue,  a  compound  syrup  of  squill  that  will 
stand  unaltered  by  time  and  temperature.  The  formula  that  I  am  going 
to  present  does  not  even  claim  to  be  perfection  on  these  material  points, 
but  it  does  claim  to  far  exceed  the  present  official  formula  in  attaining 
that  end.  The  drugs  (squill  and  seneca)  are  powdered,  macerated  and 
percolated,  evaporated,  mixed  with  water  and  filtered  according  to  the 
'^The  syrup  is  decomposed  by  the  atmospheric  air,  but  not  by  light;  see  papers 
in  this  Journal  for  1854,  1855,       — Editor  Amer.  Journ.  Pharm. 
