^"'sepris'ys^'^'"  }  Ammoniacal  Compound  of  Glycyrrhizin.  409 
products,  and  especially  acetic  acid,  are  generated.  This  ammonia  oi 
the  ammoniacal  glycyrrhizin  is  partially  saturated,  the  insoluble  glycyr- 
rhizin being  set  free,  and  the  sapidity  of  the  root  proportionately  dimin- 
ished. If  these  roots  be  allowed  to  remain  a  sufficient  time  in  a  slightly 
ammoniacal  atmosphere,  they  recover  their  original  taste  and  readily 
yield  their  sweet  principle  to  water. 
Those  who  have  had  occasion  to  prepare  large  quantities  of  extract 
of  licorice  by  exhausting  the  coarsely-powdered  root,  will  have  remarked 
that  the  liquor  although  limpid  when  first  obtained,  frequently  becomes 
turbid  in  the  course  of  a  few  hours,  especially  in  summer,  giving  off 
carbonic  acid,  and  depositing  a  voluminous,  gelatinous,  yellow  precip- 
itate. The  liquor  becomes  strongly  acid,  and  loses  the  greater  propor- 
tion of  its  sweet  taste.  The  precipitate  so  formed,  which  is  frequently 
separated  and  thrown  away,  is  really  the  glycyrrhizin  set  free ;  it  can 
be  redissolved  and  the  sweet  taste  restored  to  the  liquor  by  the  addition 
of  a  few  drops  of  ammonia. 
The  extract  obtained  by  evaporating  the  macerate  of  the  licorice 
root  is  very  hygroscopic,  and  frequently  can  only  be  preserved  in  the 
solid  form  by  being  mixed  with  large  quantities  of  inert  substances  : 
starch,  gum,  etc.  In  the  heat  of  summer  the  cylinders  of  extracts 
will  soften  and  run  in  spite  of  all  precautions.  Ammoniacal  glycyrrhi- 
zin, on  the  other  hand,  has  no  hygroscopic  tendency,  and  does  not  soften 
even  at  a  temperature  of  80°  to  100°.  It  is  therefore  to  foreign  mat- 
ters that  the  softening  of  the  extract  is  to  be  attributed. 
The  author  has  found  that  sulphate  of  quinia,  sulphate  of  magne- 
sium, iodide  of  potassium,  and  ipecacuanha,  lose  most  of  their  taste  if 
mixed  with  a  sufficiency  of  ammoniacal  glycyrrhizin.  It  would  appear 
that  besides  the  chemical  reaction  the  very  persistent  taste  of  the  sugar 
of  licorice  root  renders  the  palate  for  some  moments  insensible  or  indif- 
ferent to  other  sensations.  He  considers  that  ammoniacal  glycyrrhizin 
might  frequently  be  advantageously  mixed  with  pill  masses,  powders  or 
mixtures,  it  being  more  efficacious  in  masking  the  taste  than  one  hun- 
dred times  its  weight  of  sugar.  The  taking  of  such  medicines  as  cod- 
liver  oil  and  syrup  of  iodide  of  iron  would  be  much  facilitated  by  pre- 
viously dissolving  a  very  small  quantity  of  it  in  the  mouth. 
Ammoniacal  glycyrrhizin  may  be  prepared  industrially,  without  treat- 
ment by  alcohol  and  ether.  The  bruised  licorice  root  is  exhausted 
methodically  by  the  smallest  possible  quantity  of  cold  water,  the  liquor 
boiled  and  cleared  from  coagulated  albumen,  then  precipitated  after 
