THE 
AMERICAN  JOUliNAL  OF  PHARMACY. 
MAY,  1  8  7  0. 
ON  SYRUP  OF  ORANGE  FLOWERS. 
By  J.  B.  Moore. 
To  obtain  a  fresh  and  nicely  flavored  article  of  orange  flower 
water  is  often  a  diflicult  matter.  There  is  scarcely  a  distilled 
water  more  variable  in  quality  as  found  in  the  market.  Its  ten- 
dency to  degeneration  and  deterioration  is  so  great  that  it  is  im- 
possible to  preserve  it  for  any  considerable  length  of  time  in 
good  condition.  Its  delectable  flavor  and  natural  sweetness  of 
odor  soon  become  so  much  impaired  as  to  unfit  it  for  the  pur- 
poses for  which  it  is  generally  employed.  Preserved  with  sugar 
in  the  form  of  syrup  is  the  only  way  in  which  it  can  long  be 
preserved  and  rendered  available  for  use. 
As  a  vehicle  or  flavor  to^  disguise  the  taste  and  improve  the 
flavor  of  the  bitter  tonics,  rhubarb,  various  saline  and  other  un- 
palatable remedies,  and  to  impair  the  disagreeable  odor  of  some 
ofi'ensive  medicines,  it  is  unsurpassed  by  any  of  the  other  dis- 
tilled or  aromatic  waters.  Its  usefulness  is  not  alone  confined 
to  its  qualities  as  a  flavor,  but  it  also  possesses  decided  remedial 
powers  as  a  nervous  sedative,  and  is  highly  esteemed  by  some 
medical  men  for  its  virtues  in  allaying  nervous  irritability  and 
inquietude,  and  composing  nervous  restlessness,  affording  placid 
and  refreshing  sleep  when  other  more  popular  remedies  have 
failed.  But  owing,  I  presume,  to  the  great  uncertainty  experi- 
enced by  physicians  in  obtaining  a  good  article  when  prescribing 
it,  and  the  feeble  and  almost  worthless  character  of  the  officinal 
syrup,  it  has  lost  much  of  its  popularity  and  has  fallen  compara- 
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