AN  INTRODUCTION  TO  PRACTICAL  PHARMACY.  15 
prepared  from  conl  tar.  It  has  a  specfic  gravity  of  1-062,  and  boils  at  386°. 
A  slip  of  pine  wood,  dipped  first  in  this  and  then  into  hydrochloric  acid, 
becomes  blue,  which  is  not  the  case  with  the  true  wood  tar  creosote.  In  an 
article  on  this  subject,  in  the  New  Yoik  Journal  of  Pharmacy,  Oct.,  1853, 
Professor  Edward  N.  Kent  has  given  a  method  of  manufacture  and  purifica- 
tion, which  has  proved  successful  in  his  hands,  and  expresses  the  opinion 
that  carbolic  acid  is  creasote  in  a  purer  form  than  that  obtained  from  wood 
tar.    It  is  certainly  less  disagreeable  for  use." 
From  the  chapter  on  "  Farinaceous  and  Saccharine  substan- 
ces," we  take  the  following  remarks  on  honey,  which  may  be  new 
to  some  of  our  readers  : — 
"  It  may  not  be  generally  known  that  the  honey  so  extensively  sold  in  the 
cities  in  tin  cans  holding  a  quart  or  more,  and  in  bottles  of  somewhat  legs 
capacity,  by  the  druggists  and  grocers,  is  a  factitious  article  made  on  a 
large  scale  from  Havana  sugar;  this  fact,  which  has  only  recently  come  to 
light,  will  surprise  many  who  have  been  favorably  impressed  with  the  article 
as  remarkably  pure  and  agreeable  honey." 
The  accounts  of  gelatine  and  cod-liver  oil  are  in  extenso  and 
contain  much  new  matter. 
We  extract  a  portion  of  his  observations  on  citrate  of  magne- 
sia. We  understand  the  use  of  a  small  portion  of  bicarbonate  of 
potassa  in  this  preparation,  is  to  be  directed  in  the  duodecimo 
edition  of  the  Pharmacopoeia  shortly  to  be  published  :- — 
Liquor  Magnesias  Citraiis,  U.  S. 
"  In  presenting  a  formula  for  this  new  and  very  popular  cathartic  bever- 
age, I  shall  depart  from  the  usual  custom  of  following  the  Pharmacopoeia. 
It  is  to  be  regretted  that,  from  taking  the  officinal  directions,  many  pharma- 
ceutists are  compelled  to  give  up  the  preparation  of  the  solution,  and  pur- 
chase it  of  other  apothecaries  or  druggists,  so  that  its  manufacture  is  thrown 
too  much  into  a  few  hands.  One  druggist  in  Philadelphia  has  frequently 
sold  a  gross  of  bottles  of  the  citrate  per  day,  on  an  average,  for  thirty  days 
in  succession.  The  recipe  below  is  that  I  have  used  for  some  veurs  ;  it  is 
original  with  myself,  and  I  believe  never  fails  to  furnish  a  satisfactory 
article. 
To  make  one  doz.  To  make  one  bottle. 
Take  of  Citric  acid    ....    9  ounces  (offic.)  gvj. 
Magnesia  ....  2  ounces  and  5  drachms  ^j-j-gr.xlv„ 
Syrup  of  citric  acid  .  12  fluidounces  f  ^j. 
Water  1  gallon,  or  sufficient  f^xss. 
Make  an  acid  solution  of  citrate  of  magnesia  with  the  citric  acid,  mag- 
nesia, and  3  pints  of  the  water  (f^iv  in  making  a  single  bottle) ;  to  this 
add  the  lemon  syrup,  and  divide  the  whole  among  12fgxii  with  the  re- 
