Am.  jour.  Pharm.)     State  Pharmaceutical  Associations.  543 
The  following  formula  and  directions  for  preparing  syrup  of 
ipecac  will  show  the  lines  along  which  the  authors  have  been 
working : 
Powdered  ipecac    7°  Gm. 
Acetic  acid    10  c.c. 
Glycerin    100  c.c. 
Sugar    750  Gm. 
Water,  a  sufficient  quantity. 
Percolate  the  ipecac  with  a  mixture  of  the  acetic  acid,  glycerin, 
and  290  c.c.  of  water,  and  then  continue  the  percolation  with  water 
till  600  c.c.  of  percolate  is  obtained.  In  this  dissolve  the  sugar,  add 
sufficient  water  to  make  the  product  measure  1000  c.c. — N.  J. 
Pharm.  Assoc. 
Notes  on  the  Volatile  Oils  of  the  U.S. P. 
By  Charles  H.  LaWall. 
The  writer  states  that  there  is  no  class  of  official  substances 
about  which  the  retail  pharmacist  is  more  at  the  mercy  of  the 
manufacturer  than  that  of  volatile  oils. 
Some  observations  upon  facts  in  connection  with  volatile  oils 
are  presented  in  the  hope  that  they  may  be  of  value  to  the  busy 
pharmacist. 
Oil  of  Bitter  Almond. — Care  should  be  taken  to  differentiate 
between  the  legal  uses  to  which  the  several  products  practically 
identical  with  this  oil  may  be  put.  For  medicinal  use,  the  official 
oil  containing  hydrocyanic  acid  must  be  used,  but  for  flavoring 
purposes  the  natural  oil  deprived  of  hydrocyanic  must  be  used, 
according  to  Circular  19  of  the  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture. 
This  leaves  benzaldehyde,  the  artificial  product  which  is  also  official, 
in  an  anomalous  position,  as  it  cannot  be  used  for  either  purpose. 
Oil  of  Anise. — The  tests  can  be  readily  applied  by  any  pharma- 
cist without  the  use  of  much  time  or  material.  Congealing  points 
and  tests  for  alcohol  and  solubility  in  90  per  cent,  alcohol  are  the 
most  important. 
Oil  of  Orange  Peel. — The  pharmacist  must  depend  principally 
upon  the  physical  characters  of  this  oil,  as  the  test  for  pinene,  nitro- 
sochloride  and  nitrosopinene  requires  the  services  of  a  skilful 
analyst  and  proper  laboratory  facilities. 
