1024 ELEMENTS OF MATERIA MEDICA.

fi n fants-

It is also exceedingly useful as an expectorant in the diseases odose from "lv. to nix. , ftv. >

2. Svrupus Ipecacuanha, E. (Ipecacuanha, in coarse powue > Q V ij-Rectified Spirit , Oj.; Proof Spirit and Water, of each fSxiv.; Syrup’ ataDigest the ipecacuanha in four fluidounces of the rectified spi ’ a[1( lgentle heat, for twenty-four hours; strain and squeeze’ the lift ’ aI1( lfilter. Repeat this process with the residuum and proof s ] )11 ' 1 Jjj (]ieagain with the water. Unite the fluids, and distil off the spin, uD ceSresiduum amount to twelve ounces ; add to the residuum five “ U1 is aof rectified spirit, and then the syrup.) A syrup of ipecacuavery useful preparation for children; but some difficulties a

preparation. u that it ca °

An aqueous decoction of this root contains so much staren u, jjjd,scarcely be filtered. Even the infusion filters slowly, is always ^

and yields a syrup which does not keep well. Hence MM- 0 f

and Henry ( Pharm. Raison, i- 502, 2d ed.) introduced a P’'p c ,, r ove'which that of the Edinburgh Pharmacopoeia is a modification l 1 P j ;,iment ?) They prepared an alcoholic extract, which is disso Q fwater and mixed with concentrated syrup. About tw r o fluidscrup^ a _

of ip

the Edinburgh preparation contain the strength of one grain a

cuanha; hence the dose of it, as an emetic, for infants, will be _ j stea-spoonful; for adults, fjj. or fjiss. As an expectorant, the

f 5j. to f 3\j- , PoW der>

3. Pulvis Ipecacuanha compositus, L. E. D. Dovers r {Pulvis Doveri, offic. (Ipecacuanha, powdered ; Hard Opium, p°" c e rt jonSeach 3j-; Sulphate of Potash, powdered, 5j. Mix them. The propo^^used by all the British Colleges are the same. The Dublin . t j, edirects the Sulphate of Potash to be rubbed with the Opium, ^ ^ 0 n,Ipecacuanha to be then intermixed). This preparation is an n^L a n-(though not a very exact one) of a formula given by Dover, l _ o0 j»dent Physician's Legacy to his Country, p. 14, 1733); whence it i®^ p r .monly known in the shops as Dover's Powder. The following 1Dover’s recipe:—

• . liquorice,

“ Take opium, 5j.; saltpetre; tartar vitriolated, of each jiv.; ipecacuan, a)-.’, ’ s po 11 "3j. Put the saltpetre and tartar into a red hot mortar, stirring them j 0 yoO runtil they have done flaming. Then powder them very fine. Alter that sli j)oS e >opium ; grind these to a powder, and then mix the other powders with the ‘ - 0 g upfrom 40 to 60 or 70 grs. in a glass of white wine posset, going to bed. y° „warm, and drinking a quart or three pints of the posset drink while sweatw„-

t cert*' 1 ' 11 ,’

The compound powder of ipecacuanha is one of our mo sl _ n jedpowerful, and valuable sudorifics. The sulphate of potash is in ^ t j,eto serve the double purpose of promoting the sudorific operationother ingredients, and of minutely dividing, by the hardness ^particles, the opium and ipecacuanha. The nitrate of potash mployed by Dr. Dover probably contributed still further to the sueffect of the powder. The opium and ipecacuanha combined, ^ ce sgreat sudorific properties not possessed by either of these subindividually. I am inclined, however, to ascribe the greater p art n glyactivity of the compound to the opium, which it is well known s j u( , e sdetermines to the cutaneous surface (see Opium), and often p r 0 f

pricking or itching of the skin; and when assisted by the copi° uS js

warm aqueous diluents, operates as a sudorific. This effect, how