St. Tammany farmer., 1906-03-10

Home Health
! Club
by DAVID n. REEOER. Ph. D.. n. D.
La Porte, Ind.

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SIMPLE SYRUP.
recently told you how to make all
kinds of infusions from common
herbs; but / dnd\that as soon as one
want is supplied a few more appear,
and this, time several correspondents
want to know how to prepare medicin-
al sirups.
If you were to receive prescription
from a physician, and he desired to
prescribe some remedy in which there
was simple sirup, the chances are a
hundred to one that he would write
1t "Syr. Simplex" this, you would
naturally not understandable mean
ing is simple sirup. And If you were
to go into almost any kitchen in the
country and ask the good housewife
to make you some sugar sirup she
would make it, without referring to
any medical authority, out Of sugar
and water.
If I were asked to tell her just how
to make it, would say, pour two
pints of boiling water upon scant
two pounds and half of dry white
sugar; place upon a hot stove, and stir
occasionally until 1t starts to boil,
when it should be instantly removed;
if it is not then removed it will get
thick and sugary. This will make one
quart of simple sirup, and there may
be added to it essence Of ginger, pep
permint or orange flower by way OF
f1avoring. One ounce of fluid extract
added to three ounces Of simple sirup
will make the average medicinal sirup.
Dose, one teaspoonful.
Some agents are mild, and in those
cases double the average proportion
or two tablespoonfuls, may be used;
while of other agents having great
deal of strength and action, one-half
teaspoonful will be sufficient.
Some stomachs revolt against every
form of sirup, and yet cannot endure
infusions. It is also sometimes incon-
venient to continually prepare them
in protracted cases. Under such cir
cumstances vehicle for fluid extracts
may be prepared by adding two ounces
of glycerine to IL ounces of rather
thick muscilage of gum arabic. Such
a vehicle is well suited to take the
place of sirups, when it is desired to
administer remedies to persons suffer-
ing from diabetes or obesity. Alcohol
is sometimes used instead of glycerine
as a preservative, but under all cir
cumstances it should be remembered
that alcohol does not in any way add
to the remedial properties Of COM
pound, but simply serves as a preserv-
ative or as an extractive.
MEDICINAL SYRUPS.
Medicinal sirups are prepared on the
following basis: To compound a half
gallon of medicinal sirup use on an
average one pound Of coarsely ground
drugs. Place these in porcelain or
very new tin kettle and cover them
with water, eight parts, and alcohol
one part, and then tightly cover the
kettle and allow all to stand in cool
place for "a hours, at the end Of which
time the liquid should be strained into
suitable vessel, and allowed to stand
in the closed kettle for four hours.
Hare at hand large funnel, also
an unbleached muslin sack, prepared
to fit within it. Snugly close the
mouth of the funnel with cotton and
then adjust the bag and fill in the
drugs with the hot water and press
down firmly. Allow the water to drip
through rapidly three times, when it
will be rather clear. Add enough
cold water to this to make one part,
and then let all drip through slowly
and add to it the alcohol and water
first strained out, and set aside. This
should make about one quart and a
pint.
To this should be added now four
pounds Of pure white sugar, slightly
stirring over slow IRE to dissolve
the sugar, and to drive off the alcohol
used as an extractive. Then add four
ounces of glycerine, as preservative.
Smaller quantities of drugs are difi-
cult to handle, and twice the quantity
will be found much more convenient,
making gallon of sirup, which will
keep any length of time in ordinary
we'll stoppered bottles without seal
ing.
I have now given you the simplest
and plainest instruction ut my COM
mand for making tinctures, extracts
and sirups. These methods are scien-
tifically correct, although they have
been couched in language 50 simple
and plain that anyone with average
intelligence can prepare the ingredi-
ents. There may be an occasional fail
ure to get things just right, and some
times it may be found necessary to ex-
pertinent a little IN regard to the
dosage.
In preparing home remedies, It is
necessary to use q large quantity of
the ingredient which an old negro
cook said that she always used, when
asked to give formula, or recipe, for
compounding some Of her most excel
lent dishes, and that was Judgment"
or good common sense. Some herbs
will have more strength than others
have grown in a better locality, and
been gathered at the proper time; such
will be found much more effective in
their action than those of an inferior
quality; therefore, as said before.
always put q little judgment into your
compounds when making them, and