614< Preparations and Compositions. Part III.

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Electuaries are chiefly composed of the milder alterativemedicines, and such as are not ungrateful to the palate. Themore powerful drugs, as cathartics, emetics, opiates, and thelike, (except in officinal electuaries to be dispensed by weight),are seldom exhibited in this form, on account of the uncer-tainty of the dose ; unpleasant ones, acrids, bitters, fetids,cannot be conveniently taken in it; nor is the form of an e-lectuary well fitted for the more ponderous substances, asmercurials, these being apt to subside on keeping, unless thecomposition be made very stiff'.

The lighter powders require thrice their weight of honey,or of syrup boiled to the thickness of honey, to make theminto the consistence of an electuary ; of syrups of the commonconsistence, twice the weight of the powder is sufficient.

Where common syrups are employed)-the compound is aptto candy and dry too soon : electuaries of Peruvian bark, forinstance, made up with syrup alone, will often in a day ortwo grow too dry for use. This is owing to the crystalliza-tion of the sugar. Deyeux, therefore, advises electuaries,confections, and conserves, to be made up with syrups, fromwhich all the crystallizable parts have been separated. Forthis purpose, the syrups, after being sufficiently evaporated,are to be exposed to the heat of a stove as long as they formany crystals. What remains, probably from the presence ofsome vegetable acid, has no tendency to crystallize, and is tobe decanted and evaporated to a proper consistence. In hos-pital practice, the same object may be obtained much moreeasily by using molasses instead of syrups, and in privatepractice, by the substitution of a little conserve.

The quantity of an electuary directed at a time in extem-poraneous prescription varies much, according to its consti-tuent parts ; but is rarely less than thq size of a nutmeg, ormore than two or three ounces.

CONPECTIO AMYGDALARUM. Lotld.

Confection of Almonds.Take of

Sweet almonds, one ounce ;

Gum arabic, in powder, one drachm ;

Refined sugar, half an ounce.Having first blanched the almonds, by macerating them in

water, and peeling them, beat the whole ingredients into a

homogeneous mass.

By triturating this confection with water, we immediatelyform an almond emulsion, which on many occasions is desira-