Syrup of Poppies

Ingredients

• Poppy capsules dried, freed from seeds and coarsely powdered 36 ounces
• Alcohol 1 pint
• Refined sugar 4 pounds
• Boiling water a sufficient quantity

Method

1. 1

   Mix the poppy capsules with 4 pints of the water and infuse for 24 hours, stirring them frequently.

2. 2

   Then take them in a percolator and adding more water, allow the liquor to slowly pass until about 2 gallons are obtained or the poppies are exhausted.

3. 3

   Evaporate the liquor by a water bath until it is reduced to 3 pints; when quite cold, add the spirit, let the mixture stand for 12 hours and filter.

4. 4

   Distill off the spirit, evaporate the remaining liquor to two pints and then add the sugar.

As published

This recipe was extracted from Dr. M'Millan's formulas and domestic guide (1882) by M'Millan, Alexander M. D., page 51. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

SYRUP OF POPPIES. Poppy capsules dried, freed from seeds and coarsely powdered 36 ounces. Alcohol I pint. Refined sugar 4 pounds. Boiling water a sufficient quantity. Mix the poppy capsules with 4 pints of the water and infuse for 24 hours, stirring them fre- quently, then take them in a percolator and add- ing more water, allow thehquor to slowly pass until about 2 gallons are obtained or the poppies are ex- hausted, evaporate the liquor by a water bath until it is reduced to 3 pints ; when quite cold add the spirit, let the mixture stand for 12 hours and filter, dis- till off the spirit, evaporate the remaining liquor to two pints and then add the sugar; the product should weigh 6% pounds. The syrup of poppies is employed chiefly in infantile cases to allay cough quiet restlessness, relieve pain and promote sleep. The dose is from half a fluid dram, to an infant, to MEDICAL DIVISION. 153 half a fluid ounce, to an adult, increased as the case may require, given every 2 or 3 hours. SYRUP OF LEMON. Lemon juice recently expressed and strained i pint. Sugar refined in coarse powder 48 ounces. Water i pint. Mix the lemon juice and water, and, having added the sugar, dissolve it with the aid of gentle heat, and strain the solution while hot. This syrup forms a cooling and grateful addition to beverages in febrile complaints, and serves to conceal the taste of saline purgatives in solution. It may be combined with cough mixtures and other liquid preparations of medicines that have a bad taste, and may be used ad libitum, as it is harmless in its effects upon the stomach or system. AROMATIC SYRUP RHUBARB. Rhubarb in moderately fine powder two ounces and a half. Cloves in moderately fine powder one-half ounce. Cinnamon in fine powder one-half ounce. Nutmeg in' moderately fine powder 2 drams. Syrup 6 pints. Dilute alcohol a sufficient quantity. Mix the powders and having moistened the mix- ture with 2 ounces of the dilute alcohol, introduce it into a conical percolator and pour dilute alcohol upon it until a pint of tincture has passed ; add to 154 DOMESTIC GUIDE. this the syrup previously heated and mix them thoroughly. This syrup of rhubarb is a warm stomach laxative too feeble for adult cases but well calculated for the bowel complaints of children which occurs so frequently in all our large cities during the summer season. The dose is for an in- fant with diarrhea I dram every 2 hours until the passages indicate by their color that the medicine has had its effect SYRUP OF RED ROSES. Red roses in moderately fine powder I ounce. Sugar refined in coarse powder i8 ounces. Dilute alcohol, sufficient quantity. Water, sufficient quantity. Moisten the roses with dilute alcohol, pack it firmly in a conical glass percolator, and gradually pour dilute alcohol on it until a fluid ounce of tinc- ture has passed. Set this aside and continue the percolation until 5 ounces more are obtained. Evaporate this with gentle heat to i}4 ounces, and mix it with 7 ounces o{ water. Then having added the sugar, dissolve it with the aid of a gen- tle heat, and strain the solution while hot. Last- ly, when the solution is cold, add the fluid ounce of reserved tincture, and mix them well. The syrup of red roses is mildly astringent, but is valued more for its fine red color, on account of which it is frequently added to mixtures. The dose is a fluid dram, repeat every hour, for its astringent effect MEDICAL DIVISION. 155 TINCTURE OF BELLADONNA. Belladonna leaf recently dried and in fine pow- der 4 ounces. Dilute alcohol, a sufficient quantity. Moisten the powder with 2 ounces of diluted al- cohol, pack it firmly in a conical percolator, and gradually pour dilute alcohol upon it until 2 pints of the tincture is obtained. This tincture is used in many fevers, and the dose is from 5 to 15 drops every 3 or 4 hours. COMPOUND TINCTURE OF BENZOIN. Benzoin in coarse powder 2 ounces. Prepared storax i yi, ounces. Balsam tolu one-half ounce. Socotrine aloes 160 grains. Alcohol I pint

Cook this with the app: pantry check, scaling, and the assistant.