Cooley's Cyclopaedia of Practical Receipts Volume Ii Part 248

[symbol] Flowers having stamens only (unis.e.xual, staminiferous, or male), e.g. male flowers of _Box_. The symbol representing Mars, the period of revolution of which is 2 years.

[symbol] Flowers having pistils only (unis.e.xual, pistillate, or female), e.g.

female flowers of _Box_. The symbol representing Venus.

[symbol] Flowers having both stamens and pistils (bis.e.xual or hermaphrodite), e.g. _b.u.t.tercup_.

[symbol] Abortive staminiferous flowers (neuter).

[symbol] Abortive pistillate flowers (neuter), e.g. the florets of the ray in _Daisy_.

[symbol] Moncious plants, producing male and female flowers upon the same individual, e.g. _Box_.

[symbol] Dicious plants, producing male and female flowers, but upon separate individuals, e.g. _Willow_.

[symbol] Polygamous plants, which produce hermaphrodite and unis.e.xual flowers upon the same or different individuals, e.g. _Atriplex_.

[symbol] Indefinite in number; applied to stamens and other parts of flowers.

[symbol] Cotyledons acc.u.mbent, radicle lateral.

[symbol] Cotyledons inc.u.mbent, radicle dorsal.

[symbol] Cotyledons conduplicate, radicle dorsal.

[symbol] Cotyledons twice folded, radicle dorsal.

[symbol] Cotyledons thrice folded, radicle dorsal.

[symbol] Trimerous, applied to flowers when the whorls of the flower are multiples of three, as in most endogens.

[symbol] Pentamerous, applied to flowers when the whorls of the flower are multiples of five, as in exogens generally.

Bab., Babington.

Berk., Berkeley.

Br., Brown.

Cal., calyx.

Caul, caulis, stem.

Cl., Cla.s.sis, cla.s.s.

Cor., corolla.

Cuv., Cuvier.

D. C., or De Cand., De Candolle.

Endl., Endlicher.

Fam., family.

Fr., fructus, fruit.

Gen., genus, genus.

Hook., Hooker.

Juss., Jussieu.

D. or Linn., Linnaeus.

Lindl., Lindley.

Nat. Ord., Natural order.

O. or Ord., ordo, order.

Per., perianthus, perianth.

Rad., radix, root.

Rich., Richard.

Sp. or Spec, species, species.

Subord., Suborder.

Subk., Subkingdom.

Var., varietas, variety, V. s. c., vidi siccam cultam, a dry cultivated plant seen.

V. s. s., vidi siccam spontaneam, a dried specimen seen.

V. v. c, vidi vivam cultam, a living cultivated plant seen.

V. v. s., vidi vivam spontaneam, a living wild plant seen.

Willd., Willdenow.

With., Withering.

=SYMPATHET'IC INK.= See INK.

=SYN'APTASE.= _Syn._ EMULSIN. The name given by Robiquet to the EMULSIN, a nitrogenised or alb.u.minoid principle existing in both the bitter and sweet almond. It possesses the remarkable property of converting amygdalin, in the presence of water, into hydrocyanic acid and the essential oil of bitter almonds. 100 gr. of amygdalin yield, under the influence of synaptase and water, 47 gr. of raw oil, and 59 gr. of anhydrous hydrocyanic acid. (Liebig.)

=SYN'COPE.= See FAINTING.

=SYR'UP.= _Syn._ SIRUP, SIROP; SYRUPUS, L. A saturated, or nearly saturated, solution of sugar in water, either simple, flavoured, or medicated.

In the preparation of syrups care should be taken to employ the best refined sugar, and either distilled water or filtered rain water; by which they will be rendered much less liable to spontaneous decomposition, and will be perfectly transparent, without the trouble of clarification. When inferior sugar is employed, clarification is always necessary. This is best done by dissolving the sugar in the water, or other aqueous menstruum, in the cold, and then beating up a little of the cold syrup with some white of egg, and an ounce or two of cold water, until the mixture froths well; this must be added to the syrup in the boiler, and the whole 'whisked up' to a good froth; heat should now be applied, and the sc.u.m which forms removed from time to time with a clean 'skimmer.' As soon as the syrup begins to slightly simmer it must be removed from the fire, and allowed to stand until it has cooled a little, when it should be again skimmed, if necessary, and then pa.s.sed through clean flannel. When vegetable infusions or solutions enter into the composition of syrups, they should be rendered perfectly transparent by filtration or clarification, before being added to the sugar.

M. Magnes-Lahens[218] describes below a process for the clarification of syrups, the originator of which was M. Demarest, a pharmacien. The process is as follows:--White unsized paper is beaten up into a pulp with a portion of the syrup, and then mixed with the bulk. The proportion of paper should be one gram to every litre of syrup; and the latter should be maintained at a temperature of 35 to 40 C.

[Footnote 218: 'Germ. Pharm. Chem.,' 4th Series, xv, 140 ('Year Book, Phar.,' 1872).]

A filter of moleskin capable of holding about one third of the volume of the syrup, and having the form of an inverted sugar-loaf, is supported over a suitable receptacle; the syrup with the pulp is poured rapidly into it, so as to fill it as quickly as possible; and the filter is kept full so long as any of the syrup remains. When the greater part has run through, and but little remains in the filter, and consequently the 'felting' of the paper pulp is complete, the syrup which has already run through, is again poured into the filter. The liquid which now pa.s.ses is perfectly bright, and may be collected. In pouring the syrup into the filter, the stream should be directed into the middle, and not upon the sides, so as to avoid disarranging the felt, which would interfere with the success of the operation.

The author very strongly recommends this method for the clarification of all kinds of syrups; its advantages being that it results in a perfectly limpid liquid, and that it involves neither trouble nor loss of time or material. He states that in 4 or 5 hours, with a filter of 8 litres in capacity, 24 litres of syrup may be clarified.

The small quant.i.ty of syrup retained in the filter and pulp, may be recovered by pouring on a sufficient quant.i.ty of warm water, pressing strongly, evaporating the liquid to a syrupy consistence, beating up with a little paper pulp, and pa.s.sing, it again through a small filter.

The proper quant.i.ty of sugar for syrups will, in general, be found to be 2 lbs. (avoir.) to every imperial pint of water or thin aqueous fluid. These proportions, allowing for the water that is lost by evaporation during the process, are those best calculated to produce a syrup of the proper consistence, and possessing good 'keeping qualities.' They closely correspond to those recommended by Guibourt for the production of a perfect syrup, which, he says, consists of 30 parts of sugar to 16 parts of water.

In the preparation of syrups it is of great importance to employ as little heat as possible, as a solution of sugar, even when kept at the temperature of boiling water, undergoes slow decomposition. The plan which we adopt is to pour the water (cold) over the sugar, and to allow the two to lie together for a few hours, in a covered vessel, occasionally stirring, and then to apply a gentle heat (preferably that of steam or water bath) to finish the solution. Some persons (falsely) deem a syrup ill prepared unless it has been allowed to boil well; but if this method be adopted, the ebullition should be only of the gentlest kind ('simmering'), and should be checked after the lapse of 1 or 2 minutes.

Mr Orynski recommends the preparation of all syrups without the application of heat, as follows:

Introduce 30 or 32 oz. of sugar (according to the temperature) into a percolator, in which has been previously introduced a piece of lint or sponge, well adjusted, and gradually pour on 16 ounces of liquid, so as to make the percolate (syrup) pa.s.s drop by drop. If the first liquid is turbid pour it back into the percolator till the syrup pa.s.ses clear.

The advantages claimed for this process are: First, the syrups are clear; and there is no necessity for purifying them.

Secondly, they possess their medicinal properties unaltered; since many drugs may be injured by heat, more especially aromatics, and those containing readily volatile substances; and--

Thirdly, the syrups will neither crystallise nor ferment; and may be prepared in large quant.i.ty, provided the vessels or bottles are clean before filling them with syrup.

When it is necessary to thicken a syrup by boiling, a few fragments of gla.s.s should be introduced, in order to lower the boiling point.