Decoction of Sarsaparil′la

Syn. Decoctum sar′zæ (Ph. L. & E.), D. sarsaparillæ (Ph. D.), L. Prep. 1. (Ph. L.) Sarsaparilla (sliced), 5 oz.; water, 2 quarts; boil to a quart, and strain. 2. (Ph. E.) Sarsaparilla, 5 oz.; boiling distilled water, 4 pints; macerate for 2 hours, in a ve el lightly covered, and placed in a warm situation; then take out the root, bruise it, return it again to the liquor, boil down to a quart, and strain. 3. (Ph. D.) Sarsaparilla, 2 oz.; boiling water, 1 1 ⁄ 2 pint; digest an hour, boil 10 minutes, cool, and strain. 4. (Ph. B.) Digest 2 1 ⁄ 2 oz. of Jamaica sarsaparilla cut transversely in 1 1 ⁄ 2 pint of boiling water for an hour, boil for 10 minutes, cool, and strain. Make up to one pint. Obs. The medicinal virtues of sarsaparilla root reside wholly in the bark, or cortical portion; it is therefore quite unnece ary to bruise it, as directed in the Ph. E. By those houses which do largely in decoction of sarsaparilla, the root is seldom split or cut; the bundles in which it is made up being simply untied and spread open, to allow of the free exposure of every part to the solvent action of the water. By this plan the whole of the soluble portion of the bark is extracted, whilst the feculent matter that pervades the wood is only partially di olved out. According to Soubeiran, a mere infusion is preferable. The dose is a teacupful to half a pint, 3 or 4 times a day. An extemporaneous decoction of sarsaparilla is made by di olving 3 ⁄ 4 oz. of the simplest extract in 1 pint of hot water. See Sarsaparilla , and below .