Pulvis Glycyrrhizae Compositus. U. S., Br. Compound Powder of Glycyrrhiza.
Pulv. Glycyrrh. Co. [Compound Licorice Powder]
Related entry: Licorice - Fennel - Senna
Poudre de Reglisse composee, Poudre pectorale, Fr.; Pulvis Liquiritiae Compositus, P. G.; Brustpulver, Pulvis Pectoralia Kurellae, G.
"Senna, in No, 80 powder, one hundred and eighty grammes [or 6 ounces av., 153 grains]; Glycyrrhiza, in No. 80 powder, two hundred and thirty-six grammes [or 8 ounces av., 142 grains]; Washed Sulphur, eighty grammes [or 2 ounces av., 360 grains]; Oil of Fennel, four grammes [or 62 grains]; Sugar, in fine powder, five hundred grammes [or 17 ounces av., 279 grains], to make one thousand grammes [or 35 ounces av., 120 grains]. Mix the oil of fennel thoroughly with about one-half of the sugar, then add the remainder of the sugar and the other ingredients, and mix thoroughly. Finally, pass the powder through a No. 80 sieve, pulverize the residue if any should be left on the sieve, add to the sifted powder, and mix thoroughly. Keep it in well-closed containers." U. S.
"Senna Leaves, in powder, 16 grammes; Liquorice Root, in powder, 16 grammes; Fennel Fruit, in powder, 8 grammes; Sublimed Sulphur, 8 grammes; Refined Sugar, in powder, 52 grammes. Mix." Br.
Properties.—"Greenish-yellow to greenish-brown with a fennel-like odor; when mounted in water or hydrated chloral T.S. and examined under the microscope, Compound Powder of Glycyrrhiza shows fragments of glycyrrhiza with their characteristic yellow fibers associated with crystal fibers, large tracheae with elliptical, bordered pores and cells containing numerous, spherical starch grains varying from 0.002 to 0.02 mm. in diameter; also fragments of senna as shown by their characteristic, more or less bent, unicellular, non-glandular hairs, from 0.1 to 0.35 mm. in length, fragments of epidermis with elliptical stomata and their 2 neighboring cells and fragments with crystal fibers; upon the addition of potassium hydroxide T.S. to aqueous mounts of the powder, some of the fragments are immediately colored a yellowish-red, changing to a reddish-brown. Introduce 0.1 Gm. of Compound Powder of Glycyrrhiza into a test tube, moisten it with 2 mils of alcohol, then add 10 mils of water, boil the mixture, allow it to cool and then filter; the filtrate is of a pale yellowish-brown color, which changes immediately to a yellowish-red on the addition of a drop of potassium hydroxide T.S. Compound Powder of Glycyrrhiza is free from an odor of hydrogen sulphide." U. S.
This official preparation, which was introduced into the U. S. P., 1880, was identical with that of the German Pharmacopoeia, and in the 1885 revision of the British Pharmacopoeia the preparation was made nearly to correspond, being slightly deficient in senna. The U. S. P., 1890, replaced the powdered fennel with oil of fennel, increasing the proportion of powdered licorice correspondingly which is an improvement,-as powdered fennel is variable in quality; great care should be used, however, to employ only fresh oil of fennel. The object of the oil of fennel is patent, but the advantage to be gained by the use of washed sulphur in the proportion of only 8 per cent. must be purely imaginary. In our opinion, an improvement would be the substitution of two grammes each of powdered cinnamon and cloves for four grammes of the sugar, to correct the griping effect which is frequently produced.
Dose, thirty to sixty grains (2.0-3.9 Gm.), used as an agreeable laxative.
