These are either the juices of fruits, or a decoction or infusion of the leaves, flowers or roots of vegetables, impregnated with a sufficient quantity of sugar for their preservation, and retaining them in a liquid state.

A great portion of this class comes more under the notice of the apothecary than the confectioner; but it may now be considered, with lozenges, as a branch of pharmacy in the hands of the latter, the most agreeable of which are now manufactured by him to supply the place of fresh fruits, etc., when out of season, for the making of cooling drinks, ices, etc., for balls and routs.

General Rules and Observations.—Two things are essentially necessary to be observed, which are:—the proper methods of making decoctions and infusions. These require some knowledge of the nature and properties of vegetable matter.

The virtues of most plants are extracted by infusion, and this is generally the case with aromatic plants, and those whose properties depend on an essential oil; for, in boiling the whole of the aroma of the plant is dispersed, and the syrup loses that delicate flavor for which it is prized.

Aromatic herbs, and the leaves of plants in general, yield their virtues most perfectly when moderately dried. Cold water extracts from these in a few hours the lighter, more fragrant and agreeable parts, and then begins to take up the more ungrateful and grosser. By pouring the same liquor on fresh parcels of the herb, it becomes stronger, richer, thicker, and balsamic.

Those only should be decocted whose principles consist of mucilage, gum, or resin, and require boiling to extract them.

The compact resinous woods, roots and barks yield their virtues most freely while fresh. Dry, they yield little to cold or moderately warm water, and require it to be boiling. By this process the grosser, more fixed saline and mucilaginous parts are dissolved, the resinous melted out, and the volatile dissipated.

Infusions.—These are watery solutions of vegetable matter obtained by maceration, either in hot or cold water, with the assistance of ebullition. In selecting and conducting the operation, the following general rules should be observed:

"1st. Infusion should always be preferred before decoction, where the virtues of the vegetable substance reside in volatile oil, or in principles which are easily soluble, whereas, if they depend upon resino-mucilaginous particles, decoction is an indispensable operation.

"2d. The temperature employed must be varied according to the circumstances of each case, and infusion made with cold is in general more grateful but less active than one made with heat.

"3d. The duration of the process must likewise be regulated by the nature of the substances; for the infusion will differ according to the time in which the water has been digested on the materials; thus the aroma of the plant is first taken up, then in succession the coloring, astringent, and gummy parts.

Decoctions.—"These are solutions of the active principles of vegetables, obtained by boiling them in water.

"1st. Those principles only should be decocted whose virtues reside in principles which are soluble in water.

"2d. If the active principle be volatile, decoction must be an injurious process; and if it consists of extractive matter, long boiling, by favoring its oxidizement, will render it insipid, insoluble, and inert.

"3d. The substances to be decocted should be previously bruised or sliced, so as to expose an extended surface to the action of the water.

"4th. The substances should be completely covered with water, and the vessel slightly closed, in order to prevent as much as possible the access of air; the boiling should be continued without interruption, and gently.

"5th. In compound decoctions, it is sometimes convenient not to put in all the ingredients from the beginning, but in succession, according to their hardness, and the difficulty with which their virtues are extracted; and if any aromatic, or other substances containing volatile principles, or oxidizable matter, enter into the composition, the boiling decoction should be simply poured upon them, and covered up until cold.

"6th. The relative proportions of different vegetable substances to the water must be regulated by their nature. The following general rule may be admitted: Of roots, barks, or dried woods, from two drachms to six to every pint of water; of herbs or flowers, half that quantity will suffice.

"7th. The decoction ought to be filtered through linen while hot, as important portions of the dissolved matter are frequently deposited on cooling; care must also be taken that the filter is not too fine, for it frequently happens that the virtues of a decoction depend upon the presence of particles in a minutely divided state."—Paris's Pharmacologia.

All acid syrups ought to have their full quantity of sugar, so as to bring them to a consistence without boiling, because the very action of much heat destroys their acidity, and makes them liable to candy, and this more particularly holds good where the infusion or juice, etc., has any fragrancy in flavor, because the volatile oil is dissipated by boiling. The same observation is also applicable to those infusions of flowers which give out their color, and which is necessary to be retained, such as violets, pinks, etc., as boiling injures them.

Those syrups which are made from decoctions, and do not take a sufficient quantity of sugar to bring them to a due consistence without boiling, require to be clarified so as to render them transparent; but this is often an injury, as the whites of eggs take off some of their chief properties with the scum; therefore, the decoction should first be rendered clear by settling or filtering, and the sugar should be clarified and boiled to the height of the feather or ball before the decoction is added, when it may be reduced to the proper degree.

The best and most general method of making syrups is to add a sufficient quantity of the finest loaf sugar, in powder, with the juice or infusion, etc., stirring it well until a small portion settles at the bottom, then place the pan in a larger one containing water; this is termed the bain-marie; put it on the fire, and the heat of the water as it boils will dissolve the sugar; when this has been thoroughly effected, take it off and let it cool; if more sugar is added than the quantity above named, it will separate in crystals, and not leave sufficient remaining in the syrup for its preservation. (See observations on Sugar-boiling.) When cold, put it into small bottles, fill them, cork closely, and keep in a dry cool place. Be particularly careful that no tinned articles are used in the making of syrups from the juice of red fruits, as it will act on the tin and change the color to a dead blue.

Syrup of Almonds—Sirop de Orgeat.—One pound of sweet almonds, four ounces of bitter ones, one pint and a half of water, sugar three pounds, orange-flower water two ounces.

Blanch the almonds, and as they are blanched throw them into cold water; when they are finished, take them out and pound them in a marble mortar, sprinkling them with a little orange-flower water, to prevent their oiling, or use water with the juice of a lemon; add sufficient in the pounding to reduce them to a paste, and when quite fine add half a pint more water; mix, and strain through a tamis cloth twisted tight by two persons; receive the milk which comes from the almonds into a basin; what is left in the cloth must be pounded again with some of the water, and strained. Continue this until the whole of the milk is obtained, and the water is consumed; then clarify, and boil the sugar to the crack; add the milk of almonds, and reduce it to the pearl; then strain it again, add the orange-flower water, and stir it well until nearly cold; when cold, bottle; shake the bottles well for several succeeding days, if you see it at all inclined to separate, which will prevent it.

Brandy and Wine Syrups may be made in the same manner as Syrup of Rum Punch.

Coffee, Syrup of.—Fresh roasted Mocha coffee two pounds, water one quart, sugar three pounds eight ounces. Grind the coffee in a mill, and make a cold infusion with the water in a close vessel; let it stand for a day, then filter it through blotting paper, add the sugar, and finish in the bain-marie.

Coltsfoot, Syrup of.—Fresh Coltsfoot flowers, one pound eight ounces; water, one quart; sugar, three pounds. Pick the flowers about February, and make an infusion of them with hot water; strain, and finish as wormwood syrup. Two or three handfuls of the leaves may be pounded and infused instead of the flowers.

Currant Syrup.—One pint of juice, two pounds of sugar. Mix together three pounds of currants, half white and half red, one pound of raspberries and one pound of cherries, without the stones; mash the fruit, and let it stand in a warm place for three or four days, keeping it covered with a coarse cloth, or a piece of paper with holes pricked in it, to keep out any dust or dirt. Filter the juice, add the sugar in powder, finish in the bain-marie, and skim it. When cold, put it into bottles, fill them, and cork well.

Ginger, Syrup of.—Ginger, two ounces; water, one pint; sugar, two pounds.

Slice the root if fresh, or bruise it if dried; pour the water on it boiling, and let it macerate in a warm place for a day; then strain, and boil to the pearl.

Another.—A better flavored and a richer ginger syrup is made in the following manner: Take any quantity of scraped white Jamaica ginger and infuse for several days in good spirits of wine; decant the clear liquor when sufficiently saturated with the ginger, and add to the hot sugar, previously boiled to the ball or feather, a sufficient quantity of the liquor to impart to the syrup the agreeable aroma of the ginger root.

The spirit will be rapidly driven off when it is poured into the boiling syrup, and a bland and beautiful syrup will be the result; let it cool, and bottle immediately.

Gooseberry Syrup.—One pint of juice, one pound twelve ounces of sugar. To twelve pounds of ripe gooseberries add two pounds of cherries without stones, squeeze out the juice, and finish as others.

Lemon Syrup.—One pint and a quarter of juice, two pounds of sugar. Let the juice stand in a cool place to settle. When a thin skin is formed on the top, pour it off and filter, add the sugar, and finish in the bain-marie. If the flavor of the peel is preferred with it, grate off the yellow rind of the lemons and mix it with the juice to infuse, or rub it off on part of the sugar and add it with the remainder when you finish it.

Licorice, Syrup of.—Licorice-root two ounces, white maidenhair one ounce, hyssop half an ounce, boiling water three pints; slice the root and cut the herbs small, infuse in the water for twenty-four hours, strain and add sufficient sugar, or part sugar and honey, to make a syrup; boil to the large pearl. An excellent pectoral.

Marshmallows, Syrup of—Sirop de Guimauve.—Fresh mallow roots eight ounces, water one quart, sugar three pounds. Cleanse the roots, and slice them; make a decoction (see Decoctions), boiling it a quarter of an hour, so as to obtain the mucilage of the root; strain, and finish as wormwood. One ounce of licorice-root and one ounce of white maidenhair, with a few stoned raisins, may be added.

Morello Cherry Syrup.—Take the stones out of the cherries, mash them, and press out the juice in an earthen pan; let it stand in a cool place for two days, then filter; add two pounds of sugar to one pint of juice, finish in the bain-marie, or stir it well on the fire, and give it one or two boils.

Mulberry Syrup.—One pint of juice, one pound twelve ounces of sugar. Press out the juice and finish as cherry syrup.

Orange-Flower Syrup.—Picked orange-flowers one pound, sugar three pounds. Take one half of the sugar and make a syrup, which boil to the large pearl, put the flowers in a basin or jar, and pour the syrup on them boiling hot, cover the jar or basin quite close and let them infuse in it for five or six hours, then drain off the syrup, boil the remaining portion of sugar, and pour over them as before; when cold, strain and bottle.

Orange Syrup.—Same as lemon syrup.

Pineapple Syrup.—Take one and a half pints of syrup boiled to the ball; add to this, one pint of the juice of the best Havana pineapples, let it then come to a boil, remove the scum, and bottle when cool.

Pinks, Syrups of.—Clove pinks one pound eight ounces, water two pints and a half, sugar three pounds. Let the flowers be fresh-gathered, cut off the white points of the petals and weigh them. Finish as syrup of violets. This syrup may be made with a cold infusion of the flowers, first pounding them with a little water in a marble mortar. Finish as before. If the flowers of the clove pink cannot be obtained, use other pinks, adding a few cloves to infuse with them, so as to give the flavor.

Raspberry Syrup.—One pint of juice, two pounds of sugar. Choose the fruit either red or white, mash it in a pan, and put it in a warm place for two or three days, or until the fermentation has commenced. All mucilaginous fruits require this, or else it would jelly after it is bottled. Filter the juice through a flannel bag, add the sugar in powder, place in the bain-marie, and stir it until dissolved; take it off, let it get cold, take off the scum, and bottle it.

Raspberry Vinegar Syrup.—One pint of juice, two pints of apple vinegar, four pounds and a half of sugar. Prepare the juice as before, adding the vinegar with it, using white raspberries; strain the juice, and boil to the pearl.

Three pounds of raspberries, two pints of vinegar, three pounds of sugar. Put the raspberries into the vinegar without mashing them, cover the pan close, and let it remain in a cellar for seven or eight days: then filter the infusion, add the sugar in powder, and finish in the bain-marie. This is superior to the first, as the beautiful aroma of the fruit is lost in the boiling, as may be well known by its scenting the place where it is done, or even the whole house; the fruit may also be afterwards used with more, for raspberry cakes.

Roses, Syrup of.—The dried leaves of Provence roses eight ounces, double rose leaves six ounces, water one quart, sugar four pounds. Pour the water on the leaves when nearly boiling into a glazed earthen vessel, cover it quite close, and let it remain in a warm place for a day; then strain and finish as violets. The leaves of the damask rose are purgative.

Rum Punch, Syrup of.—Jamaica rum one quart, the juice of twelve or fourteen lemons, sugar four pounds. Rub off the yellow rind of half of the lemons on a piece of the sugar, and scrape it off with a knife into a basin as it imbibes the oil; clarify and boil the remaining portion to the crack; strain the juice into the rum and add to it the sugar with that on which the peels were rubbed; mix together, and give it one boil. The yellow rind of the peels may be cut off very thin, and infused in the spirit for some days before the syrup is made.

Sarsaparilla, Syrup of.—Half a pound of bruised sarsaparilla root, two ounces of ground orange peel, one ounce liquorice root, sassafras bark bruised two ounces, one gallon of water; boil to half a gallon; strain; to each pint of liquor add one pound of sugar; put on the fire till it boils, and take off the scum which may arise.

Sirop de Capillaire—Syrup of Maidenhair.—There are several sorts of Maidenhair, but the best is that of Canada, which has a pleasant smell joined to its pectoral qualities. The true Maidenhair—Capillus Veneris—is a native of Italy and of the southern parts of France. It has an agreeable but very weak smell. Common or English Maidenhair—Trichomanes—is usually substituted for the true, and occasionally for the Canadian. Its leaves consist of small round divisions, growing as it were in pairs. It grows on rocks, old walls, and shady banks, and should be gathered in September. Black Maidenhair—Adianthum Nigrum—has smooth and shining leaves, the middle rib being black, and the seeds are all spread on the back of the leaf. It grows on shady banks, and on the roots of trees. White Maidenhair—Wall Rue—Tent Wort—Ruta Murana Salvia VitÆ. The leaves of this are shaped something like rue, and covered all over the back with a small seed-like dust. Golden Maidenhair—Muscus Capillaris—grows in moist places, and the pedicle arises from the top of the stalk. I have given these particulars, because I find they are often substituted one for the other by persons who are not aware that there is any difference. Although all of them have nearly the same qualities, only two have a volatile oil, but they are all mucilaginous.

Canada capillaire two ounces, sugar two pounds. Chop the capillaire into small bits, and make as orange-flower syrup. By this method the oil is not allowed to escape, which, being exceedingly odoriferous and volatile, is soon dissipated if boiled; or make a cold infusion (See Infusions) of the plant by putting one quart of water to four ounces of capillaire, add four pounds of sugar, and finish in the bain-marie, adding one ounce of orange-flower water. [This is a fashionable and delicate syrup, but is rarely obtained genuine.]

Simple syrup, flavored with orange-flower water, is usually substituted for it.

Sirop de Pistache is made in the same manner as Syrup of Almonds, coloring it green with a little spinach.

Strawberry Syrup.—Make as pineapple, taking care to strain carefully at least twice, through a fine flannel bag, so as to remove entirely all sediment and the small seed of the fruit.

Violets, Syrup of.—One pound of violet flowers, one quart of water, four pounds of sugar. Put the flowers cleared from their stalks and calyx, into a glazed earthen pan; pour on the water boiling hot, and stop the pan quite close; let it remain in a warm place for a day, then strain off the infusion through a thin cloth; add the sugar, and place in a bain-marie; stir it well and heat it until you can scarcely bear your finger in it; then take it off, and when cold, bottle. A laxative. This syrup is often adulterated by being made with the flowers of heartsease, or columbine scented with orris-root, and colored.

Wormwood, Syrup of.—There are three sorts of wormwood most generally known—the common, sea, and Roman. The first may be distinguished by its broad leaves, which are divided into roundish segments of a dull green color above, and whitish underneath; its taste is an intense and disagreeable bitter. The sea wormwood has smaller leaves, and hoary both above and underneath; it grows in salt marshes, and about the sea-coasts; the smell and taste are not so strong and disagreeable as the common.

The Roman differs from the others by the plant being smaller in all its parts; the leaves are divided into fine filaments and hoary all over, the stalk being either entirely, or in part of a purple color. Its smell is pleasant, and the bitterness not disagreeable; it is cultivated in gardens. The sea wormwood is generally substituted for it.

The tops of Roman wormwood, two ounces; water, one pint; sugar, two pounds. Make an infusion of the leaves in warm water; strain; add the sugar to the infusion, and boil to the pearl. If the common wormwood only can be obtained, put the tops into three times the above quantity of water, and boil it over a strong fire until reduced to a pint. This will deprive it of part of its bitterness and disagreeable smell.