Elixir

Elixir (Arab. el iksir, 'the philosopher's stone,' see ALCHEMY), a term in pharmacy which has come down from the days of Alchemy (q.v.). By the alchemists the term was applied to various solutions employed in the attempt to transmute metals. But the most notable elixir, sought after by many, was the elixir vitae, 'the elixir of life,' that sublime, potent, perfect, invaluable preparation which, if discovered, would confer immortality or at least extreme length of life on him who drank it. The name has recently been appropriated to a class of American pharmaceutical preparations. These are very different from the old-fashioned elixirs, which corresponded in the main to our modern tinctures; for in the American elixirs the first object sought is to present the medicine under an agreeable form, even if frequently with a loss of potency. These newer elixirs are often highly alcoholic, and are sweetened and flavoured with great skill. In British pharmacy, Elixir of Vitriol is almost the only representative of the old class, and is prepared by mixing together sulphuric acid, alcohol, tincture of ginger, and spirit of cinnamon. This preparation, also known as aromatic sulphuric acid, is useful for quenching thirst, sharpening the appetite, checking profuse perspiration, and often reducing the action of the pulse. The dose may range from ten to forty drops, administered in syrup or water.