Decoctum Sarsae.—Decoction of Sarsaparilla.

Related entries: Sarsaparilla (U. S. P.)—Sarsaparilla

SYNONYM: Decoctum sarsaparillae.

Preparation.—Digest for 1 hour 2 ½ ounces (av.) of transversely cut Jamaica sarsaparilla in 1 ½ pints (Imp.) of distilled water. Then, in a closed vessel boil for 10 minutes. Cool, strain, and by the addition of distilled water, if necessary, bring the finished product to the measure of 1 pint (Imp.) This accords with the British Pharmacopoeia.

Action, Medical Uses, and Dosage.—Many prefer to use the bruised root, and to avoid boiling, for the longer the preparation is boiled the weaker it becomes. An infusion is preferable to the decoction. Digestion of the root at a temperature of about 80° C. (176° F.) is probably the best method. This decoction is but little employed. Its uses are those of sarsaparilla. Dose, 2 to 4 fluid ounces 4 times a day.


King's American Dispensatory, 1898, was written by Harvey Wickes Felter, M.D., and John Uri Lloyd, Phr. M., Ph. D.