Ammonium Anisate Drops

Ammonium Anisate Drops, Liquor Ammonii (Ph. VII) anisatus, Spiritus ammoniacatus anisatus, a solution of 1 part anise oil in 24 parts of 90% alcohol with the addition of 5 parts of 10% ammonia spirit. In foreign pharmacopoeias, other prescriptions are also found, and anise oil is sometimes replaced with anethole. It is used as an additive to expectorant mixtures (up to 3 parts per 100 parts of mixture). It exhibits the combined action of the essential oil and ammonia. It should not be prescribed undiluted due to the caustic action of ammonia; it is therefore best given mixed with milk. Mixtures with ammonium anisate drops are cloudy due to the separation of the essential oil. When prescribing ammonium anisate drops in mixtures, the strongly alkaline reaction of the preparation should be taken into account, because of which added berry syrups change color, salts of heavy metals and alkaloids often precipitate as strongly acting substances that are difficult to redisperse, and substances that are easily oxidized in alkaline solutions, such as resorcin, anomorphine, tannins, etc., decompose. Also, ammonium anisate drops should not be prescribed in mixtures with salol, oil emulsions, naphthol, etc., to avoid saponification and decomposition during storage. With iodine, iodoform, or iodol, ammonium anisate drops react violently; when mixed in their pure form, an explosion may even occur.