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BOSTOIS!

Medical Library
8 The Fenway

"^A^^L^^iU,

PHARMACOLOGIA;

EDITION THE SIXTH.

CORRECTED AND EXTENDED, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE
LONDON PHAUMACOPCEIA OF 1824, AND WITH THE GENE-
RALLY ADVANCED STATE OF CHEMICAL SCIENCE.

-^^^
fs BY

J. A. PARIS, M.D. F.R.S. F.L.S.

Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of London ;

Honorary Member of the Board of Agriculture ; Fellow of the Philoso-
phical Society of Cambridge ; and of the Royal Medical Society of
Edinburgh ; and late Senior Physician to the Westminster Hospital.

IN TWO VOLUMES.

VOLUME THE SECOND.

Quis Pharmacopoeo dabit leges, ignarus ipse agendorum ? Vix profccto dici potest^

quantum haec ignorantia rci medicae infcrat dctrimentum.

GAUB : METHOD : CONCINN : FORMUL.

LONDON :

PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY W. PHILLIPS,

George Yard, Lombard Street;

SOLD ALSO BY T. & G. UNDERWOOD, FLEET STREET;
W. & C. TAIT, ediivburgh;

AND HOBGES & M'ARTHUR, DUBLIN.

1825.

/;?

C77

APR 20 1965

ilBRAK^

2i J (Z3

OF THE MEDICINAL DYNAMETER.

This instrument is capable of shewing on mere inspection,
the absolute as well as relative strengths of the different
Officinal Preparations of the Pharmacopoeia. The active
Principles, or Medicinal Bases, are distinguished by Capital
Letters, placed in coloured compartments, and each Offici-
nal preparation is marked by a line corresponding in colour
with that of its active ingredient. Where a preparation con-
tains two active ingredients it is distinguished by two co-
loured lines, as may be seen in the Pulvis Ipecacuanhce
comp. By this expedient the eye, at once, recognises the
different classes of medicines ; all those for instance, coloured
red are Opiates; those blue^ iVIercurials ; s^reen^ Acetic
acid; &c. The introduction of colours, moreover, immedi-
ately indicates the basis to which any preparation refers, and
thus prevents the possibility of doubt or confusion.

If we wish to learn the actual quantity of active matter
contained in any given proportion of a compound, we have
only to turn the scale until the name of such compound coin-
cides with the number in question, when the figure opposite
to the basis solves the problem ; thus — how much opium is
contained in 5 grains of the Fuivis Ipecacuanhce compositus?
13y having brought this preparation to 5, we shall see \ oppo-
site to Opium, denoting that such a number of grains con-
tains half a grain ; for, unless it be otherwise expressed, the
figures denote grains for the solids, and minims for the li-
quids. And, since the number opposite to the Base denotes
the absolute quantity of it contained in those several propor-
tions of its Qfficinal compounds, which are expressed by the
respective numbers opposite to each, it follows that these lat-
ter must all be medicinally equivalent to each other; thus
we have seen that 5 grains of Pulvis Ipecacuanhce compositus
contains ^ grain of Opium, if we turn our eyes to the other
Opiate preparations we shall perceive that each has a different
number opposite to it, these figures shew the number of grains
of eath which contain ^ grain of opium, and consequently
those numbers must be all Equivalents ; thus 2f grains of
Pil, Saponis comp : 5 grains of the Pulv : Corn : ust : cum
Opio^ 9 J minims of Tinctura Opii, 10 grains of Pulv : Kino
comp: 18 grains of Confectio Opii^ 20 grains of Pulv : Cretce
comp: cum Opio^ and 120 minims, or two fluid-drachms of
Tinctura Camphor: comp: contain half a grain of Opium,
and are consequently all equivalent to each other. This

Of the Medicinal Di/namcter,

system of Equivalents will be found of much practical value
to the Practitioner, by enabling him, at once, to substitute
one preparation for another, without the risk of altering the
dose of its active ingredients. Suppose, for example, a
patient had been taking 8 fluid-drachms of Mist : Ferri comp,
and that we wish to give the same quantity of Protoxide of
Iron in the form of the Pit: Ferri comp. we have only to
bring the mixture in question to 8, and we shall see 13^ grs.
are equivalent, both these quantities of the respective prepa-
rations containing 2-3ds of a grain of protoxide, or a little
more than a grainof theProto-carbonate. Suppose again, that
we have an acetic acid of sp. gr. 1*059, and that we wish to
produce, by its dilution, two fluid-drachms, or any other
quantity, of acid having the strength of distilled vinegar,
the question is, what are the proportions of water and strong
acid to be employed. We have only to bring the Acidum
Aceticum of 1*059, to 120, i. e. to f 5>jj ^"d the number op-
posite to the strong acid, viz. 16, is its equivalent, if therefore
we take 16 minims of it, and dilute it with 104 minims of
water, we obtain the mixture required.

Those who are acquainted with the sliding rule of Gunter,
or the chemical scale of Dr. Wollaston, will immediately
perceive that the present circular scale is divided upon the
same logometric principle, and that the mechanical addition
and subtraction of ratios here performed by juxta-position,
corresponds in eff"ect to the multiplication and division of the
numbers by which the ratios are expressed in common arith-
metical notation. It is not necessary that I should trouble
the reader with the numerous difficulties and embarrassments
which have opposed themselves to the practical success of
this instrument. They have, after repeated failures, been at
length overcome, except perhaps with regard to a slight cen-
tral error, which as it is found in the most accurate brass in-
struments, could not be avoided where paste board alone had
been employed. The error, however, is not of the slightest
practical moment, not occasioning the diff"erence of a hun-
dredth part of a grain.

The proportions of active matter, in the several prepara-
tions of each class, have been, in general, derived from the
best authorities, although in many cases they have been de-
duced from experiments expressly Instituted for the occasion.

PHARMACOLOGIA.

VOLUME THE SECOND.

COMPREHENDING
THE MEDICINAL HISTORY AND CHEMICAL HABITUDES

OF THE
J)1FFEIIENT ARTICLES THAT CONSTITUTE THE

MATERIA MEDICA.

" Omnium S?'mplicium Pharmacorum vires nosse ojioriet
eum qui aliquot composiium est jacturus.^''

JEtius.

Vol 2.

PHARMACOLOGTA,

VOLUME THE SECOND.

ABI

ABIETIS* RESINA. L. E. D. (Pinus Abies,
JResina concreta). Resin of the Spruce Fir,

Olim, Thus. — Frankincense A

Qualities. Form^ tears or small brittle masses:
Odour ^ very fragrant when burning. It has all the
chemical properties of a Resin^ and is used only for
external purposes : see Rix Arida. Officinal Pre-
parations. Emp I : Aromatic : D . Emp I : Ga lb an :
comp : L. Empl: Opii h. Empl : Thuris. D.

* Abies ab abco, quod in coeluni longe abeat.

+ Dr. Maton, in his appendix to Mr. I^amberl's work on the
genus Pinus, observes that the Thus of the ancients, (A<CavOf)
does not appear to have been the product of any species of Pinus,
although, we are informed by Dioscoridcs (Lib. 1. c. 7.) that Pine
resin was often substituted for it. He describes, moreover, a me-
thod of distinguishing between the two kinds; " Resin of the
Pine," says he, '* when thrown into the fire dissipates itself in
smoke, whereas Frankincense burns with a brisk flame, and with
an odour that serves to detect the imposition." " Some authors,
adds Dr. Maton, have considered the genuine "KiQuvos {Thus) to
have been obtained from the Juniperus Lycia, and to constitute
the Olibanum of our shops, but I cannot find any passage in the
ancient authors sufficiently precise to corroborate this conjec-
ture.'* Op: citat:

A 2

4 ABS

ABSINTHIUM. (Artemisia Absinthium) Common
Wormwood.

Qualities. Odour.) strong and peculiar. Taste^
intensely bitter, slightly pungent, and very unpleasant,
as its name * implies. Chemical Composition.
Extractive, a small portion of resin, and a green essen-
tial oil ; in the first of which its bitterness resides,
in the last, a narcotic principle ; hence the watery ex-
tract is not possessed of the nauseous flavour of the
plant but retains its bitterness almost entire ; the nar-
cotic principle is therefore dissipated by decoction,
but its tonic and anthelmintic properties are not im-
paired by that process. Medical Uses. The whole
plant is powerfully antiseptic ; and its bitterness ren-
ders it stomachic. Infused in ale it forms the beverage
known by the name of Purl. Its powers as a vermi-
fuge has bestowed upon it the name of Wormwood.
Dose, 9j, 9ij ; and of the infusion, (made in the pro-
portion of Jj of the plant to oj of water,) f§i — fgiss.
Incompatible Substances. Precipitates are pro-
duced in the decoction or infusion by Sulphate of
Iron J Acetate of Lead^ and some other metallic salts.
Tartarized Antimoni/ is not in the least affected by it.
Off : Prep : Extract : Absinth : D.

ACACIA GUMMI. L. (Acacia vera.) Mimosa.
Nilotica. E. D. Gum Arabic.

Qualities. It is dry, semi-transparent, brittle
and insipid ; by exposure to the air it undergoes no
other change than loss of colour. Specific Gravity .,

* From a. not^ and 'i'iylos pleasure.

ACA 5

1'515. Solubility. It is soluble in water in every
proportion, forming a viscid solution, (mucilage).
One part dissolved in six of water affords a fluid of the
consistence of syrup ; and in two parts, a medium well
calculated for the union of dry powders. Gum is also
soluble in pure alkalies and lime water, as well as in
vegetable acids, especially vinegar, with which it forms
a mucilage that may be used as a cement, like the
watery solution, and with the additional advantage of
not being susceptible of mouldiness.* It is insoluble
in alcohol, as well as in aether and oils. By strong sul-
phuric acid the gum is decomposed, and a considerable
proportion of carbon deposited.f For a farther history
of its habitudes see Mucilago Acacice, Medicinal
Uses. It is demulcent and nutritious ; although it
appears in certain states of the body to pass through
the bowels without change. When triturated with
gum-resins it assists their mechanical division, as in
Form : SO. Officinal Preparations. Mucilago
Acacice. L. E. D. Emulsio Mimosce Niloticce. E.
Emulsio Arabica. D. Mist. Corn. ust. L. D. (O)
Mist. Cretce. L.D. (O) Mist. Moschi. L. (O) Confect.
Amygdal. L. (O) Puh. Cret. co. L. (O) Pulv. Tra-
gacanth co. L. (B) Trochisci Carbonnt. Calcis E. (O)
Troch. Glycyrrh. Glob. E. (O) Troch. Glycrrh.
cum Opio E. (O) Troch. Gummos. E. (O) Adul-
terations. Gum Senegal is not unfrequently substi-

. * Mouldiness is a peculiar plant, propagated by seeds, inliiiitely
small ; Reaumur found the interior of an addled egg mouldy,
hence the seeds must have passed through the pores of the shell !
Dr. MaccuUoch has lately announced the curious fact, that the
propagation of mouldiness may be prevented by the presence of
aromatic substances. See Vol. 1, p. 329, JVole.

f This fact has enabled the Chemist to prepare an indelible ink,
not affected by acids.

6 . ACE

tuted for* it, but this may be distinguished by its clammy
and tenacious nature ; whereas genuine gum arable is
dry and brittle ; the fraud is of no consequence in a
medical point of view. It is also occasionally mixed
with the gum of plum and cherry trees ; this fraud
however, is to be easily detected, for such gum l\as
peculiar properties by which it may be chemically dis-
tinguished ; see Mucilago Tragacanth.

ACETICA. L.E.D. Preparations of Vinegar.

These preparations consist of vegetable principles
dissolved in vinegar. Officinal Preparations,
Acetum Aromaticum. E. Acidum Acetosum campho-
raium. E. Medicated vinegars were formerly much
extolled ; the first London Dispensatory contained no
fewer than ten, at present the number is reduced to
two, viz. Acetum Colchici. L. Acetum Scillce. L.E.D.
which see,

ACETIS HYDRARGYRL E. Acetas Hydrar-
gyri. D. Acetate of Mercury ,

Qualities. Form^ small flaky crystals ; Colour^
silvery white; Taste, acrid. Chemical Composi-
tion. Acetic Acid, and Oxyd of Mercury. Solubi-
lity. It is soluble in hot, but very sparingly in cold
water, and quite insoluble in Alcohol. Forms of
Exhibition. It should be always given in pills, *
it is however seldom used. Dose, gr. j. As an ex-
ternal application, a solution of it, in the proportion of
grs. j. to f§i of rose water, has been commended as a
cosmetic.

* Keyser's Antivenereal Pills consist of this mercurial salt,
triturated with Maima.

ACE 7

ACETOS^ FOLIA. L.E. Rumex Acetosa*
Common Sorrel Leaves.

Qualities. Taste, grateful, austere and acidu-
lous. Chemical Composition. All its qualities
depend upon the presence of Super^oxalate of Potass »
In France the plant is commonly cultivated for the use
of the table.

ACETOSELLA. L. Oxalis Acetosella.
Wood Sorrel.

The qualities of this plant, like those of the pre-
ceding, depend upon Super ^oxalate of Potass.

ACETUM. L. Vinegar.
Acidum Acetosum, E. Acetum Vini. D.

Qualities. Too well known to require descrip-
tion.* Chemical Composition. Acetic acid largely
diluted with water, vegetable gluten, mucilage, sugar,
extractive matter, and frequently malic and tartaric
acids, together with small proportions of sulphate of
lime, sulphate of potass, and alcohol. Its composi-
tion however varies according to the fermented liquor
from which it is obtained : f e. g. wine yields a paler,

* Vinegar quenches the thirst, and is particularly refreshing
after much bodily exertion. It was this property that invigorated
the soldiers of Hannibal in their progress over the Alps ; it is ab-
surd to imagine that Livy meant to assert that the rocks were
dissolved by Vinegar : the expression is only metaphorical. See
Sodae Murias.

f The varieties of vinegar known in commerce, are three, viz.
Wine Vinegar, Malt Vinegar, and Sugar Vinegar ; to which may
now be added that from wood, and which is described under the
title of Acidum Aceticum Fortius, or Acidum Aceticum, e ligno
destillatum.

8 ACE

purer, and stronger acid than fermented malt liquors
or solutions of sugar, hence the superiority of that
prepared in France and Italy. Vinegar is liable to
spontaneous decomposition, or to become mouldy, and
consequently for the purposes of pharmacy it should
be distilled ; as however the change depends upon the
presence of gluten, it may if boiled be kept for a much
longer time, and if powdered animal* charcoal be pre-
■viously added, it will become quite colourless like dis-
tilled vinegar, and that without being impaired in
strength, whereas it always becomes much weaker by
distillation. It is a curious circumstance that this is
the only vegetable acid, except the Prussic^ that rises
in distillation in combination with water.

Adulterations. Sulphuric acid, as it does not
produce any turbid appearance in vinegar, is generally
the acid selected for sharpening it ; but it must be re-
membered, that the maker is allowed by law, to mix
one thousandth of its weight of Sulphuric acid t with
it; so that the muriate of baryta when added to such
vinegar may be expected to produce \\ grain of inso-
luble sulphate in every fluid-ounce ; if a more consi-
derable quantity of precipitate occurs, we may infer
that an excessive proportion of sulphuric acid is pre-

* I apprehend that the superior power of animal charcoal, over
that of vegetable origin, in removing colouring matter, depends
upon the peculiar texture of the former. At the same time it
must be acknowledged, that there are certain phenomena which
would appear to indicate the existence of a chemical difference in
these substances; thus if Lime water be boiled with animal char-
coal, the whole of the lime will be abstracted from the water,
whereas the same effect is not produced by the action of charcoal
of vegetable origin. See Liquor Calcis.

+ The Sulphuric acid is added for the^x>urpose of preserving
the vinegar from decomposition.

ACE 9

sent ; although some allowance ought perhaps to be
made for the presence of the sulphates of potass and
lime, which are always contained in vinegar. Of this
vinegar 1000 grains should saturate 148 grains of crys-
tallized sub-carbonate of soda ; a fiuidounce of the
same, 68| grains.* For the purpose of making the
vinegar appear stronger, acrid vegetables, as grains of
Paradise^ berries of Spurge Flax^ Capsicum^ Pellitory
of Spain J &c. are sometimes infused in it, but by
tasting it with attention, the pungency of such sub-
stances may be easily detected. For the other adulte-
rations, see Acidum Aceticum,

The purest vinegar which I have ever examined is
that manufactured from malt, by Mr. Mackintosh of
Glasgow. The strongest malt vinegar is termed proof
vinegar^ and is called by the manufacturer No. 24 ;
it is estimated to contain 4*73 per cent, of real acetic
acid.t Its strength in relation to the other forms of
acetic acid, will be seen by referring to the Medicinal
Dynameter, and to the table inserted under the arti-
cle Acidum Aceticum Fortius. In the former Edi-
tions of this work it was stated, that a Vinegar had of
late years appeared in the market produced from the
distillation of wood, (Pt/roligneous Acid), This
article has now come into very general use ; and the
manufacturers have at lenc{th succeeded in divestin<D[ it
of that empyreumatic flavour which had so long ren-
dered it objectionable. See Acidum Aceticum Fortius
€ JLigno destillatum.

* This quantity includes the alkali necessary to saturate the
Sulphuric acid which is allowed to be added. 145 grains of alkali
is the standard fixed by act of Parliament, which will be found to
coincide with the atomic weights of these bodies.

t By real Acetic acid is meant such an acid as occurs in a dry
acetate ; it cannot exist uncombined with water, or a base.

10 ACI

ACETUM COLCHICI L. Vinegar of Meadow
Saffron,

Vinegar appears to be a solvent of the acrid and
medicinal principle which resides in the bulb of this
plant. Dose fsss to f5ij. in any bland fluid. See
Colchici Radix,

ACETUM SCILLiE. L.E.D. Vinegar of Squill

This preparation is an acetic solution of the acrid
matter of the Squill, upon which its medicinal efficacy
depends.* Dose f 3ss to f 3ij. in cinnamon or mint
water. See Scillce Radix, Form. 107, 114. Alka-
lies and their carbonates are chemically incompatible
with these Vinegars. This preparation, as well as the
Oxt/mel, deposites when long kept a precipitate con-
sisting of citrate of lime and tannin, but its medicinal
efficacy is not on that account impaired.

ACIDUM ACETICUM DILUTUM. L. Acidum
Acetosum Distillatum. E. Acetum Distillatum. D,

Common Distilled Vinegar,

Qualities. Odour, fainter and less agreeable
than common vinegar (Acetum) : Taste, less acid ;
Colour, none. Specific Gravity ; Mr. Phillips
states, that when prepared according to the directions
of the Pharmacopoeia, it varies from 1*007 to 1*009 ;
and that 1000 grains of the latter require for their satu-
ration, 145 grains of crystallized sub-carbonate of soda.

* This is a very ancient preparation, thus Ausonius,
'' Scillato decies si cor purgeris aceto
Anticipitesijue tuum Saraii Lucomouis acumen."

AGi n

I apprehend, however, that it will be found quite im-
possible to obtain a dilute acetic acid equal in strength
or specific gravity, to that last mentioned, by the pro-
cess of theL ondon College ; * it may even be doubted
whether it can be produced of the specific gravity 1*007.
The general run of distilled vinegar as found in the
shop of the druggist, varies from 1*005 to 1*006, and
contains from 2*80 to 2*826 per cent, of real acid ;
when of the specific gravity of 1*009 it would contain
about 4*73 per cent. Dr. Powell states ( Translation
of the Pharmacop : of London^ 1815) that ^'one fluid
ounce ought to dissolve at least thirteen grains o^ white
marble^\' or, what is equivalent to it, 39*67 grains of
crystallized Sub-carbonate of Soda ; acid of this strength
corresponds very nearly with six degrees of the Reve-
nue Acetometer, the proportions being as follow, 100
grains of Pharmacopoeia strength will saturate 8*68
grains of crystallized Sub -carbonate of Soda; 100
grains of acid of 6 ** of the Acetometer will saturate
8*70 grains of the salt. Chemical Composition.
Acetic Acid more largely diluted than that in vinegar,
with very minute portions of uncombined mucilage and
extractive. Solvent Powers. It is capable of dis-
solving all those vegetable principles which are soluble
in water, and in some cases, as in Squill^ Colchicum^
and in several Aromatics and Narcotics^ its acid ap-
pears to extend its solvent powers ; at the same time
it often modifies or diminishes the medicinal virtues
of the substances, as for instance those of Narcotics /
this circumstance considerably limits its pharmaceu-

* In following the directions of the College the first pint is
rejected, and this, according to Mr. Phillips (Remarks on the
Pharmacopoeia) contains a notable quantity of acid. Hence Dis-
tilled Vinegar can never be so strong as the Vinegar from which
it is distilled.

12 ACI

lical application ; when however it is employed, a por-
tion of spirit should be always added, in order to
counteract the spontaneous decomposition to which it
is liable, and the acetic compound should be preserved
in stopped bottles. Acetic acid does not dissolve true
resins, but it has some action on gum resins. Medici-
nal Uses. It is refrigerant, and may be advantage-
ously administered in hemorrhage ; especially in cases
where the acetate of lead has been given, since the solu-
bility of this latter substance is increased by it. See
Form. 57 ; externally, it may be a convenient adjunct
to lotions containing lead. See Form, 147. In con-
sequence of its chemical action upon osseous matter,
it has been much employed at the Gloucester Infirm-
ary to hasten exfoliation of carious bone. Adulte-
rations. Sulphuric Acid may be detected by a pre-
cipitate being produced on the addition of acetate of
baryta : this test however will not answer for its de-
tection in common vinegar, for the reason stated under
that article. See Acetum, Sulphurous Acid may be
recognised by drawing a little of the vapour into the
lungs. The presence of Nitric Acid may be disco-
vered by saturating the suspected sample with pure
potass, evaporating to dryness, and then treating the
product with a highly concentrated alcohol, the acetate
of potass will be thus dissolved, but as it exerts no
action on the Nitrate it will be found in the residuum,
and may be recognised by its deflagration, when
thrown upon burning charcoal ; * Copper may be de-

* Or it may be detected, in very minute quantities, by the ele-
gant test lately employed by Dr. Marcet, and which I have fre-
quently repeated in my Lectures with considerable satisfaction.
It consists in adding a little sulphuric acid with a small quantity
of muriate of soda, and then immersing a little gold leaf in the
mixture, when after boiling it, if any nitric acid should have been
present, the gold leaf will be dissolved.

ACI IS

tec ted by the acid assuming a blue colour, when super-
saturated with ammonia ; and Leadj by a solution of
sulphuretted hydrogen, producing a dark coloured pre-
cipitate. Tin however is the metal with which distil-
led vinegar is more usually contaminated, for no vege-
table acid will act upon lead while any tin is present in
the mixture, since the latter being more oxidable than
the former, is exclusively dissolved.

ACIDUM ACETICUM FORTIUS. L,

(Acidum Aceticum* \
e Ligno Destillatum» )

vulgOy Pi/roligneous Acid,

The acetic acid from wood has been very generally
introduced to supersede the use of distilled vinegar for
the purposes of Medicine and the Arts.* It is at length

* It had been long known that by the destructive distillation of
any kind of wood, an acid is obtained, which was formerly con-
sidered of a distinct and peculiar nature, and termed Acid Spirit
of Wood, and afterwards Pyroligneous Acid. Glauber appears
to have been the first chemist who was aware of its true nature,
for he speaks of it as the " Vinegar of Wood." It was however re-
served for Fourcroy and Vauquelin to demonstrate its composi-
tion by experiment, and they have accordingly proved beyond
doubt ihat it is merely the Acetic acid, contaminated with Em-
pyreumatic oil and Bitumen. The address of modern chemists
has at length enabled them to get rid of every trace of these latter
ingredients, and to furnish an acid perfectly devoid of any foreign
flavour. The crude pyroligneous acid, as it is first received, is
rectified by a second distillation in a copper still, in the body of
which about 20 gallons of viscid tarry matter are left from every
100. It has now become a transparent brown vinegar, having
a considerable empyreuma ; it is then redistilled and saturated
with quick-lime, and the liquid acetate is evaporated to dryness
and submitted to gentle torrefaction, in order to dissipate the em-
pyreumatic matter, and lastly the calcareous salt is decomposed
by sulphuric acid, when a pure, perfectly colourless, and grate-
ful vinegar rises in distillation.

14 ACI

found to be capable of such complete separation from
all foreign matter as to afford a perfectly pure acetic
acid, invariable in its acidifying power, and immutable
in its chemical properties. In justice to the skill and
industry of Messrs. Beaufoy and Co. of South Lambeth,
I beg to state that I have examined various specimens
of this acid from their manufactory, and that I find it
free from those impurities which have hitherto consti-
tuted an insuperable objection to its introduction into
the Materia Medica. The purified Pi/ro-ligneous
acid, manufactured by this company, and sold under
the name of " Improved Distilled Vine gar ^^^ is per-
fectly free from any unpleasant taste, as well as colour
and sediment ; and it forms a limpid and colourless
solution with ammonia. The common distilled vinegar
of the shops varies essentially in strength as well as
purity, differing in acidifying power from SO to 40 per
cent, in value : it is sometimes 7 degrees, and at others
less than 5, by the Revenue Acetometer ; * and hence
has arisen the difficulty of procuring an uniform article
for medical application, a difficulty which the intro-
duction of the pi/rO'ligneous acid seems calculated to
overcome, as it may be procured from the manufactu-
rers of any degree of concentration,+ from 6 degrees of

* This instrument was invented by Mes?rs. Taylors for this par-
ticular purpose ; the principle consists in forming a neutral salt
with dry hydrate of lime and the acid to be examined, and then
taking the specific gravity of the solution. Act 58. G. III. c. 65»

t It may be necessary to state, that the Pharmaceutist should
never purchase acetic acid of greater strength than that of Ib'^
of the Acetometer, when it is intended for dilution, for although
he might thus avoid the expense of carriage, the saving will be
more then counterbgilanced by the excessive duty levied upon
acids above that standard. There is moreover a great loss in the
preparation of strong acids, so that the manufacturer cannot afford

ACI 15

th« Acetometer, or 2'S26 per cent, of real acetic acid
to ISO degrees, or 61*49 per cent, of acid ; and even
of still higher strength if required ; their common, or
Proof SLcid is about equivalent' in strength" to that of
the best Malt Vinegar, of which 100 grains will saturate
14 J grains of crystoWized Sub-carbonate of Soda, and
consequently contains 4*73 per cent, of real acid, and
will require at least one half part of water to reduce it
to the strength of the best common distilled vinegar.
It is found that acetic acid of 45 per cent, real acid,
or of 95° of acetometer strength, dissolves Camphor
and the Essential Oils very readily.

The " AciDUM AcETicuM Fortius," which is now,
introduced into the Materia Medica of the London
College, is directed to have a specific gravity of 1*046.*
It is exactly six times the strength of Proof vinegar, or
the strong Malt vinegar manufactured, but it requires to
be diluted with nine times its weight of water to reduce
it to the strength of the ordinary samples of distilled
vinegar. Mr. Phillips states, that he has not met with
acetic acid of greater specific gravity than 1.043,+ being
five times the strength of vinegar of specific gravity
1*009. J The strongest acid that can be procured is

to sell them at a price which is merely proportional to their
strength. Acid of 75" is regularly kept by Messrs. Beaufoy for
dilution, and if mixed with eleven parts of pure water is equiva-
lent to the common distilled vinegar of the Pharmacopceia.

* It ought to have been 1-048 of 55° Fah : but the error lies in
the scale of Taylor's Acetometer, which appears to be incorrect at
this point.

t I believe that no manufacturer, except Messrs. Beaufoy,
makes an acid stronger than this; the College sample was obtained
from that house.

X The Reviewer of Mr. Phillips's Translation of the Phafmaco-
pcpia, in the Royal Institution Journal for July, 1824, has fallen
into an important error upon this subject, against which it may

16 ACI

the Glacial acid, which exists in a crystallized state
under 50°. Fah. It contains 79 per cent, of real acid,
and is consequently of the strength of 167*5 of the
Acetometer. If this acid be kept perfectly still, it may
be reduced several degrees below its crystallizing
point in a fluid state, when the slightest agitation of
the vessel instantly occasions it to solidify. It will
greatly facilitate our inquiries into the strength of
different samples of acetic acid to know, that the repre-
sentative numbers of acetic acid and pure white marble
coincide on the scale of equivalents ; it therefore follows
that the weight of marble dissolved by a hundred grains

be necessary to caution the reader ; he says, " the terra * diluted
acetic acid'' is properly enough applied to Distilled Vinegar, but
the process of distillation might well have been rejected ; for all
medical purposes a dilute acid, composed of one part of the con-
centrated acid, contained in the Materia Medica, and four parts
of water, is preferable. Of this mixture, or of distilled vinegar,
the specific gravity should be r009, and 1000 grains should
saturate 145 grains of Subcarbonate of Soda." The reviewer
has mistaken the acid of sp. gr. 1-043 mentioned by Phillips, as
the strongest he has met with, for the Pharmacopoeia acid of sp.
gr. 1.046; for, should he dilute the latter with only four times
its weight of water, he would produce a compound containing
3-686 per cent, of real acid, or one considerably stronger than the
strongest malt vinegar, and twice the strength of distilled, vinegar.
The reviewer takes this occasion to indulge his favourite passion
for abusing the Pharmacopoeia, and he asks with an air of sarcasm,
Where was Dr. Paris during the late revision? 1 answer — en-
gaged in the discharge of my duty as a humble member of the
Committee, and 1 can assure him that nothing which he has yet
urged has convinced me that I have failed in its fulfilment, or
erred in its execution : — but it is now my turn to enquire, and I
do so with perfect good humour, where the reviewer could have
been when he composed the above passage ? that he was not at
home, is I think sufficiently evident from the statement which I
have just offered.

ACI 17

of any acetic acid, will at once represent the percentage
of real acid in such a sample.

The Impure Pyroligneous acid, as it first comes
over, contaminated with Tar, has, it is said, been very
successfully employed as a lotion in Lepra, scrophu-
lous ulcerations, chronic inflammation of the eyes, and
edges of the eye-lids, and for promoting digestion of
irritative ulcers, or those connected with carious bone.
It has also been injected into sinuses to produce healthy
discharge and adhesive inflammation. M. Monge dis-
covered that this acid has the property of preventing
the decomposition of animal substances ; it is sufficient
to plunge meat for a few moments in this acid, even
slightly empyreumatic, to preserve it as long as you
please. " Putrefaction," it is said, " not only stops
but retrogrades." To the empyreumatic oil a part of
this effect has been ascribed, and hence has been ex-
plained the ageney of wood smoke in the preservation
of tongues, hams, herrings, &c.

Agidum Acetosum Forte, E. Acidum Aceticum. D.
Radical Vinegar,

The process for this preparation has not retained its
place in the London Pharmacopoeia, as it is now uni-
versally superseded by the Acetic acid distilled from
wood. Since however it possesses peculiar chemical
habitudes, it claims some notice in this work. The
concentrated acid obtained from the decomposition of
acetic salts, by the action of sulphuric acid, is pun-
gent, acrid, and volatile, and when heated with free
access of air, it takes fire very readily. Its solvent
powers are much greater than those of distilled vine-
gar ; it is capable of dissolving camphor, resins, and

Vol. II. B

18 ACI

essential oils * copiously, but they are precipitated
by dilution ; it combines with alcohol, and forms a
species of ether ; with water it unites in any proportion,
heat being evolved by the mixture. Gold, platinum,
glass, and earthenware, can alone retain this acid with-
out being corroded. It blisters the skin immediately.

I shall conclude this article by the introduction of
a Table, which I have constructed with considerable

* Aromatic Vinegar is merely an acetic solution of camphor,
oil of cloves, of lavender, and of rosemary. The acetic acid used
for this purpose is of about 145° of the acetometer, containing
68 • 5 per cent, of real acid. A preparation of this kind may be
extemporaneously made by putting 5 j of Acetate of Potass into
a phial with a few drops of some fragrant oil, and twxx of Sul-
phuric Acid.

Thieves Vinegar, or Marseilles Vinegar, is a pleasant so-
lution of essential oils and camphor, in vinegar ; the Edinburgh
Pharmacopceia has given a formula for its preparation under the
title of *' Acetum Aromaticum." The repute of this preparation
as a prophylactic in contagious fevers is said to have arisen from
the confession of four thieves, who, during the plague of Marseilles,
plundered the dead bodies with perfect security, and, upon being
arrested, stated on condition of their lives being spared, that the
use of Aromatic Vinegar had preserved them from the influence of
contagion. Ft is on this account sometimes called " Le Vinaigre
des quatre voleurs." It was however long used before the Plague
of Marseilles, for it was the constant custom of Cardinal Wolsey
to carry in his hand an orange, deprived of its contents, and filled
with a sponge which had been soaked in vinegar impregnated with
various spices, in order to preserve himself from infection, when
passing through the crowds which his splendour or office at-
tracted. The first Plague raged in 1649^ whereas Wolsey died
in 1531. The French Codex has a preparation of this kind, con-
sisting of an acetic infusion of various aromatic herl>s and cam-
phor, which is termed " Acetum Aromaticum AUiatum, seu
" Antiscpticum " vnlgo " des Quatre Voleurs." p. 108. The
German Dispensatories abound with Medicated Vinegars, chiefly
aimed against Pestilential Diseases.

ACI

care, -for the use of the practical Chemist. The accu'-
racy of the results may be depended upon, since it has
been tested by several different modes of enquiry. The
Medicinal Dynameter will give the equivalents in any
other denomination that may be retjuired.

A Table exhibiting the acetometer strengths,
SPECIFIC gravities, per-centage of real acid,
equivalent value, and saturating power, of
the more important preparations of acetic
Acid.

ACIDS.

o c

o >

Q- *-

o CO
•^ o

V' .

Grains of Sub-
carl onate of Soda
saturated by loo
grains of acid.

Acetum Destillatum

5-9'

1-005

2-80

810

8-58

. 6'

1-006

2-826

803

8-66

1-007

3-42

663

10-48

D''

10"

1-009

4-73

480

14-5

Acetum (Proof)

10°

1014

4-73

480

14-5

Acid Acetic: Fort

50»

1043

23-67

72-5

Acid Acet: Fort. p. l.. .

60'

1048

28-43

87.

AjCid: Acet: Fort

75°

1-059

35-475

108-75

Acid : Acetic. D

Acid: Acetos: Fort. e.

145°

1070

68-5

33- 1

210-25

Acid: Acetic: Fort....
{Glacial.)

167-5°

1063

28-6

242-875

The reader will observe an anomaly with regard to the specific
gravity of the acid of 145 of the acetometer, when compared with
the glacial acid. The fact is that by diluting this latter prepara-
tion with a small portion of water we augment its "Specific gravity,
a circumstance peculiar to this acid.

B 2

20 ACI

ACIDUM BENZOICUM. L.E.D.

Benzoic Acid, Vulgo, Flowers of Benzoin, or Benja'
772 in.

Qualities. Forrn^ small feathery crystals of a
brilliant white colour, which are not brittle, but pos-
sess a kind of ductility and elasticity, and, on being
rubbed in a mortar, assume the consistence of paste.
Odour, As generally met with, it possesses a peculiar
aromatic smell, but this depends upon the oily matter
which adheres to it, for Mr. Guise informs us, that on
dissolving the benzoic acid in as little alcohol as pos-
sible, filtering the solution, and precipitating by water,
the acid will be obtained pure, and void of smell, the
odorous oil remaining dissolved in the spirit. Taste,
rather acrid and sour ; Specijic Graviti/, '667. It is
not altered by exposure to air. Solubility. Four
hundred parts of cold water dissolve but one, although
the same quantity of boiling water dissolves twenty
parts, nineteen of which separate on cooling; in alco-
hol it is soluble in a much greater proportion. Medi-
cinal Uses. It is said to be stimulant and expecto-
rant; in certain cases of tracheal irritation, a pill,
composed of two grains of Benzoic acid, and three of
Extract of Poppy, has been found serviceable. Offi-
cinal Preparations. Tinctura Camphorce Com^
posita, 1j,D, Tinct : Opii Ammoniat : Ya, Impurities.
The crystals ought not to be discoloured ; they should
dissolve without residuum in alcohol, and when sub-
jected to heat, ought to be entirely volatilized.

Although this acid is commonly procured from the
resinous substance called Benzoin, yet it exists exten-
sively in other vegetable, and in some animal substances.
In the Tonca bean (Dipterix odorata) it is frequently

ACI

to be seen beautifully crystallized on its surface. It
exists also in vanello ; cinnamon ; cloves ; ambergris ; in
the urine of children, and sometimes in that of adults,
and always in that of quadrupeds living on grass and
hay.

ACIDUM CITRICUM. (Crystalli) Citric Acid,

Concrete Acid of Lemons,

Qualities. Form^ crystals which are right rhom-
bic prisms, white, semi-transparent, and persistent.
Taste^ extremely acid, almost caustic. SolubiliTT,
f§j of cold water dissolves 5 x, but of boiling, §ij.
3X of the crystals dissolved in a pint of water, are about
equivalent to one pint of lemon juice, the solution
however if kept is liable to spontaneous decomposition.
The following table of equivalents may be found of
practical use ; the author is aware that they do not
exactly agree with the proportions of Dr. Haygarth,
but they are the results of careful and repeated experi-
ments, and as such they are submitted with confidence.

EQUIVALENT PROPORTIONS OF CONCRETE CITRIC
ACID AND LEMON JUICE, NECESSARY FOR THE
NEUTRALIZATION OF ALKALINE SALTS.

Citric Acid.

Lemon Juice.

A Scruple
of Alkalies.

grs. X.

f3iij

Carbonate
of Potass

grs. XV.

f5iiij

Sub-Carbonate
of Potass

grs. XXV.

f5vij

Sub-Carbonate of
Ammonia,

22 ACI

These alkaline citrates are decomposed by the oxalic^
tartaric^ and the stronger mineral acids^ and by the so-
lutions of lime and harytes. Form, 107, 123, 137, 168.

Citric acid decomposes the following salts, viz. The
Alkaline^ Earthy,, and Metallic Carbonates ; the AU
kaline and metallic Acetates ; the Sulphurets of Earths
and Alkalies^ and Alkaline Soaps, It is also incom-
patible with Tartrate of Potass^ which it converts into
citrate and super-tartrate of potass. It curdles the
milk of most animals, but it does not produce that
effect on human milk, whether applied hot or cold.
Adulterations. Tartaric Acid, with which it is
sometimes mixed, may be detected by adding to the
solution an excess of Potass, which will instantly form
with it an insoluble super-tartrate, and precipitate in
granular crystals, or, if a little of the suspected acid
be saturated with potass, and then boiled with a dilute
solution of muriate of Platinum, if tartaric acid be
present, a black protoxide of Platinum will be preci-
pitated. If we add the tartrate of potass for thi? pur-
pose, we may be deceived, for the citric acid, by neu-
tralizing a portion of its base, will convert the remainder
into super-tartrate. See Potasses Tartras, Sulphuric
Acid is known by the acetate of lead producing a pre-
cipitate, insoluble in nitric acid. Muriatic Acid may
be discovered in the same manner, substituting only an
acidulous solution of nitrate of silver for the acetate
of lead. The presence of Oxalic Acid may be inferred,
if the solution, when added to that of sulphate of lime,
produce a precipitate. Malic acid has the power of
precipitating silver, mercury, and lead, from their so-
lutions in nitric acid, but no doubt or difficulty can
arise from this circumstance, for the fact of its forming
a soluble salt with lime will prevent every chance of
accidental intrusion, and its price at once secures us

ACI 23

against its fraudulent introduction ; it might moreover
be ea€ily detected by throwing the suspected precipi-
tate upon burning coals, when it would be decomposed.
Where the presence of lime is suspected, it may be
known by dissolving some of the crystals in water, sa-
turating the solution with ammonia, and then treating
it with the oxalate of that alkali, which, if lime be
present, will immediately separate it in a palpable form.
The juices of many other fruits besides the lemon and
lime, will furnish the citric acid in abundance, and
may be obtained from them by a similar process ; e. g,
Vagcinium oxycoccus, the Cranberry ; Prunus Pa^
BUS, the Bird^s Cherry; Dulcamara Solanum, the
berry of the Nightshade ; Cynosbatus, vel Rosa
Can IN A, the hep or fruit of the Wild Briar. There
are many plants whose juices contain combinations of
the Citric and Malic acids in considerable abun-
dance, such as Fragaria Vesca, the Wood StraWr
berry, and the common Raspberry ; Ribes Rubrum,
the Red Gooseberry ; Vaccinium Myrtillus, the
Bilberry; Cratjegus Aria, the Hawthorn; Prunus
Cerasus, the Black Cherry, &c. This fact is in-
teresting, since the juices of such fruits have been long
known to possess the property of dissolving the tar"
tareous incrustations on the teeth,

ACIDUM HYDRO-CYANICUM,

Hydro-cyanic Acid. Prussic Acid.

This peculiar acid exists in a great variety of native
combinations in the vegetable kingdom, * and imparts

* The more familiar of these are Bitter Almonds^ the Cherry
Laurel (Lauro Cerasus,) the leaves of the Peach tree, the kernels
of fruit, pips of apples, &c. The prussic acid would appear to
be most abundant in the thin pellicle that envelope** the kernel ;

24 ACI

to them certain properties which have been long known, -
and esteemed in medicine. It is, however, only lately,
that it has been administered in its simple but diluted
form. As few practitioners will choose to prepare the
acid, it seems unnecessary in the present work to dwell
upon the merits of the different processes which have
been proposed for its preparation ; for a full account
of them, as well as for other details of importance,
the practitioner is advised to consult a work by Dr.
Granville, entitled " An Historical and Practical
Treatise on the use of Prussic Acid, Second Edition,
London^ 1820."

the fleshy parts of these fruits do not contain it, and even the
berries of the Lauro Cerasus may be eaten with impunity ; and
yet the distilled water, and oil of this plant are the most destructive
of all narcotic poisons, as was evinced by the murder of Sir
Theodosius Broughton, by Laurel Water ; and by the untimely
fate of Dr. Price, of Guildford, in the year 1782, who professing
to convert Mercury into Gold, offered to repeat his experiments
I)efore an adequate tribunal, but put a period to his existence
before the appointed day, by a draught of Laurel Water. Con-
sistent with theory, the watery extract of Laurel is harmless, a
fact easily explained, since the narcotic acid is entirely volatilized
before the fluid can assume the consistence of an extract. The
Laurel Water as a medicinal agent appears to have been long
known. Linnseus informs us, that it was frequently used in Hol-
land, in pulmonary consumption. {AmeEnitat. Acadcm. vol. iv.
p. 40.) The Bark of the Prunus Padus., or Bird Cherry Tree,
was ascertained to contain Prussic acid, by M. Bergemann, in
1811, and it is certainly a curious fact, as Dr. Granville has ob
served, that superstitious people should have selected the berries
of tliis shrub to form necklaces, which are hung round the neck of
children to prevent fifes and allay cough from teething. For farther
information upon this subject, the reader may consult *' The
Chronological recapitulation respecting the Introduction of the
Prussic acid into the Practice of Physic," in the work of Dr.
Granville, above cited.

ACi 25

Qualities. A colourless transpareni liquid, al-
though it occasionally exhibits a yellow tinge ; Odour
like that of bitter almonds ; Taste bitterish and pecu-
liar ; these properties however are soon lost by exposure
to air and light, and the acid undergoes spontaneous
decomposition. Chemical Composition. The true
nature of Prussic acid was not ascertained until 1815,
when Gay Lussac presented to the Royal Institute of
France, a memoir which at once developed its real
chemical constitution ; and it is now admitted to con-
sist of a peculiar gaseous and highly inflammable com-
pound of carbon and nitrogen, to which the name
Ci/anogene has been assigned, and of hydrogen ; the
latter body acting as the acidifying principle, whence
the term Hydro-cyanic acid is well contrived to ex-
press its composition. The medicinal, or diluted acid,
however, contains but a small proportion of this con-
centrated compound ; according to M. Majendie, one
part of the acid of Gay Lussac and eight parts and a
half of water, by weight, or one part of acid with six
times its volume of water, constitute the preparation
which should be used in medicine ; and which, to avoid
the possibility of mistake, ought always to be prescribed
as the Acidum Hydro-cyanicum dilutum^ and is, in fact,
the Prussic acid of Scheele. Dr. Ure, who has lately
taken considerable pains upon this subject, has con-
structed a table exhibiting the relations between the
specific gravities, and quantities of real acid, in prepa-
rations of different strength ; from these experiments
it would appear that an acid of specific gravity 0'996
or 0*997 is such as is usually prescribed in medicine.*
Medical Uses. In a suflicient dose, hydrocyanic acid
instantly destroys life by extinguishing the nervous

* See Journal of Science and the Arts, No, xxv.

ACI

energy of the body ; * but it has at the same time been
observed that animals submitted to its action would
often continue to breathe for several hours freely, and
to circulate their blood, although no trace of sensibility
or muscular contractility could be found after its appli-
cation. This remarkable property of extinguishing
the general sensibility, without any ostensible injury
to respiration and circulation, naturally led to a belief
that the hydro-cyanic acid, or prussic acid, might be
advantageously used in cases of excessive sensibility
and irritation, particularly when these two morbid

The following table

comprehends their results.

Quantity of liquid Acid.

Spec

fie Gravity.

Rcali

^cid per Ct,

1000

0-9570

66-6

0-9768

10-6

570

0-9815

9 1

50-0

0-9840

8-0

44-4

0-9870

7-3

400

09890

6-4

36-4

0-9900

5; 8

33-3

0-9914

6-3

30-8

09923

5-0

28-6

09930

4-6

250

0-9940

4-0

22-2

0-9945

3-6

200

0-9952

3-2

18-2

0-9958

3-0

16-6

0-9964

2-T

15-4

0-9967

2-5

J4-3

0-9970

2-3

13-3

0-9973

12-5

0-9974

11-8

0-9975

1-77

10-5

0-9978

1-68

100

0-9979

1-60

» For a detailed account

of this

poison

, see my work on

Medical Jurisprudence

, vol. ii

. p. 398,

ACI 27

states are likely to affect either the respiratory organs
or the circulation generally. This kind of analogical
reasoning, it is said, induced Professor Brera, ten years
ago, to administer it in cases of high pulmonary and
other inflammations, in doses of four drops twice a day ;
whfen, as we are told the violence of the disease was
quickly subdued. The remedy, however, does not
appear to have excited much attention, until after the
first essay of Dr. Majendie, who deserves whatever
credit may belong to its introduction. Seven years of
trial have elapsed, and the general sense of the medical
profession with respect to its utility may now be col-
lected. As a palliative in certain spasmodic coughs,
there is reason for supposing that it may sometimes be
useful, but in that species of pulmonary irritation for
which it was at first so greatly extolled, I will venture
to assert that it is far inferior in efficacy to well directed
doses of Conium, But there is another class of dis-
eases in which its exhibition is said to prove useful, in
dyspeptic affections attended with heartburn ; where
it is supposed to be capable of reducing the morbid
irritability of the stomach, and thereby of enabling the
juices of that organ to be more slowly secreted and of
a more healthy character. Dr. Elliotson has published
the result of his treatment of stomach complaints with
this medicinal agent, and would appear to appropriate
to himself the merit of originating the practice, a claim
which Mr. Thomson, in the third edition of his Dis-
pensatory, refuses to concede. * As a local remedy,
prussic acid has also received no small share of com-
mendation, and it has been said that it is the only
application that can be depended upon for allaying the
cutaneous irritation so frequently attendant upon cer-

* l\ seems to be a contest for a shadow.

28 ACI

tain impetiginous affections. It must, howerer, be con-
fessed that this medicine is rapidly declining in popu-
larity. Any prejudice raised against it, upon the ground
of its poisonous activity in large doses, is too absurd
to be believed ; the knife and the caustic are unquestion-
ably pov^erful, and may therefore become dangerous in-
struments ; but who ever blames the surgeon for employ-
ing a sharp knife or an active caustic, seeing that both
are to be directed by his eye, and guided by his hand ?
Forms of Exhibition. It may be conveniently ad-
ministered in any liquid vehicle, as distilled water, cam-
phor mixture, or in some vegetable infusion. See Sup'
plementari/ Formulas^ 1, 2, 3. A question has lately
arisen whether the effects of the prussic acid might not
be more conveniently en&ured by the administration of
some vegetable * in which it exists as a native ingre-
dient ; a company of associated Physicians, Surgeons,
and Naturalists at Florence, have accordingly expressed
their joint opinion, that the essential oil of the Prunus
Lauro Cerasus is to be preferred in medical practice
to all othei preparations which contain the hydro-
cyanic acid; for, say they, unlike the distilled water
of the plant, and pure prussic acid, it contains the
same proportion of active matter, and of the same
power, whether recently prepared or not ; whether
made in one place or another ; or whether it has been
exposed or not to air, light, or heat. They are also of
opinion that olive oil forms the best vehicle for its
exhibition in the proportion of one ounce to twelve

* The only mineral substances in which this acid has been found
is the Fer Azure of Haiiy, and a new substance which is found
accompanying Welsh Culm, and of which I have given an account
in the first volume of the Transactioas of the Royal Geological
Society of Cornwall, although in this latter instance it is probably
a product, not an educt.

ACI ?9

drops of the essential oil. Other practitioners again
prefer Laurel Water^ made by distilling two drachms
of the fresh leaves chopped, with four ounces of water,
recommitting the distilled water twice afterwards on
the same quantity of A'esh leaves, and making ulti-
mately four ounces of the menstruum, of which from
Tr[ XXX to f5j every six hours may be given until a
sedative effect is produced. See Oleum Amgt/dalcs
Amaroe. Incompatible Substances. Hydro-cyanic
acid is decomposed by most of the oxydes usually em-
ployed in medicine, particularly by those of Mercury
and Antimony, The alkalies do not appear to diminish
its efficacy. Nitrate of Silver, and the salts of iron
occasion precipitates ; nor ought the sulphurets, the
mineral acids, or chlorine to enter with it into pre-
scriptions. Dose. Of the medicinal, or diluted hydro-
cyanic acid, m ij, — viij. There is however considerable
difficulty with regard to the strength of the dilute acid
employed in medicine, since the density is a criterion
of greater nicety than can be conveniently used by the
majority of practitioners ; in fact, as Dr. Ure has ob-
served, the liquid at 0*996, contains about double the
quantity of real acid, which it does at 0*998. Dr. Ure
has accordingly proposed anotli^r test of the strength
of this powerful and dangerous medicine, w^hich is not
only easier in use, but more delicate in its indications ;*

♦ The following is the chemical reasoning upon which this
process is founded. " The prime equivalent of prussic acid is
exactly one-eighth of that of the mercurial peroxide. But as the
prussiate of mercury consists of two primes of acid to one of base,
or is in its dry crystalline state a Bi-cj/anide, we have the relation of
one to four ift the formation of that salt, when we act on the
peroxide with cold prussic acid." Hence is derived the above
simple rule of analysis. (Journal of Science and the Arts.) Upon
the same principle it has been already stated, that the quantity of

30 ACI

it is as follows. To 100 grains, or any other convenient
quantity of the prussic acid, contained in a small phial,
add in succession, small quantities of the peroxide of
mercury, (the common red precipitate of the shops)
in fine powder, till it ceases to be dissolved on agita-
tion. The weight of the red precipitate taken up, being
divided by four, gives a quotient representing the quan-
tity of real prussic acid present. By weighing out
before hand, on a piece of paper, or a watch glass,
forty or fifty grains of the peroxide, the residual weight
of it shews at once the quantity expended. The ope-
ration may always be completed in five minutes, for
the red precipitate dissolves as rapidly in the dilute
prussic acid, with the aid of slight agitation, as sugar
dissolves in water. Adulterations. If, says Dr. Ure,
the presence of muriatic acid be suspected, then the
specific gravity of the liquid compared with the gravity
of the peroxide dissolved, will shew how far the sus-
picion is well founded ; thus if 100 grains of acid, spe-
cific gravity 0*996, dissolve more than 12 grains of the
red precipitate, we may be sure that the liquid has been
contaminated with muriatic acid. Nitrate of Silver^
in common cases, so valuable a re-agent for muriatic
acid, is unfortunately of little use here, for it gives with
prussic acid a floculent white precipitate, soluble in
water of ammonia, and insoluble in nitric acid, which
may easily be mistaken by common observers, for the
chloride of that metal. But the difference in the vola-
tility of prussiate and muriate of ammonia may be had
recourse to with advantage ; the former exhaling at a
very gentle heat, the latter requiring a subliming tem-

real acetic acid, in any given sample of distilled vinegar may be
discovered by the test of carbonate of lime, see Acid. Acetic. Fort.
They furnish beautiful illustrations of the practical importance of
the doctrine of Definite Proportions.

ACI Si

perature of about 300° Fah, After adding amtnonia
in slight excess to the prussic acid, if we evaporate to
dryness at a heat of 212°, we may infer from the re-
siduary sal ammoniac, the quantity of muriatic acid
present.

Antidotes. To counteract the poisonous effect of
prussic acid, Orfila recommends, after full vomiting has
been excited, the exhibition of three or four spoonsful
of oil of turpentine, in the infusion of coffee, at inter-
vals of half an hour. M. Virey conceives that sulphate
of iron in solution is the best antidote, he having ob-
served that the salt restored a cow that was nearly killed
by the essential oil of bitter almonds. When an over-
dose has been taken, hot brandy and water, and the
ammoniated tincture of iron are recommended by Mr.
Thomson ; on the former I should rely with much
greater confidence than upon the latter antidote, or in
other words, it is from vital agents, counteracting its
sedative influence, rather than from chemical sub-
stances, changing its composition, that we can expect
any benefit upon such an occasion. For the chemical
processes by which the presence of this acid may be
ascertained, the reader may consult my work on Medical
Jurisprudence, vol. 2, p. 408.

ACIDUM MURIATICUM. L.E.D.

Muriatic Acid.

QtTALiTiES. Form^ a liquid of the specific gravity
1* 16, a fluidounce of which weighs about 527 grains^
and according to Dr. Powell ought, when diluted, to
dissolve 220 grains of limestone. Odour, strong and
pungent ; if exposed to the air it emits white fumes.
Taste, intensely sour and caustic ; it is however the
weakest of the three mineral acids ; and no remarkable

3» ACI

elevation of temperature is produced by dilution.
Chemical Composition. The liquid acid is a solu-
tion of muriatic acid gas in water ; when of the specific
gravity 1* 16, according to Davy, it contains 32*32 per
cent of the gas, which recent experiments have shewn
to be a compound of Chlorine (Od^i/ -muriatic acid)
and hydrogen in equal volumes. It has therefore re-
ceived a name expressive of its composition, and is
called fft/dro-chloric * acid. We accordingly find that
the former element is disengaged from muriatic acid
by adding any substance capable of uniting with its
hydrogen. For the purpose of obtaining Chlorine^ we
may take three parts of common salt, one of black
oxide of manganese, and rather less than three of strong
sulphuric acid.t Accounts have been received from
Spain, that in the midst of the dreadful contagion w^hich
reigned in that country, the inhabitants always escaped
in those houses where fumigations of chlorine had been
used. In our own country, the Penitentiary has lately
undergone fumigation by this gas, under the superin-
tendance of Mr. Faraday. J Muriatic acid gas has also
been strongly recommended for the same purpose ; it
may be easily evolved by pouring sulphuric acid on

* This offers a striking example of the confusion produced by
the constant changes in chemical nomenclature ; in the former
editions of this work, the term Hydro was prefixed to Muriatic
Acid^ as an epithet expressive of the presence of water, whereas
the same word is now used to denote the existence of Hydrogen as
one of its elements.

+ Dr. Powell directs only two parts of acid ; but this is evi-
dently too little, for it appears by Dr. WoUaston's scale, that
3 parts of salt require 2| of oil of vitriol for their decomposition;
and in addition to this, the oxide of manganese will require a
farther addition to convert it into a sulphate.

:|: As Chlorine is by pressure condensable into a liquid, tubes
containing a small quantity of it, and hermetically sealed, might
be very usefully employed for this purpose, since by breaking off
the extremity, the chlorine would instantly assume the gaseous
state, and dinuse itself through the apartment.

AC I 33

common salt. If* nitric and muriatic acids be mixed,
a mutual decomposition takes place, of which water,
chlorine, and nitrous acid are the results ; this con-
stitutes " nitro-muriatic acid," the Aqua regia of the
older chemists. A bath acidulated with an acid of this
kind has been recommended by Dr. Scott, as a power-
ful remedy for diseases of the liver in particular, and
as a substitute for mercury in general. On the possible
influence of this bath, I would beg to make one obser-
vation,— that the extensive application of a dilute acid
to the surface of the body, is, under certain circum-
stances, capable of affecting the bowels. I have wit-
nessed such an effect from sponging with vinegar and
water. In this way the acidulated bath may occa-
sionally produce benefit, but it is extremely difficult
to conceive how it can be indebted for its utility to
any other mode of operation. (See Journal of Science
and the Arts, No. 2.) Forms of Exhibition. Mu-
riatic acid should be administered in some bland fluid,
as barley water, gruel, &c. (Formula 145.) I have
uniformly exhibited it with success in the most malig-
nant cases of typhus and scarlatina, during several years
extensive practice in the Westminster Hospital. See
vol. 1, Page 290. We should be careful not to appor-
tion its dose in a leaden or pewter spoon. The anti-
septic properties of this acid have been long known ;
Sir Wm. Fordyce relates that a " dry-salter" acquired
a large fortune from possessing a secret that had enabled
him to send out provisions to India in a better state of
preservation than any others of the trade ; his secret
consisted in adding a small quantity of muriatic acid
to the contents of each cask. After a copious evf'cua-
tion of the bowels, it is in my experience the most effi-
cacious remedy for preventing the generation of worms;
for which purpose the infusion of quassia, stronger than

VOL. II. C

34 ACI

that of the Pharmacopoeia, is the best vehicle. DosEy
Tt\^ V — xx, frequently repeated. It may be here ob-
served that where the permanent influence of an acid
is required, a mineral one should be always preferred,
as such bodies appear to be beyond the control of the
digestive process,* and are incapable of being decom-
posed by it; see Form, 158, whereas on the contrary
it seems probable that the organs of assimilation have
command over those of a vegetable nature, and gene-
rally decompose them. Dr. Marcet has very judiciously
noticed this fact in his luminous work on the treatment
of calculi, and I have ventured to offer some farther
observations upon this subject, which may be of prac-
tical value, under the consideration of Lithonthrj/ptics^
vol. 1. p. 230. Adulterations. Sulphuric acid is
detected by diluting the acid with six parts of distilled
water, and adding a few drops of the muriate of ba-
ryta, which occasions a white precipitate if any be
present, /row, by saturating a diluted portion with
pure carbonate of soda, and adding prussiate of potass,
which will indicate Its presence by a blue precipi-
tate ; or by a solution of ammonia, which, when
Added slightly in excess, throws down the peroxide of
iron 'of a reddish yellow colour. Copper^ by the pro-
duction of a blue colour when supersaturated with am-
monia. The yellow tinge of the acid usually met with
in commerce, may depend either upon the presence
of iron, vegetable extractive, or a small portion of
(Chlorine. This latter body may be recognised by the
odour, or by its power of dissolving gold leaf.

* There is a curious illustration of this fact in the German
\* Ephemerides ^''^ the case pf a person is described who had taken
so much Elixir of Vitriol that his keys were rusted in his pocket,
b^ the transudation of the acid through his skin !

ACI 55

ACIDUM NITRICUM. L.E.D. Nitric Ao^id,
Aqua Forlis.

Qualities. A limpid liquid of the specific gravity
1'500, a fluid-ounce of wliich is equal to about 11
drachms 1 scruple by weight, and ought to decompose
of pure limestone an ounce ; it emits white fumes of a
suffocating odour. Taste^ extremely acid ; it is highly
corrosive, and tinges the skin indelibly yellow; an
effect which is considerably heightened by the subse-
quent application of an alkali, so that these agents
afford the means of detecting minute portions of animal
matter, and were ingeniously employed for such an
object by Mr. Hatchett. Chemical Composition.
When of the specific gravity 1 '500, it contains 74*895
per cent, of dry acid ; (whose ultimate elements are one
portion of nitrogen and five of oxygen) the compliment
25*105 parts is water. It is decomposed with violent
action by all combustibles, and when mixed with vo-
latile oils, it causes their inflammation. It boils at 210°,
and when its specific gravity is below 1*4, it is strength-
ened, when stronger than 1*45 it is weakened by ebul-
lition. Uses. It is principally employed as a phar-
maceutical agent; viz, for the preparation of Argenti
Nitras ; Liquor Ferri Alkalini ; Hydrargyri Nitrico-
oxydum ; Spiritus Etheris Nitrici ; and Unguentum
Hydrargyri Nitratis. As an escharotic it has been
frequently employed for the destruction of tumours,
and is certainly of value where an immediate destruc-
tion of diseased parts is required. The method of
using the strong nitric acid in such cases is to smear
all the sound parts in the immediate vicinity of the
ulcer with Ung: Resin: Nig: and then to apply
pledgets of lint firmly upon the ulcer for a few seconds,

c 2

36 ACI

by which the whole surface will be deadened, and a
deep slough remain, underneath which healthy suppu-
ration and granulations will ensue. Adulterations.
Sulphuric acid may be detected by a precipitate being
produced on the addition of nitrate of baryta ; in the
application however of this test, Mr. Hume has shewn
that unless this as well as the nitric acid be diluted,
a precipitate will occur, although sulphuric acid should
not be present; a circumstance which depends upon
the bary tic salt yielding its water of solution to the acid
under examination, and becoming insoluble. Muriatic
acid is discovered by nitrate of silver, affording a pre-
cipitate at first white, but becoming coloured by expo-
sure to light ; the nitric acid ought to be perfectly
colourless, but to preserve it in such a state it must be
closely stopped, and kept in a dark place^ or it will
soon be converted into nitrous acid.

ACIDUM NITRICUM DILUTUM. L.

Acidum Nitrosum Dilutum. E.D.

Dilute Nitric Acid,

It is much to be regretted that the proportion of
water directed for the dilution of the acid, varies con-
siderably in the different pharmacopoeias ; that pre-
pared according to the Edinburgh and Dublin formulae,
being in strength to that of the present Pharmacopoeia
of London, as 4 to 1.: specific grav it?/ yhOSO ; each
fiuid-drachm contains nearly 8f grains of the concen-
trated acid, and saturates 18 grains of crystallized sub-
carbonate of soda. Dose V[[ x to xl. The acid is a
very powerful antiphlogistic remedy ; it has been much
extolled in diseases of the liver, and in syphilis. Mr.

ACI S7

Pearson however observes that we ought not to rely
upon it in any form of lues venerea, although it may
be often serviceable in restraining the progress of the
disease when an impaired constitution or other circum-
stances render the exhibition of mercury improper;
when sufficiently dilute, it forms an excellent lotion
for old indolent ulcers. It proves also expectorant,
see Form, 139, 140 ; and it is occcasionally used with
success for the purpose of counteracting the consecu?
live effects of opium. See Form, 16,

ACIDUM NITROSUM. E.D. Nitrous Acid,

Qualities. A liquid emitting fumes of a flame-
red colour, and of a very pungent and remarkable
odour. The acid is either blue, green, straw-coloured,
clear orange yellow, or deep orange yellow, according
to the proportion of nitrous acid gas * with which it is
charged. Chemical Composition. This acid is
improperly denominated Nitrous^ for it is nitric acid,
holding nitrous acid gas loosely combined ; by dilution
this last constituent is disengaged, and the acid, after
passing through a succession of different colours, be-
comes pure nitric acid ; the application of a gentle
heat effects the same changes.

ACIDUM SULPHURICUM. L.E.D.

Sulphuric Acid.
Oil of Vitrioly Vitriolic Acid,

Qualities. Form^ a thick liquid of an oily con-
sistence, specific gravity 1*85; a fluid-ounce weighs a

* fJVitrom acid gas is a combination of nitrous gas and oxygen.

SB ACI

fraction of a grain more than fourteen drachms. Colour
none, but it acquires a brown tinge from the smallest
portion of carbonaceous matter ; mere exposure to the
air is sufficient for this purpose, in consequence of the
acid disorganizing and carbonating the vegetable and
animal matter suspended in the atmosphere.; it is
therefore evident that bottles in which it is preserved
ought not to have stoppers of cork, but those of glass.
Chemjcai. Composition. Like the other mineral
acids, it has never been obtained in an insulated state
without water; according to Davy, the composition of
the strongest acid may be thus expressed : sulphur SO,
oxygen 45, water 17. It has a very powerful affinity
for water, and produces when mixed with it a very
considerable heat ; exposed to the atmosphere it im-
bibes at least seven times its own weight of water, and
so rapidly as to double its weight in a month ; when of
the specific gravity 1*85, it rises in vapour at about
550 *", and distils unaltered, whereas weaker acids
lose water by being boiled, and are brought to that de-
gree of concentration ; when diluted with 12 or IS
per cent, of water, an acid results of the specific gravity
1*780, and in this state of dilution it boils at 455%
and freezes sooner than water ; a knowledge of this
curious fact suggests to the prudent chemist an im-
portant precaution ; Mr. Parkes, in his Chemical Essays,
vol. ' ii. relates the occurrence of a terrible accident
which happened in consequence of this circumstance
not having been attended to. — " Carboy after carboy
burst by the expansion of the acid in the act of freezing,
and had not the packed carboys that remained been
immediately immersed in tepid water, not a single one
would have escaped the general wreck."

Adulterations. The ordinary acid of the shops
contains in general 3 or 4 per cent, of saline matter,

ACl 39

which consists of about two-thirds of sulphate of pot-
ass, and one-third of sulphate of lead. Dr. Ure ob-
serves, that even more is occasionally found, in conse-
quence of the employment of nitre to remove the brown
colour given to the acid by carbonaceous matter ; the
amount of adulteration, he observes, may be readily
determined by evaporating a definite weight of the acid
in a small capsule of platinum ; these impurities how-
ever in a medical point of view are immaterial, since they
are at once separated by dilution, but in a commercial
sense they deserve attention, as their presence conside-
rably increases the specific gravity of the acid. Dr. Ure
is of opinion that genuine commercial acid should ne^
ver exceed 1*8485, and that any density beyond this is
the effect of saline combination. Journal of Science
and the Arts, No. 7.

ACIDUM SULPHURICUM DILUTUM. L.E.D.

Dilute Sulphuric Acid.

By the dilution of this acid two objects are accom^
plished, — it is purified, and its dose is more easily
apportioned ; but it is a circumstance of regret that the
strength of this preparation should so materially vary
in the different Pharmacopoeias.

After the acid is diluted, the sediment ought to be
carefully removed, and the water employed for the
purpose should be distilled, for although it be in its
purest natural state, it will nevertheless contain im-
pregnations capable of affecting the acid. Uses. In
addition to the antiseptic and refrigerant virtues which
it possesses in common with the other mineral acids,
it has astringent properties that render it a most valu-
able medicine, especially in weakness and relaxation of

40 ACI

the digestive organs, in colliquative sweats, and in in-
ternal haBmorrhagy ; in Epistaxis and Hemopthysis it
was Sydenham's favourite remedy ; on the same ac-
count, when sufficiently dilute, it has been successfully
used as a collyrium in the atonic stages of ophthalmia,
and as an injection in protracted gonorrhaea. Dose
H]^ X to XL. the quantity of strong sulphuric acid in any
given quantity of the dilute may be found by the Dy-
nameter. To prevent it from injuring the enamel of
the teeth it may be sucked through a quill, and the
mouth should be carefully washed after each dose.
The Infusum Rosce furnishes an elegant vehicle for its
administration. See Form. 40. Officinal Prepa-
iiATioNs. Acidum Sulphuricum Aromaticum,* E,
Infusum Ros(B» L.

ACIDUM TARTARICUM L.

Tartaric Acid.

Qualities. Form, Crystals of considerable size,
whose primary form is an oblique rhombic prism ; they
do not deliquesce when exposed to the air, but melt at
a heat a little exceeding 212*. Taste, very acid and
agreeable. Solubility. Water at 60** dissolves
about one-fifth of its weight, and when boiling, a much
greater proportion. The solution, which, if saturated,
has the specific gravity 1*230, acquires, when diluted,

* Elixir of Vitriol. The preparation sold under this name
is the Acid: Sulph: Aromat : E. and is imperfectly aetherial in
its nature. It is a grateful medicine. A spurious article is often
sold for it, which is nothing but the diluted acid, coloured by the
addition of a tincture.

I will take this occasion to state, that the terra Elixir is of Ara-
bian origin, viz. Elechschir, or Elikscir, i.e. an Essence, or pure
mass without any dregs.

AGO 41

like that of most vegetable acids, a mouldy pellicle by
keeping. The saturating power of crystallized tartaric
acid is almost exactly equal to that of crystallized citric
acid, the atomic weight of the former being 76, and
that of the latter 75. Chemical Composition.
When uncombined with water, as it exists in tartrate
of potass, it is composed of 5 atoms of oxygen, 3 atoms
of hydrogen, and 4 atoms of carbon. The crystals
consist of 1 atom of acid and 1 of water. Incompa-
tible Substances. Alkalies, Earths, and their car-
bonates; the salts of lime and lead. The solutions of
the salts of potass are converted by it into bi-tartrate,
or super-tartrate. Medicinal Uses. It is introduced
into the Pharmacopoeia as a cheap and efficient substi-
tute for the citric acid. It is also used in the prepara-
tion of Sodaic powders^ Seidlitz powders^ &c. Adul-
terations. When carelessly prepared it will contain
sulphuric acid, to detect which, let a portion be dis-
solved in distilled water, and a solution of acetate of
lead be added. A precipitate will appear which, if the
acid be pure, will be entirely redissolved by a few
drops of acetic acid, or pure nitric acid. If any por-
tion remain undissolved, sulphuric acid is the cause.
Muriate of Baryta also, when sulphuric acid is present,
but not otherwise, gives a precipitate insoluble by an
excess of muriatic acid.

1 ACONITI FOLIA. L.E.D. (Aconitum Napel-
lus.*) Aconite,

Woolfshane^ Monkshood,
Qualities. Taste^ moderately bitter, and acrid,

* The Dublin college, on the authority of Willdenow, admits
the A. Neomontanuni, as the species of Aconite which has
always been used in medicine: although the other colleges, in
consequence of a botanical error of Stberck, who introduced it
into practice, direct the A. Napellus.

42 ADE

leaving in the mouth a painful sensation of heat and
roughness, followed by numbness in the gums and lips
which continues for two or three hours. Odour faint
and narcotic ; their peculiar properties are considerably
deteriorated by drying. Chemical Composition.
M. Brandes has ascertained that the narcotic principle
of this plant is a peculiar alkali, to which he has given
the name Aconita.^ Solubility, water and alcohol
only imperfectly extract their virtues. Medicinal Uses.
It is narcotic, and occasions, in over-doses, nausea,
vomiting, vertigo, hyper-catharsis, cold sweats, convul-
sions, and death ; effects which entirely depend upon
its action on the brain. It was first administered in
1702, by Stoerk, of Vienna, in chronic rheumatism,
gout, schirrus, and paralysis ; more lately it has been
employed in scrofula, cancer, and intermittents, and
it is said with much effect. On account of the varia-
able strength of the leaves they can hardly be given
with safety and effect ; the extract {which see^) pre-
sents the more. eligible form of exhibition. The leaves
are, however, sometimes given in the form of powder,
generally combined with some mercurial alterative, or
with antimonials, camphor, and other diaphoretics.
Dose gr. i — x. Officinal Prep : Eoctractum Aco-
niti, L. E.

ADEPS PR^PARATA. L. Adeps Sui Sciiof^,
vulgo Axungia Porcina. E. Adeps Suillus Pb,^-
paratus. D.

Prepared Hog*s Lard. Fat, Axunge, f

Qualities. Consistence^ soft or nearly semifluid.
Odour and Taste, none ; at 97° it melts. Cmemical

* See note und^r the article opium.

+ Axunge, from its being Ubecl as the grease of wheels, ab Axe
rotai'um quae unguuntur. ,

MRU 43

Composition. It consists of two distinct bodies >yhich
appear to exist together in a state of mechanical mix-
ture, viz. Stearin^ (from o-lcap tallow) which is white,
brittle, and in appearance somewhat resembling wax ;
and Elain (from cXa^ov, oil) very similar to vegetable
oil in appearance, and is liquid at 59 °. According to
the experiments of Braconnot, the proportion of Elain
is to that of Stearin^ in hog's lard, as 62: 38. Solu-
bility. It is insoluble in water, and alcohol; with
the alkalies it unites and forms soaps. Incompatible
Substances. Extracts^ Spirituous Preparations^
Tinctures^ and Infusions, are incapable of uniting
perfectly with lard, without some intermedium ; the
following substances on the contrary are capable of
contracting with it a most intimate union. 1. All dry
powders, whether of a vegetable or mineral nature.
2. Fixed and Volatile Oils, 3, Balsams, 4. Cani'
phor, 5, Soaps, It is principally employed in the
formation of ointments, plasters, and liniments.

iERUGO. L. D. /Sub-acetas Cupri\ Sub-acetis
\ Impura, J Cupri. E.

Verdigris,

Qualities. Form, a dry mass composed of minute
crystals, not deliquescent ; Colour, bluish green. Che-
mical Composition. Several constituents enter into
its compostion, viz. Acetate and sub-acetate of copper,
carbonate of copper, and copper partly metallic and
partly oxidized ; it contains also the stalks of grapes
and other extraneous substances. Solubility.
Boiling water dissolves it in part, and produces in it
a chemical change, by transforming one portion of the
5w6-acetate into the soluble acetate, and another into
an oxyd of copper, which is precipitated ; with cold

44 JETR

'wa.tef this substance demeans itself differently, the
acetate is dissolved by it, whilst that portion which is
in the state of sub'Salt remains suspended in the form
of a fine green powder. Vinegar converts all the Mrugo
into a soluble acetate, this liquid therefore ought never
to be employed for favouring vomiting in cases where
an overdose has been swallowed, for the reasons stated
in the first volume of this work, p. 253. Sulphuric
acid poured on powdered verdigris decomposes it with
effervescence, and vapours of acetic acid are disen-
gaged. It appears from the experiments and observa-
tions of Duval and Orfila, that sugar exercises a chemi-
cal action on it, by which its solubility is diminished,
and that on this account it acts as a specific against its
poisonous effects. Uses. It is so uncertain and violent
in its operation that it is rarely employed, except exter-
nally,* when it acts as a powerful detergent, and mild
escharotic ; and in the form of ointment, is a valuable
application for many cutaneous affections, especially
the aggravated kinds of Tetter. Officinal Prepa-
rations. JErugo Prceparata^ D. Unimentum Mm-
ginis, L. D. Adulterations. There is a spurious
article sold under the name of English Verdigris^
which consists of sulphate of copper, triturated with
acetate of lead ; and to make the fraud still more
complete, the soft miiss is mixed with the stalks pf
RaisinSp

iETHER SULPHURICUS RECTIFICATUS, L.

Rectified Sulphuric Mlher,

Qualities. A colourless liquid of specific gravity
739". Odour ^ pungent and fragrant; it is highly

* Dr. Smellome's Ointment for the Eyes. It consists of
half a drachm of Verdigris finely powdered and rubbed with oil,
and then mixed with an ounce of yellow Basilicpn, (Ceratum Re-r
sinae, V. h.)

^TH 45

Volatile, ^nd when perfectly free from alcoliol It boib
at 98° J it is ejttreniely inflammable, a circumstance
which should be remembered when it is poured from
one vessel to atiother by candle light. Chemical
Composition. When pure it consists of oxygen, hy-
drooren, and carbon : the rectified aether however still
contains some water and alcohol, for Lovitz obtained
an aether of 632. Solubility. One part requires for
its solution ten of water ; with alcohol and ammonia it
unites in every proportion. Solvent Powers. It is
one of the most powerful solvents known in vegetable
chemistry, as it dissolves balsams^ resins, gum-resins,
wax, camphor, extractive, &c.; it takes up about a
twentieth of its weight of sulphur, but it exerts no sol-
vent power upon the fixed alkalies. Forms of Exhi-
bition. In any liquid Vehicle, if in decoctions or in-
fusions, they should be previously cooled. See For-
muloe 20, 22, 23. Medical Uses. It is highly valu-
able as a diffusible stimulant, narcotic, and antispas-
modic. Dose, f3ss to f3ij, which, in order to pro-
duce the full effect of the remedy, must be repeated at
short intervals, ^ther, independent of such virtues,
has another valuable property consequent upon its ra-
pid evaporation, that of producing cold and dryness ;
it is therefore, when externally applied and allowed to
evaporate, a most powerful refrigerant, and has proved
valuable in scalds or burns, in facilitating the reduction
of strangulated hernia, and in diminishing exces-
sive circulation in the brain ; if however it be so con-
fined, that its rapid evaporation is prevented, a very
opposite effect is produced, and it proves stimulant,
rubefacient, and even vesicatory. With regard to the
other property incidental to it, that of producing dry-
ness, I am not aware that it has hitherto been applied
to any pharmaceutical piirpose ; the fact may be satis-

46 ALC

factorily shewn by a very simple experiment, — by rincing
a phial with aether, to the interior of which drops of
water obstinately adhere, when by exposing it to a
current of air, it will be completely dry in a few mi-
nutes. It may be noticed in this place that a mixture
of sulphuric and muriatic aethers evaporates instan-
taneously, and produces a degree of cold considerably
below 0 of Farenheit. Officinal Preparations.
Spiritus Mther : Sulph : L. Spir : Mth : Sulph : comp :
L. Spir: jEth: Aromat : L. Adulterations and
Impurities. Its specific gravity affords the best indi-
cation of its purity ; Sulphuric Acid may be detected
by a precipitation on the addition of a solution of
baryta, and by its reddening the colour of litmus ; Al'
coholj by its forming with phosphorus a milky instead
of a limpid solution. M. Gay Lussac has observed
that when kept for a considerable time without distur-
bance, it undergoes spontaneous decomposition, and
that acetic acid, perhaps some alcohol, and a particular
oil, are produced from it.

ALCOHOL.* L.D. Alcohol Ardent Spirit.

Qualities. A transparent, and colourles liquid
of the specific gravity '815.; it has not hitherto been
rendered solid by any diminution of temperature ; it
boils at 176**. and if water be added, its boiling point
is proportionably raised ; hence, says Dr. Henry, the
temperature at which it boils is not a bad test of its
strength ; it is combustible, and burns with a blue
flame, leaving no residue. Chemical Composition.
Alcohol, in a state of complete purity, consists of car-

* Alcohol is a term of Alchemical origin, and signified the
pure substance of bodies, separated by sublimation from the im-
pure particles, as Alcohol Antimonii, &c.

ALL 47

bon, hydrogen^ and oxygen, in proportions not hitherto
determined with accuracy ; this preparation however
contains 7 per cent, of water ; Lovitz and Saussure
succeeded in obtaining it at a specific gravity of '79 1^
which may be considered as nearly pure. Alcohol
unites chemically with water ; and caloric is evolved
during this union ; the quantity of alcohol and water
in mixtures of different specific gravities, may be learn-
ed from Mrr Gilpin's tables. Philosophical Transact
tions, 1794, or Nicholson'' s Journal, ^to. vol. 1. The
Edinburgh Pharmacopoeia has no process for the pre-
paration of alcohol, but it most incorrectly assigns the
title to that which is the "Rectified Spirit" of the other
Colleges* Solvent Powers. Alcohol dissolves soap;
vegetable extract ; sugar ; oxalic, camphoric, tartaric^
gallic, and benzoic acids ; volatile oils ; resins, and
balsams ; it combines also with sulphur, and the pure
fixed alkalies, but not with their carbonates: for its
other habitudes, and applications, see Spiritus Recti-
Jicdtus.

ALLII RADIX. L.E.D. Allium Sativum.

Garlic*

Qualities. Tliis bulbous root has when recent a
foetid smell, and acrid taste, which are extracted by

* Garhc, leeks, and onions constitute a tribe of cuHnary vege-
tables that has undergone great vicissitudes in reputation : amongst
the Egyptians tlie onicm and leek were esteemed as divinities,
thus Juvenal,

" O sanctas gentes quibus ha^c nascuntur in hortis

while by the Greeks, garlic was detested, although their husband-
men had been from the most remote antiquity in the habit of
eating it, which /Emiliiis Macer explains by supposing that its^
strong odour was useful in driving away the venomous serpents
and insects by which they were infested.

48 ALL . .

watery infusion ; by decoction they are nearly lost ;
by expression, the root furnishes almost one-fourth of
its weight of a limpid juice, and by distillation, an
odorous, acrid, essential oil is procured, in which the
existence of sulphur may be detected. Garlic has a
considerable analogy to squill and onion, and like them,
exerts a diuretic, diaphoretic, expectorant, and stimu-
lant operation ; (see vol. L p. 192). It is a very com-
mon domestic remedy for the expulsion of taenia, and
it is undoubtedly of advantage in such cases ; it is
usually administered in the form of a decoction, with
milk, on an empty stomach ; it is however but rarely
used in modern practice, as it possesses no superiority
over remedies less nauseous and objectionable ; the
bruised root, externally applied, is highly stimulant,
and rubefacient. Sydenham speaks highly of the ap-
plication of garlic to the soles of the feet, as a powerful
means of producing revulsion from the head. Offi-
cinal Preparation. Si/rupus Allii, D.*

Horace alludes to this custom in his 3d Epode, which he com-
posed in consequence of having been made violently sick by garlic
at a supper with Macxnas.

" Cicutis Allium nocentius
O dura Messorum ilia ! "
The most powerful antidotes to the flavour of this tribe of
vegetables are the aromatic leaves and seeds of the UMBELLiFERiP. ;
thus the disagreeable odour of a person's breath after the ingestion
of an onion is best counteracted by parsley ; and if leek or garlic
be mixed with a combination of aromatic ingredients, its virulence
will be greatly mitigated and corrected, nor does the fact seem to
have escaped the obsei vation of the husbandman in Virgil,
" Allia, Serpyllumque, herbas contundit olentes."

Eclog. 2. line 11.
And the fact itself offers an additional illsutration of the im-
portant principle of combination, discussed in vol. 1. p. 272.

* Taylor's Remedy for Deafness. Garlic infused in oil of
almonds, and coloured by alkanet root.

ALO A9

ALOES EXTRACTUM. Aloes,
There are three species met with in the shops, viz.

1. Aloe SpICATA. L. SoCOtorina, D. ^ Socotrine Aloes.
PeRFOLIATA. E. ^ Cape Aloes.

2. Aloe Vulgaris.* L.Hepatica,E.D. i Common or

J BarbadoesAl6es

3. AloeCabalina. Fetid, Cabaline, C Employed only

or Horse Aloes. ^ by Farriers.

Qualities. The above varieties of aloe differ in
their purity, and likewise in their sensible qualities ;
the Socotrine is the purest, it is in small pieces of a
reddish brown colour ; the Barbadoes is in large
masses, of a lighter colour, and having an odour much
stronger arid less pleasant ; the Cahaline is still more
impure and less powerful. All the kinds are charac-
terized by an intensely bitter taste, which, in the Soco-
trine^ is accompanied by an aromatic flavour. Chemi-
cal Composition. In this there appears to be some
obscurity ; M. Braconnot (Ann, Chim, torn, 68.)
conceives to it be a substance, sui generis, which he
terms " bitter resin,'''' while others regard it as com-
posed of resin, gum, and extractive, the proportions
of which are supposed to vary in the different species,
but that their peculiar virtues reside in the extractive
part. Solubility. It is to the slowness with which
aloe undergoes solution in the primce vice, that it is
indebted for the medicinal properties which distinguish
this substance ; by boiling water it is dissolved, but oa
cooling a precipitation ensues, and by long decoction
it becomes quite inert ; weak acids dissolve it more
abundantly than water, but proof spirit is the most

* Dr. Sibthorpe, in his Flora Graeca, states that the Aloe Vul-
garis is the true Aloe described by Dioscorides.
Vot. II. D

m ALO

perfect solvent : its solubility is increased by the addi-
tion of alkaline salts and soaps, but by such a combi-
nation it undergoes a material change in its medici-
nal properties ; the bitterness is diminished, its purga-
tive effects impaired, and it ceases to operate specifically
upon the large intestines, a fact so far valuable, as it
enables us in certain cases to obviate its irritating action
upon the rectum. Medicinal Use, Aloe is a bitter
stimulating purgative, emptying the large intestines,
without making the stools thin ; it likewise warms the
habit, quickens the circulation, and promotes the ute-
rine and hemorrhoidal fluxes. Dose, gr. v. — xv. No
greater effect is produced by a large dose than from
one comparatively moderate ; its tendency, however,
to irritate the rectum renders it, in many cases, an ob-
jectionable remedy ; and its sympathetic action on the
uterus may occasionally produce mischief, in irritable
habits, while in other states it may, for reasons equally
obvious, prove beneficial. Forms of Exhibition.
The form of pill should be preferred on account of its
extreme bitterness, as well as being, for the reasons
above mentioned, the one most likely to fulfil the inten-
tion of its exhibition ; for in addition to what has been
stated in the first vol. of this work, on the important
influence of solubility, it may be here observed that
since the aloe does not undergo solution in the stomach,
it is admirably adapted for the basis of remedies in-
tended to obviate constitutional costiveness, for in our
endeavours to supply the deficiencies of nature by the
resources of art, we should at least attempt to imitate
the modes of her operation ; the natural stimulus of the
intestines, the bile, is poured into them below the sto-
mach, and whenever it regurgitates into that organ it
produces disease ; so it happens with our cathartic
niedicineiJ, and unless we so modify their solubility

ALO 31

that their operation cannot commence until after their
passage through the stomach, we shall find that we only
increase the evil we are endeavouring to obviate, and
that, in addition to the torpor of the intestinal canal,
we shall induce the stomach to participate in the dis-
ease, or excite a morbid fretfulness of that organ which
will be attended with the most distressing symptoms.*
See FormulcB 12, 13, 79, 80, 81. Aloes in combina-
tion with assafoetida furnishes an eligible purgative in

* Anderson's Pills consist of the Barbadoes Aloes with a
proportion of Jalap, and Oil of Aniseed.

Hooper'sPills. — Pil. Aloes cum Myrrha, (Pil. Rufi) Sulphate
of Iron, and Canella Bark, to which is added a portion of Ivor j
Black.

Dixon's Antibilious Pills. — Aloes, Scammony, Rhubarb,
and Tartarized Antimony.

Speediman's Pills. — Aloes, Myrrh, Rhubarb, Extract of
Chamomile, and some Essential Oil of Chamomile.

Dinner Pills — Lady Webster's, or Lady Crespigny'sPill.
These popular pills are the '*Pilulae StomachicaB,"vulgo, *' Pilulae
ante cibum " of the Codex Medicamentarius Parisiensis. Editio
Quinta, A.D. 1758. viz. R. Aloes optimse 3vj, Mastiches, et
Rosarum rubrarum aa 5u> Syrupi de Absinthio q, s, ut fiat
massa, — the mass is divided into pills of 3 grains each. The ope-
ration of this pill is to produce a copious and bulky evacuation,
and in this respect experience has fully established its value. It is
difficult to explain the modus operandi of the Mastiche, unless we
suppose that it depends upon its dividing the particles of the
Aloes, and thereby modifying its solubility.

Fothergill's Pills. — Aloes, Scammony, Colocynth, and
Oxide of Antimony.

Peter's Pills. — Aloes, Jalap, Scammony, and Gamboge,
equal part 5 ij — Calomel 3 i.

Radcliffe's Elixir. — R. Aloes Socot : 3 vi, Cort: — Cinna-
mon et Rad : Zedoar : aa 5 ss — Rad : Rhei 3 i. — Coccinel : 3 ss —
Syrup : Rhamni f § ij — Spirit: Tenuior : oj — Aqus Purge f § v.

Beaume de Vie, see Decoct: Aloes compositum.

The Elixir of Longevity, of Dr. Jernitz of Sweden. This
is an aromatic tincture, with Aloes.

5r ALO^

the dyspepsia of old persons ; it is also welt calculated'^
to obviate the costivenesa so generally produced by
Opium, (Form: 11, 12, 13 J See also vol. 1. p. 300.
Officinal Preparations. Pulv: Aloes comp : L.
Pil : Al'&es cum Myrrha, L.E.D. Pil: Aloes compz
Pil: Aloe's cum Assafcetida. E. Pil: Aloes cum Co-
loci/nthide. E. Pil: Cambogioe comp :('B.'NL.) L.
Pil: Rhei. comp: (F) E. Pil. Scammon, cum Atoei
D. Decoctum Aloes comp : L. , Extractum Aloes'
purificatum. L.D. Extractum Colocynthidis comp:
L.D. (F) Tinct : Aloes L.E.D. Tinct : Aloes comp ;
L,E.D. Tinct: Aloes JEtherea^^, Tinct: Benzoin:
camp : (G) L.E.D. Tinct : Rhei et Aloes E. Vinum
Aloes, L.E.D. Adulterations. It is frequently
adulterated v^^ith common resin, but the fraud more
generally committed is that of mixing with, or substi-
tuting the inferior species for the Socotrine^ but the
Barbadoes Aloes may, independent of its want of aro-
matic flavour, be distinguished from the Socotrine by
a simple test, for the latter dissolves entirely in boiling
water and alcohol, whereas the former, when treated
in a similar manner, leaves a considerable residue ;
sometimes the Horse Aloes is made to appear so bright
and pure, as not to be easily distinguished by the eye
even from the Socotrine^ but its rank odour, of which
no art can divest it, will readily betray the fraud.

ALUMEN. / Super-sulphas AlumincB\ Sulphas

V et Potass ce. / Aluminae. E^

Alumen. D. Alum.

Qualities. Form^ octohedral crystals, whose
sides are " eq[uilateral triangles; they are slightly efllo-
rescent, Taste^ sweet, rough, and acidulous. Che-
mical Composition. It is a triple, or sometimes

a quadruple salt, with excess of acid, consisting of
sulphuric acid and alumina, with potass, or ammonia,
pr frequently both of them; the nature of the. alkali
however does not in the least appear to aiSect the pro-
perties of alum, although it produces a crystallo-
graphic modification ; for where potass is present the
summit of the crystal will exhibit a truncation. Dr.
XJre has lately produced alum with soda, and the com*
Jbination differs from common alum only in its greater
degree of solubility, a property which at once recom-
mends it to the attention of the pharmaceutist and phy^
eician. SolubiL;1TY. A fluid ounce of cold water
dissolves SO grains, but if boiling four drachms ; \t is
insoluble in alcohol. Incompatible Substances*
jilkalies and alkaline salts^ after neutralizing the ex?>
cess of acid, precipitate the alumine. It is also decom-
posed by carbonate and muriate of ammonia^ carbo*
nate of magnesia^ and tartrate of potass^ by lime-wd-
ier^ acetate oflead^ and the salts of mercury ^ as well
as by many vegetable and animal substances, especi-
ally galls and/:/wo. It is on this account very injudi-
cious to combine alum with any vegetable astrino-ent
with a view to encrease its virtues ; thus the " Pulvis
Sulphatis Alumince compositus^\ of the Edinburgh
college, is less powerful than any of the ingredients of
which it is composed ; and the addition of alum to the
decoction of bark, undoubtedly diminishes its efficacy
as an astringent injection. Medicinal Uses. Alum if
internally a powerful astringent, in haemorrhages and
inordinate fluxes, and is externally useful for repellent
and astringent lotions^ gargles, and collyria, Dioscori-
•des and Hippocrates praised its effects as a lotion in
^various kinds of ulcers, and particularly in sores of the
mouth, and in spongy, swelled gums. Van-Helmont
.was the first j)erson who employed alum in uterigip

54 ALU

hemorrhage, and the success of the practice very consi*
derably enhanced his reputation. Boerhaave^s astrin-
gent powder for the ague consisted of Alum and Nut'
meg with the addition o£ Armenian bole. Dose, gr. x.
In large doses it is liable to excite nausea, and to act
upon the bowels. Nutmeg or some aromatic should
therefore be joined with it. Forms of Exhibition.
In solution, or in substance made into pills with ex-
tract ; Form : 53^ 56^) it is sometimes given with ad-
vantage in the form of whey (Alum-whei/'^Serum
Aluminosum) made by boiling 3ij with a pint of milk,
and then straining, the dose of which is a wine glas^
full ; (Form: 54.^ By briskly agitating* a drachm of
alum with the white of an Qggy a coagulum is formed,
(Alum curd of Riverius ; Albumen Aluminosum)
which is serviceable in some species of ophthalmia,
when applied between two pieces of thin linen rag.
As alum is not decomposed by sulphate of lime, hard
water may be safely used for its solution. It has
the effect of retarding, and in some instances of pre-
venting, the acetous fermentation in vegetables ; thus
when added to common paste it prevents its becoming
sour ; animal substances, as glue^ are preserved by it
in a similar manner. It has also the property of clear-
ing turbid water, wine, and spirituous liquors, for
which purpose it is extensively employed^ Officinal
Preparations. Liquor Alum: co. L. Pulv: Alum:
€o, E.

Alumen Exsiccatum, L. Ustum. D. Dried Alum,
By the action of heat alum undergoes watery fusion,
yields its water of crystallization, and loses more than
one third of its weight ; if the heat be too intense, or
long continued, it is deprived of a great part of its
acid. It has been recommended in doses of a scruple,
in cholic, when it has been said to operate gently upon

AMM 55

the bowels, and to relieve the pain : I have myself ex-
perienced this good effect when the cholic has been
produced by the action of lead : Dr. Grashuis, a Dutch
Physician, first recommended its use in Cholica Picto-
num. The preparation however is principally used as
an external application, having a degree of escharotic
power, which renders it serviceable in venereal chan-
cres, as well as in other ulcers having weak and spongy
granulations ; it is also very frequently employed to
destroy fungous excrescencies, but it should be remem-
bered that, as it owes such power to an excess of acid,
unless it be carefully prepared, it must be inefficient.
It ought to redden syrup of violets.

Alumen Rupeum. Roche or Rock Alum. This
variety was originally brought from Roccha, formerly
called Edessa, in Syria, in fragments of about the size of
an almond, covered with an efflorescence of a pale rose
colour; that however which is now sold under this
name is common English alum, artificially coloured.
It is unimportant.

Alumen Romanum. Roman Alum is in irregular
octohedral masses, powdery on the surface ; it is the
purest kind, and contains no ammonia in its composi-
tion.

AMMONIACUM. L.E.D. (Heracleum Gummiferum)

Ammoniac.
Qualities. Form^ masses composed of fragments,
of tears, yellow on the surface, and white within ; Taste j
a nauseous sweet, followed by a bitter flavour ; Odour^
faint but not unpleasant. Specific gramty^ 1*200.
Chemical Composition. Gum-resin, gluten, and
some volatile matter. Solubility. It is partly soluble
in water, vinegar, alcohol, aether, and in the solutions
©f the alkalies; when triturated with water a milky

56 A MM

liquor is formed, which is a eolation of gum holding
the resin in suspension, and if the yolk of an egg be em-
ployed the mixture is more permanent ; water appears
to be its proper solvent. Uses. Stimulant, antispasmo-
dic, and expectorant : in large doses gently purgative
and sometimes diuretic ; after the exhibition of smart
purgatives, in combination with rhubarb, it proves
valuable in mesenteric affections by correcting the vis-
cid secretion of the intestines ; dissolved in nitric acid,
it is said to ])rove an excellent expectorant in cases
where large accumulations of purulent or viscid matter
exist with feeble and difficult expectoration. See
Form: 140. Forms of Exhibition, In solution,
see Mist: Ammoniac : it may also be given when dis-
solved in the Liquor (mVmonicR acelatis ; 3ij of the
former may be dissolved in Jiij of the latter; or it may
be exhibited in pills with bitter extracts, myrrh, and
other gum-resins ; if rubbed with camphor a mass is at
once produced very suitable for pills ; vinegar renders
it soft, and adapts it for plasters. Dose, grs. x to xxx.
Officinal Preparations. Mist: Ammoniac : L.D.
Pil: Scilloeco: L. E. (B) Emplasl : Amoniac: L.
Emplast : Giimmos : E. Emplasl : Ammoniac : cum
Hydrargyro. L. Adulterations. Two varieties
are met with in the market, that in tears, guliw. ammO'
niaciy ought to be white, clear, and dry ; and that
in lumps, lapis ammoniaci^ which sells for one-third
the price of the former, being very impure, is gene-
rally adulterated with common resin, from which it
may be purified by softening the mass in a bladder
which is immersed in boihng water, and straining it
while fluid.

AiMJNl 57

AMMONlit: SDBCARBONAS. L. Curbonas
Aininoniffi. E.D.

Subcarhonalc of Ammonia*

Qualities. Form: white, scini-transparent masses,
of a striated or crystalline aspect, which on exposure to
air effloresce ; Odour ^ piingerit and peculiar ; Taste y
acrid but cooling. Chemicai. Composition, It will
he found to vary materially in its composition accord-
ing to the temperature emj)loyed for its preparation ;
the quantity of alkali varying from 20 to 50 })er cent.
Mr. Phillips considers the iS'z//;-carbonatc of ammonia
to be a *SeAY/W6-carbonate, composed of 3 atoms of car-
bonic acid, ^2 atoms of ammonia, and 2 of water; or
that it is a definite compound of Carbonate and />/-
carbonate^ one atom of each, with two atoms of water;
one hundred parts, by experiment, consist of 54:'2
curb: acid^ 29*3 Ammonia^ and 1()*5 loatcr ; if we
consider it as a Stsqitc-carbonate^ its constitution, ac-
cording to Dr. Wollaston's scale, will be bb'12 CmV'
bonic AcAd^ 29 Ammonia^ 15*28 water. Solumility'.
According to Duncan it is soluble in twice its weight of
cold water ; Mr. Phillips states four times; the mean
of these will be found nearly correct. Its solubility
however is increased by increase of temperature, but
when dissolveil in boiling water it etl'ervesces, and un-
dergoes a ])artial decomposition ; it is quite insoluble
in alcohol, and hence on the addition of spirit to a

• Godfrey's Smelling Salts. This hig^hly punj^iMit prepa-
ration is obtained by rc8ubliniin«i; the common subcaiboiiale of
ammonia Avitli pearlash, and a proportion of rectilied spirit. The
snb-carbonale ot" potass in this cas{\ abstracts a fresh portion of
carbonic acid from the ammoniacul salt. Its atomic composition
has not yet been ascertained, bnt it will probably be (band to con-
sist oi" equal atonvs of carbonic acid and ammonia, and nuisl there-
foro be a true Carbonate.

58 AMM

strong solution, a dense coagulum is produced. In-
compatible Substances. It is decomposed by acids,
Jixed alkalies J and their sub-carbonates^ lime, solution
of muriate of lime, magnesia, alum, supertartrate of
potass, and all the acidulous salts, sulphate of magne-
sia, acetate, sub-muriate, and oxy-muriate of mercury,
acetate, and sub-acetate of lead, and the sulphates of
iron and zinc. If it be added to decoctions and infu-
sions they must be previously cooled. Forms of Ex-
hibition. Since by exposure to air its virtues are
impaired, it ought not to be kept in pow^dered mixtures ;
in the form of pill it is preserved much longer, especi-
ally if it be combined v^^ith some vegetable extract.
Uses. It is stimulant, antispasmodic, diaphoretic,
pow^erfully antacid, exceeding in this respect the fixed
alkalies, and in large doses it is emetic. It is highly
useful as a stimulant in those gastric affections which
supervene habits of irregularity and debauchery ; com-
bined with opium it affords a powerful resource in
protracted diarrhoea attended with debility of the ali-
mentary canal : and in cases of muscular atony so fre-
quently witnessed, as the sequela of chronic rheuma-
tism, ammonia, in large doses, offers the best remedy ;
I have moreover witnessed the beneficial effects of this
remedy in hoarseness depending upon relaxed states
of the throat. In typhus fever it has been particularly
recommended by Huxham, Pringle, and many other
physicians, and some have considered it superior to any
other stimulant upon such occasions. It is also useful
in syncope and hysteria, in the form of smelling salts;
with respect to its application for making saline
draughts, see Acid: Citricum : Dose, grs v to 9j : to
produce emesis 5ss. See Form. 48, 49, 83, 132. Of-
ficinal Preparations. Liquor Ammonioe sitb-cat-
honatis^ L. Uquor Ammoniac acetatis (I) L.E.D.

AMM b9

JLiniment: Ammonioe Sub-carhonatis, L. Cuprum
Ammoniatum, (I) L.E.D. Adulterations. This
salt ought to be entirely volatilized by heat ; if any
thing remain it may be considered impure ; it ought
also to be free from all fetor ; should this not be the
case it may be corrected by subliming it in conjunction
with powdered charcoal ; there is at present a large
quantity of this impure article in the market, which
has been manufactured from the residue sold by the
gas light companies.* When long exposed to the air,
it becomes opaque and friable, and the excess of am-
monia, upon which its odour depends, escapes, carbo-
nic acid is absorbed, and an inodorous bi-carbonate
remains, consisting of carbonic acid 53*70, Ammonia
21*52, and water 22*76, or 2 atoms of carbonic acid,
1 atom of ammonia, and 2 atoms of water.

AMMONIA MURIAS. L.E. Sal Ammoniacum. D.

vulgo Sal Ammoniac,

Qualities. Form^ dense striated concavo-convex
cakes which are persistent in the air, or crystallized
conical masses ; in this latter form it generally contains
other salts, especially muriate of lime, which render it
deliquescent. Taste, bitter, acrid, and cool. Chemi-
cal Composition. In consequence of the present
unsettled opinions respecting the nature of muriatic
acid and ammonia, and the changes which they under-
go by combination with each other, the composition of
this salt is involved in some obscurity. According to

* It appears that this is not the only article that has suffered in
its quality by the cheap materials which have been brought into
the market from those works. I understand that the practical
chemist can obtain little or no Naphtha from the Barbadoes Tar,
owing to its adulteration with the residue of the gas light proces&.

^ AMM

Dr. Thomson, it consists of equal volumes of muriatic
Hcid gas and ammoniacal gas, although he has sub-
sequently observed that from the peculiar properties of
the substance, it may be a compound of Chlorine and
Ammonium (the hypothetical base of ammonia.) Un-
like all the other ammoniacal salts, it does not undeigo
decomposition by heat. Solubility, f§j of water at
^6° dissolves about tv^ro drachms and a half; at 212°
it dissolves its own weight ; it is also soluble in 4| parts
of alcohol ; its solution in water is accompanied by
considerable reduction of temperature. Incompatible
Substances. The sulphuric and nitric acids unite
with the ammonia, and disengage the muriatic acid,
whilst ammonia is disengaged by the action of potass
and its carbonate, carbonate of soda, lime, magnesia,
&c. which combine with its muriatic acid ; with oxy-
muriate of mercury it combines and increases its solu-
bility, see Hydrarg : Oxy-murias, When united
with acetate of lead, it decomposes it, and a muriate
of lead is precipitated. It is obvious also that nitrate
of silver, and all the metallic salts whose bases form
insfoluble compounds with muriatic acid, are incom-
patible with it. Uses. Rarely employed as an internal
remedy, externally it is enxployed in lotions, either for
the cold pj'oduced during its solution, in which case it
should be applied as soon as the salt is dissolved, lOr
for the stimulus of the salt, on which principle it acts
as a powerful discutient in indolent tumours {Form,
146.) It is also an ingredient in a very useful plaster,
4n which it undergoes chemical decomposition ; this
plaster consists o^ Soap Jj, lead plaster^ 3ij, liquified
together, to wliich, when nearly cold, are added of
muriate of ammonia finely powdered 5ss. The alkali
,of the soap enters into combination with the muriatic
.acid of the iniu:ia,te of ammonia, and forms thereby

AMY OB

muriate of potass, or soda, and ammoniacal gas (on:
which the virtue of the plaster depends) is slowly but
abundantly liberated, acting as a powerful stimulant
and rubefacient ; it should be applied immediately
after it is formed, and be renewed every twenty-four
hours, otherwise the intention is lost ; (Pharmacopoeia
Chirurgica.) I have often applied this plaster with
evident advantage to the chest in pulmonary affections,
and I wish to recommend it to the attention of prac-»
titioners. It is very useful also in that rheumatic affec-
tion of the muscles of the chest, which is so frequently
met with in persons in advanced life ; during the last
winter I was consulted in two cases where the distress
after exercise was so considerable as to resemble angina
pectoris. Officinal Preparations. Ammonice Sub-
carhonas (I). L.E.D. Liquor: Ammonice (K). L»
Aqua Ammonice, E.D. Hi/drarg : proecip : alb : (I).
L. Alcohol Ammoniatum^ (I). E.D. Ferrum Ammo^
niat : (G). L.E.D. Adulterations. This salt, if
pure, may be entirely volatilized by a low heat; the
sulphate of ammonia however, as it is also volatile,
cannot be discovered except by the muriate of baryta^
which will indicate its presence by a copious precipi-
tate.

AMYGDALA DULCES. r Varieties of l Sweet and

i " Amygdalus > Bitter
AMYGDALA AMAR^E. (. Communis.") Almonds.

Qualities. The sweet almond is inodorous, and
has a sweet, bland taste ; the bitter almond^ when tri-

* Noyau, — Creme de Noyau. Bitter Almonds blanched 1 oz.
Proof spirit half a pint, Sugar 4 oz. It is sometimes coloured
with cochineal. The foreign Noyau, although differently pre-
pared,, is indebted to the same principle for its qualities. It is a
liqueur of a fascinating nature, and cannot be taken to any con-

e^ AMY

turated with water, has the odour of the peach, and a
pleasant bitter flavour. Chemical Composition.
Boullay has lately confirmed the analogy which Proust
had stated to exist between the emulsion of sweet
almonds and human milk, viz. the former consists of
sweet oil 54, albumen 24, sugar 6, gum 3, with traces
of acetic acid ; the indigestible property of the almond
depends upon its albuminous matter. The bitter
almond, in addition to those constituents, contains
hydro-cyanic acid, (Prussic acid,) in union with a pe-
culiar volatile oil, upon which its narcotic properties
depend ; but this deleterious element is so modified
by the natural state of combination in which it exists
with sweet oil and albumen, that they may be eaten
without inconvenience. The bitter almond has long
been regarded as an antidote to drunkenness ; Plutarch
states it as a fact on the authority of his physician
Claudius. Other bitters were however supposed to
possess similar powers in this respect, hence the Pocu-
lum Absinthiatum to which we have before alluded.
See vol. 1. p. 146. Both sorts of almonds yield by
expression a large quantity of fixed oil, which is per-
fectly mild. See Oleum AmygdaL The water distilled
from the bitter almond, when strongly impregnated,
has been found to exert a deleterious action on the
human body, and to prove fatal to many animals.
Solubility. By trituration with water a milky mix-
ture is produced, (an emulsion), for which purpose
the sweet almonds should be previously freed from
their cuticle, (blanched), and this ought to be per

siderabie extent without danger ; the late Duke Charles of Lor-
raine nearly lost his life from swallowing some " Eau de Noyau,"
(water distilled from Peach kernels) too strongly impregnated.
Journal des Debats, 22, Decerabre, 1814.

AMY 63

formed by infusing them in tepid water ; for when hot
it separates a portion of their oil, as is evident from
their being thus rendered yellow, and the emulsion is
therefore more liable to ferment, and be decomposed.
Jij of almonds saturate about f Jvj of water ; since
however this extemporaneous preparation is tedious
and inconvenient, the London Pharmacopoeia very
judiciously directs a confection to be ready prepared,
3j of which, when triturated with f J j of water, im-
mediately forms an elegant emulsion. See Mistura
AmygdaL Almonds form a useful intermedium for
suspending in water many substances which are of
themselves not miscible with it, as camphor, and seve-
ral of the gum-resins ; they also assist in the pulveri-
zation of refractory substances, as Ipecacuan, &c.
Officinal Preparations. Confectio Amygdala^
rum, L. Emulsio Camphorce (M). E. Emulsio
AcacicB Arab : E.D.

Amygdala Placenta. Almond Cake is the sub-
stance left after the expression of the oil, which when
ground forms Almond Powder, so generally used for
washing the hands.*

Oil of Bitter Almonds. For obtaining this oil,
the expressed cake is submitted to distillation, when a
highly volatile, pungent, oil passes over. See Oleum
Ami/gdalos Amarce,

AMYLUM. L.E.D. /Triticum HybernumX
Starch, \ AmylumA J

Qualities. Form, white columnar masses ; Odour

* Almond Paste. This Cosmetic for softening the skin and
preventing chaps, is made as follows : Bitter almonds blanched
4 oz. ; the Tfhite of an egg ; rose water and rectified spirit, equal
parts, as much as is sufficient.

f For the derivation of this term, and remarks thereon, see vol.
!. p. 69. (Note).

64 AMY

and Taste, none. Chemical Composition. Fecula
is one of the proximate principles of vegetable matter,
and Starch is the fecula of wheat. * Solubility. It
is soluble in boiling water, forming with it a s^i-
transparent, insipid, inodorous, and gelatinous paste,
very susceptible of mouldiness, but which is retarded
by the addition of alum ; it is insoluble, but falls to
powder in cold water ; nor is it dissolved by alcohol
or ether ; although potass dissolves starch, yet the
solution of it is not disturbed by potass, carbonate of
potass, nor ammonia, but an alcoholic solution of
potass produces a precipitate ; acetate of lead, and
infusion of galls occasion also precipitates. Starch is
susceptible of several interesting and important changes ;
thus, if it be exposed to heat until its colour becomes
yellow, its properties are so far altered that it is no
longer insoluble in cold water ; and according to the
experiments of Saussure, if it be mixed with water,

* The fecula of various grains ar?. employed as articles of diet
for the sick, e. g. Sago, prepared from the pitli of the Cycas Cir-
cinalis, its granular form is imparted to ithy passing it, when half
dry, through a coarse sieve. Salop, from the Orchis Mascula.
Tapioca from the root of the Jatropa Manhiot. By expressing
the roct of this plant, the juice of which is extremely acrid, and
baking the cake that is left, an alimentary substance is prepared
called Cassava, the peculiar merit of which, like tapioca, is to
swell and soften in water., and thus to make an excellent pudding.
Arrow Root is from the Maranta Arundinacea. The arrow
root however, usually sold, is the fecula of potatoes ; 100 lbs. of
which would yield about 10 lbs. of fecula, and it is worthy of re-
mark that for this purpose frozen potatoes answer as well as those
not spoiled by the frost. Dr. Ainslie, in his Materia Medica of
Hindostan, informs us that " an excellent Arrow root, if it may
be so called, is now prepared in the Travancore country from the
root of the Curcuma Aiigustifolia, no way inferior to that ob-
tained from Iho T^iaranta Arundinacea."

AMY 65

a spontaneous decomposition takes place, and a quan-
tity of sugar is formed, amounting in weight to one
half of the starch employed, in addition to which a
peculiar gummy matter results, and a substance inter-
mediate between gum and starch, to which the name
of Amidine has been given. Starch moreover is con-
vertible into saccharine matter by the agency of sul-
phuric acid. Uses. Being demulcent it is generally
employed as a vehicle for the exhibition of opium in
the form of enema. The ordinary blue starch is co-
loured by a solution of smalt and alum, and is unfit
for medicinal use ; formerly it was tinged yellow with
saffron or turmeric, but this went out of fashion on the
execution of the famous midwife Mrs. Collier, who was
hanged in a ruff starched with that colour. Offici-
nal Preparations. Mucilago AmylL L. E. D.
Pulvis Tragacanth: comp : (B) L. Pil: Hydrargyri
(M) E. Troschisi Gummos : E.

It has been lately observed that Iodine is a delicate
test of the presence of starch ; if a drop or two of a
solution of this substance in alcohol be added to an
aqueous solution of starch, a blue compound is formed
which eventually precipitates. Iodine may therefore
be employed for ascertaining the goodness of starch,
a test which is very important, for much of what is
sold under the name of starch, does not possess its
peculiar characters ; it ought however to be stated,
that the blue indication is prevented from taking place
by a variety of different bodies, as Arsenious acid^ coV'
rosive sublimate of mercury^ &c. &c.

Vol. 11.

66 ANE

ANETHI SEMINA, L. E.

(Anethum Graveolens, Semina.) Dill Seed.
These seeds when dry have an aromatic sweetish
odour, and a warm pungent taste, qualities residing
in an essential oil, which is extracted by distillation
with water and by digestion with alcohol ; the bruised
seeds yield their flavour to boiling water by simple in-
fusion. The seeds are but rarely used. THb distilled
water is a valuable carminative for children.

ANIST SEMINA. L. E. D.

(Pimpinella Anisum. Semina.) Anise Seeds.

Like the dill seeds, warm and carminative ; water
extracts very little of their flavour ; rectified spirit the
whole. It may be remarked in this place that the value
of aniseed, as well as all those seeds which yield essen-
tial oil by distillation, may be estimated by their spe-
cific gravity, the heaviest yielding the largest propor-
tion of oil ; a chrondrometer employed by corn-chand-
lers might be very conveniently applied to such a pur-
pose.* The seeds imported from Spain, which are
smaller than the others, contain most oil, and are to be
preferred.

ANTHEMIDIS FLORES. L. E.

(Anthemis Nohilis.) Chamomile Flowers.

Qualities. The Odour of the flowers is strong
and fragrant ; laste^ bitter and aromatic, with a slight
degree of warmth. Chemical Composition. The
active principles are essential oil, resin, and bitter ex-
tractive. Solubility. Both water and alcohol take

* The method of deducing the vahie of seeds, from their rela-
tive weights, appears to have been one of the earliest instances of
the art of taking specific gravities ; thus Pliny (Nat. Hist. lib.
xviii.) estimated the relative weights of several species of grain.

ANT C7

up the active parts of the flowers ; hot water, by infu-
sion, dissolves nearly one-fourth of their weight, but
boiling dissipates the essential oil, on which account
they should never form an ingredient in a decoction.
Uses. The flowers given in substance are said to have
cured intermittents ; they are however but rarely used ;
externally they are applied in fomentations. See /w-
fusum Anthemidis. Officinal Preparations.
Uecoctum Anthemidis nobilis, E.D. Infusum Anthe-
midis, L.* There is a great variety in the quality and
price of chamomile flowers ; those which are large and
whitish are to be preferred as the freshest ; by keeping
they become invalid, and are deprived of their aromatic
principle and essential oil. They are always inferior in
wet seasons. The double flowered varieties are also less
powerful than the single kind, since the qualities reside
in the disc florets.

ANTIMONII SULPHURETUM. L.

Sulphuret of Antimony .

Qualities. This article appears in the market in
conical loaves, which are dark grey externally, but in-
ternally possess a bladed structure and considerable
brilliancy ; the Edinburgh and Dublin colleges direct
this substance to be levigated with water, and kept in
the state of powder ; it should however never be pur-
chased in that form, as it is not unfrequently adulter-
ated with sulphuret of lead, whereas it cannot contain
such admixture when its form is characteristically crys-
talline and bladed. Chemical Composition. Anti-
mony 100, Sulphur 35*572. From the time of Basil

* Chamomile Drops. The nostrum sold under this name is a
spirit flavoured with the essential oil ot Chamomile. It is very
obvious that it cannot possess the bitter tonic of the flowers.

68 ANT

Valentine to the present, this preparation has Been
known in the market by the name o£ Antimoni/^ a name
which it is evident can only with propriety be applied
to the pure metal. Solubility. It is insoluble in
water and alcohol ; since however it is slightly acted
upon by vegetable acids, cups were formerly made of
it, which imparted to wine that stood in them for some
time, an emetic quality.* Uses. It is principally em-
ployed for the preparation of the other antimonial
combinations, for which purpose it is more eligible
than the metal itself, as being less contaminated with
metallic impurities. Its medicinal energies depend al-
together upon the state of the stomach, and must there-
fore be extremely uncertain ; when it meets with any
acid in the stomach, it acts with extreme violence, a
circumstance which requires precaution. It was for-
merly much more employed as an Alterative than at
present. Stoll recommends its use in chronic rheuma-
tism, and advises its union with Myrrh. In the treat-
ment of affections of the skin it has been long used,
both singly, and in union with other substances, such
as Conium^ Dulcamara^ Guaiacum^ &c. In Scrophu-
lous diseases, connected with cutaneous eruptions, or
ulcerations, it has been a favourite remedy with many
practitioners, and it forms the basis of several foreign
Nostrums, In times of remote antiquity it was used by

* The Everlasting Pill of the ancients consisted oi metallic
Antimony, which being slightly soluble in the gastric juice was
supposed to exert the property of purging as often as it was swal-
lowed. This was economy in right earnest, for a single pill would
serve a whole family during their lives, and might be transmitted
as an heir-loom to their posterity. We have heard of a Lady
who having swallowed one of these pills, became seriously alarmed
at its not passing ; upon sending however for her physician, he
consoled her with the assurance that it had already passed through
a himdred patients with the best effect.

ANT 69

females as a black pigment for staining the eye-lashes,
a custom which continues to this day in the east.* It
is at present given to horses mixed with their food,
to make their coats smooth, and very large doses may
be given to these animals without producing any dele-
terious effects. Officinal Preparations. Dr.
Black constructed a table representing a view of all
the preparations whose basis was antimony ; many of
these however have fallen into disuse, and the nomen-
clature of all is changed. The following arrangement
of the medicines prepared from the sulphuret of anti-
mony, + is presented to us by Mr. Thomson, in his
London Dispensatory. 1. By trituration, Sulphu'
return Antimonii Prceparatum. E. D. 2. By the
Action of Heat with Phosphate of Lime, (oxi^
dized) Puhis Antimonialis^ L. D. Oxidum Antimo^
nil cum Phosphate Calcis, E. S. By the Action
of Alkalies, (oxidized), Antimonii Sulphuretum
Prcecipitatum. L.E. Sulphur Antimoniatum Fuscum,
D. 4. By the Action of Acids, (oxidized,) Anti-
monii Oxydum^ L. Oxydum Antimonii Nitro-muri-
aticum, D. Antimonium Tartarizatum, L. Tartris
Antimonii^ olim Tartarus Emeticus, E. Tartarum^

* The manner of doing it among the Turks, is described by
Shaw and Russel. Chateaubriand also remarks, " The women
of Athens appear to me smaller and less handsome than those of
the Morea, their practice of painting the orbits of the eyes blue,
and the ends of the fingers red, is disagreeable to the stranger."
Dr. Badham has also given us an interesting note upon this sub-
ject in his learned Trg,nslation of Juvenal. Sat. II. 1. 141. See
also the present work, Vol. 1. p. 91.

+ The Sulphuret of Antimony is an ingredient in Spilsbury's
Drops. See Hydrargyri Oxymurias. Dr. Duncan also observes
that it seems to constitute a quack remedy which has acquired
some reputation in Ireland for the cure of cancer, where it is used
as an external application to the sore.

70 ANT

Antimoniatum^ sive Emeticum^ D. Vinum Antimonii
Tartarizati, L. Vinum Tartaritis Antimonii, E.

Adulteratioks. The importance of employing
this article in a state of great purity, for the preparation
of so many active and valuable medicines, is obvious.
It ought to be entirely volatilized by a red heat ; Lead
is discovered by its imparting to the antimony a foliated
instead of a bladed texture, and from not being
vaporizable; Arsenic^hy the garlic odour emitted when
thrown upon live coals ; or by the numerous tests men-
tioned under the history of that article ; Manganese
and Iron, from not being vaporizable, and from other
tests : the most usual adulteration is black oxide of
iron^ or the scoriae of that metal, " Smitht/ dust,^*

ANTIMONII SULPHURETUM PR^CIPI-
TATUM. L.E.

Sulphur Antimoniatum Fuscum. D.

Precipitated Sulphuret of Antimony.

Qualities. Form^ a brilliant orange coloured
powder ; Taste, slightly styptic, but inodorous. Che-
mical Composition. Very complicated attractions
are exerted during the preparation of this substance ;
the result of which is an hydro-sulphuret of Oxide of
Antimony, with excess of sulphur. Solubility. It
is quite insoluble in water. Uses. According to the
dose, it is diaphoretic, cathartic, or emetic ; it is,
however, less certain than many other preparations,
and, unless in combination with mercury, for cutaneous
affections, is not very often employed. Incompatible
Substances. All acids and acidulous salts increase
its emetic properties ; when therefore acid is suspected
to prevail in the primae viai, it should be combined
with soap, magnesia, (Form: 128,) or aromatic con-

ANT 71

fection ; on the contrary, the confection of roses, and
vehicles containing acids, should be carefully avoided.
Form of Exhibition. Pills. Dose, grs. 1 to v.
Officinal Preparations. Pilulce Hydrargyri
Sub-Muriatis (H) L. Adulterations. It is often
sophisticated with chalk and other extraneous matter ;
it ought not to effervesce with acids ; it should be en-
tirely vaporizable by heat, and its colour should be
that of bright orange. A spurious article is vended
which consists of sulphur and sulphuret of antimony
coloured with Venetian red.

ANTIMONIUM TARTARIZATUM. L.
Tartris Antimonii. E. Tartarum Antimoniatum. D.

Tartar Emetic*

Qualities. Form^ crystals whose primitive form
is the regular tetrahedron, although it assumes a variety
of secondary forms. Colour^ white. Odour^ none.
Taste^ slightly styptic and metallic ; on exposure to the
air, the crystals slightly effloresce and become opaque ;
thrown upon burning coals, they become black and
afford metallic antimony. Chemical Composition,
This is involved in much doubt and obscurity ; it is
stated in the various dispensatories to be a triple salt,

* This saline body was first made known by Adrian de Myn-
fticht in his Thesaurus Medico-chymicus, pubhshed in 1631 -, al-
though it appears probable that the preparation was suggested by
a treatise, entitled " Methodus in Pulverera," published in Italy
in 1620. This book, written by Dr. Cornachinus, gives an ac-
count of a method of preparing a powder which had been invented
by Dudley, Earl of Warv/ick, and which had acquired conside-
rable celebrity in Italy ; this powder was composed of Scamraony,
Sulphuret of Antimony, and Tartar, triturated together.

72 ANT

consisting of tartaric acid, oxide of antimony,* and
potass, and which therefore, says Mr. Thomson, on the
principles of the reformed nomenclature, ought to be
termed a tartrate of antimony and potass. The truth
of these views, however, is extremely questionable. I
am inclined to believe with Gay Lussac, that in the
various metalline compounds, of which super-tartrate
of potass is an ingredient, this latter substance acts
the part of a simple acid ; an opinion which receives
much support from the great solvent property of cream
of tartar, and from the striking fact that it is even
capable of dissolving various oxides which are insolu-
ble in tartaric acid, of which the protoxide of antimony
is an example. According then to this view, tartar
emetic is a salt composed of bi-tartrate (super-tartrate)
of potass, which acts the part of an acid, and protoxide
of antimony : from the experiments of Mr. Phillips,
it would appear that 100 parts of the bi-tartrate will
dissolve 70 of the protoxide. In this state of doubt it
must be admitted that no name can be more appro-
priate than Antimonium Tartarizatum^ and the Lon-
don College have therefore properly disregarded the
suggestions which have been offered for changing its
name. Solubility. Much discrepancy of opinion
exists upon this subject, owing probably to the varia-
tions and incidental impurities to which the salt is
liable. Dr. Duncan, who selected very pure specimens
for examination, states that it is soluble in three times

* There is a Tartrate of Antimony, but it can scarcely be
made to crystallize ; it easily assumes a gelatinous form ; and it
may be here observed that Antimony is one of those melals
whose oxides seem to combine with difficulty, and to form com-
pounds of little permanency with acids, unless there be present at
the same time an alkali or earth ; and their solutions, in most
cases, yield, on dilution, a white precipitate.

ANT 73

its weight of water at 212", and in fifteen at 60". This
solution, when the salt is pure, is perfectly clear and
transparent, but if long kept, unless a portion of spirit
be added, it undergoes decomposition ; a precipitate
indeed sometimes takes place very rapidly, but this is
generally tartrate of lime, an incidental impurity, de-
rived from the super-tartrate of potass. Incompatible
SuBSTANCSS. Mineral Acids, Alkalies, and their
Carbonates, most of the Metals, Soaps, Hi/dro'Sul'
phurets, and many infusions and decoctions of hitter
and astringent Vegetables, e. g. f Jj. of the decoction
of yellow bark is capable of completely decomposing
9j of this salt, and of rendering it inert. * Berthollet
has accordingly recommended the immediate exhibition
of this decoction when an overdose of the salt has been
taken ; and Orfila has given a very satisfactory case in
which this antidote succeeded. Infusion and tincture
of galls throw down curdled and inert precipitates of a
dirty white colour, inclining to yellow. Rhubarb is
equally incompatible : the extract of this substance
therefore never ought to be employed in forming pills
of tartar emetic : but it deserves notice that this salt
is not decomposed by the infusions of gentian or worm-
wood. The Alkaline Sulphates, provided they be per-
fectly neutral, produce no disturbance in solutions of
tartar emetic, and therefore cannot be considered in-
compatible with them ; if there be any excess of acid,
as in alum, bi-sulphate of potass, &c. then its decom-
position is effected, and a white insoluble sulphate of
antimony is precipitated. It appears therefore that the
famous " Emeto-purgative" of the French school, con-
sisting of sulphate of soda, and tartarized antimony in

* The compound of Tartarized Antimony and Bark, is said to
purge, and to constitute the " Bohis ad Quartauas," of the French
physiciaiis.

74 ANT

solution, is by no means the unchemical mixture which
some have considered it to be, and that it really pro-
duces its effects from the operation of its original in-
gredients, and not from that of the compounds (Sul"
phate of Antimony^ Tartrate of Soda^ and Sulphate of
Potass) which have been erroneously supposed to
result. Forms of Exhibition. Solution is its best
form, see Liquor Antimonii Tartarizatu Dose. It
either vomits, purges, or sweats, according to the quan-
tity exhibited ; thus gr. J will, if the skin be kept warm,
promote a diaphoresis ; gr. ^ will procure some stools
first, and sweating afterwards ; and gr. j will generally
vomit and then purge, and lastly sweat the patient ; in
very minute doses, as gr. ^V or ^t combined with squill
and ammoniacum, it acts as an expectorant, see For-
mulcB 1, 2, 3, 8, 60. It is decidedly the most manage-
able, and the least uncertain of all the antimonial
preparations, and the practitioner would probably have
but little to regret, were all the other combinations of
this metal discarded from our pharmacopoeias. Some
authors have considered this substance as possessing
sedative powers, independent of its nauseating and
diaphoretic effects. It undoubtedly acts upon the
heart, and controls the force of the circulation in
fevers, without occasioning any other sensible effect.
Mr. Brodie, after having given large doses of this salt
to animals, found that the heart beat very feebly, and
although artificial respiration was kept up, it soon
ceased to act altogether. Lenthois of Montpellier ad-
vises small doses of it in incipient phthisis, and it would
on some occasions appear to diminish the febrile ex-
citement. The following is the form in which Dr.
Lenthois recommends it to be exhibited upon such
occasions. He directs a grain of Tartarized Antimony
to be dissolved in eight table spoonsful of distilled

ANT 75

water, which are to be added to six or eight pints of
water, and to be taken as common drink. Tartar
emetic, when triturated with lard, in the proportion
of 5iss or 5ij to ^j of the latter, forms a very powerful
rubefacient, occasioning a pustular eruption on the
skin, and proving very serviceable in deep-seated in-
flammation ; or the application may be made by dust-
ing a piece of adhesive plaster Vv^ith tartarized antimony,
taking care to leave a margin untouched that it may
more firmly adhere. Dr. Jenner, in a late Essay on
the influence of artificial eruptions on certain diseases,
recommends the following formula for such a purpose.
— R. Antimonii Tartarizati (in puherem suhtilem
trit.) 3ij — Unguenti Cetacei 3ix ; — Sacchari alhi*
3J ; — Hydrargyri Sulphureti Ruhri gr. v. M. ut fiat
Unguentum. The Pustules which are produced by the
inunction have been generally compared to variolous
pustules, they are, however, in general much smaller,
not so red at the base, nor so tense and white when
fully suppurated. They are very painful. In Hooping
cough, frictions with this ointment upon the region of
the stomach have been greatly extolled. By this appli-
cation, says Dr. Jenner, we cannot only create vesicles,
but we can do more, — ^we have at our command an
application which will at the same time both vesicate
and produce diseased action on the skin itself, by deeply
deranging its structure beneath the surface. This is
probably one cause why the sympathetic affection ex-
cited by the use of Cantharides, and those changes
produced by Tartar Emetic are very different. The
eruption should be kept up for some time, either by
the re-application of small portions of the diluted tar-

* The Sugar is added with a view to prevent the ointment frona
becoming rancid.

76 AQA

tar-emetic ointment to the affected part, or by other
gently stimulating ointments. Should they become
much irritated and very painful, a soft bread and milk
poultice will in general afford relief, without inter-
fering with the progress of the eruption. Officinal
PiiEPARATiONS. gr. j. is Contained in f §ss o^ Liquor
Antimonii Tart : L. and Vinum Tartratis Antimoniu
E. * Adulterations. It should be always pur-
chased in its crystalline form ; and a solution of it in
distilled water ought to furnish a copious gold coloured
precipitate with sulphuret of ammonia ; a precipitate
soluble in nitric acid, with acetate of lead ; and a white
and extremely thick precipitate, dissolving with facility
in pure nitric acid, with lime water. If the crystals
deliquesce, the presence of other salts may be inferred.
M. Sexullas^ in a memoir of which there is a copious
extract in the Journal de Pharmacie for 1821, has
shewn that all the antimonial preparations used in me-
dicine, except carefully crystallized Tartar Emetic^
contain more or less arsenic, which metal was originally
combined with the antimony in the ore, and has con-
tinued pertinaciously associated with it through all its
modifications.

AQUA. Water.

Water, from its extensive powers as a solvent, never
occurs in a state of absolute purity, although the nature
and degree of its contamination must necessarily vary
according to circumstances and situation. It is gene-

* NoRRis's Drops. A solution of tartarized antimony in rec-
tified spirit, and disguised by the addition of some vegetable co-
louring matter. 1 am credibly informed that the original recipe
contained opium, but that which 1 have examined, and which was
procured from a respectable agent, yielded no indications of its
presence.

AQU 77

rally found holding earthy matter in a state of mecha-
nical suspension, or saline and other bodies in chemical
solution. The usual varieties of common water are
classed and defined by Celsus ; and modern chemists
have not found any reason to reject the arrangement.
" Aqua levissima plwcialis est; deinde fontana, turn
ex Jiumine^ turn ex puteo ; posthcKC ex nive^ aut glacie;
gravior his ex lacu ; gravis sima ex palude,^^

1. Rain Water. Aqua Pluvialis^ when collected
in the open fields, is certainly the purest natural water,
and consequently of the least specific gravity ; the
bodies which it holds in solution are, carbonic acid, a
minute portion of carbonate of lime, with traces of
muriate pf lime. Dew is said to be water saturated
with air. Rain water ought, however, to be boiled
and strained, whenever it is collected near large towns ;
Hippocrates gives this advice, and M. Margraaf of
Berlin has shewn the wisdom of the precaution by a
satisfactory series of experiments.

2. Spring Water. Aqua Fontana^ in addition to
the substances detected in rain water, generally con-
tains a small portion of muriate of soda, and freqfuently
other salts ; but the larger springs are purer than
smaller ones, and those which occur in primitive coun-
tries, and in siliceous rocks, or beds of gravel, neces-
sarily contain the least impregnation. An important
practical distinction has been founded upon the fact,
that the water of some springs dissolves soap, whilst
that of others decomposes, and curdles it ; the former
has been termed soft^ the latter hard water ; soft water
is a more powerful solvent of all vegetable matters, and
is consequently to be preferred for domestic as well as
medicinal purposes ; the brewer knows well from ex-
perience how much niore readily and copiously soft
water will dissolve the extractive matter of his malt.

78 AQU

Horses by an instinctive sagacity always prefer soft
water, and when by necessity or inattention they are
confined to that which is hard^ their coats become
rou^h and ill-conditioned, and they are frequently at-
tacked with the gripes. Pigeons also refuse hard water
when they have been accustomed to that which is
soft.*

3. River Water. Aqua ex Flumine^ being de-
rived from the conflux of numerous springs and rain-
water, generally possesses considerable purity ; that the
proportion of its saline ingredients should be small, is
easily explained by the precipitation which must neces-
sarily take place from the union of different solutions ;
it is, however, liable to hold in suspension particles of
earthy matter, which impair its transparency, and some-
times its salubrity ; this is particularly observed of the
Seine, the Ganges, and the Nile.t

4. Well Water. Aqua ex PuteOy is essentially
the same as spring water, being derived from the same
source ; it is, however, more liable to impurity from its
stagnation, or slow infiltration ; J hence our old wells

* Hard water has a tendency to produce diseases in the spleen
of certain animals, especially sheep ; this is the case in the eastern
side of the island of Minorca, as we are informed by Cleghorn.
The mischievous tendency of had water, where it cannot be cor-
rected by some chemical process, would seem to be best counter-
acted by bitter vegetables. Virey supposes that this circumstance
first induced the Chinese to infuse the leaves of the tea plant.

+ Alpini informs us that Elephantiasis is endemial in Egypt;
Galen ascribes it to the impure waters of the Nile, and Lucretius
adopted the same opinion.

•^ Est Elephas morbus, qui propter flumina Nili
Gignitur ^gypto in Medio."

\ Dr. Percival observes that bricks harden the softest water,
and give it an aluminous impregnation ; the common practice of
lining wells with them is therefore very improper, unless they be
covered with cement.

AQU 79

furnish much purer water than those which are more
recent, as the soluble particles are gradually washed
away. Mr. Dalton observes that the more any spring
is drawn from, the softer the water becomes.

5. Snow Water. Aqua ex Nive^ has been sup-
posed * to be unwholesome, and in particular to pro-
duce bronchocele, from the prevalence of that disease
in the Alps, but it does not appear upon what prin-
ciple its insalubrity can depend ; the prejudice how-
ever is a very ancient one, for Hippocrates observes
that snow or ice water is unwholesome, in consequence
of its finer particles being evaporated and lost during
its solution : it appears to differ only from rain water
in being destitute of air, to which water is certainly
indebted for its briskness, and perhaps for many of its
good effects upon animals and vegetables. The same
observations apply to Ice Water.

6. Lake Water. Aqua ex Lacu^ is a collection
of rain, spring, and river waters, contaminated with
various animal and vegetable bodies, which from its
stagnant nature have undergone putrefaction in iti

7. Marsh Water. Aqua ex Palude being the
most stagnant is the most impure of all water, and is
generally loaded with decomposing vegetable matter.

To what extent the impurities of water are capable

* The same strumous affection occurs at Sumatra, where ice
and snow are never seen ; while on the contrary, the disease is
quite unknown in Chili and Thibet, ahhough the rivers of these
countries are chiefly supplied by the melting of the snow with
which the mountains are covered. The trials of Captain Cook,
in his voyage round the world, prove the wholesomeness of Ice
water beyond a doubt ; in the high southern latitudes he found a
salutary supply of fresh water in the ice of the sea; " this melted
ice," says Sir John Pringle, " was not only sweet but soft, and
so wholesome as to shew the fallacy of human reasoning unsup-
ported by experiments,"

80 AQU

of influencing its salubrity, has been a subject of in-
teresting inquiry from the age of Hippocrates to the
present day. To many of these natural contaminations,
too much importance has been certainly attached ; it
is an affected refinement to suppose that the presence
of minute portions of such earthy and calcareous salts,
as generally occur in solution, can impart any noxious
quality to water ;* whilst on the contrary, animal and
vegetable impurities, or earthy bodies in a state of
mechanical suspension, cannot fail to prove injurious,
and must be regarded as the true " scelera aqua-
rum.*' Guided by false analogies many have supposed
that they recognised the origin of all calcareous dis-
eases in the earthy impurities of water ; the researches
however of chemistry have removed this delusion, by
demonstrating that the substances found in water never
enter into the composition of urinary calculi. t Metal-
lic and other accidental contaminations are necessarily
highly injurious, and the water in which their presence
is suspected, should be submitted to the most careful
examination.

For the purification and preservation of water nu-
merous methods have been adopted ; the mechanical

* I take this opportunity of observing that I have made analy-
ses of several of those springs in Cornwall, which have from time
immemorial enjoyed a reputation in the neighbourhood for curing
diseases, amongst which were the waters of Holy-well, so named
from its supposed virtues, and those of Permiscen Bay, equally
extolled for their medicinal qualities. But I have only been able
to detect minute quantities of carbonate of lime, derived from in-
filtration through banks of calcareous sand. See Transactions of
the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall, Vol. I.

f See " Remarks on the Pump water of London," by W.
Heberden, M.D. in the 1st vol. of the Medical Transactions; also,
Acad. Royale des Scicnc. 1700, Hist. pag. 58. Pcrrault Vitruve.
L. VIII. c. 5.

AQU 81

impurities may be removed by filtration, which is per-
formed through porous stones, or alternate layers of
sand or charcoal ; muddy water may be also cleared by
adding a few grains of alum to each pint,* and in that
proportion, the water is not rendered in the least dis-
agreeable : when water has contracted a putrid smell,
it may be rendered sweet by agitating it with a small
portion of magnesia, or with black oxide of manga-
nese, in the proportion of If parts to 250 parts of
water. Dr. Black observes that nitrate of silver, which
is one of the most antiseptic substances known, will
preserve water from putrefaction for ever, and that it
may at any time be separated therefrom in a few mi-
nutes by adding a small lump of common salt ; this
fact in itself is curious, but the experiment is too
hazardous to be recommended. Dr. Alston prefers
lime, as a preservative of the water, and proposes to
remove it by the addition of a carbonate of magnesia •
Dr. Henry has however found that it is more econo-
mically precipitated by the introduction of a current of
carbonic acid into the cask. As that peculiar property
of water which is termed hardness^ generally depends
upon the presence o^ sulphate oflime^ the addition of
an alkaline carbonate twenty-four hours previous to its
being used, will be found to restore it, or if it should
depend upon super 'Carbonate of lime^ long ebullition
without any addition will be found sufficient for its
cure.

Water when kept for a long time in casks, especially
on long voyages, is partially decomposed, and a volume

* I am informed by a respectable chemist in this town, that he
sells a large quantity of alum for this very purpose, as well as to
publicftns for the sake of clearing their spirituous liquors ; for the
same end, we are told, that the wine merchants in Paris put into
each cask of wine as much as a pound of alum.

Vol. II. F

82 AQU

of carburetted hydrogen is evolved,* imparting to such
water the peculiar smell and taste which characterise
it ; this decomposition may in a great degree be obvi-
ated by charring the interior of the water casks ; it is,
however, prevented in the Navy by substituting iron
tanks for wooden vessels. In Pharmacy it ought to be
remembered that whenever common water is employed
it should not be hard ; filtered rain water may be re-
commended as the most eligible on such occasions.

AQUA DESTILLATA. L.E.D. Distilled Water.

Qualities. Taste, vapid from the absence of air,
and slio-htly empyreumatic in consequence probably of
the presence of a small quantity of extractive matter
which has undergone partial decomposition ; a fluid-
ounce weighs 454| grains. Medicinal Use. In ex-
temporaneous prescriptions, distilled water should be
always ordered whenever the formula contains any of
the following substances : — Acidum Sulpkuricum ;

* This is particularly the case with reject to the water of the
River Thames ; for as it contains but a small proportion of saline
matter, it is remarkably soft, although it holds suspended mud,
and vegetable and animal debris, which occasion it to undergo a
violent change on being kept : a large volume of carburetted and
sulphuretted hydrogen gases is evolved, and it becomes black and
insufferably offensive ; upon racking it off however into large
earthen vessels, and exposing it to the air, it gradually deposits a
quantity of black slimy matter, and becomes as clear as crystal,
and perfectly sweet and palatable, and is exceedingly well adapted
for sea store. *' The New River Water " contains a small
proportion of muriate of lime, carbonate of lime, and muriate of
soda ; it differs also in its gaseous contents : 100 cubic inch^^s of
New River Water contain 225 of carbonic acid, and 125 of com-
mon air, whereas the water of the Thames contains rather a large
quantity of common air, and a smaller proportion of carbonic
acid.

AQI^

Acidum Ciiricum ; Antimonium TartarizatUm ; Ar-
genti Nitras ; Cuprum Ammoniatum ; Ferrum Tarta-
rizatum ; Hydrargyri Oxy-murias ; Liquor AmmO'
nice ; Liquor Plumhi Suh-Acetatis ; Liquor Pot as see ;
Plumbi Acetas ; Solutio Muriatis Barytce ; Vinum
Ferri ; Zinci Sulphas ; Ferri Sulphas, Distilled water
ought also to be employed in preparations where much
water is evaporated, as in the formation of extracts,
since the residual matter of common water will remain
mixed with the product of the process, and uselessly
add to its bulk, or even in some cases produce in it
chemical changes ; unless however under such circum-
stances, common water purified by filtration should be
ordered, as the air which it contains imparts to it a
pleasant and sprightly flavour. In making infusions
or decoctions, it is very important that the water should
be free from those impurities which impart it to hard-
ness^ and which render it a far less powerful solvent of
vegetable matter, nor indeed can resinous substances
be mixed with such water, even when assisted by a
mucilaginous medium. On which account, in pre-
scribing emulsions, it may perhaps be prudent to direct
the employment of distilled water. Tests of its
Purity. Its transparency ought not to be disturbed
by the addition of nitrate of silver, or mviriate of ba-
ryta.

AQUA MARINA. Sea Water.
Until the late able researches of Dr. Murray, we
possessed but an imperfect knowledge of the composi-
tion of sea water ; it is not therefore surorisino- that
the analysis performed by different chemists should be
found to be so materially at variance ; the true cause
of such discordance is now easily understood, for it
appears, that in the examination of a mineral water or

M AQU

any compound saline solution, the substances obtained
from it are not necessarily the original ingredients, but
frequently the products of new combinations establish-
ed by the operation of analysis, and that consequently
the nature of the result obtained may vary according
to the modes in which such analysis has been con-
ducted, or even according to the degree of dilution in
which the saline substances exist.* The elements of

* The law which determines such combinations has been inves-
tigated with singular ingenuity and success by Dr. Murray,
(Transactions of tlie Royal Society of Edinburgh, 1816). Ber-
thollet had already established the important fact, that combina-
tions are often determined by the force of cohesion, in such a
manner, that in principles acting on each other, those on which
this force operates most powerfully, in relation to the fluid which
is the medium of action, are combined together ; hence from a
knowledge of the solubility of the compounds which substances
form^ we may predict what combinations will be established ^hen
they act on each other, those always combining which form the
least soluble compounds. It is for the extension of these views,
and for the useful application of them that we are indebted to Dr.
Murray, who justly observes that if the force of cohesion can so
far modify chemical attraction, as to establish among compound
salts dissolved in any medium, those combinations whence the
least soluble compounds are formed, we are entitled to conclude
that the reverse of this force, i. e. the power of a solvent, may
produce the opposite effects, or cause the very reverse of these
combinations to be established, so that in a concentrated medium
the least soluble will be formed, and in a dilute one, the more
soluble compounds will be established. Hence follows the simple
rule by which the actual state in which saline bodies exist in a so*
lution may be determined, viz. that in any fluid containing the
elements of compound salts, the binary compounds existing in it
will be generally those which are most soluble in that fluid, and
the reverse combinations will only be established by its concen-
tration favouring the influence of cohesion. It appears that by
simply evaporating a saline solution we may produce changes in
its composition, and obtain products which never existed in its
original state of dilution ; thus, suppose muriate of magnesia and

AQU 85

the salts contained in a pint of sea water HYeJLime 2*9,
Magnesia 14* 8, Soda 96*3, Sulphuric Acid 14*4,
Muriatic Acid 97*7, total 226' 1 grains, and supposing
these elements to be combined in the modes which Dr.
Murray's views appear to establish, the saline contents
of a pint *of sea water may be expressed as follows,
Muriate of Soda 159*3, Muriate of Magnesia 35*5,
Muriate of Lime 5*7, Sulphate of Soda 25*6 grains,
total 226*1 grains; besides such saline contents, it is
contaminated with various animal and vegetable bo-
dies, in consequence of which it becomes, when long

sulphate of soda to be dissolved in water, as is actually the case in
the water of the ocean, and the solution to be concentrated by
evaporation from heat ; the combinations of sulphate of magnesia
and muriate of soda, being on the whole less soluble in water, this
circumstance of inferior solubility, or the force of cohesion thu§
operating, actually determines the formation of these compounds;
and the production of sulphate of magnesia from the bittern is to
be explained upon this principle. Since it appears therefore that
the influence of solubility is most important, temperature, to
whose dominion it is under all circumstances subject, must ne-
cessarily be alike powerful ; let us exemplify this fact by the
action of the very salts under consideration ; it has been just stated
that muriate of magnesia and sulphate of soda decompose each
other in a concentrated solution at a high temperature, producing
muriate of soda and sulphate of magnesia, but at temperatures
below 32 ° the reverse actually takes place, nmriate of soda and
sulphate of magnesia reacting, and being converted into sulphate
of soda and muriate of magnesia ; a fact evidently owing to the
relation of the solubility of these salts to temperature. Muriate
of soda has its solubility scarcely altered, either by heat or cold ;
sulphate of soda is, in these respects, completely the reverse ;
hence at an elevated temperature, muriate of soda is the least,
and sulphate of soda the most soluble salt, whilst at a low tem-
perature, the reverse of this happens. All the circumstances of
this investigation are most interesting ; the medical practitioner
will at once perceive its importance, as enabling him to appreciate
the real nature of saline solutions, and even in many instances^
to preserve their identity. See Aquse Mineralcs.

S6 AQU

kept, highly offensive ; it ought also to be stated that
Dr. Wollaston has discovered the presence of a minute
proportion of potass in sea water ; and Dr. Marcet has
more lately detected ammonia in combination with
muriatic acid. Medicinal Use. As a cathartic, a pint
is the ordinary quantity, which should be taken in the
morning, at two doses, with an interval of half an hour
between each ; this quantity contains half an ounce of
purgative salt, of which about three-fourts are muriate
of soda, but it is much more active than a similar por-
tion of any artificial combination. In procuring sea
water for medicinal purposes, there is a precaution, the
importance of which experience has suggested to me,
that it be not hastily drank on the beach, before the
particles of sand, with which under such circumstances
it is generally mixed, are allowed to subside ; from the
neglect of this precaution I have witnessed serious con-
sequences. The most important advantages of sea
water are derived from its external use a§ a bath.

AQU^ DESTILLAT^. L.D.

Aqu^ Stillatiti^. E. Distilled Waters,

These are waters impregnated with the essential pils
of vegetables, and are principally designed as grateful
vehicles for the exhibition of more active remedies ;
ample directions for preparing them are given in the
several Pharmacopceias, and if they be rectified by
redistillation they may be kept for several years ; the
usual mode of preserving them is by adding spirit,
which has also the incidental advantage of preventing
them from being frozen during the winter season.
Some recommend a film of the essential oil to be dif-
fused over the water's surface. They may be extem-
poraneously prepared by adding to water what have
been called Essences^ which consist of essential oi|

AQU 87

and alcohol, or by rubbing any essential oil with ten
times its weight of sugar, or, what answers still better,
of magnesia ; when however they are so prepared they
never retain their transparency. The college, in the
present pharmacopoeia, have directed the distillation off
the essential oil, as well as off the recent herb ; this al-
teration is one of practical convenience. The properties
of each water may be learnt by referring to the vegetable
from which it is distilled.

AQVJE MINERALES. Mineral Waters.

Although all waters that flow from the earth, are, as
they contain mineral bodies in solution, strictly speak-
ing, mineral waters, yet this term is conventionally
applied to such only as are distinguished from spring,
Jake, river, or other water, by a peculiarity in colour,
taste, smell, or any obvious properties, or by the me-
dicinal effects which they produce, or are known to
be capable of producing.

To the medical practitioner the history of these
waters is most interesting and instructive, involving
Jiighly important subjects of chemical and physiologi-
cal inquiry. These waters are without doubt indebted
for their medicinal virtues to the operation of the subf
stances which they hold dissolved, but this is so ma-p^
terially aided by the peculiar state of dilution in which
they exist, as well as by the mere bulk and temperature
of the water itself, as to render extremely doubtful the
success of every attempt to concentrate their powers by
evaporation. To what extent dilution may modify the
chemical condition of saline solutions has been satisr
factorily demonstrated by the researches of Dr. Murray
(see Aqua Marina) J and to what degree an increase
in the solubility of any remedy may influence its medi-
cinal properties has been considered at some length, in
the first voL of this work, (page 319.) It is certain

88 AQU

that, in general, soluble salts are capable of exerting a
much more powerful effect upon the animal economy,
than those which are insoluble ; on which account, the
earthy muriates, especially that of lime, are amongst
the most active ingredients of mineral waters. Although
chemical analysis has frequently from its own imper-
fection failed in ascertaining their presence, it seems
probable that muriate of lime and sulphate of soda
exist in all those springs that furnish, by the usual
methods of examination, sulphate of lime and muriate
of soda ; for the same reasons it is equally probable
that iron, which in certain waters has been supposed
from the analysis to exist as a carbonate^ is in its native
solution a true muriate ; this is undoubtedly the fact
with respect to the Bath waters. Is it then surprising,
that medical practitioners should hitherto have failed
in their attempts to emulate, by artificial arrangements,
the medicinal efficacy of active mineral springs ? For
the investigation of the true composition of mineral
waters the researches of Dr. Murray furnish a simple
and elegant formula. Determine by precipitants the
weight of the acids and bases^ suppose them united in
such a manner that they shall form the most soluble
salts, and these salts will constitute the true saline
constituents of the water under examination.

Mineral Waters admit of being divided into four
classes, viz.

1. Acidulous ; owing their properties chiefly to
carbonic acid ; they are tonic and diuretic, and in
large doses produce a transient exhilaration ; the most
celebrated are Pyrmont, Seltzer, Spa, Carlsbad, and
Scarborough,

2. Chalybeate ; containing iron in the form of
sulphate, carbonate, or muriate * ; they have a styptic,

* There is a precaution respecting the preservation of these
waters for analysis with which the chemist ought to be acquainted ;

ARG ' 80

inky taste: Hartfell near Moffat^ Peterhead, Tun*
bridge, Brighton, Cheltenham, Bath, Lemington
Priors, Castle Horneck, near Penzance, &c.

3. Sulphureous Waters derive their character
from sulphuretted hydrogen, either uncombined, or
united with lime, or an alkali : Engien, Aix la Cha^
pelle, Harrowgate, Moffat,

4. Saline ; mostly purgative, and are advanta-
geously employed in those hypochondriacal and visce-
ral diseases that require continued, and moderate re-
laxation of the bowels; Cheltenham, Leamington,
Seidlitz, and all brackish waters.

Some springs, as those of Bath, Matlock, and Bux*
ton, owe their virtues rather to temperature than to
any other cause, and others, as Malvern, to the di-
luent power of the water.

In the Codex Medicamentarius of Paris, formulae
are introduced for the preparation of several of the
more distinguished mineral waters, under the head
^' Aquae Miner ales Arte Fact as J*^

ARGENTI NITRAS. L. Nitras Argenti. E.D.
Fused Nitrate of Silver, olim. Lunar Caustic,

Qualities. Fused nitrate of silver is in small
cylinders of a dark grey colour, and presenting, when
broken across, a crystalline structure. Odour, none ;
Taste, intensely bitter, austere and metallic ; it tinges
the skin indelibly black ; when perfectly free from

it will be fully explained by the relation of the following anecdote.
M. Wurza, on examining some bottles of Chalybeate water, could
detect no signs of iron in them, and on seeking for the cause of
this circumstance, he discovered it in the astringent nature of the
corks which had combined with the metallic substance, and ab-
stracted it from the water.

90 ARG

copper, it is not deliquescent. Chemical Compo-
sition ; oxide of silver 70, nitric acid SO, or one atom
of oxide and one atom of acid. Solubility. In an
equal weight of water, at CO^* ; it is also soluble in
alcohol. The solution readily yields transparent co-
lourless crystals, the primary form of which is a right
rhombic prism. Incompatible Substances. Fixed
alkalies and alkaline earths^ the muriatic^ sulphuric^
and tartaric acids, and all the salts which contain
them ; Soaps^ arsenic, hi/drO'Sulphurets, astringent
vegetable infusions^ undistilled waters. The solutions
of nitrate of silver are not disturbed by ammonia, the
ammoniuret being very soluble ; the carbonate of am-
monia, however, produces a precipitation. Nitrate of
silver tinges the skin and hair black, and has been
frequently employed for the latter puipose ;* it like-
wise forms the basis of permanent ink.t Medicinal
Uses. Tonic, antispasmodic, and escharotic ; it is
said to prove efficacious in epilepsy, but during a trial
for several years in the Westminster hospital, I never
could discover its virtues ; many of the cases in which
it has been supposed to have been successful, probably
derived advantage from the purgative medicines which
were simultaneously administered. It possesses a bitter
taste, and it has been said to act like vegetable bitters
upon the digestive organs, and to offer a resource in
dyspeptic complaints. It is principally useful as an

* For the same purpose the French employ a pomatum pre-
pared with the oxide of bismuth, and it is said to answer the intea*
lion.

+ Permanent Ink for Marking Linen. This preparation is
a, solution of nitrate of silver, thickened with sap green, or cochi-
neal. The preparing liquid, or Pounce liquid, as it is technically
called, with which the linen to be marked is previously wetted,
is a solution of soda, boiled with gum, or some animal mucilage.
It is a curious circumstance that if potass be used for this purpose,
the marking ink will run.

ARG 91

external application, and may be considered as the
strongest and most manageable caustic that we possess ;
whilst in solution it acts as a useful stimulant in indo-
lent ulcers ; and being possessed of the power of co-
agulating animal matter, it does not spread to any
extent, and is therefore extremely convenient where a
large eschar is to be avoided. A weak solution of this
metallic salt has lately been strongly recommended by
a French surgeon, as a remedy for piles of long stand-
ing ; it also forms an excellent lotion to excite the
weak granulations of fungous ulcers. It is, moreover,
said to be highly useful as an injection in cases of
puriform discharges from the ear ; before we direct
however such an appUcation, it is highly necessary that
we should ascertain the tympanum to be entire, or the
liquid may escape into the internal ear, and occasion
verya larming irritation ; an event which unhappily
occurred, not long since, in the case of a noble duke
of high military renown. Forms of Exhibition.
For internal use, in pills made with crumb of bread,
with the addition of some sugar, to prevent the mass
from being too hard. Dose, gr. |, gradually increased
to gr. j. Adulterations. Copper may be always
suspected when it deliquesces, and is to be immediately
detected by its solution assuming a blue colour, when
supersaturated with ammonia. The sticks should be
preserved in closely stopped phials, and covered with
soft and dry paper. Antidote. When this substance
has been taken in excess, muriate of soda is its true
antidote ; indeed so completely does it decompose,
and separate it from water, that if a saturated solution
of nitrate of silver be filtered through common salt, it
may be afterwards drunk witli impunity. This circum-
stance alone, would of necessity render nitrate of silver
a very uncertain reraedy ; and yet it is evident that

Q2 ARM

the basis of this salt is occasionally absorbed, for there
ai'e several cases upon record, in which the oxyd of
silver has been deposited in the rete mucosum, and
given a purple hue of a very singular appearance to
the patient; I have lately witnessed an instance of this
kind in a lady who had taken large doses of the nitrate,
for the purpose of curing a dyspeptic complaint ; and
several other similar cases stand recorded in different
works.

ARMORACIiE RADIX. L.E. /Cochlearia\

\Armoracia )

Raphanus Rusticanus, D. Horse* Radish Root,

Qualities. Taste, hot and acrid ; Odour, pungent.
Chemical Composition. All its virtues depend upon
an essential oil. Solubility. Both water and alco-
hol extract its active principles, but they are dissipated
by decoction. Medicinal Uses. As a stimulant in
paralysis it is often useful : Sydenham found it success-
ful in dropsies which were consequent on intermittent
fevers ; Cullen recommends a syrup made with the in-
fusion of horse radish, to remove that species of hoarse-
ness which depends upon local relaxation ; Dr.
Withering extols an infusion of this root in milk as a
cosmetic both safe and effectual. Incompatible Sub-
stances. Alkaline Carbonates ; O xt/ -muriate of Mer^
cury ; Nitrate of Silver ; the Infusion of Galls, and
of Yellow Cinchona Bark, produce precipitates with
the infusion of this root. Forms of Exhibition.

* Horse-radish : horse-mint ; bull-rush ; &c. These epithets
are Grecisms ; miros and fe, i. e. horse and bull, when prefixed
to any word, signified no more than great ; thus the great Dock,
Hippo-Iapathum, and the horse of Alexander from the size of his
bead was uaipcd Bucephalus.

ARS gs

In substance, scraped or swallowed whole, or in infu-
sion.* Dose of the substance 5j, of an infusion f|ij.
See Infus Armoracice comp. Officinal Prepara-
tions. Infusum Armor acics comp : L. Spiritus
Armor acicB comp : L. D.

ARSENICUM ALBUM. (Acidum Arseniosum.)
Oxydum Arsenici. E. Arsenicum. D. White Arsenic,

Arsenious Acid, vulgo Arsenic,

Qualities. Form, shining semivitreous lumps,
breaking with a conchoidal fracture, and when reduced
to powder, bearing some resemblance to white sugar;
Taste acrid and corrosive, but not in any degree cor-
responding with its virulence, leaving an impression of
sweetness. Specific graviti/ 3*7; it is volatilized at
the temperature of 383 " Fah ; and by a strong heat is
vitrified into a transparent glass capable of crystallizing
in tetrahedra with truncated angles, or rather in octo-
hedra. In the state of vapour it is quite inodorous,
although it is asserted in many chemical works of
authority to yield a smell like that of garlic ; the fact
is that the alliaceous or garlic-like smell is wholly con-
fined to metallic arsenic in a state of vapour, and
whenever the arsenious acid seems to yield this odour,
we may infer that its decomposition has taken place ;
this happens when it is projected upon ignited char-
coal, or when heated in contact with those metal-
lic bodies which readily unite with oxygen, as Anti-
tnoriT/ and Tin, It is stated by Orfila and other che-

* An infusion of horse-radish is a very ancient remedy in dis-
orders of the stomach. In Paulus ^Egineta we shall find a letter
written by Carytius Antigonus, in which it is highly recom-
mended for such a purpose.

94 ARS

mists, that if it be projected upon heated copper th^
alliaceous odour is evolved. This assertion is un-
doubtedly trvie, but the fact requires to be explained
with more precision, or w^e may fall into an important
error respecting it. The phenomenon takes place only
when the copper is in a state of ignition, at which
temperature its affinity for oxygen enables it to reduce
the arsenious acid ; for I find by experiment that if a
few grains of this substance be heated on a plate of
copper, by means of a spirit lamp or blowpipe, no
odour is perceptible, for the whole of the acid is dissi-
pated before the copper can acquire a sufficiently
exalted temperature to deoxidize it. If the arsenious
acid be heated on a plate of zinc, the smell is not
evolved until the metal is in the state of fusion ; if in-
stead of these metals we employ in our experiments
those of gold, silver, or platinum, no alliaceous smell
whatever is produced, at any temperature. It how-
ever deserves particular notice, that the flame of the
spirit lamp is itself capable of decomposing the oxyd^
in consequence of the operation of its hydrogen : a fact
which is very likely to betray the chemist into the
fallacious belief that the oxyd does yield the odour
in question.* It is probable that arsenical vapours
which yield this peculiar odour are less noxious than
those which are inodorous, but I am not aware that
the knowledge of this fact can be applied to any pur-
pose of practical importance, f Chemical Compo-

* The chemist may satisfy himself of this fact by heating some
arsenious acid on a piece of platinum foil, and alternately raising
and depressing it into the blue flame of the spirit, when corres-
ponding changes in odour will take place.

t It will probably afford a satisfactory explanation of the cir-
cumstance mentioned by Dr. Percival, that the workeraen who
solder silver filligree with an arsenical alloy, are never affected

ARS 95

SITION. This substance possesses many of the essential
habitudes of an acid, as for instance, that of combining
with the pure alkahes to saturation ; it is therefore
very properly denominated Arsenious Acid, It may
be farther acidified by distilling it with nitrous acid,
and the compound which results is a white concrete
substance termed Arsenic Acid; from experiments on
the quantity of oxygen absorbed by metallic arsenic,
during its conversion into these two compounds, insti-
tuted by Proust and Davy, it appears that the arsenious
acid consists of about 25 of oxygen and 75 of metal,
and the arsenic acid of 33 of oxygen and 67 of metal ;
or, the quantity of metal being the same, that the oxy-
gen in the latter compound is to that in the former
nearly as three to two. Solubility. We have but

by the fumes. Dr. Percival does not appear to have been in the
least aware of the probable reason of this fact ; he says, " This
solder is melted by the flame of a lamp directed by a blow-pipe 5
the greatest part of the' arsenic is evaporated by the blast and
flame, and some part also of the rest of the solder, and yet the
men appear to enjoy as good health, and to live as long as other
artists ! Amongst other examples of the truth of this observation*
I lately saw in the manufactory at the Soho at Birmingham, a
man of more than fifty years of age, who had soldered silver filli-
gree for thirty-five years, and had regularly, during that period,
passed from eight to ten hours daily in his occupation, and yet he
was fat, strong, active, chearful, and of a complexioR by na
means sickly ; neither he nor his brother artists use any means t»
counteract the effect of their trade." Dr. Rotheram, in a letter
to Dr. Percival, comments upon this fact, and says, " how far
the fluxes used in soldering the fiUigree may fix the parts of the
arsenic, or from what cause these workmen might escape, I dare
not say, but I should notwithstanding strongly suspect the fumes
of this very volatile and caustic mineral to be very prejudicial."
— I have shewn in the preceding page that arsenious acid is readily
decomposed when heated in contact with an oxidable metal, and
I apprehend that this fact will explain the reason why the fume*
•f the alloy in question are disarmed of their virulence.

96 ARS

lately been set right upon this point; Klaproth ha?J
shewn that it requires for its solution 400 parts of
water at 60^ and only 13 at 212°, and moreover, that
if 100 parts of water be boiled on the arsenious acid^
and suffered to cool, it will retain three grains in solu-
tion, and deposit the remainder in tetrahedral crystals;
this fact shews the importance of employing boiling
Water in every chemical examination of substances
supposed to contain arsenic. It is soluble in alcohol
and oils, the former taking up two per cent. ; with lime
water it produces a white precipitate of arsenite of
lime, which is soluble in an excess of arsenious acid ;
with magnesia it forms a soluble arsenite, which proves
very virulent. The poisonous effects of arsenious acid
are so amply detailed in medical works,* that it would
be superfluous to dwell upon them in this place ; it
may however be interesting and useful to record an
account of the pernicious influence of arsenical fumes
upon organized beings, as I have been enabled to
ascertain in the copper smelting works, and tin burn-
ing-houses of Cornwall. This influence is very appa-
rent in the condition both of the animals and vegetables
in the vicinity ; horses and cows commonly lose their
hoofs, and the latter are often to be seen in the neigh-
bouring pastures crawling on their knees and not un-
frequently suffering from a cancerous affection in their
rumps, whilst the milch cows, in addition to these
miseries, are soon deprived of their milk ; the men
employed in the works are more healthy than we could
a priori have supposed possible ; the antidote upon
which they all rely with confidence, whenever they are
- ■ • ■ ■ — . . , ■ . ■ ,. . - . . .. .^-

* In my work on Medical Jurisprudence, (Vol. ii. p. 216) the
reader will find a very full account of the symptoms produced by
this poison.

ARS 97

infested with more than an ordinary portion of arseni-
cal vapour, is sweet oil, and an annual sum is allowed
by the proprietors in order that it may be constantly
supplied ; this opinion is not solitary, for Tachenius
relates that the poisonous effects, such as convulsions,
gripes, and bloody stools, with which he was seized
from exposure to the fumes of arsenic, were relieved
by milk and oil.

It deserves notice that the smelters are occasionally
affected with a cancerous disease in the scrotum, simi-
lar to that which infests chimney-sweepers, and it is
singular that Stahl in describing the putrescent ten-
dency in the bodies of those who die from this poison,
mentions in particular the gangrenous appearance of
these parts. It is a very extraordinary fact that pre*
vious to the establishment of the copper works in Corn-
wall, the marshes in their vicinity were continually
exciting intermittent fever, whereas since that period
a case of ague has not occurred in the neighbourhood ;
I have heard it remarked by the men in the works,
that the smoke kills all fevers. The fact is here stated
without any other comment than that the agricultural
improvements which have taken place in the district,
are not sufficient to afford any clue to the explanation
of the circumstance. Medicinal Uses. Much has
been said upon this subject, and the propriety and
safety of its exhibition has been often questioned ; there
can be no doubt but that the greatest circumspection
is required in the practitioner who administers it, and
it ought not, in my opinion, to be employed until other
remedies have failed ; that it is capable of accumu-
lating in the system is very evident, and this, in certain
habits, may predispose the patient to serious diseases ;
the form in which it is most manageable and least dan-
gerous, is that of solution. See Liquor Arsenicalis,

Vol. II, G

98 ARS

Some practitioners have exhibited it in substanc(?^
made into pills, by rubbing one grain with ten of
suofar, and then beating the mixture with a sufficient
quantity of crumb of bread to form ten pills, one of
which is a dose. The Chinese and other oriental na-
tions Jonn the sulphuret of arsenic (realgar) into
medical cups, and use lemon juice, after it has stood
some hours in them, by way of cathartic. As an ex-
ternal application, arsenic has long been extolled in
the cure of cancers ; the caustic so extensively used
under the sanction of the late Mr. Justamond in cases
of open cancer, consisted of two parts of Antimony, and
one of Arsenious acid, fluxed together in a crucible,
and afterwards levigated, and reduced to the requisite
decrree of mildness by the addition of powdered Opium.*
But it deserves notice in this place, that repeated ex-
periments have proved that arsenic kills + more rapidly
when applied externally to an abraded part, than when

* Plunkett's Ointment, consists of arsenious acid, sulphur,
and the powdered flowers of the Ranunculus Flammula, and Co-
tula Foetida, levigated and made into a paste with the white of an
egg, and applied, on a piece of pig's bladder, to the surface of
the cancer.

Pate Ausenicale. This favourite remedy of the French sur-
geons consists of 70 parts of cinnabar, 22 of sanguis draconis, and
8 of arsenious acid, made into paste with saliva, at the time of ap-
plying it. This combination, observes a periodical writer, is simi-
lar, with the exception of the ashes of the soles of old shoes, to
that recommended by Father Cosmo under the name of *' Pulvis
Anti-carcinomatosa."

Davidson's Remedy for Cancer, arsenious acid, and powdered
hemlock.

+ In the Journal de Medicine, the following case of a woman
is related who was killed by her husband having insinuated pow-
dered arsenic into the vagina, at the moment of enjoying the con-
jugal rites. " A woman at Leneux, department de TOurthe,
aged 40y having died after a short illness, attended with conside-

ARS 99

internally administered. See vol. 1, p. 246. Lionardo
di Capoa relates the case of a child killed by the vio-
lent vomiting and purging arising from a slight w^ound
made in the head by a comb, wet with oil, in which
Arsenic had been infused for the purpose of killing
vermin ; and we have numerous instances on record,
where the jqjplication of arsenical cerates and oint-
ments has been followed by violent and dangerous
symptoms. We also learn from the different historians

rable tumefaction of the genital parts, uterine hemorrhage, vo-
miting, and purging, the body was inspected by order of the
mayor, when the surgeons reported that they found the vulva in
a state of gangrene, the abdomen much distended with air, and
the intestines inflamed and gangrenous. The culprit was arrested,
convicted, and executed." In the Acts of the Society of Medi-
cine of Copenhagen, a similar crime is recorded, committed also
by a peasant ; in this latter case, although some small pieces of
arsenic were found within the vagina, yet, some doubting tlie
possibility of this species of poisoning, the magistrates consulted
the College of Medicine of Copenhagen, who decided the question
in the affirmative, by instituting a series of experiments upon
horses.

Singleton's Eye Salve, or Golden Ointment. Under
this name is sold a preparation which consists of sulphuret of ar-
senic (orpiment) with lard, or spermaceti ointment. The Unguen-
tum Hydrargyri Nitrico Oxydi of the London College is also sold
under the same title.

Delcroix's PouDRE SuBTiL, " for removing supcrfluous hair
in less than ten minutes." ! This fashionable depilatory appears
upon examination to consist of Quicklime and Sulphuret of Arse-
nic, with some vegetable powder. It is however, so unequally
mixed, that in submitting it to analysis, no two portions afforded
the same results. It can scarcely be necessary to state, that such
a composition is incapable of fulfilling the intention for which
it is so confidently vended.

In Paris, arsenic forms the basis of several blistering cerates.
Such applications cannot be safe.

G 2

100 ARS

of the Plague of London, that the arsenical amulets
which were worn, as preservatives, on that occasion,
were sometimes attended with deleterious consequences ;
Crato (Epist. 168.) observed an ulcer of the breast pro-
duced by them. Vernascha^ violent pains and syn-
cope. Amongst the foreign authors who have related
cases of poisoning by the external application of Arsenic
we may mention JJesgranges (Recueil Period : de la
Societe de Med: de Paris, T. vi. p. 22.) who records
the history of a chambermaid, poisoned by having rub-
bed her head with an arsenical ointment for the purpose
of destroying vennin; and Roux ( Nowveaux Elemens
de Med: Operat, par J, P. Roux,) who confessed to
have killed a girl of eighteen by an application of the
" Pate Arsenicale^^ to a cancerous breast. To the
Empirics of our own times we are indebted for many
fatal illustrations of the subject. Since the last edition
of this work, a Lady applied to a well known Quack,
distinguished for his impudent pretensions in the treat-
ment of cancer, and submitted to a caustic application
to the breast. In a short time paralysis ensued, and
the application was discovered to contain a large pro-
portion of Arsenic, and that the disease, for the cure of
which it had been applied, was not cancer. A some-
what analogous case occurred under the care of a bold
empiric in the neighbourhood of St. George's Fields,
who undertook to remove the deformity of bow legs in
a dandy drawing-master ! by rasping the shin bones,
and applying arsenic to the surface of the wound ; in
consequence of which, in addition to extensive local
mischief, the unhappy dupe became paralytic. It is also
necessary to inform the practitioner that Arsenious acid
has been known to produce poisonous effects when ap-
plied to the unbroken skin ; a case of this nature is

ARS 101

related by Desgranges, in the sixth volume of the
Receuil Periodique de la Soc: de Med: another
may be found in the 22d volume of the Acta Ger-
manica (1730); and Renault obtained similar re-
sults in his experiments on animals. When the sys-
tem is under the influence of arsenic, the follow^ing
symptoms w^ill appear, viz. thickness, redness, and
stiffness of the palpebrae, soreness of the gums, ptya-
lism, itching over the surface of the body, restlessness,
cough, pain in the stomach and bovv^els, head-ache,
and I have also occasionally noticed paucity of urine,
and even stranguary, a fact of v^hich I find no mention
in other authors. Strange as it may appear, Arsenic
has been inhaled, together v^^ith the vapours of frank-
incense, myrrh, and those of other gums, during
a paroxysm of asthma ! This extrordinary practice
arose from the practitioner mistaking the gum juniper,
or Vernix of the Arabians, which by their medical
authors was prescribed in fumigations under the name
of Sandarachy for the 'Lacv^apctKn of Aristotle, which was
a sulphuret of arsenic.

Adulterations. It is frequently sophisticated
with chalk, gypsum, or sulphate of barytes ; the fraud
is instantly detected by its not being entirely vola-
tilized by heat, or by any insoluble residuum occur-
ring in preparing the Liquor Arsenicalis^ according to
the directions of the pharmacopoeia. To many the
adulteration of so active a substance may seem unim-
portant, but in consequence of its being thus rendered
a medicine of variable activity, it is one of the most
dangerous frauds which can be committed ; a very
unpleasant circumstance lately occurred from such a
cause in one of our public institutions : arsenic had
been obtained from the shop of a respectable chemist,

102 ARS

who had not usually supphed the establishment, for
the purpose of preparing the arsenical solution : the
article happened to be less adulterated than that which
had been previously employed ; the solution however
was prepared in the usual way, and the usual dose was
continued, when the patients were soon seized with
violent pains in the bowels, and the cause was not
detected until by an examination of the bottle the usual
sediment was not discovered.

Antidotes. Late researches have shewn that sul-^
phuret of pot ass y on which physicians have placed so
much reliance, merits no confidence. The great indi-
cation to be fulfilled in all cases of poisoning is to ex-
cite vomiting, and to administer liquids, which are the
least liable to act as solvents of the acrid matter, on
which account lime water presents itself as a very
appropriate fluid. The subject, however, is very fully
considered in the first volume of this work, to which I
am very desirous of directing the attention of the medi-
cal practitioner ; see Antidotes.

Methods of detecting the presence of Ar sections Acid,

1. Bi/ its reduction to a metallic state. Mix a por-
tion of the suspected powder with three times its weight
o^ black flux ;* put the mixture into a thin glass tube,
hermetically closed t at one end, about eight inches in

* This substance may be considered as consisting of charcoal,
in a state of extremely minute division, and the sub-carbonate of
potass. It is prepared by deflagrating, in a crucible, two parts of
Super-tartrate of Potass with one part of Nitrate of Potass.

+ In order to close the end of the tube, where a blow-pipe is not
to be procured, the end is to be placed in a common fire, until it
is completely softened, and a pair of small tongs being at the same
time made red hot, the tube is to be withdrawn from the fire, aa4

ARS 103

length, and one-fourth of an inch in diameter ; should
any of the powder adhere to the, sides of the tube, it
must be carefully brushed off with a feather, so that
the inner surface of its upper part may be perfectly
clean and dry ; the closed end of the tube, by way of
security, may be thinly coated with a mixture of pipe-
clay and sand,* but this operation is not absolutely
necessary ; the open extremity is to be loosely plugged
with a piece of paper ; the coated end must be now
heated on a chaffing dish of red hot coals, when the
arsenic, if present, will sublime, and be found lining
with a brilliant metallic crust the upper part of the
tube ; a portion of this reduced metal, if it be arsenic,
will, when laid on heated iron, exhale in dense fumes,
which are characterised by a strong smell of garlic.
Mr. Phillips has lately stated that the tube may be
sufficiently heated, for the purpose of metallization, by
jneans of a spirit lamp.t

Jthen heated and pinched by the tongs, and al the same tinie bent
up at an acute angle, so as to be brought parallel to the body of
the tube. The tube is then to be heated a second time, and being
again firmly pinched by the hot tongs, the end will be found to
be completely impervious. Where a glass is not at hand Mr. H,
Phillips says a common draught phial may be made to answer the
purpose, especially a ten drachm phial, for it is long in proportion
to ils diameter. In using it, however, care must be taken that
the suspected powder and black flux do not reach the bottom,
for, pn account of its thickness, it will readily break on the appli-
cation of heat. The phial must therefore be heated laterally by
means of a spirit lamp.

* Dr. Bostock has infornied us that the best proportions for
this coating are one part of common pipe clay, to three parts of
fine sand ; which are to be well kneaded together, and reduced to
such a state of tenacity that the lute will readily adhere to the
.tube, and its different parts unite, without forming a visible seam,
(Edinb. Med. & Surg. Journ. April, 1809.)

+ Should the operator be unable to procure a spirit lamp, '4'

104 ARS

It merits particular notice, that in reducing by the
above process the arsenious acid to the state of metal,
the presence of potass in the flux is very essential, since
it forms immediately an arsenite of potass y and there-
by fixes the arsenious acid, and prevents it from being
volatilized before the temperature is sufficiently high
to enable the charcoal to decompose it ; an ignorance
of this fact has not unfrequently proved a source of
disappointment and fallacy.

Another method of identifying white arsenic by
metallization, is to form at the moment of its reduction,
an alloy with copper, which is easily effected in the
following manner, — ^Mix the suspected powder with
black flux, as in the former experiment, and place the
mixture between two polished plates of copper, bind
them tight together by iron wire, and expose them to
a low red heat ; if the included substance contained
arsenic, a silvery white stain will be left on the surface
of the copper, which is an alloy of the two metals. If
in this, as in the former experiment, charcoal be em-
ployed without the addition of a fixed alkali, the result
may, for the same reason, prove unsatisfactory. But,
with whatever care this experiment is conducted, it is,
to say the least, a clumsy and unsatisfactory test, and
ought never to be relied upon.

very convenient substitute may be provided in the following
manner. Let a piece of tin plate, about an inch long, be coiled
up into a cylinder of about S-Sths of an inch in diameter, and,
if the edges be well hammered, it is not necessary to use solder.
Perforate a cork, previously fitted to a phial, and put a cotton
wick through the short tin tube, and the tube through the cork.
The lamp is now complete, and will afford a strong flame, taking
care of course not to prevent the rise of the spirit by fitting the
cork too closely.

ARS 105

2. Bi/ the application of certain Reagents^ or Tests j
to its Solutions.

A great and important question has arisen in medical
jurisprudence, whether any chemical proof of the pre-
sence of white arsenic, short of its actual reduction to
the state of metal, can be depended upon, or ought
to be received as evidence in the courts of criminal
law. After a full experimental investigation of the
subject, and an impartial review of all the facts which
bear upon the question, I feel no hesitation in declar-
ing it to be my conviction, that white arsenic may he
detected without any fear of fallacy, hy a proper ap'
plication of certain tests, and that the contrary opinion
is entirely founded in error, and unsupported by expe-
riment, as will more fully appear in the sequel.

(A) Fused Nitrate of Silver, or Lunar Caustic —
For this test we are indebted to Mr. Hume of London,
who first gave it to the public in the Philosophical
Magazine for May 1809, vol. xxxiii. His method of
ppplying it is as follows : into a clean Florence flask
introduce two or three grains of the suspected powder,
to which add about eight ounces of rain or distilled
water, and heat the solution until it begins to boil,
then while it boils frequently shake the flask, and add
to the hot solution a grain or two of sub-carbonate of
potass, agitating the whole to make the mixture uni-
form. Pour into a wine glass about two table spoons-
full of the solution, and touch the surface of the fluid
with a stick of lunar caustic. If arsenic be present, a
beautiful yellow precipitate will instantly proceed from
the point of contact, and settle towards the bottom of
the glass as a flocculent and copious precipitate.

By this test the 60th part of a grain may be satis-
factorily recognised in two ounces of water. The pre-
sence of some alkali is essential to the success of the

106 ARS

experiment, since arsenious acid is unable, by the
operation of simple affinity, to decompose the nitrate
of silver.* The validity of this test has been questioned
on the following grounds, which thall be fairly ex-
amined in order.

Objection 1. The alkaline phosphates are found
to produce precipitates with silver^ analogous in colour
and appearance to the arsenite of silver* This is un-
doubtedly the case when the experiment is performed
in the manner just stated, but there are other reagents
which will immediately distinguish these bodies, as
will be seen under the history of the Ammoniuret of
silver ; I have also shewn that there is a mode of so
modifying the application of the silver test itself, that
no error or doubt can arise in the use of it from the
presence of phosphoric salts. + My method consists in
conducting the trial on writing paper, instead of in
glasses, thus — drop the suspected fluid on a piece of
white paper, making with it a broad line ; along this
line a stick of lunar caustic is to be slowly drawn seve-
ral times successively, when a streak is produced of a
colour resembling that known by the name of Indian
Yellow; and this is equally produced by the presence
of arsenic and that of an alkaline phosphate, but the
one from arsenic is rough, curdy, and flocculent, as if
effected by a crayon, that from a phosphate homoge-p

* If any trifling opacity occur in a simple solution of arsenic,
"when assayed by the nitrate of silver, it may be considered as the
effects of some casual impurities; this is further demonstrated by
bringing over the surface of the arsenical liquid, a piece of blotting
paper, or a stopper, moistened with a solution of ammonia, when
there will instantly form a copious yellow precipitate of arsenite
of silver. If this experiment be performed on a surface of glass,
laid over white paper, the result is very striking and beautiful.

f Annals of Philosophy, vol. x, p. 60.

ARS . 107

neous and uniform, resembling a water-colour laid
smoothly on with a brush ; but a most important and
distinctive peculiarity soon succeeds, for in less than
two minutes the phosphoric yellow fades into a sad
green, and becomes gradually darker, and ultimately
quite black ; while on the other hand, the arsenical
yellow remains permanent, or nearly so, for some time,
when it becomes brown. In performing this experi-
ment the sun-shine should be avoided, or the tran-
sitions of the colour will take place too rapidly. It
would be prudent also for the inexperienced operator
to perform a similar experiment on a fluid known to
contain arsenic, and on another with a phosphoric salt,
as a standard of comparison. In this way the nitrate
of silver, without the intervention of any other test, is
fully capable of removing every ambiguity, and of fur-
nishing a distinguishing mark of difference between the
chemical action of arsenic and that of the phosphates.
Mr. Hume states that he has repeated this experiment
to his entire satisfaction, * and that, in a late unfortu-
nate case of poisoning, he derived considerable infor-
mation by its application. The laborious author of
the London Dispensatory accepts it as an excellent
test, but observes that it is rendered more luminous by
brushing the streak lightly over with liquid ammonia
immediately after the application of the caustic, when,
if the arsenic be present, a bright queen's-yellow is
produced which remains permanent for nearly an hour;
but that when the lunar caustic produces a white-
yellow before the ammonia is applied, we may infer
the presence of some alkaline phosphate, rather tlian
that of arsenic. One of the great advantages of this
test is the very small quantity that is required for ex-

^ " ' ". ' - !■ !■ I ..ll ■■ ■■■■■■ i— ■ !■ ' ' ' ■ ' ^

* Loll^u^ Medical and Physical Journal, January, 1818.

108 , ARS

amination ; it would be well therefore for the operator
to perforin the experiment in both ways on a separate
paper.

Objection 2. The Muriates produce precipitates
with silver so copious and Jlocculent as to overcome
every indication which the presence of arsenic would
otherwise afford* Dr. Marcet proposes to obviate this
difficulty, by adding to the fluid to be examined dilute
nitric acid, and then cautiously applying the nitrate of
silver until the precipitation ceases ; in this way the
muriatic acid will be entirely removed, whilst the
arsenic, if it be present, will remain in solution, and
may be rendered evident by the affusion of ammonia,
which will instantly produce the yellow precipitate in
its characteristic form. This mode however it must
be confessed appears complicated, and requires some
chemical address for its accomplishment ; it should be
also known that the yellow precipitate thus produced
is not always permanent, for it is soluble in the nitrate
of ammonia formed during the process. Under these
circumstances, it is surely preferable to precipitate at
once from the suspected fluid all the substances which
nitrate of silver can effect, and then to expose the
mixed and ambiguous precipitate so obtained, to a low
heat in a glass tube, when the arsenious acid will be
immediately separated by sublimation. In this way
the presence of muriates may even in certain cases be
serviceable, especially if the quantity of arsenic be mi-
nute ; for by increasing the bulk of the precipitate we
shall decrease the difficulty of its examination. By
this process, also, I should propose to meet the embar-
rassments which arise from the influence of various
animal and vegetable substances, as milk, broth, wine,
&c. so frequently present in the suspected liquid, and
which are known to alter the character of the arsenical

ARS 109

indications. In this case, however, we must not rely
upon any single precipitant ; after having thrown down
all that is precipitable by the silver test, the super-natant
liquid should be decanted, slightly acidified by acetic
acid, and submitted to the action of Sulphuretted
Hydrogen ; when should any precipitate occur it must
be separated and added to the former. Dr. Christison
has demonstrated the importance of this proceeding by
shewing that the precipitates, occasioned by the Am-
moniurets of silver and copper, are soluble in certain
vegetable infusions.* M. Orfila proposes to remove
the difficulties and embarrassments, occasioned by the
colouring matter of different media, by the application
of Chlorine^ so as to change the colour to a shade that
will not offer any optical impediment to the charac-
teristic indications of the different tests. I am ready
to admit that such a mode of proceeding may, on cer-
tain occasions, assist the accomplished chemist in his
analysis, but in the hands of a person less accustomed
to chemical manipulation, I hesitate not to declare that
it is subject to fatal fallacies ; + whereas, by precipi-

* In Wine and Porter, the solvent is probably Tartaric acid,
for the Arsenite of Silver is soluble in this as well as in the ace-
tic and nitric acids. In Tea the solvent would appear to be Tan-
nin. The Arsenite of Silver is likewise dissolved by the Tartaric
acid, and also, but not so readily, by the Citric and Acetic acids.

+ This opinion has lately received ample confirmation from the
experiments of Dr. Christison, (Edinb. Med. and Surg. Journal,
July, 1824) who has shewn that the process of Orfila is objection-
able on the three following grounds, viz.

1st. The colour is very seldom so entirely destroyed but that
the precipitates produced by some of the tests still deviate to a
certain degree from their characteristic tints ; and although the
colour of the fluid be even destroyed entirely, it often re-appears
in the precipitates.

2d. Although the Chlorine destroys the colour, it does not

110 ARS

tating the whole, and submitting the precipitate to the
process of subhmation, we shall avoid every source of
error. Why then should we attempt to pursue our
game through the windings of a labyrinth, when a di-
rect road lies before us, by which we may at once drive
it into the open plain ? Mr. Phillips has recently pro-
posed the addition of animal charcoal (Ivory Black)
for the purpose of destroying the colouring matter. He
found that by mixing this substance with the Liquor
Arsenicalis^ that the colouring matter was so com-
pletely destroyed in a few minutes, that the test of ni-
trate of silver, or any other might be readily applied.
This experiment was repeated with Port wine, gravy
soup, and a strong infusion of onions, and he succeeded
in these cases in procuring a solution sufficiently co-
lourless for the application of the most delicate re-
agents. It might be supposed, adds Mr. Phillips, that
the Phosphoric acid which the animal charcoal con-
tains, might have some share in the production of the
yellow precipitate with silver ; he found, however, that
water, or wine, which was merely digested on the ani-
mal charcoal, produced no effect with the nitrate of
silver, except a slight precipitate of chloride ; and this
even, was prevented by lixiviation. I have, hov/ever,
a serious objection to offer to this proposal. Animal
charcoal, by some mode of operation not understood,
possesses the property of removing certain substances
from their solution in water ; I have already noticed

also take from the fluid its solvent action on the arsenical preci-
pitates.

3d. In fluids decolorized by Chlorine, and containing no Arse-
nic, some of the tests produce precipitates, not only precisely the
same with those which they cause in the decolorized solutions of
Arsenic, but likewise very similar in appearance to those caused
in a pure aqueous solution of Arsenic.

ARS 111

this effect with respect to Lime water, (see p. 8, note)^
and I have lately found that it takes place with very
dilute solutions of Arsenic* Hence charcoal, as we
shall presently find, may be employed for the purpose
of detecting minute poitions of arsenic.

Objections. Chromate of potass produces^ with
Nitrate of Silver^ a yellow precipitate which^ when
placed side by side with one produced by Arsenious
acidy cannot be distinguished by colour or appearance
from it. This fact has lately been announced by Dr.
Porter of the University of South Carolina. (Silliman's
Journal, iii, 355.) But as the presence of chromate of
potass can never be suspected in any research after
arsenic, in cases of forensic interest, the fact is of no
importance to the physician.

Where the Arsenious acid is mixed with vegetable
matter, and it becomes difficult to separate it by fil-
tration, the whole may be evaporated to dryness,
taking great care that the heat applied for such a pur-
pose never exceeds 250° Fah: or we shall lose the
arsenic by volatilization. The residue thus obtained
may then be submitted to a higher temperature, in a

* The experiments by which I ascertained this fact were made
Soon after the publication of Mr. Phillips's paper, and long be-
fore I saw Dr. Christison's communication in the Edinburgh
Journal. 1 merely mention this circumstance to add greater weiglit
to the experimental evidence, for when diiferent persons arrive at
the same conclusion without any communication with each other,
the strongest possible testimony is afforded, I may also add that
my suspicions were raised to the probability of the fact by a
knowledge of the action of charcoal upon lime water. In a phi-
losophical point of view the fact is one of great interest; it seems
to connect the phenomena of mechanical and chemical attraction.
We have evidently a body removed from the state of solution by
mechanical menus.

112 ARS

subliming vessel, in order to procure the arsenious acid
in its pure state. Should the arsenious acid have, in
the first instance, been dissolved in oil, Dr. Ure pro-
poses to boil the solution in distilled water, and to se-
parate the oil afterwards by the capillary action of wick
threads. If the arsenious acid be mixed with resinous
bodies, oil of turpentine may be employed as their sol-
vent, which will leave the arsenic untouched. Dr.
Black directed the application of alcohol for this pur-
pose, but this is obviously improper, since arsenious
acid is soluble in that fluid.

It has been stated that, in consequence of the ina-
bility of arsenious acid to decompose nitrate of silver
by simple elective attraction, the presence of an alkali
becomes indispensable in the examination, for which
purpose Dr. Marcet has suggested the superior advan-
tages which will attend the use of ammonia, in cases
where the arsenic has not been previously combined
with a fixed alkali, since it does not, when added
singly, decompose nitrate of silver; a circumstance
which in using the fixed alkalies is very liable to occa-
sion fallacy. This led Mr. Hume to improve his
original plan, by forming at once a compound, which
he calls the Ammoniaco-nitrate of silver^ but which
may with more propriety be designated as an AmmO'
niuret,* This is a triumph in the art of analysis ;

* The following is the formula for its preparation. Dissolve
ten grains of lunar caustic in ten times its weigiit of distilled
water, to this add, guttatim, liquid ammonia, until a precipitate
is formed: continue cautiously to add the ammonia, repeatedly
agitating the mixture until the precipitate is nearly redissolved.
The object of allowing a small portion to remain undissolved is
to guard against an excess of ammonia. Wherever the test is
used, the liquid to which it is added ought to be quite cold.

ARS 113

for whilst it obviates the necessity of ascertaining the
exact proportion of alkali required in each experiment,*
it possesses the valuable property of not in the least
disturbing the phosphate of soda.

(B) Sulphate of Copper. Like the preceding test,
this also requires, for its success, that the arsenious
acid should be combined v^^ith some alkali, in which
case, by the operation of double elective attraction,
an arsenite of copper is thrown down of a very striking
and characteristic colour, being that of the well known
pigment called Scheele^s green; if arsenic be not pre-
sent in the liquid so assayed, and a fixed alkali has
been employed, the result will be a delicate sk^-blue^
instead of the grass-green precipitate.

Mr. Hume avails himself also of the peculiar pro-
perty of ammonia to form a metallic salt, and has
employed it with copper : he takes the sulphate or
acetate of that metal, and by the same process as that
described for the preparation of an ammoniuret of sil-
ver, forms another test. In using this, however, care
must be taken that it be not .too highly concentrated,
for in that state it will not produce precipitation. Much
controversy has taken place on the subject of sulphate of
copper as a test for arsenic, and it has been stated,
with more confidence than truth, that a decoction of
onions has the property of imparting to the copper
precipitate, which is produced by a fixed alkali, a
colour and appearance analogous to that which is oc-
casioned by arsenic. This opinion was boldly advan-

* This is very important, for an excess of ammonia redissolves
the yellow precipitate, and therefore defeats the object of the test.
The fixed alkalies, in excess, have not such a property.

Vol. II. H

114: ARS

ced and supported on a most important trial * at iXve
Lent assizes for Cornwall in 1817. Since this event
an opportunityt has occurred which has enabled me to

^ -

* The great impression made upon the public mind in Cornwall,
by the above trial, produced a disposition to regard the cause of
every sudden death with more than usual jealousy. See a Report
of this trial in the Appendix of our work on Medical Jurisprudence.

+ In consequence of a report having arisen that a young woman
had died after an illness of forty-eight hours, and been hastily
buried at Madron, the magistrates of that district issued their
warrant for the disinterment of the body, and requested my at-
tendance at the examination. It appeared upon dissection that
the immediate cause of death had been inflammation of the intes-
tines ; the stomach was found to contain a considerable portion
of liquid, which was carefully collected and examined ; no solid
matter could be discovered in it. It appeared to consist princi-
pally of the remains of a quantity of penny-royal tea, which had
been the last thing administered to the deceased. This was di-
vided into several portions, and placed in separate wine glasses,
and submitted, in the presence of the sheriff and other gentlemen,
to a series of experiments, amongst which the following may be
particularized, as bearing upon the question at issue.

1st. A few drops of a solution of sub-carbonate of potass were
added to the liquid, in one of the glasses, when its colour, which
■was before of a light hazel, was instantly deepened into a reddish
yellow ; the sulphate of copper was then applied, when a precipi-
tate fell down, which every one present immediately pronounced
to be of a vivid green hue, but in pouring off the supernatant li-
quid, and transferring the precipitate upon white paper, it assumed
a blue colour, without the least tinge of green ; the explanation
of the phenomenon, and the fallacy to which it gave rise, was
obvious : the yellow colour, imparted to the liquid by the alkali,
was the effect of that body upon vegetable extract, and will gene-
rally take place on adding it to the infusions of vegeta])le sub-
stances.

2nd. To another portion of the liquid, the aramoniaco-niirate
of silver was added ; a slight turbidness arose, but no yellow pre-
cipitate occurred.

3rd. After adding a fixed alkali, the surface of the liquid wa»

ARS 115

examine this alledged fact, by a fair and appropriate
series of experiments, the result of which satisfactorily
proved that the opinion was grounded on an optical
fallacy, arising from the blue precipitate assuming a
green colour, in consequence of having been viewed
through a yellow medium.* The phosphoric salts may
also, under similar circumstances, be mistaken for
arsenic, for the intense blue colour of the phosphate of
copper will thus necessarily appear green. This in-
stance of optical fallacy is not solitary, for corrosive
sublimate has been said to possess the character of an
alkali, because it turns the syrup of violets green,
whereas this change is to be attributed solely to the
combination of the yellow hue of the sublimate with
the blue colour of the violet.

Whenever therefore such a source of fallacy can be
suspected, the operator would do well to repeat his
experiment on white paper, in the manner I have be-
fore proposed, and the results which are obtained in

touched with a stick of lunar caustic, but no yellow precipitate
was produced.

4th. The liquid was next assayed in a watch-glass, for a phos-
phate of soda, by endeavouring to form a triple salt with mag-
nesia and ammonia, as suggested by Dr. Wollaston ; the result
proved that phosphate of soda was not present. It is unnecessary
to pursue the relation of the experiments; I conceive that suffi-
cient evidence has been adduced to establish the tiuth of the ex-
planation. I have frequently repeated the first experiment, sub-
stituting for the gastric infusion, a decoction of onions, and with
similar results.

* This explanation applies equally to the objection lately ad-
vanced by Dr. Porter, of the University of South Carolina, who
in observing on the tests for arsenic, remarks, that an appearance
similar to Scheele's Green, is produced by the carbonate of pot*
ass when added to a solution of copper containing coffee, but
without arsenic, more striking than if a weak solution of arsenic
be used. Silliman's Journal, iii. 365.

H 2

116 ARS

glasses should always be examined by day-light, and
viewed by reflected and not by transmitted light. The
presence of Peroxide of Iron in the Cupreous salt will
also impart a green colour to the precipitate produced
by an alkali. To obviate any fallacy which might arise
from this circumstance, Mr. Phillips proposes to add
some pure Potass to the sulphate of copper ; if pure, a
fine blue precipitate will be thus obtained ; to this may
be then added the suspected solution, and if Arsenious
acid be present, it will then convert this blue precipi-
tate to a green one.

(C). Sulphuretted Hydrogen. This is a very deli-
cate test for arsenic, producing with its solution a
beautiful golden coloured liquor, which after a short
time lets fall a precipitate. Mr. Phillips,* in reviewing
the third edition of the present work, has stated, that
no such precipitate occurs, but I find that in close,
as well as in vessels exposed to the air, it takes place
by repose. By this re-agent, so small a quantity as
oo^jo o o JTjay be detected in solution ; and it may be
also stated in farther proof of the utility of this test,
that it is less affected than any other by the presence
of animal or vegetable matter. The method of pre-
paring a solution of sulphuretted hydrogen gas is
extremely simple. Put into an oil flask about two
ounces of undiluted muriatic acid and an ounce and a
half of powdered Sulphuret of Antimony ; fit a cork to
the flask and pass through it the short leg of a small
glass tube twice bent at right angles ; pass the longer leg
of the tube into a phial containing distilled water, and
then by the heat of a spirit lamp applied to the flask,
sulphuretted hydrogen gas will be abundantly libera-
ted, and though much of it will escape, yet a sufficient

' * Annals of Philosophy, New Series, No. III. for March, 1821,

ARS

117

quantity will be dissolved by the water. The annexed
sketch represents the apparatus proposed by Mr.
Phillips, and which will require but little practical
skill, either for its construction or use.

But it is not always necessary to prepare a watery
solution of Sulphuretted Hydrogen, a stream of the
gas, introduced into the suspected liquor by means of
the above apparatus, will act with equal delicacy, and
possesses as Dr. Christison has observed, the advantage
of not diluting it. Before applying this test, it is
necessary to add an acid, if any alkali should exist
along with the Arsenic, otherwise no precipitate will
take place.

(D.) Alkaline Hydro-sulphurets, These bodies do
not affect the arsenious solution, unless a few drops of
acetic acid be added. To the Hydro-sulphuret^ or
perhaps more properly, Hydroguretted Sulphurety
of Ammonia, there is an insuperable objection, since
this fluid, when diluted, possesses the colour which we
expect to produce by the action of Sulphuretted Hy-
drogen upon Arsenious Acid.

(E) Charcoal Powder, This test was proposed by
Mr. A. Thomson, (London Dispensatory, 2nd edition,
p. 53.) Into the suspected solution stir a moderate
quantity of charcoal powder, allow it to settle, then
pour off* the supernatant liquor, and when the powder

118 ARS

which remains is dry, sprinkle i^ome of it on a red hot
poker, when, if the solution should contain Arsenic,
the odour of Garlic will be rendered sensible. ' I have
already offered some remarks upon the cause of this
phenomenon (page 110.)

There are several other tests by which arsenic may
be identified. The process described in the Dublin
Pharmacopoeia for the preparation of Arsenias Kali^
the arseniate, or rather super-arseniate of potass, which
has been long knov/n under the name of " the arsenical
salt of Macquer," has been strongly advised as a col*
lateral proof; it consists in decomposing the nitrate of
potass* by the arsenious acid, but since this problem
requires that the suspected poison should be in a solid
and palpable form, it is impossible to examine its pre^
tensions to our confidence, without being reminded of
the story so often told to us in our infancy, of catching
a bird by laying salt upon its tail.

It is necessary to observe in this place, that the
arseniate.^ like the ar senile of potass^ or that of ammO'
niaj is obedient to the silver test, but that instead of
the yellow precipitate, which is produced by the latter
salt, we obtain, by the former, a red or brick-coloured
one.

If arsenious acid and quick-lime be heated together
in a glass tube, a sudden ignition is occasioned at a
certain temperature, when metallic arsenic will sub-
lime, and an arseniate of lime be formed. In this case
one portion of the arsenious acid is robbed of its oxy-
gen to complete the acidification of the remainder.

* The habitudes of arsenious acid with the nitrates were first
observed by Kunkel ; nitrous vapour is disengaged, part of the
oxygen being absorbed by the arsenious acid, by which an arscnile
ifi potass is formed.

ARS 119

In taking an irapartial review of all the evidence
■which the investigation of this subject can furnish, it
must appear to the most fastidious, that the silver and
copper test above described are capable, under proper
management, of furnishing striking and infallible indi-
cations, and that in most cases they will be equally
conclusive, and in some even more satisfactory in their
results, than the metallic reproduction upon which
such stress has been laid, and for this obvious reason,
that unless the quantity of metal be considerable,* its

* Dr. Bostock confesses that where less than three-fourths of a
grain were used, he could not say that the metallic crust was
clearly perceptible ; and Dr. Black considered that one grain was
the smallest quantity which could be distinctly recognised by such
a process. Dr. Jaeger (Dissertatio Inauguralis, Stuttgard, 1808)
also observes that he has been enabled to recognise the tenth of a
grain of arseuio.us acid, although mixed with sugar, by its odour,
when thrown upon burning coals ! I must be allowed to question
this fact ; Dr. Jaeger, no doubt, believed that he recognised the
alliaceous odour, but it must have been the effect of imagination.
Dr. Bosteck observes that, if Arsenic be mixed with either an
animal or vegetable substance, the smoke and smell arising from
those bodies, when heated, will altogether prevent our recognising
its odour. He found that when a quantity of Arsenic was mixed
with an equal weight of flour, and placed upon iron at a low red
heat, so as not to cause the flour to inflame, the suffocating smoke
that arose from the latter could be alone perceived ; nor was it
possible to discover that any thing had been mixed with it (Edinb.
Med. Journal). This objection of Dr. Bostock is true in fact,
although it admits of a different explanation, for at a low tempe-
rature the Arsenious acid would be volatilized without decompo-
sition ; in which case no alliaceous odour can be developed. Dr^
Traill has lately asserted (Annals of Philosophy, Feb. 1824) that
he has recognised the alliaceous odour during the volatilization of
l-7^th of a grain of the metal. I do not question the truth of this
assertion, but there must have been an address in the ma^nipulatjojj
which we cannot expect to iind in ordinary experimenters.

120 ARS

metallic splendour and appearance is often very am-
biguous and questionable. It has to my knowledge
happened to a medical person, by no means deficient
in chemical address, to ascribe to the presence of
arsenic that which was no other than a film of very
finely divided charcoal : in this state of doubt the last
resource was to ascertain whether it yielded, or not,
upon being heated, an alliaceous odour. Surely an
unprejudiced judge would prefer the evidence of sight,
as furnished by the arsenical tests, to that of smell, as
afforded in the last experiment. No one will attempt
to deny that it is the duty of the medical practitioner
who is called upon to decide so important a question
as the presence of arsenic, to prosecute by experiment
every point which admits the least doubt; he should
also remember that in a criminal case, he has not only
to satisfy his own conscience, but that he is bound, as
far as he is able, to convince the public mind of the
accuracy and truth of his researches ; and he fails in
his duty if he omits, through any false principle of
humanity, to express the strong conviction which the
success of his experiments must necessarily have pro-
duced in his mind. Let it however be remembered,
that the application of chemical reagents on solutions
suspected to contain arsenic, so far from throwing any
obstacle in the way of the metallic reduction of that
body, are the very steps which should be adopted as
preparatory to the " experimentum crucis^^'' since the
precipitates which are thus produced may be collected,
and easily decomposed, as before stated. Those who
for judicial purposes may require farther information
upon these subjects are referred to the second volume
of our work on " Medical Jurisprudence,^^ Tit :
Poisons.

ARS 121

ARSENICI OXYDUM SUBLIMATUM. L.

Prepared Oxide of Arsenic,

The object of this process is to ensure a pure and
uniform oxide ; it has been already stated that a more
dangerous fraud can scarcely be committed " than the
adulteration of arsenic ; I am therefore not inclined to
coincide with Mr. Thomson, and to regard " the pre-
sent process as superfluous," and the committee of the
college entertained a similar opinion.

ASARI FOLIA. L.E.D. Asarum Europceum,

Asarabacca Leaves.

Qualities. The leaves, v^rhen recent, are nauseous,
bitter, and acrimonious, and prove violently purgative
and emetic, properties vvrhich are impaired by keeping.
Chemical Composition, a peculiar acrid principle,
not well understood. Solubility, water by infusion
extracts their sensible properties, but they are lost by
decotion. Uses. As an errhine ; Dr. Cullen has re-
marked that they form the most useful species of this
genus of local stimulants. Dose, gr. iij to v. repeated
every night until the full effect is produced. Officinal
Prep. Pulvis Asari compositus, E, D.

ASSAFOETIDA.* L.E.D.

Ferula Assafcetida. Gummi JResina.
Qualities. Form^ small irregular masses, adhering

* Assafcetida was used by the ancients as a condiment, under
the name of o-<A^ioy, Laserpitium, (Pliny); and according to
Kempfer, the Persians use it for the same purpose. The Arabian
writers on the materia medica class this article among their Mobe-
hyat {Aphrodisiac a). The term Assafcetida is derived from the
monks of the Salernian school ; some of the writers of the middle
ages call it Opium Cyrenaicum, i.e. the Juice from Cyrene.

122 . ASS

together, of a variegated texture, and containing many
little shining teius of a whitish, redish, or violet hue.
Taste^ bitter and sub-acrid. Odour, foetid and allia-
ceous, but this latter property is very much impaired
by age. Chemical Composition. Gum (or accord-
ing to Brugnatelli, extractive) 60, resin 30, and essen-
tial oil 10 parts. Solubility. It yields all its virtues
to alcohol and aether ; if triturated vv^ith w^ater it forms
a milky mixture, but which is not permanent, unless
some intermede be employed for the suspension of the
gum-resin ; for this purpose egg may be added, in the
proportion of one yolk to a drachm of assafcetida, ora
permanent mixture may be effected by carefully tritu-
rating the gum resin with double its weight of muci-
lage. If 3vj of assafoetida be triturated with 3SS of
camphor, a mass results of a proper consistence for a
plaster ; if triturated with carbonate of ammonia, it is
easily reduced to powder, but undergoes no other
change. Forms of Exhibition ; in mixture or in
pills. The Indian physicians have an idea that on
account of its stimulating powers, it will, if adminis-
tered to a pregnant woman, produce abortion. Dose,
gr. v.- to 9j. Form, 23, 29. Medicinal Uses, sti-
mulant, antispasmodic, expectorant, and anthelmintic ;
in coughs, attended with pulmonary weakness, and a
tendency to spasm, it is very beneficial ; in cases of
flatulent cholic, it has in the form of enema, acted like
a charm ; in habitual costiveness it often proves an
invigorating aperient, and may be advantageously com-
bined with resinous purgatives in torpor of the bowels
connected with nervous symptoms. Officinal Prep.
Mist: Assafcetid: L.D. Tinct : Assafoetid: L.E.D.
Spin Ammonice foetid : (B) L.E.D. Tinct, Castori,
comp: (B) E. Pil: Aloes cum Assafoetid: (G) E.
Pil: Galbani: comp: (B) L. Enema Fcetid: D^

BAL 123

Impurities. Its characteristic odour should be pow-
erful, and when broken, its fracture ought to exhibit a
bluish-red appearance. It ought not to be brittle.

BALSAMUM PERUVIANUM. L.E.D.

(Myroxylon Pruiferum). Peruvian Balsam.

Qualities. Form^ a viscid liquid of a reddish
brown colour. Odour^ fragrant and aromatic. Taste^
hot and bitter. Chemical Composition. Resin,
volatile oil, and benozic acid ; it is therefore a true
balsam: this tenn was formerly applied to every ve-
getable resin having a strong scent and the fluidity
of treacle, and which was supposed to possess many
medicinal virtues ; it is now restricted to those resins
which contain the benzoic acid in their composition,
of which there are only three, viz. the Balsams of
Peru^ Toluj and Benzoin. Solubility. Water when
boiled upon it dissolves only a portion of benzoic acid ;
aether is its most complete solvent ; alcohol dissolves
it completely, but the quantity of this menstruum must
be considerable. Properties, stimulant, and tonic,
on which account in certain chronic affections of the
lungs, it has been found a serviceable expectorant ;
Sydenham gave it in Phthisis, but wherever any in-
flammatory action is to be apprehended Dr. Fothergill
wisely cautions us against its use. Forms of Exhi-
bition. Diffused in water by means of mucilage, or
made into pills with any vegetable powder. Dose,
gr. V to 3J. Adulterations. A mixture of resin and
some volatile oil with benzoin, is often sold for Peru-
viiMi Balsam, and the fraud is not easily detected, and
is probably of but little importance.

124 BAL

BALSAMUM TOLUTANUM. L.E.D.

(Toluifera Balsamum.) Balsam of Tolu,

Qualities. Form^ a thick tenacious liquid be-
coming concrete by age, in which state it is usually
found in the shops. Taste, warm and sweetish. Odour,
extremely fragrant, resembling that of lemons. Che-
mical Composition. Volatile oil, resin, and benzoic
acid. Solubility. It is soluble in alcohol, forming
a tincture which is rendered milky by water, but no
precipitate falls. When dissolved in the smallest quan-
tity of a solution of potass, its odour is changed into
one that resembles clove pink. Medicinal Uses. It
has been regarded as expectorant. In turning to the
classification of expectorants, vol. 1, p. 191, it will be
found to occupy a place in the second division of our
first class, for it may be considered as capable of sti-
mulating the pulmonary exhalants ; whence its use in
chronic coughs. Forms of Exhibition. It may be
suspended in water by means of mucilage, or yolk of
egg, but it is rarely employed except on account of its
agreeable flavour ;* its virtues are similar to those of
the balsam of Peru. Officinal Prep. Tinct : Ben-
zoin, comp: L.E.D. 2mct: Toluiferi Balsam : E.D,
Si/rup : Tolut: L.

BELLADONNA + FOLIA. L.E.D.

(Atropa Belladonna). Deadly Nightshade,

Qualities. The leaves are inodorous. Taste,

* Tolu Lozenges. Sugar 8 oz. Cream of Tartar 1 oz. Starch
2 drachms. Tinct. Tokiiferae Balsami E. one fluid'drachm, mu-
cilage of Gum Tragacauth q. s.

T Belladonna^ so called from the juice of its berries being used
as a cosmetic by the Italian women, to make their faces pale.

BEL 125

slightly nauseous, sweetish, and subacrid ; their pecu-
liar properties are not lost by drying. Chemical
Composition. Vauquelin found that the leaves con-
tained a substance analogous to albumen, salts with
a base of potass, and a bitter principle on which its
narcotic properties depended, and more lately the
presence of an alkaline element has been detected,
which has received the appellation of Atropia, the
sulphate of which crystallizes very beautifully. Solu-
bility. Water is the most powerful solvent of its ac-
tive matter. Uses. It is a powerful sedative and nar-
cotic, both as an internal medicine and as an external
application ; in this latter form, it alleviates local pains
very effectually, but is liable to affect the nervous sys-
tem. The recent leaves powdered, and made into an
ointment with an equal weight of lard will be found an
efficient form for many purposes ; rubbed over the penis
it prevents priapism and relieves chordee more effectu-
ally than any application which has been proposed.
Forms of Exhibition. Every part of the plant is
poisonous, and the berries from their beautiful appear-
ance have often tempted the unwary ; the leaves how-
ever furnish the most convenient and powerful form
of exhibition ; externally, they may be used as a poul-
tice, internally, one grain of the dry leaves powdered,
and gradually increased to 10 or 12 grains, or the
leaves may be infused in boiling water in the proportion
of four grains to two fluid-ounces, which may be given
as a dose. A little of this infusion dropped into the
eye permanently dilates the pupil, for which intention
it has been successfully applied previous to an operation
for the cataract. The extract of this plant, since its
active principle is fixed, ought to possess activity, but
as it occurs in commerce it is found to be very uncer-
tain and variable, a circumstance which entirely de-

126 BEN

pends upon the manner in which it has been pre-
pared.* See Extractum BelladonncB, An overdose
of belladonna produces the most distressing and alarm-
ing symptoms, and so paralyzing is its influence, that
vomiting can be hardly excited by the strongest doses
of tartarized antimony ; in such cases vinegar w^ill be
found the best antidote, or the affusion of cold water
over the surface of the body, after the application of
which, emetics are more likely to perform their duty,
for physiological reasons explained in vol. i. p. 157.
Officinal Preparations. Extract: BelladonncK
Li, Succus spissatus Atropce Belladonnce, E.

BENZOINUM. L.E. Benzoe. D. (Styrax Benzoin)
vulgo, Benjamin,

Qualities. Fornix brittle masses, composed of
white and brownish, or yellowish fragments ; Odour,

* The root of this plant seems to partake of the same qualities
as the leaves, but is perhaps less virulent :

" Or have we eaten of the insane root,
That takes the reason prisoner."

Jtfacbeth.

The Belladonna is supposed by Sauvage to be the plant that
produced such exti'aordinary effects upon the Roman soldiers
during their retreat, under the command of Anthony, from the
Parthians, when they are said to have " suffered great distress for
want of provisions, and were urged to eat unknown plants ; among
others they met with a herb that was mortal : he that had eaten
of it lost his memory and his senses, and employed himself wholly
in turning about all the stones he could find, and after vomiting
up bile, fell down dead." (Plutarch's Life of Anthony.) The
Scotch historian Buchannan relates, " that the Scots mixed a
quantity of the juice of the Belladonna {Solanum Somniferum)
with the bread and drink which by their truce they were to sup-
ply the Danes with, which so intoxicated them that the Scots
killed the greater part of Sweno's army."

BIS 127

fragrant ; Taste, scarcely perceptible. When heated,
it exhales benzoic acid in the form of crystals. Che-
mical Composition. Resin, and a large proportion
of benzoic acid. Solubility. It is readily dissolved
by alcohol and aether, and is again separated from them
by water ; solutions of lime, and the fixed alkalies sepa-
rate the benzoic acid from it, which can afterwards be
recovered from such sloutions by the addition of an
acid. Uses. It is considered expectorant, and was
formerly used in asthma, and other pulmonary affec-
tions ; it has however fallen into disuse, and is now
principally employed in perfumery, and odoriferous fu-
migations.* Officinal Preparations. Acidum
BenzoicumJ^MJy. Tinct : Benzoini comp : \ L.E.D.
Impurities. It is found in the market in various
degrees of purity, the best is yellowish, studded with

* Fumigating Pastilles. Benzoin generally constitutes the
chief ingredient in these compositions, to which may be added
any variety of odoriferous substances ; the following formula may
be offered as a specimen : R. Benzoin 3 j, Cascarillae 3 ss, Myrrh
^j, Olei nuc. moschat. ol. Caryophyll. aa gr. x, potassie nitratis
5ss, carb. ligni 3 vj, mucilag. gum. Trag. q. s.

+ Virgin's Milk. A spirituous solution of Benzoin mixed
with about twenty parts of rose water> forms a cosmetic long
known by this name. Under the same title also a very different
preparation is sold, vid. Liquor Plumbi sub-acetatis.

Friar's Balsam, Wade's Drops, Jesuit's Drops. — These
preparations are nothing more than the Tinctura Benzoini com-
posita.

Pectoral Balsam of Honey. — Is merely the tincture of Ben-
zoin, or that of Tolu.

Essence of Coltsfoot. — This preparation consists of equal
parts of the Balsam of Tolu, and the Compound Tincture of
Benzoin, to which is added double the quantity of rectified Spirit
of Wine ; and this forsooth is a Pectoral for Coughs! If a pa-
tient with a pulmonary affection should recover during the use of
such a remedy, I should certainly designate it as a lucky Escape,
rather than as a skilful Cure.

128 BIS

white spots ; the worst is full of dross, and very dark
or black.

BISMUTHI SUB-NITRAS. L.

Qualities. Form^ a white, inodorous, tasteless
powder. Chemical Composition. Oxide of Bismuth
in combination with some water and a little nitric acid.
Solubility. It is insoluble in water and dilute acids,
but is dissolved by the concentrated acids, and is again
precipitated by water. The alkalies, Potass and Soda,
also dissolve it, but sparingly ; it is more soluble in
ammonia. Uses. It was formerly employed as a cos-
metic, under the name of Magisteri/ of Bismuth, or
that of Pearl White ; * since, however, it becomes
black from the operation of Sulphuretted Hydrogen
and its compounds, + much inconvenience attends its
application. Its medicinal powers appear to have been
first noticed by Jacobi, ^ but the remedy attracted little
or no attention until the publication of a paper upon
the subject by OdierU of Geneva. The diseases in which

* The Pearl Powder of Perfumers is obtained from the nitric
solution of Bismuth, by adding a proportion of muriatic acid, and
then precipitating by a small quantity of water. In this way it
is obtained in the form of minute scales of a pearly lustre.

+ The gas which arises from the combustion of mineral coal
will produce the same effect. It is related of a lady of fashion,
who had incautiously seated herself too near the fire, at a qua-
drille party, that her countenance changed on a sudden from a
delicate white to a dark tawney, as though by magic. The sur-
prise and confusion of the whole party had such an effect upon
the disfigured fair one, that she was actually dying from appre-
hension, when the physician dispelled their fears by informing his
patient that nothing more was necessary than for her to abstain
from the use of mineral cosmetics, and to trust in future to those
charms which Nature had bestowed upon her.

4: L. F. Jacobi de Bismutho. Erford, 1697.
f Journal de Medicine, 1786, T. 68. p. 49.

CAL 129

its powers as a tonic have been more particularly dis-
played, are Gastrodynia, Pyrosis, and Dyspepsia at-
tended with cholic. Dr. Marcet in a paper read in
1801 before the Medico-chirurgical Society of London,
says, " I have had frequent opportunities of trying the
oxide of Bismuth in spasmodic affections of the sto-
mach in Guy's Hospital, and those trials have fully
confirmed the opinion which I formerly gave of the
utility of this medicine. The practitioner will receive a
further confirmation of its value by referring to Dr.
Bradsley's Medical Reports : and Dr. Yeats has pub-
lished in the Royal Institution Journal* a striking
case illustrative of its efficacy. Dose, gr. v to xv, in
the form of pills.

BTSTORTiE RADIX. L.E.D.

(Polygonum Bistorta.) Bistort Root,
Qualities. This root has no odour, but is highly
astringent. Chemical Composition. Its active prin-
ciples are tannin and gallic acid. Med. Uses. It acts
as an astringent, and is accordingly used in hemorr-
hages and fluxes. Dose of the root Qj — 3J ; of a
decoction fjj — fjij. Combined with Calamus it has
been successfully administered for the cure of Inter-
mittent fevers. See vol, 1, p, 310.

CALAMI RADIX. L. Acori Calami Radix. E.
Acorus. D. (Acorns Calamus) Sweet Flag Root,
Qualities. This root is full of joints, crooked,
and flattened on the sides, internally of a white colour,
and loose spongy texture. Odour^ fragrant and aro-
matic. Taste, bitter and pungent, qualities which are
improved by exsiccation. Chemical Composition.
The principles in which its qualities reside appear to
be essential oil, and bitter extractive ; the root like-

* Vol. iv. p. 156.
Vol. ii. i

150 CAL

wise contains fecula, which is copiously precipitated
from its infusion by sub-acetate and acetate of lead.
Watery infusion extracts all its virtues, but decoction
impairs them. Spirit is also an appropriate solvent,
and a resinous extract may be produced accordingly.
Uses. It is not employed so frequently as it deserves;
it would be a useful addition to many of the compound
infusions of vegetable stomachics. Dose. A cupful
of the infusion made by adding 3VJ of the dried root
to f Jxij of boiling water. It is so favourite a remedy
with the native practitioners of India, in the bowel
complaints of children, that there is a penalty incurred
by any druggist who will not, in the middle of the
night, open his door and sell it, if demanded.

CALUMBiE RADIX. L. (Cocculvs Palmatus.)

Colomba, Radix. E.D. Calumba Root,

Qualities. Form^ the dried root imported into
this country is in transverse sections ; the bark is thick,
and easily detached ; the wood is spongy and yel-
lowish ; the pieces are frequently perforated, evidently
by worms. Odour^ slightly aromatic. Taste ^ bitter
and somewhat acrid. Chemical Composition. Cin-
chonia, bitter resin, volatile oil, and starch, in addition
to which, M. Planche has found a peculiar animal-like
substance ; it appears also to contain Malate and Sul-
phate of Lime. Solubility. Boiling water takes up
about one-third of its weight, but proof spirit appears
to be its most perfect menstruum. Incompatible
Substances. No change is occasioned in the infusion
by the solutions of nitrate of silver, sulphate of iron,
muriate of mercury, or tartarized antimony ; but pre-
cipitates are produced by the infusion of galls and
yellow Cinchona barky by suh-acetate and acetate of
lead, oxi/-muriate of mercury ^ and lime-water. The

CAM 131

infusion veiy soon spoils. Dose of the powdered root
gi". XV to 5ss; of the infusion ffiss to f Jij. Uses. It
is one of the most valuable tonics and stomachics
which we possess. It seems to be superior to many
others, from not possessing astringent, and stimulant
powers, on which account it is singularly eligible in
certain pulmonary and mesenteric affections ; it may
be given in combination with chalybeates, aromatics,
saline purgatives, or with rhubarb, as circumstances
may require. (Form. 34, 155.) Officinal Prepa-
rations. Ififiis: Calujnbcc. L. Tinct : CalumbcB.
L.E.D. It becomes worm-eaten by age, and, in that
condition, should be rejected. Those pieces which
have the brightest colour, and the greatest specific
gravity, are the best. The root of Khite brionj/^ tinged
yellow with the tincture of Calumba, hiis been fraudu-
lently substituted for this root.

CAMBOGIA. L. / Stnlagmitis \ Gambogia. E.D.
Gamboge. \Cambogioides.)

Qualities. Form, lumps of a solid consistence,
breaking with a vitreous fracture ; Odour none ; Coloury
deep yellow, bordering on red, and becoming, w^hen
moistened, a brilliant light yellow. Sp. Grav : 1*221.
Taste slightly acrid, but which is not experienced
unless it be allowed to remain long in the mouth.
Chemical Composition. One part of gum, (Cera-
iin,) and four parts of a brittle resin ; but this know-
ledge throws no light on the .nature of its cathartic
property. Solubility. When triturated with water
two-thirds of its substance are speedily dissolved, and
a turbid solution results ; alcohol dissolves nine-tenths,
and forms a yellow transparent tincture, which is ren-
dered turbid by the addition of water ; sulphuric ether

I 2

132 CAM

dissolves six-tenths of the substance ; it is also soluble
in alkaline solutions, and the resulting compound is
not rendered turbid by water, but is instantly decom-
posed by acids, and the precipitate so produced is of
an extremely brilliant yellow colour, and soluble in an
excess of acid. Incompatible Substances. No
bodies appear to produce in gamboge such a chemical
change as to destroy the chemical properties which
distinguish it, but by a mechanical admixture, its solu-
bility, and consequently its operation, may be ma-
terially modified. Dr. CuUen found that the incon-
venience arising from its too rapid solubility, and
sudden impression upon the stomach, might be ob-
viated by diminishing the dose, and repeating it at
short intervals as directed in Form: 89. Forms of
Exhibition. No form is more judicious than that of
pill. Its alkaline solution has been sometimes exhibited
in dropsy, when it is said to operate both on the bowels
and kidneys. Dose, gr. 2 to gr. 6. Uses. It is a
powerful drastic cathartic, and hydragogue, very liable
to excite vomiting, and from this peculiar action upon
the stomach it has been frequently employed with suc-
cess in the expulsion of teniae (Form: 161.) and it
accordingly enters as an ingredient into many of the
empirical compositions which are sold for the cure of
tape worms.* Officinal Preparations. Pil:
Cambogice comp : L. There is considerable difference
in the degree of purity in which this substance occurs

* The Specific of Herrenschwand, which formerly excited
so much interest in Germany, consisted of 10 grains of Gamboge
with 20 of Sub-carbonate of Potass ; although it is said, that on
its being analyzed by order of Elizabeth of Russia, there were
also found in it both Mercury and Arsenic.

Gamboge is also the basis of the Specific of Glossius.

Golden Spirit of Scurvy Grass. This is merely a solution
of Gamboge in the Spir : Armoraciae corap :

CAM 133

in the market ; it should be estimated by its clearness
and brilliancy.

CAMPHORA. L.E.D. (Laurus Camphora*)

Camphor.

Qualities. Form, a white brittle substance, unc-
tuous to the touch, but possessing at the same time a
degree of ductility which prevents its being easily pul-
verised, unless a few drops of spirit be previously
added. It is capable of affecting a crystalline form.t
Odour, peculiar, fragrant, and penetrating. Taste,

* Although the Camphor of commerce is generally furnished
by the Laurus Camphora, yet it is abundantly yielded by many
»ther plants. It is said that what is imported from Sumatra is the
product of the Dryobobans Camphora. It is also contained in
the roots of the Cinnamon, Cassia, and Sassafras laurels, and in
those of Galangale, Zedoary, and Ginger ; in Cardamom seeds
and Long Pepper. The essential oils of Lavender, Sage, Thyme
Peppermint, Rosemary, and those of many other labiate plants
yield camphor by distillation. Camphor may be also artificially
formed by driving a stream of muriatic gas through oil of tur-
pentine ; this factitious product however, is to be distinguished
from native camphor in not being soluble in weak nitric acid,
and also in not being precipitated by water from its solution in
strong nitric acid.

+ The collection of the Materia Medica at the College of Phy-
sicians contains a beautiful specimen of native Camphor in the
wood : having selected from it as perfect a crystal as I could find,
I requested my friend and publisher Mr. W. Phillips, well known
for his researches in crystallography, to undertake its examina-
tion ; and he observes that " The crystal of native Camphor (in
the wood) appears as a flat octohedron ; but the primary form is
a right rhombic prism of 51 °. 36'. and 128®. 24'. by measurement
with the reflective goniometer on cleavage planes : the octohedral
appearance arises from the deep replacement of four of the solid
angles of the prisra, by as many planes."

134 CAM

bitter, pungent, and aromatic. Specific gravitj/^ '9887,
it therefore swims on water ; it is so volatile that
during warm weather a considerable proportion will
evaporate, especially if at the same time the atmos-
phere be rather moist, for the reason stated in vol. 1.
p. 326. It is readily ignited, and burns with a brilliant
flame and much smoke ; it melts at 288°, and boils at
400. Chemical Composition. It is a proximate
vegetable principle, resembling the essential oils in
many of its habitudes, and probably differs from them
in composition only in containing a larger proportion
of carbon. Solubility. Water may be said to dis-
solve about a nine hundredth part of its weight, or f J j
rather more than gr. |, but its solvent power is con-
siderably increased by the addition of carbonic acid
gas ; camphor is also rendered more soluble by tritu-
ration with magnesia ; it is soluble in an equal weight
of alcohol, but it is again separated by the addition of
water ; it is also dissolved by oils, both fixed and vola-
tile,* especially if their temperature be a little raised,
and by sulphuric and other aethers, but strong acetic
acid may be said to be its most powerful solvent. By
repeatedly distilling it with nitric acid it is converted
into Camphoric acidj an acid distinguished by peculiar
properties, and composing, with alkalies and earths, a
class of salts called Camphor ates^ but which do not
possess any medicinal value. The alkalies do not pro-
duce any effect upon camphor. Incompatible Sub-
stances. It is not affected by any substance with
which we can combine it. Forms of Exhibition.
It is preferable in the form of mixture, since it is very
liable in the solid state to excite nausea, and, from

* An Odontalgic Remedy in great repute consists of a solution
of camphor in oil of turpciiliiic ; a fluidouncc of which will tlis"
solve two drachms.

CAM I3a

swimming on the contents of the stomach, to occasion
pain at its upper orifice. If a larger dose be required
than that which water can dissolve, an additional pro-
portion may be suspended by means of sugar, almonds,
yelk of egg, or mucilage, for which purpose three times
its weight of gum arable is required. If Camphor be
first dissolved by trituration in a very small portion of
oil, it readily mixes with mucilage of gum arabic, and
may then be conveniently blended with liquids. It has
also the property of uniting with gum-resins, and of
converting them into permanently soft, and uniform
masses ; hence they may sometimes be conveniently
applied for diffusing it in water. It may be formed
into pill-masses by stiff mucilage, foetid gums, or by a
confection. Medicinal Uses. In moderate doses it
exhilarates, without raising the pulse, and gives a ten-
dency to diaphoresis ; and under certain conditions of
the body, when opium fails, it will frequently promote
sleep. As its effects are transient, its dose should be
repeated at short intervals. Illustrative Formulce 1,
C, 21, 125, 134, 164. Camphor is said to correct the bad
effects of opium, mezereon, cantharides, and the drastic
purgatives, and diuretics. Dose gr. ij to 9j. In ex-
cessive doses it occasions anxiety, vomiting, syncope,
and delirium ; these violent effects are best counter-
acted by opium. Officinal Preparations. Mis-
tura Camphorce. L.D. Emulsio Camphorata, E.
Spiritus Camphorce^ L. E. D. Tinctura Camphorce
comp: L.E.D. Acidum Acetosum Camphoratum, E.D.
JJnimentum Camphorce L.E.D. Liniment : Camphorce
comp: L. Liniment: Saponis. (Gr) L.E.D. AnuLr
TERATIONS. It has been stated that pure Camphor
may be known by placing it upon hot bread, when it
will turn moist, whereas an adulterated specimen be-
comes dry — but with what can it be adulterated ?

136 CAN

CANELLiE CORTEX. L.E.D. (Canella Alha\
Canella Bark. V Cortex, )

Wild Cinnamon,

Qualities. Form; it occurs in quilled and flat
pieces ; the former are of a whitish yellow colour, con-
siderably thicker than cinnamon ; the latter, which are
probably the bark of the larger branches, or of the
stem of the tree, are yellow on the outside, and pale
brown within. Odour^ resembling that of cloves.
Taste, warm, pungent, and slightly bitter. Chemical
Composition. Its virtues depend upon an essential
oil, and a bitter resin. Solubility. Water extracts
only the bitterness, but proof spirits both the bitterness
and aroma. Medicinal Uses. As a warm stimulant
to the stomach, and as a corrigent to other medicines.
In America it is considered as a powerful antiscorbutic.
Dose of the powdered bark gr. x to 3SS. Officinal
Preparations. Tinct, Gentian, comp. (B. G.) E.
Vinum Aloes, (G) L.D. Puh, Aloes cum canella,
(G) D.

CANTHARIDES.* (Cantharis Vesicatoria.)

Blistering, or Spanish Flies,

This beautiful insect of the beetle tribe is exceeding-
ly abundant in the southern parts of Europe, and par-
ticularly in Spain. They are collected from the leaves

* Although the London College, for reasons suflficiently weighty
•vrere induced on a former occasion to tranfer the Blistering fly
from the genus Cantharis to that of Lytta ; the Committee for
revising the late Pharmacopoeia determined, on the authority of
Latreille, to restore it to its former genus. The work of La-
trcille, " Genera Crustaceorum et iKsectorum" holds the highest
rank in Entomology of any hitherlo published,

CAN 137

of the different trees on which they dehght to dwell, in
June and July, and are afterwards destroyed, as recom-
mended by Dioscorides, by the fumes of strong vinegar,
and dried in the sun. The chemical history of Can-
tharides is still involved in some obscurity ; the blister-
ing principle has been obtained by Robiquet in a sepa-
rate state, when it assumes the form of small crystalline
plates, having a micaceous lustre, not unlike sperma-
ceti ; Dr. Thomson has given to it the name of Cantha"
ridin ; * when pure, it is insoluble in water and in cold
alcohol ; boiling alcohol, however, dissolves it, but pre-
cipitates it again on being cooled. ^Ether and the oils
dissolve it readily. Although not soluble in water it
is rendered so by the presence of a yellow matter which
exists in native combination with it. A very minute
portion of this substance dissolved in sweet oil, and
applied to the skin with a piece of paper, produces
vesication in five or six hours. In addition to this ac-
tive principle, Cantharides contain a green concrete
oil ; a yellow fluid oil ; a peculiar black substance so-
luble in water and proof spirit, but not in pure alcohol;
a saponaceous or yellow substance, soluble both in
water and alcohol ; Uric acid ; Acetic acid ; Phos-

* Caatharidin may be obtained liy the following process : Boil
the cantharides in water until all the soluble parts are extracted ;
filter the decoction, and evaporate to the consistence of an ex-
tract. Digest this extract in concentrated alcohol, then pour off
the alcohol and evaporate it; if sulphuric acid be then added
to this extract, it will take up the Cantharadin, which may be
obtained in a tolerably pure state by evaporation. The crystal-
line plates may be afterwards freed from the adhering colouring
matter by alcohol.

138 CAN

phate of Magnesia, and a parenchymatous substance.*
Medicinal Uses. Cantharides, when administered
internally are powerfully stimulant and diuretic ; + and
whether applied as a vesicatory to the skin, or taken
into the stomach, they have a peculiar tendency to act
upon the urinary organs, and especially to irritate and
inflame the neck of the bladder, and occasion stran-
gury. On this account they have been very success-
fully employed both for the cure of incontinence of urine,
and suppression of this discharge, from torpor or paraly-
sis of the bladder ; they have also been used in gleet and
leucorrhaea, and in cases of seminal weakness and impo-
tence. In consulting the works of Dioscorides, Galen,
and Pliny, we shall find they entertained a notion, that
the virus existed only in the body of the fly, and that
the head, feet and wings, contained its antidote ! Hip-
pocrates prescribed them internally in Dropsy, Jaun-
dice, and Amenorrhcea ; and yet in the end of the
sixteenth century, Dr. Groenvelt was charged and
sued J for giving them inwardly, in substance, for the
cure of the stone. Dose, in substance, not exceeding

* Annales de Chemie, torn. Ixxvi.

+ It fonns the basis of the once celebrated diuretic of Tulpius,
called Lithonthrypticum Tulpii, from its supposed efficacy in
stone. The other ingredients were Cardamoms, made into a
Tincture with Rectified Spirit, and Spirit of Nitric Mlher.

^ He was cited before the censors of the College of Physicians
in 1693, and committed to Newgate by a warrant from the Presi-
dent ; but he was aquitted upon the plea that — bad practice must
be accompanied with a bad intention to render it criminal. He
published his vindication in a small tract, entitled *' De tulo
Cantharidum usu interno." The issue, says Dr. Quincey (Pharm :
p. 152) ruined the unhappy Doctor, but taught his prosecutors
the safety and value of his practice. The following was his for-
mula. Of egg-shells calcined 3 ss ; Camphor 9j ; Spanish flies
Bss; and Venice turpentine q, s, to make nine pills; three of
which were to be swallowed every three hours.

CAN 139

gr. i, combined with opium or hyoscyamus. See Tinc^
tura: Cantharid. A stronij decoction of the Cantha-
rides in Oil of Turpentine furnishes a most powerful
Epispastic, and may be easily applied by means of
dossils of lint. As the general belief, which exists with
respect to the aphrodisiac powers of this substance,
may induce persons to try its efficacy in large doses,
either for goading the exertions of exhausted nature,
or for incensing the passions of females whose seduction
is meditated, it behoves the medical practitioner to be-
come acquainted with the symptoms which it may pro-
duce, and of which the following may be considered as
the most prominent ; — violent retching ; copious alvine
evacuations, frequently bloody ; very severe colics ;
active inflammation of the stomach and intestines ;
sometimes universal convulsions, attended with a horror
of liquids, resembling that which occurs in hydropho-
bia ; furious delirium, &c. But the affections of the
urinary passages, and organs of generation, may be re-
garded xa]£|o;^>jv, as the peculiar symptoms of poisoning
by Cantharides ; such as heat in the bladder, bloody
micturition, horrible strangury, painful and obstinate
priapism, satT/riasis^ &c. The method of treatment to
be pursued on such occasions will consist in copious
bleeding, warm bath, local fomentations, mild and mu-
cilaginous drinks; and opium, especially in the form of
clyster or suppository. Ofi-icinal Prep. Tinct :
Cantharid:!^. Emplast : Cantharid: L. Ceralnm Cati"
tharid: Li. Unguent: I nfu si Cantharid : Vesical:^,
Unguent: Cantharid: D. The flies do not lose their
virtues by being kept ; it is, however, curious that even
those acrid insects are soon reduced to dust by others
feeding upon them ; but since the inert parenchymatous
portion is alone selected by them, the residue is ex-
ireiuely active.

140 CAP

CAPSICI BACCiE. L.E.D. /CapsicumN
Berries of the Capsicum. \ Annum. /

Qualities. Form', pods, long, pointed, and pen-
dulous ; Colour^ when ripe, a bright orange red. Odour ^
aromatic and pungent. Taste^ extremely acrimonious
and fiery. Solubility. Its qualities are partially ex-
tracted by water, but more completely by aether and
spirit. Chemical Composition. Cinchonia, resin,
mucilage, and an acrid principle said to be alkaline.*
Incompatible Substances. The Infusions of capsi-
cum are disturbed by Infusion of Galls ; Nitrate of
Silver; O xy -muriate of Mer cur 2/ ; Acetate of Lead;
the Sulphates of Iron^ Copper and Zinc ; Ammonia^
Carbonate of Potass^ and Alum^ but not by sulphuric,
nitric, or muriatic acid. Medicinal Uses. It is a most
powerful stimulant to the stomach, and is unaccom-
panied with any narcotic effect ; as a gargle in cynanche
maligna, and in relaxed states of the throat, it furnishes
a valuable remedy ; combined with purgatives, it proves
serviceable in dyspepsia, (Form : 78,) it has lately been
given with success in the advanced stages of acute
rheumatism ; in various diseases attended with cold
feet, it has been recommended to wear socks dusted
with Cayenne Pepper. Forms of Exhibition. It
may be given, made into pills with crumb of bread, or
in the form of tincture, diluted with water ; for the
purpose of a gargle, a simple infusion in the propor-
tion of gr. j to f §j of boiling water, or fjvi of the
tincture to ffviij ofthelnfusum Rosce^ may be directed.
Dose, of the substance, gr. vj to x, of the tincture f3J
to f3ij in an aqueous vehicle. Officinal Prepara-
tions. Tinct: Capsici: L.D.t

* Journal de Physique, p. 173, 1820.

+ Rymer's Cardiac Tincture. In the earlier editions of this

CAR 141

Cayenne Pepper is an indiscriminate mixture of the
powder of the dried pods of several species of capsicum,
but especially of the Capsicum baccatum^ (Bird pepper.)

Adulterations. Cayenne pepper is generally
mixed with muriate of soda^ which disposes it to deli-
quesce. Red Lead may be detected by digesting it in
acetic acid, and adding to the solution sulphuret of
ammonia, Avhich will produce, if any lead be present,
a dark coloured precipitate ; or the fraud may be dis-
covered by boiling some of the suspected pepper in
vinegar, and after filtering the solution adding to it
sulphate of soda, when a white precipitate will be form-
ed, which, after being dried and exposed to heat, and
mixed with a little charcoal, will yield a metallic glo-
bule of lead.

CARBO LIGNI. L.E.D. Charcoal

Qualities. It is a black, inodorous, insipid, brittle
substance ; when newly prepared it possesses the pro-
perty of absorbing very considerable quantities of the
different gases ; it is also capable of destroying the
smell and taste of a variety of vegetable and animal
substances, especially of mucilages, oils, and of matter
in which extractive abounds ; and some medicines are
said to be even deprived of their characteristic odour
by remaining in contact with it, as Valerian, Galba-
num. Balsam of Peru, and Musk. The use of charring
the interior of water ca&ks, and of wrapping charcoal
in cloths that have acquired a bad smell, depends upon

work an erroneous account of this medicine has been given, in
consequence of a spurious specimen having been examined : the
following analysis is now confidently presented to the profession.
It is an infusion of Capsicum, Camphor, Cardamom seeds, Rhu-
barb, Aloes, and Castor in Proof Spirit, with a very small
quantity of Sulphuric acid.

142 CAR

this property ; for the same reason it furnishes a very
exceHent tooth powder,* for which purpose, that which
is obtained from the sheH of the cocoa nut is to be
preferred. None of the fluid menstrua with which we
are acquainted have any action whatever as solvents
upon carbon. + Medicinal Uses. It is antiseptic,
and has been administered internally, to correct the
putrid eructations which sometimes attend dyspepsia,
but in order to produce this effect it should be newly
prepared, or such as has been preserved from the access
of air, for it operates by absorbing the putrid gas, as
well as by checking the decomposition of the undi-
gested element. Dose, grs. x to 3j. It has been lately
asserted to possess powers as an antidote to arsenic ; if
this be true, its action can only be mechanical by
absorbing like a sponge the arsenical solution, and
thereby defending the coats of the stomach fi'om its
virulence. :j: Charcoal, when mixed with boiled bread,
forms a very valuable poultice for foul and gangrenous
sores. In a state of impalpable powder, it is said to
be effectual as a styptic ; Dr. Odier informs us that the
celebrated powder of Faynard^ for stopping hemorr-
hage, was nothing more than the charcoal of beech-
wood finely powdered.

* Lardner's Prepared Charcoal consists of cretaceous
powder, or chalk finely powdered, rendered grey by the addition
of charcoal, or Ivory black.

t Concentrated Solution of Charcoal. A preparation is
sold under this absurd name for cleaning the teeth, and is nothing
more than a tincure of Catechu. The name was probably sug-
gested by the experiments of Mr. Hatchett, who succeeded in
producing artificial tannin by the action of Nitric acid upon
Charcoal.

X See an account of Charcoal, as a test for Arsenic, and re-
marks thereon, p. 117.

CAR 143

Charcol is prepared for the purposes of medicine and
the artSj from a variety of substances, viz.

Burnt Sponge. Spongia Usta. L. Consists of
charcoal with portions of phosphate and carbonate of
lime, and sub-carbonate of soda ; it has been highly
commended in bronchocele and scrophulous com-
plaints, in the form of an electuary, or in that of a
lozenge, and it has been lately asserted that it owes
its power to the presence of Iodine.

Vegetable ^thiops. Pulvis Quercus marince.
From the fucus vesiculosus^ or bladder-wrack, used as
the preceding.

Ivory Black. Ebur Vstum. From ivory shavings
burned ; used as a dentifrice and a pigment, under the
name of" blue-black,^'* for its hue is bluish ; but bone-
black is usually sold for it.

Lamp Black. Fuligo Lampadum, By burning
resinous bodies, as the refuse of pitch, in furnaces of
a peculiar construction.

Wood Soot. Fuligo ligni, collected from chimnies
under which wood is burnt. It contains sulphate of
ammonia, which imparts to it its characteristic bitter-
ness. It has been considered antispasmodic, and a
tincture was formerly prepared of it.

CARDAMOMI SEMINA. L. D. / Matonia* \

VCardamomum. /

Amomum Repens. E. Cardamom Seeds.,
Qualities. Odour, aromatic and agreeable ; Taste,

* Dr. Maton in a learned critical and botanical note to a paper
on the Cardamom, by Mr. White, Surgeon of Bombay, (Trans :
Lin : Soc : V. X, 229,) called the genus, of which it consists, Elet-
taria, a nomenclature which was accordingly adopted by the Col-
lege in their late Pharmacopceia ; but, says Sir James Smith »
as this name is pf a barbarous origin, (viz. from Elettaria, the

144 CAR

warm and pungent, but unlike the peppers, they do
not immoderately heat the stomach. Solubility.
Water, alcohol and aether extract their virtues ; the
two latter most completely, and the result is trans-
parent, whereas the watery infusion is turbid and
mucilaginous. Chemical Composition. Fecula,
mucilage, and essential oil. Medicinal Uses. They
are carminative and stomachic, and prove grateful
adjuncts to bitter infusions; they are principally em-
ployed to give warmth to other remedies. Dose of
the powder, gr. vj to 9j. Officinal Preparations.
Extract: Colocynth: comp: (E) L.D. Tine, Carda-
worn, L.E.D. Tinct. Cardamom: comp: L.D. Tinct:
Cinnamomiy co. (B) L.E. Tinct, Gentian, co. (Gr) L.
Tinct, Rheij (E) L.E.D. Tinct, Rhei cum Aloe, (O)
E. Tinct, SenncBy (E) L.D. Spir, Ether, Aromat,
B L. Vinum Aloes Socot. (G) E. Confect, Aro'
mat, B L. Pulv. Cinnamom, co, (B) L.E.D.
JPil. ScilliticcBy (E) E. Infus, Sennce, D. (E.)

Cardamom seeds should be kept within their husks,
or their virtues will soon be considerably impaired ;
they are frequently mixed with grains of paradise
which are much hotter and more spicy, but less aro-
matic in their flavour.

CARICiE FRUCTUS, L.D. Fici Caries Fructus, E.

The preserved Fruit of the Fig,

Qualities of the dried fig are too well known to
require description. The fig consists almost entirely

Malabar name of the plant,) we should greatly prefer that of Ma-
tonia ; a suggestion which has been since adopted by Mr. Roscoe
of Liverpool, in his description of the Scitamineoe. The College
has therefore the gratifying task of erasing the term Elettaria from
their Materia Medica, and of substituting for it a name, no less
known than respected by the Medical profession.

CAR 145

of mucilage and sugar. Uses. It has been already
stated that the most ancient cataplasm on record was
made of figs, (2 Kings, chap. xx. 7.) they are employed
medicinally in many demulcent decoctions, as Decoc-
turn Ilordei comp : L.D. They are gently aperient;
it is curious to learn that they constituted the chief
part of the food of the ancient Athletae*

CARYOPHYLLI. L.

(Eugenia Caryophyllata. The unopened JloTxers dried.)

Caryophilli Aromatici Germen, E.

Caryophilli aromat. Calyx, D. Cloves*

Cloves are the unexpanded flowers, or flower-buds,
of the clove tree, which are first obtained when the
tree is six years old ; they are gathered in October and
November before they open, and when they are still
green ; and are dried in the sun, after having been
exposed to smoke at a heat of 1 20 **, till they assume a
brown hue. It is a curious fact that the flowers when
fully developed are quite inodorous, and that the real
fruit is not in the least aromatic. Qualities. Fornij
that of a nail, consisting of a globular head, formed of
the four petals of the corolla, and four leaves of the
calyjt not yet expanded ; and a germen situated below
nearly cylindrical, and scarcely an inch in length.
Odour^ strong, fragrant, and aromatic. Taste^ acrid,
aromatic and permanent. Benzoic acid has lately been
discovered in them.

Solubility. Water extracts their odour, but little
of their taste ; alcohol and ether take up both com-
pletely. Medicinal Uses. They are more stimulant
than any of the other aromatics ; they are sometimes
given alone, but more generally as a corrigent to other
medicines. Officinal Preparations. Infusum

Vol. ii. k

146 CAS

Caryo'phyllorum, L. 5^?r. Lavand, co. D. (B) Frauds.
The Dutch frequently mix the best cloves with those
from which the oil has been drawn.

Caryophyllorum Oleum. This essenial oil, in
consequence of the resinous matter which it holds in
solution, has a specific gravity of 1*020, and conse-
quently sinks in water. When the oil has a hot fiery
taste, and a great depth of colour, it is adulterated.
It is imported from the spice islands. On account of
its stimulant properties, it is added to griping extracts,
or used as a local application in the tooth -ache.
Vauquelin obtained from the leaves of the Agatho^
phi/Uum ravensara an essential oil, in every respect
similar to that of cloves ; and I am informed by Dr.
Davy that an oil exactly resembling in smell the oil of
Cloves is procured in Ceylon from the leaf of the Cin-
namon tree ; but very little, if any, has ever been ex-
ported.

CASCARILLiE CORTEX. L.D. / Croton \
Croton Eleutheria. E. \Cascarilla./

Cascarilla Bark.

Qualities. Form, curled pieces, or rolled up into
ehort quills ; its fracture is smooth and close, of a dark
brown colour ; Odour ^ light and agreeable ; when
burning, it emits a smell resembling that of musk,
which at once distinguishes it from all other barks.
Taste, moderately bitter, with some aromatic warmth.
Chemical Composition. Mucilage, bitter extractive,
resin, volatile oil, and a large proportion of woody
fibre ; neither Cinchonia nor Quina has hitherto been
discovered in it. Solubility. Its active constituents
are partially extracted by alcohol and water, and com-
pletely by proof spirit. Medicinal Uses. Carminative

CAS . 147

and tonic ; it is an excellent adjunct to cinchona, ren-
dering it by its aromatic qualities more agreeable to the
stomach, and increasing its powers. It is valuable in
dyspepsia and flatulent cholic, in dysentery and diarr-
hoea, and in the gangrenous thrush peculiar to children.
Forms of Exhibition. It is most efficacious in sub-
stance ; it may however be given in the form of infu-
sion, or tincture. Decoction dissipates its aromatic
principle ; the extract therefore merely acts as a simple
bitter. See Infus. Cascarillce. Dose of the powder,
grs. xij to 5ss. Officinal Preparations. Infus,
CascarilL L. Tinct. CascarilL L.D. Extract, Cas^
car ill, D.

CASSI.E PULPA. L.E.D. r Cassia Fistula, \
Cassia Pulp. \Lomentorum Pulpa, J

The fruit is a cylindrical pod scarcely an inch in
diameter, but a foot or more in length ; the exterior
is a hard brown bark ; the interior is divided into
numerous transverse cells, each of which contains an
oval seed imbedded in a soft black pulp. Qualities.
Odour^ faint and rather sickly. Taste^ sweet and muci-
laginous. Solubility. Nearly the whole of the
pulp is dissolved by water, partially by alcohol and
sulphuric ether. Chemical Composition. Sugar,
gelatine, glutine, gum, and a small portion of resin,
extractive, and some colouring matter. Uses. It is
gently laxative, and is adapted for children and very
delicate women, but it should be always given in com-
bination with manna or some other laxative, or it is
apt to induce nausea, flatulence and griping. Offici-
nal Preparations. Confectio Cassice, L.E.D.
Confectio Sennce (B.O.) L.E.D.* There are two kinds

* Essence of Coffee. The Cassia pulp is said to form the
basis of tliis article.

148 CAS

of this drug in the market ; that from the West Indies^
the pods of which are generally large, rough, thick
rinded, and contain a nauseous pulp; and that from
the East Indies, which is to be preferred, and which is
distinguished by smaller and smoother pods, and by
their containing a much blacker pulp. The pulp ought
not to have a harsh flavour, which arises from the fruit
having been gathered before it was ripe, nor ought it
to be sour, which it is very apt to become by keeping.
The heaviest pods, and those in which the seeds do
not rattle, are to be preferred,

CASTOREUM. L.E.D. /Castor Fiber. (Rossicus.}\
Castor. \ Concretum sui generis. J

This substance is secreted by the beaver, in bags
near the rectum.* Qualities. Odour^ strong and aro-
matic. Taste^ bitter, sub-acrid, and nauseous. Coloury
reddish brown. Chemical Composition. Volatile
oil, resin, mucilage, extractive, iron, and small portions
of the carbonates of potass, lime and ammonia. It
contains also, according to the analysis of Laugier, a
small quantity of Benzoic acid. The Canadian vanety
is also stated by Laugier to contain benzoic acid both
free and combined. Solubility. Its active matter
is dissolved by alcohol, proof spirit, and partially by
water; the tincture made with alcohol is the least
nauseous, and the most efficacious ; the spirit of ammo-
nia is also an excellent menstruum, and in many cases
improves its virtues. Forms of Exhibition. It may

* The ancients erroneously considered theiu as the testicles of
the beaver, and iEsop relates that the animal bit them off, when
pursued by the huntsman, whence some have derived its name,
a ca&trando ; the true origin however of the word is from yot<iUfy
i. e. animal ventriculosum^ from his swaggy and prominent belly-

CAT 149

be given in substance, as a bolus, or in the form of tinc-
ture, but its exhibition in the form of extract or decoc-
tion is chemically incorrect. Dose, grs. x to 9], and, in
clysters, to 3J. Medicinal Uses. It is antispasmodic,
and seems to act more particularly on the uterine sys-
tem. It certainly proves beneficial as an adjunct to
antihysteric combinations ; it w^as highly esteemed by
Van Swieten, De Haen, and many other German prac-
titioners. Bagiivi states that it counteracts the narcotic
pow^ers of opium, but this is not the case. Officinal
Preprations. Tinct. Cfl5/om.*L.E.D. Adulter:
It is sometimes counterfeited by a mixture of dried
blood, gum ammoniacum, and a little real castor,
stuffed into the scrotum of a goat ; the fraud is detected
by comparing the smell and taste with those of real
castor ; and by the deficiency of the subaceous follicles,
which are always attached to genuine specimens.
There are two kinds in the market, the Russian and
Canadian, the former however, which is the best, has
become extremely scarce ; it may be distinguished from
the latter, by being larger, rounder, heavier, and less
corrugated on the outside.

CATECHU EXTRACTUM, L.E.D.

(Acacia Catechu, Extractum,)
Catechu ; olim Terra JaponicaA Japan Earth,
Qualities. There are two varieties of catechu in

* Bateman's PECToaAL Drops consist principally of the Tinc-
ture of Castor, with portions of camphor and opium, flavouied
by anise seeds, and coloured by cochineal.

+ It was formerly supposed to be a mineral production ; and
hence the term Terra Japonica. Hagedorn and Boulduc were
among the first who opposed this error, and who established tJbe
fact of its vegetable origin (Mem. de I'Acad : dcs Sciences de
Paris, A. 1709, p. 228.)

150 CEN

the market, the one of a light yellowish, the other of a
chocolate colour ; they differ only in the latter having
a more austere and bitter taste. Chemical Compo-
sition. Tannin, a peculiar extractive matter, muci-
lage, and earthy impurities. Solubility. It is almost
totally dissolved both by water and spirit. Incom-
patible Substances. Its astringency is destroyed
by alkaline salts; and precipitates are produced by
metallic salts, especially by those of iron ; and with
gelatine it forms an insoluble compound. Medicinal
Uses. It is a most valuable astringent. Forms of
Exhibition. In infusion, tincture, or powder. (^Form.
51, 52, 58, 151.) In the form of a lozenge, from its
gradual solution, it may be very advantageously ap-
plied in relaxed states of the uvula and fauces ; I have
found this remedy successful in cases where the suU
phate of zinc was inefficient. From its great astrin-
gency it also forms an excellent dentifrice, especially
when the gums are spongy ; for this purpose I have
employed equal parts of powdered catechu, and Peru-
vian bark, with one-fourth the quantity of the powder
of myrrh. Dose, grs. x to 9i. Officinal Ppep.
Infus. Catechu^ Tinct, Catechu^ L.E.D. Electuarium
MimoscB Catechu^ E.D.

CENTAURII CACUMINA. L.E.D.

(Chironia Centaurium* Cacumina,)

The Jlowering tops of the common Centaur?/,

Qualities. Odour ^ none ; Taste, intensely bitter.
Chemical Composition. Mucilage, resin, and bitter
matter. Solubility. Alcohol and water dissolve all

* So called from Chiron the Centaur, who is said to have em-
ployed it to cure himself of a wound accidentally received by let-
ting one of the arrows of Hercules fall upon his foot.

CER 151

its active matter. Medicinal Uses. All its value
depends upon its bitterness. It entered into the com-
position of the once celebrated Portland Powder for
the gout, for an account of which see vol. 1, p. 57.
Dose, of an infusion, made in the proportion of §j to
oj of boiling w^ater, f §ij ; of the dry powder 5i»

CERA. L.E.D. Wax.

It is admitted into the list of the Materia Medica
under two forms, viz.

1. Cera Flava. Yellow or Unbleached Wax.

Qualities. Odour, faintly honey-like ; it is brittle
yet soft ; when chewed, it does not, if pure, adhere to
the teeth; it melts at 142^, and burns entirely away.
Chemical Composition. It is the honey-comb of
the bee melted with boiling water, pressed through
cloth bags, and ultimately cast into round cakes for
the market. Whether it be an animal product, or a
vegetable substance merely collected by the bee, has
been a question of dispute ; the former opinion is
probably correct, although wax is certainly produced
as a secretion by many plants. The yellow wax con-
tains a portion of pollen which imparts its colour to it,
and increases its fusibility. Solubility. It is in-
soluble in water, and in cold alcohol or ether, but it
is soluble in boiling alcohol and ether, in fixed oils,
and in alkalies. Uses. It is chiefly employed in the
composition of external applications. Adultera-
tions. Earth or peas-meal may be suspected when
the cake is very brittle, and the colour inclines to grey ;
Resin is detected by putting it in cold alcohol, which
will dissolve the resinous part without acting on the
wax. Tallow is discovered by the greater softness and
unctuosity of the cake, and by its suffocating smell

152 €ER

when tnelted ; when this latter substance is employed,
turmeric is added to disguise its paleness.

2. Cera Alba. White, Bleached^ or Virgin's Wax,
Qualities. This substance differs only from the
former, in being colourless, harder, heavier, and less
fusible. Uses. It is said to be demulcent, and very
useful in dysentery, but it is rarely used. Forms of
Exhibition. It may be formed into a mixture by
melting it with one-third of its weight of soap, and
then gradually adding to it any mucilaginous liquid.
Adulterations. White Lead may be detected by
melting the wax in water, when the oxide will fall to
the bottom of the vessel ; tallow may be suspected
when the cake wants its usual translucency.

CERATA. L.E. Cerates.

These compositions are characterized by a degree
of consistence, intermediate between that of plasters,
and that of ointments. As this consistence is obtained
from the wax which they contain, they very properly
derive from that substance the generic appellation of
Cerates,

Ceratum Calamin;e. L. (Ceratum lapidis Ca^
laminaris. P.L. 1787. Ceratum epiiloticum, P,L,
1745). Ceratum Carbonatis Zinci Impuri. E. Un-
guentum Calami nare. D. — These preparations have
been long known under the name of Turner'' s Cerate ;
they foiTn the basis of many extemporaneous cerates,
in some of which nitric oxide of mercury, in the pro-
portion of 3J of the oxide to Jj of cerate, and in
others, the liquor of sub-acetate of lead, are intro?
duced. By the former combination we obtain a very
useful applicaiion to indolent and ill - conditioned
,M}cer5^ a valuable stimulant for inducing an action

CER 153

jeonducive to the regeneration of parts. By the latter
combination we derive a remedy highly extolled by
our most experienced surgeons, in the cure of burns
and scalds.

Ceratum Cantharidis. L. The basis of this
preparation is spermaceti cerate sia: parts ^ to which is
added, of powdered flies one part : as it is intended to
promote a purulent discharge from a blistered surface,
it may be reduced in strength according to circum-
stances.

Ceratum Cetacei. L. (Ceratum Spermatis ceti.
P.L. 1787. Ceratum Album, P.L. 1745). Ceratum
Simplex. E. It furnishes a soft and cooling dressing,
and constitutes a convenient basis for more active com-
binations, as in the following instance.

Ceratum Plumbi acetatis. L. (Unguentum
Cerussas Acetatce, P, L. 1787.) This is cooling for
burns, excoriations, and inflamed surfaces.

Ceratum Plumbi Compositum. L. (Cerat: Li-
thargyri acetati compositum. P.L. 1787.) This is
" Goulard'' s Cerate^'' and is applicable to the same
cases as the former cerate ; the camphor which enters
into its composition imparts a gently stimulating power
to it ; it proves extremely serviceable in chronic op-
thalmia of the tarsus, and for the increased secretion
of tears, which so frequently aflects the eyes of persons
advanced in years.

Ceratum Resins. L. (^Ceratum resina^jla'ocB^P.Li,
1787. Ceratum citrinum. 1745. Yellow Basilicon).
Unguent : Resinosum, E. Unguent : Resinae albae. D.
It is stimulant, digestive, and cleansing, and affords a
very excellent application for foul and indolent ulcers.

Ceratum Sabin^e. L. Savine Cerate. It is in-
tended to keep up a purulent discharge from a blistered
surface; in practice however it is often found to fail

154^ CER

from the difficulty of obtaining it good, since the acrid
principle of the plant is injured by long boiling, and
by being previously dried ; the ointment also loses its
virtue by exposure to the air.

Ceratum Saponis. L. This preparation was much
used and recommended by the late Mr. Pott ; in pre-
paring it the greatest possible caution is required ; the
fire should never be too rapidly applied, the stirring
should be uniform and incessant, and the heat should
ortly be sufficient to keep the two compositions liquid
at the time when they are united. The original in-
tention of the cerate was to afford, when spread upon
linen, a mechanical support to fractured limbs, and to
keep the points of the bone in due apposition, while in
consequence of the acetate of lead which is formed
in the first stage of the process for its preparation, it
possesses the virtues of a saturnine dressing. As a
mechanical agent it may prove at once effectual and
dangerous, for if it be applied before all inflammation
and swelling have entirely disappeared, the inflamed
vessels may be completely strangulated by its unrelent-
ing pressure, and high erysipelatous inflammation, and
a rapid state of gangrene may be the result.

Ceratum Simplex. A useful application to ex-
coriations and sores.

Besides the above cerates, there are many magistral*

■* Kirkland's Neutral Cerate. Is formed by melting to-
gether § viij of Lead Plaster with f § iv of olive oil, into which
are to be stirred | iv of prepared chalk ; when the mixture is
sufficiently cooled f § iv of acetic acid, and 5 iij of pulverized
Acetate of lead are be added, and the whole is to be stirrred until
nearly cold.

Marshall's Cerate. R. Palm. Oil § v. Calomel 3 i« Acetate
of Lead 3 ss. Nitrate of Mercury I ij.

Cold Cream (Ceratum Galeni.) 01 : Amygdal : Ibj, Cerse
alb : ^ iv ; melt, pour into a warm mortar, and add, gradually,
Aq : Ros ; oj. It should be very light and while. Gray's Sup-
plement.

CIN 155

preparations, of great practical value, and I must refer
the suri£ical student for an account of tliem to that
very useful little manuel, entitled " Pharmacopoeia
Chirurgicay

CETACEUM. L.

(Physeter Macrocephalus, Concretum sui generis^)

Spermaceti. E.D»

QuALi'i;iES. Form^ flakes, which are unctuous,
friable, and white. Odour and taste^ scarcely percep-
tible. Sp. Grav. 9*433. It melts at 112^ Chemical
Composition. It is a peculiar modification of fatty
matter. Solubility. It is insoluble in water and
cold alcohol, but soluble in hot alcohol, ether, and oil
of turpentine, but it concretes again as the fluids cool ;
in the fixed oils it is completely soluble. The alkaline
carbonates do not affect it, but it is partially dissolved
in the pure alkalies, and with hot ammonia it forms an
emulsion which is not decomposed on cooling. Uses.
It is demulcent and emollient, but it possesses no ad-
vantages over the bland oils. Forms of Exhibition.
It may be suspended in water by means of mucilage or
yolk of egg, (Formulce 76, 78, 79.) Officinal
Preparations. Ceratum Simplex, E. Ceraium
Cetacei, L. Unguent, Cetacei, L.D. From exposure
to hot air, it becomes rancid ; but it may be again
purified, by being washed in a warm solution of potass.

CINCHONA. L.E.D. Bark, Peruvian Bark.
JesuiVs Bark,

Notwithstanding the labours of the Spanish bota-
nists, the history of this important genus is still in-
volved in considerable perplexity, and owing to the

156 CIN

mixture of the barks of several species,* and their
importation into Europe under one common name, it
is extremely difficult to reconcile the contradictory
opinions which exist upon the subject, nor indeed
would such an investigation be consistent with the
plan and objects of this work. Under the trivial name
officinalis^ Linnaeus confounded no less than four dis-
tinct species of cinchona, and under the same denomi-
nation the British Pharmacopoeias, for a long period,
placed as varieties the three barks known in the shops ;
this error indeed is still maintained in the Dublin
Pharmacopoeias, but the London and Edinburgh col-
leges have at length adopted the arrangement of Mutis,
a celebrated botanist, who has resided in South America,
and held the official situation of Director of the expor-
tation of bark for nearly forty years.

CiNCHONiE CoRDlFOLIiE CoRTEX. L. E. CorteX

Peruvianus. D. Heart-leaved Cinchona Bark, com-
monly called Yellow Bark.

Cinchona Lancifoli^ Cortex. L.E. Cortex
Peruvianus. D. Lance-leaved Cinchona Bark, com-
mon Quilled bark — Pale baik.

CiNCHONiE OfiLONGIFOLIiE CoRTEX. L.E. CorteX

Peruvianus. D. Oblong-leaved Cinchona Bark, called
Red bark.

Qualities. The odour and taste of these three
species are essentially the same, although they differ
in intensity. They are all bitter, sub-astringent and

■** There are no less tlian twenty-five distinct species of Cincho-
na, independent of any additions which we may owe to the zeal of
Humboldt and Bonpland ; and Mr. A. T. Thomson, in his Lon-
don Dispensatory, states that in a large collection of dried speci-
mens, of the genus Cinchona, in his possession, collected in 1805,
both near Loxa and Santa Fe, he finds many species which are
«©t mentioned in the works of any t?pauish botanist.

CIN 157

aromatic, but the flavour of the Yellow bark is incom-
parably the most bitter, although less austere and
astringent, whilst the red bark has a taste much less
bitter, but more austere and nauseous than either of
the other species. Chemical Composition. Few
vegetable substances have been more frequently, or
more ably submitted to chemical analysis than the
Peruvian bark, and yet but few results of any great
practical utility had been obtained previous to the
recent experiments of Pelletier and Caventou, com-
municated to the Academy of Sciences at Paris, since
the publication of the fourth edition of the present
work.

Dr. Maton* had several years ago observed, that an
infusion of nut-galls produced a precipitate with the
decoctions of Bark ; a fact which necessarily produced
considerable speculation. Seguin was induced to re-
gard it as arising from the presence of gelatine^ (see
vol. 1, p 106,) an opinion which Dr. Duncan proved
to be erroneous, and shewed that it depended upon a
new proximate principle, to which M. Gomez of Lisbon
had previously assigned the name of Cinchonine, Be-
sides which, bark was considered as containing resin,
extractive, gluten, tannin, a small portion of volatile
oil, and some salts with a base of lime ; one of which
however had been only found in Yellozo bark, and had
been discovered to contain a peculiar vegetable acid,
denominated by Vauquelin Kinic^ a name which Dr.
Duncan very judiciously superseded by that of Cincho'
nic acid.

In the Red bark, Fourcroy detected also a portion of
citric acid, some muriate of ammonia, and muriate of
lime. Upon which of these principles the tonic and

* See London Medical and Physical Journal. Vol. v. p. 33.

158 CIN

febrifuge virtues of bark depends, has ever proved a
fruitful source of controversy. Deschamps attributed
them to Cinchonate of Lime^ and asserted that two
doses of thirty-six grains each, would cure any inter-
mittent. Westering considered Tannin as the active
constituent ; while M. Seguin assigned all the virtues
to the principle which precipitates gallic acid, and
which as it has been before stated, he mistook for
gelatine. Fabroni concluded from his experiments,
that the febrifuge power of the bark did not belong
exclusively and essentially to the astringent, bitter, or
to any other individual principle, since the quantity of
these would necessarily be increased by long boiling,
whereas the virtues of the bark are notoriously di-
minished by protracted ebullition. This argument
however will not go far, when we consider the chemi-
cal changes which the liquid is known to suffer during
that operation, and by which a considerable portion of
its matter is rendered insoluble. Such was the state
of our knowledge respecting the composition of the
Cinchona^ when JPelletier and Caventou, guided by
analogy, were led to infer the presence of an alkaline
element of activity in its composition. The merit,
belonging to the researches of these eminent chemists,
does not so much consist in the discovery of new ele-
ments, as in the proofs which they have furnished of
the well known principle, Cinchonine^ being a salifiable
base,* and in demonstrating the peculiar states of com-

* Essential Salt of Bark. It is highly necessary that the
puhHc should know that the preparation sold under this empirical
title, has no relation whatever to the late discoveries of Pelletier.
It is merely an extract prepared by macerating the bruised sub-
stance of bark in cold water, and submitting the infusion to a
very slow evaporation.

CIN 159

bination in wliicli it exists in the different species of
Cinchona.

1. Cinchona Lancifolia,
Their analysis of the Pale Barky furnished the fol-
lowing principles.

1. Acidulous Kinate ofCinchonia.^

2. A green fatti/ matter,

3. Red Colouring matter^ slightli/ soluble,

4. Ditto soluble. (Tannin.)

5. Yellow colouring matter,

6. Kinate of Lime,

7. Gum,

8. Starch,

9. Lignim,

Cinchonia^ when obtained in an isolated form,+ is
distinguished by the following characters and habi-
tudes.

It is white, transparent, and crystallizes in the form
of needles ; it has but little taste, a circumstance de-

* The designation of Cinchonin, consistent with the principles
of chemical uomenlature, must now have a termination in a, and
the name Cinchonia appears preferable to that of Cinchonina.

+ The following is the process by which Cinchonia may be
prepared. Take a pound of Pale Bark, bruised small, and boil
it for an hour in three pints of a very dilute solution of pure
Potass. After the liquid has cooled, it nmst be strained through
a fine cloth with pressure, and the residuum be repeatedly washed
and pressed. The cinchona, thus washed, is to be slightly heated
in a sufficient quantity of water, adding muriatic acid gradually
until litmus paper is slightly reddened. When the liquid is
raised nearly to the boiling point, it is to be strained, and the
cinchona again pressed. To the strained liquor, while hot, add
an ounce of sulphate of magnesia, and after this add a solution of
potass, till it ceases to occasion any precipitate. When the li-
quor is cold, collect the precipitate on a filtrc, wash and dry it,
and dissolve it in hot alcohol. On evaporation of the spirit, flie
cinchona will crystallize.

160 CIN

pending upon its comparative insolubility, as it re-
quires no less than 7000 parts of cold water for its
solution ; in boiling water it is soluble in 2500 times
its weight, but a considerable part separates, on cooling.
In alcohol and the acids it is much more soluble, and
imparts to such menstrua the characteristic bitter of
the bark ; it dissolves only in small quantities in the
fixed and volatile oils, or in sulphuric ether. Cincho-
nia restores the colour of litmus which has been red-
dened by an acid. With acids it combines and forms
neutral salts, of which the solubility and crystalline
form vary with the acid employed.

Sulphate of Cinchonia^ easily crystallizable and
moderately soluble, has been found to consist of Cin"
chonia 100, Sulphuric acid 13*02.

Nitrate ofCinchonia^ uncrystallizable, and sparingly
soluble.

Muriate of Cinchonia^ crystallizes in very beautiful
needles, and is more soluble than the preceding salts.

Oxalate of Cinchonia, nearly insoluble ; hence by
pouring oxalic acid, or oxalate of ammonia into solu'
tions of any of the soluble salts of cinchonia, we obtain
a very white and abundant precipitate, which might
be mistaken for oxalate of lime ; it is however soluble
in an excess of acid, and in alcohol.

Gallate of Cinchonia^ equally as insoluble as the
Oxalate^ whence the precipitate occasioned by pouring
an infusion of galh into the decoctions of genuine cin*
chona.

Cinchonia, when heated, does not fuse before decom-
position. Its ultimate elements are oxygen^ hi/drogerij
and carbon; the latter being predominant.

The Kinic acid, which exists in native combination
with the Cinchonia^ amongst several other peculiar
properties, is convertible by means of heat into a sub-

CIN 161

stance (acide pi/rokiniqucy) which is crystallizable,
and capable of producing with iron a most beautiful
green colour.

2. Cinchona Cordifolia,

In the Yellow Bark^ these chemists discovered also
a salifiable base, quite distinct however in its character
and habitudes from Cinchonia ; they accordingly have
designated it by another name, viz. Quinine^ but which
we shall hereafter call Quina, In speaking of these
two bases, the authors compare them, in point of dis-
similarity, to the fixed alkalies, potass and soda. Quina
is distinguished from Cinchonia by the following cha-
racters. It cannot, like this latter body, be crystallized
by evaporation from its alcoholic solution, although it
may be obtained in transparent plates. It is very
soluble in cether ; in water it is as insoluble as cin-
chonia, but its taste is much more bitter. The salts
which it forms are different from those of cinchonia,
both in the proportion of their elements, and in the
properties which they possess, being generally much
more bitter. In comparing their composition, Quina
will appear to have less capacity of saturation* than
cinchonia.

Sulphate of Quina. It forms crystals quite remark-
able for their satin-like and pearly lustre. It is soluble
in cold water, a property which is very considerably
increased by an excess of acid, t It appears from the

♦ Thus, as we have stated, 100 parts of Cinchonia unite with
13.021 of Sulphuric acid, while the same weight of Quina requires
for saturation not more than 10-91 of the same acid.

t Sulphate of Quina. As this preparation is considered the
most active form of the salifiahle principle of bark, I have sub-
joined the most approved formula for its preparation. Boil for
half an hour two pounds of the appropriate bark in powder, in
sixteen pints of distilled water, acidulated with two fluid-ounces

Vol. II. I,

]G2 CIN

observations of M. Callaude, apothecary at Annecy,
that Sulphate of Quina exposed to a gentle heat, be-
comes highly luminous ; and M. Pelletier has since
found that Sulphate of Cinchonia, when exposed in a
capsule to the steam of boiling water, exhibits the same
phenomenon, but that neither Quina nor Cinchonia^

of sulphuric acid ; strain the decoction through a linen cloth, and
snbmit the residue to a second ebullition in a similar quantity of
acidulated water ; mix the decoctions, and add by small portions
at a time, powdered lime, constantly stirring it to facilitate its
action on the acid decoction. (Haifa pound is near the quantity
requisite.) When the decoction has become slightly alkaline it
assumes a dark brown colour, and deposits a reddish brown floc-
culent precipitate, which is to be separated by passing it through a
linen cloth. The precipitate is to be washed with a little cold dis-
tilled water and dried. When dry it is to be digested in rectified
spirit, with a moderate heat for some hours; the liquid is then to
be decanted, and fresh portions of spirit added till it no longer
acquires a bitter taste. Unite the spirituous tinctures, and distill
in a water-bath till three fourths of the spirit employed has dis*
tilled over. After this operation there remains in the vessel a
brown viscid substance covered by a bitter very alkaline and
milky fluid. The two products are to be separated and treated
as follows. To the alkaline liquid add a sufficient quantity of
sulphuric acid to saturate it ; reduce it by evaporation to half
the quantity ; add a small portion of charcoal, and after some
minutes ebullition, filter it whilst hot, and crystals of Sulphate
of Quina will form. The brown mass is to be boiled in a small
quantity of water, slightly acidulated with sulphuric acid, which
will convert a large portion of it into Sulphate of Quina. The
crystals are to be dried by bibulous paper. Two pounds of bark
will, it is said, yield 5 to 6 drachms of the sulphate ; of which
eight grains are considered equivalent to an ounce of bark.
It has been prepared in this country by several manufacturing
chemists, especially by Mr. Pope of Oxford Street, whose zeal and
industry in Pharmaceutic experiments entitle him to great com-
mendation. The superior price of the bark, however, from the
duty in this country, as well as that of alcohol, must prevent us
from entering into competition with the French in its manufac-
ture, and it has accordingly been found more CEConoraical to
import, than to prepare it.

CIN 16

by themselves, nor their acetates, possess this phospho-
rescent quality. This appears to be the most efficient
of all the salts of Bark, and is the one from which I
have fi'equently derived much advantage. In its ex-
hibition we must be careful not to combine it with
substances that form insoluble compounds with it.
The Infusum Rosce compositum is objectionable as a
vehicle, on account of the astringent matter which it
contains, and which therefore precipitates the Quina
from its solution. I have lately seen a prescription, ir\
which the salt is directed to be rubbed with a few
grains of Cream of Tartar^ and then to be dissolved in
mint water. This is obviously injudicious, since Tar-
taric acid decomposes the sulphate, and occasions an
insoluble Tartrate^ which is precipitated. The form
in which I have usually prescribed it is in that of solu-
tion, with a small quantity of sulphuric acid, in the
proportion of a minim to every grain of the salt. A
Wine of Quina may be made by adding five grains of
the sulphate to a pint of Sherry ; a Tincture, by dis-
solving the same quantity in eight fluid-ounces of
Rectified Spirit. The sulphate is to be preferred to
the pure Quina in these cases, because, when the tinc-
ture is made by using the alkali, not saturated by an
acid, a precipitate is formed on adding it to aqueous
liquors. Dose of the Sulphate, gr. i. — ^v.

Acetate of Quina, very remarkable for the great
facility with which it crystallizes, and for the pearly
aspect and agreeable stellated grouping of the crystals;
whereas the acetate of cinchonia crystallizes with diffi-
culty, and simply in plates transparent, and devoid of
lustre.

Quina forms with the oxalic, gallic and tartaric
acids, salts as insoluble as those which the same acids
form with Cinchonia.

K 2

i6i cm

3, Cinchona Oblongifolia,

The Red Bark upon analysis was found to contain
a double basis, and to yield both Cinchonia and Quina,
and what is still more extraordinary, the quantity of
each exceeded that which is known to exist in the
grei/ and yellow barks.

The latest experiments, however, made on very large
quantities of the bark, have shewn that Quina and
Cinchonia exist simultaneously in all the three species;
but the Cinchonia is, relatively to the Quina, in greater
quantity in the gre?/ bark ; whilst, in the yellow bark,
the Quina so predominates, that the presence of the
Cinchonia might well have escaped notice when small
quantities were operated on.

Having thus furnished a sketch of this curious dis-
covery, we have next to enquire whether the alkaline
bases in question do actually concentrate all the virtues
of the barks in which they reside? M. Majendie*
informs us that Pelletier had very early after the
discovery transmitted to him a portion of the new
substances for trial, and that he has unequivocally
determined that they do not possess any deleterious
qualities,+ and are therefore essentially different from
the principles of Nux vomica, (Strychnine,) Opium,
(Morphia,) &c. According to the testimony of Dr.
Double, as related in the same journal, they would

* Journal de Physiologic. No. 1, p. 90.

+ Upon this point however a difference of opinion has existed ;
M. Halle entertained considerable fears on the subject, which
were supported by M. M. Larrcy, Emery, Duponchcl and others,
who communicated to the Societe Medicale d'Emulation, facts
which excited their apprehensions. The question, however, has
been set at rest both in this country and on the Continent. They
are perfectly harmless.

CIN 165

seem to possess the medicinal properties of the cin-
chona.

In the third number of Mojendie's Journal we re-
ceive a report from M. le docteur Renauklin, of an
intermittent cured by the Sulphate of Cinchonia, in
doses of six grains.

As the discovery of an alkaUne element in Opium led
the way to the detection of salifiable bases in other
active vegetables,* it has seemed to me preferable that
I should introduce those general observations which I
wish to offer upon the subject of those bodies, under
the history of that narcotic. It is only necessary in
this place to caution the practitioner against the hasty
generalizations of the too sanguine chemist ; it has
already been observed that those vegetable remedies,
whose value has been established by the sober ex-
perience of ages, consist of dilierent principles of
activity, or, at least, owe a modified power to the com-
pound effect of their several ingredients. (See vol, 1,
p. 285, note,)

Solubility of the Bark. Cold water extracts
its bitter taste, with some share of its odour; when
assisted by a moderate heat, the infusion is stronger,
but becomes turbid as it cools ; the infusion cannot
be kept, even for a short time, without undergoing
decomposition, and being spoiled ; wine also extracts
the virtues of bark, and is prevented by this substance

* Cinchonia has been detected in other vegetables besides the
Bark, as in the root of Cusparia, and in the berries of Capsicum,
while in the bark of Cascarilla, a substance bearing a much nearer
relation in medicinal effect to the Bark, its presence has not yet
been discovered. It is said that experiments have been lately
made by M. M. Robiquet and Petroz on the Bark of the Carapa,
which has been successfully used in several parts of America in
the cure of agues, and that they have found in that bark a salir
fiable basis analogous to Quina.

166 CIN

from becoming sour, a fact which probably depends
upon the avidity with which some of the principles of
bark combine with oxygen, and which may throw

' '^some light upon the cause of its antiseptic virtues.
The colouring matter of wine is precipitated by bark,
as it is by charcoal, in the course of a few days. By
decoction the active matter of cinchona is in a great
degree extracted, but if the process be protracted be-
yond eight or ten minutes, it undergoes a very impor-
tant chemical change, the precise nature of which is
not well understood ; the balarice of affinities, however,
/by which the different elements are united, is evidently
oyerthrown, and a considerable ^precipitation ensues;
oxygen w^ould also iappear ^to have been absorbed ;

, whether the Cinchonia becomes insoluble has not yet
been ascertained, bul^^ experience has shewn that the

A^general loss of solubility, produced by such a process,
i% accompanied with ^. corresponding loss of medicinal
activity ; on "vvhich account, the extract is necessarily
a very inefficient, preparation ; if we attempt to redis-
solve it, not more than one half is soluble in water.
Vinegar is a less powerful solvent than water ; the
active matter of bark is Vendered more soluble by the
addition of mineral acids, and by the earths and al-
kalies ; these latter bodies deepen its colour, and pre-
cipitate the Cinchotiiay for which reason, when they
are employed, the decoction ought not to be filtered ;
see Form. 41, 42, and note thereon. Lime water has
been recommended as a solvent, and it affords an
excellent form for children and dyspeptic patients ;
for the same reason we obtain a stronger and perhaps
a more efficient preparation, by triturating it with
magnesia, previous to the process of infusion. Alcohol
is a very powerful solvent, but the great activity of this
menstruum so limits its dose that we are prevented

CIN , 167

from exhibiting a sufficient quantity of the bark in the
form of tincture; it furnishes however an excellent
adjunct to other preparations.

Incompatible Substances. Precipitates are pro-
duced by the salts ofiron^ sulphate ofzinc^ nitrate of
silver^ oxymuriate of mercury^ tartarized antimony^
solutions of arsenic^ SfC, Any considerable portion of
a tincture produces also a precipitation, which some-
times does not immediately take place, and the medi-
cinal value of the bark is probably not impaired by it.
As the infusions of nut galls and some other vegetable
astringents precipitate the cinchonia from bark, it be- ^
comes a question how far such liquids are medicinally
compatible ; saline additions, as alum^ muriate of am.'
monia^ S^c. have been frequently proposed, but in many
such mixtures decompositions arise which must deceive
us with regard to the expected effects. Forms of
Exhibition. No form is so efficient as that of pow-
der, a fact which would seem to argue against the
exclusive value of the Cinchonia ; even the ligneous
fibre which the chemist pronounces to be inert and
useless, may produce its share of benefit by modifying
the solubility of the other ingredients, or by perform-
ing some mechanical duty which we are at present
unable to understand or appreciate ; but where the
stomach rejects it, it must be administered in infusion
or decoction^ with the addition of its • tincture. In
cases where it is necessary to join cordials, an infusion
of bark in Port wine* is a popular and very useful form

* It was under this form that the celebrated empiric Talbor
used to administer it in the paroxysms of Intermittents, and so
successful was his practice, that Louis XIV. was induced to pur-
chase at a large price the secret of his specific ; and Charles the
Second very unjustly protected him against the power of the Col-;
lege, and appointed him one o(his physicians..

168 CIN

for its administration. Dose of the powder, gr. v to
3ij or more, of the infusion or decoction Jij. Medici-
nal Uses. It is powerfully tonic and antiseptic ; it
was introduced into practice for curing intermittent
fevers, but since that period it has been generally used
in diseases of debility, in fevers of the typhoid type,
and in gangrene. It was first conjectured to be useful
in gout by Sydenham, and Dr. Haygarth has strongly
recommended its exhibition in acute rheumatism ;
when however it is used in these diseases, the greatest
attention ought to be paid to the state of the bowels,
and purgatives should be occasionally interposed. In
Dyspepsia, the use of the purer bitters is to be greatly
preferred to that of the bark. Officinal Prepara-
tions. Infus. Cinchonce^ L.E.D. Decoct. Cinchon.
L.E.D. Exiractum Cinchon. L.E. Extract. Cin-
ckonoe resinosum. L.D. Tinct. Cinchonce^ L.E.D.
Tinct. Cinchonce comp. L.E.D. Tinct. Cinchon. Am^
moniat. L. Magistral Formulae, 31, 37, 40, 44,
127. Adulterations. The frauds committed under
this head are most extensive ; it is not only mixed with
inferior barks, but frequently with genuine bark, the
active constituents of which have been entirely ex-
tracted by decoction with water. In selecting cinchona
bark, the following precautions may be useful ; it
should be dense, heavy and dry, not musty, nor spoiled
by moisture ; a decoction made of it should have a
reddish colour when warm ; but when cold, it should
become paler, and deposit a brownish red sediment.
When the bark is of a dark colour between red and
yellow, it is either of a bad species, or it has not been
well preserved. Its taste should be bitter, with a slight
acidity, but not nauseous, nor very astringent ; when
chewed, it should not appear in threads, nor of much
length; the odour is not very strong, but when bark

CIN 169

has been well cured, it is always perceptible, and the
stronger it is, provided it be pleasant, the better may
the bark be considered. In order to give bark the
form of quill^ the bark gatherers not unfrequently call
in the aid of artificial heat, by which its virtues are
deteriorated ; the fraud is detected by the colour being
much darker, and upon splitting the bark, by the in-
side exhibiting stripes of a whitish sickly hue. In the
form of powder, cinchona is always found more or less
adulterated. During a late official inspection of the
shops of apothecaries and druggists, the Censors re-
peatedly met with powdered cinchona having a harsh
metallic taste, quite foreign to that which characterizes
good bark.* The best test of the goodness of bark is
afforded by the quantity of Cinchonia^ or Quina that
piay be extracted from it ; and the manufacturer should
always institute such a trial before he purchases any
quantity, taking a certain number of pieces indis-
criminately from the bulk. Much has been said of
late concerning the probability of the genuine species
of the cinchona tree becoming extinct ; in consequence
of which some succedaneum has been anxiously sought
for ; the bark of the broad -leaved willow, Salijc Caprea^
has been proposed for this purpose. Vogel recommends
the root of Geum urbanum avens ; others propose that
of the Dastisca canahina.

The Cinchona Caribcea of the Edinburgh Pharma-
copoeia is said, by Dr. Wright, to whom we are in-
debted for our knowledge of it, to have satisfactorily

* Mr. Thompson has suggested the probability of this circum-
stance having arisen from the admixture of a species of bark,
lately introduced into Europe from Martinique, resembling the
Cinchona Floribuuda, and which, by an analysis of M. Cadet,
was found to contain iron. (London Disp. Edit. 3. p. 247.)

170 CIN

answered in all cases where the Peruvian bark was
indicated. The Geoffrcea Jntermis is often sold for it.
M. Re, Professor of the Materia Medica at the
Veterinary School at Turin, has announced that the
Lycopus EuropcBUS of Linnaeus, called by the peasants
of Piedmont the Herb China^ is a complete succe-
daneum for Peruvian Bark.* The success with which
bark has been imitated by medicinal combination, has
already been noticed in the first volume of this work.

CINNAMOMI CORTEX. L.E.D. (Laurus
Cinnamomura.) Cimiamon,

The qualities of Cinnamon depend upon the pre-
sence of an essential oil. Benzoic acid has been found
in it. It is principally employed to cover the taste of
nauseous medicines, and to correct the griping quality
of different purgatives. It is, however, in itself, astrin-
gent and tonic, whence it has been found efficacious
in the relief of alvine fluxes. Adulterations. It is
sometimes intermixed with cinnamon from which the
oil has been drawn ; the fraud is detected by the weak-
ness of the odour and taste of the specimen ; sometimes
it is mixed with cassia^ but this is soon discovered,
for cassia is thick and clumsy, breaks short, and smooth,
and has a remarkable slimy taste, whereas the fracture
of cinnamon is shivery, and its flavour warm and clean.
Cinnamon ought not to leave a mawkish taste in the
mouth ; this circumstance denotes an inferior quality.

* This plant is found in abundance in Piedmont, principally
in the marshes, where of course it is most needed. Nature is
very kind in this respect, for the particular situation which en-
genders endemic diseases, is generally congenial to the growth of
the plants that operate as antidotes to them.

COC 171

There is an inferior kind imported into Europe from
China, thrftugh the hands of private merchants ; this
is distinguished by being darker coloured, rougher,
denser, and by breaking shorter ; the taste is also
harsher, more pungent, and ligneous, without the
sweetness of Ceylon cinnamon. Dose of the cinnamon
in powder is from grs. x to 9j. Officinal Prep.
Aqua Cinnamomi, L.E.D. Spir, Cinnamomi^ L.E.D.
Tinct, Cinnamomiy L.E.D. Tinct, Cinnamom. co, L,
Pulv, Cinnamom. comp. L.E. *

CiNNAMOMi Oleum. It is principally imported
from Ceylon : it has a whitish yellow colour, a pun-
gent burning taste, and the peculiar fine flavour of
cinnamon in a very great degree. * It should sink in
water, and be entirely soluble in alcohol. It is one of
the most powerful stimulants which we possess. Dose,
Tl| i to iij, on a lump of sugar.

COCCUS. L.E. (Coccus Cacti.) Coccinella. D.

Cochineal,

It is an insect imported from Mexico and New
Spain, and has the appearance of a wrinkled berry or
seed of a deep mulberry colour, with a white powder
between the wrinkles. Uses. Its medicinal virtues
are now entirely discredited, and it is only employed
for the sake of its colouring matter, for the purpose of
a dye ; it was known to the Phoenicians, and was the
tolu of the Jews. Its watery solution is of a violet
crimson, its alcoholic of a deep crimson, and its alka-

* Dr. Davy, in a letter to me upon this subject, says, " there are
two kinds of oil of cinnamon procure4 in Ceylon, one of greater,
the other of less specific gravity than watev. In distillation they
come over together. On what the diflference depends 1 do not
know, nor am I aware that the subject has yet been investigated."

172 COL

line of a purple hue ; the colour of the watery infusion
is brightened by acids, cream of tartar, and* alum, and
at the same time partly precipitated. Dr. John has
given the name of Cochenelin to this colouring prin-
ciple, which M. M. Pelletier and Gaventou have lately
obtained in a perfectly pure state, as a very brilliant
purple red powder with a granular crystalline appear-
ance ; these chemists propose to call it Carmine^ but
as Mr. Children very justly observes, if we adopt the
term, its termination should be altered, to avoid con-
founding the pure colouring matter with the pigment
in common use. It may be called Carmina^ a more
harmonious name than Cochenelin, (Ann : de Chimie,
vol. viii). Incompatible Substances. The colour-
ing matter is decomposed by sulphate ofiron^ sulphate
of zinc ^ and acetate of lead. Officinal Prepara-
tions. Tinct : Cardamom: comp : L. D. Tinct :
Cinchon : comp : L. D. Tinct : Gentian^ comp : E.
Tinct: Cantharid: D. Adulterations. It is in-
variably adulterated with pieces of dough, formed in
moulds, and coloured with cochineal. I understand
that this fraud gives employment to a very considerable
number of women and children in this metropolis. A
cargo of the counterfeit article was some time since
exported, in order to obtain the drawback ; by throw-
ing a suspected sample into water, we shall dissolve the
spurious ones, and ascertain the extent of the adul-
teration.

COLCHICI RADIX, et SEMINA. L.E.D.

Colchicum Autumnale.

The Bulb oP the Meadow Saffron.

Qualities. When recent it has scarcely any odour,
but its taste is bitter, hot and acrid. Chemical

COL 173

Composition* Its properties reside in a milky juice,
and depend upon an alkaline principle; it contains
also gum, starch, inulin, and extractive matter, which,
when in solution, undergoes a chemical change, analo-
gous, I apprehend, to that which takes place in the
infusion of Senna, and it would appear with similar
inconvenience. Sir Everard Home ascertained that
this deposit, in the vinous infusion, excites nausea and
griping, but that it may be removed without destroying
the efficacy of the medicine. '^The alkaline element,
similar to that of the Hellebore (Ver atria) j lately
found in it, appears to exist in combination with gallic
acid. {Annales de Chimie^ torn. xiv. Mai^ 1820.) This
alkaline body would seem to display its greatest energies
by its action upon mucous surfaces ; in small portions
it excites violent sneezing, and when applied to the
membrane of the stomach, immediate vomiting and
purging are the result. See Veratri radioo. The vir-
tues of the bulb of Colchicum are very variable,
according to the place of growth and season of the
year. Since the third edition of this work, I have
been favoured with some valuable observations upon
this subject by Mr. Alexander Gordon ; he says that it
is in its greatest perfection from the beginning of June
until the middle of August.* It is also necessary to
extract the virtues of the bulb as soon as it is gathered,
for although removed from the earth, the developing
process of vegetation continues, and the substance un-
dergoes a corresponding series of chemical changes.

* With this opinion Mr. A. T. Thomson coincides, for in the
3d edition of his Dispensatory, he says, " the thick old bulb be-
gins to decay after the flower is perfectly expanded, and the new
bulbs, of which there are always two formed on each old bulb,
are perfected in the following June ; from which time until the
middle of August, they may be taken up for medicinal use."

174 COL

and finally becomes as inert as if it had remained in
the ground. It is a problem of some importance to
discover a method of destroying the vegetable life of
the bulb, w^ithout at the same time injuring its vir-
tues, for I apprehend that a want of attention to the
above precaution frequently renders the vinous infusion
inactive. The practitioner engaged in preparing this
vegetable remedy virill find some valuable directions in
the third edition of Thomson's Dispensatory. The
flower of the meadow saffron is very poisonous to
cattle. Solubility. Vinegar and wine * are the best
menstrua for extracting its active qualities ; by decoc-
tion its essential oil is dissipated. Medicinal Uses.
It has been much extolled on the continent as a remedy
in dropsy, especially in hydro-thorax, and in humoral
asthma ; its operation however as a diuretic, is less
certain than squill, although its modus operandi is
analogous to it, as will be seen by referring to our

* Eau Medicinale De Husson. After various attempts to
discover the active ingredient of this Parisian remedy, it is at
length determined to be the colchicura autumnale which several
ancient authors, under the name of hermodactyllus, have recom-
mended in the cure of gout, as stated in the historical preface to
this work. The following is the receipt for preparing this me-
dicine. Take two ounces of the root of colchicum, cut it into
slices, macerate it in four fluid ounces of Spanish white wine, and
filter. See Veratri Radix {note).

Dr. Wilson's Tincture for the Gout. This is merely
an infusion of colchicum, as Dr. Williams of Ipswich has satis-
factorily shewn. Since the discovery of colchicum being the ac-
tive ingredient of the Eau medicinale, numerous empirical reme-
dies have started up, containing the principles of tlie plant in
different forms.

The expressed juice of the colchicum is used in Alsace to de-
stroy vermin in the hair : it is very acrid, and excoriates the parts
to which it is applied.

COL 175

new arrangement of Diuretic remedies, see volume 1.
As a specific in gout its efficacy has been fully ascer-
tained; it allays pain, and cuts short the paroxysm.
It has also a decided action upon the arterial system,
which it would appear to control through the medium
of the nerves. Incompatible Substances. In my
opinion, acids, and all oxygenated substances render
the vinous infusion drastic ; on the contrary, alkalies
render its principles more soluble, and its operation
more mild, but not less efficacious. Magnesia may
judiciously accompany its exhibition. Dose of the
saturated vinous infusion, the only form in which its
successful operation can be insured, f5ss to f5j, when-
ever the patient is in pain. See Vinum Colchici,
Officinal Preparations. Acetum Colchici^ L.
Oxymel Colchici^ D. Vinum Colchici^ L. Spiritus
Colchici Ammoniatus^ L. St/rupus Colchici Autumn^
alis^ E.

Colchici Semina. Dr. Williams of Ipswich has
lately published an account of the efficacy of the Seeds
of Colchicum, which he says possess all the virtues of
the root, without its pernicious* qualities; the form
in which he administers them, is in that of vinous in-
fusion. + He also informs me that he has experienced
considerable tonic effects from these seeds ; and that
unlike other narcotic remedies they do not appear to
produce, or favour congestion in the head. The seeds

* Dr. Davy, however, informs me that he is acquainted with a
fatal instance from an excessive dose of these seeds, viz. 5j> taken
by a medical man for gout. On dissection, most of the viscera,
more especially the brain and intestines, exhibited great sangui-
neous turgescence, and appearances of inflammation.

+ This preparation, or the Seeds, may be procured for trial,
from the house of Savory, Moore, and Davidson, of New Bond
Street.

176 COL

ought not to be bruisedj as their virtues reside chiefly
in the husk, or cortical part.

COLOCYNTHIDIS PULPA. L.E.D.

(Cucumis Colocynthis.)
Colocynth. Coloquintida. Bitter Cucumber,

Qualities. The medullary part of this fruit, which
is alone made use of, is a light, white, spongy body.
Taste, intensely bitter and nauseous. Odour, when
dry, none. Cmemical Composition. Mucilage,
resin, a bitter principle, and some gallic acid. Solu-
bility. Alcohol and water alike extract its virtues,
but the active principle resides both in the portion so-
luble in water, and in that which is insoluble. Medi-
cinal Uses. It is a very powerful drastic cathartic,
and was employed by the ancients in dropsical and le-
thargic diseases. Many attempts have been made to
mitigate its violence, which is best effected by tritu-
rating it with gummy farinaceous substances, or the
oily seeds ; the watery decoction or infusion is much
less severe, and has been recommended in worm cases,
but it is rarely employed, except in combination with
other purgatives. Thunberg informs us, (see his Tra-
vels, vol. ii, /). 171) that this article is rendered so per-
fectly mild at the Cape of Good Hope by being pickled,
that it is absolutely used as food both by the natives
and colonists. Mixed with paste or other cements, it
is used to keep away insects, which it does by its ex-
treme bitterness. Dose, grs. iv. to x. Incompatible
Substance^ The infusion is disturbed by sub-acetate,
and acetate of lead; nitrate of silver ; sulphate of
iron, and by the fixed alkalies. Officinal Prepa-
rations. Extract Coloci/nth.ln, Extract. Colocynth,

CON ^ 17?

tomp. L.D. Pil. Aloes cum Colocynth. D.E. (B)
When the fruit is larger than a St. Michael's orange^
and has black acute pointed seeds, it is not good.

CONFECTIONES. L. Confections.

Under this title the London College comprehends
the conserves and electuaries of its former Pharmaco-
poeias ; but in strict propriety, and for practical conve-
nience, the distinction between conserves and electu^
aries oucrht to have been maintained. Saccharine
matter enters into each of these compositions, but in
dillerent proportions, and for different objects. In
conserves it is intended to preserve the virtues of re-
cent vegetables ; in electuaries, to impart convenience
of form. See Electuaria.

CoNFECTio Amygdalarum. L. Tliis preparation
affords an expeditious mode of preparing the almond
emulsion ; it should be used in the proportion of a
drachm to each fluid ounce of distilled water.

CoNFECTio Aromatica. L. ElectuariuM Aroma"
ticum, E.D. This is a very useful combination of
various aromatics, to which the London and Dublin
colleges have added a carbonate of lime; this circum-
stance makes the preparation a judicious constituent
for the exhibition of active salts, liable to be invali-
dated by the presence of acid in the stomach, but, at
the same time, rendering it incompatible with acidsy
aniimonial wine, Sfc. These observations do not of
course extend to the aromatic electuary of the Edin-
burgh pharmacopoeia. See Form : 15, 42, 49, 125, 126.
Dose 9j to 5j.

CoNFECTio Cassia. L. The ingredients of this
confection are manna, tamarind pulp, and syrup of
roses. It is gently laxative, and from its agreeable
flavour is well calculated for children. The pharma-
ceutist, in preparing it, must take care that he does

Vol. II. M

178 CON

not substitute the syrup of the red^ for that of the du'
mask rose ; a substitution, as stated under the head
of Syrupi, not very unusual. The confection does not
ferment or become acescent. Dose 3J to Jj.

CoNFECTio Opii. L. Electuarium Opiatum, E.
This is a combination of aromatics with opium, in-
tended as a substitute for the Mithridate and Theriaca
of the old pharmacopoeias. It is highly useful in flatu-
lent cholic and diarrhoea, and in all cases where a stim-
ulant narcotic is indicated. One grain of opium is
contained in grs. SQ of the London, and in grs. 43 of
the Edinburgh preparation. Dose, grs. x to xxx.

CoNFECTio PiPERis NiGRi. L. This preparation
has been introduced into the Pharmacopoeia, on the
suggestion of several eminent practitioners, who have
experienced its utility in certain cases of Piles. It
is intended to resemble Ward's * Paste, whose com-
position has been given in all the former editions of
this work, and according to which Formula the com-
mittee have directed the present preparation. It is prin-
cipally useful in those cases attended with considerable
debility, in leucophlegmatic habits, and when piles arise
from a deficient secretion in the rectum. On the other
hand, the composition will as certainly prove injurious
in those cases which are accompanied with erysipela-
tous inflammation, and which require cooling laxatives,
and a total abstinence from all stimulants, for their cure.

CoNFECTio RoSiE Canin^, olim Conserva Cynos-
hati. Its acidity depends upon uncombined citric acid,
a circumstance which it is essential to remember when
we direct its use in combination. The hip, or fruit of

* Ward was originally a footman, and, during his attendance
upon his master on the Continent, obtained from the Monks those
receipts which afterwards became his nostrums. It may be ob-
served that this Confection appears to be well adapted for the cure
of that species of Piles which probably attended the sedentary*
and luxurious habits of the monks.

CON 179

this plant, beat up with sugar, and mixed with wine,
is a very acceptable treat in the north of Europe.

CoNFECTio Ros^ Gallic-s:. Confection of the
Red Rose, Principally used as a vehicle for more ac-
tive medicines. It is sometimes brightened by the
addition of a small proportion of sulphuric acid ; this
is a circumstance of great importance, where the con-
fection is used for making the mercurial pill. See
Pilulce Hydrarg, It is a very common excipient for
pills, see Form : gl, 59, m, 73, 122, 160, 170.

CoNFECTioRuT^, ConfectioYi ofRue, The princi-
pal use of this preparation is as an ingredient in anti-
spasmodic enemas.

CoNFECTio ScAMMONEiE. L.D. Scammouy, two
parts ^ powdered cloves and ginger, of each, one part,
to which are added a small portion of oil of carraway,
and of syrup of roses, q. s. It is a stimulating cathartic,
and may be given in the dose of 3SS to 3J .

CoNFECTio Senn-e. L.E.D. olim Electuarium
Lenitivum, The ingredients of this preparation are
senna leaves, figs, tamarind pulp, cassia pulp, the pulp
of prunes, coriander seeds, liquorice root, and refined
sugar. It is gently laxative, and is an excellent vehi-
cle for the exhibition of more powerful cathartics.
(Form. 74, 93.) When properly made, it is an elegant
preparation, not apt to ferment, nor to become aces-
cent; the directions of the pharmacopoeia are however
rarely followed. Jalap blackened with walnut liquor,
is frequently substituted for the more expensive article
cassia ; and the great bulk of it, sold in London, is
little else than prunes, figs, and jalap. I understand
that a considerable quantity is also manufactured in
Staffordshire, into which unsound and spoilt apples
enter as a principal ingredient. The preparation sold
at Apothecaries' Hall is certainly unique in excellence.

Dose, 3ij or more.

M 2

180 CON

The above are the principal confections which are
employed in modern practice, for happily the shops are
at length disencumbered of those nauseous insignificant
conserves, unknown to the ancients, but which were
ushered into use by the Arabian physicians, and which
continued for so many years to disgi'ace our dispensa-
tories and to embarrass our practice. The French, in
their new Codex Medicamentarius, have limited their
electuaries to a number not exceeding nine ;. they have
however made up in complexity for deficiency in num-
ber ; the Electuarium de croco, which is intended to
answer the same ends as our confectio aromatica, has
no less than twelve ingredients, although the force of
the combination depends entirely upon carbonate of
lime, cinnamon, and saffron ; and so it is with the rest.

CONII FOLIA. L.E. (Conium Maculatum.)
Cicuta. D. Hemlock.

Qualities. The leaves, when properly dried, have
a strong and narcotic odour, and a slightly bitter and
nauseous taste : the fresh leaves contain not only the
narcotic, but also the acrid principle : by exsiccation,
the latter is nearly lost, but the former undergoes no
change ; the medicinal properties of the leaves are
therefore improved by the operation of drying. Che-
mical Composition. The medicinal activity of the
plant resides in a resinous element, which may be ob-
tained in an insulated form, by evaporating an ethereal
tincture made with the leaves, on the surface of water ;
it has a rich dark green colour, and contains the pecu-
liar odour and taste of hemlock in perfection ; a dose
of half a grain will produce vertigo and head-ache.
It may be distinguished by the name of Conein. The
watery extract of this plant can therefore possess but
little power, a fact which Orfila has fully established by
experiment. No part of the plant is entirely destitute

CON 181

of efficacy, tliougli the leaves possess the most activity.
Solubility. Alcohol and aether extract its virtues.
Incompatible Substances. Its energies are greatly
diminished by vegetable acids ; hence vinegar is its
best antidote. Medicinal U$es. It is a powerful
sedative, and has been deservedly commended for its
powers in allaying morbid irritabihty : according to
my own experience, it is, in well directed doses, by
far the most efficacious of all pallia,tives, for quieting
pulmonary irritation. It has been extolled also in the
cure of schirrus and cancer, and it will without doubt
prove in such cases a valuable resource, from its seda-
tive influence. Externally, it will afford considerable
relief in irritable ulcers, when applied in the form of
fomentation or cataplasm, see Form. 17, 18. Forms
OF Exhibition. The dried leaves, powdered, and
made into pills, (Form, 2, 17, 18.) The powder
ought to have a fine lively green colour. Dose, gr. iij,
gradually increased, until some eftect is produced.
Several different plants have been mistaken for, and
employed in the place of hemlock, such as Cicuia F/-
rosa^ (the water hemlock,) JEthusa Cz/napium^ Caur
calls anthriscus^ and several species o^ Cheer ophi/ Hum,
Officinal Preparations. Extiact, CowzV. L.E.Dc

CONTRA JERV^ RADIX. L.E.

(Dorstenia Contrajerva, Radix.) Contrajerva Root.

The qualities of this plant are alike extracted by
spirit and water ; the watery decoction, however, is
very mucilaginous ; as it contains no astringent mat-
ter, the salts of iron do not affect it. Dose of the
powdered root, gr. v to jss, but it is rarely used. It
is considered cordial, and diaphoretic. Has it any
virtues ? The Spanish Indians have long used it as an

182 COP

antidote to poisons ; the Spanish word contrahiirba
signifies antidote. Officinal Prep. Pulv. Cori"
trajerv, co. L.

COPAIBA, L.E. (Copaifera Officinalis.)

Balsamum Copaibae. D.

Copaiba, Copaiva, or Capivi Balsam,

Qualities. Consistence, that of oil, or a little
thicker. Colour, pale golden yellow. Odour, fragrant
and pec\iliar. Taste, aromatic, bitter, and sharp.
Sp. Grav. 0*950. Chemical Composition. It is
improperly denominated a balsam, for it contains no
benzoic acid, but consists of resin and essential oil.
Solubility. It is insoluble in water, but soluble
in ten parts of alcohol, and in expressed and essential
oils ; with the pure alkalies it forms white saponaceous
compounds which are soluble in water, forming opaque
emulsions. Medicinal Uses. Stimulant, diuretic,
and laxative; it seems to act more powerfully on the
urinary passages than any of the other resinous fluids ;
hence its use in gleets and in fluor albus. Its use
gives the urine an intensely bitter taste, but not a
violet smell, as the turpentines do. By referring to
the Synoptical arrangement of Diuretic remedies, (see
Volume 1), it will appear that Copaiba is referred to
Class I, 1, b. for there is reason to believe that its active
principle undergoes absorption, and by coming in con-
tact with the urinary organs, produces the medicinal
effects for which it is so highly valued. Forms of
Exhibition. Diffused in soft or distilled water by
yolk of egg, or by twice its weight of mucilage, f5ss
to every f Jj of water, forms an elegant mixture, or it
may be given dropped on sugar, and in this latter form

COR 183

it is certainly more disposed to act on the urinary
organs, than when exhibited in that of an emulsion.
{Form, 156.) Dr. Chapman has proposed a new mode
of exhibiting this medicine ; he advises us to pour the
Copaiba on half a wine-glassful of water, and after-
wards to add slowly a few drops of a common bitter
tincture, by which means the Copaiba will be col-
lected in a small globule that may be easily swallowed,
while its taste, so nauseous to most patients, will be
entirely masked by the bitterness of the vehicle. In
whatever form, however, this medicine is administered,
it is extremely apt to derange the digestive organs, if
long continued, and the unpleasant effects thus occa-
sioned remain, in some cases, for a very long period.
Adulterations. A considerable quantity sold in
London is entirely factitious, A curious trial took
place some time since, between the owner of certain
premises that were burnt down, and the Governors of
the Sun Fire Office, in consequence of the latter re-
fusing to indemnify the proprietor for his loss, because
the fire had been occasioned by his making Balsam of
Copaiba. This article is also adulterated with mastiche
and oil ; M. Bucholz asserts that if it does not dissolve
in a mixture of four parts of pure alcohol, and one of
rectified aether, we may infer its adulteration ; rape oil
is also frequently mixed with it, in which case if drop-
ped into water, the drops will not retain their spherical
form, as they invariably will, if pure.

CORNUA. L.E.D. Cervus Elaphus.

Stages J or HarVs Horn.

The horns of the stag differ only from bone, in con-
taining less of the phosphate of lime, and a larger
proportion of gelatine , by boiling, they yield a clear,

184 [CRE

transparent, and flavourless jelly^ in quantity about
one-fourth of the weight of the shavings employed ;
to obtain which we should boil §iv in f gvij of water,
until reduced to f §vi. Adulterations. This article
is often sophisticated with the shavings of mutton
bone ; the fraud is detected by their greater degree of
brittleness. They were formerly so much used for the
preparation of ammonia, that the alkali was commonly
called Salty or Spirit^ of Hartshorn,

CRETA PRiEPARATA. L.D.

Carbonas Calcis Preparatus. E. Prepared Chalk,

This is common chalk, the coarser particles of which
have been removed by the mechanical operation of
washing. It consists of carbonate of lime, with various
earthy impurities. The Dublin Pharmacopoeia directs
a chemical process for obtaining a perfectly pure car-
bonate (Creta Prcecipitata)^ but it appears to be an
unnecessary refinement. Med. Uses. It is antacid
and absorbent, on which account it is useful in acidi-
ties of the primae viae, and in diarrhoeas, after removing
all irritating matters by previous evacuation. (Form,
52.) From its absorbent properties, it is a good ex-
ternal application to ulcers discharging a thin ichorous
matter. Dose, grs. x to Qij, or more. It is almost
unnecessary to state that it must not be combined with
acidulous salts ; I have however seen a formula for a
powder, intended as an astringent, in which chalk
and alum entered as ingredients. Officinal Phep.
Hydrargyrum cum creta, L. Pulvis cretce comp,
L. E. Pulv. Opiatus, E. (F) Mist, Cretce. L. E.
Trochisci Carhonatis Calcis, E. Confectio Aromatica.
L.E. (G)

CRO 185

CROCI STIGMATA. L.E.

(Crocus Sativus.)
Crocus. D. Saffron,

Qualities, /brw?, cakes, consisting of the stigmata
of the flower, closely pressed together. Odour ^ sweet,
penetrating and diffusive. TastCy warm and bitterish.
Colour^ a rich and deep orange red. Chemicaii
Composition. One hundred parts consist of sixty-
two of extractive, the remaining parts are chiefly lig-
neous fibre, with small portions of resin and essential
oil. Bouillon Lagrange and Vogel have examined this
extractive matter very accurately, and from the cir-
cumstance of its watery infusion assuming difierent
colours when treated with different agents, they have
named it poli/chroite. Thus chlorine and light destroy
its colour, sulphuric acid changes it to indigo which
gradually becomes lilac, and nitric acid gives it a green
hue. Solubility. It yields its colour and active
ingredients to water, alcohol, proof spirit, wine, vine-
gar, and in a less degree to aether ; the watery infusion,
and the vinous tincture soon grow sour, and lose their
properties, and the solution in vinegar becomes quickly
colourless. Med. Uses. It is now never employed
but for the sake of its colour or aromatic flavour, as an
adjunct to other substances. It is much used in foreign
cookery to colour rice, &c. Officinal Prep. Syrup.
CrocL Li. Tinct, Croci sativu E. Confect. Aromat.
L.D. (O). Pil. Aloes cum Myrrha. L. (G). Tinct.
Aloes comp. L.E.D. (O) Tinct, Cinchonce comp, L.D.
Tinct, Rhei, L. (O). Tinct. Rhei comp, L. (O).
Adulterations. It is not unfrequently sophisticated
with the fibres of smoked beef, or the petals of flowers,
especially of the marigold, (Calendula Officinalis^)
find of the safflower, ( Carthamus Tinclorius,) The

186 CUB

former of these fraudulent ingredients is indicated by
the unpleasant odour which arises when the saffron
is thrown upon live coals ; the latter, by infusing the
specimen in hot water, when the expanded stigmata
may be easily distinguished from the other petals of
substituted flowers ; a deficiency of colour and odour
in the infusion indicates that a tincture or infusion has
already been drawn from the saffron, and that it has
been subsequently pressed again into a cake. In the
market is to be found saffron from Sicily, France, and
Spain, besides the English ; that which is imported
from Spain, is generally spoiled with oil, in which it is
dipt with the intention of preserving it. The cake
saffron sold in some of the less respectable shops, con-
sists of one part of saffron and nine of marigold, made
into a cake with oil, and then pressed ; it is sold in
considerable quantities for the use of birds, when in
moult.

CUBEBA.* L. (Piper Cubeba.) Baccce.

Cubehsj or Java Pepper,

This Indian spice, a native of Java, formerly held a
place in our materia medica, and entered into the com-
position of mithridate and theriaca^ but being inferior
in pungency and aromatic warmth to pepper, it fell
into disuse. Lately, however, it has been ushered into
surgical practice for the cure of gonorrhoea, with all
the extravagance of praise which usually attends the
revival of an old, or the introduction of a new medi-
cine.t It has been pronounced to be a specific in this

* Cubeba — Indis Cubab; Avicenn* Kebiba. It makes short
the penultima, because Actuariu«J and other modern Greeks call it
HawEwep, xo/otwETrfp, and >toyJ^tQoi,

+ See *' Practical Observations on the use of Cubebs, in the
cure of Gonorrhoea," by H. Jeffreys, Esq.

CUB 187

complaint, if taken in the early stages, in the dose of a
dessert spoonful three times a day, in a sufficient quan-
tity of water. The Indians have been long acquainted
with the influence which cubebs exerts upon these
organs ; thus Garcias, " Apud Indos cubebarum in
vino maceratarum est usus ad exitandam venerem,^^
Chemical Composition. M. Vauquelin has lately
made a very accurate analysis of this pepper, from
which its composition may be stated as follows : 1 . A
volatile oil, which is nearly solid. — 2. A resin, resemb^
ling Balsam of Copaiba. — 3. Another and coloured
resin. — 4. A coloured gummy matter. — 5. An extractive
principle, similar to that which is found in leguminous
plants. — 6. Some saline substances. He consideis the
resin resembling the Copaiba^ to be the peculiar matter
in which that property resides, which imparts to it the
power of curing gonorrhoea. As the qualities of this
spice do not reside in volatile elements, an extract
made with rectified spirit will be found to possess the
whole of its virtues. The French, in their new Codex
MedicamentariuSy have introduced the cubebs into
their list of materia medica. There is a precaution,
with respect to the exhibition of Cubebs, which it is
important for the practitioner to remember — to keep
the bowels thoroughly open ; for where hardened faeces
are allowed to accumulate, the spice insinuates itself
into the mass, and produces excoriations in the rectum.
Adulterations. The " Turkey Yellow Berries,"
i. e. the dried fruit of the Rhamnus Catharticus^ are
often substituted for the Cubebs, and the similarity
between them is so great, that the casual observer may
be easily deceived.

188 CUM

CUMINI ; SEMINA. L. Cumin Seeds.

Qualities. Odour strongs heavy, and peculiar;
Taste bitterish and warm. Chemical Composition.
Gum, resin, and a yellow pungent oil, upon which the
peculiar properties of the seeds depend. Solubility.
Water does not extract more than their odour, but al-
cohol dissolves all the principles in which their virtues
reside, and leaves upon evaporation a powerful extract.
Medicinal Uses. Carminative and stomachic ; they
are however but rarely used, except as an ingredient in
plasters.

CUPRI SULPHAS. L.E.D. Sulphate of Copper.

vulgo Blue Vitriol. Blue Copperas,

Qualities. Form^ crystals, which are rhomboidal
prisms. Colour^ a deep rich blue. Taste^ harsh, acrid,
and styptic ; they slightly effloresce ; when treated
with sulphuric acid, no effervescence occurs, a circum-
stance which at once distinguishes this salt from GErugo,
Chemical Composition. According to the latest ex-
periments, it is an oxi/sulphate^ consisting of one pro-

;J: " Cuminum makes long the penultima, thus —
*' Rugosum Piper et pallentis grana Cumini : "

Pers: Sat: v.
This line of the satirist also records an opinion which is worthy
notice, that Cumin will make those who drink it, or wash them-
selves with it, or as some say, who smoke it, of a pale visage. This
belief is mentioned by Dioscorides; and Pliny informs us that
the disciples of Porcius Latro, a famous master of the art of
speaking, were reported to have used Cumin, in order to imitate
that paleness which their master had constracted by his studies ;
thus too Horace,

■ Proh si

*' Pallerem casu, biberent exsangue Cuminum."

Jipist. 19. Lib. l,lin: 18.

CUP 189

portional of peroxide with two proportionals of sul-
phuric acid, and when crystallized, it contains ten pro-
portionals of water ; its beautiful colour depends on
this last inorredient. Solubility. It is soluble in
four parts of water at 60, and in less than two at 212^;
the solution shews an excess of acid by reddening lit-
mus. In alcohol it is insoluble. Incompatible Sub-
stances. Alkalies and their carbonates ; suh-borate
of soda; acetate of ammonia; tartrate of potass ;
muriate of lime ; nitrate of silver ; sub-acetate^ and
acetate of lead; ox y -muriate of mercury ; all astrin-
gent vegetable infusions and tinctures. Iron im-
mersed in the solution, precipitates copper in a metal-
lic form ; hence the exhibition of the filings of iron
has been proposed as an antidote.* Medicinal Uses.
It is emetic from grs. ij to xv. tonic gr. j ; it is, how-
ever, but rarely used internally except as an emetic ;

* It may be here observed that Copper, in its metallic form,
exerts no action on the system. A most striking instance of tliis
fact occurred during my hospital practice, in the case of a young
woman who swallowed six copper penny pieces with a view of de-
stroying herself ; she was attended by Dr. Maton and myself in
the Westminster Hospital for two years, for a disease which we
considered visceral, but which was evidently the effect of mecha-
nical obstruction, occasioned by the coin. After a lapse of five
years she voided them, and then confessed the cause of her pro-
tracted disease, during the whole course of which no symptom
arose which could in any way be attributed to the poisonous in-
fluence of copper. Dr. Baillie, in his morbid anatomy, relates a
case, in which five halfpence had been lodged in a pouch in the
stomach, for a considerable time, without occasioning any irri-
tation ; and Theodore Gardelle, after his conviction for the mur-
der of Mrs. King, in Leicester Square, swallowed a number of
halfpence, for the purpose of destroying himself, but without
producing any ill effects. Mr. A. T. Thomson relates also two
cases of halfpence being swallowed by children, in one of which
the copper coin remained six months in the intestines, and in the

190 CUM

externally it is employed as an escharotic ; and, in so-
other two months. The jfilings of copper were formerly a favo-
rite remedy in rheumatism, a drachm of which has been taken
with impunity for a dose. It appears therefore that metallic
copper does not undergo any change in the digestive organs by
which it is converted into a poison, notwithstanding the presence
of substances, which, out of the body, would at once render it
destructive, as we have too many cases to shew, from the careless
use of copper utensils in cookery. It is, however, a very im-
portant fact, that copper cannot be dissolved while tin is co-ex-
istent in the mixture, hence the great use of tinning copper uten-
sils; and farther, it is asserted that untinned coppers are less
liable to be injurious when pewter spoons are used for stirring,
than when silver ones are employed for that purpose ; the explan-
ation of this fact is to be sought for in the well known principle
of Electro-Chemistry, and which has lately been applied with so
much ingenuity by the illustrious President of the Royal Society,
for the protection of copper on the bottom of ships, by the juxta
position of small discs of Tin or Iron.t For the same reason,
M. Proust has shewn that the tinning of kitchen utensils, which
consists of equal parts of tin and lead, cannot be dangerous from
the presence of the latter metal, since it is sufficient that the lead
should be combined with tin, in order to prevent it from being
dissolved in any vegetable acid. M. Guersent therefore is wrong
when, speaking of the tinning of copper vessels, he says, " it is a
light veil, which conceals the danger, instead of being a true
preservative, and that it only inspires a security often fatal.'*
Some recent experiments however, of Dr. Bostock, have
shewn that, in consequence of the volatility of acetic acid, cop-
per is not protected by the juxta-position of discs of tin; since
the acid under such circumstances ceases to form a part of the
galvanic circle. The poisonous effects of the salts of Copper
have been strikingly illustrated during the prosecution of Sir H.
Davy's experiments above alluded to, for it is found that when the
copper sheathing of ships is not protected by the contact of
another metal, they are uniformly free from marine animals, but
that where the solution of the copper is prevented by galvanic
action, the bottoms soon become covered with every species of
sea insect.

+ For a further explanation of this curious fact the student
may consult my work on Medical Chemistry.

CUP 191

lution, as a stimulant to foul obstinate ulcers.* In
the proportion of half a drachm to eight ounces of
rose water, it forms a lotion which has been found
very efficacious in phagedenic ulcers of the face, and
in allaying itching when attended with erysipelatous
inflammation about the anus and labia pudendi. It is
also a styptic when applied in solution. Officinal
Preparation. Solut, Cupri Sulphat. com, E. Cw-
prum Ammoniatum L.E.D. (I) (Form. 68.)

CUPRUM AMMONIATUM. L.D.

Ammoniaretum Cupri. E. Ammoniated Copper,

Qualities. Form, a violet coloured mass, which
on exposure to air becomes green, and is probably
converted into a carbonate. Taste, styptic and metalline.
Odour, ammoniacal. Chemical Composition. It
is a triple salt, a sub-sulphate of oxide of copper, and
ammonia. The Edinburgh College is certainly incor-
rect in calling it an ammoniuret. Solubility, fgj
of water dissolves Qj of this salt. Incompatible
Substances ; Acids ; ihejixed Alkalies ; Lime water.
Medicinal Uses. It is tonic and antispasmodic. Dr.
CuUen first proposed its exhibition in epilepsy, and it
has frequently been employed with evident advantage
in that disease. It has been also given in chorea, after
a course of purgatives. Brera considers it quite equal
to Arsenic, in the cure of obstinate Intermittents ;
other physicians have commended it in cases of Hysteria.
Forms of Exhibition. It may be formed into pills

* Bates's Aqua Camphorata. — Sulphate of copper is the base
of this preparation, which was strongly recommended by Mr.
Ware. The following was his recipe : R. Cupri Sulph. BoU
Gallic, a. a. gr. xv. Camphorae gr. iv. solve, in aq. fervent, f ^ iv,
dilueque cum aquae frigidae oiv ut fiat Collyriura.

192 CUS

with bread ; to which an addition of sugar lias been
recommended, to prevent them from becoming hard ;
but we must remember that recent experiments have
shewn that sugar has the power of counteracting the
operation of copper. Dose, gr. | cautiously encreased
to grs. V. twice a day. Officinal Preparations,
Liquor Cupri Ammoniati. L.

CUSPARIiE CORTEX. L. (Cusparia febrifuga.)

BoNPLANDIiE TRlFOLIATiE CoRTEX. E.

Angustura, Cortex. D.

Cusparia^ or Angustura Bark,

Qualities. Form, pieces covered with a whitish
wrinkled thin epidermis ; the inner surface is smooth,
of a brownish yellow colour. Odour, not strong, but
peculiar. Taste, bitter, slightly aromatic, and perma-
nent. Chemical Composition. Cinchonia, resin,
extractive, carbonate of ammonia, and essential oil.
Solubility. Its active matter is taken up by cold
and hot water, and is not injured by long decoction,
but the addition of alcohol precipitates part of the
extractive. Alcohol dissolves its bitter and aromatic
parts, but proof spirit appears to be its most complete
menstruum. Incompatible Substances. Sulphate
oflYon ; Sulphate of Copper ; Oxy -muriate of Mer-
cury \ Nitrate of Silver ; Tartarized Antimony ; Sub-
acetate, and Acetate of Lead; Potass ; and perhaps
the Mineral Acids, for they produce precipitates, as
do also the infusions of Galls, and Yellow Cinchona,
Medicinal Uses. Stimulant and tonic; it does not,
like cinchona, oppress the stomach, but imparts a
degree of warmth, expels flatus, and increases the
appetite for food : with respect to its powers in the

DAT 193

cure of intermittents, many doubts are entertained.
Forms of Exhibition. In substance, infusion, decoc-
tion, tincture, or extract ; its nauseous taste is best dis-
guised by cinnamon. Dose of the powder, grs. v to 9j ;
of the infusion or decoction, f §j ; in large doses all the
forms are liable to produce nausea. Form,b%. Offici-
nal Prep. //?/w5Mm Cusparice. L. Tinct. Bonplandice
Trifoliatce,^. Tinct, Angusturce, D. Adulterations.
There is found in the market a particular bark, which has
been called Fine x\ngustura, but which is of a differ-
ent species, and is a very energetic poison. This bark
is characterized by having its epidermis covered with a
matter which has the appearance of rust of iron, and
which, moreover, possesses certain chemical properties
of this metal ; for if water acidulated with muriatic
acid be agitated in contact with its powder, it assumes
a beautiful green colour, and affords with an alkaline
prussiate, (Hydro-cyanate of Potass) a Prussian blue
precipitate. Late researches have detected the pre-
sence of an alkaline element in this bark, on which
the name of Brucia has been bestowed. When this
alkali is dissolved in boiling alcohol, and crystallized
by spontaneous evaporation, it yields colourless and
transparent crystals in the form of oblique quadrangu-
lar prisms.

DATURiE STRAMONIl HERBA. E. D:

The Herbaceous part of the Thorn Apple,

Qualities. Odour^ foetid and narcotic, occasion-
ing head-ache and stupor; Taste, bitter and some-
what nauseous. Chemical Composition. Gum,
resin, and carbonate of ammonia ; the recent experi-
ments of M. Brandes have also developed an alkaline
element of activity, to which the name of Daturia

Vol. II. N

194 DAT

has been assigned ; it appears to exist in native com-
bination with malic acid ; when in an uncombined
state it is nearly insoluble in water, and in cold alco-
hol, but boiling alcohol dissolves it. It has been ob-
tained with difficulty in the form of quadrangular
prisms. Solubility. The medicinal powers of the
herb are alike extracted by aqueous and spirituous
menstrua. Incompatible Substances. The infu-
sion is precipitated by the salts of lead, silver, mercury,
and iron ; the mineral acids would also appear to pro-
duce some essential changes which may diminish its
efficacy. Acetic acid increases its powers, although it
relieves the effects of an over-dose, if administered after
the stomach has been emptied. This apparent ano-
maly is easily explained when we consider, that in the
first case its operation is purely chemical^ increasing
the solubility of the active principle of the plant, while
in the latter case it operates as a vital agent, restoring
to the nervous system tliat energy which has been sus-
pended by the narcotic influence of the vegetable.
Medicinal Uses. It is narcotic, and has been regarded
by many authors as eminently antispasmodic ; Dr.
Barton, an American physician, made very extensive
trials of its efficacy in Mania, the result of which is highly
favourable to its use. Dr. Marcet first noticed its salu-
tary effects in chronic diseases attended with violent
pain ; he found it to lessen powerfully, and quickly,
sensibility and pain, and to produce a sort of nervous
shock, attended with a momentary affection of the head
and eyes, with a degree of nausea, and with phsenomena
resembling those which are produced by intoxication.
It seems to be more particularly beneficial in chronic
rheumatism, sciatica, &c. Its root, smoked in the
manner of tobacco, has been much extolled as a remedy
in the paroxysms of spasmodic asthma ; this practice

DEC 195

however, is not unattended with danger;* the same
transient feehngs of rehef may be procured by smoak-
ing a mixture of opium and any aromatic herb. Forms
OF Exhibition. Some discrepancy of opinion has
existed upon this point ; the native practitioners in the
Carnatic gave the powdered root ; Hufeland racom-
mends a tincture of the whole plant ; in this country an
extract of the leaves, or, more lately, of the seeds, has
been preferred, and I have been recently informed by
Sir Henry Halford, that he has found a tincture made
with the seeds, + a very efficient and unobjectionable
preparation. Dr. Davy, at my request, has made a
series of experiments upon the extracts prepared by
Mr. Barry in vacuo^ and his report upon the effects of
that of Stramonium, will be found under the article
Extract, Stramonii^ which see. Dose. In the com-
mencement, of the leaves powdered gr. i. of the seeds
gr. ss. It is said that the Turks sometimes use the
Stramonium instead of Opium, and the Chinese infuse
the seeds in beer. Cataplasms of the fresh bruised
leaves have been very successfully used in sores of a
highly irritable and painful nature. Officinal Phe-
PARATioN. Extract, Stramonii,

DECOCTA. L.E.D. Decoctions,

These are solutions of the active principles of vege-
tables, obtained by boiling them in water. To decide
upon the expediency of this form of preparation, in
each particular case, requires a knowledge of the che-

* It is said to have been introduced into this country from
Ceylon. See the observations made upon the subject of the nar-
cotics used by the Indians, in vol. i. p. 13.

+ The seeds undoubtedly contain, in an eminent degree, all th«
properties of the plant. It was in the seeds that Brandes first
discovered the Daturia.

N 2

196 DEC

mical composition of the substance in question. In
conducting the operation, the following rules must be
observed.

1. Those substances only should he decocted^ whose
medicinal powers reside in principles which are soluble
in water,

2. If the active principle be volatile, decoction must
he an injurious process ; and, if it consist ofextraC'
tive matter, long boiling, by favouring its oxidize-
ment, will render it insipid, insoluble, and inert,

3. The substances to he decocted should be previ-
ously bruised, or sliced, so as to expose an extended
surface to the action of the water,

4. 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,

5. In compound decoctions, it is sometimes conve-
nient not to put in all the ingredients from the begin-
ning, but in succession, according to their hardness,
and the difficulty zmth which their virtues are extrac-
ted; and if any aromatic, or other substances contain-
ing volatile principles, or oxidizahle matter, enter into
the composition, the boiling decoction should be simply
poured upon them, and covered up until cold,

6. 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 '^ij to ^vj to every
pint of water ; of herbs, leaves, or flowers, half that
quantity will suffice,

7. The decoction ought to be filtered through linen,
while hot, as important portions of the dissolved matter

DEC 197

^re frequently/ deposited on cooling; care must be also
taken that the Jiltre is not too Jine^ for it frequently
happens^ that the virtues of a decoction depend upon
the presence of particles which are suspended in a
minutely divided state.

8. A decoction should he prepared in small quan-
tities only^ and never employed^ especially in summer^
forty-eight hours after it has been made. It should
be considered as an extemporaneous preparation, but
introduced into the pharmacopoeia for the purpose of
convenience, and for the sake of abridging the labour
of the physician.

It is very important that the water employed for
making decoctions, should be free from that quality
which is denominated hardness.

The officinal decoctions may be classed into simple
and compound preparations.

1. Simple.

Decoctum Cinchona. See Cinchona, and Form.
41, 42, 127. The codex of Paris directs a decoction
of bark, " Decoctum Kinoe Kince^"* which is only
half the strength of ours, but contains an addition of
a small quantity of carbonate of potass.

DecoctIjm Cydoni^. The inner coats of the seeds
of the Quince (Pyrus Cydonia) yield a very large
proportion of mucilage, but as hot water extracts from
them also fecula and other principles, the decoction
very soon decomposes. It has been strongly recom-
mended as an application to erysipelatous surfaces ;
and it would seem to be peculiarly adapted for such a
purpose, since it is not so easily washed away from the
part to which it is applied, as ordinary mucilage ; for
the same reason it has been preferred as an ingredient
in injections, gargles, &c. It is stated by some prac*?

198 ■ DEC

titioners to be a very useM application, when united
with the acetate oflead^ in cases of acute ophthalmia;
such a combination, however, is extremely unchemical,
and must invalidate the powers of the other ingredients.
The native practitioners of India employ it as a cooling
mucilaginous drink in gonorrhoea. An ounce of bruised
Quince seed will make three pints of water as thick
and ropy as the white of an egg ; hence two drachms,
the quantity directed by the College, is amply suffici-
ent for a pint of the decoction. It is coagulated by
alcohol^ acids^ and metallic salts.

Decoctum Digitalis. D. This is a very improper
form for the exhibition of digitalis, being variable in
strength.

De€octum DuLCAMARiE. L. In making this decoc-
tion we must take care that the operation of boiling
is not continued too long. See Dulcamarce Caules.
Dose from f Jss to f§j.

Decoctum Lichenis. L.E.D. In this preparation
we have the bitter principle of the plant united with
its fecula. A portion of the former may be removed
by macerating the lichen, and rejecting the first water.
If §j of the mass be boiled for a quarter of an hour in
fgvj of water, we shall obtain mucilage of a consist-
ence similar to that composed of one part of gum
arabic and three of water. Its exhibition requires the
same precaution as that o^ Mucilago Acacice. From
the large proportion of fecula which this moss contains,
it is perhaps as nutritive as any vegetable substance,
the Cerealia of course excepted. See Lichen Island.
Dose, a wine glass full occasionally.

Decoctum Papaveris. L. In making this decoc-
tion the whole of the capsule should be bruised, in
order to obtain its mucilage and anodyne principle ;
the seeds should be also retained, as they yield a por-

DEC 199

tion of bland oil which increases the emollient quality
of the decoction. A large quantity of fixed oil is con-
stantly in the market, which is derived from the seeds
of the poppy. This docoction is a useful fomentation
in painful swellings, &c.

Decoctum Qubrcus. L.E. Decoction is the usual
form in which Oak Bark is exhibited, since all its
active principles are soluble in water. Its astringent
virtues depend upon gallic acid, tannin, and extractive.
The decoction is disturbed by the following substan-
ces; the infusion of yellow cinchona ; sub-acetate and
acetate of lead; solutions of isinglass ; the prepara-
tions of iron ; oxy-muriate of mercury ; and sulphate
of zinc ; all alkaline substances destroy its astringency,
and are consequently incompatible with it. It is prin-
cipally useful as a local astringent, in the forms of
gargle, injection, or lotion. Its internal exhibition in
obstinate diarrahoeas, and alvine hemorrhages, has also
proved highly beneficial. See Form: 51, 61. Dose,
fgss to f §j. Dr. Eberle states that in the Intermittents
of very young children, he has in some cases used this
decoction as a bath with efficacy.

Decoctum Sarsaparill^e. L. E. D. See Sarsar
parilla. In making this decoction, it is rarely properly
digested or boiled for a sufficient length of time to
extract its virtues. The only salts which occasion
precipitates in this decoction are, nitrate of mercury
and acetate of lead; lime water has the same effect.
Dose, f§iv to f§vj.

Decoctum Veratri. Stimulant and acrid; inter-
nally, it is cathartic, but too violent to be safely ex-
hibited ; it is useful as a lotion iji scabies, and other
cutaneous eruptions.

200 DEC

2. Compound Decoctions.

Decoctum Aloes Compositum. It resembles the
well known Beaume de vie, although less purgative,
and is a scientific preparation, constructed upon the
true principles of medicinal combination. Aloes is
the base, to which are added, 1st, sub-carbonate of
potass, 2ndly, powdered myrrh, 3dly, extract of li-
quorice, 4thly, saffron, and after the decoction is made,
5thly, compound tincture of cardamoms. By the 1st
ingredient the aloes is rendered more soluble ; the 2d
and 3d suspend the portion not dissolved, and at the
same time disguise its bitterness ; the 4th imparts an
aromatic flavour, and the 5th not only renders it more
grateful to the stomach, but prevents any spontaneous
decomposition from taking place. Its taste is improved
by keeping. It is a warm, gentle cathartic. Form : 80.
Dose, f§ss to f Jj. Its operation is different from that
of simple aloes. See Aloes, The following substances
are incompatible with it ; strong acids, oxi/-muriate
of mercury ; tartarized antimony ; sulphate of zinc;
and acetate of lead ; and those salts which are decom-
posed by sub-carbonate of potass.

Decoctum Guaiaci Compositum. E. Commonly
called Decoction ofzcoods. This decoction has fallen
into disuse, and deservedly, for it can possess but little
power, except as a diluent, or demulcent ; the water
takes up from the guaiacum only a small portion of
extractive matter, and the virtues of sassafras, if any,
nmst be dissipated. Dose, fjss to f Jj.

Decoctum Hordei Compositum.* An eleofant
and useful demulcent, with an aperient tendency.

* The oriental beverage, Sherbet, from the Arabic wood Sherb
to drink, so celebrated in eastern song, is a decoction of barley-
meal and sngar, perfumed ifith roses, orange tiowcr, violet, or
citron.

DIG 201

DeCOCTUM SaRSAPARILL^ COMPOSITUM. L. D.

This decoction, which is an imitation of the once
celebrated Lisbon Diet Drink,* differs materially from
the Decoct : Guaiaci comp : from the addition of the
mezereon root, which renders it diaphoretic and altera-
tive, and useful in the treatment of secondary syphilis,
and chronic rheumatism. Dose, from f§iv to f^vj
three or four times a day.

DIGITALIS FOLIA. L.E.D. (Digitalis Purpurea.)

Foxglove,
Qualities. The leaves, when properly dried, have
a slight narcotic odour, and a bitter nauseous taste,
and when reduced to powder, a beautiful green colour.
Chemical Composition. Extractive matter, and a
green resin, in both of which the narcotic properties
reside ; they appear also to contain ammonia, and
some other salts. + Solubility. Both water and alco-
hol extract their virtues, but decoction injures them.
Incompatible Substances. See Infusum Digitalis.
Medicinal Uses. It is directly sedative, although
some maintain the contrary opinion, diminishing the

* Lisbon Diet Drink. Decoctum Lusitanicum. — f^. Sar-
sap : concis: Rad : Chinae, aa 5j — Nucum Jugland : Cortice
Siccatarum, No. xx. Antimonii Sulphureti § ij. Lapidis Pu-
micis pulverisat ; — Aquee distillat: lib: x. — The powdered aati-
mony and pumice stone are to be tied in separate pieces of rag,
and boiled along with the other ingredients. The use of the
pumice stone is merely mechanical, to divide the antimony.

+ It is said that M. Roycr has lately succeeded in obtaining
from Digitalis its active basis; to which he has given the name or
Vigitalin. It was procured by digesting the plant in aether, and
treating the solution with hydrated oxide of lead. It appears as
a brown pasty substance, capable of slowly restoring the blue
colour of reddened litmus paper ; very bitter, and deliquescent.
It was difficult to obtain it crystallized, but a drop of its solution
in alcohol, evaporated on glass, over a lamp, when examined by
the microscope, exhibited abundance of minute crystals. (Bib.
Univ. xxvi. 102.) Farlhcr experiments^ however, are required to
cbtablish the truth of this statement.

202 DIG

frequency of the pulse, and the general irritability of
the system, and increasing the action of the absorbents,
and the discharge by urine. The effects appear to be
in a great degree connected with its sensible influence
upon the body, which is indicated by feelings of slight
nausea and languor; accordingly, every attempt to
prevent these unpleasant effects, or to correct the
operation of digitalis, by combining it with aromatic,
or stimulant medicines, seems to be fatal to the diuretic
powers of the remedy. Dr. Blackall, in his " Obser-
vations upon the cure of Dropsies," has offered some
remarks which bear upon this point, and to which I
have before referred. See Volume 1, page 180 & 277.
Several of the formulae introduced under the class of
diuretics are combinations supported by high autho-
rity, but it is doubtful whether their adoption can
be sanctioned upon principle ; they are however well
calculated to illustrate the nature of diuretic com-
pounds, and this is the only purpose for which they
were selected. See Form : 103. The French have
introduced in their new Codex, an ethereal tincture,
Tinctura Mtherea Digitalis purpurece^ in which the
sedative influence of the plant must be entirely over-
whelmed by the stimulant properties of the menstruum.
Under the head of Diuretics^ in the first volume, I
have so fully considered the value of diuretic com-
binations, and the modus operandi of Digitalis, that it
is unnecessary to dwell upon the subject in this place.
Digitalis has considerable influence over the action of
the heart ; and in certain diseases, attended with in-
ordinate motions of that organ, it proves eminently
serviceable ; I have employed it with great satisfaction
in cases of palpitation connected with a state of general
irritability, so frequently occurring in female disorders ;
and according to my observations where it succeeds.

DIG 203

opium generally does harm. Form : 32. Forms of
Exhibition. In substance, tincture, or infusion ; the
latter form is most efficient as a diuretic. Dose of the
powdered leaves gr. j, in a pill, twice a day ; the aug-
mentation of the dose should proceed at the rate of
one-fourth of the original quantity, every second day,
until its operation becomes apparent, either on the
kidneys, or on the constitution generally. If it pro-
duce such a disturbance in the primae viae as to occa-
sion vomiting or purging, its diuretic powers will be
lost ; in such a case the addition of a small portion of
opium, or opiate confection, may be expedient. The
distressing effects of an overdose are best counteracted
by tincture of opium in brandy and water, and by the
application of a blister to the pit of the stomach. A
London Surgeon has lately stated that he has pre-
scribed the tincture of Digitalis, in the dose of twenty-
five drops, three times a day, in barley-water, with
great success in Gonorrhaea. Officinal Prepara-
tions. Infus : Digitalis, \j.^, Tinct : Digital : L.E.D.
Decoct: Digitalis: D. It is very important that the
leaves of this plant be properly collected, and accu-
rately preserved ; they should be gathered when the
plant is beginning to flower, and, as it is biennial, in
the second year of its growth ; the largest and deepest
coloured flowers should be also selected, for they are
the most powerful ; they should be also carefully dried
until they become crisp, or they will lose much of their
virtue ; the too common method of tying them in bun-
dles, and hanging them up to dry, should be avoided,
for a fermentation is produced by such means, and the
parts least exposed soon become rotten. The powdered
leaves ought to be preserved in opaque bottles, and
kept from the action of light as well as of air and mois-
ture ; a damp atmosphere has, upon a principle already

204 ELA

explained, a very injurious operation, by can*ying off
those faint poisonous effluvia with which its efficacy
seems to be ultimately connected.

DULCAMAR.^ CAULES. L.D.

(Solanum Dulcamara.)
The Twigs of Woodi/ Nightshade^ or Bitter-sweet.

The virtues of this plant are extracted by boiling
water, but long coction destroys them ; the usual and
best form in which it can be administered is that of
decoction or infusion. This plant is much more ap-
preciated on the continent than in this country ; we
rarely use it except in cutaneous affections ; Professor
Richter of Gottingen states that he has employed it in
Phthisis Pituit OS a with very extraordinary success;
and Sir A. Crichton s^ys that in the few cases of
chronic tubercular Phthisis in which he has given it,
it appeared to increase the powers of the Sarsaparilla
with which it was usually combined. Officinal
PnEP : Decoct : Dulcam : L.

ELATERII PEPONES, L.E.D.

(Momordica Elaterium.)
Wildy or Squirting Cucrnnher.

This plant appears from the testimony of Dioscorides
and other writers, to have been employed by the ancient
physicians with much confidence and success. All the
parts of the plants were considered as purgative, al-
though not in an equal degree ; thus Geoffroy, " radi-
cum vis cathartica major est quam foliorum^ minor
vero quam fructuum,'" This question has very lately
been set at rest by the judicious experiments of Dr.

Clutterbuck,* which prove that the active principle

■
* Sec London Medical llepository, Vol. xii, No. 67.

EMP gOj

of this plant resides more particularly in the juice
which is lodged in the centre of the fruit, and which
spontaneously subsides from it ; when this substance
is freed from extraneous matter, it possesses very ener-
getic powers, and appears to me to be entitled to con-
sideration as a distinct proximate principle, which I
shall venture to call Elatin, See Extractum ElateriL

ELEMI. L.D. (Amyris Elemifera. Reslna.) Elemi.

This substance is what is generally termed a gum-
resin ; that is, a compound consisting of gum, resin,
and volatile oil : late researches however seem to shew
that these bodies are compounds of a peculiar charac-
ter, consisting of a volatile substance, something be-
tween essential oil and resin, and a constituent which
possesses the properties of extractive rather than those
of gum.

True Elemi has a fragrant aromatic odour, not un-
like that of fennel-seeds, but more potent. Sj). gr.
1*0182. When powdered it mixes with any unguent;
it also combines with balsams and oils, and by the aid
of heat, with turpentine. Uses. It is only employed
for forming the mild digestive ointment which bears
its name, viz. Unguent : Elemi comp : L.D.

EMPL ASTRA. L.E.D. Plasters.

The principles upon which this form of preparation
is to be constinicted are fully detailed in the first vol.
of this work, p. 387.

Emplastrum Ammoniaci. L. Ammoniacum re-
duced to a suitable consistence by distilled vinegar.
It adheres to the skin without irritating it, and without

206 EMP

being attended with any unpleasant smell.* There is
a peculiar disease of the knee, to which servant maids,
who scour floors upon their knees, are liable, and for
which this plaster is a specific. I have also found it
particularly eligible in cases of delicate women with
irritable skins.

Emplastrum Ammoniaci cum Hydrakgyro.
L. D. The mercury in this plaster is in the state of
oxidation ad minimum. It is discutient and resolvent,
and is applicable to indurated glands, and venereal
nodes, and for removing indurations of the periosteum,
remaining after a course of mercury ; the addition of
the ammoniacum increases the stimulating and discu-
tient powers of the mercury, which gives this plaster a
superiority over the Emplastrum Hydrargyria It is
also powerfully adhesive.

Emplastrum Assafcetid^. E. Emplast. Plumbi
and Assafcetida, of each two parts ^ galbanum and
yellow wax, of each one part. I have seen it useful
in flatulent cholic, when applied over the umbilical
region.

Emplastrum Cantharidis. L. Emplast : Can-
tharidis vesicatorioe. E. D. A variety of substances
has in different times been employed for producing
vesication, but no one has been found to answer with
so much certainty and mildness as the Lyttce. All
the others are apt to leave ill conditioned ulcers ; true
it is, that the emplastrum lyttae will occasionally fail,
but this is generally attributable to some inattention,
or want of caution on the part of the person who pre-
pares it ; in spreading it, the spatula should never be

* A person of the name of Sterry, in the Borough, prepares
a plaster of this description, .which is sought after with great avi-
dity. What a blessing it would be upon the community, if every
nostrum were equally innocuous!

EMP 207

heated beyond the degree of boiling water ; the plaster
also should be sufficiently secured on the part by slips
of adhesive plaster, but it ought not to be bound on
too tight ; where the cuticle is thick, the application of
a poultice for an hour, previous to that of the blister,
will be useful, or the part may be washed with vinegar.
In consequence of the absorption of the active principle
of the Lii/ttce^ blisters are apt to occasion strangury
and bloody urine ; it has been a problem therefore of
some importance to discover a plan by which such an
absorption may be obviated; for this purpose, camphor
has been recommended to be mixed with the blistering
composition, and a piece of thin gauze has been inter-
posed between tlie plaster and the skin; but it has
been lately found, that ebullition in water deprives
the Cantharides of all power of thus acting on the
kidneys, without in the least diminishing their vesi-
catory properties : the ordinary time required for the
full action of a blister is ten or twelve hours, but if it
be applied to the head, double that period will be
necessary. Children, owing to delicacy of skin, are
more speedily blistered, the epispastic may therefore
be removed earlier. In Some cases the blistered parts,
instead of healing kindly, become a spreading sore ;
whenever this occurs, poultices are the best appli-
cations ; it may arise from a peculiar irritability of the
constitution, although I apprehend that it not unfre-
quently depends upon the sophistication of the plaster
with euphorbium. In cases where it is desirable to
keep up the local irritation, it is still a question with
some practitioners whether it be more advisable to
encourage a discharge from the vesicated part by some
appropriate stimulant, or to renew the vesication at
short intervals by repeated blisters ; the latter mode is
perhaps to be preferred, as being more effectual, and

208 EMP

certainly less troublesome to the patient : it has more-
over been stated,* that by a repeated application of
this nature, the. influence excited appears to extend
much deeper, so as to derive a greater quantity of
blood from the immediate neighbourhood of the ves-
sels, or from the vessels themselves which are in a state
of disease, than the influence excited by an application
less stimulating upon the surface of a part already
abraded. The character of the discharoe would like-
wise appear essentially different ; it being in the latter
case a purulent secretion from the superficial exhalants
of the surface only ; in the former, a copious effusion
of serum, mixed with a large portion of lymph, pro-
duced from a deeper order of vessels.

Emplastum Cer^. L. Emplast : Simplex. E.
This is the Emplast : Cerce of P.L. 1787, the Emplast :
Attrahens of 1745, so called because it was formerly
employed to keep up a discharge from a blistered sur-
face, and the Emplastrum de melilolo simplex of 1720.

Emplastrum CuMiNi. L. A valuable combination
of warm and stimulant ingredients.

Emplastrum Galbani Compositum. L.D. Em-
plast : Gummos. E. More powerful than the preceding
plaster. In indolent glandular enlargements of a stru-
mous character, in fixed and long continued pains in
the neighbourhood of the joints, or in anomalous or
arthritic pains of the ligaments, this plaster is said
to be frequently beneficial.

Emplastrum Hydrargyri. L.E. The mercury
in this plaster is in the state of oxidation ad minimum;
each drachm containing about fifteen grains of mercury,
(sixteen grains^ Edinb.) It is alterative, discutient,

* Pharmacopoeia Chirurgica, p. 89.

EMP SO^

and sDmetimes sialogogue ; but it is inferior to the
Emplast : Ammoniac : cum Hi/drargj/ro,

Emplastrum Opii. L.E. This plaster is supposed to
be anodyne, but it is very doubtful whether the opium
can^ in such a state, produce any specific effect. See
Form : 5.

Emplastrum Picis Compositum. L. Emplast:
Picis hurgundicce^ P. L. 1787. It is stimulant and
rubefacient, and is often employed as an application
to the chest, in pulmonary complaints ; the serous exuda-
tion however which it produces, frequently occasions so
much irritation that we are compelled to remove it.

Emplastrum Plumbi.L. Emplast: Oxi/di Plumbi
semi'vitrei. E. Emplast : Lythargj/ri. P. L. 1787.
Emplast: commune, 1745. Diach7/lon\ Simplex,
P.L. 1720. This is a very important plaster, since it
forms the basis of a great many others ; under the
name of Diachylon it has long been known, and em-
ployed as a common application to excoriations, and
for retaining the edges of fresh cut wounds in a state
of apposition, and at the same time for defending them
from the action of the air ; when long kept it changes
its colour, and loses its adhesive properties, and by
high temperature the oxyd of lead is revived. :|:

Emplastrum Resins. L. Olim, Emplast: com-
mune adhoesivum, P.L. 1745. Emplast : Resinosum. E.

+ Diachylon, a ^/aetj^vXoy succus, i,e, a Plaster prepared from
expressed juices. It has been asserted that all the pharmaceutical
names beginning with Dia, are of Arabian origin, this however is
not the fact; we frequently meet with the expression in Galen,
♦J J<« S/)/)a/xv« V) ^toc ^voTv tx^tToXo^toiv ^ o<, &C. &c.

X At Apothecaries' Hall, this plaster, as well as others, is made
in a steam apparatus, which is so well regulated, that a uniform
temperature of 240 ' Fah : is insured during the whole process.

Vol. II. o

2t0 EUP

Emplast : Lithargyri cum Reeina. D. It is defensive,
adhesive, and stimulant, t

Emplastrum Saponis. L.D. Emplastrum Sapo-
naceum, E. The Soap Plaster is said to be a mild
discutient application.

EUPHORBIiE GUMMI-RESINA. L.

(Euphorbia Officinarum.) Euphorbium,
Qualities. This substance is imported from Bar-
bary, in drops or irregular tears ; its fracture is vitreous ;
it is inodorous, but yields a very acrid burning im-
pression to the tongue. Cmemical Composition.
It is what is termed a gum resin^ but its acrid con-
stituent is exclusively in that portion which is soluble
in alcohol, and which might be named Euphorbin ; it
appears to form as much as 37 per cent, to which are
added of wax 19, malate of lime 20*5, malate of potass
2, and water 5. Solubility. Water by trituration
is rendered milky, but dissolves only one-seventh part ;
and alcohol one-fourth of it. Uses. Internally ad-
ministered, it proves very violently drastic, but it is
never employed except as an errhine, cautiously diluted
with starch, or some inert powder. The Indian prac-
titioners administer it as a purge in obstinate visceral

t Baynton's Adhesive Plaster. (Strapping.) Differs only
from this preparation in containing less resin, six drachms only
being added to one pound of the litharge plaster. This excellent
plaster is sold ready spread on calico.

Court Plaster. Sticking Plaster. Black Silk is strained and
brushed over ten or twelve times, with the following preparation.
Dissolve I ^ of Benzoin in f ^ vi of rectified spirit ; in a separate
vessel, dissolve |j of Isinglass in oss of wa,ter ; strain each splu-r
tion, mix them, and let the mixture rest, so that the grosser parts
may subside ; when the clear liquor is cold, it will form a jelly,
which must be warmed before it is applied to the silk. When
the Plaster is quite dry, in order to prevent its cracking, it is
finished off with a solution of Terebinth : Chia, ^ iv, in Tinct :
Benzoesf^ vj.

EXT 211

obstructions ; and in those cases of costiveness which
so often attend an enlargement and induration of the
spleen and liver. Farriers use it for blistering horses,
and there is good reason to believe that it is sometimes
fraudulently introduced to quicken the powers of our
Emplastrum Cantharidis. It enters as an ingredient into
a plaster, which has been much celebrated byCheselden
and others, as a stimulating application, to relieve dis-
eases of the hip-joint, and to keep up inflammation of
the skin in chronic states of visceral inflammation ; the
following is its composition. R. Emplast: Picis comp :
Jiv. — Euphorhice gum-resince 3SS. — Terebinth: Vul'
gar. q. s. Caution, in pulverizing this substance,
the dispenser should previously moisten it with vinegar
to prevent its rising and excoriating his face.

EXTRACTA. L.E.D. Extracts.

These preparations are obtained by evaporating the
watery or spirituous solutions of vegetables, and the
native juices obtained from fresh plants by expression,
to masses of a tenacious consistence. The London
college does not arrange the extracts under the titles
oi watery and resinous^ which is the arrangement of
the Edinburgh Pharmacopoeia, nor under those of
simple and resinous, which is the division observed
in that of Dublin, but rejecting all specific distinc-
tions, includes, under the generic appellation of ex-
tract, both the species, as well as all the inspissated
juices. Since however the foimer of these arrange-
ments will afford greater facilities for introducing the
observations which it is my intention to offer, it is
retained in this work.

Corn Plaster. The green coloured plaster sold under this ^
title is usually composed of 3 parts of wax, 4 of Burgundy pitch,
and 2 of common turpentine ; to which is added one part of ?er-
degris.

212 EXT

The chemical nature of extracts must obviously be
very complicated and variable, depending in a great
degree upon the powers of the menstruum employed for
their preparation ; although Fourcroy and Vauquelin
considered that one peculiar principle was the basis of
tliem all, which they called Extract^ Extractive^ or
the Extractive Principle. It is distinguished by the
following characters, viz.

It has a strong taste, varying in different plants ;
it is soluble in water, and in alcohol when it contains
water, but is quite insoluble in absolute alcohol and
aether ; its aqueous solution soon runs into a state of
putrefaction ; by repeated solutions and evaporations,
or by long ebullition, it acquires a deeper colour, and
in consequence of its combination with oxygen it be-
comes insoluble and inert, a fact which is of extreme
importance as it regards its pharmaceutical relations ;
it unites with alumine, and if boiled with its salts,
precipitates it, hence wool, cotton, or thread, impreg-
nated with alum, may be dyed of a fawn-colour by
extractive ; its habitudes with alkalies are very striking,
combining most readily and forming with them com-
pounds of a brownish yellovv^ colour, which are very
soluble in water ; if to a colourless and extremely dilute
solution of extractive, an alkali be added, a brown or
yellowish tint is immediately produced, so that under
certain circumstances I have found an alkali to be a
serviceable test in detecting the presence of extractive
matter. The usual brown hue of the liquor ammonice
acetatis^ is owing to the action of the ammonia upon
traces of vegetable extractive contained in the distilled
vinegar.

Much confusion has arisen from the word extract
having been employed in this double meaning, — -chemi'
callij to express a peculiar vegetable proximate prin-

EXT 213

ciple, and pharmaceuticalli/ to denote any substance
however complicated in its nature, which has been
obtained by the evaporation of a vegetable solution or
a native vegetable juice. It is in the latter sense that
it is to be understood in the present article.

The different proximate principles of vegetable mat-
ter undergo various and indefinite changes with such
rapidity, when acted upon by heat, that the process of
extraction must necessarily more or less impair the
medicinal efficacy of a plant, and not unfrequently
destroy it altogether, and hence, says Dr. Murray,
" with the exception of some of the pure bitters, as
gentian, or some of the saccharine vegetables, as li-
quorice, there is no medicine perhaps but what may be
given with more advantage under some other form;'*
this however is not exactly true, for when care is taken
in the preparation, we are thus enabled to concentrate
many very powerful qualities in a small space, and the
process lately adopted of evaporating the solutions by
the aid of steam, contributes very materially to obviate
the failures which so frequently occurred from a too
exalted temperature. There is, for instance, great
reason to suppose that the black colour which so often
characterises the extracts of commerce, is frequently
owing to the decomposition and carbonization of the
vegetable matter ; the colour therefore of an extract
becomes in some degree a test of its goodness. I have
lately examined the extracts of commerce with some
attention, and I find the presence of iron by no means
an uncommon circumstance ; when thus contaminated
they afford a very dirty coloured solution, which rapidly
becomes darker on exposure to air. The extracts
mentioned in the preface as made by Mr. Barry, by
evaporating in vacuo^ deserve the attention of the pro-^
li^ssion ; the principle is without doubt well calculated

214 EXT

to secure the active matter of the plant from those
changes to which it is constantly liable during the
ordinary operation of inspissation. The extracts, thus
prepared, are certainly more powerful in their effects,
and some few of them appear also to possess properties
wliich are not to be distinguished in the Extracts of
Commerce ; those of narcotic plants, as Hemlocky
Ilijoscyamus^ <Src. are decidedly more efficacious ;
where the practitioner directs their use, he should, to
prevent any mistake, add the words in vacuo prcep, as
in Formula 4 ; for on account of the difference in the
strength of these preparations, and of those prepared
by the ordinary method, they cannot be indiscrimi-
nately employed. Dr. John Davy, at my request, has
made trial of these extracts in the Military Hospital at
Fort Pitt, and as his results coincide with those ob-
tained in my own practice, I shall relate, under the
history of each Extract, the comparative conclusions
which have been obtained.

I. Watery or Simple Extracts.

Mucilaginous Extracts of Rouelle.
These extracts must, of course, contain all the prin-
ciples of a plant which are soluble in water, such
as gum, extractive matter, tannin, cinchonin, sugar,
fecula, &c. together with any soluble salts which the
vegetable may contain. I have also found by experi-
ment that an aqueous extract may even contain, in
small proportions, certain elements which, although
quite insoluble in water, are nevertheless partially
soluble in vegetable infusion. This law of vegetable
chemistry has never been expressed, although we have
repeated instances of its truth, and a knowledge of it
may explain some hitherto unintelhgible anomalies.
It has been stated that extractive matter is perfectly

EXT 215

insoluble in sether, but Mr. A. Thomson found repeat-
edly, that if a small portion of resin was present, aether
would in that case take up exWftctive in combination
with the resin which it so readily dissolves. As decoc-
tion or infusion is a process preliminary to that of
extraction, the practitioner must refer to those articles
for an enumeration of the different sources of error
which are attached to them.

ExTRACTUM Aloes Purificatum. L. The resi-
nous element of the aloes is got rid of in this prepa-
ration ; on which account it is supposed, in an equal
dose, to be more purgative and less irritating. Dose,
gr. X to XV. Form: 12, 13, 36.

ExTRACTUM Anthemidis. L.E. Extract, Florum
ChamcemelL D. This extract furnishes an example
of the change effected on some plants by the process of
extraction ; in this case the volatile oil is dissipated,
and a simple bitter remains, possessing scarcely any of
the characteristic properties of chamomile. This re-
mark, however, does not apply to this extiact, when
prepared in vacuo, I have lately received from Mr.
Pope of Oxford Street, a specimen which retains, in
the most eminent degree, all the odour and taste of the
recent flower. Dose, gr. x — Bj.

ExTRACTUM CiNciioNiE. L.D. The properties of
the bark in this preparation are much invalidated, owing
to the oxidizement of its extractive matter, which
takes place to such an extent, that not more than one
half of the preparation is soluble in water ; it is not
however altogether devoid of utility, and will often sit
lightly on the stomach, when the powder is rejected.
Its taste is very bitter, but less austere than the powder.
The most beautiful extract of bark, which I have ever
seen, was prepared by Mr. Barry of Plough Court ; its
colour was that of a deep brilliant ruby, and its flavour

216 EXT

preserved all the characteristic peculiarity of the recent
substance.* JDose, grs. x to 5ss. Fourteen ounces of
the bark will yield about three ounces and a half of
extract. It should be kept soft, so as to be fit for form-
ing pills, and hard^ so that it may be reduced to powder.

ExTRACTUM CoLocYNTHiDis. L. This extract is
much milder, although less powerful, than the pulp ;
Dose, grs. V to 3SS. It soon becomes hard and mouldy. +

ExTRACTUM Gentiak^.. L. E. D. The bitter
principle suffers no deterioration in the process : it is
used principally as a vehicle for metallic preparations.
Form. S6, 53, 103. Dose^ gr. x to 9j.

ExTRACTUM Glycyrrhizje. L. D. It is usually
imported from Spain ; in the coarser kinds, the pulps
of various plums and of prunes are added ; it should
dissolve in water without leaving any feculence. ^

* Mystery is rarely practised but as the cloak of imposture; it
is therefore unnecessaryto add, that Mr. Barry made no difficulty
iu stating the following to be the formula by which it was pre-
pared.

A tincture of Bark, made with rectified spirit, was distilled
until the whole of the spirit was driven off, the remaining solution
was then left to cool, after which the resin that floated on the
surface was removed, and the residuum inspissated at a low tem-
perature.

+ Barclay's Antibilious Pills. Take of the Extract of
Colocynth 5ij» Rtsin of Jalap (extract Jalap) ^ji Almond Soap
3jss, Guaiacum 5i'j» Tartari zed Antimony, grs. viij, essential
oils of Juniper, Carraway, and Rosemary, of each gtt. iv, of
syrup of Buckthorn, as much as will be sufficient to form a mass,
which is to be divided into sixty-four pills.

^ Refined Liquorice. This article, which is sold in the form
of cylinders, is made by gently evaporating a solution of the pure
extract of liquorice with half its weight of gum arabic, rolling
Uie mass, and cutting it into lengths, and then polishing, by roll-
ing them together in a box : many impurities however are frau-
dulently introduced into this article, such even as glue, &;c.

EXT 217

ExTR ACTUM H^MAToxYLi. L. E. D. The astrin-
gent properties of the logwood are preserved in the
extract, but it becomes so extremely hard, that pills
made of it very commonly pass through the body
without undergoing the least change. Dose. o-rs. x
to 5ss dissolved in cinnamon water : it sometimes
imparts a bloody hue to the urine of those who have
taken it.

ExTRACTUM HuMULi. L. The bitter taste of the
hop characterises this preparation ; whether it possesses
or not, any anodyne properties, seems very doubtful.
Uoscy grs. V to 9j.

ExTiiACTUM Opii. L. D. As it contains less re-
sinous matter than crude opium, it is supposed to
produce its effects with less subsequent derangement.
See Opium. Dose^ gr. j to v, for an adult.

ExTRACTUM Papaveris. L.D. It is a weak opium.
Dose, grs. ij to 9j.

ExTRACTUM SARSAPARiLLiE. Notwithstanding the
reputation which this preparation has acquired, it is
very doubtful whether it possesses any medicinal pow-
ers. Dose^ gr, X to 5j in pills, or dissolved in the
decoction.

ExTRACTUM Stramonii. This extract was first
recommended by Stoerck, as a powerful remedy in
maniacal affections ; its probable value in such dis-
eases appears to have been suggested by a very curious
process of reasoning, viz. that as it deranged the intel-
lect of the sane, it might possibly correct that of the
insane. Experience has certainly not confirmed the
very sanguine report of Stoerck with regard to its
powers, but it has satisfactorily shewn its occasional
value in violent paroxysms, in quieting the mind, and
procuring rest. I am informed by my friend Dr. Davy,
that, for such an object, it has been very frequently

218 EXT

and successfully given, in the Lunatic Military Hos-
pital at Fort Clarence. He farther states that he has
himself made many trials with the extract of Stramo-
nium, prepared by Mr. Barry (in vacuo) as well as
with the common extract ; and that he finds the for-
mer to be uniformly more powerful. *' In most dis-
eases," says he, " this medicine would seem uncertain
in its operation, sometimes occasioning an anodyne
efiect, and, at other times, producing irritation, and
preventing sleep ; I have, however, seen very beneficial
effects from it in asthma, and in coughs that have a
nightly exacerbation, in doses of from gr. | to gr. %
daily,"

ExTRACTUM Taraxaci. L. D. The medicinal
powers of Dandelion are asserted to exist unimpaired
in this preparation, but it becomes inert by keeping.
See Taraxacum, Dose, grs x to 5j, in combination
with sulphate of potass.

2. Spirituous or Resinous Extracts^

These may contain, with the exception of gum, all
the ingredients contained in watery extracts, besides
resin ; their composition however will greatly depend
upon the strength of the spirit employed as the solvent ;
but of this I shall speak more fully under the article
Tincture.

ExTRACTUM Cinchona Resinosum. L.E.D. The
operation of spirit in this preparation is two-fold ; it
extracts from the bark the element which is insoluble
in water, and it diminishes the tendency in the ex-
tractive matter to absorb oxygen during the process.
Dose, grs. x to xxx. It is said that a spurious extract
of bark is to be met with in the market, consisting of
the extract of the horse-chesnut tree bark, and yellow
resin.

EXT Sl9

ExTRACTtJM COLOCYNTHIDIS COMPOSlTUM. L.D.

Extract, Catharticum. V.Ij, 1775. Pilulce Rudii, P.L.
1720. This preparation has been established through
successive pharmacopoeias, and has undergone some
modification in each ; in the present edition the soap
has been restored, and its solubility is thereby in-
creased, as well as its mildness as a cathartic. The omis-
ision of this ingredient was formerly suggested by the
consideration of its being incompatible with Calomel;
this however is not the case. It presents a combination
of purgative substances which is highly judicious, and
will be found to be more powerful than an equivalent
dose of any one of the ingredients. Dose^ gr. v to ^ss,
Form. 71, 81, 88.

ExTRACTUM Jalaps. L.E.D. It is purgative,
but is liable to gripe, unless it be triturated with sugar
and almonds, or mucilage, so as to form an emulsion.
Dose^ grs. X to 9j.

ExTR ACTUM Rhei. L. The powers of the Rhubarb
are considerably impaired in this extract. Dose^ grs.
x to 3ss. Form, 78.

3. Inspissated Juices,

These preparations are obtained by expressing the
juices from fresh plants, and evaporating them in a
water-bath ; they are generally of a lighter colour than
common extracts, and they are certainly much more
active, although there is a great difference in the
activity of different samples ; and perhaps the medicinal
powers of the juices themselves are very much under
the controul of soil and season. That they vary in
quantiti/ from such causes we have ample proof; thus
in moist seasons, Beaume obtained five pounds of in-
spissated juice from thirty pounds of elder berries ^
whereas, in dry seasons, he could rarely get more than

220 EXT

two. From hemlock lie procured in October, 1796,
7*5 per cent of inspissated juice, and in May of the
same year only 3*7 ; on the contrary, in August, 1768,
4 per cent., and in May, 1776, as much as 6*5 ; but in
general, the product in the autumnal months was the
most considerable.

The modes of preparing the inspissated juices of
the same plant vary in the different pharmacopoeias,
and in several points that are very essential ; some
direct the expressed juices to be immediately inspis-
sated, others allow them to undergo a slight degree of
fermentation, and some defecate them, before they
proceed to their inspissation.

ExTRACTUM (Succus Spissatus, E.) ACONITI. L.E.
The medicinal properties of this preparation are ana-
logous to those of the recent Wolfsbane^ viz. narcotic,
and in some cases diuretic, (see Form, 128.) It is
however rarely used. Uose^ at first, should not ex-
ceed gr. I, but it may be gradually increased. I have
not yet, says Dr. Davy, in a letter recently received
from him, had much experience of the EjctractumAco-
niti, but that little is favourable to its use; " in some
cases of chronic rheumatism, and in some of inter-
mittent fever, complicated with visceral disease, it
has had a beneficial effect not to be mistaken ; the
dose has been from one to two grains." Dr. Stoeick,
who first tried this medicine, observed from it a
powerful diaphoretic effect ; this, says Dr. Davy, " I
haye not noticed, and yet the extract which I have
used was prepared by Mr. Barry, in vacuo, which is
certainjy far more powerful than that employed by
Stoerck ; the latter, when applied to the tongue, " /e-
vissimam tantum titillationem excitabat^^^ whereas
that of Mr. Barry produces a most disagreeable sensa-
tion of burning, which extends to the throat ; and in

EXT ggl

one instance, when applied to the tip of my tongue, it
occasioned ulceration."

ExTRACTUM Belladonn^e. L.E. See Belladonncp
Folia. Dose J gr. j, gradually increased to gr. v, in
the form of pill. Dr. Davy has made a few trials of
Barry's Extract ; the results of which he informs me
are not at all favourable to the use of this medicine ;
it is much more powerful than the common extract,
and can only be given with safety in small doses ; " in
several instances," says he, " I have not been able to
repeat a grain dose daily, more than thrice, on account
of the alarming symptoms produced, as head-ache, ver-
tigo, indistinct vision with dilated pupil, and, in one
case, irritation of the bladder, occasioning very fre-
quent micturition ; in chronic rheumatism and catarrh,
with severe cough, the only diseases in which I have
yet given it, it has not appeared to be in the least ser-
viceable ; it may probably prove valuable to the occu-
list ; from trials that have been made of it here by Mr.
Miller, Assistant Surgeon to the P^orces, it has been
found to dilate the pupil beyond the common extract.
Stoerck even introduced his extract into the eye with
impunity. Acrid as the preparation is which I have
used, the patients have never complained of it, nor have
I known any disagreeable effects from it, when applied
in solution, sufficiently dilute."

ExTRACTUM (Succus Spissatus. E.D.) CoNii. I>.
Much of this extract, as it is found in commerce, has
not been prepared with equal fidelity, nor with due
attention to the season when the plant is in its greatest
perfection ; Dr. Fothergill says, " I know from repeated
experiments, that the extract which has been prepared
from hemlock^ befoi^ the plant arrives at maturity, is
much inferior to that which is made when the plant
has acquired its full vigour, and is rather on the verge

222 EXT

of decline : just when the flowers fade, the rudiments
of the seeds become observable, and the habit of the
plant inclines to yellow, is the proper time to collect
it; " the plants which grow in places exposed to the
sun should be selected, as being more virose than those
that grow in the shade : still however with every pre-
caution, it will always be uncertain in strength. Orfila
found that an extract prepared by boiling the dried
powder in water, and evaporating the decoction, was
inert ; in fact, the whole of the activity of the plant
resides in a resinous element insoluble in water, and
for which I have proposed the name of Conein. Ex-
tract of hemlock, when judiciously prepared, is a very
valuable sedative ; I state this from ample experience,
and when combined with Hyoscyamus, and adapted by
means of mucilage and syrup, to the form of a mixture,
it affords a more eifectual palliative than any remedy
with which I am acquainted, for coughs and pulmonary
irritation. Form. 19. is that, from which I have de-
rived the greatest benefit in such cases. See also Form.
S, 3, 4, 19, 57. Since the fourth edition of the present
work, I requested my friend Dr. John Davy to make
trial of its efficacy in the Military Hospital at Chatham,
and I here introduce his report upon the subject ; —
" My experience of the effects of the Eoctractum Conii
perfectly agrees with that of Dr. Paris, as stated in the
fourth edition of the Pharmacologia, and I am of his
opinion that when properly prepared, and administered,
it is a very valuable sedative ; I have given it to the
extent daily of from a scruple to a drachm, in chronic
catarrh, and in phthisis pulmonalis, either alone or in
conjunction with the Extract of Hyoscyamus, and it
has afforded more relief than any other medicine that I
have tried. From two or three trials of it in pneu-
monia, I am disposed to think it may be very siervice-

EXT • 2^3

able in certain forms of this disease, in which vene-
section is contra-indicated by extreme debility ; and
also in measles. In the trials alluded to, I com-
menced giving it in the large dose of a drachm, daily,
suspended in water containing in solution a grain of
Antimonium Tartarizatum, In a very few instances,
where I have from the commencement given it in a
large dose, as from 3J to 5iss, it has occasioned hallu-
cination of ideas, which in two cases was attended
with excitement of the sensorium and increased action
of the heart, and in one case, with diminished activity
of both. The Extract of Conium, prepared by Mr.
Barry, is the most powerful one I have ever used,
indeed, until I tried it, I had no just idea of the vir-
tues of Conium as a medicine ; but I am now disposed
to give credit to Stiierk's account of its efficacy in
various chronic diseases ; and I have no doubt but
that this valuable medicine has fallen into comparative
disrepute and disuse from the bad quality of the ex-
tract commonly employed." Dr. Maton has found
that the value of this extract is greatly increased by
including the seeds in its preparation. Dose, grs. v to
9j or more, twice or thrice a day; in a full dose it
produces giddiness, a slight nausea, and a tremor of
the body ; a peculiar heavy sensation is also expe-
rienced about the eyes ; and the bowels become gently
relaxed : unless some of these sensations are produced,
we are never sure that the remedy has had a fair trial
of its effects. Patients will generally bear a larger
dose at night than at noon, and at noon than in the
morning.

ExTRACTUM Elaterii. L. This substance spon-
taneously subsides from the juice of the wild cucum-
ber, in consequence I presume of one of those series
of changes which vegetable matter is perpetually un-

224 EXT

dergoing, although we are hitherto unable to express
them by any known chemical law. It is therefore not
an extract, either in the chemical or pharmaceutical
acceptation of the term, nor an inspissated juice, nor
is it difecula,"^ as it has been termed ; the Dublin Col-
lege has perhaps been more correct in simply calling it
Elaterium, the name given to it by Dioscorides.

It occurs in commerce in little thin cakes, or broken
pieces, bearing the impression of the muslin upon which
it has been dried ; its colour is greenish, its taste bitter,
and somewhat acrid ; and when tolerably pure, it is
light, pulverulent, and inflammable.

The early history of this medicinal substance is in-
volved in great perplexity, each author speaking of a
different preparation by the same name ; for instance,
the Elaterium of Dioscorides must have been a very
different substance from that of Theophrastus ; and,
wherever Hippocrates mentions the term, he evidently
alludes to ani/ violent purgative. " Hippocrati Ela-
terium medic amentum est quod per ahum expurgat,''^
(Bod: in Theophrast,) This will, in some degree,
reconcile the discordant testimonies of different authors
with regard to the powers o^ Elaterium ; for example,
Dioscorides states its dose to be from grs. ii to 9j — in
^tius, Paulus, and Actuarius, it is recommended to
the extent of 3SS — in Mesne from 9ss to 9j — in Bontius
(Med: Ind:) from 9j to 5ss — Massarias exhibits it
in doses of gr. vj — Fernelius and Sennertus to Bj —
Herman from grs. v vj — Quincy to grs. v — and Boer-
haave does not venture to give more than gr. iv— ^

* The juices of the Iris root, and Bryony root, and those of
many other plants, allow their medicinal elements to separate and
subside in a similar manner, leaving the super-natant liquid per-
fectly inert; if we must liave a generic name to express such a
substance, it should be termed a feculence, rather than a fecula.

EXT S25

while the practitioners of the present day limit their
dose from gr. ^ to grs. ij. Dr. Clutterbuck, with a
laudable intention to discover some method of procuring
this article at a cheaper rate, and at the same time
of establishing some process which might ensure a pre-
paration of more uniform strength, has lately performed
a series of interesting and instructive experiments,*
the results of which prove in a satisfactory manner
'' that the active principle of this plant is neither
lodged in the roots, leaves, flowers, nor stalks, in any
considerable quantity : nor is it to be found in the
body of the fruit itself, or in the seeds, but in the juice
around the seeds ; the substance which spotaneously
subsides from this liquor, obtained without pressure,
is genuine Elaterium, the quantity of which, contained
in the fruit, is extremely small, for Dr. Clutterbuck ob-
tained only six grains ^vom forty cucumbers. This gentle-
man communicated the detail of these experiments to
the President of the College of Physicians, who requested
me, as professor of Materia Medica, to report upon
them. I accordingly deemed it to be my duty to enter
upon a series of new experiments, which I have lately
completed, with the able assistance of Mr. Faraday,
in the laboratory of the Royal Institution. The results
of which will shew, that although Dr. Clutterbuck
found that an eighth part of a grain of elaterium sel-
dom failed to purge violently ^ yet, strange as it may
appear, that not more than one grain in ten of ela-
terium, as it occurs in commerce, possesses any active
properties, and that this decimal part is a vegetable
proximate principle, not hitherto noticed, to which I

* " Observations on the nature and preparation of the Ela-
terium," read at the Medical Society of London, April 24, 1819,
and which were published in the Medical Repository, vol. xii.
No. 67.

Vol. II. p

226 EXT

shall give the name oFElatin. 1 shall subjoin the
detail of my experiments, and I think it will appear
that their results will authorise me to express the
chemical composition of Elaterium in the following
manner.

F. Water ...... -4

Extractive 2'G

I.^B.DJ Fecula 2-g

Gluten '5

K. Woody matter . . .2*5
H. Elatin . . .

G. Bitter Principle

r b!

:.^B.D.
i c.

• \ 1-2

10 grains.

Proximate Analysis of Elaterium.

Experiments. Series \st.

Ten grains of Elaterium, obtained from a respectable chemist,

and having all the sensible properties which indicated it to be

genuine, were digested for twenty-four hours with distilled water,

at a temperature far below that of boiling ',four grains only were

dissolved.

The solution was intensely bitter, of a brownish yellow colour,
and was not in the least disturbed by alcohol, although a solution
of /orfiwe produced a blue colour ; the solution therefore contained
no gnm, and only slight traces of starch.

The solution, after standing twenty-four hours, yielded a
pellicle of insoluble matter, which when burnt appeared to resem-
ble Gluten.

The six grains which were insoluble in water, were treated for
forty-eight hours with alcohol of the specific gravity '817, at
66° of Fahrenheit; a green solution was obtained, but by slow
evaporation onli/ half a grain of solid green matter was procured.
The insoluble residue obstinately adhered to, and coated the

EXT 527

filtre like a varnish, and completely defended the mass from the
action of the alcohol ; it is probable that it consisted principally
of Starch.

Experiments. Series 2d.

Ten grains of Elaterium, from the same sample, were treated
with alcohol of the specific gravity '817, at 66'' Fahrenheit, for
twenty-four hours ; upon being filtered, and the residuum washed
with successive portions of alcohol, the Elaterium was found to
have lost 1*6 of a grain. The high specific gravity of the alcohol
in this experiment was important; had it been lower, different
results would have been produced.

The alcoholic solution obtained in the last experiment, was of
a most brilliant and beautiful green colour, resembling that of
the oil of cajeput, but brighter; upon slowly evaporating it, 1*2
grains of solid green matter were obtained.

The solid green matter of the last experiment was treated with
boiling distilled water, when a minute portion was thus dis-
solved, and a solution of a most intensely bitter taste, and of a
brownish yellow colour, resulted.

The residue, insoluble in water, was inflammable, burning with
smoke and an aromatic odour, not in the least bitter ; it was
soluble in alkalies, and was again precipitated from them un-
changed in colour; it formed, with pure alcohol, a beautiful
tincture, which yielded an odour of a very nauseous kind, but of
very little flavour, and which gave a precipitate with water ; it
was soft, and of considerable specific gravity, sinking rapidly in
water ; circumstances which distinguish it from common resin ;
in very minute quantities it purges. It appears to be the element
in which the purgative powers of the Elaterium are concentrated,
and which I have denominated Elatin.

The residuum, insoluble in alcohol, weighing 8*4 grs. (Expt. E)
was boiled in double distilled water, when 5*9 grs. were dissolved.

228 EXT

The above solution was copiously precipitated blue by a solu-
tion of Iodine, and was scarcely disturbed by the Persulphate of
Iron.

The part insoluble, both in alcohol and water, which was left
after Experiment I, amounting to 2*5 grains; it burnt like wood,
and was insoluble in alkalies.

It appears that the whole of the Elatin does not
separate itself from its native juice by spontaneous
subsidence, and that, on this account, the supernatant
liquor possesses some powers as a cathartic. We can-
not be surprised therefore that the Elaterium of com-
merce should be a very variable and uncertain medi-
cine ; for independent of the great temptation which
its high price holds out for adultei'ating it, which is
frequently done with starch, it necessarily follows that
where the active principle of a compound bears so
small a proportion to its bulk, it is liable to be affected
by the slightest variation in the process for its prepa-
ration, and even by the temperature of the season ;
where pressure is used for obtaining the juices, a greater
or less quantity of the inactive parts of the cucumber
will be mixed with the Elatin^ in proportion to the
extent of such pressure, and the Elaterium will of
course be proportionally weak.* There is one curious

* When it has a dark green colour, approaching to black, is
compact, and very heavy, and breaks with a shining resinous
fracture, we may reject it as an inferior article.

Since the publication of my experiments upon the ordinary
Elaterium of Commerce, I have been favoured by Mr. Barry
with the results of his trials upon the Elaterium made by W.
Allen & Co. according to the improved process of Dr. Clutter-
buck; of the first sample, he found that out of ten grains, 5*5
were soluble in spirit of the specific gravity 809, of the second

EXT 9^9

result obtained in my experiments which deserves no-
tice, viz, that there is a bitter principle in the Ela-
terium, very distinct from its extractive matter, and
totally unconnected with its activity, for I diluted the
solution obtained in experiment G. and swallowed it,
but it produced upon me no effect, except that which
I generally experience upon taking a powerful bitter, —
an increased appetite ; and yet notwithstanding this
fact, when in combination with Elatin^ it is far from
being inert, since this latter body is considerably
quickened by its presence. See vol. 1. page 283. The
solution B was given to a person, but no effect what-
ever ensued. Dose of good Elaterium, as it occurs in
commerce, is about one grain, or it is better to give it
only to the extent of half a grain at a time, and to
repeat that dose every hour until it begins to operate.
It is probably, when thus managed, the best hydra-
gogue cathartic which we possess ; it differs however
from the class of remedies to which it belongs, for it
excites the pulse and whole animal system, so as to
produce a considerable degree of febrile action. It
was strongly recommended by Sydenham, Lister, and
Hoffman, and all their co temporaries and immediate
successors, as a valuable remedy in dropsy ; but in
consequence of some fatal results from its improper
application, it was driven from practice with a violence
that marks prejudice rather than conviction ; one
author in descanting upon its virulence, exclaims,
" Elaterium esse in catalogo diaholi quo necat homi"

62, and of the third 6*4; of that prepared by the same process at
Apothecaries' Hall, 6 grs. were soluble. The residue, insoluble
in the spirit, was administered to a patient, and ascertained to be
perfectly inert. This report confirms beyond a doubt the great
superiority of the Elaterium when prepared, without pressure,
according to the suggestion of Dr. Clutterbuck.

230 EXT

we5." For its restoration to medicine, we are indebted
to Dr. Ferriar of Manchester, who used it with great
success in the cure of Hydro thorax.

ExTRACTUM (Succus Spissatus.^JD,) Hyoscyami.
L. This preparation is certainly powerfully narcotic,
and tends to relax rather than astringe the bowels;
where the constitution is rebellious to opium, it fur«-
nishes a more valuable resource to the practitioner,
than any other narcotic extract. Dose, gr. v to Qj, in
pills. See Form. 1, 3, 4, 19, 139.

ExTRACTUM Lactuc^. L. Succus Spissatus
Lactuc\«: Sativ^e. E. This preparation has found
its way into the London Pharmacopoeia, in consequence
of the testimony of many highly respectable practi-
tioners in favour of its sedative properties. In the
memoirs of the Caledonian Horticultural Society, va-
rious suggestions are offered as to the best mode of
obtaining an extract from the milky juice of the garden
Lettuce, to which Dr. Duncan has bestowed the name
of " Lactucarium ;" it was first recommended to
take the milk with cotton, afterwards with a sponge,
and more recently with a painter's brush; all these
methods however are attended with considerable dif-
ficulty, and the juice cannot be collected in any quan?
tity. Mr. Probart, a chemist in Great Portland Street,
has lately cultivated large plantations of the lettuce,
for the purpose of instituting experiments upon the
subject, and I am happy in being enabled through his
liberality, to introduce in this place, an account of the
process which he pursues, and which he considers the
only one by which the article can be brought into the
market at any reasonable price.*

* " I have the Cos Lettuce planted about eight inches asunder
in rows, between which there is sufficient space to enable persons

EXT 231

In concluding the history of Inspissated juices, it
deserves notice that the London College uniformly

to pass up and down without injurinc^ the plants. I commence
my operations just hefore the plant is ahout to flower, hy cutting
off an inch of the stem ; the milky juice immediately exudes, and
is collected on pieces of Wove Cotton, about half a yard square.
As soon as this becomes charged, it is thrown from time to time
into a vessel containing a small quantity of water, which when
sufficiently impregnated is evaporated at the common tempera-
ture of the atmosphere, by exposure in a number of shallow
dishes. The Lactucarium, in a few hours, is found adhering to
the vessels in the form of an Extract, but differing from every
other in all its sensible properties: this method enables me to
collect Lactucarium with great facility and dispatch, but it is
still attended with considerable expense, as the proportion of
milky product is necessarily very small, and the price of the me-
dicine consequently high, and therefore not within the reach of
general practice. This consideration led me to make farther ex-
periments, for the purpose of ascertaining whether an Extract
might not be obtained from the plant possessing all the properties
of Lactucarium, when administered in large doses, and which
could be introduced at a comparatively trifling cost. In prose-
cuting this enquiry, I found that the plants contain most of the
milky juice when they have flowered and the leaves are beginning
to assume a yellow hue, and I observed that when cut down, the
milky juice assumes for the most part a concrete form, having
subsided in the bark of the stalk and in the old leaves, a circum-
stance which accounts for the extreme bitterness of these parts.
I was naturally led from these circumstances to choose the above
period for my operations, and to select those parts only of the
plant for my extract, rejecting the substance of the stalk, and the
young sprouts. My method of procuring the extract is as follows.
I first macerate the parts in water, for twenty-four hours, and
then boil them for two, after which I allow the clear decoction
to drain through a sieve, without using any pressure ; this is then
evaporated, as far as it can be done with safety, and the process
is finished in shallow dishes, in the manner above described, for
obtaining Lactucarium. This extract, which I have called " Ex^
XRACTUM Lactuce Concentratum," is of course less powerful

232 FER

directs that the feculence should be preserved in the
compound : there can be no doubt of the propriety
of such advice, but the Colleges of Edinburgh and
Dublin reject it. The French Codex gives directions
for two extracts from each of these substances, one
containing w^hat they please to denominate the fecula^
the other not; thus there is " Extractum Cicutas
absque Fecula^"* and " Extract : Cicut : cum FeculaJ'''
There is one curious fact respecting these narcotic pre-
parations, that most, if not all of them, contain nitrcy
common salt^ and muriate of potass.

Manufacturing chemists, in order to give a smooth
and glossy appearance to their Extracts, generally add
to every Ibj, about 3SS of gum, f 3J of olive oil, and
TT^xx of rectified spirit : there is no harm in the prac-
tice.

than Lactucarium, but it possesses all the properties in larger
doses, and it has been found equally useful in a number and
variety of cases, and is not more than a sixth part of the price."

Mr. Probart has retired from trade, but I have just learnt that
the same article is now prepared, by a similar process, by Mr.
Selway, Chemist, of New Cavendish Street, and the specimens
which I have received authorise me to recommend it for trial. A
concentrated tincture is also prepared.

The " Succus Spissatus Lactucaj sativae," of the shops, must
of necessity be almost inert, since it is commonly prepared at
that period, when the plant contains none, or very little of the
milky juice; and even if the Lettuce be employed at a more
mature season, it must still fail to aflford an extract of any
strength, as it is merely the expressed juice, and that too of the
whole plant indiscriminately, and will be found to contain a very
minute proportion of Lactucarium, the great bulk being nothing
more than inspissated green juice.

FER 233

FERRI SUB-CARBONAS. L. Carbon as Ferri

Prjecipitatus. E. Garbonas Ferri. D.

Carbonate of Iron,

In a former Pharmacopoeia of London, a sub-car-
bonate of iron was prepared, under the name o^ ferri-
rubigo (rust of iron), by exposing iron-filings to the
action of air and water ; and although the Colleges of
Edinburgh and Dublin still retain this mode of pre-
paration, yet they admit at the same time of another
which, like the sub-carbonate of the present London
Pharmacopoeia, is produced by precipitation, QuA-
LiTES. Fornij a chocolate brown powder. Odour^
none, Taste^ slightly styptic. Chemical Compo-
sition. Mr. Phillips has shewn that this precipitate
is liable to vary according to the temperature at which
it is prepared, as well as from other differences of
manipulation ; it generally consists of mixtures of per-
oxide, and proto-carbonate of iron, in the proportion
of four parts of the latter, and six of the former. By
referring to the Medicinal Dynameter the practitioner
may find the quantity of those ingredients in any given
weight of the preparation, and compare its strength
with the other chalybeate medicines. Solubility.
It is insoluble in water, but acids dissolve it with
effervescence. Forms of Exhibition. In powder or
pills, combined with aromatics. Dose, gr, v to xxx.
{Form, 38.) It has lately been brought into particular
notice by the publication of Mr. Hutchinson of South-
well, who states that in doses of half a drachm to a
drachm, two or three times a day, it has proved in his
hands a most efficacious remedy in the cure of Tic
doloureux. Mr. Hutchinson is well known to the
profession as a judicious and inquiring practitioner,
and we are well satisfied that he would not recommend

234 FER

any remedy to the attention of his brethren, without a
well grounded assurance of its efficacy ; at the same
time it must be remembered that this disease is very
frequently the consequence of an irritation in some
nerve, by the mechanical operation of osseous spiculae;
in such cases we cannot expect the sub-carbonate of
Iron to afford relief. A noble Marquis who lost his
leg at Waterloo, suffered excruciating pains in his face,
in consequence of exfoliation in the stump, which
were relieved as soon as the local irritation subsided ;
and a late lamented physician appears to have owed
his severe sufferings to the irritation produced on the
brain by a bony excrescence. I have little doubt if
cases of Tic doloureux were more carefully examined,
they would be frequently found to derive their origin
from a similar source. If it were necessary I could
add seveial of such instances to those already enu-
merated.

FERRI R AMENTA ET FILA. L. Fila et

LiMATURA. E. Ferri Sc'obs. D.

Iron Filings and Wire,

Iron seems to be a metal that proves active m its
metallic state ; its filings may be given in the form of
powder, conjoined to some aromatic, or what is per-
haps more eligible, in the form of an electuary. The
Mahometan practitioners are in the habit of prescribing
them, in conjunction with ginger, and cummin seeds,
in cases requiring tonics. Dose, grs. v to 5ss. Impu-
rities. Iron filings should be carefully purified by
the application of the magnet, since those obtained
from the work-shops are generally mixed with copper
and other metals. For pharmaceutical purposes, iron
T»vire should be preferred, as being the most pure^ since

FER 235

the softest iron only can be drawn, and Mr. Phillips
has shewn us, in his experiments upon the " Ferrum
Tartarizatuniy^^ that soft iron is more easily acted upon
by Tartar.

FERRI SULPHAS. L. Sulphas Ferri. E.D.

Ferrum Vitriolatum. P.L. 1787. Sal Martis. P.L. 1745.

Sal, seu Vitriolatum Martis. P.L. 1720.

Sulphate of Iron^ formerly Green VitrioL

Qualities. Form^ crystals, which are rhomboidal
prisms, transparent, and of a fine green colour ; when
exposed to the air they effloresce, and at the same
time become covered with a yellow powder, owing to
the attraction of oxygen ; when exposed to heat, they
undergo watery fusion, and at a higher temperature,
the acid is driven off and the peroxide of iron alone
remains, which in commerce is known by the name
of Colcothar, Chemical Composition. According
to Dr. Thomson, it consists of 27*7 of sulphuric acid,
28*3 of protoxide of iron, and 45 of water; 8 parts,
however, of this water, exist in combination with the
oxide of iron. The Medicinal Dynameter will shew
the proportion of protoxide in any given weight of this
salt. Solubility. It is soluble in two parts of water
at 60^, and three-fourths at 212**. The solution red-
dens vegetable blues. It is insoluble in alcohol ; when
however the iron is farther oxidized, it becomes solu-
ble in that menstruum.* Incompatible Substances.
Every salt whose base forms an insoluble compound
with sulphuric acid ; the earths^ the alkalies^ and their

* This fact furnishes the Pharmaceutic Chemist with an easy
and effectual mode of cleansing the green crystals from the yel-
low peroxide which forms upon their surface, viz. by washing,
them in spirit.

236 FER

carbonates ; borate of soda; nitrate of potass, muriate
of ammonia; tartrate of potass and soda; acetate of
ammonia; nitrate of silver ; sub-acetate and acetate
of lead; and Soaps. Whether the medicinal virtues
of a salts of iron are injured by combination with
astringent vegetable matter, seems to admit of doubt.
Such substances have been usually ranked amongst
the incompatibles, but I am disposed to think without
sufficient grounds, for I have frequently witnessed the
salutary effects of iron when exhibited in this ques-
tionable state of combination — may not the absorbents
be more disposed to take up iron, when combined with
vegetable matter, than when it is presented in a more
purely mineral form ? * Medicinal Uses. Tonic,
astringent, emmenagogue, and anthelmintic ; in large
doses, it occasions griping in the bowels. Dose, gr. j
to V, combined with rhubarb, or some bitter extract.
{Form: 72, 87.) If given in solution, the water should
be previously boiled, or the oxygen contained in the
atmospherical air, which is diffused through it, will
partially convert the salt into an o>27^-sulphat, and
render it insoluble. As an external astringent it is
useful in the aphthae of children.t Officinal Prep.
Mist: Ferri comp: L. (K) Pil: Ferri comp: L. (J)

* By a parity of reasoning, Mr. Carmichael is led to prefer
the phosphate of iron to any other preparation of that metal, in
cancer, because he thinks iron, combined with an animal acid,
enters the system in greater quantity, and unites more intimately
with the juices.

Aromatic Lozenges of Steel. These consist of sulphate of
iron, with a small proportion of the tincture of Cantharides.

t Forge Water, This popular remedy as a lotion for AphthjE
and other similar diseases, I am well satisfied possesses consider-
able efficacy. It may, perhaps, be necessary to state that Forge-
water is that in which the Blacksmith has plunged his hot iron,
for the purpose of refrigeration. Il is to be taken early in the

FER 237

FERRUM AMMONIATUM. L. Murias

Ammoni^e et Ferri. E.D.

Ferrum Ammoniacale, P.L. 1787. Flores Martiales,

PL. 1745. Ens Veneris. P.L, 1720.

Qualities. Form^ crystalline grains, which deli-
quesce ; Colour^ orange yellow ; Odour ^ resembling
that of saffron; Taste^ styptic. Chemical Com-
position. This is very variable ; depending upon
the degree of heat and length of time employed for its
preparation. It seems to be a mixed mass, consisting
of sub-muriate of ammonia and sub-muriate of iron,
the metal being in the state of red oxide ; and, Mr.
Phillips states that in the London preparation a por-
tion of sub-carbonate of ammonia is necessarily present.
The same chemist has also shewn that the proportion
of Peroxide of iron in 200 grains is not more than three
grains. Its equivalents will be seen in the Medicinal
Dynameter. Solubility, f Jj of water dissolves 3iv
of it ; it is also very soluble in alcohol. Incompatible
Substances. The Alkalies^ and their Carbonates ;
Lime water^ and Astringent vegetables. Medicinal
Uses. It is tonic, emmenagogue, and aperient, but it
is so uncertain in its composition and effects that it is
rarely used. Officinal Prep : Tinct : Ferri Armnon :
L. Form : 36, 43, 95. Impurities. These are in-
dicated by the dull and pale yellow colour of the salt ;
it may be purified by re-subliming it.

morning, when, all the mechanical impurities having had time to
subside, it is beautifully limpid. Upon examining some of this
water 1 found it to contain sulphate of iron. The sulphuric
acid was probably tlerived from the sulphur of the coals.

238 FER

FERRUM TARTARIZATUM. L.

Tartras Potass^ et Ferri. E.
Tartarum Ferri. D.

Qualities. Form^ a powdei* of a brownish green
colour ; Odour ^ none ; Taste, slightly styptic ; it attracts
humidity from the atmosphere, but does not deliquesce.
Chemical Composition. Mr. Phillips has devoted
much attention to this subject, and he states that as it
is frequently prepared, it is a mere mixture of metallic
iron with super-tartrate of potass, coloured by oxide
of iron ; when however it is made with more care, it
appears to be a double salt, consisting of tartrate of
potass and tartrate of iron ; or may it not be one of
those combinations which cream of tartar forms with
metals, and of which I have spoken under the article
Antimonium Tartarizatum ? The quantity of peroxide
of iron contained in any weight of this preparation
may be seen by referring to the Medicinal Dt/nameter;
five grains, for instance, will be found to contain gr. j
of peroxide, which, it will be observed, are equivalent
to TT[xiv of the Tinctura Ferri Muriatis, and to TT[xxv
of the Liquor Ferri Alkalini, or to f §j of the Vinum
Ferri, Solubility. It is very soluble in water, and
the solution remains for a great length of time without
undergoing any change, except that of depositing tar-
trate of lime, which is an incidental impurity in the
supertarferate of potass. Incompatible Substances.
All strong acids; lime water; hi/ dro- sulphur et of
potass ; astringent vegetables ? The fixed alkalies and
their carbonates decompose the solution very slowly,
unless heated ; but ammonia and its sub-carbonate
produce upon it no effect whether it be hot or cold ;
this fact, observes Mr. Phillips, will enable us to exhibit

FIL 239

iron in solution with an alkali, without the occurrence
of any precipitate. Forms of Exhibition. The
perfect preparation, from its tendency to deliquesce,
cannot be well ordered in the form of powder ; that of
solution is probably the most judicious. Med. Uses.
It is supposed to add to its chalybeate virtues those of
a diuretic nature. Dose, grs. x to 3SS. See Form :
34, 53, 92, Dr. Bateman has recommended a watery
solution of it, as a chalybeate peculiarly suited to
children, from its tasteless quality.

FILICIS RADIX. L.E.D.

(Aspidium Filix, Mas,)

Root of the Male Fern,

Qualities. This root is nearly inodorous; its
taste slightly bitter, sweetish, sub-astringent, and mu-
cilaginous ; as it contains no volatile ingredient, it
may be given in decoction, but on account of its astrin-
gency, it must not be conjoined with a chalybeate.
Chemical Composition. According to M. Morin,
the Male Fern root owes its anthelmintic property to a
fatty substance, capable of being saponified ; of a
nauseous odour quite like that of the root ; of a very
disagreeable taste, heavier than water, and distilling
with water, and when burnt, giving a dense aromatic
smoke. The root, moreover, contains gallic and acetic
acids ; uncrystallizable sugar ; tannin ; starch ; a gela-
tinous matter insoluble in water and alcohol; lignine;
and various salts. M. Morin considers the fatty matter
as formed of a fixed and a volatile oil, but farther
experiments are required to make the characteristic
principle of this root better understood. (Ann. deChim.

240 ^ GAL

xxvi. 219.) Dose, as an anthelmintic,* 3J to ^iij,
followed by a cathartic ; its use however is superseded
by more powerful and certain vermifuges. The root
is sometimes boiled in ale to flavour it,

GALBANI GUMMI RESINA. L.E.D.

Galbanum.

Qualities. Form^ variegated masses, of a yellowish
brown colour ; Odour ^ fetid ; Taste^ bitter and acrid.
Chemical Composition. It is one of those vege-
table products to which the name of gum-resin has
been given, see Elemi, The latest analysis of galba-
num by M. Meisner, affords the following results.
Resin 65*8 ; Gum 22*6 ; Cerasin 1*8 ; Malic acid 02 ;
Volatile oil 3*4; Vegetable Debris 2'S; loss 3*4.
Solubility. Water, wine, and vinegar, by tritu-
ration, take up one-fourth of its weight, and form a
milky mixture, which deposits its charge by rest ; a per-
manent suspension, however, may be effected by the
intermedium of egg or of gum arabic, for which pur-
pose the galbanum will require half its weight of gum.

- -- ~

* Mathieu's Vermifuge. This consisted of two distinct
Electuaries, the one for killings the other for expelling the Tape*
worm. The former of these was composed of an ounce of Tin
Filings, six drachms of the Fern root, half an ounce of Semina
Santonici, a drachm of the resinous extract of Jalap, and of Sul-
phate of Potass, and a suificient quantity of Honey to make an
Electuary, of which a teaspoonful was taken every three hours
for two days ; after which the latter electuary was given in the
same dose, and consisted of two scruples of powdered Jalap, and
Sulphate of Potass, one scruple of Scammony, and ten grains of
Gamboge, made into an Electuary with Honey. The inventor
of this receipt received the title of Counsellor of the Court, as
well as a large pension for life, from the King of Prussia, for
making it public !

GAL 241

Alcohol takes up one-fifth of its weight, and a golden
yellow tincture results, which has the sensible qualities
of the galbanum, and becomes milky on the addition
of water, but no precipitate falls. A mixture of two
parts of rectified spirit and one of water, will dissolve
all but the impurities. By distillation, galbanum yields
half its weight of volatile oil, which at first has a blue
colour. Med. Uses. It is antispasmodic, expec-
torant, and deobstruent, and in a medical classification,
might be placed between ammonia and assafoetida.
Forms of Exhibition. No form is preferable to
that of pill. Officinal Prep. Pil. Galbanicomp. L.
PiL Assafoetid, comp, E. (B) Pil, Myrrh co, D.
Tinct. Galb, D. EmpL Galb, D. Emplast. Galb.
CO. L. Emplast* Assafastid, E. (B) Emplast Gum,'
mos. E.

GALLiE. L.E.D.

(Cynips Quercus folii Nidus.) Gall Nuts.

Qualities. Form^ excrescences, nearly round and
of different magnitudes, smooth on the surface, but
studded with tuberosities ; they are heavy, brittle, and
break with a flinty fracture. Odour, none ; Taste,
bitter and very astringent. Solubility. The whole
of their soluble matter is taken up by forty times their
weight of boiling water. Alcohol, by digestion, dis-
solves .7, and aether .5 of their substance. The watery
infusion possesses all the properties of the gall-nut, and
reddens vegetable blues. Chemical Composition.
Is at present involved in some obscurity ; it contains
tannin, gallic acid, a concrete volatile oil, and perhaps
extractive and gum. M. Braconnot has also lately
discovered in the gall-nut a new acid, which he calls
Ellagic acid, from the word galle reversed, a nomen-
clature which it must be confessed is at least free from

Vol. II. Q

249 GAL

the objections urged against that which is founded
upon chemical composition. (See Annales de Chimie^
vol, ijo. p. 187, new series; also Children'' s Essay on
Chemical Analysis^ p. 276.) Incompatible Sub-
stances. The infusion and tincture of galls possess
habitudes with which it is very important for the medi-
cal practitioner to be acquainted, not only for the
purpose of directing their exhibition with success,
but because the elements which impart to them their
characteristic traits, viz. Gallic Acid and Tannin^*
are very widely diffused through the products of the
vegetable kingdom, and will be found to be constantly
active in their chemical, medicinal, and pharmaceutical
relations. Metallic salts, especially those of iron,
produce precipitates with infusion of galls, composed
of tannin, gallic acid, and the metallic oxide ; of these
compounds the ianno-gallate of iron is the most
striking, being of a black colour ; those of sub-acetate
and acetate of lead are greyish ; tartarized antimony
produces a yellowish ; sulphate of copper a brown ;
sulphate of zinc reddish black; nitrate of silver^ a
deep olive ; and nitrate of mercury^ a bright yellow
precipitate ; the oxy-muriate of mercury produces
only an opacity. Sulphuric acid throws down a yel-
lowish curdy precipitate, muriatic^ a flaky and white
one, and nitric acid merely modifies the colour of the
infusion, although it destroys its astringency ; the so-
lution of ammonia occasions no precipitate but renders

* Seguin first proved that gallic acid, and tannin or the astrin-
gent principle, are different substances ; it is to the former that
the property of giving a black colour to the solutions of iron is
owing.

Mr. Hatchett has shewn that tan or tannin may be artificially
produced by the action of nitric acid upon various vegetable
substances.

GAL 243

the colour deeper, the carbonate however throws down
a precipitate ; the carbonates of tliejiuced alkalies pro-
duce a yellowish flaky, and lime water a copious green
precipitate. The tannin in the infusion of galls is
precipitated by a solution of isinglass or of any othef
animal jelly, by that of starch, and by many metallic
oxides. Medicinal Uses. Galls are most powerfully
astringent. The native practitioners of India not only
administer them as astringents in dysentery, but as
tonics in cases of intermittent fever. Forms of Ex-
hibition. In that of powder; and in combination
with other astringents (Form. 51,) or with aromatics
and bitters. As a local remedy the gall-nut enters into
gargles and injections ; for blind piles, an ointment
composed of 2| parts of finely powdered galls, and a
small portion of opium, with three parts of simple
ointment as an excipient, offers a very valuable re-
source. (Form. 55). In some cases of hemorrhoids,
prolapsus ani, and fluor albus, the application may be
made in the form of a fomentatiouj for which purpose
two drachms of bruised galls should be macerated for
an hour in a pint of boiling water, which, when cold,
may be used in the usual manner. Dose, for internal
exhibition, grs. x — 9ij, or more. Officinal Prep.
Tinct. Gallarum. E.D. Observation* Those which
are small, protuberant, bluish, and heavy, are the best,
being such as have been collected before the larvcB
within them had changed to the state of fly, and eaten
their way out ; a white, or a red hue indicates an
inferior quality, and are those from which the insect
has escaped. Aleppo galls are the most valuable, as
being the most astringent.

244 GEN

GENTIANS RADIX. L.E.D.

(Gentiana Lutea, Radix,) Gentian Root,

Qualities. Form^ wrinkled pieces of various
length and thickness ; Odour ^ not particular ; Taste^
intensely bitter, but not nauseous. Chemical Com-
position, resin, a small portion of oil, bitter extrac-
tive, and a proportion of tannin ; it contains also
mucilage, in consequence of which the infusion fre-
quently becomes ropy. Since the last edition of this
work, the continental chemists have announced the
existence of an alkaline principle, which they call
Gentia or Gentiania, and which is said to concentrate
within itself, all the virtues of the Gentian root; it
does not appear to be in the least poisonous; M,
Majendie has injected it into the veins without any
obvious effects, and has himself swallowed two grains
without experiencing any sensation but that of extreme
bitterness, followed by gentle warmth in the region of
the stomach. The root, moreover, contains saccharine
matter, for when fermented with water, it yields a
spirit which is extensively used by the Swiss. Solu-
bility. The virtues of this root are extracted by
water and alcohol; proof 'spirit is perhaps its most
perfect menstruum. See Infus. Gentian, comp, Med.
Uses. It is tonic and stomachic, and its use for such
purposes is of ancient date ;* in dyspepsia, hysteria,
and in all cases where a vegetable bitter is indicated,
it will be found a serviceable remedy. Dose, in sub-
stance, from grs. x to 3J. Officinal Preparations.
Extract: Gentian, L.E.D. Infusum Gentianm comp,

* It takes its name from Gentius, king of lUyria, its disco-
verer, who was vanquished by Anicius the Roman Psetor, A.U.
585. i.e. A.C. 167, so that it is neither to be found in Hippo-
crates nor Theophrastus.

GLY 245

L.E.D. Tinct, Gentian, comp, L.E.D.* Vinum Gen-
tiance compositum. E.

GLYCYRRHIZ^ RADIX. L.E.D.

(Glycyrrhiza Glabra.)
Liquorice Root, Stick Liquorice,

Qualities. Taste, sweet and mucilaginous. Che-
mical Composition. Gum, with a peculiar modi-
cation of saccharine matter (GlT/cion), or sugar in its
purest form, for it is not fermentable; on which account
it is added to beer for the purpose of imparting a sweet
taste, and at the same time enabling it to keep better.
Solubility. Water extracts both its principles, but
by long coction it becomes bitter ; alcohol extracts
only its saccharine matter. Med. Uses. It is prin-
cipally employed as a demulcent in combination with
other mucilaginous vegetables ; the root will yield
nearly half its weight of extract. Liquorice covers the
taste of some unpalatable medicines more effectually
than any other substance, and it has long enjoyed the
reputation of assuaging thirst, whence the Greeks dis-
tinguished this root by the term Adipson ; and, per-
haps, the English word Liquorice may be derived from
the same belief. Officinal Prep. Decoct: Sarsa^
parill: comp, L.D. (O) Infus: Lini, L. (B) Extract:
Glycyrrhiza^, L.E.D. Confectio Sennce t L.E. (O)

* Brodum's Nervous Cordial consists of the tinctures of Gen-
tian, Calumba, Cardamom and Bark, with the Compound Spirit
of Lavender, and Wine of Iron.

Stroughton's Elixir. Is a tincture of Gentian, with the
addition of Serpentaria, Orange Peel, Cardamoms, and some
other aromatics.

+ Pectoral Balsam of Liquorice. The proprietor of this
nosbum gravely affirms that f E iss contains the virtues of a whole

246 GUA

Adulterations. The powdered root is generally
sophisticated with flour, and sometimes with powdered
guaiacum ; the fraud may be detected by its colour
being a fine pale, instead of a brownish yellow, and by
its reduced or foreign flavour.

GRANATI CORTEX. L.E.D.

Punica Granatum. Pomorum Cortex,
Pomegranate Bark,

What has been said respecting the Gall-nut, applies
with equal truth to this substance. The efficacy of the
bark of the root of the pomegranate, says Dr. Ainslie
(Mat. Med, of Hindo start )^ as a remedy for the tape
worm is now well established in India ; it is given in
decoction, prepared with two oiinces of the fresh bark,
boiled in a pint and a half of water until only three
quarters of a pint remain.

GUAIACI RESINA ET LIGNUM. L.E.D.

(Guaiacum Officinale).
The Resin and Wood of Guaiacum,

A. The Wood.

Qualities. This wood is heavier than water, and
emits when heated an aromatic odour ; Taste^ bitterish
and sub-acrid ; to extract its virtues long decoction is
required. 'Jt has enjoyed great reputation as a specific
in the venereal disease ; it was imported into Europe
in 1517, and gained immediate celebrity from curing

pound of Liquorice root ; but upon investigation it will be found
to consist principally of Paregoric Elixir, verj strongly impreg-
nated with the Oil of Aniseed.

GUA 247

the celebrated Van Hutten : long before this period,
however, it was used by the natives of St. Domingo.
Boerhaave, so late as the eighteenth century, main-
tained its specific powers. It seems probable that the
discipline which always accompanied its exhibition,
such as sweating, abstinence, and purgation, might be
the means, in the warmer climates, of effecting cures
which were attributed to the guaiacum. Officinal
Preparations. Decoct : Guaiaci comp : ^, Decoct:
Sarsaparill : comp: L.D,

B. The Guaiac, or Resin.

Qualities. Form ; it has the aspect of a gum
resin ; Colour^ greenish brown ; it is easily pulverized,
and the powder, which is at first grey, becomes green
on exposure to air and light, which appears to depend
upon the absorption of oxygen : when heated, it loses
its colour : it melts by heat ; and has a sp. grav : of
1*2289. Solubility. ^T^a^er dissolves out of it about
9 per cent, of extractive matter; alcohol 95, and cether
40 parts in a hundred. The alkaline solutions and
their carbonates dissolve it readily ; Sulphuric acid
dissolves it with scarcely any effervescence, and affords
a solution of a rich claret colour ; Nitric acid dissolves
it with a copious extrication of nitrous fumes ; Mu'
riatic acid dissolves a small portion only ; but in all
these cases the guaiacum is decomposed ; the acids are
therefore incompatible w^ith it. Chemical Compo-
sition. The experiments of Mr. Hatchett demonstrate
that it is a substance sui generis^ and not a resin, or
gum-resin. Med. Uses. Stimulant, diaphoretic,* and

* The Chelsea Pensioner. An empirical remedy for the
rheumatism is well known under this name ; it is said to be the
prctcription of a Chelsea Pensioner, by which Lord Amherst

248 UM

in large doses, purgative. Forms of Exhibition.
In that of bolus ; or diffused in water, by means of
one half of its own weight of gum arabic. Dose, gr. x
to 3ss. Officinal Prep : Mist: Guaiac: L. Tinct.
Guaiac. L.E.D. Tinct. Guaiac, Ammoniat, L.E.D.
Pulv. Aloes com. L.D. (CM.) Adulterations.
Common resin may be detected by the turpentine
emitted when the guaiac is thrown upon hot coals ;
Manchinal gum^ by adding to the tincture a few drops
of sweet spirit of nitre, and diluting with water ; the
guaiac is thus precipitated, but the adulteration floats
in white striae.

HiEMATOXYLI LIGNUM. L.E.D.

(Haematoxylon Campechianum). Logwood.

Qualities. The wood is hard, compact, and heavy.
Odour J none ; Taste^ sweet, and astringent ; Colour^
deep red. Chemical Composition. The colouring
matter of this wood has been very recently submitted
to a rigid examination ; and the name of Hematin has
been given to it ; it affords small brilliant crystals of a
reddish white colour, and slightly astringent, bitter, and
acrid flavour; sulphuretted hydrogen passed through

was cured ; the following is its composition — Gum Guaiac 5 j
Powdered Rhubarb 3 ij — Cream of Tartar §j — Flowers of
Sulphur §jj — One Nutmeg finely powdered ; made into an
Electuary with one pound of Clarified Honey. Two large
spoonsful to be taken night and morning.

Walker & Wessel's Jesuit Drops. This is nothing more
than the Elixir Anti-venereum of Quincey, consisting of Guaia-
cum, Balsam of Copaiba, and Oil of Sassafras, made into a Tinc-
ture by Spirit.

Hatfield's Tincture. Guaiac and Soap, equal parts, 5 'j —
Rectified Spirit oiss.

Hill's Essence of Bardana. Guaiac ^j — Spirit f 3 iij.

HEL 249

its solution in water, gives it a yellow colour, which
disappears in a few days. Gelatine throws it down in
reddish flakes. The habitudes of Logwood are curious
with respect to mutability of colour. The recent in-
fusion, made with distilled water, is yellow, but that
with common water has a reddish purple colour, which
is deepened by the alkalies, and changed to yellow by
the acids; various salts precipitate it; acetate of lead;
alum; the sulphates of copper and iron; tartarized
antimony ; and sulphuric^ muriatic^ nitric^ and acetic
acidsy are on this account incompatible with it. Med.
Uses. It is supposed to be astringent, and is therefore
given in protracted diarrhoeas, and in the latter stage
of dysentery. Officinal Prep. Extract, Hcema-
toxyli, L.

HELLEBORI FGETIDI FOLIA. L.
(Helleborus Fcetidus). Helleboraster. D.

The Leaves of Fcetid Hellebore.
As this plant is merely retained in the list of materia
medica on account of its anthelmintic properties, it
might be well dispensed with, since we possess many
others which are much more safe, as well as more effi-
cacious.

HELLEBORI NIGRI RADIX. L.E.D.

The Root of Black .Hellebore, Melampodium.*

Christmas Rose,
Qualities. The fibres of the root are the parts
employed ; they are about the thickness of a straw,

* Matthew's Pills, — Starkey's Pills. Of the Roots of
Black Hellebore, Liquorice, and Turmeric, equal parts, purified
Opium, Castille Soap, and Syrup of Saffron, the same quantity,
made into pills with Oil of Turpentine.

250 HEL

corrugated, externally of a deep dark colour, hence
the epithet black; internally white, or of a yellowish
hue. Odour ^ unpleasant; Taste^ bitter and acrid.
Chemical Composition. An analysis of this root
has lately been effected by M. M. Feneulle and Capron,
from which it appears that its active principle, unlike
that of the White Hellebore (Veratrum) is not an al-
kali ; the following substances enter into its composi-
tion, viz. 1. A Volatile Oil. — ^2. A Fatty matter. — S,
A Resin. — 4. Wax. — 5. A Volatile Acid. — 6. A bitter
principle. — 7. Mucus. — 8. Alumina. — 9. Gallate of
Potass. — 10. Acidulous Gallate of Lime. — 11. A Salt,
with an Ammoniacal base. Solubility. Both water
and alcohol extract its virtues, but the spirituous solu-
tion is the most active ; long coction diminishes its
powers, hence the watery extract acts more mildly than
the root. Medicinal Uses. This is one of the most
ancient articles of the materia medica. Ctesias, who
lived in the time of Plato, and anterior to Hippocrates,
speaks of it as a medicine of important virtues. By
the Greek and Roman physicians it was highly esteem-
ed as a remedy in Mania (Vol. \. p. 12.) The ex-
traordinary cures performed at the island of Anticyrus,
famous for its Hellebore, are celebrated by the poets
and historians of antiquity. It is a drastic cathartic,
and may prove therefore emmenagogue, and hydra-
gogue, but in this country, its reputation has been
destroyed by the decided manner in which Dr. Cullen
reprobated its use. Forms of Exhibition. It is

Backer's Tonic Pills. These are composed of equal parts
of the Extract of Hellebore, and Myrrh § j, with 5 iij of powdered
Carduus Benedictus : which are made into a mass, and divided
into pills, each weighing one grain ; from two to six of which may
be given three times every day, according to the effects they pro-
duce.

HUM 251

seldom given in substance, but in the form of tincture
or extract ; or in that of decoction, made with two
drachms of the root to a pint of water. Dose of the
powdered root, grs. x to 9j ; of the decoction, fjj.
Officinal Preparations. Tinct, Hellehori Nigri,
L.E.D. Extractum Hellehori Nigri, E.D. Adul-
terations. The roots of the poisonous aconites are
often fraudulently substituted; this is easily disco-
vered, for the aconite is lighter coloured than the
palest specimens of black hellebore ; it is safe therefore
to choose the darkest.

HORDEI SEMINA. L.E.D.

(Hordeum Distichon. Semina^ tunicis nudata.)

Hordeum Perlatum. Pearl Barlet/,
Barley is formed into Pearl Barlet/^ by the remo-
val of its husk or cuticle,* and afterwards by being
rounded and polished in a mill. These well known
granules consist chiefly of fecula, with portions of mu-
cilage, gluten, and sugar, which water extracts by
decoction, but the solution soon passes into the acetous
fermentation ; the bran of barley contains an acrid
resin, and it is to get rid of such an ingredient that it
is deprived of its cuticle. Officinal Prepara-
tions. Decoct, Hordei, L.E.D. Decoct, Hordei, comp,
JL.D.

HUMULI STROBILI. L.E.

(Humulus Lupulus. Stroboli Siccati.)

Qualities. Odour^ fragrant, and sub-narcotic;
Taste, bitter, astringent, and aromatic. Chemical

* Whence the decoctions of this substance have been termed
Ptisans, from irilwoj decortico, to peel.

25« HUM

Composition. Dr. A. W. Ives, of New York, has
shewn that the characteristic and valuable properties
of the hop reside exclusively in a substance forming
not more than one-sixth part of their weight, and
which is easily separable from it by the mechanical
processes of threshing and sifting. To this substance
he has given the name of Liipulin. It is an impalp-
able yellow powder, peculiar to the female plant,*
and is probably secreted by the Nectaria. From
various experiments made upon it. Dr. Ives arrived at
the conclusion that Liipulin contains a very subtile
Aroma, which is yielded to water and to alcohol, and
which is rapidly dissipated at a high temperature, but
that " no essential oil can be detected hy distillation
in ani/ part of the Hop,'''' That the Lupulin more-
over contains Gallic acid and Tannin ; an extractive
matter, which is soluble only in water, and a bitter
principle, which is soluble in hoth\ alcohol and water;
and a Resin, in which the narcotic property of the
hop exclusively resides. The following is the more
accurate expression of its composition.

Tannin - - - 5 grs. Wax - - - - 12 grs.
Extractive - 10 Resin - - - - 36

Bitter principle 11 Lignin - - - 46

120

* The common domestic Hop is invariably the female plant ;
that which bears the male flowers is not cultivated, and is called
the wild hop. The researches of Dr. Ives shew the importance
of this distinction.

+ The chemist will not fail to observe this fact, as being similar
to that which I noticed in the analysis of Elaterium, viz. the ex-
istence of a bitter principle quite distinct from, and independent
of, Extractive matter ; for in my experiments upon Elaterium, it
will be seen, that the bitter principle was soluble in Alcohol of
•817, whereas the extractive matter was soluble only in water.—
See Extract. Elaterii.

HUM 253

This fact, with respect to the residence of the pro-
j>erties of the hop in the yellow grains scattered over
its scales, has been since confirmed by the observations
of M. Payen and A. Chevalier, who have moreover de-
tected a volatile oil in the Lupulin, amounting to
2 per cent ; its proportion, however, appears to vary in
the Hop of different countries ; the French Hop, for
instance, has been found to contain more than the
Belgic, but less than the English ; Hops, moreover,
soon after having been picked, yield, casteris paribus^
more oil and less resin than the old ; a circumstance
which induced M. M. Payen and Chevalier to suspect
that the oil is capable of being resinified. (Journal
de Pharmacie^ Juin 18220 This oil is similar in
odour to the hop, but much more penetrating, narcotic,
and very acrid in the throat. The oil appears to have
escaped the notice of Dr. Ives, from the fact of its
being very volatile, and, to a great extent, soluble in
water. *

* Dr. Ives has edited two editions of mv Phannacologia in
America, aod in the latter one he has added a valuable note,
which 1 shall here introduce to the notice of my English readers^

" Soon after the publication of my essay on the Hop in Lai9,
I discovered the incorrectness of my deductions and statement,
that the LupuHne contained no enential oU. I was preparing some
further remarks on the same subject, in which I intended to cor-
rect the error, when I found they had been anticipated by an
anonymous writer in a London Magazine. As to the general
f«salts of my experiments, detailed in that paper, I at that time
attached importance to them, from the belief, that they would
ultimately lead to vast economical improvements, in the perma-
nent pres^^ation of the only valuable portion of the hop, and in
the manufactory of malt liquors. So far as can be determined
from its sensible properties, a quantity of Lupvlin ^hich has hee^
kept in bottles for three years, and which is now by me, has lost
Hone of its aromatic flavour, or is io any r^^pect deteriorated by

254 HUM

Solubility. Boiling water, alcohol, and aether,
extract their virtues ; but their aromatic flavour is

keeping. That the lupulin possesses all the virtues of the hop
essential to the good quality and preservation of beer, is demon-
strably evident from an experiment made in 1820, by an expe-
rienced and respectable brewer in this city. He obtained by
threshing and sifting, from a bag of hops weighing about 150
pounds, 21 pounds of lupulin. Of this, and the usual quantity
of other ingredients, he made 40 barrels of beer ; the quantity into
which he ordinarily put 150 pounds of hops. The summer fol-
lowing, and not less than four or five months after it was made,
I had an opportunity of comparing this beer with that manu-
factured about the same time in the usual manner. The former
was less bitter, but in no respect inferior to the latter. It would
doubtless have been better than it was, had all the lupulin been
separated from the hops used in the experiment; but that was
impracticable. There can therefore now be no doubt of the
correctness of my former opinion, that if any mechanical means
can be devised, by which the lupulin may be easily and readily
separated from the strobiles, it will consummate an improvement,
of incalculable value, in the preservation of hops, and the art of
brewing.

With regard to the medicinal efficacy of hops, every accurate
observer must acknowledge, with Dr. Paris, that they possess
little merit, if administered according to the directions given
in our pharmacopoeias, the manner probably in which they were
exhibited by him. The quantity of proof spirit, given in the
tincture, would produce stimulating effects independent of any
properties which it imbibes from the hops; and although its
action may be modified by their combined agency, so as, in some
measure, to increase the cordial and invigorating influence of the
alcohol, it is difficult to conceive that the tonic or narcotic vir-
tues of the hop should thus be sufficiently concentrated to produce
much remedial benefit. It is otherwise with the pharmaceutical
preparations of the lupulin which I have been accustomed to pre-
scribe. Pretty extensive observation has confirmed my former
opinion, that in " diseases which are the consequence of exhausted
excitability, or more directly, of a deranged state of the stomach
and bowels, are certainly much relieved by this medicine. It
frequently induces sleep and quiets great nervous irritation, with-

HUM 255

destroyed by decoction ; like most vegetable bitters,
the cold is more grateful than the warm infusion ; its

out causing costiveness, or, impairing, like opium, the tone of
the stomach, and thereby increasing the primary disease. The
preparation most commonly used in this city, is the tincture pre-
pared by digesting § ij of the lupulin in oj of alcohol. Dose,
from 5j to 5ij. Inquietude and watchfulness, connected with
excessive irritability, in all its gradations, from the restlessness
consequent upon exhaustion and fatigue to the most uncontroll-
able paroxysm of delirium tremens, are more frequently allayed
by this remedy than any other in ordinary use. Another eligible
mode of exhibiting the lupulin is in pills. From two to four pills,
each containing three grains of the powder, may be given at a
dose. Dr. Desroches, who published a dissertation on the hop in
1803, supposed that its narcotic principle resided in the essential
oil ; but is it not more than probable that this was a conjecture
arising from the imaginary soporific virtues of the hop pillow ?
It requires much experience and accurate observation to speak
confidently upon the subject ; but from having frequently used
the lupulin collected from old hops, in which little aroma seemed
to remain, and also the extract prepared by decoction, by which
process the essential oil is chiefly dissipated, I am still of opinion
that its narcotic properties is in the resinous extract."

The following is the process recommended by M. Planche for
purifying the lupulin for pharmaceutical purposes.

The means employed to purify the lupulin are founded on its
specific gravity and its insolubility in water. To separate the
sand from the lupulin it is only necessary to put it into water,
shake it a few minutes, and then decant that which the water
holds in suspension. A black sand will be deposited at the bottom
of the vessel. To purify it from all the sand, it is necessary to
repeat this process a number of times; after which, spread it on
filtering paper, let it drain, and dry it in a warm atmosphere,
without however exposing it to the action of the sun, or to a tem-
perature of more than 76" (Fah.) I have preserved lupulin pre-
pared in this manner nine years, which is still strongly odorous.
It is however better to be prepared every year. The process of
cleansing the lupulin should be rapidly conducted, otherwise it
will change.

256 HUM

colour is deepened by alkalies, and rendered turbid
by the mineral acids ; metallic salts also produce de-

Medicinal Preparations.
Powder of Lupulin. Like all resinous substances the lupulia
forms an adhesive mass by pounding it, so that in order to obtain
a more minute division of its particles than is natural, it is neces-
sary to mix with it some other substance. We have prepared this
powder many times iu the following manner.
J^. Lupulin 1 part.

White sugar, pulverized 2 parts.
Pound the lupulin in a porcelain mortar, then gradually add
the sugar, and rub them well together.

Lupulin Pills.
To make these pills it is unnecessary to use any excipient.
Bruise the lupulin thoroughly, and it will become a ductile
mass which may be easily moulded into pills. In the winter it is
necessary to warm the mortar. This is the most simple prepara-
tion of the lupulin, and perhaps the only one which ought to be
employed in order to appreciate properly the properties of this
substance.

Infusion and Decoction of Lupulin.

We shall say nothing of these two preparations, excepting that
the decoction takes up a quantity of resin through the means of
the other principles.

Saturated Tincture of Lupulin.

R. Bruised lupulin.... ^ i.

Alcohol I ii.

Digest for six days in a close vessel, press out the liquor, filter
it, and add a sufficient quantity of alcohol to make § ii j of the
tincture.

Resin of Lupulin.
Dr. Desroches makes the narcotic properties of the Hop to
reside in the essential oil. Dr. Ives supposes it to be in the resin :
it is evident, however, that the latter does not speak of the pure
resin, for he ascribes to it bitter and aromatic properties ; and we
have succeeded, by treating it repeatedly with alcohol and boiling
water, in separating from it entirely the aromatic and bitter prin-
ciple of the Hop. Thus, strictly speaking, the resin of Dr. Ives

HUM 257

composition. Medicinal Uses. Hops have been said
to be tonic, narcotic, and diuretic; they have been
recommended in the cure of rheumatism ; and, like
many articles in the materia medica w^hich have re-
ceived the sanction of respectable practitioners, they
•have been extolled far beyond their merit. They un-
doubtedly possess the advantages of a pleasant bitter,
combined with a feeble narcotic ; the late Mr. Freake
was vei'y sanguine as to their powers, and at his re-
quest I made a series of experiments at the Westmin-
ster Hospital, but 1 confess that their results have not

is but a resinous extract, to obtain which, pour a Httle of the
saturated tincture on china plates, and place them in a stove of
moderate temperature till the alcohol is evaporated.
Extract of Lupulin.
This, when obtained from the watery infusion, is bitter and
aromatic : prepared from the decoction it is equally bitter, less
aromatic, and retains a quantity of the resin. This extract may
perhaps be regarded as a superfluous preparation as we obtain the
same effects from the lupulin in substance, from the pills, and
from the alcoholic tincture.

Syrup of Lupulin.
R- Alcoholic tincture of lupulin, 1 part.
Simple syrup ditto 7 parts,

m. f. This syrup is not transparent, but the resin in it is well
divided.

Ointment of Lupulin.
Dr. Freake [Pharmacopoeia Ruthenica] recommends an oint-
ment prepared with the powdered hops and lard, as a remedy for
cancer, to be used in the last stage of this distressing disease when
the pain is intense, and when other means have failed of success.
If this preparation is successful we may obtain more marked
advanlage from an ointment of this formula.
R. Lupulin bruised 1 part.

Fresh lard 3 parts.

After having been heated six hours in a warm bath, let it cool ;
scrape off the deposite from the bottom, melt it again and pour
it oflF."

Vol. II. R

2.58 HUM

established my confidence in their efRcacy. Offici-
nal Preparations. Extract, HumulL L. Tinct,
Humuli. L. Their use as a preservative of beer is w^ell
known, and the philosophy of their agency is fully
described in the first volume of this work, {page 311) ;
it is equally notorious, that various vegetable sub-
stances are daily substituted for them, such as Quassia *
and Wormwood, both of which are inferior to the
Ment/anthes Trifoliata, or Marsh Trefoil, The
people of Jersey are said to use the wood-sage, Teu-
crium Scorodonia ; it imparts however a very high
colour to the beer. During the first four years that
the Cape of Good Hope was in the possession of the
British, more than 300,000 pounds of Aloes were im-
ported into England ; how could such a quantity be
consumed ? except, as Mr. Barrow states, by the Lon-
don Porter brewers ; it must however be allowed that
a considerable quantity of this article is used by the
Varnish makers.

HYDRARGYRUM.+ L.D. Hydrargyrus. E.
Olim, Argentum vivum. Mercury, or Quiclcsilver,
Mercuiy, in its metallic state, is never applied to

* A Compound, consisting of Extract of Quassia and Liquor-
ice, is u<5ed by fraudulent brewers to economise both malt and
hops, and is technically called " Multum." An Extract of Coc-
culus Indicus is sold under the name of *' Black Extract," for
imparting an intoxicating quality to the Beer.

+ T^pxpyvpos of the Greeks, from its fluidity and colour.

Quicksilver. Quick in the old Saxon tongue signifies living,
an epithet derived from its mobility.

Mercury. Mythologists inform us that he was the winged mes-
senger of the Gods, and the Patron of Thieves, — What name
therefore could be more appropriate for the metal in question
than that of this Deity ? for it is not only distinguished from all
other metals by its mobility, but its universal agency has rendered

HYD 239

any medical use,* except in visceral obstruction, rn
hopes of forcing a passage by its gravity; but under
various forms of preparation, it affords a series of very
active remedies. Adulterations. With the excep-
tion of Peruvian Bark, there is perhaps no active article
in the materia medica more shamefully adulterated ; its
impuriy is at once indicated by its dull aspect; by
its tarnishing, and becoming covered with a grey film ;
by its diminished mobility, in consequence of w^hich
its globules are unable to retain the spherical form_,
and therefore tail.^ as it is technically expressed. Lead
is discovered by dissolving it in nitric acid, and adding
to the solution water impregnated with sulphuretted
hydrogen, when, if lead be present, a dark brown pre-
cipitate will ensue. Bismuth^ by pouring the nitric
solution into distilled water, when it will appear as a
white precipitate. Zinc^ by exposing the mercury to
heat. Tin is detected by a dilute solution of nitro-
muriate of gold, which throws down a purple precipi-
tate. The presence of lead in mercury is a most dan-
gerous circumstance ; I have once witnessed a case of
cholica pictonum in consequence of it. The usual
mode of purifying quicksilver, by pressing it through
chamois leather, will not separate the lead, if it be, as
is generally the case, in combination with bismuth;
for the manner in which the adulteration is effected, is
by melting with a gentle heat these two metals, and
adding the alloy to the mercury ; and although this

it the resourse of those worst of Thieves — Quacks and Nostrum-
mongers.

* There is indeed another purpose to which pure Quicksilver
has been applied that deserves notice. Its administration has been
proposed in cases where silver coin has been swallowed, witli a
view of forming with it an amalgam that would speedily pass
through the alimentary canal.

S66 HYD

alloy should exceed one-fourth of the whole bulk, it
will pass, together with the mercury, through chamois
leather. On standing, the bismuth will be thrown
upon the surface, in the form of a dark powder, but
the lead will remain in solution. The greatest part of
the mercury of commerce comes from Istria and Friuli,
and from the Palatinate, and as it passes through the
hands of the Dutch, we must expect to receive it in a
state of alloy. On a superficial examination, it ought
not, when shaken with water, to impart to it any
colour; when agitated or digested with vinegar, it
should not communicate a sweetish taste ; and when
exposed in an iron spoon to heat, it ought to evapo-
rate entirely. The French are so well aware of the
mischievous extent to which this metal is falsified, that
in their late Codex they direct the reduction of the
red oxyd in order to obtain it ; the process however is
too expensive for general adoption. The Italian Jews
purify quicksilver for their barometers, by digesting it
in dilute sulphuric acid, which is by no means an im-
proper process. The mode directed for the purification
of mercury by the London College, (Hydrargyrum
Purificatum) is unable to separate it completely from
its more deleterious contaminations. It is a general
opinion in Germany, that mercury, boiled in water,
will impart to it an anthelmintic virtue;* this, if it
happens, can only depend upon the impurities of the
mercury ; but large draughts of cold water are in them-
selves anthelmintic. Although metallic mercury in its
fluid form exerts no effect upon the animal system, it,
nevertheless, in a state of vapour, manifests consider-

* Fodere (Med. Leg. T. iii. p. 455) states that he has seen water,
in which mercury has been boiled, become purgative and vermi-
fuge ; and yet the metal, in such cases, has not lost any of its
weight.

HYD 261

able powers ; and it is necessary for the practitioner
to be informed that it assumes this condition at the
ordinary temperature of the atmosphere. I have stated
several experiments in proof of this fact in my w^ork on
Medical Jurisprudence, Art, " Aerial Poisons ^^"^ to
which the reader may refer.

HYDRARGYRUM PR.ECIPITATUM AlyBUM. L.
SuBMURiAs Hydrargyri Ammoniatum. D.
White Precipitate.

Qualities. Form^ an impalpable powder of a
snowy whiteness; Odour and Taste^ none. Chemical
Composition. It is a triple compound of oxide
of mercury 81, muriatic acid 16, ammonia S parts.
Solubility. It is insoluble in water, and in alcohol;
when triturated with lime water it does not become
black. It is now only used in combination with lard
as an ointment ; formerly it was administered inter-
nally, and Boerhaave strongly recommends it as a safe
and mild mercurial, and as seldom, if ever, exciting
copious salivation. Officinal Prep. Unguent, Hy-
drarg, prcecipitati albi. L.D.

HYDRARGYRUM CUM CRETA. L.D.

Mercury with Chalk,

This is mercury slightly oxydized by trituration, and
mixed with chalk. Grs. iij contain about one grain
of mercury. Dose, grs. v to jss. It is a mild and
excellent mercurial, and has been known to cure
syphilitic affections, when the constitution had proved
rebellious to every other form of preparation. Dr.
George Fordyce committed a great error, when he
denied to this compound any mercurial efficacy. The

£62 HYD

peculiar mildness of this preparation has been very
justly attributed to the effects of the carbonate of lime,
in neutralizing acid matter in the primae vise. In
Mesenteric affections T have employed it with much
advantage ; in certain forms of Dysentery it is also a
very valuable medicine.

HYDRARGYRI NITRICO-OXYDUM. L.

OXYDUM HyDRARGYRI RUBRUM PER ACIDUM
NiTRICUM. E.

OxYDUM HyDRARGYRI NiTRlCUM. D.

Nitric Oxyd of Mercury — Red Precipitate,

Qualities. Form^ small scales of a bright red
colour ; Taste^ acrid and corrosive. Chemical Com-
position. It is strictly speaking a sub-nitrate of
mercury, for if it be boiled for a short time with six
times its weight of water, the liquor when filtered
yields a precipitate with ammonia. Solubility. It
is slightly soluble in water, but extensively in nitric
acid, without any effervescence. Uses. It is used
only externally, as an escharotic. Officinal Prep.
Unguent, Hydrargyri Nitrico-oxyd. L.E.D. Adul-
terations. Red Lead may be detected by digesting
it in acetic acid, and adding sulphuret of ammonia,
which will produce a dark-coloured precipitate : it
should be totally volatilized by heat.

HYDRARGYRI OXYDUM CINEREUM. L.E.
PuLVis Hydrargyri Cinereus. D.

Grey Oxyd of Mercury .

Qualities. Form^ an impalpable grey coloured
powder, which becomes paler on exposure to air and
W'lhi. Odour and taste, none. Chem. Composition.

HYD ^63

When properly prepared it is protoxide of mercury ;
but, as frequently found in the shops, it contains a
mixture of the triple salt consisting of oxide of mer-
cury, ammonia, and nitric acid. It is rarely used ;
although Dr. Saunders suggested it as a succedaneum
for Plenck's remedy, and Mr. Abernethy considers it
preferable to the red Sulphuret for mercurial fumi-
gation, on account of its not yielding any suffocating
vapour. Officinal Prep. Unguent, Oxyd, Hy^
drarg, ciner. E.

HYDRARGYRI OXYDUM RUBRUM. L.

OXYDUM HyDRARGYRI. D.

JRed Oxyd of Mercury.

The Precipitate per se of the older Chemists.

Qualities. Form^ minute crystalline scales, of a
deep red colour, inodorous, but acrid and caustic ; it
is soluble in several of the acids without decomposi-
tion ; it is also slightly soluble in water ; from which
solution it is precipitated by ammonia. Uses. It is
very active as a mercurial, and has been a favourjte
remedy with John Hunter (Form, 141) and other
celebrated practitioners ; it is however apt to affect
the stomach and bowels, and is therefore now rarely
employed except as an external application. Dose,
gr. j. combined with opium gss. Adulterations.
It is seldom adulterated, as it would be difficult to find
a substance suited to that purpose. If well prepared it
may be totally volatilized by heat.

S64 HYD

HYDRARGYRl OXY-MURIAS. L.

MURIAS HyDRARGYRI CORROSIYUS. E. D.

Oxy-muriate of Mercurj/,
Corrosive Muriate ofMercuri/, Corrosive Sublimate.

Qualities. Formy a crystalline mass, composed
of very small prismatic crystals, which is easily pul-
verized, and undergoes a slight alteration by exposure
to air, becoming on its surface opaque and pulverulent.
Light, however, has no effect upon it, although a dif-
ferent opinion has existed, and it has accordingly been
recommended to be kept in black bottles. Odour,
none. Taste, very acrid, with a metallic astringency,
occasioning a sensation of obstruction in the throat
which continues for some time. Sp, gr, 5*1398. When
pulverized and thrown upon burning coals, it is imme-
diately volatilized, giving out a thick white smoke of a
very pungent smell, which irritates the mucous mem-
briuies extremely, and is highly dangerous to those
who inhale it. Cuemical Composition. According
to the latest views, it is a Bi-chloride of mercury, con-
sisting of one proportional of mercury, to two propor-
tionals of chlorine. In the French codex, it is termed
" DtutO'Chloruretum Hydrargyria^ Solubility.
It is soluble in eleven parts of cold, and in three of
boiling water, and in half its weight of alcohol ; it is
also very soluble in sether, indeed this latter liquid has
the curious property of abstracting it from its solution
in water, when agitated with it. Its solubility in water
is greatly increased by the addition of a few drops of
rectified spirit, or of muriatic acid. In a solution of
muriate of ammonia it is seventeen times more soluble
than in water, no decomposition however arises ; it is
therefore probable that a triple salt is formed ; it is also
soluble in the sulphuric, nitric, and muriatic acids,

HYD 265

and may be obtained again unaltered, by simply evapo-
rating the solutions. Dr. Davy in his late researches
upon corrosive sublimate states that with muriatic acid,
common salt, and some other muriates, it forms definite
compounds remarkable for their solubility. Its watery
solution is said to change vegetable blues to green, but
this is an optical fallacy, {see page 115.) On exposure
to light this solution slowly undergoes decomposition;
but Dr. Davy has shewn that corrosive sublimate re-
mains unaltered when exposed in solution in media
having a strong affinity for it, as in alcohol, aether,
muriatic acid, &c. and that decomposition only takes
place under circumstances of complicated affinities, as
in the instance o{ Liquor Hydrargyri OxymuriatiSj
and in that of the aqueous solution ; in which cases
Calomel and Muriatic acid appear to be formed, and
oxygen to be evolved. Incompatible Substances.
The carbonates of the fixed alkalies precipitate it of a
yellow hue, but the precipitates are not pure oxides ;
ammonia forms with it a white triple compound. Lime
water decomposes it more perfectly than any alkaline
body, occasioning a precipitate of a deep yellow co-
lour,* which is a per-oxyd of mercury containing a
•little muriatic acid ; this result forms a useful lotion
to ill conditioned ulcers, and has been long known
under the title of Aqua Phagadenica ; f §j of lime
water should be employed for the decomposition of
two grains of the salt. Tartarized antimony^ nitrate
of silver^ acetate oflead^ sulphur^ sulphuret of potass,
and soaps, decompose it. Iron, lead, copper, bismuth,
and zinc, in their metallic state, also decompose it,

* If the quantity of Lime water be small, the precipitate will
assume a red colour, and will be found to be a Submuriate of the
peroxide.

266 HYD

producing precipitates which consist of an amalgam of
the metal employed, except in those cases where the
metal in question refuses to amalgamate with mercury,
when this latter metal appears as a metallic dew, com-
posed of very minute globules, with calomel ; hence
mortars of glass or earthenware should be used for
dispensing this article ; when triturated with olive oil,
the oil becomes white, and when boiled with it, calo-
mel is precipitated ; the same happens if sugar be sub-
stituted for the oil. The volatile oils reduce it. When
Oil of Turpentine was used, some traces of artificial
camphor was discovered by Dr. Davy, and when the
oils of Cloves and Peppermint, a purple compound
distilled over, consisting of the oil employed and mu-
riatic acid. The following vegetable infusions produce
precipitates, viz. the infusions and decoctions of cha-
momile^ horse-raddish root, calumha root, catechu,
cinchona, rhubarb, setina, simarouba, oak bark, tea
and almond emulsion. Swediaur observes, that " many
authors have recommended sublimate combined with
bark, but that a reciprocal decomposition is thus pro-
duced, by which the energies of both remedies are
alike annulled ;" to this ignorance, however, he thinks
that many patients have been indebted for their lives ;
for, says he, " I see every day examples of weak and
very delicate persons of both sexes, to whom ignorant
practitioners prescribe, and sometimes in very large
doses, the corrosive sublimate, with a decoction of
bark ; certainly without curing the syphilis, but at the
same time without occasioning those grave and dan-
gerous symptoms, which that acrid medicine would
certainly produce, if given alone, or withovit that de-
coction." We have here presented the reader with
the opinion of Swediaur; but it is just to state, that
the experience of this country has rather tended to

HYD 267

subvert, than to confim, such a belief. That the cor-
rosive sublimate of mercury is actually decomposed by
the vegetable principles of the bark is sufficiently evi-
dent, but it would seem that the oxide thus developed,
and recombined with vegetable extractive, is a very
active mercurial, especially with respect to its altera-
tive powers. The same observation will, to a certain
extent, apply to the results of its decomposition by
other agents; the fixed alkalies have been found by
actual experiment to be incapable of disarming this
salt of its virulence, because, as Orfila has stated, the
oxide liberated is, in itself, an active poison. Mr. Rose
has lately transmitted to me a formula for the prepara-
tion of '^ Alterative Drops y"* which he states, from
ample experience, to possess very considerable powers
as a mercurial, and to excite ptyalism, with a quick-
ness and certainty, which characterize but few prepa-
rations of the same class. The principle ingredients
are an alcoholic solution of corrosive sublimate and a
vinous solution of tartarized antimony. It is scarcely
necessary to observe that upon admixture a mutual
decomposition takes place ; the peroxide of mercuri/
is precipitated by the alkaline element of the antimonial
compound, whilst this latter salt, having its affinities
thus overthrown, parts with the protoxide of anti'
mony ; so that the preparation holds a considerable
quantity of insoluble matter in suspension, and which
is to be carefully incorporated with the liquid by
shaking the phial, whenever the drops are administered.
Now there can be but little doubt but that the activity
of this preparation is owing to the peroxide of mer-
cury^ thus diffiised in a state of minute division, while
at the same time the antimonial protoxide very pro-
bably disposes the stomach and system to be more
readily influenced by it, for reasons which have been

268 HYD

fully discussed in the first volume of this work, p. 280.
Med. Uses. It is one of the most acrid and active of
all metallic preparations ; in well directed doses, how-
ever, it is frequently of service in secondary syphilis,
and in cases of anomalous disease, when it would be
improper to administer the other forms of mercury.*

* As this salt has been supposed to arrest the progress of syphi-
lis more rapidly, and at the same time, to excite the salivary
glands less than any other preparation of mercury, it generally
forms the basis of those dangerous nostrums, which are advertised
for the cure of Syphilis without Mercury. The contrivers hope
also to elude detection by the density and colour of the prepa-
ration.

Gowland's Lotion, Is a solution of sublimate in an emulsion
formed of bitter almonds, in the proportion ofaboutgr. jssto f^j.
A solution of this mercurial salt in Spirit of Rosemary, is also
sold as an empirical cosmetic.

Norton's Drops. A disguised solution of corrosive sublimate.

Ward's White Drops. This once esteemed Anti-Scorbutic
was prepared by dissolving mercury in nitric acid, and adding a
solution of carbonate of ammonia ; or frequently it consisted
of a solution of sublimate with carbonate of ammonia.

Spilsbury's Antiscorbutic Drops. Of Corrosive Sublimate
§ ij, Prepared Sulphuret of Antimony 5 j» Gentian root and
Orange peel, equal parts 3ij, Shavings of Red Saunders, 5j»
made with a pint of proof spirit into a tincture, whr'ch is to be
digested and strained.

'* The Antivenereal Drops," so famous at Amsterdam,
were analysed by Scheele, who found that they were composed
of muriate of iron, with a small proportion of corrosive sublimate.

Marsden's Antiscorbutic Drops. A solution of sublimate in
an infusion of Gentian.

Green's Drops. The basis of these also is sublimate.

Solomon's Anti-Impetigines. A solution of sublimate.

Roe Anti-Syphilitique, par M. Laffecteur, Medicin Che-
miste. This popular nostrum of the French contains as a princi-
pal ingredient, corrosive sublimate. A strong decoction of the
Arundo Phragrailis (the bull rush) is made, with the addition of

HYD 269

In obstinate cutaneous diseases its administration in
small doses is often very serviceable ; I have, however,

sarsaparilla and anniseeds towards the end, which is evaporated,
and made into a rob, or syrup, to which the sublimate is added.

SiROP DE CuisiNiERE. This cousists of decoctions of sarsa-
parilla, burrage flowers, white roses, senna, and aniseed, to which
sublimate is added, and the whole is then made into a syrup with
sugar and honey.

Terre Feuilletee Mercurielle of Pressavin. This is Tar-
tarized Mercury, for it is made by boiling the oxyd of mercury
(obtained by precipitating it from a nitric solution, by potass)
with cream of tartar.

Velno's Vegetable Syrup. There has been a great obscu-
rity with respect to tlie genuine composition of this nostrum ;
it has generally been supposed to consist of sublimate rubbed up
with honey and mucilage. I have lately received from my friend
Mr. Brodie a formula, by which a medicine perfectly analogous
in its sensible characters, and medicinal properties, to the Syrup
in question, may be prepared ; and I am assured that, wherever it
has been tried, its effects are in every respect similar to those pro-
duced by the original nostrum. Take of Burdock root (young
and fresh) sliced, § ij ; Dandelion root § i ; Spear Mint (fresh) § j;
Senna Leaves, Coriander Seeds (bruised), Liquorice Root (fresh)
of each 5 iss ; Water oiss : boil gently until reduced to oj ; then
strain, and, when cold, add ft of lump sugar, and boil it to
.the consistence of a syrup, and add a small proportion of the so-
lution of Oxymuriatc of Mercury. Swediaur says that volatile
alkali enters into this nostrum as an ingredient ; this alkali was
proposed by Dr. Peyrile, as a substitute for mercury, and it con-
stitutes the active ingredient of the following composition, which
was proposed by Mr. Besnard, Physician to the King of Bavaria.

TiNcTURA Antisyphillitica. Sub-carb. potass, Ibj. dissolved
in Aq. Cinnam, oj. Opii puri, § ij. dissolved in Spir. cinnamom.
f 5 iv. mix these separate solutions, and put them on a water-bath
for three weeks, taking care to shake the vessel frequently ; to
this add Gum arabic § ij, Carb. Ammoniac §j, dissolve in Aq.
Cinnamomi ; mix, filter, and keep for use. Dose, twenty-four
drops three times a day, in a glass of the cold decoction of Marsh
Mallow root.

The external use of these drops is also advised for local syphil-
itic complaints !

270 HYD

seen extreme emaciation and hectic fever produced by
its too long continued exhibition, although ptyalism
was never occasioned. Its application also as a lotion
to leprous affections, in the proportion of about one
grain to a fluid-ounce and a half of some liquid vehicle,
I have frequently seen highly beneficial ; in directing
the use of so acrid a lotion, we should caution the
patient not to touch his eyes until his hands have been
washed ; in consequence of a neglect of this kind I
have seen a very severe opthalmisi produced. The
practitioner should also remember that the system may
become affected by such external applications; a case
stands recorded in which a girl of five years old became
salivated, and died, in consequence of an application
made to the head for the cure of Tinea^ which con-
sisted of Pomatum rubbed up with a few grains of this
salt. Its internal exhibition should be accompanied
with mucilaginous drinks ; when an overdose has been
taken the white of egg^ diluted with water, is the best
antidote, for Orfila has Ibund that albumen decomposes
it, reducing it to the state of mild muriate, whilst the
compound which it forms with it is inert. Many ex-
amples are recorded of the success of this practice.
In the Transactions of the King and Queen's College
of Physicians in Ireland, an interesting case of this
kind is related by Dr. Lendrick; it is, however, at
the same time but justice to state, that there are in-
stances also of the failure of this antidote. In the 41st
volume of the London Medical and Physical Journal^
p. 204, the reader will find the case of a girl, who was
poisoned by a drachm of Sublimate, and who, notwith-
standing the copious ingestion of albumen, died in
ninety hours. More recently vegetable gluten, as ex-
isting in wheat-flower, is said to answer as well as
albumen ; for the administration of which all that is

HYD 271

required is to give wheat-flower and water. Dose,
gr. J to I, see Liquor Hydrargyri Oxy-muriatis^ and
Form. 142. Adulterations. It ought to be vola-
tilized by heat ; it is frequently met with in commerce
contaminated with muriate of iron, sometimes with
arsenic ; the presence of calomel is at once discovered
from its insolubility. Tests of its Presence. If
any powder be suspected to contain this salt, expose
it to heat in a coated tube, as directed in the treatment
of arsenic, but without any carbonaceous admixture,
when corrosive sublimate, if present, will rise and line
the interior surface with a shining white crust. This
crust is then to be dissolved in distilled water, and
assayed by the following tests ; 1st, lime water will
produce, if the suspected solution contains this salt,
a precipitate of an orange yellow colour. 2d, a single
drop of a dilute solution of sub-carbonate of potass
will at first produce a white precipitate, but on a still
farther addition of the test, an orange-coloured sedi-
ment will be formed. 3rd, sulphuretted water will
throw down a dark coloured precipitate, which when
dried and strongly heated may be volatilized without
any alliaceous odour. 4th, ammonia produces a white
precipitate, which is an insoluble triple salt, composed
of muriatic acid, ammonia, and oxide of mercury,
which on being heated grows yellow ; it passes after-
wards to a red, and gives out ammoniacal gas, nitro-
gen, calomel, and metallic mercury. In this operation
the oxide is supposed to be decomposed by the hydro-
gen which results from a portion of the ammonia.
5th, Nitrate oftin^ according to Dr. Bostock, is capable
of detecting the three-millionth part of a grain ; a single
drop will occasion an immediate and copious dark-
brown precipitate. All the above precipitates, if rubbed

272 HYD

on a bright plate of copper, will render its surface sil-
very white. Where the salt is mixed with various
coloured liquids, we must proceed, as directed under
the head of Arsenic. A very ingenious application of
galvanic electricity has been also proposed by Mr.
Silvester, for the detection of corrosive sublimate,
which will exhibit the mercury in a metallic state.
A piece of zinc or iron wire about three inches in
length, is to be twice bent at right angles, so as to
resemble the greek letter n, the two legs of this figure
should be distant about the diameter of a common
gold wedding ring from each other, and the two ends
of the bent wire must afterwards be tied to a ring of
this description. Let a plate of glass, not less than
three inches square, be laid as nearly horizontal as
possible, and on one side drop some sulphuric acid,
diluted with about six times its weight of water, till it
spreads to the size of a halfpenny. At a little distance
from this, towards the other side, next drop some of
the solution supposed to contain corrosive sublimate,
till the edges of the two liquids become joined ; and
let the wire and ring, prepared as above, be laid in
such a way that the wire may touch the acid, while the
gold ring is in contact with the suspected liquid. If
the minutest quantity of corrosive sublimate be present,
the ring in a few minutes will be covered with mercury
on the part which touched the fluid. This experiment
may be beautifully simplified in the following manner;
drop a small quantity of solution containing corrosive
sublimate on a piece of gold, and bring into contact a
key, or some piece of iron, so as to form a galvanic
circuit, when the gold will be immediately whitened.
A solution of nitrate of silver will, under similar cir-
cumstances, occasion on the gold a white precipitate,

HYD 273

but as no amalgamation takes place, it is readily wiped
off, and cannot possibly occasion any fallacy.*

Certain metals likewise decompose solutions of this
salt, by virtue of superior affinity ; in those cases where
the precipitating metal is capable of formino- a direct
union with Mercury, we shall find the precipitates to
consist of an amalgam of the metal employed ; where
no such combination takes place, the mercury will be
frequently seen standing on the surface as a melallic
dew. This is particularly striking where iron or steel
has been employed ; these metals are also at the same
time blackened by it.

Brugnatelli + has proposed the following method of
distinfi[uishin<T corrosive sublimate from arsenic — Take
a quantity of fresh wheat starch, mix with water, and
add a sufficient quantity of iodine to give the liquid
a blue colour ; if corrosive sublimate or arsenic be
added to this liquor, the colour is alike destroyed and
it becomes reddish, but if the change has been effected
by the latter substance, a few drops of sulphuric acid
will restore the blue colour, but if by the former it is
not recoverable by such means.

HYDRARGYRI SUB-MURIAS. L.

SuB-MURiAs Hydrargyri sublim atum. D.

SuB-MURiAs Hydrargyri Mitis. E.

vulgo. Calomel.^

This preparation has been known in pharmacy for
upwards of two centuries under a variety of fanciful

* By this simple and beautiful test, the late Mr. Archdeacon
Wollaston identified the presence of Sublimate in the yeast
dumplings by which Michael Whiting was poisoned at Ely; a
case which I have recorded in my work on Medical Jurisprudence,
Vol. II. p. 265.

+ Ann. de Chimie ct Phys. iv. 334.

X l^or the origin of the term Calomel, see note, Vol. I. p. 73.

Vol. it. s

274 HYD

names, such as Draco mitigatus ; Aquila alha ; Aquila
mitigata ; Manna metallorum ; Panchymagogum
miner ale i Panchymagogus quercetanus ; Sublimatum
dulce ; Mercurius dulcis suhlimatus ; Calomelas ; and
yet there is not a name in this hst that is so objection-
able as the one at present adopted by our colleges : for
whether we adhere to the theory of muriatic acid being
the simple body, or accede to the new views o^ chlorine^
the name is equally inappropriate ; if we regard it as a
compound of muriatic acid and oxyd of mercury, it is
not a sub-muriate^ but as much a muriate as the cor-
rosive sublimate ; the only difference depending upon
the degree of oxidizement of the mercury, which is at a
ininimum in calomel, and at a maximum in sublimate.
According to the new^ views respecting chlorine, calo-
mel must consist of one proportional of chlorine with
one proportional of metal, and is therefore a chloride
of mercury, (" Proto-chloruretum Hydragyri,^"^ Co-
dex Med. Paris.)

Qualities. Form. A semi-transparent mass, con-
sisting of short prismatic crystals ; * inodorous, insipid,
and of an ivory colour, which deepens by exposure to
light. Solubility. It is considered as being inso-
luble, since according to Rouelle, one part requires
1152 of water, at 212° for its solution. Incompatible
Substances. Alkalies and lime water decompose it
and turn it black, in consequence of precipitating the
black oxyd of the metal ; it is also decomposed by
soaps J sulphurets of potass and antimony; and by
aVow, lead^ and copper ; hence it is improper to employ
any metallic mortar for dispensing medicines which
contain it. There seems to be reason for supposing that

* Mr. William Phillips has favoured me with a model of this
crystal cut in wood ; it is a rectangular prism whose solid angles
are deeply replaced by planes.

HYD 275

this preparation may undergo decomposition in transi-
tu^ and that therefore some substances may be chemi-
cally^ and yet not be medicinally incompatible with it.
If calomel be boiled for a few minutes in distilled
water to which alcoholized potass has been added, it
is completely decomposed, a muriate of potass and
black oxyd of mercury being the new products. Calo-
mel is not affected by sulphuric acid in the cold, but,
at a boiling temperature, corrosive sublimate, and deuto-
sulphate of mercury are formed. Medicinal Uses.*
This mercurial preparation is more extensively and
more usefully employed than almost any other article
of the materia medica. It is capable of curing syphilis

* Many of the nostrums advertised for the cure of worms, con>
tain Calomel as their principal ingredient, combined with scam-
mony, jalap, gamboge, or some other purgative ; they are un-
certain and dangerous medicines ; the method of exhibiting them
in the form of lozenges (worm cakes), is also attended with incon-
venience, for the sugar and the gum generating an acid, by being
kept in damp places, may considerably increase the acrimony of
the mercury ; besides which, the calomel is frequently diffused
very unequally through the mass, one lozenge may therefore con-
tain a poisonous dose, whilst others may scarcely possess any ac-
tive matter.

Ching's Worm Lozenges. These consist of yellow and brown
lozenges, the former are directed to be taken in the evening, the
latter the succeeding morning.

The Yellow Lozenges. Take of Saffron §ss, of water oj,
boil, and strain ; add of White Panacea of Mercury (Calomel
washed in spirit of wine)lbj, white sugar, 28lb, mucilage of
Tragacanth as much as may be sufficient to make a mass, which
roll out of an exact thickness, so that each lozenge may contain
one grain of Panacea.

The Brown Lozenges. Panacea | vij, resin of jalap, lb iijss,
white sugar lb ix, mucilage of tragacanth q. s, each lozenge
should contain gr. \ of panacea.

Story's Worm Cakes. Calomel and jalap made into cakes
and coloured with cinnabar.

976 HYD

in every form, provided it does not tlin off by the
bowels ; and in obstructions and hepatic affections, it
is in well-regulated doses a most valuable remedy ; in
combination, it probably merits the appellation of Di-
rigenSy more decidedly than any other remedy with
which we are acquainted, for when combined with cer-
tain diuretics, it is diuretic, (Form, 103, 104) and in
diaphoretic arrangements, it is diaphoretic : it moreover
imparts force to many of the mild, and moderates the
severity of drastic medicines : whenever we wish a
strong and permanent impression to be made on the
alimentary canal, and through it on the neighbouring
viscera or the system generally. Calomel by universal
consent is adopted for such a purpose. (Form. 81, 88,
119, 161). In larger doses it is one of the most effi-
cient purgatives which we possess, especially when in
combination with other cathartics : it appears to be
particularly eligible in the diseases of children ; and it
is singular that infants can generally bear larger doses
of it than adults. Dose, as an alterative, from gr. ss
to j, night and morning; as a purgative from gr. ij to
gr. X, or in some cases even to gr. xv, or 9j. Forms
OF Exhibition. That of pill ; its insolubility and
specific gravity render any other form ineligible. Of-
FiciNAii Preparations. PiL IJydrargyri submu-
riat, comp : L. Impurities. Corrosive sublimate may
be detected by precipitation being produced, by the
carbonate of potass, in a solution made by boiling the
suspected sample with a small portion of muriate of
ammonia, in distilled water ; calomel ought also, when
rubbed with a fixed alkali, to become intensely black,
and not to exhibit any trace of an orange hue.

HowARD^s or Jewel's Ilydro-suhlimate. Instead
of subliming so as to obtain the calomel in a concrete
state, as directed by the Pharmacopoeia, the salt in the

HYD 277

act of sublimation is exposed to aqueous vapour, and
received in w^ater. Being in a state of very minute
division, it is lighter than common calomel in the pro-
portion of three to five, and it cannot contain any cor-
rosive sublimate. The French in their late codex
have introduced a similar formula, under the title of
'* Murias Mercurii dulcis mediante aqua subtilissime
divisus, jTM^^a Methodum Josice Jewell

This Patent Calomel of Howard is undoubtedly to
be preferred, and appears, in consequence probably of
its minute division, to affect the system more readily
than that made according to the Pharmacopoeias.

SuB-MURiAs Hydrargyri Pr^cipit atus. E.D.
This is produced by precipitating a nitrate of mercury
by muriate of soda ; the preparation will generally con-
tain a small portion of sub-nitrate^ and it is on that
account more liable to run off by the bowels in small
doses: in other respects it is essentially the same as
that procured by sublimation,

HYDRARGYRI SULPHURETUM RUBRUM. L.

SULPHURETUM HyDRARGYRI RUBRUM. D. Olim,

Hydrar gyrus Sulphuretus ruber. P,L, 1817 — Cinna-
baris* factitia^ 1745.

Qualities. Form^ a red crystalline cake, inodo-
rous, insipid, and insoluble in water, alcohol, acids,
and alkalies, although these last bodies decompose it
when melted with it ; it is also decomposed by nitro-
muriatic acid, w^hich unites with the metal, and disen-
gages the sulphur. Chemical Composition. It is
a bi-sulphuret of Mercury^ i. e. it consists of two pro-

* For the origin of this term see Vol. 1, p. 72.

278 HYD

portionals of sulphur and one of mercury. Uses>
It is now only used for the purpose of mercurial fumi-

* Chamberlain's Restorative Pills. *' The most certain
cure for the Scrofula, or King's Evil, Fistula, Scurvy, and all
Impurities of the Blood."

My attention has been particularly directed to these pills, in
consequence of having lately seen, during the course of my pro-
fessional duty, several highly respectable persons, who had been
induced to make trial of their efficacy. Their inventor, if I am
rightly informed, resides at Ipswich, where, for the benefit of
suftisring humanity, he prepares these wonderful pills, and, with
the alacrity of his patron deity. Mercury, transmits them to
every corner of the United Kingdom. It appears from the
printed directions which accompany the " Restorative Pills,'
that their use must be continued for a very long period ; but
upon this occasion we must allow the Doctor to speak for him-
self. " It may be necessary to observe, that in some cases of
Scrofula, especially when the seat of the disease is in the feet,
ancles, or hands, it may take a long time to effect a cure, even
two years, and it may be twelve or sixteen months, with seeming
little or no improvement, yet the cure is certain by perseverance."
What — two years ! and to be taken during a period of sixteen
months without any sensible benefit ! Is it possible that persons
can be found with sufficient credulity and resolution to submit to
so preposterous a proposal ? we have no doubt that Mr. Chamber-
lain can produce as great a proportion of cures after such an or-
deal, as was adduced in former times, in proof of the efficacy of
the Royal Touch, and for the same obvious reason, (See vol. i.
p. 27.)

Upon examining these said pills, I find them to consist of Cin-
nabar, Sulphur, Sulphate of Lime, and a little vegetable matter,
perhaps gum. Each pill weighs a fraction less than three grains;
upon dividing one with a penknife, and examining the cut sur-
face through a lens, it exhibited the appearance of scoriae of a
brick red colour, having small yellowish masses imbedded in its
substance. When exposed on a piece of platinum foil to the
action of the blow-pipe, it yielded vapours of a strong sulphureous
smell, and left a residuum of a pearly white matter, which con-
sisted almost entirely of Sulphate of Lime. Upon submitting a

HYD 279

gation, which is done by inhaling the fumes, produced
by throwing 3SS of it on red hot iron ; the effect which
is generally produced is violent salivation ; this how-
ever does not depend upon the action of the substance
as a sulphuret, but upon its decomposition, and the
volatilization of the metallic mercury with a portion of
sulphate and sulphureous vapour. Mr. Pearson ob-
serves that it is useful in those cases of venereal ulcers
in the mouth, throat, and nose, where it is an object to
put a sudden stop to the progress of the disease, but
that mercury must at the same time be introduced into
the constitution, by inunction, just as much as if no
fumiorations had been made use of. Ulcers and ex-
crescencies about the pudendum and anus in women
are particularly benefitted by it ; and in these cases it
is conveniently applied by placing a red hot heater at
the bottom of a night-stool pan, and after sprinkling on
it a few grains of the sulphuret, placing the patient
upon the stool. Adulterations. Red Lead* may

portion of the pill, in a glass tube, to the heat of a spirit lamp,
two distinct sublimates were produced, the first consisting of Sul-
phur, the second of Cinnabar ; and a small carbonaceous deposit
remained. The Pill was then assayed, via humida ; distilled
water dissolved the Sulphate of lime, which was identified by ap-
propriate tests, and left sulphur and cinnabar on the filtre. By
the above experiments I feel warranted in considering the com-
position of this pill as fully ascertained.

Boerhaave's Red Pill. The basis of this nostrum is Cin-
nabar.

* The anatomist employs it for giving colour to his injections;
for this purpose it is very essential that it should be quite free
from red lead, or his preparations will in a short time lose their
splendour, and ultimately become black. This has unfortunately
happened with some preparations which Dr. Baillie presented tc
the College of Physicians. Mr. Accum, in his work entitled
" Death in the Pot," states a case of poisoning from cheese which
had been coloured with adulterated Vermillion. I am ready to

S80 HYD

be discovered by digesting it in acetic acid, and by
adding sulphuret of ammonia, which will produce a
black precipitate ; or by burning a small portion of the
suspected sample on a piece of bread in the candle,
when metallic globules will announce its presence ; for
the oxide of mercury, although revived by this pro-
cess, will at the same time be volatilized. The bread,
by combustion, affords the carbon by which the metal-
lic reduction is effected. Dragon's Bloody by its giving
a colour to alcohol when digested with it ; Chalky by
its effervescence, on the addition of an acid. It is
known in the arts under the name of Vermillion ; and
by the following simple expedient its presence may,
in very minute quantities, be easily recognised ; boil
a portion with sulphuric acid in a platina spoon, and
lay the sulphate thus produced, in a drop of muriatic
acid, on a piece of gold, and bring a piece of metallic
tin in contact with botli, when the white mercurial
stain will be produced.

HYDRARGYRI SULPHURETUM NIGRUM.

L. E. Hydrargyrus cum Sulphure. P. L. 1787.

Olim, Ethiops Mineral.
Qualities. Fonn, a very black, impalpable, in-
sipid, and inodorous powder. Chemical Compo-
sition. It is a Sulphuret of Mercury^ i. e. it consists
of one proportional of sulphur, and one proportional
of mercury ; when heated in contact with the air it
is converted into a hi- sulphuret. Solubility. It is
entirely soluble in a solution of pure potass, from

admit, however, that the source of this information is of very
doubtful authority ; never did a work appear which so little
merited the attention it received ; even the title, which seemed to
|iave some claim to originality, was borrowed from a work by
Mouchart, called " Mors in Olla. '

HYO 281

which the acids precipitate it unchanged ; it is inso-
luble in nitric acid. Mbd. Uses. It is supposed to
be alterative, and has been given for such a purpose,
in doses from gr. v to 3SS5 but its medicinal virtues
are very questionable. ADULTER/TrioNS. It is fre-
quently imperfect, globules of mercury being still
discoverable in it by a magnifying glass, or by its
communicating a whiteness to a portion of gold upon
which it is rubbed ; ivory black may be discovered by
the residue, after throwing a suspected sample on a
red hot iron ; it is also sometimes mixed with equal
parts of crude antimony,

HYOSCYAMI FOLIA ET SEMINA. L.E.D.

(Hyoscyamus Niger.) Henbane,

Qualities. This plant, when recent, has a strong
fetid, and narcotic odour ; properties which are nearly
lost by exsiccation. Chemical Composition. Resin,
mucilage, extractive matter, gallic acid, and some
salts ; an alkaline element (Hyoscyama) is said to
constitute its active principle. This principle differs
from the other vegetable alkalies, in being able to resist
a low red heat, without undergoing decomposition.
Solubility. Water freely extracts the narcotic powers
of this plant, and decoction destroys them ; diluted
alcohol is the best menstruum. Incompatibles. Pre-
cipitates are produced by acetate of lead^ nitrate of
silver^ and sulphate of iron; vegetable acids weaken
its narcotic powers. The extract or inspissated juice
is the best form in which it can be exhibited ; see also
the Tincture ; its leaves form an anodyne cataplasm,
and the smoke from its seeds, when applied by a fun-
nel to a carious tooth, is recommended in severe fits of

28^ ICH

odontalgia. The root of this plant is poisonous.* [n
Dr. Molyneux's appendix to Threlkeld's "Synopsis
Stiupium Hibernicaiium" are related several cases
of its effects on persons who had eaten them instead
o^Skirrets, Officinal Prep. Extract: Hyoscyam:
Tinct: Ilyoscyami L.E.D.

ICHTHYOCOLLA.

(Acipenser Huso 8f Ruthenus. The great and small

Sturgeon,)
Isinglass. Fish Glue,

The following kinds, imported from St. Petersburg,
are found in the market. Short Staple ; Long Staple ;
Book ; and Leaf. Picking the Staple, as it is called,
is a peculiar art practised by persons in this town,
who gain a very good livelihood by it ; they engage to
return the same weight of isinglass in slireds, as they
receive in Staple ; this in itself secures very fair profit,
for by damping the isinglass in order to pick it, it
gains considerable weight ; these persons moreover are
in the habit of adulterating it with pieces of bladder,
and the dried skin of soles ; such frauds however are
easily detected by their insolubility, for pure isinglass
will dissolve entirely, and yield a clear and transparent
jelly ; a single grain will produce, with an ounce of
water, a solution of considerable thickness ; it is also
soluble in acids and alkalies ; and although insoluble
in alcohol, yet it is not precipitated by it from its

* ANooyNE Necklaces. The roots of Hyoscyamus are com-
monly strung in tlie form of beads, and sold under this name, to
lie round the necks of children, to facilitate the growth of their
teeth, and allay the irritation of teething. The application of
medicated necklaces is a very ancient superstitution. Sec Vol. 1,
p. 21. Such remedies were sometimes called Periapts, mtfiocnfiov.

INF 283

watery solutions, unless when added in a very con-
siderable quantity ; it is coagulated by the infusions
and decoctions of vegetable astringents ; carbonate of
potass likewise throws down a precipitate. 100 parts
of good isinglass consist of 98 of gelatine, and 2 of
the phosphates of soda and lime. Its solutions soon
putrefy. Uses. It is now rarely used except as a
nutrient ; its mechanical application in fining wines
and turbid liquors is well known, and its mode of
operation is equally obvious, for by forming a skin, or
fine network, which gradually precipitates, it acts just
like a filtre, with this difference, that in this case the
filtre passes through the liquor, instead of the liquor
through the filtre.

INFUSA. L.E.D. Infusion,

These are watery solutions of vegetable matter, ob-
tained by maceration, either in cold or hot* water
without the assistance of ebullition. In selecting and
conducting the operation, the following general rules
should be observed.

I. Infusion should always he preferred to decoction^
where the medicinal virtues of the vegetable sub-
stance reside in volatile oilj or in principles which

* In many <:ase5 it is essential that the water should be at the
boiling point, a few degrees even less than this will often prove
a source of failure-, this is well exemplified by the familiar fact
of the weakness of our Tea, when made by water that does not
quite boil. The Monks of St. Bernard, in the Alps, complain
that they cannot make good Bouillie ; the case is simply this,
that from the altitude of their monastry, the water boils before
it can arrive at a sufficiently high temperature. Whence we may
deduce this important inference, that the solvent powers of water
are affected by a very slight range of temperature. See a fiiller
account of this subject in my work on '^ Medical Chemistry."

284 IIHF

are easily soluble ; whereas^ ift^^^ depend upon
resino-mucilaginous particles^ decoction is an in^
dispensable operation,

II. Hie temperature employed must be varied aC'
cording to the circumstances of each case;* an
infusion made in the cold^ is in general more
grateful^ but less active^ than one made with heat,

III. The duration of the process must likewise be
regulated by the nature of the substances^ or the
intention of the prescriber ; 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 suC'
cession, the colouring, astringent, and gummy
parts.

Infusions are liable to undergo decompositions by
being kept, and therefore, like decoctions, they must
be regarded as extemporaneous preparations. Unless
the dose of them be otherwise stated, it is generally
from f Jj to f§ij.

I. Simple Infusions,
Infusum Anthemidis. L. E. It is a good sto-
jnachic ; and when exhibited warm, is well calculated
to assist the operation of emetics ; {Form, QQ) : the cold
infusion, i.e. made with cold water, is more grateful.
Incompatibles , All soluble preparations of iron;
nitrate of silver ; oxy-muriate of mercury ; acetate,
and sub-acetate of lead ; solutions of isinglass ; in^
fusion of yellow chinchona bark. Dose, fjj — f §ij.

* Where the vegetable matter contaius much starch, if the
-water be of a temperature higher than 165°, instead of dissoh ing,
it will coagulate the starch, and produce a very untractablc mass.
This fact is well known to Brewers, who arc extremely cautious
in avoiding a too high temperature.

INF 285

Tnfusum Calumb^. L. E. See Calumbap Radix.
This infusion is more perishable than that of other
bitters ; in twenty-four hours a copious precipitation
takes place in it, and in two days it becomes ropy,
and even musty. Form, 1.55. Dose, f Ji — f Jij.

Infusum Caryophyllorum. L. f§j of this in-
fusion holds in solution the active matter of grs. vj of
cloves. Incompatibles. Precipitates are produced by
sulphate of iron ; sulphate of zinc ; acetate of lead ;
nitrate of silver ; tartarized antimony ; lime water^
SLiid 2/ellow cinchona. Dose, f§j — fjij.

Infusum Cascarill^e. L. It is incompatible with
the substances mentioned under Infus. Caryophi/ll :
Form, S3, Dose, f§j — fjij*

Infusum CiNCHONiE. L.E.D. We obtain in this
preparation a feeble solution of the active constituents
of bark, which will agree with many stomachs that
are rebellious to the stronger preparations. Dose,

Infusum Cuspari^e. L. This is a judicious form
of the bark, possessing its stimulant and tonic pro-
perties. Dose, fji — f^U*

Infusum Digitalis. L.E. This is the best form
in which we can administer the fox- glove ^ where our
wish is to obtain its diuretic effects as speedily as pos-
sible. {Form. 110.) Dose, f5ij to f§ss, twice a day,
see Digitalis, Incompatibles, We shall counteract
its effects by endeavouring to obviate its nauseating
tendency by brandy and water^ &c. Precipitates are
produced by sulphate of iron^ and the infusion of
yellow cinchona J &c.

Infusum Lini Compositum. L.E. A cheap and
Hseful demulcent ; alcohol and preparations of lead^
are of course incompatible with it ; the tinctura ferri
muriatis produces a fiocculent precipitate.

286 INF

Infusum QuAssiiE. L. E. The proportion of
Quassia directed for half a pint of water, is that of
9j by the London, and 3SS by the Edinburgh College ;
the former is much too small, for in order to obtain
a saturated infusion, 3ij are required for that quantity
of water. Incompatibles, The salts of iron produce
no change in it ; nor is it affected by any of those sub-
stances with which it is likely to come in contact in a
medical prescription. It is highly useful in debilities
of the stomach and intestinal canal, and in irregular
and atonic gout, and it has been observed, that in
hysterical atony, to which the female sex is so prone,
the Quassia affords more vigour and relief to the sys-
tem, than the Peruvian Bark, especially when com-
bined with a small portion of sulphate of zinc. To
this, as well as the other stomachic infusions, it is
usual to add at the time of prescribing them a small
quantity of aromatic tincture or spirit. Form, 35 ; 144.
Dose, f§ss — f Jiss.

Infusum Rhei. L. E. The Edinburgh infusion is
stronger than that of London, and is rendered more
grateful by the addition of spirit of cinnamon ; these
infusions, however, when given without any adjuvants^
produce but a feeble effect. This is obvious, since 9j
of rhubarb in substance, is at least equivalent in its
effects to 5iss when in infusion. Incompatibles, The
stronger acids ; the sulphates of iron and zinc ; nitrate
of silver ; tartarized antimoni/ ; acetate of lead ; oxy-
muriate of mercury^ and the infusions of cusparia^
cinchona^ catechu^ galls, and some other astringent
ve j-etables ; the alkalies deepen the colour, but produce
no decomposition. Dose, fgj — fgij.

Infusum SiMAROUBiE. L. This infusion is in-
odorous, of a clear straw colour, with a slightly bitter
taste. It presents the best mode of exhibiting Sima^

INF 28T

rouha bark. Dose, fjij, beyond this it will prove
emetic. Incompatible s. Alkaline carbonates and lime
water render it milky ; and it is precipitated by the
following substances ; infusions of catechu ; gallsj and
yellow cinchona; oxy -muriate of mercury ; nitrate of
silver, and acetate of lead. See Simaroubce Cortex.

Infusum Tabaci. L. It is never used but as an
enema, in incarcerated hernia, and in ileus. See Tabaci
Folia,

2. Compound Infusions,

Infusum Armoractte Compositum. L. In this
preparation the stimulant property of the horse-radish
is materially aided by the mustard ; pure alkalies, but
not their carbonates, may form extemporaneous ad-
ditions ; for the other incompatibles, see Armoracice
Radix, Dose, fgiss. Form, 45.

Infusum Aurantii Compositum. L. A grateful
stomachic, having the agreeable compound taste of its
several ingredients ; it has the merit of sitting easily
on the stomach. Dose, f §j — fjiss.

Infusum Catechu Compositum. L.E. This in-
fusion is a powerful astringent, rendered grateful by
the addition of cinnamon ; it will keep for several
months, provided the directions of the Edinburgh
College be not followed in adding the syrup. In pre-
scribing it, we must remember that it contains a large
proportion o^ tannin. See Catechu, Dose, fgj — f§iij.

Infusum Gentians Compositum. L. An elegant
tonic and stomachic infusion. It affords a good example
of the virtues of a natural substance being enhanced
by the additions of art, as discussed at vol. 1, p. 303,
for the bitterness of the gentian is here subdued by the
aromatic quality of the lemon and orange peel. Incom-
patibles. Acetate of lead throws down a copious
precipitate from the infusion, and sulphate of iron

288 INF

strikes a brown colour, but no precipitate takes place
for several hours.

Infusum Rosje CoMPosiTUM. L.E.D. This is an
infusion of the petals of the red rose, rendered astrin-
gent and refrigerant,* by the addition of dilute sul-
phuric acid. By referring to the Dynameter, it will
be seen that f §j does not contain more than four and
a half minims of dilute acid, which are equivalent to
three-seventh of a minim of the strong concentrated
acid. Wherever therefore we expect any advantage
from this latter ingredient, the quantity must be in-
creased by extemporaneous addition. Incompatibles,
All those bodies which are decomposed by the sul-
phuric acid ; the sulphates of iron and zinc do not
immediately alter the infusion, but they slowly decom-
pose it, producing precipitates of a dark colour. Dr.
Clarke of Cambridge detected iron in the petals ;+ may
not the presence of this metal enhance the tonic powers
of the infusion ? It affords a most elegant vehicle for
the exhibition of cathartic salts.

Infusum SENNiE CoMPosiTUM. L.E.D. A pint of
water will take up the active matter of gj of senna,
but nothing beyond that proportion ; hence there is
an unnecessary waste in the London process. The
quantity of infusion directed to be made at one time,
is also injudicious, since by simple exposure to the air
for only a few hours, in consequence of the powerful
affinity of its extractive matter for oxygen, a yellow
precipitate takes place, and the infusion loses its pur-
gative quality, and excites tormina in the bowels ; in
preparing it therefore, we see the necessity of con-

* Madden's Vegetable Essence. Is little else than the In-
fusum Rosae corap : with an increased proportion of Acid.

t This fact has been lately confirmed by JNI. F. Car tier, who
found 4 gr. of oxide of iron in 1000 gr. of red roses.

INF 289

ducting tlie process in covered vessels, and of making'
only such a portion as may be required for immediate-
use ; indeed, notwithstanding every precaution, the
extractive w^ill to a certain extent become oxidized,
and the infusion have a tendency to gripe.* Dr. CuUen
used to say that Senna was one of the best purgatives,
if it could only be divested of its griping quality ; this
however he was unable to obviate, because he was not
aware of its cause, and therefore conjoined it with
various aromatics, instead of those salts + which might,
be capable of increasing the solubility of its oxidized
extractive, or the purgative activity of the infusion ;
see vol. 1, p. 277, and 298. Soluble tartar and alka^
line salts are its most useful adjuncts; it is however
rarely prescribed in practice without the addition of
other cathartics. {Form. 70, 76, 90.) Sydenham's
favourite " po^/o cathartica lenitiva,''' consisted of an
infusion of tamarinds, senna leaves, and rhubarb, with
the addition of manna and syrup of roses. The ad-
dition of tamarinds renders the infusion more fjrateful
but less active; when made with bohea tea^ it is in a
great degree deprived of its nauseous taste ; a decoc-
tion of guiacum increases its powers, and is said at
the same to render it milder. Bitters also verv con-
siderably exalt its efficacy, see vol, i. p. 283. A pint
of the infusion with a drachm of jalap forms an excel-
lent combination for a purgative enema. Incompatibles,

* A valuable paper upon this subject is to be found in the first
volume of " The Reports of the Philomatic Society of Paris;'"
by Bouillon La Grange. It has been lately supposed, but with-
out much probability, that the griping property of Senna de-
pends upon its admixture with some foreign leaf.

+ Selway's Prepared Essence of Senna. This is a concen-
trated infusion of Senna, in combination with an alkali.

Vol. II. T

290 IPE

The infusion is disturbed by strong acids ; lime water ;
nitrate of silver; oxy -muriate of mercury ; acetate of
lead; tartarized antimony ; and by an infusion of
yellow cinchona. Dose, f §j — f §ij.

IPECACUANHiE RADIX. L.E.D.

(Callicocca* Ipecacuanha.) Ipecacuanha,

Qualities, Form^ tortuous pieces of the thickness
of a goose-quill, surrounded by numerous prominent
rings, separated by deep grooves. This root, when
powdered, has a faint disagreeable odour ^ and a bitter
sub-acrid taste. Chemical Composition. The late
researches of M. M. Majendie and Pelletier have de-
tected the existence of a new vegetable proximate
principle in this root, to which ipecacuan is indebted
for its emetic properties ; they have, accordingly, de-
nominated it Emetine A It assumes the form of trans-
parent brownish red scales, which are nearly inodorous,

* The plant yielding the Ipecacuanha of the shops, is more
probably a species of Viola than that of Callicocca. According
to Linnaeus, it is not unfrequently obtained from the Psycotria
Emetica. The word Ipecacuanha signifies anj/ emetic substance.^

+ A formula for its preparation is introduced in the new Codex
of Paris, being the one used by M. Pelletier ; it is as follows.
Let ^i of the powder of Ipecacuan be macerated in | ij of aether
with a gentle heat for some hours, in a distilling apparatus ; let
the portion which remains be triturated and boiled with | iv of
alcohol, it having been previously macerated in it ; filter and let
the remainder be treated with fresh portions of alcohol, as long
as any thing is taken up from the root ; mix these alcoholic solu-
tions and evaporate to dryness ; let this alcoholic extract be ma-
cerated in cold distilled water, in order that every thing soluble
in that menstruum may be dissolved ; filter, and evaporate to
dryness ; this extract is Emetine. In this state however it con-
tains a small quantity of gallic acid, but which is too inconsider-
able to affect its medicinal qualities.

IPE 291

but have a slightly bitter, acrid, but not nauseous
taste. Emetine is decomposed by a heat higher than
that of boiling water ; it is insoluble in water, in every
proportion, without undergoing the least change ; and
in a moist atmosphere it deliquesces ; it is also soluble
in alcohol, but not in aether ; nitric acid dissolves it,
but at the same time decomposes it ; dilute sulphuric
acid has no action on it ; muriatic acid and phosphoric
acid dissolve it, without altering its nature ; acetic acid
dissolves it with great facility ; corrosive sublimate
precipitates it from its solutions, but tartarized anti*
many has no effect upon them ; gallic acid^ the in-
fusion of galls ^ and acetate of lead^ precipitate it.
A grain excites violent vomiting, followed by sleep,
and the patient awakes in perfect health ! It exerts
also a specific action on the lungs and mucous mem-
brane of the intestinal canal ; when taken in an over-
dose, its action can be instantly paralysed by a decoction
of galls. There seems to be no great advantage in
substituting this body for the ordinary powder of
Ipecacuanha, except perhaps that its taste being much
less offensive, it may very easily be given to children.
Emetine appears to exist in Ipecacuanha, combined in
the following manner, emetine 16, oils 2, wax 6, gum
10, starch 40, woody fibre 20.

Since the discovery of Emetine^ whose properties
are described above, Pelletier has extended his re-
searches into its composition and nature ; and he has
lately been enabled to state that this body, which in
conjunction with Majendie, he had formerly announced
as " a new vegetable proximate principle," turns out
to be a compound of a peculiar alkaline basis, which
may be called Emeta^ and some acid, together with
an admixture of colouring matter; when compared
with Emetine^ it is what white crystallized sugar is to

292 IPE

moist sugar. Its ultimate elements are oxygen, hydro-
gen and carbon ; it is a white and friable substance,
and unlike Emetin, is not altered by exposure to air ;
it is slightly bitter, and very sparingly soluble in water;
with the mineral acids it forms salts, from whose solu-
tions the infusion of galls throws down white and
flocculent precipitates ; the alcoholic solution oi Emeta
acts upon vegetable colour as an alkali.

Medicinal Uses of Ipecacuan. It is unques-
tionably the most valuable of the vegetable emetics,
and in cases where the stomach is irritable it is to be
preferred to Tartarized Antimony, and it is also less
liable to act upon the bowels. In the form of decoction
(made by boiling three drachms of the bruised root
in a quart of water down to a pint) it has been found
serviceable as an enema in Dysentery, and internal piles.
Incompatible Substances. All vegetable astrin-
gents, as infusion of galls, &c. vegetable acids, especi-
ally the acetic, weaken its power ; Dr. Irvine found
that grs. XXX, administered in f§ij of vinegar produced
only some loose stools. Forms of Exhibition.
The form of powder is most energetic, although the
vinous solution is both active and convenient. Dose.
The medicinal operation of this substance v.aries
with its dose, thus grs. x to 3SS act as an emetic ;
(Form: 65,) grs. j to ij, as an expectorant, (Form:
134, 138,) and in still smaller doses it proves sto-
machic and diaphoretic ; by combination with opium,
this latter quality becomes more powerful, ( Form : 28,
130.) The primary effect of this medicine is that of
stimulating the stomach, and it is equally obvious that
its secondary ones depend on the numerous sympathies
of other parts with the organs of digestion. The action
of this remedy upon the pulmonary organs is extremely
interesting; it would seem that in certain conditions

IPE 293

of these organs, attended with a dry, hard cough, it
promotes expectoration, while in affections attended
with an inordinate secretion of mucus, it as certainly
represses it, and acts the part of an astringent. In
dysentery, and chronic diarrhoea, its astringent power
is also very decided. Form: 58. When combined
with cathartics it aids and accelerates their operation ;
Form : 84. In Hemorrhage from the lungs and uterus,
it is decidedly useful, when administered in such doses
as to excite a slight degree of nausea, by which the
force of the circulation is controlled ; I have usually
combined it, for such a purpose, with the Acetate of
lead in Haemopthysls ; and Bergius relates a case of
violent uterine hagmorrhage which was successfully
treated by giving half a grain every half hour. Inr
certain forms of Dyspepsia it proves highly beneficial,
when administered as proposed by Daubenton, in
doses just sufficient to excite a slight sensation of ver-
micular motion of the stomach, without carrying it to
the point of nausea, which may be generally effected
by half a grain three times a day. Its peculiar nauseous
taste is completely covered by the addition of powdered
Gum Arabic. Solubility. Alcohol takes up four
parts in twenty of Ipecacuan ; proof spirit six and a
half; and boiling water rather more than eight parts ;
one pint of good sherry wine will dissolve about 100
grains ; the alcoholic is more emetic than the aqueous
solution; decoction destroys the emetic property of the
root. Officinal Prep. Puhis Ipecacuanhce comp :
L.E.D. Vinum Ipecac, L.E.D. * The powder is
liable to become inert, by exposure to air and light.
The root is refractory, and is reduced to powder with
difficulty, unless a few drops of oil, or an almond or

* Ipecacuanha Lozenges. Each Lozenge conluins half a
grain ol' Ipecacuanha.

294 JAL

two, be previously added. It is a curious fact thfit the
effluvia of this root occasion in some persons the most
distressing sensations of suffocation. 1 am acquainted
with a lady, who is constantly seized with a violent
dyspnoea, whenever the powder of Ipecac uan is brought
into her presence. Adulterations. There are seve-
ral varieties of Ipecacuan to be found in the market,
which it is important to distinguish ; viz. 1. The brown
variety,^ which is the best, containing sixteen per cent,
of emetin ; 2, the grey variety^ with fourteen per cent,
of emetin ; 3, the white variety^ with only five of eme-
tin. The two former varieties are those usually met
with, being imported into this country in bales from
Rio Janeiro ; the brown is distinguished from the grey,
in being more wrinkled; the white variety has no
wrinkles whatever. We are informed by Decandolle
that the genuine root is frequently mixed with those of
violetSy Apocynce, Euphorbia, &c. It is also some-
times mixed with the roots of several species oflonidum,

JALAPS RADIX. L.E.D. (Convolvulus Jalapa.)

Jalap,

Qualities. This root is pulverulent, furnishing
a powder of a pale brownish yellow colour. Odour,
peculiar; Taste, sweetish and slightly pungent. Che-
mical Composition. Resin, gum, extractive, fecula,
lignin, and some salts. The combination of the three
fifst principles appears requisite for the production of
its jfull cathartic effect. The gum has been supposed
to possess diuretic properties. Very lately a saline
principle has been obtained from Jalap by Mr. Hume,
jun. : but I am not aware that its medicinal properties
have been ascertained. It is procured by macerating
the powdered root for twelve or fourteen days in acetic

JAL 295

acid, by which a solution is obtained, which must be
filtered, and then saturated with ammonia ; the mix-
ture is to be shaken violently, when a sabulous deposit
will take place, and a few crystals be collected on the
sides of the vessel ; both of these must be collected,
and washed in distilled water ; and then redissolved in
concentrated acetic acid, and reprecipitated by ammo-
nia added in excess. By which means, small white
acicular crystals are thrown down, to which the name
of J«/apzwe has been given. Solubility. Proof spirit
is its appropriate menstruum. Med. Uses. It is a
cathartic of a stimulating description, acting prin-
cipally upon the colon, and, notwithstanding the tor-
mina it may sometimes induce, it is no less safe than
efficacious; as a hydragogue purgative it has been
greatly extolled, but for such a purpose it will answer
better in combination, as in Form. 73, Its action is
said to be promoted by the addition of Ipecacuan, or
tartarized antimony. (Form, 84.) In dropsy its union
with super- tartrate of potass is calculated to promote
its beneficial operation. Forms of Exhibition. That
of powder is the most eligible, especially when com-
bined with some other powdered substance : pulveri-
zation increases its activity, see Pulveres, Van Swieten
advised it to be pulverised, and mixed with sugar, and
a small quantity of some aromatic. The addition of
Soap is supposed to render its operation much milder,
and the Prussian Pharmacopoeia contains a formula
for such a combination, which is said to operate mildly
and promptly. To this preparation the name Sapo
Jalapinus* is given. Dose, grs. x to 3SS. Offici-

* Sapo Jalapinds. It is prepared by taking equal parts of
Castille Soap and of resinous extract of Jalap, and digesting them
in a sufficient quantity of alcohol, with moderate heat, and ev£(-
porating to the consistence of a conserve.

296 JUN

NAL Preparations. Puh. Jalap, comp. E. Extract,
Jalap. L.E.D. Tinct, Jalap. L.E.D. Tinct. Senncd
comp. E. (B). Adulterations. Brioni/ root is
sometimes mixed with that of jalap, but it may be
easily distinguished by its paler colour and less com-
pact texture ; and by not easily burning at the flame
of a candle. When the teredo has attacked it, it
should be rejected.

JUNIPERI BACC^ ET CACUMINA. L.E.D.

(Juniperus Communis.)

Juniper Berries and Tops.
The principal constituents of these berries are muci^
lage, sugar, and volatile oil ; in the latter of which
their diuretic virtues reside. Forms of Exhibition^
That of an infusion, made with gij of the berries, to oj
of hot water. Unless pains however are taken, by
strong contusion, to bruise and break the seeds, the pre-
paration will contain but little of the juniper flavour.
The bruised berries may be also triturated with sugar
or some neutral salt, and be thus exhibited in sub-
stance. Dose 9j to 9ij. Officinal Preparations,
Oleum Junip. L.E.D. Spirit. Junip. Co. L.E.D.
The taste and diuretic properties of Hollands depend
upon this oil ; English gin is flavoured by oil of tur-
pentine.

KINO. L.E.D. Kino.

(Pterocarpus Erinacea.* Eoctractum. L. Eucalypti

Resiniferi. Succus Concretus. E. Butea Frondosa. D.)

There is very considerable obscurity with regard to

the history and chemical constitution of this substance;

* The plant which yields Kino is at length satisfactorily proved
to be the Pterocarpus Erinact a ; the London College have ac-
cordingly liiade the alleralion >vhich I anticipaicd in the Ibrmer
edition of this work.

KIN 297

three varieties of it are met with in the shops, viz. 1,
African Kino^ which bears the highest price, and has
all the appearance of a natural production, slender
twigs being often intermixed in its substance ; it is of a
reddish brown colour and has a bitterish astringent
taste. 2. Botani/ Bai/ Kino^ has also the aspect of a
natural production, it is in more solid masses than the
former species, is less brittle (for it contains a very
small proportion of resin) and, with its astringency,
has a disagreeable sweetish taste, o. Jamaica Kino^
this is the one most commonly met with ; it has the
appearance of a dry extract, is in small fragments, of a
colour more nearly approaching to black than that of
the others, and has an astringent and slightly bitter
taste. There is also a fourth variety mentioned, viz.
the East India or Amhoyna^ but this does not ap-
pear to differ from the African variety. Chemical
Composition. In all the varieties the predominant
principles are tannin and extractive. Solubility.
The best menstruum is diluted alcohol. IncompaU
ihle Substances^ vide Gallce. Mr. Thomson also
states a fact which I have reason to consider quite cor-
rect, that the alkalies destroy the astringent properties
of kino. All the varieties are soluble in solutions of
pure potass and ammonia, and no precipitation takes
place on the addition of water. Medicinal Uses. It
is principally employed as an astringent, but from its
liability to vary in strength, it has been very generally
superseded by Catechu. Forms of Exhibition.
Either in substance or in the form of watery infusion,
or in that of tincture. Dose, grs. x to jss. Offici-
nal Preparations. Tinct. Kino. L.E.D. Elect.
Catechu. E.D. Puhis Alum. co. E.

298 KRA

KRAMERI^ RADIX. L. /Krameria TriandraN

\ Radix, )

Rhatany,

This root, although it has been for some time em-
ployed in medicine, has only lately found its way into
the Materia Medica of the London Pharmacopoeia.
Its extract, which was some years ago imported into this
country, is supposed to have been employed for giving
astringency to Port wine. According to recent analy-
sis the root contains a peculiar modification of Tannin,
with only a trace of Gallic acid ; Gum ; Fecula ; and
certain salts of Lime. It may be used either in decoc-
tion, or tincture, the latter of which may be made by
dissolving two ounces of the root in a pint of proof
spirit. In all its forms it is eminently astringent. I
have used it with much success in Leucorrhaea, and in
uterine hemorrhages. The extract may be distinguish-
ed from Kino, to which it bears a great resemblance in
appearance and taste, by being very fusible by heat,
whereas Kino does not possess that character.

LICHEN L.E.D. (Lichen Islandicus.) Lichen,
Iceland Liverwort, Iceland Moss,

Qualities. Odour^ none ; Taste^ mucilaginous and
bitter. Solubility. The effect of water upon this
vegetable substance is materially modified by tempera-
ture ; if cold, the lichen absorbs nearly its own weight
by maceration, but gives out to the menstruum little or
none of its virtues ; if the water be warm, it soon ac-
quires a bitter impregnation ; by ebullition, a decoction
is obtained, which, as it cools, gelatinizes. See Decoct,
Lichen, Chemical Composition. Proust has shewn
by analysis that 100 parts of this moss contain 64 parts
of a substance bearing some analogy to vegetable glu-

Lie 299

ten, 33 of a matter, soluble in hot water, and resemb-
ling starch, and 3 parts of a bitter principle. Medicinal
Uses. This vegetable was introduced to the notice
of the profession by Linnaeus, who recommended its
decoction, as having been administered with great
success for coughs in Sweden. Upon its introduction
into this country, its patrons bestowed so many ex-
travagant eulogiums upon its powers, that the less
sanguine practitioner at once abandoned its use in
disgust, and it fell into unmerited disrepute. It would
be idle to speak of its specific effects in phthisis ; but,
as a demulcent, it is certainly very superior to the mu-
cilaginous mixtures in ordinary use, and its simple
bitter principle at the same time tends to produce a
tonic effect, which is frequently desirable in the debili-
tated condition which characterizes the latter stages
of this disease. There are circumstances, however,
which may render the removal of the bitter advanta-
geous ; .in which case, maceration in successive waters,
or in a weak alkaline ley, as recommended by Westring,
will be found to answer the intended purpose. Offi-
cinal Preparation. Decoct. Lichen. Island. E.D.
Sir Alexander Crichton has offered some observations
upon the genuineness of this article which deserve at-
tention. He says that there are two varieties in the
market ; the best of which has a horny texture, and
yields a bitter mucilage. It is that which comes from
Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Finland. The inferior
kind has a membranous texture, and yields little
bitter or mucilage in comparison with the former.
Where it comes from he knows not, but he suspects it
to be British, as it is much cheaper than the other.

500 LIM

LIMONES. L.E.D. (Citrus Medica. Baccce.)

Lemons,

Succus — ^The Juice consists of Citric acid^ muci-
lage, extractive matter, and small portions of sugar and
water. Specijic graviti/^ 1*0384. It may be preserved
for a considerable length of time, by covering its sur-
face w^ith fixed oil.

Its use in making saline draughts has been already
noticed, see Acid. Citric, Its principal medicinal value
consists in its anti-scorbutic * virtues ; indeed it may
be fairly asserted that this disease, so peculiarly inci-
dent to a sea life, has been nearly eradicated by the
juice of lemons. Sir Gilbert Blane, in speaking of its
efficacy, asserts that '^ those only who have made them-
selves acquainted with the early part of the Naval
history of this country, or those who have perused the
interesting, popular, and eloquent narrative of Com-
modore Anson's voyage, can duly appreciate the value
of this simple remedy. Lemonade, as a beverage in
putrid diseases, was first introduced by the French
physicians in the beginning of the 17th century, and
about the year 1660, an Italian from Florence, having
learnt a process of freezing confectionary, conceived the
happy idea of converting such beverage into ice. This
found a ready sale, and was the occasion of so great an
increase in the number of sellers of Lemonade, that in
the year 1676, the Lemonadiers of Paris were formed

* It was known to be a remedy for this disorder at least two
hundred years ago ; for in a work entitled, " The Surgeon's
Mate, or Military and Domestic Medicine," by John Woodall,
master in Surgery, London, 1636, the author concludes his eulo-
gium of lemon juice, by saying, " I dare not write how good a
sauce it is at meat, lest the chief in the ship should vastc it in
tile great cabin to save \inegar."

LIN 301

into a company, and received a patent from the govern-
ment.

Cortex — The Rind or Peel is composed of two
distinct parts ; the exterior, w^hich contains glands,
filled w^ith a fragrant volatile oil, upon which all its
properties depend, and the interior coat, which is
tasteless and indigestible. The flavour may be obtained
by rubbing lump sugar upon it, which will imbibe the
oil, and if it be then dried by a very gentle heat, may
be preserved unimpaired for any length of time, and
will be preferable to the volatile oil obtained by distil-
lation, for the fire generally imparts an unpleasant or
empyreumatic flavour.*

It has been already stated, that " the different parts
of the same plant have frequently very different pro-
perties.'* The Lemon offers a good example of this
fact, for its juice is acid, its seeds bitter, and its peel
aromatic,

LINIMENTA. L.E.D. Liniments,

These are external applications, having the consis-
tence of oil or balsam. If we except the Liniment.
jEruginis, all the officinal liniments are decomposed
by the substances which are incompatible with soaps.

LiNiMENTUM ^RUGiNis. L. Oxijmel Mruginis.
P.L, 1787. Mel Mgyptiacum, P.L. 1745. Unguen-
turn MgT/ptiacum. P.L. 1720. Diluted with water,
it has been recommended as a gargle in venereal ulcer-
ations, but its use is hazardous ; it is a detergent es-
charotic preparation.

LiNiMENTUM Ammonite Fortius. L. Oleum Am^
moniatum. E. Linimentum Ammonice. D. It consists
of liquor ammonice one part, olive oil two parts, (oil

* Essential SauT of Lemons. See Potassie Supertartras.

302 LITC

eight parts, E.D.) The alkali forms with the oil a soap,
which is held dissolved by the water in the liquor
ammonice. It is an excellent rubefacient, and pene-
trating liniment.

LiNiMENTUM Ammonia Sub-carbonatis. L.
Ltinimentum Ammonice, P. L. 1787. Linimentum
Volatile. P.L. 1745. The carbonic acid prevents the
perfect formation of soap in this liniment ; unlike the
former one, therefore, it deposits the soapy matter on
standing. It is much less stimulating than the pre-
cedinop one.

Linimentum Calcis. E.D. Oil and lime water^
equal parts. This is an earthy soap, formed by the
combination of lime and oil; the soapy matter separates
on standing, it should therefore be extemporaneous ,
In cases of burns and scalds where the cuticle has been
destroyed, it is an advantageous application.

Linimentum Camphors. L. Oleum Campho'
ratum, E.D. Camphor one, olive oil four parts. It is
a simple solution of camphor in fixed oil, and forms a
very useful embrocation to sprains, 'bruises, glandular
swellings, and in rheumatic affections.

Linimentum CAMPHORiE compositum. L. Cam-
phor two^ liquor ammonias six^ spirits of lavender six-
teen parts. It is highly stimulating.*

Linimentum Hydrargyri. L. A pound of this
liniment contains nearly §iv of mercury ; it affects the
mouth more rapidly than strong mercurial ointment,
although it will be seen by the Medicinal Dynameter
to contain less Mercury. Tnis effect is to be attributed
to the stimulating properties of its adjuncts, viz. Cam-
phor and Ammonia.

* Ward's Essence for the Head-ache.— -Nothing more than
Liniment. Camph. Comp.

LIN 303

LiNiMENTUM Saponis compositum. L. Hard
soap'u]^ camphor '^y spirit of rosemary ^^] parts. It
is a stimulant and anodyne application, and in local
pains opium may be advantageously added to it. It
is commonly used under the name of -Opodeldoc, *
See Sapo.

LiNiMENTUM Terebinthin^. Tiiis liniment was
introduced by Mr. Kentish of Newcastle, as a dressing
to recent burns, which he continued until the eschars
became loose.

LINUM CATHARTICUM. L.D. Purging Flax.

The qualities of this plant leside in extractive mat-
ter, hence water extracts, but long decoction injures
them. Medicinal Uses. It is strongly purgative.
Forms of Exhibition. 5ij of the dried herb infused
in oj of boiling water. Dose, f§ij*

LINI USITATISSIMI SEMINA. L.E.D.

Linseed^ or Common Flax Seed,

These seeds contain a large proportion of mucilage,
and one-sixth of their weight of fixed oil ; the former
of which resides principally in the cuticle, the latter,
in the parenchymatous portion of the seed ; by infusion

* Steer's Opodeldoc. — Castille Soap §j, Rectified Spirit,
f I viij, Camphor 3 iiiss, Oil of Rosemary f 3 ss, Oil of Origanuia
f 3 j. Solution of Ammonia f 3 vj.

Bates's Anodyne Balsam. — It consists of one part of Tinc-
ture of Opium, and two of Opodeldoc, i. e. Liniment. Sapon.
comp.

Freeman's Bathing Spirits. — Liniment. Saponis comp. co-
loured with Daffy's Elixir. Jackson's Bathing Spirits differs
from the former in the addition of some essential oils.

Lynch's Embrocation. — Olive oil impregnated with Berga-
raot and some other essences, and coloured with Alkanet root.

304 LIQ

in boiling water, a clear, colourless, inodorous, and
nearly insipid mucilage is obtained ; gss of the un-
bruised seed is sufficient for oj of water ; cold water
does not extract any mucilage from them when un-
bruised ; the farina of the seeds is well adapted for
cataplasms. Officinal Prep. Infus, Lini comp : L.
Oleum Lini, L.E.D.

LIQUOR ALUMINTS COMPOSITUS. L.

Aqua Aluminosa Bateana. P. L. 1745.

This is a compound solution of alum and sulphate
of zinc ; a fluid-ounce containing about seven grains
of each ingredient. It is pov/erfully astringent, and is
successfully used as a detergent lotion to old ulcers ;
as a collyrium, or as an injection in gleet and fluor
albus ; it will also often answer in removing chilblains,
and in curing slight excoriations.

« -
LIQUOR AMMONI.E. L. Aqua Ammonia. E.

Aqua Ammonia Caustics. D.

Solution of Ammonia,

Qualities. Form^ a limpid, colourless fluid;
specific graviti/j ' 960, or f §j weighs about 438 grs.
Odour^ strong and pungent : Taste, extremely caustic.
Chemical Composition. A solution of ammoniacal
gas in water, which varies considerably in strength in
the different pharmacopoeias. When prepared accord-
ing to the London and Edinburgh Colleges, it contains
nearly 95 per cent, of ammonia, whereas the Dublin
preparation does not contain more than 16. Solvent
Powers. It is an active solvent of many vegetable
principles, e. g. oils, resins, &c. With alcohol it
unites in every proportion ; it assists the oxidizement

LTQ * 305

of copper and zinc, and dissolves many of the metallic
oxides. Med. Uses. Stimulant, rubefacient, and ant-
acid. Forms of Exhibition. In milk, or any liquid
vehicle ; if in decoctions, or infusions, they must be
previously cooled ; for at 130° the ammonia will escape
in the form of gas. Dose, T\\^x to xxx. Officinal
Prep. Linimentum Ammonicc. L.D. Oleum Ammon.
E. Spir. Ammonice. L. Sph\ Ammonice. comp. L.
Spir, Ammon. succinat. L. Liniment. Camphor, comp.
L. Adulterations. The presence of other salts in
the solution may be discovered by saturating a portion
with pure nitric acid, and applying the test for sul-
phuric acid, (Bari/tes) and that for muriatic acid,
(Nitrate of Silver.) Carbonic acid is detected by its
effervescing with acids, or by its forming wdth lime
water a precipitate, soluble with effervescence in
nitric acid ; it ought to be free from all fetor ; its
strength can only be determined by taking its specific
gravity. Tt should be preserved in well closed bottles,
and their dimensions should be small, for when in
large vessels it often becomes carbonated before it is
half used.

LIQUOR AMMONITE ACETATIS. L. Aqua
AcETATis Ammonite. E.D.

Solution of Acetate of Ammonia,
olim. Spirit of Mindererus.

This preparation is a solution of the neutral acetate
of ammonia, with a proportion of carbonic acid dif-
fused through it; it is made by saturating the sub-
carbonate of ammonia with distilled vinegar, for which
purpose it will generally be found that § j of the alkali
will saturate oiss of the vinegar ; since, however, the

Vol. II. u

306 LIQ

quantity of acid in distilled vinegar as well as the
strength of the ammonia, are liable to constant vari-
ation, the exact point of neutralization should be
ascertained by the alternate application of litmus and
turmeric papers ; for if the proportions be not accu-
rately adjusted, some of the metallic salts, especially
those of antimony y which are often prescribed in con-
junction with it, are decomposed, and thus rendered
inefficacious ; and on this account an excess of alkali
is to be feared more than that of acid. This prepa-
ration is also not unfrequently employed as a col-
ly rium, when much serious mischief may arise from
the carbonate or ammonia predominating. It has been
already stated that a very minute proportion of ex-
tractive matter is rendered sensible on the addition of
an alkali ; hence this preparation frequently derives
from the vinegar a brown hue, which may be removed
by filtering the solution through a little well burnt
charcoal. It also deserves notice that the presence of
a trace of copper, derived from the copper cocks
through which the vinegar has passed, will impart a
brown tinge, whilst in larger quantities this metal
yields a blue colour with ammonia. Incompatible
Substances. Acids; fixed alkalies; alum; lime
water; sulphate of magnesia ; corrosive sublimate;
nitrate of silver ; and the sulphates of zinc, copper^
and iron. Acetate of lead produces also a copious
precipitation, but this depends upon the presence of
the carbonic acid diffused through the solution, which
decomposes the salt and forms an insoluble carbo-
nate of lead. Magnesia likewise, contrary to what
might be supposed, decomposes the solution and ren-
ders it pungent, from the extrication of ammoniacal
gas ; this phenomenon depends upon the magnesia
forming a triple acetate with one part of the ammonia,

LIQ 307

and setting tlie remainder at liberty. Med. Uses.
When assisted by warmth and plentiful dilution, it is
an excellent diaphoretic, and produces its effects with-
out quickening the circulation : {Form: 117, 126,) by
keeping the surface of the body cool, its action is de-
termined to the kidneys, and it proves diuretic, especi-
ally when combined with remedies of a similar ten-
dency. {Form: \\i.) Dose, f3iv to f3xij. Externally
it furnishes a lotion, valuable as a refrigerant, especi-
ally when combined with some spirituous preparation.
See Form: 148.

LIQUOR AMMONIiE SUB-CARBONATIS. L.

SoLUTio Sub-Carbonatis Ammonite. E.

Aqua Carbonatis Ammonite. D.

This is merely a solution of the solid sub -carbonate
in distilled water, see Ammonics Suh-carhonas. Dose,
f5ss to f5j in any bland liquid. Adulterations.
There is frequently a deficient quantity of the sub-
carbonate in solution, its pungency being kept up by
the addition of liquor ammonice ; this may be dis-
covered by shaking it with twice its bulk of alcohol,
when a coagulum of considerable density should occur,
the absence of which will denote the sophistication of
the article. Its specijic gravitt/ should be 1.150. The
Incompatibles are those enumerated under the history
o^ Ammonice Sub-carbonas,

LIQUOR ARSENICALIS. L.
SoLUTio Arsenicalis. E.

This is a solution of the Ar senile of Potass^ coloured
and flavoured by the Compound Spirit of Lavender^
f3J of which contains gr. | of arsenious acid. It was

308 LIQ

introduced into practice by Dr. Fowler of Stafford, as
a substitute for the empirical remedy known by the
name of" The Tasteless Ague Drop,'' It is a power-
ful tonic, and has been very successfully administered
in the cure of intermittent and remittent fevers, peri-
odical head-aches, and as an alterative in many anoma-
lous diseases of the skin. It has been also given, with
decided effect, in certain visceral obstructions ; its use
however is to a great degree empirical, although we
may observe, generally, that wherever strong arterial
action exists, arsenic will do harm. The addition of
a few drops of Vinum Opii is said to render its opera-
tion safer and more efficacious. Incompatible Sub-
stances. Lime water ; nitrate of silver ; the salts of
copper; hydro-sulphuret of potass^ and the infusions
and decoctions of bark. Dose, TT^iv, gradually in-
creased to TTLxxx, twice a day. See Arsenicum Album,

LIQUOR CALCIS. L. Aqua Calcis. E.D.

Lime Water,

It is a saturated solution of lime in water ; f § j of
which contains { of a grain.* Incompatible Sub-

* Since the last edition of this work, Mr. Dalton has discovered
the very curious fact, that lime is more soluble in eold than in
hot water, and has given a table of quantities from which he con-
cludes that the quantity held in solution by water at 32" Fah : is
nearly double that retained by water at 212'. Mr. Phillips has
lately taken up the subject, and confirmed the statement of Mr.
Dalton.

thus 10,000 gr. of water, at 212% dissolve 7.8 of lime
10,000 gr. of water, at 32° 15.2

Mr. Phillips attempts to account for this apparent anomaly
'* from the effect which heat sometimes produces of increasing
instead of diminishing the attraction of cohesion. In the present
case, he continues, the affinities which are brought into play are,
the attractions of aggregation of. the particles of the lime upon

LIQ 309

STANCES. All alkaline and metallic salts; borates ;
tartrates; citrates; acids; sulphur; spirituous pre^
parationsy and the infusions of all astringent vege-
tables. It should be kept in close vessels, for if exposed
to the air, the lime will attract carbonic acid, and
become an insoluble carbonate; Ihe addition of an
alkaline carbonate produces the same effect instan-
taneously, t If animal charcoal/be boiled with lime-
water, it will precipitate the whole of the lime, an
effect which is not produced by charcoal of vegetable
origin. Med. Uses. It is an antacid, and is therefore
useful in dyspepsia attended with acidity ; Form, 149.
Mixed with an equal quantity of milk, it furnishes an
excellent remedy in infantile complaints connected with
bowel affections ; it is likewise astringent in leucorr-
haea, in the last stages of dysentery, and in protracted
diarrhoea. It dissolves also the slimy mucus with which
disordered bowels are so generally infested ; on account
of this latter property, it has been exhibited in calcu-

each other, the attraction of the lime to form a hydrate with a
small portion the water, and the mutual affinity existing between
that hydrate and the water of solution." And at the high tem-
perature he thinks that the former affinities may be so heightened
as to overpower the latter.

f Upon this fact Dr. Alton founded his ingenious process for
preserving water from putrefaction ; in the first place he impreg-
nated the water with lime, which from its antiseptic property ans-
wered the purpose of keeping it most completely, and then in
order to get rid of the lime, he merely added the carbonate of
magnesia, which by transferring its carbonic acid, rendered the
lime insoluble, and consequently the water tasteless and fit for
economical purposes. Mr. Henry, however, proposed the intro-
duction of a current of carbonic acid into the cask, and this
expedient has been found equally cflfective, and far more econo-
mical.

SIO LIQ

lous aflbciions,* with a view of dissolving the cement-
ing ingredient of the concretion, and thereby of de-
stroying its cohesion: see Vol. 1. p, 230. Not being
very nauseous, it is easily given under any circum-
stances, and it is not liable to produce that irritability
of stomach which frequently attends the long continued
use of the fixed alkalies. It also frequently forms the
basis of astringent gargles. Lime water moreover
affords a successful remedy in certain cutaneous affec-
tions, particularly those affecting the face, as Gutla
Rosea. Sir G. Blane has also seen some remarkable
cures of herpetic complaints of the legs by large doses ;
he has also employed it with effect as a lotion. Forms
OF Exhibition. Milk disguises its flavour, without
impairing its virtues. Dose, f§j to fjvj. Sugar has

* Mrs. Stephen's Remedy for the Stone consisted of lime,
which was produced by calcining the shells of eggs and Jiiails, and
made into pills with Soap. A decoction was also administered,
consisting of Chamomile, Fennel, Parsley and Burdock, together
with a portion of Alicant Soap. This is a very rational practice,
and is very much what the practitioners of the present day depend
upon : the observations of Mrs. Stephens respecting their admi-
nistration, is equally judicious. " If," says she, " these medi-
cines produce pain, it will be necessary to give an opiate with
them, and it must be at all times a principal care to prevent a
looseness, for if this should happen it would carry off the medi-
cines; under such circumstances the quantity of the Decoction,
since it is laxative, must be diminished, and other suitable means
must be taken by the advice of a Physician." The credit of in-
troducing alkaline medicines for the cure of calculous disorders,
does not however rest with Mrs. Stephens. It has been before
stated in this work, that Basil Valentine employed a fixed alka-
line salt in such cases ; and I may here add, that Sennertus, in
his Praxis Medica, mentions a lithonthryptic that was in great
esteem and general use in his time, which consisted of one ounce
of Salt of Tartar dissolved in a pint of parsley water, and after-
wards tinged yellow with orange peel.

LIQ 311

the curious property of rendering lime more soluble in
water. See Saccharum,

LIQUOR CALCIS MURIATIS. L.D.

Solution of Muriate of Lime.

This solution is said to be tonic and deobstruent,
and to have been advantageously given in scrofula. It
has also been found useful in Urticaria, and several
other forms of cutaneous disease. Incompatibles.
Sulphuric acid, and the Sulphates ; the fixed alkalies
and their carbonates ; ammonia produces no change in
the solution, but its carbonate decomposes it, and
precipitates carbonate of lime. Dose, V]xx to f5ij.

LIQUOR CUPRI AMMONIATI. L.

Solution of Ammoniated Copper,

This is a simple solution of the salt in distilled water.
The preparation, although perfectly transparent when
first formed, soon becomes turbid and deposits oxide
of copper; this arises from the escape of ammonia,
and may be prevented by the occasional addition of a
small quantity of the volatile alkali. See Cuprum
Ammoniatum. The Medicinal Dynameter will shew
the proportion of salt in any given quantity of the
solution.

LIQUOR FERRI ALKALINI. L.

Solution of Alkaline Iron.

This preparation is nearly the same as Stahl's TinC'
tura Martis Alkalina, Chemical Composition. It
is by no means ascertained. Incompatible Sub-
stances. It is a most injudicious preparation, for it
cannot be exhibited in any form without decompo-

312 LIQ

sition ; water, especially if not distilled, and vegetable
infusio?is dud decoctions, produce dense precipitates;
pure acids, alkalies, and spirit, also decompose it. I
must confess my regret at the College having retained
this preparation in their Pharmacopoeia ; the committee
agreed to reject it, but their judgment was reversed by
the votes of the Comitia Majora. Should any prac-
titioner be unable to procure this preparation, I v^rill
give him an easy receipt for producing it, viz. Let him
keep the Mistura Ferri composita in an open vessel^
nntil it is entirely spoilt !

LIQUOR HYDRARGYRI OXY-MURIATIS. L.

This solution of corrosive sublimate is intended to
facilitate the exhibition of minute doses of the salt ;
f gj contains gr. ^ ; when long kept, or exposed to
light, the oxy-muriate is decomposed, and calomel is
precipitated; fsee Hydrarg: Oxymuriaiis:) or, what
is more dangerous, it is sometimes deposited in crystals,
without decomposition; a small portion of muriatic
acid, or muriate of ammonia in the solution, prevents
this precipitation. Dose, f^ss to f3ij, in an infusion of
linseed.

LIQUOR PUMBI SUB-ACETATIS. L.

Liquor Sub-acetatis Lithargyri. D.

Aqua LithargT/ri Acetati, P.L. 1767.

Solution of Sub-acetate of Lead : olim, Extract of

Saturn,

This preparation was introduced by M. Goulard of
Montpellier, hence it has been commonly known by
the name of Goulard's Extract, Qualities. It is of
a greenish straw colour, and has an austere, sweetish

LIQ 313

taste ; when kept it deposits a quantity of oxide, and
becomes lighter coloured. Chemical Composition.
It is a saturated solution of the sub-acetate of lead,
consisting, according to Berzelius, of one proportional
of acid, and three proportionals of oxide of lead ;
hence its name is correct. It is the only instance with
which we are acquainted of a real sub-salt being solu-
ble in water. Incompatible Substances. Alkalies
and their carbonates precipitate a white sub-salt ; al-
kaline sulphates and sulphur et s ; mucilage. Spring
Water, from the salts which it contains, produces with
it a very milky and turbid appearance ; and even when
distilled, in consequence of the carbonic acid diffused
through it, it occasions precipitation. The Surgeon
will remember that the Linimentum Saponis cannot
be mixed with it, without mutual decomposition. See
Sapo, Med. Uses. It is only used externally, in
superficial and phlegmonic inflammations of the skin,
and in herpetic affections. It has been a question
whether Lead, in any form, should ever be applied to
an open wound, or to an abraded surface ; * as a gene-
ral rule, it should not certainly be applied to such as
are recent, nor to those whose character indicates a
diminished state of vitality in the parts, and exhibits
a disposition to gangrene. The abuse of Saturnine
lotions has been frequently descanted upon by foreign
writers, and, among the evils which are supposed to
be thus induced, impotence is mentioned as one of not
unfrequent occurrence. See Institutioni di Medicina
For ens : di Tortosa, vol. 1. p. 58. also Fritze Compend:

* Virgin's Milk. A preparation is sold under this name,
which is a Sulphate of Lead, and is prepared as follows. To a
saturated solution of Alum, add of Goulard's extract one third
part. Shake them together ; — see Benzoinum for a very diflferent
cosmetic bearing the same name.

314 LIQ

sopra le Malat: Verier: p. 189. and Monteggia AnnO'
tat : soprai Mali Venerei, p. 36, There is a paper in
the third volume of the Medical Trans actions ^ by Dr.
Reynolds, in which the case of a gentleman is detailed,
who brought on a temporary paralysis of the Sphincter
Ani^ by freely using Goulard's lotion for the cure of
the Piles. The value of Saturnine applications in
common inflammation most probably arises from a
partial paralysis of the nerves of the part, produced by
the sedative agency of the lead.

LIQUOR PLUMBI SUB-ACETATIS
DILUTUS. L.

As the former preparation is very rarely employed
in its concentrated form, the College has directed its
dilution, and added a portion of spirit, with a view
to accelerate its evaporation, and thus to produce a
refrigerating effect ; but for such a purpose the quan-
tity of spirit is far too small, and should therefore be
increased by extemporaneous addition.

LIQUOR POTASSiE. L. Aqua PoxAssiE. E.
Aqua Kali Caustica. D.

Aqua kali puri. P. L. 1787. Lixivium Saponarium^

1745.

Qualities. A limpid, dense, colourless solution ;
a pint should weigh §xvj ; when rubbed between the
fingers it feels soapy, in consequence of a partial solu-
tion of the cuticle. The solution, as usually prepared,
contains small portions of muriate and sulphate of
potass, silica and lime ; but these incidental impurities
do not invalidate its virtues ; it ought not to effervesce
with acids. Med. Uses. Antacid, diuretic, alterative,
and lithonthryptic ; and externally, when diluted, it

LIQ 315

acts as a stimulating lotion,* and if concentrated, as a
caustic ; see Pot ass a Fusa. The operation of this and
other alkaline remedies, have at different periods been
celebrated as powerful lithonthriptics, and whilst ex-
perience has in some cases confirmed the value of the
practice, it has in others proved no less decidedly its
mischievous agency ; these contradictory results are at
length capable of explanation, for Chemistry has drawn
aside the veil that has so long obscured the history,
origin, and cure of calculous diseases, and has demon-
strated that these extraneous bodies vary in compo-
sition, and are consequently very differently affected
by the same diemical solvents ; but this subject has
already been so fully discussed in the first volume of
this work, under the chapter on '' Antilithics and
Lithonthri/ptics^'''' that it is unnecessary to dwell upon
it in this place.

It has also been found highly useful in the cure of
several species of cutaneous affections ; as in Lepra,
Psoriasis, &c. which diseases generally appear to have
some connection with a morbid state of the digestive
functions; see Form: 149. Dose of the solution of
potass, lT|^x to fsss, in veal broth t or table beer ; this
latter vehicle disguises its nauseous flavour completely.
In many cases, the infusion of some bitter tonic will
be the most eligible liquor in which it can be exhibited,
especially where our object is to promote its absorp-
tion : the theory of such a combination has been al-

* Hannay's Lotion, or Preventive Wash. This famous
nostrum for the prevention of venereal infection, was nothing
more than a solution of caustic potass.

t Dr. Chittick*s Remedy for the Stone. This celebrated
nostrum consisted of a fixed alkali in veal broth ; the broth was
usually made by his paticnis, and sent to him fresh every day, in
order to l)e medicated. A. D. 17 66.

316 MAG

ready explained in the first vol. of this work, p. 282.
Officinal Prep. Potassa fusa^ L.E.D. Potassa
cum calce^ L.E.D. Liquor Sulphureti Kali, D.
Antimonii Sulphuretum prcecipitatum^ L. Ec

LIQUOR POTASS^ SUB-CARBONATIS. L.

Aqua Sub-carbonatis Kali. D.

Aqua Kali prceparatiy P.L. 1787.

Lixivium Tartaric 1745.

Oleum Tartari per deliquium, P. L. 1720.

Qualities. It is a clear, colourless, and inodorous
solution; Spec, grav. I'4i4i6, Dose, TTj^x to f5j. See
Potasses Sub'Carbonas^ and Form: 39, 41. The pro-
portion of the salt contained in any quantity of the
solution may be learnt by referring to the Dj/nameter.

MAGNESIA. L. Magnesia Usta. D.

Calcined Magnesia,

Qualities. Form, a white, very light, soft powder;
Specific gravity J 2*3 ; it turns to green the more deli-
cate vegetable blues. Solubility. Although it re-
quires 2000 times its weight of water to hold it in
solution, yet it has the property of considerably in-
creasing the solubility of camphor, opium, and resins
in the same fluid; it is soluble in solutions of the
alkaline carbonates, but not in those of caustic alkalies.
Chemical Composition. It is an oxide of a peculiar
metal. Medicinal Uses. Antacid, and when acidity
prevails, purgative ; it is preferable to the carbonate
whenever the bowels are distended with flatus, (Form :
150) ; in other respects, its virtues are the same. See
Magnes, Carh, The Medicinal Dynameter will shew
the equivalant doses of the pure earth and its car-

MAG 317

bonate ; it will be seen for instance that 12 grains of
the former will be as efficient, as an antacid, as 25
grains of the latter. Incidental Impurities. It
ought not to effervesce with acids, and if magnesia
and muriatic acid be placed at one time in separate
cups, in a scale of a balance, no diminution of weight
should take place on mixing them. Lime is detected
by its solution in dilute sulphuric acid affording a pre-
cipitate with oxalate of ammonia ; the sulphuret of
lime betrays itself by yielding, when moistened, the
smell of sulphuretted hydrogen.*

MAGNESL^ SUB-CARBONAS. L.
Carbonas Magnesia. E. Magnesia. D.

Olim, Magnesia Alba.

Carbonate of Magnesia, vulgo, Common Magnesia.

This preparation was formerly considered by Mr.
Phillips to be a mixture of carbonate and sub-car-
bonate of magnesia, an opinion which he has lately
retracted; it is, says he, evidently a carbonate, i.e.
magnesia combined with one proportion of carbonic
acid, or forty-eight of carbonic acid to forty-three of
magnesia. Dr. Thomson entertains a different opinion,
he observes that it seems to be a mechanical mixture
of carbonate of magnesia, caustic magnesia, and per-
haps of hydrated magnesia; he found too great a
diversity in its composition to permit the conclusion

* Magnesia was originally a general terra, expressive of any
substance which had the power of attracting some principle from
the air, from Magnes, the Loadstone. The peculiar body which
we now denominate Magnesia, was first sold as a panacea, by a
canon at Rome, in the beginning of the seventeenth century,
under the title of Magnesia alba, or Count Palma's Powder.

318 MAG

that it was a definite chemical compound ; in a speci-
men purchased at Glasgow, he also found six per cent.
oi' sulphate of lime. I take this opportunity of stating
that in some specimens which I have examined, I have
also detected portions o^ gypsum ; and from the ex-
periments of Dr. Percival, it appears that \f hard water
be employed for its preparation it will be less light,
and will contain a portion of lime. Magnesia will be
also liable to contain traces of siliceous earth, derived
from the alkali used in producing it. Incompatible
Substances. Acids^ and acidulous salts ; alkalies
and neutral salts ; alum ; cream of tartar ; nitrate of
silver ; acetate of mercury ; oxy-muriate of mercury ;
acetate of lead ; sulphates of zinCy copper^ and iron.
Medicinal Uses. Antacid, and purgative. In cases
of lithic calculi, carbonate of magnesia, in doses of 9j
to 5jj has been proposed by Mr. Hatchett, as a valu-
able substitute for alkaline remedies. Its insolubility
must render its absorption equivocal ; its beneficial
operation must therefore principally depend upon its
neutralizing any excess of acid in the primae viae, and
in this way there can be no doubt of its lithonthryptic
agency ; " but," says Dr. Marcet, " such is the ten-
dency which the public has to over-rate the utility of
a new practice, or to take a mistaken view of its proper
application, that there is every reason to believe that
the use of magnesia has of late years become a frequent
source of evil in calculous complaints. See vol. i.p. 229.
Officinal Prep. Hydrarg. cum Magnesia. D.
Magnesia. L. E. D. Adulterations. Chalk may
be detected by adding dilute sulphuric acid to a sus-
pected portion, when, should any be present, the solu-
tion will be loaded with a white and insoluble pre-
cipitate ; gypsum^ by boiling a sample in distilled

MAG 319

water, and assaying the solution by a barytic and oxalic
test. *

MAGNESIA SULPHAS. L. Sulphas
Magnesia. E.D.

Magnesia Vitriolata. Sal catharticum amavum.
Bitter purging Salt, Epsom Salt,

Qualities. Form, small needle-like crystals.
Taste, bitter and nauseous ; when pure, it effloresces.
Chemical Composition. In its crystallized state,
it may be considered as composed of 1 proportional of
dry sulphate (Magnesia 18*5, and sulphuric acid 37*5)
and 7 proportionals of water. Solubility. f§j of
water dissolves §j, and the solution measures f^xjl ;
it is insoluble in alcohol. Incompatible Substances.
Muriates of ammonia, bari/ta, and lime ; nitrate of
silver; sub-acetate, and acetate of lead. The flawed
alkalies and their carbonates, precipitate from it mag-
nesia and its carbonate. Phosphate of soda occasions

* Dalby's Carminative. This consists of carbonate of
magnesia 9ij, oils of Peppermint, lUj, of Nutmeg, nxij,
of Aniseed nxiij, of the tinctures of Castor nxxxx, of Assafoe-
tida nixv. Tincture of Opium, Ml v, Spirit of Pennyroyal
ntxv, of the Compound Tincture of Cardamoms lixxxx. Pep-
permint water f § ij. There are clieaper compositions sold under
the same name. In examining the pretensions of this combination,
it must be allowed that it is constructed upon philosophical prin-
ciples ; this however is no reason why the physician should re-
commend it; the mischievous tendency of a quack medicine does
not depend upon its composition, but upon its application ; we
ought to remember, says an eminent physician, that in recom-
mending this nostrum we foster the dangerous prejudices of mo-
thers and nurses, who are unable to ascertain the circumstances
under which it should be given, or even the proper doses ; if its
composition is judicious, why do not physicians order the same
in a regular prescription, rather than in a form in which the most
valuable remedy will be abused i

320 MAG

no immediate precipitate, unless ammonia be present,
in which case the triple amrnoniaco-magnesian phos-
phate will be produced. The addition of ammonia,
which in the form of Spiritus ammonice aromat, is not
unfrequently prescribed in conjunction with a solution
of this sulphate, forms also a triple salt, and a portion
of magnesia is precipitated : whenever therefore this
ammoniacal stimulant is ordered with a purgative salt,
the scientific physician will prefer a solution of the
sulphate of soda. Forms of Exhibition. Dissolved
in the Infusum Rosce^ or in a suitable quantity of beef
tea, gruel, or any aqueous vehicle, its cathartic powers
are increased by dilution, as well as by the addition of
a little common salt ; magnesia renders the taste of its
solution less nauseous ; and tartarized antimony quick-
ens its operation. Dose, §ss to §ij, taken either at
once, or in divided doses. Form. 37, 69, 72, 76.
Officinal Prep. Enema Catharticum, Enema
Foetid, D. Adulterations. Sulphate of Soda is
often substituted for this salt, which it may be made
to resemble by stirring it briskly at the moment when
it is about to crystallize ; the fraud may be detected by
a precipitation not ensuing on adding carbonate of
potass ; if only a part of the ^It be sulphate of soda,
the degree of sophistication can be learnt by the quan-
tity of the precipitate formed ; 100 parts of sulphate
of magnesia, if pure, will yield between 30 and 40 of
the dry carbonate. Epsom salt, as it commonly occurs,
contains muriate of magnesia, which disposes it to
deliquesce, but lately this salt has appeared in the
market in a state of great purity and beauty; the mode
of purification is founded upon the well known chemi-
cal law, that a saturated solution of one salt is still
capable of dissolving another; in the present instance,
therefore, the impure crystals are washed in a saturated

MAG 321

solution of the same sulphate, which, although unable
to act upon its kindred salt, can dissolve with facility
the muriate, and any other saline contamination. I
confess, however, that I am induced to regard this pro-
cess as rather chemically ingenious than as medicinally
useful, for the usual saline impurities of Epsom salt are
not only harmless, but capable of increasing its pur-
gative powers ; the double refined sulphate is certainly
less efficient as a cathartic. The presence of the mU'
riate may be at once detected by dropping upon the
suspected sample some sulphuric acid, by which the
disengagement of muriatic acid vapour will be pro-
duced. Since the publication of the fourth edition of
the present work, I have received samples of the Sul-
phate of Magnesia, prepared by Mr. West of Lyming-
ton, and I can confidently recommend the article to the
profession ; he contrives to obtain them in large and
beautiful crystals, which cannot be so easily mistaken
for those of oxalic acid, a circumstance of no small
importance to the drug vender ; the form of these crys-
tals is that of a square prism, having its edges replaced,
and commonly terminated by a pyramid of four planes ;
the only cleavage is parallel to one of the diagonals of
the prism. The numerous accidents which so fre-
quently occur from mistaking Oxalic acid for Epsom
Salts have given rise to many suggestions for obtaining
an easy and popular test which may at once distinguish
these bodies ; it is evident that no test can be so sim-
ple as that afforded by the taste ; but if such accidents
are in future to be prevented, it must be done by im-
parting to the acid some external character by which
it may be at once recognised; if a test were even dis-
covered a hundred times more sensible than any which
we possess, what would it avail ?
Vol. II. X

322 MAS

MANNA.* L.E.D.

(Fraxinus Ornus. Succus Concretus.)

Manna.

Qualities. Form^ flakes of a granular texture ;
Colour J whitish, or pale yellow ; (Mour, slight, but
peculiar ; Taste^ nauseous sweet, with some degree of
bitterness. Chemical Composition. This concrete
vegetable juice, besides sugar, appears to contain
mucilage and extractive, to which its taste and other
peculiar properties are owing. Solubility. It is
entirely soluble in water and alcohol. Med. Uses.
It is now merely regarded as a laxative for children,
or for weak persons. It generally requires some laxa-
tive adjunct, as castor oil, with which it may be com-
bined by the medium of mucilage. Dose, for children,
from 3J to ^iij, in warm milk. Officinal Prep.
Confectio Cassice, L.E.D. Enema Cathart. D. Enema
Foetid, D. Si/rup. Sennce. D. Adulterations.
There are several varieties in the market, the best of
which is flake manna, manna canulata^ in a stalactitic
form. An article, entirely factitious, consisting of
honey or sugar, mixed with scammony, is sometimes
sold for genuine manna, but its colour, weight, trans-
parency,, and tastCy must instantly lead to its detection.

MASTICHE. L.

(Pistachia Lentiscus. Resina.}

Mastich,

The use of this' resinous substance is to fill the ca-
vities of carious teeth ; a solution of it in oil of tur-

*" Manna, vox chaldaica est, admirantis interjectio, deducta
ab Hebraico Manhu, sive quid est hoc ? " Chtystom. Magneni
Execcitat. de Manno.,

MEL S25

pentine is sold a§ an odontalgic. The Turkish and
Armenian women use it as a masticatory for cleaning
the teeth, emulging the salivary glands, and imparting
an agreeable odour to the breath. It forms a consti-
tuent of the Dinner Pills. See Aloes, Sonnini tells
us that, in Egypt, the smoke of Mastich is supposed to
kill any sick person that inhales it.

MEL. L.E.D. Honey.

This well known substance appears to be merely
collected from the flowers, and not elaborated by the
internal economy of the insect ; when properly diluted
it undergoes vinous fermentation, the product of which
is the beverage well known by the name of Mead.
The English honey is more waxy than that from the
south of Europe. Virgin honey is that wrought by
young bees which have never swarmed, and permitted
to run from the comb without heat or pressure. Che-
mical Composition. Sugar, mucilage, wax, an acid,
and occasionally some essential oil. Clarified Honei/^
{Mel Despumatum. L.D.) has not the agreeable smell
of crude honey ; it does not however ferment so readily,
nor is it so apt to gripe. Uses. It is principally em-
ployed for forming several officinal preparations, i. e.
Mellittty viz. Mel Boracis. L. Mel Ros. L.D. Ojct/-
Twe/. L.D. Oxi/melColchiciYi. Oxj/mel Scilla^.Li.Y).*'
Sir John Pringle considered it as useful in nephritic
disorders ; it possesses also a laxative property^ which
renders it on many occasions preferable to Syrup.
Adulterations. Flour may be detected by diffusing
the honey in tepid water, by which it will be separated,

* Honey Water. — The article usually sold under this name
is a mixture of Essences coloured with Saffron ; some add a small
quantity of Honey, the effect of which is to communicate a clam-
miness which retains the scent longjer.

X 2

324: MEZ

and, by subsequent boiling, converted into a thick
paste.

MENTHA PIPERITA. L.E.D.
Mentha PiPERiTis. D. Peppermint.*

All the qualities of this plant depend upon an essen-
tial oil and camphor ; it readily and strongly impreg-
nates either water or spirit, by infusion ; its infusion,
and the water distilled from the plant, are carminative
and antispasmodic ; they also serve as vehicles for other
medicines, to correct their operation, or to disguise
their flavour. Officinal Preparations. Aq.
Menth. Piperit, L.E.D. Spir, Menth, Pip, L.D.
Ol. Menth. Pip. L. D. If this plant be cut in wet
weather, it turns black, and is worthless.

MENTHA VIRIDIS. L. Mentha Sativa. D.

Spearmint.

Cold water extracts the more agreeable and active
parts of mint in a few hours ; a longer maceration ex-
tracts the grosser and less agreeable portions ; hot water
more quickly extracts its virtues, but if it be boiling it
dissipates the aroma. Officinal Preparations.
Aq. Menth. virid. L. D. In/us. Menth. comp. D.
Ol. Menth. virid. L. D. Spir. Menth. virid. L.

MEZEREI CORTEX. L.E.D.

(Daphne Mezereum. Radicis Cortex.)

Mezereon.

The inner bark of this plant, when fresh, is corrosive
and even vesicatory ; the fruit is equally so, but neither
have any smell ; its virulence is counteracted by cam-

* Essence of Peppermint. — A spirituous solution of the
Essential Oil, coloured screen by Spinach leaves.

MIS 325

phor. It contains, besides extractive matter, an acrid
resinous substance, which, according to Plaff, bears a
strong resemblance to the active principle of Canthari-
des. It is now seldom used except as an antivenereal
remedy, or in cases of chronic cutaneous disease.
Forms of Exhibition. In a decoction, made by
boiling gss of the bark, with an equal quantity of Li-
quorice root, in oiij of water down to oij ; of which
f Jss may be given twice a day. From its pungency it
is one of the substances used by fraudulent brewers
to communicate a stronij fl-ivour to their beer. Where
a discharge from issues cannot be kept up by the com-
mon means, it is said that the introduction of a little
of this bark, instead of the pea, will in a few hours
produce the desired effect. Officinal Preparations,
Decoct, Sarsaparill. comp, L. Decoct, Daphnes,
3Iezerei. E. The Daphne Laureola is very generally
sold for Mezereon.

MISTUR^. L.E.D. Mixtures,

The principles upon which this form of prepaiatioa
is to be constructed, are fully detailed in the first
volume of this work, page 371.

Officitial Mixtures,

MiSTURA Ammoniaci. L. This mixture is expec-
torant, and may be exhibited with tincture of squills,
&c. (Form, 115, 136). It is slightly curdled by
vinegar^ oxymel^ (Ether ^ and oxy -muriate of mercury ,

MisTURA Amygdalarum. L. Emulsio Amygdali
communis, E. Lac Amygdalce. D. It is a useful
demulcent and diluent, and forms an elegant vehicle
for more active medicines. Incompatibles — Acids^
Oxymel^ Syrup of Squill^ Spirit^ and Tinctures , un-
less added in very small quantities, decompose this

326 MIS

mixture ; tartaric acidy super 'tar irate of potass^ and
ox y -muriate of mercury^ also disturb it. Form, 137.

MisTURA AssAFCETiD^.L. A nauseous preparation ;
and where its use is indicated, it will be more judicious
to prescribe it as an extemporaneous mixture. See
Assafoetida.

MiSTURA Camphors. L. This solution of cam-
phor forms an elegant vehicle for more active stimu-
lants. The camphor is separated from the water by a
solution of pure potass, by sulphate of magnesia, and
by several saline bodies. See Form, 7, 24, 25, 32, 47,
72, 116, 117, 123.

MisTURA CoRNU UsTi. L. Decoctum Cornu
Cervini. D. This is nothing more than a simple diffu-
sion of phosphate of lime in a thin mucilage — Cui
bono? It was retained in the Pharmacopoeia in defe-
rence to the opinion of some experienced practitioners.

MiSTURA Cret^. L.D. a common and useful
remedy in diarrhoea, and may be combined with opium,
catechu, or any other astringent. Form, 52. It is of
course incompatible with acids, and acidulous salts.

MisTURA Ferri CoMPOSiTA. L. This is nearly
the same as the celebrated anti-hectic mixture of Dr.
Griffith ; to the result of the decompositions which
take place from the mixture of its ingredients, it is
wholly indebted for its medicinal energies ; thus, a
proto-carbonate of iron is formed, i. e. the iron com-
bined with carbonic acid is at its minimum of oxida-
tion, which renders it more active than the common
carbonate, and probably less stimulant than the sul-
phate; this product, by means of the saponaceous
compound formed by the union of the myrrh with the
excess of alkali, is partly diffiised and suspended in
the mixture, and partly dissolved, whilst at the same
time a sulphate of potass is formed, which serves to

MOS 327

correct the astringent influence which iron is apt to
exert upon the bowels. The iron in this preparation
is disposed to combine with an additional proportion
of oxygen, hence its ingredients should be quickly
mixed together, and it ought to be considered as an
extemporaneous preparation, and be preserved in a
closely-stopt vessel. Its change of colour w^ill gene-
rally indicate its loss of efficacy. This preparation
must be regarded as permanently serviceable in Chlo-
rosis, and the numerous sympathetic affections connec-
ted with it. In the painful swellings which infest the
breasts of chlorotic young women, I have found it al-
most a specific. Dose fBj — f^ij. The proportion of
ProtO'Carhonate ofiroriy contained in any given quan-
tity of this mixture, may be found by referring to the
Medicinal Dynameter; for instance, bring the prepara-
tion to 12, and we shall perceive that this number of
fluid-drachms contain 1 grain of Protoxide^ or rather
more than gr. iss of Proto-carbonate of iron ; and we
shall, at the same time, perceive that to give an equi-
valent quantity in the form of Pil, Ferri comp, we
must presribe 9j. See Form. 96.

MiSTURA MoscHi. This is an eligible form for the
administration of Musk. Dose^ f §j — f lij, to which
may be added extemporaneously, ammonia, aether, and
other diffusible stimulants.

The Dose of the above mixtures is f Bj to f sij twice
©r thrice a day.

MOSCHUS. L.E.D. 3IusL

Qualities. Form, grains concreted together, dry,
yet slightly unctuous. Colour, deep brown with a
shade of red ; Odour, aromatic, peculiar, diffusive, and
durable ; and it has the curious property, when added
in a minute quantity, to augment the odour of other

328 MOS

perfmnes without imparting its own ; this renders it a
vahuible article in perfumery, on which account it is
a usual ingredient in lavender water. Taste^ bitterish
and heavy. Chemical Composition. Resin com-
bined with volatile oil, and a mucilaginous extractive
matter, with small portions of albumen, gelatine, mu-
riate of ammonia, and phosphate of soda. Solu-
bility. Boiling water dissolves it perfectly ; rectified
spirit takes up most of its active parts, although the
odour is only discovered upon dilution ; sulphuric
aether is its most complete menstruum. Incompatible
Substances. The solutions are decomposed by Oxy-
muriate of Mercury ; Sulphate of Iron ; Nitrate of
Silver; and the Infusion of Yellow Bark. Med.
Uses. Stimulant and antispasmodic. As early as the
time of Meade it was employed in typhus fever ;
Pringle administered it in gout of the stomach, a prac-
tice which received the concurrence of Cullen ; con-
joined with ammonia it has been celebrated for its
powers in arresting the progress of gangrene, and of
imparting fresh excitement to the nervous system. It
has been also administered with success in epilepsy,
hooping cough, and other spasmodic affections. Forms
ov Exhibition. The best form is that of bolus, com-
bined with ammonia or camphor, or some other similar
remedy, {Form, 21); it may be also administered in
a mixture, for which purpose it requires five times its
weight of muilage, consequently the London College
has not directed a sufficient quantity to retain the
musk in suspension : by previously triturating it with
sugar, its minute division is much facilitated. Dose,
grs. X to XXX. See Form, 22, 30. Officinal Pjiep.
Mist, Mosch, L. Tinct. Mosch. D. Adulterations.
The bag containing the nuisk should have no appear-
ance of having been opened : the presence of dried

MUC 329

blood may be suspected, by its emitting, as it inflames^
a fetid smoke ; Asphaltum is discovered by its melting
and running before it inflames : the artificial bags are
known from the deficiency of the membrane which
lines the real musk bags. To increase the weight of
the musk, fine particles of lead are frequently added ;
this is easily detected, for by rubbing it with water
the metallic particles will subside.

MoscHUs Factitius. Artificial Musk, strongly
resembling the real, may be formed by digesting f§ss
of Nitric Acid, for ten days, upon gj of fetid animal
oil, obtained by distillation ; to this is to be next gra-
dually added oj of rectified spirit, and the whole is
then to be left to digest for one month : or —

2. Drop f3iiiss of nitric acid upon f3J of rectified
oil of amber ; after standing twenty-four hours, a
black, resinous pellicle, exhaling the odour of
musk, will be formed.

MUCILAGO ACACI.E. L.E.

MUCILAGO GUMMI ArABICI. D.

This preparation consists of one part of gum and
two of water ; in preparing it, the dispenser is par-
ticularly recommended to pulverize the gum, and never
to employ that which is purchased in the state of pow-
der, as it is always impure and incapable of forming a
pellucid and elegant solution.* Incompatible Sub-
stances. Neither the strong acids nor alcohol, when
considerably diluted, occasion any disturbance in it;
but sulphuric cether and its compound spirit, the tinC'
ture of muriated iron, and sub-acetate of lead, produce
very dense precipitates : the acetate of lead only occa-

* If the Gum arabic be adulterated with that of the Cherry-
tree, the solution will be ropy, in consequence of the presence of
CiiRAbiN. See Mutilajjo Tragacantha;. (Note.)

330 MUC

sions decomposition, when an alkaline salt is present
in the formula ; the volatile alkali curdles the muci-
lage, and hard calcareous waters render the mixture
difficult and often impracticable. In the pharmaceu-
tical application of this mucilage, it should be remem-
bered that it contains in its composition an astringent
principle, which is perhaps of but trifling consequence
except in the exhibition of some very few active metal-
lic salts, which are certainly decomposed by it (e. g,
grs. X of nitrate of mercury are decomposed by 3ij of
gum arabic.t) It contains also lime in combination
with some vegetable acid. Uses. Diluted with four
times its bulk of water, this mucilage forms a demul-
cent mixture of appropriate tenacity, which affords a
Convenient vehicle for several efficient remedies ; the
pharmaceutical use of this mucilage depends upon the
fact of its rendering expressed and essential oils, bal-
salms, resins, gum-resins, resinous tinctures, and fatty
bodies, miscible with water, but if a syrup be added,
the union will be more perfect ; the proportions neces-
sary for this purpose vary according to the nature of
the substances ; thus, oils will require about three-
fourths their weight, Balsams and Spermaceti an equal
part, Resins a double quantity, and Musk five times
its weight ; the following Formuloe illustrate this pro-
perty, 9, 19, 22, 135.

MUCILAGO AMYLI. L.E.D.

Mucilage of Starch,

This is a strong, insipid, inodorous mucilage, which
is principally employed as a vehicle for exhibiting
Opium in the form of Enema, see Amylum,

+ The mucilage is at the same time converted by this salt into
aheauliful peach blossom colour.

MYR 331

MUCILAGO ASTRAGALI TRAGACANTH^.
E.D. Tragacanth Mucilage.
Tragacanth is, strictly speaking, not soluble in water,
but imbibes a large portion of it and swells into a con-
siderable bulk, forming a soft but not a liquid muci-
lage ; on the farther addition of water, a fluid solution
may be obtained by agitation, and the liquor is turbid;
but on standing, the mucilage subsides, the limpid
water on the surface retaining a little of the gum ;* it
differs from all gums in giving a thick consistence to a
larger quantity of water, its power in this respect being
to that of gum arabic as twenty to one ; one part con-
verts twenty of hot water into a stiff mucilage. Traga-
canth is not increased, but actually diminished in
solubility by the addition of any other gum, it accord-
ingly separates from water with much greater facility
when gum arabic is present. This preparation, accord-
ing to the Edinburgh college, consists of one part of
gum and eight of water ; the resulting mucilage is
stiff, and is principally employed for making troches.
The Dublin preparation contains four times that quan-
tity of water.

MYRISTIC^ NUCLEI. L.E.

Nux MoscHATA. D. Nutmeg.
All the properties of this well-known substance
depend upon an essential oil, filling the dark coloured

* This variety of gum, which is characterised by its gelatinize
ing', but not dissolving, in water, occurs iu several vegetable sub-
stances ; and as it predominates in the Cherry-tree, Dr. John has
distinguished it by the name of Cerasin ; but as Tragacanth
consists almost entirely of this substance, the term Tragacanthin
would have been much more appropriate. Although Cerasin wiU
not dissolve in pure water, it undergoes solution in that men-
struum, at the tcmpcralure of ebullition, provided a portion of a
mineral acid be added.

332 MYR

veins which run through its substance, and which is
dissipated by decoction ; the other components are
starch, gum, wax, and a fixed oil. The oil obtained
by expression is improperly called oil of mace^ for it
would appear to be a triple compound of fixed oil,
volatile oil, and wax, and which although limpid when
first drawn, soon acquires on cooling the consistence
of spermaceti. Mace is the involucrum of the nut.
Med. Uses. Stimulant, and in large doses, as from
3ij to 5iij, narcotic, frequently producing delirium.
See Cullen Mat, Med, ii. 201. Officinal Prep :
Spir : Mi/risticce. L.E.D. Frauds. Nutmegs are
frequently despoiled of their essential oil, by being
punctured and submitted to the operation of decoction,
the orifices being subsequently closed by powdered
Sassafras ; the imposition is detected by the comparative
lightness of the nutmeg, and by its extreme fi*agility ;
the holes may also be discovered by carefully ex-
amining the surface of the nut, after having steeped it
in hot water.

MYRRHA. L.E.D.

(Arboris nondum descriptae, Gummi-resina,)

Myrrh,

Qualities. Form^ irregularly shaped pieces, trans-
lucent, of a reddish yellow colour ; Odour ^ peculiar
and fragrant ; Tc^/e, bitter and aromatic. Chemical
Composition. Resin, gum, essential oil, and some
extractive. Solubility. When triturated with soft,
or distilled water, nearly the whole appears to be dis-
solved, forming an opaque, yellowish solution, but by
rest the greater part is deposited, and not more than
one-third is actually dissolved ; its solubility, however,
in water may be increased by trituration with cam-i

NUX 333

phor or an alkali ; rectified spirit dissolves it, and the
resulting tincture, when diluted, becomes turbid, al-
though no precipitate occurs. Med. Uses. Stimulant,
as in Form. 103. Expectorant, 132, 133, 138. Em-
menagogue, 95, 98, 99. It is also tonic, and agrees
with some constitutions better than any of the bitters.
Forms of Exhibition. No form is so eligible as
that of substance. Dose, grs. x to 3J. The alkalies,
in their crystalline state, when triturated with myrrh,
reduce it to the form of a tenacious fluid. Officinal
Preparations. 2Vwc^ il/yrr/z. L.E.D. Tinct, Aloes ,
et Myrrh, E. Tinct. Aloes Mtherea, E. Mist. Ferri
comp. L. (G I*) Pil. Aloes cum Myrrha. L.E.D.
PiL Ferri cum Myrrha. L. Pil. Galb. comp. L.D. (B)
Pil. Assafostid. comp. E. (B) Pil.Rhei. comp, E. (G)
Adulterations. It is subject to a variety of frauds,
being frequently mixed with adventitious gums, which
are to be detected by their foreign odour, their white
or dark colour, and by their opacity.

NUX VOMICA. (Strychnus Nux Vomica.)

Nux Vomica.

This seed has not at present a place in the British
pharmacopceiae ; it presents however several points of
interest to the physiologist, the physician, and the
chemist. Its virulent action upon animals has been
Ions: known; and it has been administered in com-
bination with gentian in intermittents, * (Jjudovic.
Phar. p. 113,) and as a narcotic in mania; it also

* Sir Hans Sloane published a Paper in the Philosophical
Transactions, No. 249, Vol. xxi. p. 44, entitled " An account
of the Nux Pepita, or St. Ignalius's Bean (Ignatia Amara, Lin.)
A Simple in common use in the Philippine Islands, as a Tonic
medicine."

^3f NUX

constituted an ingredient in the famous Electuarium
de ovo, (Ph, AngL p. 263.) Nux vomica has been
said to produce benefit in the plague; the German
writers have strongly commended it in mania, epilepsy,
and hydrophobia ; as well as in chronic rheumatism,-
gout, scrophula, lues venera, and cutaneous eruptions ;
in Sweden it is stated to have displayed very beneficial
effects in Dysentery. Dr. Fourquier has lately intro-
dued its use in the Hopital de la Charite, in cases of
partial paralysis, and it is said, with very great suc-
cess.* The value of the practice has been since con-
firmed by the experiments of Dumeril, Majendie,
Hebreard, Husson, and Asselin. The dose is four or
five grains of the powder in pills, during the day. The
French codex contains two alcoholic extracts of this
substance ; the one prepared with a strong spirit (22, 32,
Beaume, i. e. from sp. gr. • 915 to ' 856,) is much more
active and powerful than that made with a weak spirit.
(12, 22, Beaume, i. e. from sp. gr. '985 to '915.)

M. M. Pelletier and Caventou have discovered in
this substance, a peculiar proximate principle, to which
its virulence is owing ; it was named Vauquelhie^ in
honour of the celebrated French philosopher, but in
deference to the opinion of the French Academy of
Sciences, the discoverers have substituted the name
Stri/chnia^ because '^ a name dearly loved, ought not
to be applied to a noxious principle" !t (Annates de
Chimie^ vol, 8 to 10.) Strychnia is highly alkaline,

* That the active principle of the Nux Vomica expends its
virulence upon the spinal marrow has been ah-eady noticed.
Vol. 1, 248.

t M. Henry has given us the most simple formula for the pre-
paration of this substance. It consists in boiling Nux Vomica
in water, and evaporating the decoction until it acquires the con-
sistence of Syrup ; lime is then added, which unites with the acid,
and liberates the Strychnia; which may then be separated by
means of alcohol, from which it may be obtained by crystalliza-
tion.

NUX 335

and crystallizes in very small four-sided prisms^ ter-
minated by four-sided pyramids ; its taste is insupport-
ably bitter, leaving a slight metallic flavour, and is so
powerful as even to be perceptible w^hen a grain is
dissolved in eighty pounds of water ;* it has no smell ;
is not changed by exposure to the air, nor is it either
fusible or volatile, for when submitted to the action of
heat, it only fuses at the moment of its decomposition
which takes place at a temperature inferior to that
which destroys most vegetable substances ; it is so
extremely active and violent, that in doses of half a
grain it occasions serious effects, and in larger one»
convulsions and death ; it is perhaps the most power-
ful,+ and next to hydro-cyanic acid, the most rapid of
poisons ; notwithstanding its strong taste, it is very
sparingly soluble in water, requiring 6667 parts of that
fluid for its solution at 50, and 2500 at 212**. It is very
soluble in alcohol, but unlike most of the other vecre-
table alkalies, is nearly insoluble in aether ; with acids
it forms neutral and crystallizable salts ; these salts as
well as their base, have the singular property of be-'
coming blood-red by the action of concentrated nitric
acid. The alcoholic solution of Strychnia has the
property of precipitating the greater number of metallic
oxides fi'om their acid solutions. It is precipitated by
alkalies and alkaline earths. Strychnia exists in native
combination in the Strychnus with an acid which ha&
some analogy with the malic, and which Pelletier and
Caventou propose to call the Igasuric acid, from the

* Ann: de Chimie et de Phys. x. 153.

+ M. Majendie has killed a dog with one eighth of a grain, and
the editor of the Edinburgh Med: & Surg: journ: has seen one
die in two minutes after the injection of one sixth of a grain into
the cavity of the pleura. The celebrated Java poison owes it*-
activity to Strychnia,

336 NUX

Malay name for the bean of St. Ignatius,* (Strychnus
Ignatius,) in which its properties were first examined.
In conformity with such views, the active principle of
the tribe of Strychni is an Jgasurate of Strychnia;
— a fact which suggests the existence of a most singu-
lar and striking analogy between the chemical con-
stitution of these narcotico-acrid bodiest and that of
opium. The recent experiments of Pelletier have shewn,
moreover, that besides Strychnia, the Nux Vomica
contains Brucia, an alkaline body which had been
previously discovered in spurious Angustura. Its pro-
perties are similar to those of Strychnia, but it is
less active. Being much more soluble in alcohol than
Strt/chniay if care be taken to crystallize the latter
several times in alcohol, it will be separated, the J5rw-
cia remaining in the mother waters. Strychnia has
been given in doses of one-twelfth of a grain, but it is
a most dangerous remedy, and is liable to occasion
tetanic convulsions. It has been said, however, to
prove serviceable in cases of Epilepsy that had resisted
every other method of cure. Dr. Fleming informs us
that the Hindoos of upper India are in the habit of
adding Nux Vomica in the process of distilling Arrack,
for the purpose of rendering the spirit more intoxicating.
The London Porter brewers have been accused of the
same pernicious practice.

* Strychnia was obtained from the beans of St. Ignatius by the
following process : a portion of the beans being grated was heated
in a close vessel, under pressure, with sulphuric aether, by which
an oily matter was dissolved ; the residuum then yielded by the
action of alcohol, a yellowish brown, very bitter substance, which
being boiled in pure magnesia and filtered, the colouring matter
was washed out, and the Strychnia and magnesia, in a state of
mixture, remained on the filtrc. The strychnia was then sepa-
rated by alcohol, and thus obtained in a state of great purity,

t See note under the article Ojjlum.

OLE 337

OLEA DESTILLATA L. Ol. Volatilia. E.

Ol. Essentialia. D.

Distilled^ Volatile^ or Essential Oils,

The British pharmacopoeiae direct them to be ob-
tained by distillation only ; the French codex orders
several of them to be prepared by expression. Qua-
lities. Fornij liquid, sometimes viscid ; specific grav,
various ; oil of turpentine, w^hich is the lightest, being
only 0*792. whilst the oil of cloves, cinnamon, and
allspice, exceed 1 • 030, and that of sassafras, which is
the heaviest, amounts to 1'094; these latter, oils hold
resin in solution, and of course sink in water. Odour ^
penetrating and fragrant ; Taste^ acrid ; they are vola-
tilized at a temperature somewhat below that of boiling-
water ; they are very inflammable. Solubility. Very
soluble in alcohol, forming what are termed in per-
fumery Essences; in water they are very sparingly
soluble ; the solutions are known in pharmacy under
the title o^ distilled waters ; they are also dissolved by
ffither, and the j^.rec? oils; when digested with ammo-
nia, some of the less odorous acquire a considerable
degree of fragrance, whilst on the contrary, fixed al-
kalies universally impair their odour ; they are rapidly
decomposed by nitric and sulphuric acids, and their
action is sometimes attended with instant inflamma-
tion. Volatile oils, from continued exposure to the
air, absorb oxygen, and become resinous, by which
they lose their volatility, fragrance, and pungency,
hence they should be preserved in small opaque phials,
completely full and well stopped. Med. Uses. They
act as powerful stimulants and aromatics ; they remove
nausea and flatulence, correct the griping of certain
purgatives, and cover the offensive taste of various
remedies. See Aquce dcstillatcc. They, moreover, have

Vol. II. Y

33S OLE

the property of defending certain animal and vegetable
preparations from mouldiness. Tliis curious fact has
been already noticed, see to/. I. p. 329. The following is
a list of the species admitted into our British pharma-
copoeiae ; those designated in italics are principally for
internal use, Olea Anisi, Anthemidis^ Carui^ Juni^
J9en. Lavandulae, MenthcePiperitce^ Menthoe viridis^
Origani, Pimentce, Pulegii, Rosmarini^ L, Olea
VoLATiLiA, Juniperi communis^ Juniperi Sabinae,
Lavandulae Spicae, Lauri Sassafras, Menthol Piperitoe,
MyricB PimentcE^ Pimpinellce Afiisi, Rorisraarini
Officinalis. E. Olea Juniperi^ Pimento, Corticis et
Ligni Sassafras, e Seminibus Anisi, Carui, et Foeniculi
dulcis, Florum Lavendulae, Foliorum Sabinae, Ilerbos
florescentis Menthce Sativcc, Origani, Pulegii, Roris*
marini, Rutce, D. Adulterations. Fixed Oils may
be detected by moistening writing paper with the sus-
pected article and holding it before the fire : if the oil
be entirely essential, no stain of grease will remain ; as
castor oil is more soluble in spirit than the others, it is
the one generally selected for this fraudulent purpose,
and the addition of alcohol restores the sophisticated
oil to its proper degree of consistency. Alcohol is
discovered by adding water, which, if it be present,
occasions a milkiness, and at the same time, an in-
crease of temperature ; a decrease of bulk also takes
place, which may easily be ascertained by measuring
the oil and water separately, and then tranferring them,
in a state of mixture, into a tube of small diameter.
Cheaper oils, as that of turpentine, are recognised by
their peculiar odour, which may be developed by rub-
bing a drop upon the hand and holding it to the fire,
or, by the dense black smoke with which they burn.
The oil of aniseed, as it crystallizes at 50^, is fre-
quently sophisticated with wax, spermaceti, or cam*

01,E 339

phoY * the fi-aud is detected by warming the oil, when
the crystals, if genuine, will dissolve.* In some cases
the refractive power of the oil affords a test of its
purity. See my work on Chemistry in its relations to
Medicine, § 318.

OLEA EXPRESSA. L.D.

Olea Fixa, sive Expressa. E.

Expressed or Fixed Oils.

These are obtained from animal matter by fusion,
and from vegetable by expression, or decoction with
water. Qualities. Ocfowr, none ; jTa^^c, mild ; they
boil at 600°, but undergo decomposition, becoming
acrid and empyreumatic ; the oil, in this state, was
formerly used in medicine under the name of philoso-
pher''s oil A By exposure to air they absorb oxygen
and become rancid ; they congeal at a temperature of
3S°, and some even above that. When the oil is
expressed by heating the plates of the press, or by
previously roasting the seeds, it is more disposed to
become rancid ; cold drawn oils are on this account to
be preferred for the purposes of pharmacy. Solu-
bility. They are insoluble in water, and, except
castor oil, nearly so in alcohol and aether ; with caustic
alkalies they combine and form soaps ; when aided by

* HuiLES Antiques. The basis of the best of these oils, is the
oil of Ben, from the nuts of the Guilangia Moringa ; or oil of
hazel, which is a very good substitute, since it is inodorous,
colourless, and may be kept for a considerable period without
becoming rancid : it is therefore well adapted to receive and re-
tain the odour of those vegetables that yield but a small proper^
tion of essential oil.

t Oil of Bricks. So called because this empyreumatic oil
was sometimes obtained by steeping hot brick in oil, and submit-

ting it to distillation.

y 2

340 OLE

heat they readily unite with oxide of lead, forming the
solid compound well knewn by the term plaister.
They unite also very readily with each other, and with
volatile oils. Solvent Powers. They dissolve sul-
phur, and form a kind of balsam with it ; they also
possess the power of extracting and dissolving the
narcotic and acrid principles of several vegetable and
animal substances, in consequence of which, the French
pharmacopoeia directs a series of preparations under
the term " Olea Medicata ;" thus there are olea
Cicutae, Hyoscyami, Solani, Stramonii, Nicotianae ;*
which are made by digesting with a gentle heat, one
part of the subject in two parts of olive oil.t

OLEUM AMYGDALARUM. L.E.D,

Oil of Almonds,

This fixed oil, whether procured from the sweet or
bitter almond, has the same properties, for the bitter
principle resides exclusively in combination with a
peculiar volatile oil attached to the mucilage ; J that
from the latter keeps longer without rancidity. It is
sometimes made from old Jordan almonds, bi/ heat^ in
which case it very soon grows fetid. Nut Oil, Oleum
nucum Coryli^ has been proposed as a substitute for

* Roche's Embrocation for the Hooping Cough. Olive
oil mixed with about half its quantity of the oils of cloves and
amber.

Struve's Lotion for the Hooping Cough. This once fa-
mous nostrum consisted of 5j of Tartarized Antimony, dissolved
in fgij of water, to which was added fij of Tincture of Can-
tharides.

t The editors have also unaccountably retained the Oleum de
Lumbricis !

X If the plates of the press be heated, the fixed oil from the
bitter almond will be odorous.

OLE Sil

tliat of almonds ; in China it is drunk with tea, instead
of cream. Medical Uses. For forming emulsions,
in coughs, and other puhnonary complaints. Forms
OF Exhibition. It may be formed into an emulsion
by the intermedium of mucilage^ the t/elk of an eggy
or by that of an ulkali,

1. By Mucilage. This is in general a more con-
venient medium than the yelk of an ^gg', one part of
gum, made into mucilage, will be sufficient for the
diffusion of four parts of oil, (see Mucilago Acacice)
the oil and mucilage must be carefully triturated to-
gether, and the water then gradually added ; the emul-
sion thus formed is permanent, and the addition of a
moderate quantity of acid, spirit, or tincture, wHl not
produce decomposition. See Form, 73.

2. By Alkalies. This oil, by uniting with alka-
lies and water, forms an elegant and grateful mixture,
for which purpose the following proportions are to
be observed, every f3J of oil requires TT^viij of liquor
potasszE, and f§iss of distilled water. Incompatible
Substances. Acids ; oxymel; syrups of poppies and
squills; tartrate and super-tartrate of potass ; super--
sulphate of potass ; oxy-muriate of mercury ; resins ;
hard water. See For in, 166, 167.

OLEUM AMYGDALAE AMAR.^ VOLATILE.

Qualities. Co/owr, pale yellow ; Oc/o^/r, fragrant
and pungent, having the characteristic smell of prussic
acid. Taste^ pungent, bitter, and peculiar. Solu-
bility. Like other essential oils, its sensible pro-
perties and medicinal effects are imparted to water ; in
alcohol it is very soluble.* Chemical Composition.

* Essence of Bitter Almonds. The preparation sold under
this name, for the purposes of perfumery, &c. consists of one
part of this essential oil, and seven parts of Rectified spirit.

342 OLE

A peculiar oil, combined with hydro-cyanic acid. M,
Vogel of Munich has lately succeeded in separating
these constituents, by agitating the whole in a con^
centrated solution of potass, and distilling to dryness;
the oil volatilized together with water, while the resi-
duum in the retort was found to contain Cyanide of
Potassium, The volatile oil, thus purified, is without
odour, and heavier than water. Its taste is extremely
acrid and burning ; by contact with air it crystallizes
rapidly ; it dissolves easily in alcohol and aether, but
only in a very small proportion in water. The flame of
its combustion is very brilliant, and accompanied with
much smoke. In order to discover whether this oil,
when freed from its hydro-cyanic acid, is still poison^
ous, M. Vogel put a drop of it on the. tongue of a
sparrow ; when it died, after violent convulsions, in a
few seconds ; he also poisoned a dog, two months old,
with four drops of it; whence he concludes that the,
volatile oil, divested of its hydro-cyanic acid, is still a
poison, although less energetic than the oil that has
not undergone such a change, Med : Uses. It has
all the characteristic effects of prussic acid, but is so
powerfvd and dangerous as to preclude its application.
It is principally sold to perfumers and confectioners.

It is generally obtained by distilling the expressed
cake of bitter almonds ; the operation however require^
considerable pharmaceutical address, and is, moreover,
attended with unpleasant consequences.*

* For such reasons there are but few wholesale houses whp
profess to distil it. I have, however, through the civility and
attention of Mr. Johnson, chemist in Oxford-street, who fre-
quently conducts the process on a large scale, had several oppor-
tunities of witnessing the interesting phenomena to which it gives
rise. So powerful is the odour developed upon these occasions
that it fills the premises with an almost insupportable atmosphere,
occasioning head-ache, sickness and cough ; so that we may safely

OLE 343

OLEUM OLIV^. L.E.D. Olive OIL

Qualities. Colour^ pale yellow, somewhat in-
clining to green ; Taste, bland ; Odour^ none ; it ought
to congeal at 38° Fah, With the exception of the oil
of Almonds, it is the lightest of the fat oils, its specific
gravity being only "915. According to the recent
observations of Dr. Clarke of Cambridge, this oil crys-
tallizes in rectangular four-sided prisms with square
bases. Uses. Although much less laxative than Castor
oil, it is a useful aperient. It was long regarded, but
erroneously, as possessing antidotal powers against
the bites of venomous snakes and insects ; and it has
been confidently recommended, in the form of lini-
ment, as a remedy against the Plague. Officinal
Preparations. Linimentum Ammonice Fortius, L.
Adulterations. It is not unfrequently mixed with
the oil of poppy seeds, (see Papaveris Capsulce), a
fraud which may be easily discovered by exposing a
sample to the freezing temperature, when the olive oil
will congeal, while that of poppies will remain fluid ;
and since those oils which freeze with most difficulty
are most susceptible of rancidity, the admixture of
poppy oil must be regarded as injurious : it also de-
observe, that, whatever miracles the prussic acid may perform,
when applied to the coats of the stomach, its application in the
form of vapour to the lungs proves highly irritating to those
organs.

The concentrated vapour of this essential oil is almost in-
stantly destructive to animal life. I have seen flies drop lifeless
to the floor as they have passed over the still ; thus, as it were,
realizing in miniature the fabled powers of Avernus.
*' Quam super baud ullse poterant irapune volaates
Tendere iter pennis: talis sese halitus atris
Faucibus effundens siipera ad convexa ferebat. "

Mil. VI. v. S39.

314 OLI

serves notice that tlie peculiar habitudes of Oil of
Olives^ with the Pernitrate of Mercuri/^ offer a dis-
tinguishing character, by which the adulteration of the
oil may be satisfactorily detected ; for if the per-
nitrate^ made by dissolving 6 parts of the metal in 7*5
of nitric acid, of sp. grav. I'SG, at a common tem-
perature, be mixed with olive oil, the mixture, if kept
cold, will in the course of a few hours become solid,
whereas if it has any admixture of the oil of grains, it
will not undergo such a change. The contamination
derived from lead, which is frequently immersed in
the oil for the purpose of removing its rancidity, may
be detected by shaking one part of the suspected sam-
ple with three parts of water, impregnated with suU
phuretted hydrogen, in a stopped phial,

OLIBANUM. L.D.

Juniperus Lycia. Gummi'Vesina.

Olibanum.*

Qualities. Form, fragments of a translucent,
wliitish yellow, and generally powdered with a whitish
dust, occasioned by the friction of the pieces against
each other ; Odour, when burning is fragrant ; Taste,
bitterish and acrid. Solubility. When triturated
with water, a milky solution results, which after some
time deposits the resinous part, and retains not more
than three-eighths dissolved. Alcohol dissolves three-
fourths of it, and forms a solution perfectly transparent,

* Some authors have considered the oHbanura as the AiQoivos
quasia Oleum Libani, (Thus) of the ancients, but Dr. Maton has
observed that he cannot find any passage in the ancient authors
sufficiently precise to corroborate this conjecture. See Abielis^
Hesina.

OPI 345

JEther dissolves more than half, leaving a white opaque
residuum soluble in water. Chemical Composition,
The latest analysis of this substance is by Braconnot^
who found in 100 part of it, of volatile oil 8, resin 56,
gum 39, and of an anomalous principle resembling
gum, but insoluble in water and alcohol, 5*2 parts.
The oil, in colour and smell, very strongly resembled
that of lemons. Med. Uses. It is now less used than
formerly ; it is however stimulant and diaphoretic.
Pulverized it enters into several popular electuaries
for gleets, fiuor albus, &c. and very probably acts by
finding a passage into the urine, without undergoing
any change or decomposition.

OPIUM. L.E.D. (Papaver Somniferum.) Capsularum

immaturarum Succus concretus. (Turcicus.)

Turkey Opium. '^

Two kinds are found in commerce, distinguished by
the name of Turkey and East India Opium.

Qualities. Form. Turkey opium occurs in flat
pieces, of a solid compact texture, and possessing
considerable tenacity; Sp. gr. 1*336, so that, when
compared with the condensed juices of other plants,
it is heavy, being exceeded only in this respect by
opoponax and gum-arabic. By long exposure to the
air it becomes hard, breaks with a glimmering fracture,
owing to the presence of a few saline particles, and
affords a yellowish powder. It is opaque, tenacious,
plastic, adherent to the fingers. Colour^ a reddish-
brown, or fawn. Odour ^ peculiar, heavy, and narcotic.

* The Greeks and Rornans attached a very ditFerent meaning
to the terms Opium and Meconium. The former signified the
pure juice ontos succus) that flowed from the scarified poppies;
the latter, the juice obtained by bruising and pressing the poppy
heads.

3i6 OPI

Taste, at first a nauseous bitter, which soon becomes
iicrid with some degree of warmth. It is inflammable,
but yields no narcotic odour on burning. Solubility.
It is partially soluble in water, alcohol, aether, wine,
vinegar, and lemon juice ; when triturated with hot
water, five parts in twelve are dissolved, six suspended,
and one part remains perfectly insoluble and resembles
gluten. By long boiling, its soporific powers are im-
paired and ultimately destroyed : the alcoholic is more
highly charged with its narcotic principle than the
aqueous solution ; but spirit, rather below proof, is its
best menstruum. The watery solution when filtered
is transparent, and reddens the colour of litmus ; it
vmdergoes no change on the addition of alcohol, but
precipitates occur from pure ammonia and from the
carbonates of Jixed alkalies; from the solutions of
oxy-muriate of mercury, nitrate of silver, sub-acetate
and acetate of lead, the sulphates of copper, zinc, and
iron, and from an infusion of galls. Chemical
Composition. Resin, gum, bitter extractive, sul-
phate of lime, gluten, Narcotine (see note) and a
peculiar alkaline body, to which the soporific virtues
of opium are owing, and to which the appropriate name
of Morphia has been assigned ; and it appears more-
over that this new alkaline body exists in combination
with an unknown acid, which has therefore been
denominated the Meconic Acid ; so that the narcotic
principle of opium is Morphia in the state of a meco"
niate, or perhaps of a super-meconiate.

For these important facts we are indebted to the
successive labours of Derosne,* Seguin,+ Sertuerner, J

* Annales de Chimie, vol. 45. Derosne first obtained a crys-
talline substance from Opium in the year 1803, which dissolved
in acids ; but he did not determine its nature or properties -, in

OPI 347

and Robiquet. And the French codex contains, in its
appendix, formulae for the preparation of morphia ^

1804 Seguint (Ann. de Chim. vol. 92) discovered another crystal-
line body in opium, and although hs described most of its proper-
ties he never hinted at its alkaline nature. :j: Sertuerner at Eim-
beck, in Hanover, had at the same time as Derosae and Seguin,
obtained these crystalline bodies, (Ann. de Chim. et de Phy. T.
v.) but it was not until the year 1817, that he first unequivocally
proclaimed the existence of a vegetable alkali, and assigned to it
the narcotic powers which distinguish the operation of opium ;
to this body he gave the name of Morphia, and it appears to be
the same as the essential salt noticed by Seguin. The salt of
Derosne, now more usually denominated Narcotine, is quite a
different principle, although it was constantly mistaken for one
of the salts of Morphia, till M. Robiquet (Ann. de Chim. & de
Phy. T. V.) pointed out its distinctive properties. It is an azo-
tized substance, crystallizing in beautiful pearly prisms or tables ;
soluble in fixed oil, and still more so in aither and the acids; in-
soluble in water, and little soluble in alcohol ; destitute of action
on the vegetable colours, and incapable of neutralizing acids.
There still exists, however, very considerable confusion with
respect to this salt, and farther experiments are required to ascer-
tain its chemical nature, as well as its physiological action.

^ The discovery of an alkaline body in opium induced the
French and German chemists to examine the composition of other
active vegetables, with a view to detect the existence of an analo-
gous principle ; and their labours have been rewarded with un-
exampled success. They have accordingly obtained Strychnia
from the nut of the Strychnos nux vomica ; — Brucia from the
bark of the Brucca Anti-dysenterica (False Angustura Bark)
Veratria from the Veratrum album, V. Sabadilla and Colchi-
cum Autumnale ; — Cinchonia from the bark of the Cinchona
Oblongifolia (Red Bark); — Quina (or Kina) from that of the
Cinchona Cordifolia (Yellow Bark) ; — Emeta from the Callicocca
Ipecacuanha; — Delphia, from the Delphinium Staphisagria; —
PicROToxA from the Menispermum Cocculus ; — Solana from
the Solanum Nigrum, and S. Dulcamara; — Gentia, from Gen-
tiana lutea ; — Atropia from the Atropa Belladonna; — Hyoscy-
Ama, from Hyoscyamus Niger. Besides which, Capsicum, Piper

348 OPI

accordinor to the directions of these two latter che-
mists : viz. Rohiquefs process. Three hundred parts

nigrum, aod Senna, have been said to yield analogous principles
of a salifiable character. With respect to most of these alkaline
bodies farther experiments are required to establish our confi-
dence ; it is more than probable that several of them will turn
out to be disguised modifications of each other ; it has already
been questioned whether Quina and Cinchonia be not varieties
of one alkali ; indeed it is possible that all these bodies may have
the same alkaline base, and that they differ from each other in
consequence of their combination with other principles, derived
from the vegetable in question,, and impressing upon Uie salt its
characteristic virtues; and tliis idea receives material support
from the fact, that they are neutralized by a very small proporr
tioa of acid. (See a paper on this subject in the 70th number
of the Edinburgh Med. and Surg. Journ.)

They have all many properties in common, such as a degree of
bitterness varying in intensity in diflferent species; they are ino-
dorous ; are not altered by air or light, but are decomposed by a
moderate heat; most of them enter into fusion, but at different
temperatures, some for instance at below 212° Fahr. others not
until they are about to be decomposed; Hyoscyama will even
resist a low red heat. They are very sparingly soluble in water,
but they are in general rendered more so by the presence of resi-
nous matter. They are nearly all highly soluble in alcohol.
jEther readily dissolves Delphia, Veratria, Emeta, Quina, and
Gentia; but Morphia, Cinchonia, and Picrotoxa, are very
sparingly soluble : and Strychnia and Bkucia are nearly inso-
luble in it ; they combine with the acids ; and, in general, form
neutral salts ; but it appears that Veratria and Emeta always
unite with an excess of acid. All the combinations with the
mineral acids, excepting the salts of Picrotoxa, are exceedingly
soluble in water; and, with the exception of Nitrate of Cin-
chonia, and all the salts of Veratria, they are crystalliz^able.
The acetates too, with a few exceptions, are also soluble, and
they are disposed to form super-salts. All the oxalates, except
that of Picratoxa, which is the most soluble of its salts, and all
tartrates, are rather insoluble, and have likewise a tendency to
xuiite with an excess of acid. The action of concentrq,ted nitric

OPI 349

of pure opium are to be macerated during five days, in
one thousand parts of common water ; to the filtered
solution, fifteen parts of perfectly pure magnesia (care-
fully avoiding the carbonate^) are to be added ; boil
this mixture for ten minutes, and separate the sedi-.
ment by a filter, v^rashing it with cold water until the
water passes off clear ; after which, treat it alternately
with hot and cold alcohol, (12, 22, Be.) as long as the
menstruum takes up any colouring matter ; the residue
is then to be treated with boiling alcohol (22, 32, Be.)
for a few minutes. The solution, on cooling, will
deposit crystals o^ Morphia,

acid oa these alkaline bodies is very peculiar, converting the
greater number of them into artificial tannin ; but it appears to
peroxidate Morphia, Strychnia, and Brucia, rendering them
less powerful as salifiable bases, and diminishing or destroying
their action on the^nimal ])ody. See Edinburgh Med. & Surg,
Jo urn. supra citat.

' By analysis, with the deutoxide of copper, these alkalies yield
carbon, hodrogen, and oxygen ; but no azote, unless they have
been obtained by precipitation with ammonia, as in the process
of Sertuerner.

It would appear that these bodies exist in their native plants,
ill combination with peculiar acids ; some of them are found in
the state of Malates.

With respect to tlieir physiological action it may be stated,
that they would appear to concentrate in themselves the charac-
teristic properties of the vegetables to which they belong, and
yet, although their effects are much greater than those of the un-
decomposed vegetables, the same quantity of alkali is not so
powerful in its pure form, as in its natural state of combination.
Thus one grain of morphia produces no more effect than two
grains of Turkey opium, which do not contain more than a six-
teenth part of the alkali. To explain this loss of efficacy which
usually attends our attempts at concentration, the reader is refer-
red to the observations which have been already offered upon thi*
subject in the first volume of this work, page 283.

S50 OPI

Rationale of the Process. A soluble Meconiate of
Magnesia is formed, whilst the sediment consists of
Morphia' \^ the state of mixture^ with the excess of
magnesia; the boiling alcohol with which this resi-
/iuum is treated, exerts no action upon the magnesia,
but dissolves the Morphia^ and on cooling surrenders
it in a crystalline form. A repetition of the treatment
with boiling alcohol will procure a fresh crop of crys-
tals, and the process should be continued until they
cease to appear.

Sertuerner'' s method. It differs from the preceding,
in substituting ammonia for magnesia, and in adding
to the sediment, separated as before mentioned, as
much sulphuric acid as is sufficient to convert the
Morphia into a sulphate, whicli is subsequently de-
composed by a farther addition of ammonia ; the pre-
cipitate thus produced is then dissolved in boiling
alcohol, which on cooling surrendera»tbe ilibrp^/a in
a state of crystalline purity. It appears however that
the Morphia produced by this latter method, is less
abundant and more impure and coloured, than that
which is furnished by the process of Robiquet.

Characters of Morphia. Wherupure, it crystallizes
in very fine, transparent, truncated pyramids, the bases
of which are either squares or rectangles, occasionally
united base to base, and thereby forming octohedra.
It is sparingly soluble in boiling water, but dissolves
abundantly in heated alcohol ; and the solution is
intensely bitter ; in aether it is far less soluble. It has
all the characters of an alkali ; affecting test papers,
tinged with turmeric or violets ; uniting with acids,
and forming neutral salts, and decomposing the com-
pounds of acids witti metallic oxides. It unites with
sulphur by means of heat, but the combination is^
decomposed at the same instant ; it is incapable of

OPI 351

forming soap with an oxidized oil. It fuses at a
moderate temperature, when it resembles melted sul-
phur, and like that substance, crystallizes on cooling;
it is decomposed by distillation, yielding carbonate of
ammonia, oil, and a black resinous residue, with a
peculiar smell; when heated in contact with air, it
inflames rapidly ; the voltaic pile exerts but little
action upon it, yet, when mixed with a globule of
mercury, the latter appears to become increased in
bulk, and to change consistence. When analyzed by
means of the deutoxide of copper, it yields carbon,
hydrogen, and oxygen ; and if ammonia has been em-
ployed, as a precipitant in its preparation, we shall
also obtain some nitrogen, but not if prepared accord-
ing to the improved process of Robiquet. Its habi-
tudes with different bodies have not hitherto been suf-
ficiently investigated, but they are highly important,
in as much as tl^ will explain the operation of those
various medicinal compounds, into which opium enters
as a principal ingredient. Sertuerner has given us an
account of the effect of the alcoholic solution of Mor-
phia on himself and three of his pupils ; he found, that
repeated small doses of half a grain produced at first
decided excitation ; then weakness, numbness, and
tendency to fainting ; after swallowing vinegar while
in this condition, violent vomiting was excited, pro-
found sleep intervened in one delicate individual, and
next day he suffered from nausea, vomiting, head-ache,
anorexia, constipation, and heaviness (Ann, de Chim.
et de Phys, T. v.) This case is sufficient to shew
that although Morphia possesses the characteristic
powers of opium, its strength is by no means commen-
surate with its supposed concentration. When unr
combined it exerts little or no action in consequence

352 OPI

of its insolubility. The following history of its saline
compounds may be useful.

The Carbonate crystallizes in short prisms.

The Acetate in needles, very soluble, and extremely
^active.

The Sulphate, in arborescent crystals, very soluble.

The Muriate, in plumose crystals, much less solu-
ble ; when evaporated, it concretes into a shining white
plumose mass on cooling.

The Nitrates, in prisms grouped together.

The Meconiate, in oblique prisms, sparingly soluble.

The Tartrate, in prisms.

Morphia is separated from the above combinations
by ammonia.

Morphia is very soluble in olive oil, and according
to the experiments of M. Majendie, the compound acts
with great intensity ; with extractive matter, it forms
a compound which is almost insolu|^e in water, but
very soluble in acids.

The solubility of Morphia in acids explains why
the administration of vinegar increases the powers of
opium, {see vol, i. p. 253). M. Majendie considers
Morphia to produce a more pureljr soporose effect than
opium, and that it is moreover exempt from the conse-
cutive operation which so generally renders opium ob-
jectionable. This opinion, however, has not been con-
firmed by the trials made in this country ; equally gra-
tuitous is the assertion of the same physiologist, that
by ringing changes on the salts of Morphia, its hypno-
tic effects may be kept up without increasing its dose.

As M, Majendie considers the after effects of opium
to be independent of Morphia, it was necessary for him
to point out the particular principle from which these
noxious consequences arose, and he accordingly as-
cribed them to the Salt of Derosne, now more usually

OPI 353

denominated Narcotine, and which may be entirely
removed from the extract of opium by macerating it in
sulphuric aether ; and in this way, it is said, a prepa-
ration is obtained, which, like Morphia, is exempt from
the occasional bad consequences of the common drug;
but no satisfactory trials have as yet been made with it.

The Meconic acid^ when separated from the resi-
duum of the magnesian salt, as described above, does
not appear to possess any medicinal activity. Its
distinguishing chemical character is, that it produces
an intensely red colour in solutions of iron oxidized
ad maximum.

East India Opium is an inferior species;* it
difTers from Turkey Opium^ in its texture being less
compact, and much softer; its colour darker; its
narcotic odour fainter, but combined with a strong
empyreuma, and in its taste being more bitter, but less
acrimonious. According to the experiments of Mr.
A. T. 1 homson, Turkey Opium contains three times '
more morphia than the East Indian variety. This
latter, when triturated with water, is taken up with-
out any residuum ; hence it contains no gluten, but
the sulphate of lime is more abundant, as appears from
the relative proportion of precipitate produced by oxa-
lic acid. The solution of the acetate of barytes, whilst
it occasions no disturbance in the solutions of the
Turkey variety, produces a copious precipitate with
the East Indian.

Med. Uses. Are so well known that a few practical
remarks will suffice. f

* The manufacture, however, of Indian Opium has been of late
years greatly improved by Dr. Fleming, under whose supcrinten-
dance that important department was placed by the Marquis
Wellesley.

+ Forty thousand pounds weight of Opium are annually im-
ported into the Port of London. i

Vol. II. z ■

'"^3^ OPI

Chemistry, it appears, has developed the principle
of its activity, and accumulated experience has esta«-
blished the value and importance of its medicinal ap-
plications, but Physiology is still unable to demon-
strate the manner in which it produces its effects. It
must be admitted that its primary operation is that of
a powerful and diffusible stimulant, but it is immedi-
ately followed by narcotic and sedative effects, which
are far greater than could have been inferred from the
degree of previous excitement, and hence much keen
controversy has arisen in the schools concerning its
modus operandi, (see vol, L p, 140.J In large doses,
the primary excitement is scarcely apparent, but the
powers of life are instantly depressed, drowsiness and
stupor succeed, and when the dose is excessive, these
are followed by delirium, stertorous breathing, cold
sweats, convulsions, and apoplectic death. Its stimu-
lant effects are apparent only in small doses, by which
the energy of the mind,* the strength of the pulse,
and the heat of the body, are considerably increased,

* It has been stated in the Historical Introduction to this work,
(vol. i. p. 12) that the nepenthe, which Helen mixed with wine,
and gave to the guests of Meuelaus, was probably opium ; such
was the opinion of Sprengel, expressed in his History of Botany.
Other authors have entertained a different belief. Delile, in his
*' Flora Egyptiaca," considers it to have been a preparation of
hyoscyamus albus. Dr. Christen, in his late elaborate Dissertation
on Opium, agrees with Forbes, who states, in his Oriental Me-
moirs, that in Hindostan Bendsch, i. e. nepenthe is prepared from
the cannabis sati va of Linnaeus. Lindner informs us that bangue
is prepared from the dried leaves of the wild cannabis, the smoke
of which is said to be more narcotic than even that of opium.
There seems, however, to be good reason for supposing that
Indian bangue is a compound of several ingredients. Ray says
that he learned from Sir Hans Sloaue, that the principal ingredi-
ent was. not hemp, but a plant somewhat like it.

OPI 355

but all the secretions and excretions, except the cuti-
cular * discharge, are diminished ; for example, the
faeces of persons, after the use of opium, are not un-
frequently clay-coloured, from the suspension of the
biliary secretion ; this circumstance suggests some im-
portant precautions with respect to its exhibition.
Opium, when properly directed, is capable of fulfilling
two great indications ; 1st, of supporting the powers
of life, and 2nd, of allaying spasm, pain, and irritation,
and of blunting that morbid susceptibility of impres-
sion, which so frequently attends fever. Its use is
contra-indicated in all cases where inflammatory action
prevails, as in pulmonary affections, attended with an
accelerated circulation and a dry hard cough. + It is

* The operation of Opium is not uufrequently attended with
an itching, or sense of pricking of the skin, which is sometimes
terminated hy a species of miliary eruption.

+ Opium is the Quack's sheet anchor. The various nostrums
advertised as " Cough Drops, for the cure of colds, asthmas, ca-
tarrhs, &c." are preparations of Opium very similar to paregoric
elixir. Pectoral Balsam of Liquorice, and Essence of
Coltsfoot, are combinations of this kind. Grindle's Cough
Drops, are a preparation of the same description, only made with
Rectified, instead of Proof Spirit, and consequently more highly
charged with stimulant materials. " The michief," says Dr.
Fotliergill, *' that has proceeded from the healing anodynes of
quacks can be scarcely imagined ; for in coughs, arising from
suppressed perspiration, or an inflammatory diathesis. Opiates
generally do harm.

Squire's Elixir. Opium, camphor, serpentaria, sub-carbo-
nate of potass, anise and fennel seeds, made into a tincture, and
coloured with cochineal.

Ford's Balsam of Horehound. This nostrum may very
properly be classed under the present head. It consists of an
aqueous infusion of horehound and liquorice root, with double
the proportion of proof spirit or brandy ; to which is then added,
opium, camphor, benzoin, squills, oil of aniseed, and honey.

5^6 OPI

.employed by some of the oriental nations for tlie same
purposes that we take spirituous potations : by the
.Turks especially, to wliom our more generous beve-
rages are prohibited by religious prejudice, opium is
solicited to inspire courage, or to invigorate fortitude ;
. — to soothe sorrow^ ; — or to dissipate the remembrance
of misfortune ; — to awaken the fancy to more brilliant
exertions ; or to create that mild composure and sere-
nity of feeling, which is desirable after the cares and
solicitudes of an active, perplexing, and arduous scenp :
like spirituous liquors among other people, it is, in
short, the support of the coward, — the solace of the
wretched,— and the daily source of intoxication to the
debauchee. Notwithstanding all this, spirit and opium
are by no means parallel medicines ; on the contrary,
the latter substance offers the best remedy for the
Mania a Potu, and in cases of habitual drunkenness
from alcohol, where our wish is to abstract the spirit,
but are for obvious reasons unable so to do, we may
frequently alternate its use with that of opium, with
considerable advantage. Many of the beneficial effects
of this remedy are to be referred to its power of allay-
ing irritability ; Sir G. Blane has remarked, that in ill-
conditioned ulcers in the West Indies, opium was
found superior to all other internal medicines for pro-
ducing a disposition to heal. Under the free use of it,
such ulcers would in place of a sanious discharge pro-
duce a healthy pus succeeded by granulations and
cicatrization. It appears to do this by suspending irri-
tation, and perhaps by promoting absorption.

In combination, the medical powers of opium are
wonderfully extended, so that there is scarcely a dis-
ease in which it may not, during some of its stages, be
rendered ust-fid. By diminishing the sensibility of the
stomach and bowels, it becomes a valuable and cffica-

OPI 357

cious corrigent to many important medicines, and thus
frequently favours their absorption and introduction
into the system, as for instance, in the exhibition of
mercurial alteratives, (Form. 141), and in certain
diuretic combinations, (Form. 100, 106, 107, 110,) in
combination with antimonials, and with ipecacuan, its
narcotic powers are obviated, and sudorific results are
obtained. See Pulv. Ipecac, co. (Form. 117, 119,
124, 125, 127, 130.) Forms of Exhibition. In
substance, or under the form of tincture. When we
wish to continue the operation of opium, and not to
obtain its full effect at once, it may be advantageously
combined with some substance capable of retarding
its solution in the stomach, as gum resins. See Pilulce
and Form. 10, 11, 12, 13. A watery infusion, made
by infusing powdered opium in boiling water, will
often operate without producing that distressing nausea
and head-ache which so frequently follow the use of
this substance. With respect, however, to the best
modes of correcting the operation of this remedy, see-
vol. i. p. 297, and 300. Dr. Porter of Bristol has in-
troduced to our notice a solution of opium in citric
acid ; his formula* for its preparation is subjoined,
because I am of opinion that it merits the attention of
the practitioner ; I have lately submitted it to the test
of experience, and it certainly possesses the merit of a
powerful anodyne, operating with less disturbance
than the more ordinary forms of this substance. I also
take this opportunity of stating, that the pj/ro-ligneous
acid manufactured by Beaufoy was used as a men-
struum, and the effect of the solution was similar to

* Liquor MoRPHii Citratis. R Opii Crudi Oplinii §iv;
Acidi Citrici (Cryst:) § ij ; semel in niortario lapideo contmide,
dcin aquae distillatas bulHentis oj aliunde ; et intiine raisceauiur ;
raaccra per horas viginti quatuor; per charlam bibqlosam cola, .

358 OPI

that of Dr. Porter. When the stomach rejects alto-
gether the internal exhibition of opium it may be suc->
cessfully applied along the spine, by friction, with the
camphor liniment ; a piece of solid opium introduced
into the rectum, or dissolved in some appropriate sol-
vent, and injected as an enema, affords also consider-
able relief in spasmodic affections of the bowels, and
in painful diseases of the prostrate gland, or bladder,
(Form* 9). When thus introduced into the rectum,
it cannot undergo that change which the digestive or-
gans produce upon it, and consequently it is more uni-
form in its action than when presented to the stomach.
Opium appears to be readily absorbed into the system,
when applied to the surfaces of sores ; considerable
relief has been thus afforded to irritable stumps, after
amputation, on which occasions, all the characteristic
effects of opium have been produced upon the system,
such as costiveness, head-ache, nausea, &c. Incom-
patible Substances. Oxy-muriate of mercury ;
acetate of lead ; alkalies ; infusions ofgalls, and of
yellow cinchona. Orfila states that the decoction of
Coffee is less energetic as an antidote, than the infu-
sion. When we intend the opium to act as a sedative,
we should not combine it with stimulants. The Edin-.
burgh College certainly erred in this respect, when they
made pepper an ingredient in their Pilulce Opiatce.
In combination with vegetable acids, its narcotic pow-
ers are increased, in consequence of the formation of
soluble salts with morphia,^ When the opium how-

* The Black Drop, or The Lancaster, or Quaker's Black
Drop. This preparation, which has been long known and esteem-
ed, as being more powerful in its operation and less distressing in
its effects than any tincture of opium, has until lately been invol-
ved in much obscurity ; the papers however of the late Edward
Walton, of Sunderland, one of the near relations of the original

OPI 359

ever has passed out of the primae viae, vinegar and
acids are then the best remedies for counteracting its

proprietor, having fallen into the hands of Dr. Armstrong, that
gentleman has obliged the profession by publishing the manner
in which it is prepared, and is as follows : — " Take half a pound
of opium sliced ; three pints of good verjuice (juice of the wild
crab,) and one and a half ounce of nutmegs, and half an ounce of
saffron. Boil them to a proper thickness, then add a quarter of
a pound of sugar, and two spoonsful of yeast. Set the whole in
a warm place near the fire, for six or eight weeks, then place it
in the open air until it becomes a syrup ; lastly, decant, filter, and
bottle it up, adding a little sugar to each bottle." One drop of
this preparation is considered equal to about three of the Tincture
of Opium. P.L. It would appear that an Acelate of Morphia is
formed, which is more active, and less distressing in its effects,
than any other narcotic combination.

The French Codex contains directions for preparing a com-
pound very similar to the Black Drop ; viz.

ViNUM Opiatum Fermentatione Paratum, or Guttjp seu
Laudanum Abbatis Rousseau. Take of white honey twelve
ounces ; warm water, three pounds ; dissolve the honey in the
water, pour it into a matrass, and set it aside in a warm place :
as soon as fermentation has commenced, add four ounces of good
opium, having previously dissolved, or rather diffused it in twelve
ounces of water ; allow them to ferment together for a month,
then evaporate until ten ounces only remain, filter, and add four
ounces and a half of alcohol.

LiQuoa Opii Sedativus. Under this name, Mr. Battley, a
manufacturing druggist, of Fore-street, London, has offered for
sale a narcotic preparation, which it is generally supposed owes
its efficacy to the acetate of morphia ; on being kept, however, I
found that it underwent some important change, during which so
much air was disengaged as to blow out the cork from the bottle
with violence. This is an objection to its admission into practice,
unless we can ensure recently prepared portions as often as they
may be required.

In publishing the above statement, I have unfortunately been
the cause of much unnecessary Ink-shed. A letter, by Mr.
Battley, has been industriously circulated through the different

360 OPI

effects ; (see vol. i. page 253.) Dose, must be varied
according to the intention of the prescriber, the con*

ranks of the profession, purporting to be an apology for his pre-
paration, but after a careful perusal of it, instead of being able
to discover any argument in its favour, we receive a full acknow-
ledgment of the validity of the objection above stated. " 1 ex-
plained to Dr. Paris, that the liability of the solution to undergo
change, was a defect in the preparation, but that the addition
of a little spirit would prevent decomposition," and yet in the
next sentence he telis us that in those cases in which it is most
beneficial, " the addition of spirit would be highly improper."
See Medical Repository, vol. xiii. p. 273.

But the circumstance which has excited the greatest indignation
in the mind of Mr. Battley, is my having applied the term nos-
trum to his preparation. Every medicine that is prepared by a
secret process, and sold for the private advantage of an individual,
is properly designated a nostrum. And 1 am at a loss to disco-
ver any feature in the present case that can entitle it to be con-
sidered as an exception to this general rule ; but perhaps Mr.
Battley is inclined to be hypercritical, and as the preparation is
not indebted to him, but to Wedelius or Le Mort, for its origin,
is prepared to exclaim witli the Homan Poet :

" QusB non fecimus ipsi vix ea nostra voco."

Mr. Battley also complains bitterly of my having inserted his
preparation under so odious a motto as " Arcana Revelata fee-
tent," for my own part I cannot conceive any thing more appro-
priate to the case, viz. Arcana, these secret preparations, revelata,
exposed to the air, faetent, f:row fceiid. But, notwithstanding
the objections which I have thus felt it my duty to offer, I am
disposed to speak favourably of its mild and uniform effects, and
injustice to Mr. Battley, I will further state that the same opi-
nion has been formed by a great number of respectable practi-
tioners. The late Mr. liadcn, who during his protracted illness
took a large quantity of this preparation, states, in his Transla-
tion of the Formulary of Dr. Majendie, tliat it is devoid of ex-
citing, and almost of constipating, properties. He made a very
good substitute, •' by macerating the dregs, remaining after
nmking tincture of opium, in a solution of Tartaric acid." The

OPI 361

stitution of the patient, and the nature of the disease.
A quarter of a grain, frequently repeated, will keep up
its exhilarating influence; (Form, 15) from gr. j to ij
acts as a narcotic ; its power on the system soon be-
comes weaker; and from habitual use it is so much
impaired that very large doses are required to produce
its usual effects. Russell observes that the effects of
opium on those addicted to its use, are at first obsti-
nate costiveness, succeeded by diarrhoea and flatulence,
with loss of appetite and a sottish appearance ; the
teeth decay, the memory fails, and the unhappy sufferer
prematurely sinks into the grave. Officinal Prep.
Gr. j of opium is contained in Confect. Opii, L. grs.
36. Elect, Opii. E. grs. 4S. Elect, Catechu, E. grs.
193. (F.) Elect, Catechu, comp, D. grs. 199. (F.)
Pil. Saponis cum opio, L. grs. 5. Pil, Opiat. E. grs.
10. Pil, e Sti/race, D. grs. 5. Pulv, Corn, ust, cum
Opio. L. grs. 10. Pulv, Cret. comp, cum Opio. L. grs.
40. Pulv. Ipecac, comp, L.E. grs. 10. (H). Pulv.
Kino. comp. L. grs. 20. (F). Tinct. Opii. L. ni 19.
Tinct. Camphor, comp. L. f§ss. Tinct. Opii ammon.
E. f3j. Troch, Glycyrr, cum Opio, E. 5j. Vinum
Opii, Li, T1X 17. The Medicinal Dynameter will at
once shew the quantity of opium in any proportion of
the above preparations. Adulterations. The
Turkey Opimn, when good, is covered with leaves,
and the reddish capsules of some species o^ rumex; the
inferior kinds have none of these capsules adhering to
them. It is frequently adulterated with the extract of
liquorice ; it should be regarded as bad when it is
very soft and friable, of an intensely black colour, or

preparation formed a tolerably deep tincture, and 40 dropg acted,
he thought, in all respects, like 20 of the liquor opii sedatlvus.
It neither stimulated, nor produced costiveness.

sm oxY

mixed with many impurities, when it has a sweetish
taste, or marks paper with a brown continuous streak
when drawn across it, or when it melts like wax, and
makes a yellow solution in water. It frequently hap-
pens that in cutting a mass of opium, bullets and stones
have been found imbedded in it, a fraud which is com-
mitted by the Turks, from which the retailer alone
suffers. It is also adulterated with the extract of poppy
capsules, or of the whole plant ; wiih that of chelido'
nium majusy with gum arabic or tragacanth, with the
pil of linseed, and even with the dung of oxen.

OVUM. L. (Phasianus Gallus. Ovum,)
The Egg of the Domestic Fowl.

ViTELLUS, The Yolk or Yelk, is principally em-
ployed in pharmaceutical operations, for rendering
oils and balsams miscible with water. It is gently
laxative.

Oleum e vitellis, Oil of Eggs. Obtained by boiling
the yelks, and then submitting them to pressure ; fifty
eggs yield about 5 oz. of oil. It is introduced into the
Paris Pharmacopoeia, being much employed on the
Continent for killing mercury.

Albumen. Used principally for clarifying turbid
liquors.

Testa. Similar to other absorbents.

OXYMEL SIMPLEX. L.D. Mel Acetatum.

P.L. 1787. Simple Oxymel,^

This composition of honey and acetic acid has been
long valued on account of its detergent qualities, and

* Godbold's Vegetable Balsam. In the specilication of the
Patent for this nostrum forty-tw© diflfcrent vegetables are directed

OXY 363

has accordingly been much used as the basis of gargles,
and expectorant remedies.

OXYMEL SCILLiE. L.D. Oxymel Scilliticum.
P. L. 1720. 1745. Oxymel of Squills.

This preparation certainly possesses considerable
powers as an expectorant ; especially if allowed to
pass slowly over the fauces, as when applied in the
form of a linctus, {Form : 135,) which by stimulating
the top of the trachea may possibly act, by a kind of
" contiguous symTpathy ^"^ upon the pulmonary struc-
ture,* and thereby increase the activity of the exhalant
vessels, and so dilute the mucus contained in the
follicles as to cause it to be poured out in a less viscid
form, and consequently in a state to be more easily
brought up by expectoration. Its action will also
admit of another explanation, but for this see vol. 1.

to be distilled " for the purpose of extracting their essences,
which are to be preserved separately and apart from each other,
in syrups, and are to be mixed with the following gums and
drugs, viz. Gum Dragon, Gum Guaiacum, Gum Arabic, and
Gum Canada, these being dissolved in double distilled vinegar,
with a quantity of Storax dissolved in Spirits of Wine and Oil of
Cinnamon. It is to be bottled off, and kept three years before
it is fit to be administered for the Cure of Consumption, or any
Asthmatic Complaint." It is hardly necessary to observe, that
no such directions ever are, or indeed ever could be followed ;
in short the "Balsam," is little else than simple oxymel. It is,
however, not a little curious that amongst the forty-two plants
enumerated, there should be several that would on distillation
yield Prussic acid, such as the Bays. We wonder that this acci-
dental circumstance has not been noticed, and turned to account,
by some of those worthy disciples of Esculapius who live by the
credulity of mankind, and, as Flastaff expresses it, *' Turn dis-
eases to a commodity."

* It is in this manner, I apprehend, that stimulating syrups
will frequently remove hoarseness.

364 PAP

p. 191. Dose from fjss to f3ij. In larger doses it is
given for the purpose of exciting vomiting, especially
in hooping cough.

PAP A VERTS CAPSULE. L.E.D.

(Papaver Somniferum. Capsulce Maturce.)
Popp2/ Capsules^ or Poppy heads.

These capsules are employed in medicine for the
purpose of affording a decoction, to be applied as an
anodyne fomentation, see Decoctum Papaveris^ and as
a syrup of hypnotic qualities, see S?/rupus Papaveris.

The seeds of the poppy capsules are not directly
used for any medicinal purposes, but they yield a
fixed oil which is daily met with in the market, and
is frequently used to adulterate Olive Oil^ which see.
As an article of trade it is considered very inferior to
the other fixed oils ; it burns very badly, and yields a
great quantity of smoke. To the pharmaceutic chemist
it is an article of interest from the controversies to
which it has given origin.*

* Although it has been lojng known that the seeds of the poppy,
and the oil obtained from them by expression, do not possess any
of the narcotic properties of the plant, and that they were even
baked into cakes and used as an article of food by the ancients,
yet has there been in later times very considerable contention res-
pecting the propriety and safety of using such oil. The cultivation
of the Poppy for the sake of the oil of its seeds, as an article of
food, has been long carried on in France, Brabant, and Germany ;
and more recently in Holland. At about the beginning of the
nth century, the opposition to this use of the Poppy manifested
itself in France, and became so violent, that the Lieutenant Ge-
neral of the Police of Paris ordered the medical faculty of that
city to make the strictest examination concerning this point, and
they accordingly reported that, as there is nothing narcotic or

PIL 365

PILULiE. L.E.D. Pills.

For general instructions respecting the formation
and administration of pills, the practitioner must refer
to the^r^^ volume of this work, page 3Q0,

Officinal Pills.

PiLULiE Aloes CoMPOSiTiE. L. Extract of Aloes,
two parts^ extract of gentian, (G) one part, with oil of
carraway; (E) to which syrup is unnecessarily added.
It is a useful pill in habitual costiveness. Dose, grs. x
to 9j.

Pilule Aloes et AssAF(ETiDiE. E. Powdered
aloes, assafcetida (G) and soap, (L) equal parts.
Anodyne and cathartic ; a very useful combination in
dyspepsia attended with flatulence. Dose, grs. x.

PiLULiE Aloes cum Myrrha. L. Pilulce Ruji.
P. L. 1745. Extract of Aloe, two parts, saffron and
myrrh, (E) one part, syrup, q. s. This is a very ancient
form of preparation, and is described by Rhazes. It

prejudicial to health in the oil, the use of it might be permitted.
But this decision was unsatisfactory ; and popular clamour deter-
mined the Court to pass a decree in 1718, prohibiting the sale of
Poppy Oil, whether mixed or unmixed ! The sale of the article^
however, notwithstanding this most singular decree, was clandes-
tinely cncourag'd, and it gradually increased until the year 1735,
when the Court issued a severe decree, enjoining the superinten-
dant to mix a certain quantity of the extract of Turpentine, with
every cask containing llOOlbs. of this oil, of which no less than
2000 casks were consumed in Paris alone. But the secret de-
mand for it increased until 1773, when a Society of Agriculture
undertook to examine the question, and the result of their la-
bours had the eflfcct of reversing the prohibition, and of con-
vincing the multitude that their fears were entirely unfounded,
and that there ^vas really no narcotic power, nor any secret mis-
chief in the article.

366 PIL

is stimulant and cathartic. (Form: 11, 81, 98, 99.>
Dose^ grs. X to 9j.*

PiLULiE Aloes cum Colocynthide. E. This
pill is known by the popular name of PiL Cocdce,
xoKxiovy signifies a seed, and the term was first applied
to this preparation by Rhazes. It consists of eight
parts of aloes and scammony ; Jhur of colocynth ; and
one part of oil of cloves, (E) and of sulphate of potass
with sulphur, olim Sal Poll/ crest. It is more powerful
in its operation than the simple aloetic pills.

Pilule Cambogije Composite. L. Gamboge,
extract of aloe, and compound powder of cinnamon
one part ; soap two parts ; see Vol. I. p. 3^, and
Form : 88.

Pilule Ferri Compositje. L. This combination
is analogous to that of Griffith's mixture. Dose^ gv. x
to 9j. Form: 99. They become extremely hard by
keeping. If the practitioner consult the Medicinal
Dynameter, he will observe that in order to give the
same quantity of Proto-carbonate of Iron as is con-
tained in f Jiss of Mist : Ferri comp : he must direct
9j of this pill mass ; which quantities will be seen to
contain, respectively, a grain and seven tenths of this
of the proto-carbonate, or, one grain of Protoxide, which
is equivalent. It is doubtful whether the former pre-
paration will not prove more active, in. consequence
of the saponaceous vehicle formed by the Myrrh and
alkali in a state of solution.

PiLULiE Galbani Composite. L. Pil. Gummosce,
P. L. 1745. We are here presented with a combina-
tion of foetid gums, in which assafcetida is the most
potent article. Antispasmodic, and emmenagogue.
Dose^ grs. x to 9j. See Form : 10, 27, 98.

* As these pills are liable to become hard and insoluble by
being kept, it is better to keep the ingredients in powder, and to

form them extemporaneously with a little syrup.

PIL 367

Pilule Hydrargyri. L.E.D. PiL Mercuriales ,
P. L. 1745, vulgo, The Blue Pill. The mercury in
this preparation, is not, as it was formerly considered,
in a state of mere mechanical division, but in that of
a black oxide, upon which its activity as a remedy un-
doubtedly depends ; for mercury in its metallic state is
entirely inert with regard to the living system. Various
substances have at different times been triturated with
the mercury, for the purpose of extinguishing or kill-
ing it, by effecting the mechanical division and sub-
sequent oxidation of its particles, as manna, melasses,
&c. Conserve of Roses is now generally preferred for
this purpose, although Swediaur suspects that the
astringent principle of this conserve invalidates the
effects of the mercury, '' I have," says he, '^ given
these pills to several patients for a long time, without
any symptom of salivation." Mr. Abernethy observes
in his surgical works, that the Pilulce Hydrargyri
are uncertain in their effects ; and that some of the
students at the hospital on examining them, and dif-
ferent parcels of the conserve of roses, say, that the
sulphuric acid may be discovered in each. Nor is it
improbable that in making the conserve for sale, some
of this acid may be added to brighten the colour ; and
if so, the mercurial pill which is made from it may
contain in varying proportions, some of that highly
deleterious compound, the sub-sulphate of mercury.
When any of the gums are employed for killing the
metal, the pills soon become hard and brittle, and
after some time the mercui'y is liable to run into its
metallic state. The pill-mass, when rendered thinner
by the addition of a little water, and extended on a
piece of paper, ought not to exhibit any metallic glo-
bules ; in this examination however, we must be care-
ful not to be betrayed by the fallacious appearance

368 PIL

which is freqeiiently presented by small crystals of
saccharine matter. The relative proportion of mercury
contained in the mass can be ascertained only by its
weight. The blue pill is made at Apothecaries' Hall
by a very ingenious machine actuated by steam, and
which rubs as well as rolls the materials, and it is said
the pill thus made is more active than that produced
in the ordinary way. Med. Uses. It is by far the
best form for the internal exhibition of mercury ;
where it is intended to act upon the system as an
alterative, it should be administered in doses of from
grs. iv to vj ; if it occasion any action on the bowels,
it may be conjoined with opium ; sometimes a few
grains of rhubarb, exhibited every morning, will im-
part such a tone to the intestines, as to enable them to
resist the mercurial irritation. In cases where the form
of pill is objectionable, it may be readily suspended by
the aid of mucilage, in some aqueous vehicle ; when
exhibited in doses of grs. x to 9j, it acts as a mild but
efficient purgative. Form : 79, 106. One grain of
mercury is contained in three grains of the mass ; the
proportion of metal, or oxide, in any other given quan-
tity, is shewn at once by the Dynameter. For the
specific effects of mercury, see Ung\ Hi/drarg, \

Pilule Hydrargyri Sub-muriatis Compo-
site. L.E. Olim Plummer^ s Pills, They consist
of one part of calomel and precipitated sulphuret of
antimony (H) and two parts of guaiac (E) made into
form with spirit. It is a very useful alterative, espe-
cially in cutaneous eruptions and in secondary syphi-
litic symptoms, particularly when affecting the skin.
Dose^ grs. v to x. Should their exhibition affect the
bowels, the addition of a small proportion of Opium
may be added.

Pilule Opiate. E. Opium ove part ; extract of

PIM 369

liquorice, seven pcirts ; Jamaica pepper two parts. It
is however a compound of questionable propriety.

PiLULiE Rhei Composite. E. Rhubarb, aloes,
and myrrhj with oil of peppermint. When such a
combination is indicated, it is better to prescribe it
extemporaneous] y : for the mass, by being kept, will
become less efficacious*

PiLULiE Saponis cum Opio. L. ph. Opii. P.L.
1787. By substituting soap for extract of liquorice,
these pills are now rendered more soluble in the sto-
mach, and are consequently more efficient. Five grains
contain one of opium.

PiLULiE SciLL^ Composite. L. A stimulating:
expectorant : but as squill is always impaired by keep-
ing, it ought to be considered as an extemporaneous
combination. It is surely injudicious thus to multiply
our officinal formula?, but it is difficult, on such occa-
sions, to run counter to popular opinion. Form : 104.

PIMENT.E BACC^. L.E. Pimento. D,

Myrtus Pimenta. Baccce.

Pimenta Berries. Jamaica Pepper. All'Spice,

Qualities. Odour ^ aromatic and agreeable, com-
bining that of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmegs ; hence
the term «//-spice. Taste^ warm and pungent, resem-
bling that of cloves. These qualities reside principally
in the cortical part of the berry. Chemical Comp :
It contains a volatile oil, very like that of cloves, resin ^
extractive, tannin, and gallic acid. Solubility.
Water, alcohol, and aether, extract its virtues. Med;
Uses. Principally to cover the disagreeable taste of
other remedies ; it is also a very useful adjunct to dys-
peptic medicines. Officinal Prep. Aq. PimenL

Vol. II. 2 a

370 PIP

L.E.D. OL Piment, L.E.D. Pil. Opiat. E. Sj/rup,
Rhamni. L. (E)

PIPERIS LONGI BACCiE. L.E.D.

Long Pepper,

The chemical and medicinal properties of this sub-
stance are similar to those of black pepper ; which see.
The varieties in the market are distinguished by the
names short long pepper, and long long pepper. The
native practitioners of India prescribe it in infusion,
mixed with a little honey, as a remedy in catarrhal
affections, when the chest is loaded with phlegm.

PIPERIS NIGRI BACC^. L.E.D.

Black Pepper,

Chemical Composition. An oily matter, fecula,
and extractive ; the acrid principle of Pepper has been
separated by Oersted in an alkaline form. The follow- .
ing was the process by which it was procured. The
pepper having been digested in alcohol, muriatic acid
and aftersvards water were added to the tincture, by
which the resin was precipitated, while a muriate of
Pipera remained in solution. The solution was then,
after having been submitted to a certain evaporation,
decomposed by pure potass, when a precipitation of
Pipera took place. This salifiable base is nearly in-
soluble in cold, and only very slightly soluble in
boilinof water. It dissolves in alcohol, and the solution
has a greenish-yellow colour, which by the addition of
nitric acid is rendered green. The capacity of the
base for saturation appears very small. Solubility.
The virtues of pepper are entirely extracted by aether
and alcohol ; and partially by water, 550 pints being

PIX 371

required to extract all the sapidity of Ibj of pepper.
Med. Uses. It appears to be a more general and per-
manent stimulus than other species of equal pungency
on the palate ; it may be combined with bitters, and
exhibited in nausea, dyspepsia, retrocedent gout, or as
a stimulant in paralysis ; it is also a valuable coadjutor
to bark, in obstinate intermittents. An infusion made
with black pepper that has been toasted, is often pre-
scribed by the natives of India in cases of cholera mor-
bus ; and I have known it, says Dr. Ainslie, put a stoj)
to the vomiting when many other remedies had failed.
Dose, grs. v to Bj, or more. Officinal Prepa-
rations, Emplast. Meloes vesical, comp. E. Uri'
guent piper, nig. D. White pepper is made by sepa-
rating the first skin of the berry, by soaking it in salt
and water. Adulterations. The powdered husk
of the mustard seed is universally mixed with pow-
dered pepper, and is regularly sold for this purpose
by the mustard manufacturer, under the technical title
of P.D. (Pepper Dust;) there are besides other
admixtures less innocent. Wliole Pepper is also fre-
quently factitious ; artificial pepper-corns, composed
of peas-meal, both white and black, are mixed with
real pepper-corns, and sold as genuine pepper ; the
method of detecting the fraud is very simple ; throw a
suspected sample into water ; those that are artificial
will fall to powder, or be partially dissolved, while the
true pepper-corns will remain whole.

PIX ABIETINA.* L. (Pinus Abies. Resina
Prceparata.)
Pix BuRGUNDiCA. E.D. Burguudi/ Pitch.
This substance is procured by making incisions

* The Pix Arida of the late Pharmacopojia.

2 a2

S7^ PIX

through the bark of the Norway Spruce fir, and after-
wards boiling the flakes so obtained in water, and
then straining the resin through coarse cloths under
a press ; whereas frankincense (Abietis resina) is a
spontaneous exudation from it. It is now entirely
confined to external use, as a rubefacient spread on
leather ; it is very adhesive. Emplast : Picis comp. L.
Emplast : Picis Burgund. D, Adulterations. A
factitious sort, manufactured in England, is often met
with; it is to be distinguished by its friability, and its
want of viscidity and unctuosity, and by the absence
of that peculiar odour which characterises the genuine
specimens,

PIX LIQIJIDA. L.E.D. (Pinus Sylvestris.) Tar.

This fluid is formed from the decomposition of the
resinous juice of the pine, during the slow and smo-
thered combustion of its branches, and as a summary
definition of the substance, that by Pliny cannot be
surpassed, " Plx nihil aliud quam comhustoe resinoe
fluxus.''^ Lib, 23. c. 1. Chemical Composition.
It is found to consist of empyreumatic oil, resin, acetic
acid, and some salts. Solubility. Water readily
dissolves a portion of Tar, and forms a solution of the
colour of Madeira wine, with a sharp empyreumatic
taste. Med. Uses. Tar water, under the auspices of
Bishop Berkley, was formerly considered a remedy of
extraordinary powers ;* this opinion however has at
length passed away, {see vol. 1, p. 48,) and Tar is now

* Tar water was also at one period celebrated as an antisiphy-
litic remedy. M. Acharius, in his work *' On the Use and ad-
vantages of Tar Water in Venereal Complaints," enumerates
the cases of a number of patients cured by this remedy alone in
the Hospital of Stockholm, without any Mercury.

• FIX 373

particularly indebted for a place in the Materia Medica,
to an essay by Sir Alexander Crichton, entitled, " An
Account of some Experiments made with the Vapour
of boiling 7ar,+ in the cure of Pulmonary Consump^
tion,^^ At the request of Sir Alexander, I was induced
to make a trial of its effects, and I do not feel any
hesitation in stating that the result has led me to
believe that it may, in some cases, be attended with
benefit. In the application of the remedy several pre-
cautions are necessary for its success. The Tar em-
ployed should be that used in the cordage of ships ;
to every pound of which half an ounce of sub-car-
bonate of potass must be added, in order to neutralize
the pyroligneous acid generally found mixed with
the tar, the presence of which will necessarily excite
coughing ; the tar thus prepared is to be placed in a
suitable vessel over a lamp, and to be kept slowli/
boiling in the chamber during the night as well as the
day ; the vessel however ought to be cleaned and
replenished every twenty-four hours, othei-wise the
residuum may be burnt and decomposed, a circum-
stance which will occasion increased cough and op-
pression on the chest. The ancients entertained a
high opinion of the efficacy of Tar in pulmonary dis-
eases, when internally administered ; supposing it to

+ Dr. Mudge in the year 17S2 had recommenjcled the fumiga-
tion of balsams, in a pamphlet on the subject of his Inhaler ; little
or no notice however was taken of this rec ommendalion, a cir-
cumstance which cannot excite our surprize when we consider
the extravagant terms in which the pretensions of the remedy
were supported. *' I believe," says he, *' that much of the be-
nefit which coHSumptive persons experience from sea voyages, is
derived from the tar vapour constantly present on board a ship ! ' •

A Radical and Expeditious Cure for a recent Catarckous
Cough. By J. Mudgc, Plymouth, 1783.

374 PLU "

promote expectoration, relieve dyspnsea, and check
spitting of blood ; Dioscorides particularly speaks of
its utility in such cases; he also recommends it to be
applied to ulcers, which he says it fills up and heals,
whether they be situated on the surface of the body,
or in the ears, throat, and other internal parts. See
the chapter on " Inhalations ^^^ vol. i. p. 377. Offi-
cinal Prep. Unguent, Picis lAquidcE, L.

PLUMBI SUB-CARBONAS. L.

Carbon AS Plumbi, vulgo Cerussa, E.

Cerussa, Suh-acetas PlumhL D.

Cerussej or White Lead.

Chemical Composition. The composition of this
substance has not until lately been well understood,
and hence the different appellations bestowed upon it
by the different colleges. Solubility. It is insoluble
in water, but soluble in pure potass. Uses. It is
only employed externally, by sprinkling on excoriated
parts ; the safety of such a practice however is ques-
tionable. Officinal Prep. Unguent. Ceruss. D.
Plumbi Acetas Li.'E.T). CK.) Adulterations. Chalk
may be detected by assaying its solution in cold acetic
acid with oxalate of ammonia ; Carbonate of bari/tes^
by adding to a portion of the same solution, sulphate
of soda very largely diluted with distilled water ; and
Sulphate of barytes^ or Sulphate of lead^ by the in-
solubility of the white lead in boiling distilled vinegar.

PLUMBI OXYDUM SEMI-VITREUM. L.K

Lithargyrum. D. Litharge."^
It is a yellow protoxide of lead, which has been

* Litharge. The word is derived from AiS^oy, Lapis a stone,
and apyvpos Argentum, Silver ; from the fact of the lead being
Ihrown off in this slate during its application for the rcfmcinent
of Silver.

PLU 375

melted and left to crystallize by cooling. It is only
employed in pharmacy for forming other preparations
of lead, and the following officinal plasters, Emplast,
Plumhi, L.E. D. Ceratum Saponis, L. It is added
to wines to remove their acidity ; for the detection of
which, evaporate the suspected liquor to a thick fluid,
add charcoal, and calcine in a crucible : in the space
of an hour metallic points will be obtained, consisting
of lead surrounded by a quantity of yellow protoxide.

PLUMBI ACETAS. L.

CerussaAcetata, V,1j. 1787. Saccharum Saturni, 1745.

Agetas Plumbi. E. Acetas Plumbi. D.

vulgo, Sugar of Lead.

Qualities. Form, irregular masses resembling
lumps of sugar, being an aggregation of acicular four-
sided prisms terminated by dihedral summits, which are
slightly efflorescent ; by careful crystallization, it may
be obtained in quadrangular prisms. Taste, sweet and
astringent. Chemical Composition. Although it
has been termed a Super 'HcetRle, it appears to be a
neutral salt, and that its power of reddening vegetable
blues is attributable to a partial decomposition ; for
when dissolved in water containing the least portion
of carbonic acid, a white carbonate of lead is precipi-
tated, and a corresponding portion of acetic acid is
necessarily disengaged. The College have therefore now
designated it as an acetate. According to the experiments
of Berzelius, this salt, in its anhydrous state, consists
of one proportional of acetic acid, and one propor-
tional of oxide of lead ; so that the proportion of the
metallic base is one-third of that in the sub-ixcetnte.
Solubility. It is dissolved in 25 parts of water, hot
or cold ; it is also soluble in alcohol. When common
water is employed the solution is quite turbid, unless

576 PLU

a small proportion of acetic acid be previously added.
Incompatible Substances. The alkalies^ alkaline
earths and their carbonates ; most of the acids ; alum;
borax; the sulphates^ and muriates; soaps ; all sul-
phurets ; ammoniated^ and tartarized iron ; tartarized
antimony ; undistilled water. The solution of acetate
of ammonia decomposes that of this salt, in conse-
quence of the carbonic acid which is generally diffused
through it. It has lately been discovered that Gallic
(icid and Tannin are capable of combining with lead
in solution, and of forming a perfectly insoluble sub-
stance, which falls to the bottom of the vessel ; hence
all vegetable astringents must be considered as incom-
patible with this medicine. On this account, liquors
which have been kept in oak casks,* for a certain time,
must be freed from lead. This explains a fact, with
respect to the effect of new rum in the West Indies, of
some importance. This spirit, when newly distilled,
is found to contain traces of lead, derived from the
leaden rims of the coppers, and the leaden worm, used
for its condensation ; but, by being kept about twelve
months in oaken casks, it loses its deleterious proper-
ties, and no longer exhibits any traces of this metal. f
Certain bodies appear likewise to be incompatible with
the compounds of lead, not from the chemical c\i?inge%
they induce, but from the contrary effects they pro-
duce upon the body ; thus mercury appears to invali-
date their powers and to counteract their effects, as we
may have observed in treating saturnine cholic. I suspect
also that antimony operates in the same manner; M.

* That the oak cask imparts astringent matter to the contained
•spirit, is shewn by the facts enumerated under the history of
Brandy, see Spiritus Tenuior.

+ Sir George Baker considered the dry-belly-ache, which is
common to drinkers of new Rum, in the West Indies, entirely
referable to its coiitarninatiou with Lead.

PLU 377

Merat relates the case of an apothecary who was cured
of a desperate saturnine cholic, after having taken, in
the course of eight days, eighty grains of tartarized
antimony. Med. Uses. I feel no hesitation in pro-
nouncing this salt of lead to be one of the most valu-
able resources of physic ; from the results of numerous
cases, I state with confidence that it is more efficient
in stopping pulmonary and uterine hemorrhage, than
any other known remedy — " nil simile, nee secun'
dumj^ — and that its application is equally safe and
manageable ; but it must not be combined with sub-
stances capable of decomposing it, nor must it be
simultaneously administered with the medicines which
are frequently prescribed in conjunction with it, as
an Infusion of Roses, Sulphate of Magnesia, S^c.
Alum has also been in some cases added to it, with
the intention of increasing its astringency. It is evident
that under such circumstances an insoluble and inert
Sulphate of Lead y/'iW be produced. The experiments
of Orfila confirm the truth of these views, and shew
that such substances act as counter-poisons for the
salts of lead. According to my experience, those vege-
table acids which decompose the acetate of lead, and
form insoluble salts with its base, are not medically
incompatible, when administered simultaneously with
it, although no scientific physician would prescribe
such a mixture ; this fact is shewn by the circum-
stance of potations, containing malic and tartaric*
acids, not having been found to invalidate the efficacy
of this salt. Whether the stomach in the first instance
prevents the decomposition, and its necessary results,
or allows the operation of the usual affinities, and then
subsequently decomposes the insoluble compound
which results from them, by the abstraction and (//-

f See Note at foot of next page.

378 PLU

gestion of its vegetable constituent, are questions for
future inquiry, when the laws of gastric chemistry shall
be better understood, and more justly appreciated.
I have also seen much benefit accrue from this medi-
cine in protracted diarrhoea, when it has checked the
bowels more effectually even than opium. M. Gaspard
has communicated to the public, through the medium
of Majendie's Journal de Pht/siologie^ (3 numero
Juillet, 1821,) a paper upon the operation of Acetate
ofLeady entitled " Experiences Phi/siologiques etMe-
dicales sur U Acetate de Plomb^^^ in which he asserts
that this metallic salt cannot be administered without
risk in any dose, unless indeed it be given in vehicles
which decompose it, and which, he adds, appears
generally to have happened in the prescriptions of
those who have given it extensively. He observes,
that '' it produces a slow and peculiar inflammation
of the bowels, as well as of the lungs ; and that it,
moreover, occasions Cholica Pictonum,^^ No one, I
apprehend, will deny the poisonous quality of acetate
of lead, any more than that of arsenic ; and yet both
may, by proper management, be rendered therapeutical
agents of value and safety. Forms of Exhibition.
In that of pill, guarded by opium ; it will be prudent
to recommend an abstinence from all potation, except
that of cold water, or draughts, composed of diluted
acetic acid, for at least an hour after the ingestion of
the pill.t Dose, gr. | to gr. j. Form, 57. Officinal
Prep. Cerat. Plumb, acetat. L.*

+ I uniformly adopt this plan ; the acetic acid is the best guard
that can be selected to protect the salt from decomposition ; even
the Tartrate of Lead, which is so insoluble in water, forms with
vinegar a soluble triple salt.

* Royal Preventive. — This pretended prophylactic against
venereal virus is a solution of Acetate of Lead.

POT . 379

POTASSA CUM CALCE. L.E.
Kali Caustigum cum Calce. D.

The addition of lime to potass renders it less deli-
quescent, and more manageable, as an escharotic.

POTASSA FUSA. L.

PoTAssA. E. Kali Causticum. D.

Lapis infernalis. P.L. 1720.

Qualities. Form^ a white brittle substance, ex-
tiemely caustic and deliquescent, and possessing in an
eminent degree all the properties denominated alkaline.
Solubility, f Jj of water dissolves 3vij ; it is also
soluble in alcohol. Chemical Composition. This
preparation, independent of its impurities, is the h^-
drated protoxide of potassium^ although in the state
in which it is cast into sticks it generally contains a
little Peroxide^ * and therefore evolves oxygen when
dissolved in water. Med. Uses. It is a most power-
ful caustic (causticum commune acerrimum)^ and is
frequently employed to establish an ulcer ; or, instead
of incision, to open a tumour. It has the advantage
of other caustics, from the circumstance of our being
able to neutralize its powers by touching it with vine-
gar, and thus to arrest its progress in an instant ; it is
however more liable to produce a large eschar than

* Peroxide of Potassium is produced by heating the metal in a
considerable excess of oxygen. It is an orange-coloured body,
which, upon being put into water effervesces, and gives oflf oxy-
gen, and is thus reduced to the state of protoxide.

580 POT

nitrate of silver, in consequence of the chemical action
of the alkali upon the skin. Within the las^t few years,
surgeons have greatly preferred the use of this caustiq
to that o^ nitrate of silver ^ in cases of organic stricture
of the urethra, as acting more powerfully, and yet
occasioning less irritation than the latter substance; it
is also said that the part which it destroys is sooner
detached and more easily eliminated. Its disposition,
however, to extend its sphere of action has occasioned
such a destruction of the membrane as to allow the
nrine to pass into the cellular substance, by which
very serious effects have been produced. For this rea-
son there are cases in which the nitrate of silver is still
to be preferred. As an internal remedy it is only em-
ployed in solution. See Liquor Potasses.*

POTASS^ ACETAS. L. Acetas Potass^. E.

AcETAs Kali. D. Kali Ac et at urn, P.L. 1787, — Sal
diureticu^, P.L. 1745. — Terra foliata Tartari —
Sal Sennerti, — Magisterium Purgans Tartari. —
Sal Essentiale vini. Oleum Tartari Sennerti. — Sal
digestivus Si/lvii^ SiC,

Qualities. Form^ masses of a foliated, laminar
texture, extremely deliquescent ; Odour, slight and
peculiar; Taste, sharp and pungent. Solubility.^
f^j of distilled water at 60^* dissolves 404 grains, or
100 parts of it are soluble in 105 parts of water ; the
solution soon undergoes spontaneous decomposition ;
it is soluble in four times its weitjht of alcohol, Che-
mical Composition. It consists of one proportional

* Potass forms the basis of many of those preparations, sold as
Depilatories ; in some instances combined with Lime. Collet's
Depilatory appears to consist of Quick-lime, and a portion of
Sulphurct of Potass.

POT 381

of each of its components, or 48 potass and 50 acetic
acid. Incompatible Substances. It is decomposed
by tamarinds J and most sub-acid fruits / by almost
every acid, as well as every variety of neutral salt,
whether alkaline^ acid, or metallic. Med. Uses. In
small doses, diuretic ; in larger ones, mildly cathartic.
Dose, 3j ^^ 3J ^^ produce the former, 3ij to 5iij to
excite the latter of these effects. Forms of Exhi-
bition. On account of its deliquescent property it is
not admissible in powders or pills, but should be al-
ways exhibited in solution. {Form, 108, 110, ill.)
In the former editions of this work, I introduced under
the present article, those views regarding the operation
of saline bodies upon the kidneys, and their decom-
position by the digestive organs, which I considered
as capable of throwing some light upon the medici-
nal operation of these bodies. Having, however,
in the present edition of my work devoted a chapter to
the consideration of Diuretics, I have necessarily re-
moved all my general observations upon this subject
to that part of the work ; 1 therefore entreiU, the reader to
refer to the first volume, page 173. Alibert, in speaking
of the diuretic virtues of this salt, says that it is so
well suited to the sensibility of the Absorbents that its
administration is frequently followed by very salutary
effects. ( EUmens de 21icrapeutique^ vol. i. p, 327.)

Adulterations. Tartrate of potass is discovered
by adding a solution of tartaric acid, which will occa-
sion with it a copious precipitate ; the sulphates^ by
their forming with acetate of lead, or muriate of baryta,
precipitates insoluble in acetic or muriatic acid. The
brown tinge which it frequently exhibits depends upon
the same cause as that which usually imparts colour to
the Liquor. Ammon. Acet. This salt is also sometimes
contaminated with lead^ which arises from its having

S82 POT

been prepared by decomposing the acetate of lead by
means of carbonate of potass,

POTASSiE CARBONAS. L.E.

Carbonate of Potass,
Qualities. Form^ crystals which are four-sided
prisms with dihedral summits, permanent in the air ;
Taste^ slightly alkaline without acrimony. Chemical
Composition. It is a bi-carbonate^ consisting of two
proportionals of carbonic acid and one proportional of
potass ; and in its crystalline form, it also contains
water equal to one proportional. Solubility. It is
soluble in 4 parts of cold, and in 5-6ths of its weight
of boiling water, in which it is partially decomposed,
carbonic acid being emitted during the solution ; it is
quite insoluble in alcohol. Med. Uses. In cases
where an alkali is indicated, this preparation offers an
agreeable and efficient remedy ; and experience has
shewn that its additional proportion of carbonic acid
does not in the least invalidate its alkaline agency. In
-disordered states of the digestive functions, alkalies
frequently act with surprising effect ; in calculous
affections their value has been already noticed (see
Liquor Potassce), and the stomach appears to bear
the protracted exhibition of the carbonate of potass or
soda, with more temper than it does that of any other
alkaline combination ; and on account of the increased
quantity of carbonic acid which this salt contains, it is
preferable for effervescing draughts. (See Acid. Citric,
and Form, 123, 168.) Incompatible Substances.
Acids and acidulous salts ; borax; muriate of ammo-
nia; acetate of ammonia; alum; sulphate of mag'
nesia; lime water ; nitrate of silver ; ammoniated cop-
per ; muriate of iron; sub-muriate and oxy -muriate
of mercury ; acetate of lead ; tartarized antimony;

POT 3S3

tartarixed iron; the sulphates of zinc ^ copper^ iron^
Sfc. Dose, grs. x to 5ss.

POTASS.^ NITRAS. L.E. Nitrum. D.
Nitre or Salt Petre.
Qualities. Form^ crystals which are six-sided
prisms usually terminated by dihedral summits. Taste,
bitter and sharp with a sensation of cold. Chemical
Composition. It consists of one proportional of
nitric acid, and one proportional of potass. Solu-
bility. It dissolves in seven parts of water at 60%
and in its own weight at 212°. Its solubility is con-
siderably increased by adding muriate of soda to the
water ; its solution is attended with a great reduction
of temperature ; it is quite insoluble in alchol. Incom-
patible Substances. Alum ; sulphate of magnesia;
sulphuric acid ; the sulphates of zinc^ copper, and
iron ; according to the usual laws of affinity, it should
be also decomposed by sulphate of soda; this however
only takes place at the temperature of 32°, and then
but partially. Med. Uses. Refrigerant, in which case,
the draught should be swallowed immediately after
the solution of the salt is complete, for if it be allowed
to stand for some time, its effect with regard to cooling
is not nearly so evident (see Form, 138, 144) ; as a
diuretic, its powers are too inconsiderable to be em-
ployed, except in combination {Form, 102, 109, 115,
170); a solution of 5j to f§vj of rose water forms a
good detergent gargle, and a small portion allowed to
dissolve slowly in the mouth, will frequently remove
an incipient inflammation of the tonsils : for its modus
operandi as a diuretic, see Potassce Acetas, Dose,
grs. X to XV, as a diuretic or refrigerant ; grs. xxv to
xl are aperient, and in large doses it excites vomiting,

384 POT

bloody stools, convulsions, and even death. The best
antidotes are opium and aromatics. Impurities. As
it occurs from the hand of nature it is far from pure,
and even by art it is freed with difficulty from sea
salt ; the presence and quantity of which in any speci"
men, may be learnt by adding nitrate of silver to its
solution as long as any precipitate is produced.

POTASS^ SUB-CARBONAS. L.E.

Sub-Carbonas Kali. E.

Kali Prceparatum, P.L. 1787. Sal Ahsinthii.

Sal TartarL 1745.

Before the nature of this salt was well understood^
it received various appellations according to the dif-
ferent methods by which it was procured, and it was
supposed to possess as many different virtues, as Salt
of Wormwood^ Salt of Tartar^ Salt of Bean Stalksy

Qualities. Form^ coarse white grains, so deliques-
cent, that by exposure to air they form a dense solution^
(Oleum Tartari per deliqumm, P.L. 1720.) Taste,
alkaline and urinous. * Chemical Composition.

* Sal Prunclle. Nitre, when coloured purple like a plum,
has been long esteemed in Germany as a powerful medicine,
under this name.

+ M. Chevreul supposes the urinous taste attibuted to fixed
alkaline bases not to belong to these substances, but to the am-
monia, which is set at liberty by their action on the ammoniacal
salts contained in the saliva; the proofs of which, he says, may
be derived from the facts that the sensation disappears upon
pressing the nostrils ; and that the same odour is perceived when
we smell to a mixture of recent saliva and fixed alkali, made in
a small glass or porcelaiae capsule. (See ray wrok on Medical
Chemistry, ^ 8.)

POT 385

This salt, althougli far from being pure, is suificiently
so for every pharmaceutical purpose. It consists of
one proportional of acid and one proportional of potass,
with variable quantities o^ sulphate of potass^ muriate
of potass^ siliceous earthy alumina^ together with the
oxides ofiron^ and manganese. Solubility. It is
dissolved by twice its weight of water ; the residue, if
any, may be considered as impurity ; it is insoluble in
alcohol ; with oils it combines, and forms soaps. In-
compatible Substances. They are enumerated
under Potassod Carbonas. Med. Uses. Antacid,
and diuretic, (Form, 101, 107, 129), but it is far less
pleasant than the carbonate ; it is principally used for
making saline draughts, see Acid. Citric, and Form.
107. Dose, grs. x to ^s. Officinal Prep. Potasscc
Acetas, L.E.D. (I) Liquor Potassce L.E.D. (K) Po-
t as see Sulphur etum{l.)\^.¥i.Y). Potassce Tart. L.E.D.
(I) Liquor Arsenicalis (I.I«.) Adulterations.
Its degree of purity may be estimated by the quantity
of nitric acid, of a given density, requisite for the satu-
ration of a given weight. The purest suh-carhonate is
that obtained by incinerating cream of tartar^ since
most of the impurities are decomposed by the heat du-
ring the process, ( Sub-carbonas Potassce Purissimus.
E.) ; it however generally contains lime.

POT ASSiE SULPHAS. L.E. Sulphas Kali. D.
Kali Vitriolatum^ P.L. 1787.

Tartar um Vitriolatum, 1745, a4id 1720.
Sal d€ duobus, Sfc.

Qualities. Fonn, crystals which are right rec-
tangular (but not square) prisms, modified on the
edges and angles : or double six-sided pyramids \^th

Vol. II. 2 b

S80 POT

short intervening prisms, which are macles, or hemi-
trope crystals ; they are slightly efflorescent, and when
heated they decrepitate. Solubility. f§j of water
dissolves only grs. 24 : the salt is insoluble in alcohol.
Incompatible Substances. It is partially decom-
posed by the nitric and muriatic acids, in which case,
a portion of the base being saturated, a corresponding
portion of bi-sulphate results ; this fact illustrates a
chemical law of some importance, viz. that a substance
less weakli/ attracted hy another than a third, will
sometimes precipitate this third from its combination
with the second, in cases wherein a super, or suh-salt
is readili/ formed."^ The history of tartrate of potass
will furnish farther illustrations. See vol, i. p. 340.
Sulphate of potass, when in solution, is entirely decom-
posed by lime and its compounds ; by oxy-muriate of
mercury ; nitrate of silver ; and by acetate and 5w6-
acetate of lead. Med. Uses. On account of its inso-
lubility, it does not possess much activity as a purga-
tive, but is said to be powerfully deobstruent ; it
should be exhibited in the form of powder, and in
conjunction with rhubarb, or some other purgative
medicine. Dose, grs. x to gss. Form, 94. From its
hardness and insolubility, it is a most eligible substance
for triturating and dividing powders. Officinal
Prep. Puh. Ipecac, co. L.E.D. (M) Under the
name Sulphas Potasses cum Sulphure, the Edinburgh
college retains the preparation formerly known by the
name Sal Poly crest (Salt of many virtues) ; ?iad a^
it is produced by deflagrating nitre with sulphur,
the product, besides sulphate of potass, contains bi-
sulphate and sulphuret of potass. It possesses no
superiority over the common sulphate.

* See my " Elements of Medical Chemistry," p. 157.

POT 387

POTASS^ SUPER-SULPHAS. L.

Sal Enixum of Commerce,

Qualities. Crystals^ long hexangular prisms;
Taste^ sour and slightly bitter. Chemical Compo-
sition. It is a bi-sulphate, consisting of tv/o propor-
tionals of acid, and one proportional of base. Solu-
bility. It is soluble in twice its weight of water, as
well as in alcohol. Med. Uses- It affords a conve-
nient mode of exhibiting sulphuric acid combined
with a saline purgative, in a solid form ; as it is more
soluble, so is it more active than the sulphate. Dose,
grs. X to 3ij. It forms a grateful adjunct to rhubarb.
See Form. 85.

POTASS^ SULPHURETUM. L.E.

Sulphuretum Kaki. D.

Kali Sulphuretum^ P.L. 1787. Uepar Sulphuris.

Qualities. Form^ a hard brittle mass ; Colour ^
liver brown, hence the old name of hepar ;' Taste,
acrid and bitter; Odour, none when dry, but if moist-
ened, it yields the stench of sulphuretted hydrogen.
Chemical Composition. I consider this substance as
a mixture of Sulphate of Potass, with variable quanti-
ties of Sulphuret and Bi-Sulphuret of Potassium.* In-
compatible Substances. It is instantly decomposed
by water, the oxygen of which forms Potass with the
Potassium ; while its hydrogen, combining with the
sulphur, produces Sulphuretted hydrogden, part of
which escapes, and another part forms, with the excess
of Sulphur, Bi-Sulphuretted hydrogen ; this latter
body uniting with the base, produces what has been

* See my Work on Medical Chemistry, p. 605.

2 b2

388 POT

termed an Ift/droguretted Sulphuret^ but which might
be more properly called an II i/dro-bi' Sulphur et ; upon
adding an acid to the solution, a quantity of Sulphur
is thrown down, Sulphuretted hydrogen is evolved, and
a salt of Potass remains in solution. Metallic salts
also decompose it, the metal falling down as a Sulphu-
ret, or Hydro-sulphuret. Medicinal Uses. It
presents us with a form in which sulphur is soluble
in water ; it is diaphoretic, and has been found ad-
vantageous in cutaneous affections, (Form. 118,)
and in arthritic and rheumatic complaints ; while,
from its known chemical action on metallic salts, it
has been proposed as an antidote to such poisons. Its
solution has been lately recommended as a lotion for
the itch of infants, and in some cases it has been known
to succeed after the sulphur ointment had failed.*

POTASStE super-tartras. l.e.

Tartarum. Crystalli. E.
Super-Tartrate of Potass. Cri/stals of Tartar,

Qualities. Forrriy small irregular brittle crystals,
which when reduced to powder are termed cream of
tartar. Taste, harsh and acid. Chemical Compo-
sition. It is a bi'tartrate, consisting of two pro-
portionals of acid and one proportional of potass.
Solubility. It requires 120 parts of water at 60°,
and SO parts at 212°, for its solution ; it is slightly

* I may take this opportunity to state that Sulphuretted Hy-
drogen, in a state of simple solution, or in combination with
other bodies, possesses considerable powers, as a remedy in many
cutaneous disorders, of a chronic character. The " Gas- Water,"
or that which i;emains alter the gas, used for ilkmiination, has
passed through the purifier, and which consists of Hydro-Sulphu-
ret and Ilydro-bi-SuIphuret of Lime, has been used with great
success in such cases.

POT 389

soluble in alcohol. The watery solution of this salt
was first observed by Berthollet to undergo a spon-
taneous decomposition by keeping, during which a
mucous matter is deposited, and there remains a solu-
tion of carbonate of potass coloured with a little oil.
It has long been regarded a pharmaceutical desidera-
tum to increase the solubility of cream of tartar ;
Vogel discovered that it might be accomplished by
combining it with boracic acid, and accordingly a for-
mula has been introduced into the Codex Medicamen-
tarius of Paris, for preparing a " Tartras Acidulus
PotasscB Solubilis^ admixto Acido Boracicoy The
following is the process. Let thirty parts of boracic
acid, and twenty parts of distilled water be heated to-
gether in a silver dish ; as soon as this has been effected,
add, in divided portions, 120 parts of super-tartrate of
potass, taking care to shake the mixture continually ;
the whole will soon liquefy, f " mire liquescent^'''' )
and by continuing the heat, a pulverulent ma.ss will
result. As it is extremely deliquescent it must be
carefully preserved from the contact of the air ; it dis-
solves in its own weight of water at 55°, and in half its
weight at 212°. It is probable that the result is a
new salt, in which the boracic and tartaric acids exist
in combination,* but grant even that the chemical
identity of the super-tartrate is presei*ved inviolate in
the compound, I would ask what medical advantage
can possibly attend the discovery ? The peculiar value
of cream of tartar depends doubtless upon its compa-
rative insolubility, as I have already stated in the First
Volume^ page 321 ; modify this, and you will instantly
chanofe the medicinal effects of the salt ; for like the
neutral tartrate it will act upon the bowels, and therefore
cease to undero^o those changes in transitu which are

* It may be termed a Boro-tartrate.

390 POT

essential to its characteristic operation. Alum also has
been observed by Berthollet to have in some measure
the same effect in increasing the solubility of cream of
tartar. Incompatible Substances. Alkalies and
alkaline earths ; the mineral acids ^ 8^c. Med. Uses.
In doses of 3iv to ^vj, it acts as ahydragogue cathartic,
producing a considerable discharge of serous Huid into
the intestines ; w^hen however it is often repeated, it is
liable to occasion debility of the digestive organs, and
consequent emaciation : in smaller doses it acts as a
diuretic. (Form. 112,) 3J in oj of boiling water, fla-
voured with lemon peel and sugar, forms when cool an
agreeable beverage well known by the name of Impe-
rial, A Cream of Tartar Whet/ may be made, by
adding to a pint of milk (when it begins to boil) ^ij of
Cream of Tartar ; the pan must then be removed from
the fire, the whole suffered to cool, and the whey sepa-
rated from the curd by straining ; this whey, diluted
with warm water, furnishes an excellent drink in
Dropsy. As it decomposes the carbonate of potass,
the union of these salts will afford a very pleasant pur-
gative draught. (Form, 82.J Officinal Prepa-
KATioNS. Pulv. Jalap, comp, E. (BM) Pulv, Scant'
mon, E. Pulv, Sennce comp. L. Ferrum Tartariza-
tiim^ L. (I) Antimonium Tartarizatum L.E.D. (I)
Soda TartarizatUy L.E.D. (I) Adulterations.
Super-sulphate of potass (Sal Enixum^) is the sub-
stance with which tartar is usually adulterated ; it may
be detected by its superior solubility, and by the solu-
tion affording with muriate of baryta a precipitate in-
soluble in muriatic acid.*

* Essential Salt of Lemons. The preparation sold under
this name, for the purpose of removing iron moulds from Hncn,
consists of cream of tartar, and super-oxalate of potass, or salt of
sorrel, in equal proportions.

POT 39i

POTASS^ TARTRAS. L. Tartu \s Potass^.

Olim, Tartarum Solubile. E. Tartras Kali. D.
Kali Tartarizatum, P.L. 1787.
Tartarum Solubile, P.L. 1745.

Qualities. Form; this salt, although ordered to
be crystallized, is generally kept in its granular form.
Taste, bitter and cool. Chemical Composition.
It consists of one proportional of acid, and one pro-
portional of base. Solubility. When in its crys-
talline form it is soluble in its own weight of water,
but in its ordinary granular form, 4 parts are required
for its solution ; hence, compared with the insoluble
super-tartrate, it has justly acquired the name o^ soluble
tartar ; when long kept in solution, its acid is decom-
posed, and its alkali remains in a state of a sub-carbo-
nate. It is also readily soluble in alcohol. Incom-
patible Substances. Magnesia, bari/ta, and lime ;
acetate and sub-acetate of lead, and nitrate of silver
decompose it. All acids, even the carbonic,'^ and
acidulous salts, tamarinds, and other sub-acid vege-
tables^ by neutralizing a proportion of the base, con-
vert it into the state of super-tartrate ; this fact offers
another illustration of the chemical law of affinity,
explained under the head of sulphate of potass. The
practitioner should bear this in his recollection, for I
have frequently seen a dose of soluble tartar directed
in the acidulated infusion of roses ; the result wag of
course very diiferent from that which the author of the
prescription intended to produce, Med. Uses. It is
a mild and efficient purgative, and forms a very valua-
ble adjunct to resinous purgatives or to senna, the
griping properties of which it corrects by accelerating
their operation. Form, 70. Dose, 3J to §j, in solu*
tion.

* See Vol. 1. p. 341.

392 PUL

PULVERES, L.E.D. Powders,
For the administration and advantages of this form

of preparation, see vol, i. page 355. The following
Officinal Formulae offer some valuable combinations.

PuLVis Aloes compositus. L. Pulvis Aloes cum
Guaiaco D. It consists of aloes three parts^ guaia-
cum two (G), and compound powder of cinnamon one
part (O). It combines sudorific and purgative effects.
JDose^ grs. x to 9j. See Form. 80.

PuLVis Aloes cum Canella. D. and P.L. 1807.
Aloes four parts ^ white canella (E) one part. It is
known in the shops by the name of Hiera Picra.
The compound is more adapted for the form of pills
than that of powder. It is very generally used by the
lower classes, infused in gin. Dose^ grs. x to 9j.

Pulvis Antimonialis. L.D. Oxidum Antimonii
cum phosphate Calcis. E. This preparation was in-
troduced into the Pharmacopoeia, as the succedaneum
of the celebrated fever powder of Dr. James ^ the
composition of which was ascertained by Dr. George
Pearson. (Phil. Trans. Ixxxi. 317.) It consists of
43 parts of the phosphate of lime, mixed, or perhaps
chemically combined, with 57 parts of oxide of anti-
mony, of which a portion is vitrified ; and it is probable,
that the difference of the two remedies depends princi-
pally upon the quantity of oxide which is vitrified :
the specification of the original medicine is worded
with all the ambiguity of an ancient oracle, and cannot
be prepared by the process as it is described. + Expe-

-+ His specification, lodged in Chancery, is as follows. *' Take
Antimony, calcine it with a continued protracted heat, in a flat
unglazed vessel, adding to it from time to time, a sufficient quan-
tity of any animal oil and salt, dephlegmated ; then boil it in
melted nitre for a considerable time, and separate the powder from
the nitre by dissolving it in water."

PUL 393

rience has established the fact, that James's Powder
is less active than its imitation ; it affects the bowels
and stomach very slightly, and passes off more readily
by perspiration ; in general how^ever the difference is so
inconsiderable, that wre need not regret the want of the
original receipt.* As it is quite insoluble in water, it
should be given in powder, or made into pills. It is
diaphoretic, alterative, emetic, or purgative, according
to the extent of the dose and the state of the patient ;
in combination it offers several valuable resources to
the intelligent practitioner. (See Form, 119, 121, 125,
129, 134.) But it may be fairly questioned whether
this remedy has not been far too highly appreciated.
Dr. James was certainly very successful in its use, but
it must not be forgotten that he usually combined it
with some mercurial, and always followed it up with
large doses of bark.

PuLVis CiNNAMOMi CoMPOsiTUs. L. Cinuamon

James's Analeptic Pills. These consist of James's powder,
gum ammoniacum, and the pill of aloes with myrrh, (Pil. Rufi)
equal parts, with a sufficient quantity of the tincture of castor
to make a mass.

* In consequence of the antimonial powder having proved inert
in the hands of Dr. EUiotson, although exhibited to the amount
of a hundred grains for a dose, Mr. Phillips was induced to exa-
mine more particularly into the nature of the oxide which enters
into its composition. " After the well established fact," says
he, " that peroxide of antimony is nearly or totally inert, it ap-
pears to me, that if proof could be obtained, that the oxide of
antimony is in this state, the deficiency of power in the Pulvis
Antimonialis would be accounted, for." He then proceeds to de-
tail his experiments, from which he deduces the composition of
this preparation to be as follows :

Peroxide of Antimony - 35
Phosphate of Lime - - 65

100
which exist together in a simple state of mixture. Until the sub-

SD4 PUL

hark four y Gardamom seeds (B) three, ginger root (B)
tzooy long pepper (B) one part. It is principally used
to give warmth to other preparations, e. g. Pulv, Aloes
comp. L.D.

PULVIS CoNTRAYERViE CoMPOSITUS. L. Con-

trayerva, five, prepared shells, eighteen parts (M).
. Dose, grs. x to xl. It is said to be stimulant and dia-
phoretic.

PuLVis CoRNU UsTi CUM Opio. L. Opium one
part, burnt hartshorn eight, powdered cochineal one
part. Ten grains contain one of opium.

PuLvis Cret^ CoMPosiTus. Prepared chalk
twelve parts, tormentil root (G), acacia gum (M), of
each sia:, cinnamon bark eight (E), long pepper (E)
one part. It is antacid, astringent, and carminative.
Dose, grs. v to 9j.

PuLvis Cret^ CoMPosiTus CUM Opio. L.
Compound powder of chalk thirti/'nine parts, opium
one part. Form. 151.

PuLVis Ipecacuanhje Compositus. L. E. D.
Ipecacuan one part, opium (H) one part, sulphate of
potass (M) eight parts. This combination has been
long established in practice, as a valuable sudorific,
under the name of Dover^s Powder. It affords one
of the best examples of the power which one medicine
possesses of so changing the action of another, as to
produce a remedy of new j)roperties ; in this combi-
nation the opium is so modified, that it may be given
with perfect safety and advantage in inflammatory

ject be dueidated by farther experiments, it will be difficult for
the chemist to persuade the physician, that he can never have de-
rived any benefit from the exhibition of Antimonial Powder, al-
though I am by no means inclined to concede to it that extraor-
dinary degree of virtue, which many practitioners are so eager to
uiaiutain.

PUL 395

affections accompanied with increased vascular action :
it would seem that whilst the opium increases the
force of the circulation, the ipecacuan relaxes the
exhalant vessels, and causes a copious diaphoresis:
the sulphate of potass is also an important ingredient,
for experience has fully proved that ipecacuan and
opium, in the same proportions, have not so powerful
an effect without it ; its action must be purely mecha-
nical, dividing and mixing the active particles more
intimately, and it appears that the success of the
remedy depends very much upon its being finely pow-
dered. Dose, grs. V. to 9j, diffused in gruel, or in the
form of a bolus. (See Form, 120, 121, 122.) The
saline constituent in the original Dover'' s Powder, was
the result of the deflagration of nitre, and was there-
fore deliquescent ; its dose was as much as from 40 to
70 grains. In the Codex of Paris, this compound is
directed to be prepared by melting together ybwr parts
of sulphate of potass, with an equal proportion of ni-
trate of potass ; to which when nearly cold is to be
added, and well mixed by triture, one part of pulver-
ized extract of opium ; the powders of ipecacuan and
liquorice root, of each one part ^ are to be added last.
It is evident that the proportions of opium and ipeca-
cuan in this combination, are less than those in ours,
and yet it is said to be more powerfully diaphoretic on
account of the nitre. An arrangement, which is in-
debted for its medicinal virtue to a similar mode of
operation, is presented in Form. 130>.

PuLVis ScAMMONiiE CoMPosiTUS. L. Scammouy
and hard extract of jalap, o^ e^c\i four parts ^ ganger
root (E) one part. The Edinburgh preparation of the
same name differs very materially in composition, its
ingredients being scammony and cream of tartar in
equal parts.

396 PYR

PuLVis Tragacanth^ Compositus. L. Pow-
dered Tragacanth, acacia gum, and starch, of each
one part ; refined sugar, two parts. From what has
been aheady stated under the head of mucilage of
tragacanth, it appears to be a superfluous, if not an
injudicious demulcent ; and since starch is insoluble in
cold water, the object for introducing it is not very
obvious. Form. 120.

Powders should be presetted in opaque green bot-
tles, as they are materially affected by the action of
light and air. Many of the compound ones should
be considered as extemporaneous, and ought to be
prepared only when they are required. The practi-
tioner is also cautioned against purchasing any medi-
cine in its powdered form, for so universal is the system
of adulteration, that regular formulae are observed in
the wholesale houses for sophisticating powders, and
Mr. Gray, in his " Supplement to the Pharmacopceias "
has given several specimens, under the title of " Pul"
veres Reducti^

PYRETHRI RADIX. L.E.D.

(Anthemis Pyrethrum. Radix.)
Pellitory Root.

Qualities. The dried root is inodorous, but upon
being chewed, it soon produces a pungent and peculiar
sensation. Solubility. Alcohol, aether, and boiling
water extract its virtues. Chemical Composition.
M. Gautier has lately shewn that the peculiar pun-
gency of the root depends on a fixed oil, which resides
in vesicles in the bark. Med. Uses. As a sialagogue,
especially in cases of tooth-ache, and in paralysis of
the tongue and muscles of the throat. (Form. 143).

PYR 397

It also constitutes the basis of a very valuable gargle,
in use at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, for relaxation
of the uvula and soft palate, as well as in certain
cases of deafness depending upon an enlarged state of
the tonsils. It is made by boiling Jss of the bruised
root in oj of distilled water, until the fluid is reduced
to one half; to which, when strained and cold, f 51) of
Liquor Ammonioe are to be added.

PYROLA UMBELLATA.* Ground Holly,

Although this plant has not yet found its way into
the materia medica of the Pharmacopoeia, its credited
virtues entitle it to some notice in the present work.
It was first brought into repute in this country by Dr.
Somerville (Med: Chirug : Trans: Vol. 5). It is
bitter, and consists of Resin, gum-resin, tannin, and
bitter extractive. Alcohol and proof spirit are its best
menstrua, but the watery infusion appears to contain
all the virtues of the plant. Med. Uses. It is said to
be diuretic, tonic, and deobstruent ; there is, however,
no evidence to shew that it acts, specifically, on any
other than the urinary organs. Dr. Ives, in the Ame-
rican edition of the present work, says, that as a diu-
retic medicine it has unquestionable merit, and that it
will frequently mitigate symptoms of gravel, and stran-
gury proceeding from other causes ; he does not, how-

* This plant is esteemed by the American Indians as a universal
remedy, and is always carried about with them. The members
of the profession have doubtless heard of an irregular practitioner,
who has persuaded a certain number of persons in this metropolis,
that he possesses remedies, obtained from the American Indians,
by which he is enabled to cure Scrofula iu its worst fprms ; it is
to this Empiric that I alluded in the note at page 60, of the fir§t
volume ; and it may he worthy of notice that the plaat upon
which he relies for success, is the Pyrola Umbellata.

S98 QUE

ever, agree with Dr. Barton, in considering it Antili^
thic. He has also given it, alternately with the Uva
Ursi, in haematuria ; the effects of severe and long con-
tinued gonoYrhoeal inflammation, with the most obvious
benefit, and he considers it very analogous in its ope-
ration to the Uva Ursi. In some instances it has ap-
peared to afford great relief in chronic cutaneous dis-
eases. Further observation is necessary to define the
mode and extent of its medicinal operation, but there
is no hazard in saying that it is a medicine possessing
considerable activity. Dr. Barton observes that this plant,
like Uva Ursi, occasionally imparts a black tinge to
the urine. Dose 5i to ^ij of the tincture ; f Jij to f§iv
of the infusion, prepared by pouring a pint of boiling
water upon §j of the stalks and leaves.

QUASSIA. L. E.D. (Quassia Excelsa. Lignum.)

Quassia,

This wood owes all its properties to a peculiar bitter
principle, which has been examined by Dr. Thomson
and named Quassin ; it is solid, slightly transparent,
and of a yellowish -brown colour. (See Infusum
Quassias.) It is said to owe its name to a West Indian
negro, called Quassi, who first used it in fevers.

QUERCUS CORTEX. L.E.D.

(Quercus Pedunculata. Cortex.)

Oak Bark.

Qualities. Odour^ none ; taste rough and astrin-
gent. Chemical Composition. We are indebted
to Sir H. Davy for a knowledge of this subject ; he
found that an ounce of the inner cortical part of young
oak bark afforded by lixivation ill grains of solid

RHE 399

matter, of which 77 were tannin', and the cellulai
integument, or middle-coloured part, only yielded 43
grains of solid matter, of which 19 were tannin ; and
the epidermis furnished scarcely any quantity o^ tannin
or extractive ; hence the bark should be selected from
the smaller branches of the oak where the epidermis is
still thin. Experience has, moreover, shewn that the
quantity of tannin varies considerably, not only ac-
cording to the age and size of the trees, but according
to the season at which they are harked ; thus, the bark
cut in spring contains, according to Beguin,'^ four
times more of the astringent principle, than that which
is obtained in winter. Med. Uses. All its properties
depend upon the presence of tannin, it is therefore
only valuable as a powerful astringent ; it is accord-
ingly employed to check inordinate discharges, see
Decoctum Quercus. Oak bark is sometimes adminis-
tered in the form of powder, combined with ginger
and other aromatics, and bitters, for the cure of inter-
mittents, and it has frequently succeeded, but see vol. i.
p, 310. Dose, 9j to 3SS. In the form of poultice this
powder is said to have proved highly useful to gan-
grenous sores. Its inhalation has also been supposed
to prove beneficial in consumption ; a striking case is
related by Dr. Eberle of a man who had laboured
under the usual symptoms of confirmed Phthisis, and
who, at the time he went to grind in a bark-mill, was
extremely weak and emaciated ; in a short time, how-
ever, the cough, night sweats, and other hectic symp-
toms, began to abate sensibly, and in less than three
months he was perfectly restored to health.

* Philosophical Transactions, 1799.

400 RHE

RHEI RADIX. L.E.D. Rhubarb A

Two varieties of this root are known in the shops,
viz. Turkey or Russian^ and East Indian or Chinese,
1. Turkey or Russi[AN. (Rheum Palmatum.)
Qualities. Farm, small round pieces, rather com-
pact and heavy, perforated in the middle ; Colour,
lively yellow with streaks of white ; it is easily pul-
verized, affording a powder of a bright buff-yellow
colour. Chemical Composition. Gum, resin, ex-
tractive, tannin, gallic acid, and a peculiar colouring
matter, with traces of alumina and silex ; the white or
flesh-coloured streaks pervading its substance, consist
of sulphate and oxalate of lime : according to the ex-
periments of Mr. John Henderson, there is besides a
peculiar vegetable acid, to which he has given the
name of Rheumic acid, but M. de Lassaignes has satis-
factorily proved that this is no other than the oxalic
acid : the purgative powers of the root appear to be
intimately connected with its extractive and resinous
elements, but the subject is still involved in consider-
able obscurity. Solubility. Water at 212° takes
up 24 parts in 60^ see Infusum Rhei : by decoction,
its purgative qualities are lost, and it becomes more
bitter and astringent ; alcohol extracts 2'7 from 10
parts, (see Tinct. Rhei.) Med. Uses. In this sub-
stance, Nature presents us with a singular and most
important combination of medicinal powers, that of an
astringent, with a cathartic property ; the former of
which never opposes or interferes with the energy of

+ Warner's Cordial. Rhubarb bruised | j ; Sennae gss;
Saffron 5 j ; Powdered Liquorice 5 iv ; Raisins pounded Ibj ;
Brandy oiij ; digest for a week and strain.

Moseley's Pills. The stomachic Pills which are sold under
this name, consist raerelj of Rhubarb and Ginger.

RHE 401

the latter, since it only takes efTect when the substance
is administered in small doses, or if given in larger
ones, not until it has ceased to operate as a cathartic ;
this latter circumstance renders it particularly eligible
in cases of diarrhoea, as it evacuates the offending mat-
ter before it operates as an astringent upon the bowels.
It seems to act more immediately upon the stomach
and small intestines, and therefore in relaxed and de-
bilitated states of these organs, it will prove an easy
and valuable resource ; it may, for such an object, be
exhibited in conjunction with alkalies, bitters, and
other tonics. Its cathartic property is most efficient
when given in substance. It was formerly supposed
that by toasting rhubarb we increased its astringency,
but this process merely diminishes its purgative force,
so that a larger dose may be taken. The colouring
matter of rhubarb may be detected in the urine of per-
sons to whom it has been exhibited ; it does not how-
ever appear to possess any specific powers as a diuretic.
Dose, grs. vj to x as a tonic ; 3j to gss as a purgative ;
the operation of which is considerably quickened by
the addition of neutral salts ; the super-sulphate of
potass forms also a very useful adjunct, and its acidu-
lous taste completely covers that of the rhubarb. Form^
83, 85. Its powder, when sprinkled upon ulcers, is
found to promote their healthy granulation. Off.
Prep. Infus : Rhei, L.E. Vinum Rhei Palmati. E.
Tinct. Rhei, L.E.D. Tinct, Rhei comp. L. Tinct.
Rhei cum Aloe, E. Tinct. Rhei cum Gentian. E.
Pil. Rhei comp. E.
2. East Indian, or Chinese. ( RheumVndulafum? )*

* Dr. Rehman asserts that it is the root of the same species as
that which produces the Turkey variety, but that it is pre^
pared with less care.

Vol. II, 2 c

402 RHE

Qualities. Form, long pieces, sometimes flat, as
if they had been compressed ; they are heavier, harder,
and more compact than those of the preceding species,
and are seldom perforated with holes ; Odour, stronger;
Taste, more nauseous ; white streaks less numerous, and
they afford a powder of a redder shade than those of
TurkeT/ rhxihsLYh, Chemical Composition. It differs
from the Turkey in containing less tannin and resin, and
according to the experiments of Mr. A. T. Thomson,
less oxalate of lime, in the ratio of 18 to 26. It con-
tains however more extractive and gallic acid. Solu-
bility. Water takes up one half of its weight, but
the infusion, although more turbid, is not so deep
coloured as that of Russian rhubarb ; alcohol extracts
4 parts in 10. It habitudes with acids, alkalies, and
neutral salts, differ likewise from those of the Russian
variety, as Mr. A. T. Thomson has exhibited in a very
satisfactory manner. (London Dispensatory, Edit, S,
p. 474.) Adulterations. The inferior kinds of
Russian, East Indian^ and even English rhubarb, are
artfully dressed up and sold under the name of Turkey
rhubarb. I am well informed that a number of per-
sons it this town, known in the trade by the name of
Russifiers, gain a regular livelihood by the art of dres-
sing this article, by boring, rasping, and then colour-
ing the inferior kinds ; for which they charge at the
rate of eighteen-pence per pound. The general indi-
cations of good rhubarb are, its whitish or clear yellow
colour, and its possessing the other characteristic pro-
perties as above mentioned ; it ought also to possess in
an eminent degree the peculiar odour, for when this is
xlissipated, the powers of the medicine are nearly de-
stroyed. In the form of powder, rhubarb is always
more or less mixed with foreign matter ; the detection
of which can be alone effected by a trial of its efficacy.

RTC 403

RICINI* OLEUM. L.E.D. (Ricinus Communis.)

Castorf Oil.
Qualities. Form^ a viscid and colourless, or pale
straw-coloured oil ; it is nearly inodorous, but on being
swallowed, excites a slight sensation of acrimony ia
the throat. It has all the chemical habitudes of the
other expressed oils, except those which relate to its
solubility in alcoholic and ethereal menstrua. Med.
Uses. It is mildly cathartic, and is particularly eli-
gible in cases where stimulating purgatives would prove
hurtful, but in obstinate constipation, where copious
evacuations are required, this oil cannot be trusted, it
will insinuate itself through the intestinal canal, bring-
ing with it a small portion of the more fluid contents,
but leaving behind it the collection of indurated faeces.
Forms of Exhibition. The most efficacious mode
of administering it is by floating it upon tincture of
senna, or peppermint water, or some other similar
vehicle ; it is also sometimes given with success in
coffee or mutton broth, or suspended in water by the
intervention of mucilage, yelk of egg {Form. 75,) or
by honey, which at the same time contributes to its
laxative operation : alkalies, although they form an
emulsion with it, convert it into a saponaceous com-
pound, and impair its cathartic force. Dose, f§ss to

• The seeds of this plant, from which the oil is expressed, are
variegated with black and white streaks, resembling in shape as
well as colour, the insect Ricinis or Tick, whence the name.
These seeds, from the acrid juice in their skins, are very drastic
and emetic ; they were however used by Hippocrates. Mathi-
OLus attempted to correct their emetic quality by torrefaction,
but without success. Gulielmus Piso proposed a tincture of
them, but the preparation is not only uncertain, but unsafe in its
operation. See Tiglii Semina.

+ For the derivation of the name Castor oil, see Vol. I, p. 71.

2c2

404 SAB

f§iss. Adulterations. It is usually adulterated with
olive oil or poppy oil, and when to a considerable ex-
tent, scammony is added to quicken its operation.
There is however a peculiarity in castor oil which
serves to distinguish it from every other fixed oil, viz.
its great solubility in rectified spirit ; for instance, fjiv
of alcohol of '820 will mix uniformly with any pro-
portion of castor oil, whereas it will not dissolve more
than f3J of Linseed Oil ; and a still less proportion of
the expressed oils of almonds and of olives ; when the
spirit is diluted, its action on all these oils is equally
diminished, so that common spirit of wine has but
little power even over castor oil ; but here chemistry
again interposes its aid, for by the addition of cam-
phor, in the proportion of one part to eight of spirit,
spirit of '840 is enabled to dissolve castor oil, whilst it
has no influence upon the other fixed oils ; castor oil
is also soluble in any proportion, in sulphuric aether of
the specific gravity '7563, while four fluid-ounces of
the same liquid will only dissolve a fluid-ounce and
a quarter of the expressed oil of Almonds; a fluid-
ounce and a half of that of Olives ; and two fluid-
ounces and a hsilf of Linseed oil. Vogel introduced a
composition, as a substitute for this oil, which some
practitioners have greatly extolled ; it consisted of nine
grains of the extract of Jalap, and three grains of Vene-
tian soap, triturated in a mortar with an ounce and a
half of Olive oil.

SABTN.E FOLIA. L. (Juniperus Sabina.)

Savine Leaves.

Qualities. Odo?ir^ heavy and disagreeable; Taste,
bitter, hot, and acrimonious. Chem. Comp. Essential oil,
which may be obtained by distillation with water; fixed
oil, bitter extractive, and resin. Solubility. Both

SAB 405

water and alcohol extract its active principles. Med.
Uses. It possesses highly stimulating properties, and
has been used as a diaphoretic, anthelmintic, and em-
menagogue. Rave, a German writer of great respecta-
bility, speaks of its use in chronic rheumatism in the
highest terms ; Alibert commends its anthelmintic
powers, but its reputation has principally rested upon
its generally acknowledged influence over the uterus.
The testimony of Dr. Home of Edinburgh is strong in
favour of its emmenagogue powers, but the adverse
opinion of Dr. CuUen brought it into disrepute. It
occasions a manifest flow of blood to the uterus, but
this is probably sympathetically produced by its direct
action on the large intestines ; for if given in large
doses it occasions great heat in the primae viae, haemorr-
hage, and inflammation of the bowels. It is therefore
inadmissible in all cases which are attended with fever,
or much vascular action. When amenorrhaea depends
upon a relaxed state of the general system, or on an
inactive and torpid condition of the uterine system,
it may often be employed with advantage. Wede-
kind, a German writer, extols it in the treatment of
that atonic or relaxed state of the uterus, attended
with an unnatural secretion and soft swelling of the
uterus, which is sometimes met with in women who
have suffered much from repeated child-bearing, and
which is so generally attended with a train of hysteric
disturbances. Dr. Eberle says that he has occasionally
employed it in cases of Amenorrhcea, in females of a
relaxed habit of body ; and although sometimes with-
out success, he has had sufticient evidence of its powers
to establish its claim to attention. In several cases,
similar to those above stated, I have employed the
Savin with much success, but I have found it very
liable to disturb the stomachy and to produce head-

406 SAC

ache. Forms of Exhibition. Some practitioners
have recommended that of powder, but it is almost
impossible to pulverize it w^ithout previously drying it
at a temperature which will dissipate the essential oil,
upon which its activity depends. The tincture affords
a more convenient form, and a compound tincture for-
merly occupied a place in the Pharmacopoeia, but has
been abandoned. A decoction of an ounce of the
leaves to a pint of water, with the addition of syrup,
has been also recommended ; an infusion, however,
would be preferable. Dose, of the powdered leaves
from grs. v to x ; of the tincture f3J ; of the decoction
f Jss to f §j. As an external local stinudant, or escha-
rotic, the dried leaves in powder are applied to warts,
flabby ulcers, and carious bones ; and the expressed
juice diluted, or an infusion of the leaves, as a lotion
to gangrenous sores, scabies, and thiea capitis ; or
mixed with lard and wax as an issue ointment. The
German writers speak very highly of its effects as a
poultice to old and obstinate sores. Officinal Prep.
Oleum Volatile Juniperi Sabince, E. D. (the dose of
which is from one to three minims.) Extractum Sa-
bina;. D. (a very inert preparation.) Ceratum SabinccLi,
The experiments of Orfila have shewn that Savine
exerts a local action, but that its effects depend prin-
cipally on its absorption ; through which medium it
acts on the nervous system, the rectum, and the sto-
mach. It still enjoys amongst the vulgar the reputation
of being capable of producing abortion.

SACCHARUM. L.E.D. Sugar*
Sugar, as a pharmaceutical agent, is employed for

* The Sugar cane is called in Arabic Lukseb. The produce of
it, Assakur^ hence Sugar. Some authors have alleinpted to de-
rive the word from Siccus a juice ; this is obviously an error.

i>AC 407

accelarating the pulverisation of various I'esinous sub-
stances, aiid when exliibited with the most acrid of
them, it prevents their adhesion to the coats of the
intestines, by wliich they might irritate and inflame
them ; it is also extensively used on account of its
power in preserving animal* and vegetable substances.
(See ConservcB.) Milk boiled with fine sugar will
keep for a great length of time, and might be very
conveniently employed during a long voyage. Dr.
Darwin also observes that fi'esh meat cut into thin
slices, either raw or boiled, might be preserved in
coarse sugar or treacle, and would furnish a very salu-
tary and nourishing diet to our sailors. Sugar exerts
also some chemical affinities which are highly interest-
ing to the pharmaceutic chemist. Vogel has published
a paper to shew% that when sugar is boiled with various
metallic oxides, and with difl'erent metalline salts, it
has the property of decom[X)sing them ; sometimes re-
ducing the oxide to the state of a metal, and at othere
depriving the oxide only of one of the proportionals of
oxygen; iini'i su/ph ate of copper snd nitrate of mer*
curt/ are precipitated in a metallic form, whilst per-
oxide ofmercvri/ and acetate of copper ai'e converted
into protoxides ; corrosive sublimate is changed into
cahmel^ but calomel is not susceptible of any further
decomposition. All those metallic salts which have
the power of decomposing water are not atlected by
sugar, as those of irow, %inc^ tin^ and manganese. It
appears, moreover, that sugar has the property of ren-
dering some of the Earths soluble in water. Sugar in
water, at the temperature of 50% is capable of dissolv'
ing one half of its weight of lime ; tlie solution thus

* For this purpose it may be added to certain oiiitmeubi to pre-
vent their hecomin^j rancid. For the reastms. however, above
staled, it nuisl not be boiled with the ingredients, but addetl after
Ihev arc cold.

408 SAP

produced is of a beautiful white-wine colour, and lias
the smell of fresh-slacked quick-lime. It is precipitated
from the solution by the carbonic^ citric^ tartaric^ sul^
phuricj and oxalic acids; and it is decomposed, by
double affinity, by caustic and carbonated potass and
soduj and by the citrate^ tartrate^ and oxalate of
potass, &c. The union of sugar with the alkalies has
been long known, and in the decomposition of the
solution of lime in sugar by the salts above mentioned,
the acid unites with the lime, and the alkaline base
forms a compound with the sugar.

SAPO. L.E.D. Soap.

I. DuRUs. (Hispanicus.) ' Hard^ or Spanish Soap.

Chemical Composition. Oil 60*94, soda 8*56,
water S0*50; the water is partially dissipated by being
kept, and the soap therefore becomes lighter. Muriate
of Soda is also an essential ingredient* of hard soap.
Solubility. Water dissolves about one-third of its
weio-ht of genuine soap, and forms a milky solution ;
alcohol also dissolves it, and affords a solution nearly
transparent, although somewhat gelatinous.t Incom-
patible Substances. 1. All acids and acidulous
salts, which combine with the alkali, and develope the
oil. 2. Earthy salts, e.g. Alum; muriate and sul-
phate of lime; sulphate of magnesia. 3. Metallic
salts. Nitrate of silver ; ammoniated copper ; tincture
ofmuriatediron; ammoniated iron ; acetate^ sub-mu*

* In those districts where Soap is generally made from wood
ashes, or from Russian or American potass, unless Salt were
added in large quantities, it would not have any consistence. As
Kelp and common Barilla contain a sufficient quantity of it, no
further addition is required.

t Transparent Soap is made by carefully evaporating the al-
coholic solution. The solution itself is sold under the name of
SiiAviNG Liquid, or "Essence Royale four faire la Barbe.**

SAP 409

riale^ and ox?/-muriate of mercury ; sub-acetate of
lead;\ tartarized iron; tartarized antimoni/ ; suU
phates of zinc^ copper and iron, 4. All astringent
vegetables. 5. Hard water. Medicinal Uses. In
large doses it is purgative ; in smaller ones, it is decom-
posed in transitu^ and its alkali is carried to the kid-
neys ; in this way it may act as a lithonthriptic ; or it
may produce its effects by correcting any acidity which
may prevail in the primce vios^ for the weakest acid is
capable of decomposing soap, and of uniting with its
alkaline base ; a solution of soap in lime water was
long regarded as one of the strongest solvents of urinary
calculi that could be administered with safety, but the
result of such a mixture is an insoluble soap of lime,
and a solution of soda ; in habitual constipation, and
in biliary obstructions, it is frequently prescribed in
conjunction with rhubarb, or some bitter; in which
cases it can only act as a laxative, or as a chemical
agent, in increasing the solubility of the substance
with which it is united. It has been also given in
solution as an antidote to metallic poisons, and it is
often successfully injected as a clyster, in unrelenting
and habitual costiveness ; as an external application,
it is used in the form of liniment, (see Linimenta.)
Its pharmaceutical value, in forming pill-masses, has
already been considered (voL'i. p, 364) and the follow-
ing formulce afford examples of such an application,

^ When a solution of soap and sub-acetate of lead are added
together, the potass of the former combines with the acetic acid
of tlie latter, and the fat and oxyd of lead are disengaged ; the
one rising to the surface, while the other is precipitated ; and yet
notwithstanding this complete decomposition, some surgeons are
in the habit of using an application which consists of a drachm of
the Liquor Plumbi Sub-Acctatis, and two ounces of the Lini-
mentuni Saponis ! We cannot have any hesitation in deciding
upon the inefficacy of such a mixture.

41^ SAR

viz. 14,80, 105, 118, 165. Officinal Preparations,
Pil. Saponis cum Opio. L. (L). PiL Scillce comp, L.
(M). Pil. Aloet. E. (!•). PiL Aloes et Assafoetidce.
E. (J). Pil' Aloes cum Zinzih. D. (!■). Pil, Color
c?/nth. comp, D. (L). Emplast, Saponis, L.E. Cera^
turn Saponis. L. Uniment. Saponis. comp. L.
Jjiniment. Saponis cum Opio. L. Adulterations.
Pulverized Lime, Gypsum, or Pipe clay, are sometimes
added ; but the fraud is easily detected by solution in
alcohol, when the earthy matters fall down.

II. Sapo Mollis. Soft Soap.

This differs from hard soap chiefly in its consistence,
which is never orreater than that of hoff's lard : it is
transparent, yellowish, with small seed-like lumps of
tallow diffused through it : the alkali employed for its
formation is a ley of potass, instead of that of soda.

SARSAPARILLA. L.E.D.

(Smilax Sarsaparilla. Radix.}
Sarsaparilla.
Qualities. Form, long and slender twigs, covered
with a wrinkled brown bark ; Odour, none ; Taste,
mucilaginous and slightly bitter. Chemical Comp.
Its virtues appear to reside in fecula ; it also contains a
very large proportion of vegetable albumen. Solubi-
lity. It communicates its active principle most com^
pletely to boiling water. (See Decoct. Sarsaparillce),
Med. Uses. According to Monardes, it was imported
by the Spaniards into Europe in 1549, as a specific re-
medy for the venereal disease ; but it soon fell into
disrepute, and so continued until about the middle of
the last century, when it was again brought into es-
teem by Hunter and Fordyce, as a medicine calculated
to assist the operation of mercury, as well as to cure

SAS 411

those symptoms which may be called the sequelce of a
mercurial course. Dose, of the powdered root 9j to
3J5 three times a day. In selecting the roots, it will be
right to choose such as are plump, not carious, nor too
dusty on breaking ; but rough, and which easily split
logitudinally. Officinal Prep. Decoctum Sarsa^
parillce, L.E.D. Decoct, Sarsaparillce comp: L.D.
Extractum Sarsaparillce. L. St/rupus Sarsaparillce^
Li, There are several species of Carex which are sub-
stituted for Sarsaparilla. The C. villosa (German
Sarsaparilla) is very commonly employed for this pur-
pose.

SASSAFRAS. L.E.D.

(Laurus Sassafras, Lignum^ Radix^ et Cortex,)

The Wood, Root, and Bark of Sassafras,

Qualities. Odour, fragrant; Taste, sweet and
aromatic. Chemical Composition. The qualities
of this plant depend upon an essential oil and resin.
Solubility. Its active parts are soluble in water
and alcohol. Med. Uses. It is said to be diapho-
retic, and diuretic ; and has been employed in cases
of scurvy, rheumatism, and in various cutaneous af-
fections ; it also formerly enjoyed the reputation of
being an antisyphilitic remedy. Its powers are very
questionable. Officinal Prep. Oleum Sassafras.
L.E.D. Decoct: Sarsaparillce comp. lu.D. Decoct:
Guaiac: L.E.D. Aqua Calcis comp : D.*

* Godfrey's Cordial. — The following receipt for this nos-
trum was obtained from a wholesale druggist, who makes and
sells many hundred dozen bottles in the course of a year. There
iire however several other formula? for its preparation, but they
are not essentially different. Infuse § ix of Sassafras, and of the
seeds of Carraway, Coriander, and Anise, of each § j, in six pints
of water, simmer the mixture until it is reduced to four pints j

412 SCA

SCAMMONIA. L.E.D.

(Convolvulus Scammonia Gummi-resina.)

ScAMMONiUM. D. Scammoni/,

Qualities. Form^ blackish -grey cakes ; Taste ^
bitter and sub-acrid ; Odour^ heavy and peculiar ;
when rubbed w^ith w^ater, the surface lathers or laC'
tifies. Specific graviti/ 1*235. Chemical Composi-
tion. Resin is the principal constituent; 16 parts of
good Aleppo Scammony yield 1 1 parts of resin, and
3| of watery extract. That from Smi/rna contains
not more than half the quantity of resin, but more
extractive, and gum. Solubility. Water, by tri-
turation, takes up one-fourth, alcohol two-thirds, and
proof spirit dissolves all, except the impurities. In-
compatible Substances. Neither acids, metallic
salts, nor ammonia, produce any change in its solu-
lutions, but the fixed alkalies occasion yellow precipi-
tates ; and yet they do not appear to be medicinalli/
incompatible with it ; thus Gaubius, " Scajnmoneum
acidi commixtio* reddit inertius ; alcali jixum^ con-
tra^ adjuvaty The mineral acids appear to destroy a
part of the substance, without in the least altering the
rest. The discrepancy which exists in authors res-
pecting the power of this drug, seems to have arisen
from its operation being liable to uncertainty, in con-
sequence of peculiar states of the alimentary canal;
for instance, where the intestines are lined with an ex-

thcn add Ibvj of Treacle, and boil the whole for a few minutes ;
when it is cold, add f 1 iij of the tincture of Opium. The exten-
sive and indiscriminate use of this nostrum in the nursery, is a
subject of national opprobrium, and is so considered by foreign
writers. See Fodere, Medicine Legale, vol. iv. p. 22.

* M. Virey says, *' On observe que des acides ch&trenl, pour
ainsi parlcr, tout I'encrgic de la Scamnionec."

SCA 41

cess of mucus, it passes through without producing
any action, but where the natural mucus is deficient,
a small dose of scammony may irritate and even in-
flame the bowels. In this latter case, my practice has
been to administer the purgative in a mucilaginous
draught, or emulsion. Med. Uses. It is an efficacious
and powerful cathartic, very eligible in worm cases,
and in the disordered state of bowels which so com-
monly occurs in children. Dose, grs. iij to xv, in the
form of powders triturated with sulphate of potass,
sugar, or almonds ; when given alone, it is apt to ir-
ritate the fauces ; it may be also administered as a
solution, effected by triturating it with a strong decoc-
tion of liquorice, and straining. (Form. 78, 83.)
Officinal Preparations. Confect: Scammon:Li.D.
Puh : Scammon : co. L.E. Extract : Coloci/nth : co.
L. (F) Ptflv. Sennce co. L. * (F) Adulterations.
Two kinds of Scammony are imported into this country,
that from Aleppo^ which is the best ; and that from
Smi/rna^ which is more compact and ponderous, but
less pure ; it is commonly mixed with the expressed
juice of the cynanchum monspeliacum ; it is also so-
phisticated with j^owr, sand^ and ashes ; their presence
may be detected by dissolving the sample in proof
spirit, when the impurities will sink, and remain un-
dissolved ; carbonate of lime is moreover frequently
added to Scammony, in which case the sample will
effervesce in acids : there is however a compound
bearing the name of Scammony, to be met with in the
market, wliich is altogether factitious, consisting of
jalap, senna, manna, gamboge, and ivor^ black. Good

* Count Warwick's Powder. The purgative long known
and esteemed under this name, consisted of Scammony, Oxide of
Antimony, and Cream of Tartar. It is much extolled by Baghvi,
and by Van-Swieten, as an efficacious purgative in intermittent
fevers.

414 SCI

Scammony ought to be friable, and when wetted with
the finger, it should lactifyy or become milky : and
the powder should manifest its characteristic odour,
which has been compared to that of old ewe milk
cheese.

SCILL^ RADIX. L.E.D. (Scilla Maritima.)
Squill Root, (Bulb.)

Qualities. Odour, none ; Taste, bitter, nauseous,
and acrid ; when much handled, it inflames, and ul-
cerates the skin. By drying, the bulb loses about
four-fifths of its weight, and with very little diminu-
tion of its powers, provided that too great a heat has
not been applied. Chemical Composition. Ac-
cording to Vogel, gum 6 — tannin 24 — sugar 6 — bitter
principle (Scillitin, which is white, transparent, and
breaks with a resinous fracture) 35 — woody fibre SO.
Solubility. Squill gives out its virtues so perfectly
to any of the ordinary menstrua, as to render the form
of its exhibition, in that respect, a matter of indiffer-
ence. Incompatible Substances. Alkalies diminish
their acrimony and bitterness, and are probably medi-
cinalli/ inconsistent with their diuretic qualities, but
farther experiments are required to decide this ques-
tion : vegetable acids produce no effect upon their
sensible qualities, but are said to increase their expec-
torant power. Med. Uses. According to the dose,
and circumstances under which it is administered, it
proves expectorant, diuretic, emetic, or purgative ; as
an expectorant, it can never be employed where pul-
monary inflammation exists, for in such cases, instead
of promoting, it will check any excretion from the
lungs ; its combination with a diaphoretic will fre-
quently increase its powers, and generally be a measure

SCI 415

of judicious caution. See Form, 133, 134, 135, 139.
For the philosophy of its action, the reader must refer
to the classification of Expectorants, vol. 1, p. 191.
As a diuretic, it seems to act by absoi-ption, and we
accordingly find, on the authority of Dr. Cullen, that
when the squill operates strongly on the stomach and
intestines^ its diuretic effects are less likeli/ to happen;
he therefore found that by accompanying it with art
opiate, {Form, 100) the emetic and purgative operation
may be avoided, and the squill be thereby carried
more entirely to the kidneys. Experience, moreover,
has taught us the value of combining this medicine
with some mercurial preparation, by which its diuretic
powers ai'e very considerably augmented ; and it has
been farther stated, that such a combination is parti-
cularly efficacious in Hydro thorax, especially when it
produces inflammation of the gums, and of the glands
about the throat, by which action it is supposed to
cause a derivation from the exalants of the pleura, and
thereby to diminish the dropsical effusion. Form :
102, 103, 106, 107, 109, 112, 115,) but we must take
care that the remedy does not occasion purging. In
the exhibition of squill, it has been often delivered as
a i*ule, to give it to the extent necessary to induce nau-
sea, as affording a test of the medicine being in a state
of activity ; such a state of the system, moreover, may
assist the absorption of the remedy. Dr. Home, in
opposition to the opinion of Cullen, maintained that
the powers of Squill as a diuretic, were increased by
combining it with bodies capable of promoting its full
emetic operation : after what has been observed, how-
ever, it is unnecessary to dwell upon the mischievious
tendency of such a practice. By referring to our tabu-
lar arrangement of Diuretics, vol. 1, p. 191, the reader
will find that 1 consider its action upon the urinary

416 SEN

organs to depend upon its bitter principle (Scilliiin)
being developed, and carried, by the medium of the
circulation, to the secreting vessels of the kidneys,
which it thus stimulates by actual contact. As an
emetic, it has been advised in solution, in cases of
hooping cough, but its extreme uncertainty renders it
unfit for exhibition, unless as an adjunct to emetic
combinations, as in Form : 65. Plenck makes men-
tion of a child which had convulsions in consequence
of taking some Squill. Dose. Of the dried root gr. j
to iv. Officinal Preparations. Acetum Scillce^
L.E.D. Pil: Scill: comp: L.E.D. Pulv: Scill:
E.D. Syrup. Scill: maritim : E. Tinct : Scill: L.D.

SENEGiE RADIX. L.E.D.

(Polygala Senega) Radix.

Qualities. Form, the dried root is internally
white ; externally it is covered with a brownish grey,
corrugated, transversely cracked cuticle. Odour, none.
Taste, at first sweetish, but afterwards hot and pun-
gent, producing a very peculiar tingling sensation in
the fauces. Chemical Composition. Its virtues
reside in resin. Solubility. Alcohol extracts the
whole of its active matter ; hot water only partially.
Medicinal Uses. As a stimulant ; but it is rarely
used. In America it is used against the bite of the
rattlesnake. Officinal Preparations. Decoctum
Senegce. L.E.

SENN^ FOLIA. L.E.D. (Cassia Senna.)

Senna Leaves.

Qualities. Odour, faint and sickly ; Taste, slightly
bitter, sweetish, and nauseous. Chemical Compo-
sition. Extractive, resin, mucilage, and saline mat-

SEN 417

ter ; it contains within itself a purgative principle and
a bitter element ; and although the latter is per se
inert, yet in combination, its presence aids and exalts
the efficacy of the former. M. M. Lassaigne and Fe-
nuelle have lately announced the fact of their having
procured the purgative principle of Senna in a separate
form, and to which they have given the name of Cath'
artine. It is said to be an unciystallizable substance,
of a reddish -yellow colour, and of a particular smell,
and bitter nauseous taste, soluble in alcohol and water,
in all proportions ; but farther experiments are required
upon this subject. Solubility. Both water and
spirit extract the virtues of Senna ; to water and proof
spirit the leaves communicate a brownish colour, more
or less deep according to the proportions employed ;
to rectified spirit they impart a fine green colour. The
powdered leaves of Senna are very apt to undergo a
change by exposure to a humid atmosphere, becoming
covered with a kind of mouldiness which contains a
small proportion of potass. Medicinal Uses. See
Infus : SenncB, Officinal Preparations. Con-
fectio SenncE^ L.E.D. Extract: Cassioe Sennce. E.
Infus : SennoB. L.D. Infus : Tamarind : emu Senna,
E.D. Pulv. Sennce comp : L. Tinct : Senna. L.D.
Tinct : Sennce comp : E. Si/rup: Sennce. L. D.
Adulterations. The leaves of Senna are imported
from Alexandria in a state of adulteration, being mixed
by the merchants of Cairo with the leaves of Cynan-
chum Oleafolium^ (Arguel) and with those of Colutea
Arborescens ; the former are distinguished by their
gi'eater length as well as by their structure, which
differs from the leaves of Senna in having a straight
side, and being regular at their base, and in not dis-
playing any lateral nerves on the under disk : the lat-
ter are so different from Senna leaves, that there is no
Vol. 11. 2 d

418 SER

difficulty in at once recognising them. The Tripoli
Senna contains a much larger proportion of Cynan-
chum J and of the other adulterations; as a general
rule, those leaves which appear bright, fresh, free from
stalks and spots, that are well and strongly scented,
smooth and soft to the touch, thoroughly dry, sharp
pointed, bitterish, and somewhat nauseous, are to be
preferred.

SERPENTARIiE RADIX. L.D.

(Aristolochia Serpentaria, Radix,)

Serpentaria Root. Virginian Snake root^ or Birthworf,

Qualities. Odour, of the dried root, aromatic,
and somewhat resembhng that of Valerian ; Taste,
pungent and warm, with a degree of bitterness, not
very unlike that of camphor, or of the pinus canaden-
sis. Chemical Composition. Resin and an essen-
tial oil constitute its active ingredients. Solubility.
Its virtues are extracted by water, as well as by alco-
hol. The tincture has a bright green colour, which is
rendered turbid by water. It neither affects Tannin
nor Gelatine, nor does it precipitate the salts of iron.
Medicinal Uses. It has been regarded as service-
able in cases that required the combined powers of a
diaphoretic and tonic, as in some of the stages of ty-
phus and other low fevers ; it has also been found to
exalt the febrifuge powers of the bark in cases of pro-
tracted intermittents. It is likewise valued on account
of its efficacy in certain cases of dyspepsia, attended
with a dry skin. Its stimulating properties will of
course prevent its application in the inflammatory dia-
thesis. Forms of Exhibition. In substance, or in an
infusion, made by macerating 3iv of the bruised root in
f §xij of boiling water in a covered vessel for two hours,

SIM 419

and straining. Decoction will necessarily dissipate its
essential oil, and impair its powers ; whenever there-
fore it is directed in combinations which require this
process, it should not be added until after the other
ingredients iiave been boiled, as illustrated by Form :
40. Dose of the powdered root 9j to 5ss or more;
of the infusion fBj — f^ij. Officinal Preparations.
Tinct : Serpentarioe, L.E.D.* Tinct : Cinchonce comp:
L.D. Electuarium Opiatum, E.

The roots of the Collinsonia prcccox are frequently
found mixed with those of Serpentaria in the market.

SIMAROUB^ CORTEX. L.E.D.

(Quassia Simarouba Cortex.)

Simarouha Bark.

Qualities. Form^ long pieces a few inches in
breadth, and folded lengthwise ; fibrous, rough, and
scaly ; and, when fresh, of a pale yellow colour on the
inside. Odour , none ; Taste, bitter, without any
astringency. Chemical Composition. Its virtues
are principally connected with extractive matter ; it
does not contain any tannin or gallic acid. Solubi-
lity. Alcohol and water take up all its active matter.
Medicinal Uses. It has been considered tonic, and
has been used with advantage as such in intermittent
fevers. To Dr. Wright we are principally indebted
for a knowledge of its powers. It has been much com-
mended in the latter stages of dysentery, after the fever
has abated, and the tenesmus continues with a sinkinop
pulse. Alibert says that it has been used with much
success at the hospital of St. liouis, in diarrhoea, fol-

* It enters into the composition of Stoughton's Elixir, for
which see Gentianje Radix.

2d2

420 SIN

lowing scurvy, and intermittent fever. Dose, B'l to
5ss, but it is more conveniently given in the form of
infusion, which see. Officinal Preparations.
Infus : Simaroubce, L.

The Dublin college has admitted the wood of this
tree into their materia medica, but it is perfectly inert.

SINAPIS SEMINA.

(Sinapis Nigra. L. Alba. E.D.)

Mustard Seeds.

Chemical Composition. Fecula, mucilage, an
acrid volatile oil on which their virtues depend, and
which on standing deposits a quantity of sulphur, a
bland fixed oil, which considerably obtunds the acri-
mony of the former constituent ; t and an ammoniacal
salt. Solubility. Unbruised mustard seeds, when
macerated in boiling water, yield only an insipid muci-
lage, which like that of linseed, resides in the skin ;
but when bruised, water takes up all the active matter,
although it is scarcely imparted to alcohol. Medici-
nal Uses. It is a beneficial stimulant in dyspepsia;
chlorosis, and paralysis ; for which purpose, a tea
spoonful of the bruised seeds may be administered ;
or a whei/ may be made, by boiling a table spoonful of
the bruised seeds in oj of milk, and straining ; of which
a fourth part may be taken three times a day, (see
Form. 46), or it may be given in infusion, (Form. 45.)
The farina made into a paste with crumbs of bread and
vinegar, affords one of the most powerful external
stimulants which we can apply, and is technically
termed a Sinapism ; it produces intense pain, and ex-

+ It is for this reason that the cake left after expression is so
much more pungent than the seeds, for the fixed oil can be easily
separated by pressure.

SOD 421

cites an inflammation entering much more into the true
skin than that which is excited by the Lyttae ; it is
therefore worthy attention in all internal inflammations
where bleeding is limited : if necessary it may be quick-
ened by the addition of oil of turpentine. If a table
spoonful of powdered mustard be added to oj of tepid
water, it operates briskly as an emetic. Officinal
Preparations. Cataplasm: Sinap. L.D. Emplast:
Meloes com : E.* (B) Infusum Armor acice comp :
Li. (B) Adulterations. Fine powder, or flower
of mustard, as it occurs in commerce, contains only
one-sixth part of genuine mustard, the remainder con-
sists of flour, coloured by turmeric, and made pungent
by the addition of powdered capsicum.

SODA TARTARTZATA. L. Tartras Sod^ et
Potass^. E. Tartarus Sod^e et Kali. D. olim.
Sal de Seignette, Sal Rupellensis^ or Rochelle Salt.

Qualities. Form, a right prism, with rhombic
terminations, very slightly efflorescent. Taste, rather
bitter and saline. Chemical Composition. It is a
triple salt, formed by neutralizing the excess of acid
in super-tartrate of potass, with soda, and consisting
of 2 atoms of acid -|- 1 of soda -J- 1 of potass. By a
strong heat it is resolved into a mixture of carbonate
of potass and carbonate of soda. Solubility. It is
soluble in five parts of water at 50°. Incompatible

* Whitehead's Essence of Mustard. — This consists of oil of*
turpentine, camphor, and a portion of spirit of rosemary ; to
which is added a small quantity of flour of mustard.

Whitehead's Essence of Mustard Pills. — Balsam of Tolu,
with resin !

Ready Made Mustard. — This is made up with currant wine,
and sugar ; formerly Must, or grape juice, was employed for this
purpose, whence the name i>/wi7ard.

422 SOD

Substances. Most acids^ and acidulous salts (except
the Super-tartrate of potass) which convert the tartrate
of potass into bi-tartrate, or super-tartrate. The acetate
and sub'acetate of lead; harytic salts, and the salts
of lime are decomposed by it. Med. Uses. Similar
to those of Potass ce Tartras, See Form, 77, and 86,
the latter of which presents a very grateful and effica-
cious purgative. Dose, 3ij to §j as a purgative.

SOD^ CARBONAS. L.E. Carbonate of Soda,

This salt, when properly prepared, is a bi'Carhonate,
but so delicately are the affinities of its constituent
parts balanced, that the application of a very moderate
temperature is sufficient to subvert them, and to occa-
sion partial decomposition. Mr. Phillips states that
although he has seen what he believes to be real bi-car-
bonate in the state of the moist crystals, yet he has
never met with any that was dry which had not lost
one-fourth of its carbonic acid by exposure to heat; it
is then a white gritty powder, less soluble in water
than the sub-carbonate, like which it possesses an
alkaline taste, and turns vegetable yellows brown, but
both in a less degree. This salt, which is generally
sold, as the carbonate of the pharmacopoeia, and the
bi-carbonate of chemists, Mr. Phillips considers as a
compound of an atom of carbonate, (sub-carbonate )
and an atom of bi-carbonate, combined with four
atoms of water, It is therefore, according to the
phraseology of some chemists, a Sesqui-carbonate^*

* This term is also applied to the Sub-carbonate of Ammonia.
The objection to its use depends upon the solecism which it in-
volves ; the division of an atom, which, according to chemical
principles, is indivisible; but this objection may be answered by
stating, that the term is one merely of convenience, and serves to
express the proportions of the acid and its base. The chemical

SOD 42S

as being equal to an atom and a half of acid and one
atom of base. The chemical habitudes of this salt, as
connected with its medicinal applications, are similar
to those o£ the carbonate of potass, which see. Med.
Uses. As it is less nauseous, so is it more eligible
than the sub-caxhonate of the same alkali ; in other
respects its effects are the same; vide Sodce Sub-car*
bonas. Dose, grs. x to 5ss.t Adulterations. If
the salt, after super-saturation with dilute nitric acid,
give a precipitate with nitrate of baryta, it contains

difficulty is at once solved by multiplying each by two, which
will make the proportions as 3 to 2, instead of 1^ to 1.

+ SoDAic Powders. — Contained in two distinct papers, one
of which is blue, the other white ; that in the former consists of
3 ss of the carbonate of soda, that in the latter of grs. xxv of tar-
taric acid. These powders require half a pint of water. It is
very evident that a solution of these powders is by no means simi-
lar to " Soda Water," which it is intended to emulate; for in
this latter preparation, the soda is in combination only with car-
bonic acid; whereas the solution of the " Sodaic Powders" is
that of a neutral salt, with a portion of fixed air diffused tlirough it.

Patent Seidlitz Powders. — These consist of two different
powders; the one, contained in a white paper, consists of 3 ij
of Tartarized Soda, and Bij of Carbonate of Soda ; that in
the blue paper, of grs. xxxv of tartaric acid. The contents
of the white paper are to be dissolved in half a piat of
spring water, to which those of the blue paper are to be ad-
ded ; the draught is to be taken in a state of effervescence.
The acid being in excess renders it more grateful, and no less
efficacious as a purgative. This preparation cannot be said to bear
any other resemblance to the mineral water of Seidlitz, than in
being purgative. The v/ater of this spring, which was discovered
by Hoffman about a century ago, contains Sulphate of Magnesia
as its active ingredient, together with Muriate of Magnesia, and
Sulphate, and Carbonate of Lime. In the Codex Medicamen-
tarius of Paris there are two formulae for the preparation of a
water which may resemble that of Seidlitz, the one differing from
the other merely in Uie proportion of its Sulphate of Magnesia.

424 SOD

some sulphuric s:\lt; and if with nitrate of silver, we
may infer the presence of a muriate.

SODiE MURTAS. L.E.

Sal Commune, Murias Sodse. D.

Muriate of Soda. Common Salt,

Qualities. Form, that of regular cubes, which
do not deliquesce unless contaminated with muriate of
magnesia.* Chemical Composition. It consists,
according to Berzelius, of 46*55 of muriatic acid, and
53*45 of soda ; according to the new theory, however,
this salt must be considered as a true muriate of soda,
only while it remains in aqueous solution ; for when it
is reduced to dryness, the muriatic acid and the soda
become both decomposed, and the hydrogen of the
former uniting with the oxygen of the latter, they pass
off in the form of water, while the chlorine of the
muriatic acid unites with the metallic base of the soda,
to form chloride of sodium^ which consists of an atom
of each constituent. It is perhaps difficult to believe
that the same salt should be chloride of sodium in the

* Our English Salt is generally thus contaminated ; for which
reason it is unfit for the curing of several kinds of fish ; this will
not appear strange, says Mr. Parkes, when it is considered that
merely its own weight of water is all that is necessary for the
complete solution of muriate of magnesia; a circumstance which
renders it impossible to preserve such salt for any length of time,
in a dry state. This muriate however might be separated from
common salt, on a large scale, for one shilling per cwt. By ex-
posing the salt to a gentle heat in reverberatory furnaces, the
muriatic acid of the magnesian muriate will fly off, and the
magnesia (on a subsequent solution ot the salt) will be precipi-
tated. It is well known that muriate of magnesia begins to part
with its acid at a temperature a little higher than that of boiling
water.

SOD 425

hand, and muriate of soda in the mouth ! but it is not
the less true, nor is it more incredible than the change
which Sulphuret of potass undergoes by solution, the
decomposition of which is rendered evident to the
senses by the evolved sulphuretted hydrogen. Late
researches have also detected both in rock and in other
salt, the presence of muriate of potass^ and muriate of
magnesia,* Solubility. It is equally soluble in
cold and in hot water, one part of the salt requiring
rather more than 2| parts. Med. Uses. The effects
of salt upon the animal and vegetable kingdoms, are
striking and important,t and have furnished objects of
the most interesting enquiry to the physiologist, the
chemist, the physician, and the agriculturist ; it appears
to be a natural stimulant to the digestive organs ; and
that animals are instinctively led to immense distances
in pursuit of it ; for proof of this fact the reader is re-
ferred to " ParJces on the repeal of the Salt Laws,''^
and to an interesting work by my late lamented friend.
Sir Thomas Bernard, entitled, " Case of the Salt
Duties, with Proofs and Illustrations,^^ J Salt, when

* The annual quantity of saU raised from the Salt Mines and
Springs in Europe, is estimated at from 25 to 30 millions of cwt.

t The respect paid to Salt amongst Eastern nations is very
remarkable, and may he traced to the highest antiquity. Homer
gives to it the epithet of Oslov, H. ix. p. 214.

:}: In addition to the numerous instances cited by these authors,
I may here introduce one which has been just communicated to
me by my friend Mr. John Taylor, the agent of the London Com-
pany for working the Real del Monte Silver Mines in Mexico.
He states that the ore, which consists of the Sulphuret of Silver,
is, together with Mercury, amassed in heaps with iron pyrites
and common salt ; and that such is the greediness of the Mules
employed in the works for the Salt, that they are constantly
licking the materials ; the consequence is that a portion of
the Silver Amalgam is introduced into their stomachs ; the ani-

426 SOD

taken in moderate quantities, promotes, ^ while in ex-
cessive ones, it prevents digestion ; it is therefore tonic
and anthelmintic, correcting that disordered state of
the bowels which favours the propagation of worms.
In Ireland, where, from the bad quality of the food,
the lower classes are greatly infested with worms,* a
draught of salt and water is a popular and efficacious
anthelmintic. Form : 162, is a prescription by Rush,
who says that in this manner he has administered many
pounds of common salt with great success in worm cases.
In the first volume of the Medical Transactions we

mals, however, suffer no inconvenience ; but, after death, on
opening their stomachs, it is not unusual to find considerable
masses of Silver, the mercury having escaped, or been dissolved
by the gastric juice.

^ The celebrated Indian Tonic for Dyspepsia and Gout, called
Bit laban, is prepared by fusing together muriate of soda and
some other ingredients. See Dr. Fleming's Catalogue of Indian
Medicinal plants and drugs, p. 54, 55.

* I have myself witnessed the bad effects of a diet of unsalted
fish; and in my examination before a Committee of the House of
Commons in 1818, appointed " for the purpose of inquiring into
the laws respecting the Salt Duties," I stated the great injury
which the poorer classes in many districts sustained in their health,
from an inability to procure this essential article. Lord Somervillc
(in his address to the Board of Agriculture) gave an interesting
account of the effects of a punishment which formerly existed in
Plolland. "The ancient laAvs of the country, ordained men to
be kept on bread alone, unmixed with salt, as the severest
punishment that could be inflicted upon them in their moist cli-
mate ; the effect was horrible : these wretched criminals are said
to have been devoured by worms, engendered in their own
stomachs."

Salt was an object of taxation at a very early period in this
country ; Anciis Martins, 640 years before our era ' Salinarum
Vectigal instituit.' This tribute was continued on the Britons
when our Isle was possessed by the Romans, who worked the
Droitwich Mines, and who made salt part of their soldiers Salu-

SOD m

shall find an interesting account of a cure of this dis-
ease by salt, after the failure of other remedies ; I beg
also to refer the practitioner to another case illustrative
of its anthelmintic powers, published by Mr. Marshall,
(London Medical and Phi/sical Journal^ vol. xxxix.
No. 231,) which is that of a lady who had a natural
antipathy to salt, and was in consequence most dread-
fully infested with worms during the whole of her life.
In very large doses Salt proves purgative ; it is also
absorbed, and carried to the kidneys, but it undergoes
no decomposition in transitu^ nor does it appear to
possess any considerable powers as a diuretic ; its so-
lution in tepid water, in the proportion of §ss — §j in oj
of water, forms the common domestic enema. Dose,
when intended to act as a cathartic, from ^ss to §j
very largely diluted ; when to answer the other inten-
tions, from grs. x to 3J .

SOD^ SUB-BORAS. L.D. Boras Sod^. E.

^orax.
Qualities. From^ irregular hexaedral prisms,

rium^ or salary. Hence the custom at the Eton Montem of
asking for salt.

The great advantages which must ultimately accrue to this nation
in its fisheries, agriculture, manufactures, and commerce, from a
late remission of the odious and impolitic tax upon salt, are incal-
culable. The government of France appears to have been as im-
politic yN\i\\ regard to this tax as the English. Buonaparte abo-
lished the collection of turnpike dues ; and imposed a tax on salt,
payable at the Salt-pans, in its stead. It is not perhaps generally
known, that by the aid of this tax he was enabled to complete the
grand entrance into Italy, over the Simplon; so that it may be
fairly observed, that if Hannibal was enabled to cross the Alps
by the aid of Vinegar — Buonaparte, by the assistance of Salt,
succeeded in constructing a public road over the same mountains.

428 SOD

8lii>htly eiJlorescent. Taste^ alkaline and styptic;'
when heated it loses its water of crystallization, and
becomes a porous friable mass (calcined borax.)
Chemical. Composition. Boracic acid, 34 — soda,
17-— water, 49. Solubility. It is soluble in 20 parts
of water at 60^, and in 6 parts at 212°. Incompati-
ble Substances. It is decomposed by acids ; potass ;
by the sulphates and muriates of the earths^ and by
those o^ ammonia. Medicinal Uses. It is only ap-
plied in the form of powder mixed with 8 or 10 parts
of honey, as a detergent linctus in aphthae, <^c. The
Chinese employ it in inflammatory sore throats ; for
wliich purpose they first reduce it to an extremely fine
powder, and then blow it through a reed upon the in-
flamed surface. Officinal Preparations. Mel
Boracis, L. Adulterations. Alum^ and fused
muriate of soda, are substances with which it is some-
times sophisticated ; to discover which, dissolve it in
distilled water, and after saturating the excess of the
base with nitric acid, assay the solution with nitrate of
bary tes and nitrate of silver.

SOD^ SUB-CAHBONAS. L.E.D.

Sub-carbonate of Soda,

Qualities. Form, octohedrons, truncated at the
summits of the pyramids ; it effloresces when exposed
to the air, and at 150° Fah. undergoes watery fusion,
its crystals containing as much as seven proportionals
of water; Taste, mild, alkalescent. Chemical Com-
position. Soda 29'5 — carbonic acid 20*7. Solubi-
lity. It is soluble in two parts of water at 60", and
in considerably less than its weight of boiling water ;
it is insoluble in alcohol. Incompatible Substances
are enumerated under Potassa:^ Carbonas. Med.

SOD 429

Uses, are similar to those of the sub-carbonate of pot-
ass, but it is preferable to it for internal use, as being
more mild and less nauseous ; and moreover Fourcroy
states it as his opinion that soda is more eligible for
medicinal purposes than potass, on account of its ana-
logy with animal substances, which always contain
it, while on the contrary, no portion of potass is found
in them. Sir Gilbert Blane assumes an opposite opi-
nion, and observes that, as far as he can judge of the
comparative powers of the two fixed alkalies, he should
greatly prefer Potass to Soda, as a remedy for gravel,
one reason of which he thinks may be found in the
fact that the Soda is an element of the animal fluids,
since it enters largely into the composition of bile, so
that it is more likely to be arrested in the course of
the circulation and diverted from the urinary organs.
A gentleman, says Sir Gilbert, who was subject to fre-
quent fits of gravel, and in the habit of making expe-
riments on the small concretions which he passed,
found that Soda dissolved them, but that Potass did
not; nevertheless he experienced sensible relief, and
even temporary cure, from the internal use of the
latter alkali, but no benefit from the former. Are
then the absorbents more disposed to take up soda
than potass? The results of experience do not
appear to sanction such a conclusion. Forms op
Exhibition. It may be administered in solution,
in an electuary, or in pills ; when exhibited in the
latter form, it must be previously deprived of its water
of crystallization, (Sodce Sub-carbonas exsiccata..
L.) or the pills will fall into powder as they dry ; un-
less where the water of crvstalHzation is essential to the
formation of the pill, as to that of Pill: Ferri comp.
Dose, gr. x to 5j, twice or thrice a day. See Form,
28, 143, 144.

430 SOD

SODJE SULPHAS. L.E t).

Natron Vitriolatum^ P.L. 1787. Sal Catharticus

Glauberi. P.L. 1745.

Qualities. Form, transparent prismatic crystals,
which effloresce ; when exposed to heat, they undergo
watery fusion, that is, they melt in their own water of
crystaUization. Taste, sahne and bitter. Chemical
Composition. Sulphuric acid 24*64, — soda 19'36 —
water 56. Solubility, fjj of water at 60® dissolves
giiiss ; in boiling water it is considerably more solu-
ble; it is quite insoluble in alcohol. Incompatible
Substances. The same as those which decompose
sulphate of magnesia, Med. Uses. A common and
useful purgative ; its nauseous taste may be in a great
degree disguised by the addition of a small quantity of
lemon juice, or cream of tartar. Dose, Jss to Bij. In
an effloresced state it is just equal in efficacy to double
the weight of that which is in a crystalline form. It is
rendered more active by being combined with other
purgative salts, especially with sulphate of magnesia,
and the compound is more soluble and less nauseous ;
(Form. 69, 72.) A portion of triple salt, a magnesio-
sulphate of soda, probably results from the combina-
tion, a salt which may be frequently detected in parcels
of sulphate of magnesia, and may be known by its
crystals, which are regular rhomboids ; it is also con-
tained, according to Dr. Murray, in the brine or mother
liquor of sea-water ; and it constitutes the whole of
that salt which was formerly sold under the name of
" JLymington Glauber'' s Salts. ^^ *

* Cheltenham Salts. — A factitious compound has been long
vended, as a popular purgative, under this name ; it is formed by
triturating together the following salts. Sulphate of Soda, grs.
120. Sulphate of Magnesia, grs. 66. Muriate of Soda, 10. Sul-
phate of Iron, gr. |. As a purgative it is very efficacious, and

SPA 431

SPARTIUM. L.E. Genista. D.
Spartii Cacumina, L. Summitates, E.

The Tops of Broom,

Qualities. When bruised they yield an unplea-
sant odour y and a nauseous bitter taste. Solubility.
Water and alcohol alike extract their active matter.
Med. Uses. They certainly act as a powerful diu-
retic, and even prove so to animals that browse upon
them. I have frequently exhibited them in the West-
minster Hospital, with very great success in the form

superior probably to that which is actually obtained by the eva-
poration of the Cheltenham water itself; for notwithstanding the
high pretensions with which this latter salt has been publicly an-
nounced, it will be found to be little else than common Glauber's
Salt. This fact has been confirmed by the experiments of Mr»
Richard Phillips, (Annals of Philosophy, No. Ixi,) who observes,
that the " real Cheltenham Salts contain no chalybeate pro-
perty," but are merely sulphate of soda, mixed with a minute
quantity of soda, and a very small portion of common salt." It
could not be imagined that the salt should contain oxide of iron
even in a state of mixture, much less in combination, for carbo-
nate of iron is readily decomposed by ebullition, and the oxide of
iron is precipitated before tlie salt can be crystallized. A prepa-
ration, under the name of Thomson's Cheltenham Salts, is ac-
cordingly manufactured in London, by evaporating a solution
consisting of sulphate of soda and sab-carbonate of soda.

*' Efflorescence of real Cheltenham Salts." The pre-
ceding salt deprived of its water of crystallization.

" Efflorescence of real Magnesian Cheltenham Salts,"

ALADE FROM THE WaTERS OF THE ChALYBEATE MaGNESIAN SpA.

This is asserted to be a sub-sulphate from nature, which combines
both a pure and a sub-sulphated magnesia in its composition ;
" but," says Mr. Phillips, " neither nature nor art has ever pro-
duced such a com1)ination ; in truth, it consists of Epsom Salt,
with small portions of magnesia, and muriate of magnesia or mu-
riate of soda.

432 SPI

of decoction. By referring to my classification of
diuretics, vol. 1. p. 173, it will be seen that the Broom
is placed under the second division of the first class ;
for analogy sanctions the theory, that the bitter ele-
ment is separated by the powers of digestion, and car-
ried to the kidneys by the medium of the circulation.
(See Form, 113.) The ashes of this plant were extol-
led by Sydenham as a powerful diuretic, but the che-
mist has shewn that it is merely a fixed alkaline salt.
Officinal Preparations. Extractum Cacuminum
GenistcB. D.

SPIRITUS. L. Spiritus Stillatitii.

Distilled Spirits,

These are solutions of the essential oils of vege-
tables in diluted alcohol, or proof spirit ; they are ob-
tained by distilling spirit with recent vegetables ; or,
according to the recent directions of the Pharmacopoeia,
with their essential oils ; sometimes however they are
extemporaneously made by at once dissolving the oils
in the spirit, without distillation. (See Spiritus Tenu-
tor.) Med. Uses. Like the distilled waters, they

MuRio-SuLPHATE OF Magnesia AND Iron. The preparation
thus named by Mr. Thomson, was found by Mr. Phillips to con-
sist of Epsom Salt, deprived of part of its water of crystalliza-
tion, and discoloured by a little rust of iron, and containing a
small portion of muriate of magnesia.

Thus it appears, that not one of these preparations is similar
to the water which is drank at the Spa ; in order to remedy this
difficulty, Mr. Thomson prepared the " Original Combined
Cheltenham Salts," by evaporating the waters to dryness: but
a very small share of chemical penetration is required to satisfy
us that no process of this description can remedy the defect des-
cribed, for as Mr. Phillips has observed, the chalybeate proper-
ties of the water must be essentially altered by such an operation.

SPI 433

serve as vehicles for the exhibition of more active me-
dicines ; they are also occasionally employed as grate-
ful stimulants. It is unnecessary to dwell on each of
these simple spirits, as their virtues are the same as
those of the substances from which they are extracted,
united to the stimulus of the alcohol. The following
are officinal : — Spirit : Anisi, L. Spir : Anisi comp :
L.D. Armoracicc comp: L, Carui. L.E.D. Cinna-
momi, L.E.D. (Form, 5, 40. J Juniperi comp : L.D.
Lavandulce, L. E. D. Lavandulcc comp : L. E. D.
Menth : Pip : L.D. Menth : Virid: L. Mi/ristic :
L.E.D. Pimentce,Li.T>. Pulegii.Li, Raphanicomp:
D. Rosmarini,^ L.E.D.

SPIRITUS AMMONITE. L.D.

Alcohol Ammoniatum. E.

Spiritus SalisAmmoniaci dulcis,VXt, 1745. Spiritut

Salis Ammoniaci, P.L. 1720,

This is a solution of ammoniacal gas in spirit ; in
which a small portion of the sub-carbonate is also
generally present. It is not easy to compare the
strength of this preparation with that of the Liquor
Ammonioc^ or Liquor Ammonice Suh-carbonatis^ so
as to give their medicinal equivalents, because the am-
monia exists in a very different state of combination.
The first is a mere solution of ammoniacal gas in water ;
in the second, as already stated, the ammonia exists as

♦ Hungary Water. Aqua Reginae Hungariae. This article,
when genuine, is a pure spirit distilled from the Rosemary, and
is strongly scented with the rich perfume of that aromatic plant.

Vol. II. 2 e

434 SPI

a sesqui'Carbonate^ while in the one now under consi-
deration the alkali is in the state of a carbonate. This
fact will explain the reason of the present preparation
being superior in pungency to the Liquor Ammonice
Sub'Carbonatis . The Incompatibles are the same as
those enumerated under the head of Ammonice Sub-
carbonas. It is a powerful stimulant, but it is princi-
pally employed as the basis of the following compounds ;
viz. Spirit: Ammonice Aromat, L.E.D. Spirit: Am"
monies Succinatus. L. Tinctura Castorei comp : E.
Tinct : Guaiaci comp : E. Tinct ; Opii Ammoniat : E.

SPIRITUS AMMONIA AROMATICUS. L.D.
Alcohol Ammoniatum Aromaticum. E.

Spiritus Ammonice Compositus. P.L. 1785. Spiritus
Volatilis Aromaticus, P.L. 1745. Spiritis salts
volatilis oleosus, P.L. 1720.

This is a solution of several essential oils, (Cinna^
mon^ CloveSj and Lemon. L. — Rosemar?/ and Lemon,
E. Lemon and Nutmeg, D.) in the spirit of ammo-
nia. It is a valuable stimulant, and an agreeable ad-
junct, and efficacious corrective to other remedies, see
Form, 42, 45. Dose, f3ss to f3J. Incompatibles,
Acids, Acidulous Salts, Earthy and Metallic Salts, and
Lime Water. Officinal Prep : Tinct, Guaiac : Am'
moniat : L.D. Tinct, Valerian : Ammoniat : L.D.
Its ammoniacal pungency is rather inferior to that of
the preceding preparations.

SPIRITUS AMMONIA FCETIDUS. L.D.
Tinctura AssAFCETioiE Ammoniata. E.
This is a solution of the foetid volatile oil of the

SPI 435

Assafoetida in the spirit of ammonia; as little else than
the odour and flavour of the gum-resin is taken up by
the menstruum, it cannot be expected to possess many
virtues. Dose, f5ss to f5i.

SPIRITUS AMMONIA SUCCINATUS. L.

This preparation was probably introduced as a sub-
stitute of the Eau de luce. It is stimulant and anti-
spasmodic. It wdll be found, if properly prepared, to
retain its milkiness for a considerable time, a circum-
stance by w^hich its value is appreciated. The sub-
stances enumerated under the head of Spir : AmmO'
nice Aromat : are also incompatible w^ith this prepara-
tion.

SPIRITUS COLCHICI AMMONIATUS. L.

We have in this preparation the specific virtues of
the Colchicum, with the stimulant property of the
Ammonia; a medicinal combination, w^hich is fre-
quently indicated in practice. Dose f 3SS to f3i, in
some aqueous vehicle. The substances enumerated
under the history of Spiritus Ammonicc Aromaticus^
are likew^ise incompatible writh this spirit.

SPIRITUS iETHERIS AROMATICUS. L.

iExHER SULPHURICUS CUM AlCOHOLE ArOMATI-

cus. E.

Elixir Vitrioli dulce. P.L. 1745.

This preparation, vsrhich w^as excluded from the
London Pharmacopoeia of 1787, is now restored. It
consists of Sulphuric Ether one part^ rectified spirit
iwo pnrts^ impregnated with aromatics ; the presence
of spirit is necessary in this preparation, since the vo-

2e2

436 SPI

latile oils would be insoluble in the aether without it.
Med. Uses. A grateful stimulant.

SPIRITUS iETHERIS NITRICI. L.

SpIRITUS iExHERlS NiTROST. E.
SplRITtS iExHEREUS NiTROSUS. D.

Spiritus Nitri dulcis. P.L. 1745.

Qualities. A colourless fluid of the specific gra-
vit2/ '850. Odour^ extremely fragrant ; Taste, pungent
and acidulous ; it is very volatile and imflammable.
Chemical ComIposition. A portion of nitric aether
and nitric acid, combined with alcohol. Solubility.
It is soluble both in water and alcohol. Incompati-
ble Substances. With a solution of green sulphate
of iron it strikes a deep olive colour, owing probably
to its holding a portion of nitrous gas in solution ;
with the tinctures of guaiacum it produces a green or
blue coagulum. Med. Uses. When properly diluted,
it is refrigerant and diuretic ; and has been long em-
ployed as a grateful draught in febrile affections ; as a
diuretic, it frequently proves a valuable auxiliary in
dropsy, (see Form, 113, 116.) Dose, ntx toxl. in any
aqueous vehicle. By age and exposure to the air, it
is gradually decomposed, and gives rise to the repro-
duction of nitrous acid.

SPIRITUS ^THERIS SULPHURICI. L.

^Ether Sulphuricus cum Alcohole. E.

Liquor ^Ethereus Sulphuricus. D.

Spiritus Mtheris vitriolici, P.L. 1787.

Spirit, Vitrioli dulcis, 1745.

Qualities. A fluid of the specific gravity -816,
consisting of two parts (by measure) of rectified spirit.

SPI 437

and one part of sulphuric aether. Med. Uses. It has
all the properties of aether, but in an inferior degree.
Dose, fsj to fsiij.

SPIRITUS iETHERIS SULPHURICI
COMPOSITUS. L.

This is intended as a substitute for the Liquor
Anodt/nus of Hoffmann, although its composition was
never revealed by him. In addition to its stimulating
properties, it is supposed to add those of an anodyne
nature. Dose, f3ss to f3ij. See Form. 7.

SPIRITUS CAMPHORS. L.

Spirit of Camphor ; vulgo, Camphorated Spirits,
This preparation is principally useful as an external
application. As an embrocation to chilblains it is often
of essential service ; and it has been found useful when
thus applied to parts affected with chronic rheumatism
and paralytic numbness. It is instantly decomposed
by water, which precipitates the camphor. It furnishes
an easy mode of forming camphor mixture extem-
poraneously, and if a few drops be rubbed with muci-
lage, we are thus enabled to form a stronger preparation
than by the ordinary process.

SPIRITUS RECTIFICATUS. L.

Alcohol Fortius. E. Spiritus Vinosus
Rectificatus. D.
In this preparation, alcohol is nearly in the highest
state of concentiation, in which it can be easily pre-
pared in the large way for the purposes of trade ; its
specific gravity however varies in the different phar-
macopceias, viz. the London and Edinburgh prepara-
tion is stated to have that of • 835, while the rectified

438 SPI

spirit of Dublin is ordered to be only '840. The
former at the temperature of 60° Fah, consists of 85
parts of pure alcohol and 15 of water, the latter only
of 83 per cent, of alcohol. It is a most powerful
stimulant, but is rarely employed except in combina-
tion ; as a pharmaceutical agent, its use is highly
valuable and extensive. (See Tincturcc.) During the
evaporation of spirit, a considerable reduction of tem-
perature takes place, which renders it a useful ingredient
in refrigerating lotions. See Form. 147, 148. It has
lately been ascertained by Mr. Ritchie of Perth, that
^^ the degree of cold induced hy the evaporation of
spirit of different degrees of strength are proportional
to the strength of these spirits, reckoning from the
degrees of cold induced hy the evaporation of water J^^
The application of this theorem will enable us to
ascertain the strength of a spirit by the " Differen-
tial Thermometer" of Leslie.

SPIRITUS TENUIOR. L.

Alcohol Dilutum. E.
Spiritus ViNosus Tenuior. D.

Weaker or Proof Spirit.
This is rectified spirit diluted with a certain propor-
tion of water, and it is to be regretted that the quantity
ordered for this purpose, should vary in the different
Pharmacopoeias ; thus, according to the London and
Dublin Colleges, its specific gravity is '930, while the
College of Edinburgh directs it to be of '935. The
former consists of 44 per cent, of pure alcohol, and
may be formed by mixing four parts, by measure, of
rectified spirit, with three of water ; the latter contains
only 42 per cent, of pure alcohol, and may be made
by adding together equal parts of rectified spirit and

SPI 439

distilled water. Alcohol in this state of dilution,
is better adapted for taking up the principles of vege-
tables than rectified spirit ; indeed diluted alcohol acts
upon bodies as a chemical compound, and will dis-
solve what neither the same proportion of water nor of
alcohol would, if separately applied; we perceive
therefore the importance of eiffeuring uniformity of
strength in our spirits. (See TincturcB.) It is neces-
sary to remark that almost all the spirit sold under the
name of ^' Proof Spirit ^^^ is contaminated with empy-
reumatic oil, and is unfit for the purposes of pharmacy ;
it ought therefore to be extemporaneously prepared by
mixing together rectified spirit and water, in the pro-
portions above stated. This however is rarely done,
except the liquors are intended for the toilet, and
hence it has been observed, that the cordials of the
apothecary are generally less grateful than those of the
distiller, the latter being extremely curious in rectify-
ing and purifying his spirit. If common water be
employed for the dilution of alcohol, the resulting
spirit will be turbid, owing principally to the precipi-
tation of sulphuric salts ; this circumstance lately
occasioned considerable embarrassment to the Curators
of the Hunterian Museum at the College of Surgeons,
who were compelled to prepare their own spirit, in
consequence of an excise regulation preventing the
distiller from sending out any spirit of that strength
which is required for their anatomical purposes. A
curious fact has just been noticed in the Laboratory
of the Royal Institution, which is, that diluted spirit
becomes stronger by being kept in vessels that are
carefully closed by bladder ! whence it would seem,
that alcoholic vapour transpires through this animal
membrane less freely than aqueous vapour ; we are at
present unable to oiler a satisfactory explanation of

440 SPI

this anomalous cas^ of distillation, but it is probably
connected with the different solvent powers of these
two liquids, in relation to the animal membrane. Med.
Uses. Alcohol, although diluted to the degree of
proof spirit, is still too strong for internal exhibition ;
indeed, where its use is indicated, it is more generally
given in the form of wine, malt liquors, or ardent
spirits, which must be regarded only as diluted alco-
hol, although each has a peculiarity of operation,
owing to the modifying influence of the other elements
of the liquid ; thus Brandy * is said to be simply cor-
dial and stomachic ; + Rum^ J heating and sudorific ;
Oin and Whiskei/^ diuretic ; and Arrack^ % styptic,

* I apprehend that the peculiar flavour of Cogniac depends
upon the presence of an aethereal spirit, formed hy the action of
Tartaric or perhaps Acetic acid upon Alcohol ; it is on this ac-
count that Nitric iEther when added to Malt spirits, gives them
the flavour of French Brandy. The same flavour is also succes-
fuUy obtained by distilling British spirits over wine lees, or by
distilling a spirit obtained from Raisin Wine, which has become
acescent.

In new brandy there also appears to be an uncombined acid,
giving to it a peculiar taste and quality, which are lost by age.
This explains the reason why the addition of five or six drops of
*' liquor ammoniae," to each bottle of new brandy, will impart to
it the qualities of that of the oldest date.

+ Taylor's Red Bottle, commonly called the Whitworth
Doctor. British Brandy coloured with Cochineal, and flavoured
with oil of Origanum.

% Mr. Parkes, in his Chemical Essays, has the following re-
mark: '* an ingenious friend assures me that if new rum be ex-
posed for a night to a severe frost, and then removed to a heated
room, and thus alternately treated for a week or two, it will in
that short time have acquired a flavour equal to fine o/rf spirits.
The mischievous effects of new rum, as drank in the West Indies,
would se«ra to depend upon th« presence of Lead ; see Plumbi
Acetas.

^ Mock Arrack. The author of ' Apicius Redivivus,' di-

SPI 441

heating, and narcotic ; it seems also probable that a
modified effect is produced by the addition of various
other substances, such as sugar and acids, which latter
bodies, besides their anti-narcotic powers, appear to
act by favouring a more perfect combination and mu-
tual penetration of the particles of spirit and water.
Foreign brandy derives its colour from the oak cask,
the intensity of which, therefore, affords some criterion
of its age. The English have been in the habit of
colouring their spirits with burnt sugar until lately,
but now since the cause of the foreign colour is dis-
covered, the scrapings of gall-nuts are employed for
that purpose, whence the sulphate of iron is no longer
a test of brandy being genuine. * The effects, also,
which are produced by the habitual use of fermented
liquors, differ essentially according to the kind that is
drunk ; thus Ale and Porter, in consequence of the
nutritive matter, and perhaps the invigorating bitter
with which they are charged, and the comparatively
small proportion of alcohol which they contain, dis-
pose to a plethora, which is not unfrequently termi-
nated by apoplexy ; Spirits, on the other hand, induce

rects, for the purpose of making a mock Arrack, that two scruples
of Benzoic acid be added to every quart of Rum. By a receipt
of this kind the celebrated Punch of Vauxhall is prepared.

* The famous Helvetian Styptic, described in vol. I, p. 154,
depended wholly on this accidental contamination for its colour,
and it was no small mortification to our chemists, when this nos-
trum was first introduced amoiigst us, that they could not pre-
pare it with our own spirits, hut were obliged to be at the ex-
pense of true French Brandy. Our own Spirits, although
equally coloured, would never produce a violet tincture; at
length, however, the mystery was discovered, and the gall nut
imparted to the tincture that characteristic colour which was so
long considered essential to its efficacy ; but the discovery threw
discredit upon the nostrum, and it fell into disuse.

442 SPI

severe dyspepsia, obstructed and hardened liver, drop-
sy, and more than half of all our chronical diseases ;
and Dr. Darwin moreover remarks that when they
arise from this cause, they are liable to become heredi-
tary, even to the third generation, gradually increasing,
if the cause be continued, till the family become ex-
tinct : with regard to Wine, Rush has truly observed
that its effects, like those of tyranny in a well formed
government, are first felt in the extremities, while
spirits like a bold invader, seize at once upon the vitals
of the constitution ; the different kinds of wine, how-
ever, produce very different and even opposite effects,
as stated under the history of that article, (see Vinum.)
The excise officers fi*equently avail themselves of the
peculiar power of the sub-acetate of lead to precipitate
colouring matter, in order to remove from seized Hol-
land Gin, the colour which it obtains by being long
kept in the tubs in which it is smuggled over. This
practice, however, renders the gin liable to gripe.

SPIRITUS TEREBINTHIN.^.

See Terebinthince Oleum,

SPONGIA USTA. L. See Carbo LignL

STANNI LIMATURA. L.E.D.

Thejilings of Tin,

The anthelmintic properties of Tin have been ex-
plained by three different hypotheses, viz. 1. That it
acts mechanically by dislodging the mucus from the
intestines ; if this be true, it is difficult to explain the
fact of its activity being increased by pulverization.
2. That its efficacy depends upon the presence of
arsenic ; if so, why should the purest specimens act

sue 443

with equal efficacy ? * 3. That it operates hy genera-
ting hydrogen gas in the intestinal canal : it has been
observed that this opinion is rendered probable by
the fact, that sulphur increases its powers, t Dose,
3J ^^ '5]h n^ixed with honey, treacle or conserve, and
exhibited for several successive mornings, a purgative
medicine being occasionally interposed, (see Form.
150.) The use of this remedy however is entirely
superseded by the more efficacious exhibition of oil of
turpentine.

SUCCI SPISSATI. E. See Extracta.

SULPHUR SUBLIMATUM. L.E.D.

Sublimed Sulphur. Flowers of Sulphur,

Chemical Composition. It is probably a triple
compound of oxygen, hydrogen, and some unknown
base. Solubility. It is insoluble in water and al-
cohol, but soluble in oils, especially in that of linseed,

* If any additional argument were necessary, we might repeat,
that Arsenic in its metallic state is not poisonous. As it is almost
impossible to reduce metallic arsenic to a state of powder, with-
out its becoming oxidized, M. Renault had recourse to its alloys
for deciding the question ; and he found that Mispickel (an alloy
of iron and arsenic,) when given to the extent of two drachms,
had no apparent effect ; this result agrees with the conclusion
of Bayen in his work on Tin, and proves that the arsenic which
may he contained in that metal cannot produce any medicinal
effect, as it exists in its metallic state. Recherches Chimiques
sur I'Etain, par Bayen et Charlard, 1781.

+ Guy's Powder of Ethiopia. This once celebrated remedy
consisted of pure rasped Tin, Mercury, and Sublimed Sulphur,
triturated together.

Blaine's Powder for the Distemper in Dogs. The basis
of this nostrum is the Aurum Musivum, or Sulphuret of Tin,
and which has been said to be more efficacious in cases of Taenia
than the simple metal.

444 SUL

which is a powerful solvent of all sulphureous sub-
stances. In boiling oil of turpentine it is entirely so-
luble. Medicinal Uses. It is laxative and diapho-
retic ; it acts principally upon the large intestines, and
very mildly, whence it proves useful in haemorrhoidal
affections {Form, 74) ; and in consequence of the dia-
phoresis which it also excites, it is useful in chronic
rheumatisms, catarrhs, and in some cutaneous affec-
tions.* To promote its purgative effects, magnesia will
be found a serviceable adjunct in haemorrhoids ; itmay
be given in the form of an electuary, or suspended in
milk; its solution in oil (Oleum Sulpkuratum) is a
most nauseous and acrid preparation. When sulphur
is combined with metallic remedies, it generally lessens
their activity. Its effects in curing psora are univer-
sally admitted, and the only objection to its use is the
disgusting smell which accompanies its application ;
see Uuguent :" Sulphuris, Dr. Clarke of Dublin re-
commends a lotion which he says contains a sufficient
impregnation of sulphur for the cure of psora in child-
ren, to be made by adding an ounce of broken sulphur
to a quart of boiling water, and allowing it to infuse
for twelve hours. In this process, the water probably
takes up a small portion of sulphurous acid ; it is diffi-
cult to explain the efficacy of the lotion in any other
manner. When sulphur is internally administered, it
transpires through the skin in the state of sulphuretted
hydrogen, and blackens the silver in the pockets of
those who take it. Dose 3J to 3iij. Officinal Prep.
Sulphur Lotum. L.E.D. Sulphur Prcecipitatum, L.
Unguent. Sulph. L.E.D. Unguent. Sulph. comp. L.

Mathieu's Vermifuge was indebted to Tin for its efficacy,
see Filicis Uadix.

* Sulphur Lozenges. Sublimed Sulphur one part, sugar
eight parts, Tragacaatb mucilage q. s. used in Asthma, and in
Hemorrhoids.

SYR 445

Sulphur LoTtJM. When sulphur is kept in loosely
covered drawers its surface is soon acidified, when it is
said to operate with griping, hence the common Jfou^ers
are directed to be washed with water to get rid of any
sulphurous acid ; it is liowever rarely performed, and
would seem to be a useless subtlety.

Sulphur Pr^cipitatum. L. Lac Sulphuris, P.L*
1720. This, when pure, differs in no other respect from
sublimed sulphur than in its superior whiteness, which
it owes to the presence of a small proportion of water ;
in consequence however of its mode of preparation, it
always contains a small quantity of sulphate of lime,
and not unfrequently other impurities ; it may be as-
sayed by pouring upon a suspected sample a sufficient
quantity of liquor potasses to cover it, and setting it
aside in a warm place to digest, when the sulphur will
be dissolved and the impurities remain ; or it might be
at once subjected to the operation of heat, which would
volatilize the sulphur, and thus separate it from its
contaminations.

SYRUPI. L.E.D. Sj/rups.

These are solutions of sugar in water, watery infu-
sionsj or in vegetable juices ; the proportion of sugar
is generally two parts to one of the fluid ; if it exceeds
this, the solution will crystallize, if it be less, ferment,
and become acescent.* The most certain test of the

* Sugar, perfectly free from the extractive matter with which
it exists in combination in nature, and which constituies that
compound to which the name of Sweet Principle has been given,
will not, however diluted, undergo any kind of fermentation ;
for it is the presence of this peculiar extractive matter, the natu-
ral leaven of fruits, that enables it to undergo that process; since,
however, all clayed sugars, or modifications of sugar which are
short of perfect purity, still contain a small proportion of this

446 SYR

proper consistence of a syrup is its specific gravity ; a
bottle that holds three ounces of water at 55 Fah. ouorht
to hold four ounces of syrup. Syrups are introduced
into medicinal formulae, for several purposes, viz.

I. To correct or disguise the Jlavour of disagreeable
remedies. Syrup; Aurantiorum. L.D. {Form, 48, 51,
107.)— Limonum.L.E.D.— Simplex (124, 145).— Zin-
giberis (88, 95, 105.) Bitter Infusions, and saline solu-
tions are rendered more nauseous by the addition of
syrups.

II. To produce Medicinal Effects. Syrup : Allii. D.
— Althece,lj,E,(l35) — AcidiAcetosi.E, — Colcliici. E.
— Sennae. E.D. (70) — Scilloe Maritimae. E. — Rhamni.
L, Papaveris, L.E.D. (5, 7, 75, 169, 170.)— Rosas
(74) — Zingiberis (47, 150.) — Sarsaparillae. L.

III. To communicate peculiar forms.

Every syrup answ^ers this purpose ; for the necessary
proportions, see Electuria.

IV. To communicate an agreeable colour. Syrup.
Croci. L. — Rhaeados. L.D. (166, 168.) — Caryophylli
Rubri. D. — Violae. E. Except that of Saffron, these
syrups are rendered green by alkalies, and red by acids.

General Remarks. The practitioner should never
introduce syrups into those medicines which are liable
to be injured by the generation of acids : I have fre-
quently seen the cretaceous mixture^ when charged
with syrup, increase, instead of check, a diarrhoea ;
and the syrup of poppies, from its disposition to be-
come acescent, will often aggravate rather than allay

extractive, they are capable of fermenting, when sufficiently
dilute ; Dr. Macculloch, in his essay on the art of making wine,
observes, that by the addition of a very small quantity of the
Sulphite of Potass, the ferment ition of syrups and preserves
may be effectually prevented; he states also, that the same object
may generally be attained by the use of Oxy-muriate of Potass,
a salt absolutely tasteless, and easily procured.

SYR 447

the cholic of infants. The syrup of Senna furnishes
the practitioner with a convenient purgative for child-
ren ; that of buckthorn is more violent, and is on that
account but rarely used ; besides vv^hich, in preparing
it the chemist not unfrequently substitutes the berries
of the Cornus Sanguinea, the Dogberry-tree, or those
of the Rhamnus Frangula^ the Alder-buckthorn, for
the Rhamnus Catharticus ; a circumstance which ne-
cessarily renders the efficacy of this syrup variable and
uncertain ; it is moreover often sophisticated with
treacle and jalap. The syrup of the rose, when made
with the leaves of the Damask + rose, is gently laxative,
and is well adapted for weak children ; it is however
not unusual, coloris gratia^ to substitute the leaves of
the red rose, in which case the syrup will possess
astringent instead of laxative properties. In the prepa-
ration of the syrup of poppies,* the directions of the
College are frequently not obeyed ; it is sometimes
made by dissolving the extract in syrup, formed with
coarse sugar, or even with treacle ; at others, by add-
ing tincture of opium to a coarse syrup, in the pro-
portion of n|x to every f§j. In the preparation of the
syrups of violets, the juice of red cabbage is generally
substituted ; this is at least a harmless fraud. Note.
The syrups which are printed in Italics^ are very sus-
ceptible of decomposition, and should be kept in cool
places.

t The Damask Rose, Rosa Centifolia, of which this Syrup is
composed, was imported into this country by Linacre, on his re-
turn from Italy.

* Major Cochrane's Cough Medicine. White poppy heads,
without seeds, are made into a decoction, which is strained, and
boiled again with vinegar and brown sugar, until it assumes the
consistence of syrup, which is then acidified by elixir of vitriol.

448 TAB

TABACI FOLIA. L.E.

(Nicotiana Tabacum. Folia Siccata. Virgimana,)

Nicotians Folia. D.

Tobacco.

Qualities. Odour, strong, narcotic, and foetid;
Taste, bitter and extremely acrid ; Colour, yellowish
green, (its brown appearance is artifkial, being pro-
duced by the action of sulphate of iron.) Chemical
Composition. Mucilage, albumen, gluten, extrac-
tive, a bitter principle, an essential oil, nitrate of
potass, which occasions its deflagration, muriate of
potass, and a peculiar proximate principle upon which
the properties of the plant are supposed to depend, and
which has therefore been named Nicotin.* Vauquelin
considers it as approaching the volatile oils in its pro-
perties ; it is colourless, has an acrid taste, and the
peculiar smell of tobacco, and occasions violent sneez-
ing; with alcohol and water, it produces colourless
solutions, from which it is thrown down by tincture
of galls Solubility. Tobacco yields its active mat-
ter both to water and spirit, but more perfectly to the
latter ; long coction weakens its powers. An oil of
tobacco of a most powerful nature, may be obtained by
distilling the leaves and separating it from the water,
on the top of which it will be found to float. + Med.
Uses. Tobacco is endued with energetic poisonous

* It would appear that there are two principles of activity in
Tobacco, an essential oil, and nicotin, either of which are, indi-
vidually, capable of producing death, but by a very different
physiological action, the former by its effects on the brain, the
latter by its influence on the heart I See vol. i. p. 245.

t It seems very probable that the *' juice of cursed hebenon,'*
by which, according to Shakespeare, the king of Denmark was
poisoned, was no other than the essential oil of Tobacco: —

TAB 449

propertieB, producing generally a universal tremor
which is rarely the result of other poisons ; the ex-
periments of M. Orfila moreover demonstrate, that the
action of Tobacco is much more energetic when the
soluble portion is injected into the anus, than when it
is applied to the cellular texture, and for a still
stronger reason, than when introduced into the sto-
mach. Mr. Brodie, from the result of a well devised
experiment, has deduced the conclusion that the in-
fusion of Tobacco acts upon the heart, occasioning
syncope, through the medium of the nervous system.
Uses. As a powerful sedative, it is sometimes valu-
able in medical practice ; the leaves, when applied in
the form of a cataplasm to the pit of the stomach, pro-
duce an emetic operation; {Form. 67.) In cases of
obstinate constipation, depending upon violent spas-

" Sleeping within mine orchard.

My custom always of the afternoon,
Upon my secure hour thy uncle stole,
With juice of cursed hebeuon in a vial.
And in the porches of mine ears, did pour
The leperous distilment."

In the first place, the learned commentator Dr. Grey, observes
that the word here used (hebenon), was more probably designated
by a metathesis, either of the poet or transcriber, for henebon,
i.e. henbane. Now it appears from Gerarde, that " tabaco,'*
was commonly called henbane of Peru, (hyoscyamus Peruvianus,)
and when we consider how high the public prejudice ran against
this herb in the reign of James, it seems very likely that Shakes-
peare should have selected it, as an agent of extraordinary malig-
nity. No preparation of the hyoscyamus, with which we are
acquainted, would produce death by application to the ear,
whereas the essential oil of Tobacco would, without doubt, occa-
sion a fatal issue. The term distilment has also called forth a re-
mark from Steevens, which is calculated to support this conjec-
ture ; surely, says he, this expression signifies, that the prepara-
tion was the result of a distillation.

Vol. II. ^ F

450 TAB

modic constriction, or in ileus j or incarcerated hernia^
clysters of the smoke of Tobacco, or of an infusion
made according to the London College, produce al-
most immediate relief, {Form, 26) ; the practice is not
unfrequently attended with severe vomiting, extreme
debility, and cold sweats, circumstances which render
its administration highly dangerous in cases wherein
the patient has been already exhausted by previous
suffering. I remember witnessing a lamentable instance
of this truth some years ago ; a medical practitioner,
after repeated trials to reduce a strangulated hernia^
injected an infusion of Tobacco, and shortly after-
wards sent the patient in a carriage to the Westminster
Hospital, for the purpose of undergoing the operation ;
but the unfortunate man arrived only a few minutes
before he expired. Clysters of Tobacco were soYne
years ago recommended in America, for the purpose
of forwarding difficult parturition, by inducing relax-
ation and consequent dilatation of the os uteri, but
the alarming symptoms which followed the single case
in which Tobacco was thus employed, ought, says
Z)r, Merriman^ to prevent a repetition of the experi-
ment.* It was also formerly proposed to inject in-
fusions of Tobacco, for the purpose of recovering
persons in a state of asphyxia from drowning ; it i&
difficult to explain how such an idea could have entered
into the mind of the rational physiologist. Smoking
or chewing Tobacco has been also advised in cases of
spasmodic asthma, and as a general sedative to relieve
suffering ; in the process of smoking, the oil is sepa-
rated, and being rendered empyreumatic by heat, it is
thus applied to the fauces in its most active state. As

* See " An Essay on the means of lessening Pain, and facili-
tating certain Cases of difficult parturition, by W. P. Dewes>
IVI.D. 1806. also Med. Journ. vol. xviii.

TAB 451

a diuretic it was successfully exhibited by Dr. Fowler,
but as its operation is uncertain and violent, and
appears to be very analagous to that of Digitalis, which
is far more safe and manageable, it has been very judi-
ciously discarded from practice. The external appli-
cation of Tobacco in the form of cataplasm or infusion,
has been applied to several species of cutaneous disease,
but even in this state it is liable to exert its virulent
effects. A woman applied to the heads of three child-
ren afflicted with tinea capitis^ a liniment consisting
of powdered tobacco and butter, soon after which they
experienced vertigo, violent vomiting, and fainting.
( Ephemerides des Curieux de la Nature^ Dec. ii.
An : i. p. 46.) A case has just occurred in this country
of a child whose death was occasioned by her having
swallowed a portion of half-smoked tobacco, which
was taken from the pipe of her father, and in which there
no doubt existed a quantity of essential oil, which had
been separated by the act of smoking. It is a curious
fact, that the juice of the green leaves instantly cures
the stinging of nettles.

Adulterations. When it exhales a fetid odour,
we may infer that it has been badly prepared, and not
deprived of all its mucus ; when pungent, the presence
of some deleterious drug: is indicated : Cascarilla is
very usually added to impart a peculiar flavour ; Nitre
is also employed for the sake of making it kindle
more rapidly, and to impress a lively sensation on the
tongue; <its vapour is of course very injurious to the
lungs : its presence may be detected by treating a
suspected sample with hot water, and after filtering
the solution through charcoal, setting it aside in order
that it may yield its crystals by evaporation. Traces
of Lead, Copper, or Antimoni/, may be discovered by
boiling the Tobacco in strong vinegar, and, after filter-

2 f2

45g TAM

ing it as before, by assaying it with appropriate tests.
Black Hellebore^ Alum, Sugar, and Corrosive sub-
limate are amongst the more usual sophistications.
Dried Dock leaves are also sometimes substituted.
Officinal Prep : Infus: Tabacci. L. Vinum Nico^
tian ; Tabac : E.

Snuff. This well known errhine is prepared from
the dried leaves of Tobacco ; in its manufacture how-
ever, numerous additions are made which are kept
secret. Salt is added for the purpose of increasing its
weight ; Urine, Muriate of ammonia, and powdered
Glass, to heighten its acrimony. The varied flavour
of different Snuffs is owing to the leaf being in greater
or less perfection ; or to its having undergone some
degree 6f fermentation ; thus, for instance, the Ma-
couba Snuff of Martinique is principally indebted for
its acknowledged superiority to the fermentation which
the Tobacco undergoes, from being moistened with
the best cane juice ; other kinds are excited into fer-
mentation by moistening them with melasses and water.

Snuff possesses all the powers of Tobacco ; the cele-
brated Santeuil experienced vomiting and horrible
pains, amidst which he expired, in consequence of
having drank a glass of wine, into which had been put
some Spanish snuff.*

TAMARINDI PULPA. L. (Tamarindus Indica.) '

Tamarindus : Fructus. D.

Fructus Conditus. E.

The Pulp or preserved Fruit of the TamarindA

Qualities. Taste, sweetish acid ; Odour, none.
Chemical Composition; gj of Tamarinds is com-

* Cephalic Snuff. The basis of this errhine, is powdered
AsaruiTi, diluted with some vegetable powder.

t Tamarind, from Timmer a Date, and Hend India, Timnier-
hend i.e. Date of India.

TAR 45^

posed of Citric acid grs. 45, Malic acid grs. 2, Super-
tartrate of potass grs. 15, together with sugar, gum,
jelly, fecula, and woody fibre. Uses. A pleasant
febrifuge may be formed by infusing Tamarinds in
water or milk ; they improve the taste of the more
nauseous cathartics. Officinal Prep : Confectio
Cassice, L.E.D. Infus: Tamarind: cum Senna, E.D.
Caution, Copper vessels should never be employed
for the preparation of any compound which contains
Tamarinds,

TARAXACI RADIX. L.E.

(Leontodon Taraxacum.) Dens Leonis.

Dandelion,

Qualities. Odour, none ; Taste, bitter, and some-
what sweet and acidulous. Chemical Composition.
The active principles appear to consist of extractive,
gluten, a bitter principle (not resinous), and tartaric
acid. Solubility. Water extracts its virtues much
better than spirit. Incompatible Substances.
Infusion of Galls, Nitrate of Silver, Oxy-muriate of
Mercury, Acetate of Lead, and Sulphate of Iron
occasion precipitates in its solutions. Med. Uses.
It has long enjoyed the reputation of proving beneficial
in obstructions of the liver, and in visceral diseases ;
Bergius extols its use in these complaints, and recom-
mends the recent root to be boiled in whey or broth.
Dr. Pemberton has more recently added his testimony
to its value ; he observes that he has seen great advan-
tage result from using the extract in chronic inflam-
mation, and incipient schirrhus of the liver, and in
chronic derangement of the stomach. Forms of
Exhibition. In that of extract, or in decoction
made by boiling §j of the sliced root in oj of water

454 TER

down to OSS, adding to the strained liquid 3J of Cream
of tartar ; the recent full grown root only should be
used. Dose fjjj, twice or thrice a day. Officinal
Prep: Extract: Taraxaci, The roots are roasted
and used at Gottingen by the poorer people for coffee,
from which, a decoction of them properly prepared can
hardly be distinguished.* The leaves of this plant are
blanched, and very commonly used on the continent
as a sallad.

^ TEREBINTHINA. L.E.D. Turpentine,
Most species of Pinust may be made to yield (and
many of them produce spontaneously) a remiu'kable
resinous juice, usually called Turpentine; an appel-
lation, however, which more properly belongs to the
product of a different genus, called by Linnaeus Pis-
tachiaj which contains the true Terehinthus \ of the
ancients.

Qualities. Consistence^ semi-fluid and tenacious,

* Various substances have been proposed at different times
as substitutes for Coffee. In the " Fourth Century of Observa-
tions" in the Miscellanea Curiosa," we line a critical disserta-
tion on the (Cahve) Coffee of the Arabians ; and on European
Coffee, or such as may be prepared from grain or pulse. Dille-
nius gives the result of his own preparations made with Pease,
Beans, and Kidney Beans, but says that that made from Rye
comes the nearest to true Coffee, and was with difficulty distin-
guished from it. This fact is curious, in as much as a spurious
Coffee has been lately vended, which is nothing more than roasted
Rye. The article is well known by the name of " Hunt's GEco-
NOMicAL Breakfast Powder.'

+ See " Some account of the Medicinal and other Uses of
various Substances prepared from Trees of the genus Pinus,
by W. G. Maton, M.D. &c. being a Supplement to Mr. Lam-
bert's splendid work on that genus.

^ The T£p(/,lv9os of Theophrastus (lib. 3. c. 3.) and Dioscorides;
(lib. I, c. 76) from which the word Terebinlhus seems to have been
derived.

TER 455

but becoming more or less concrete by age ; Odour,
aromatic ; Taste, pungent, austere, and astringent. It
k? inflammable. Solubility. It is entirely soluble
in rectified spirit, but not at all in water ; although it
becomes miscible with that fluid, by the mediation of
the yelk or the white of an egg, but more elegantly by
that of vegetable mucilage, and forms a milky liquor.
It is capable of entering into union with fixed oils.
Chemical Composition. Resin, and an essential
oil, the proportions of which vary according to the
species of Pine from which it is obtained. They all,
however, possess the same general chemical, as well as
medicinal properties, viz. When internally taken, says
Dr. Maton, they seem to warm the viscera, raise the
pulse, and impart additional excitement to the whole
vascular system ; applied externally, they increase the
tone of the part, counteract indolence of action, and
deterge, as it were, ill-conditioned ulcers. Internal
ulcerations indeed, especially of the urinary passages,
as well as laxities of the seminal and uterine vessels,
are supposed to be diminished by the exhibition of
preparations of this nature. They certainly appear to
act in a peculiar manner on the urinary organs, im-
pregnating the water with a violet smell, and there are
strong grounds for believing that its volatile element,
developed by the powers of digestion, passes into the
circulation, and is eliminated by the kidneys, whose
secreting vessels are thus stimulated b?/ its contact,
(vol. 1, p. 173.) Pulmonary complaints, as obstinate
coughs and asthmatic affections, have been said to
give way to medicines of this class ; yet, in modern
practice, recourse is rarely had to them in such cases,
and their exhibition is even considered hazardous.
The ancients were accustomed to medicate their wines

4d6 TER

with various Terebinthinate substancesj for the effect,
of which, see Vinum,

The particular preparations of Turpentine most em-
ployed in medicine, will be noticed under the different
species.

1. Terebinthina Canadensis. L. (Pinus Bal-
samea. Resina Liquida.) Canada Turpentine^ or
Canada Balsam,^ This is a transparent whitish juice,
brought to this country from Canada, and apparently,
says Dr. Maton, not very different in its qualities from
the celebrated Balm of Gilead^f so high in esteem
among the eastern nations, and so strongly recom-
mended in a variety of complaints. Hitherto, however,
it has not been much employed in England. Its odour
is agreeable, and its taste strong and pungent.

2. Terebinthina Chia. L. (Pistachia Terebin-
thus.) Chio^ or Ci/prus Turpentine, The superiority
of this species to all the products of the pine tribe,
was well known to, and described by, most of the
ancient writers on the materia medica. It is pellucid,
with a blueish-green cast.

5. 'Terebinthina Vulgaris. L. (Pinus Syl-
vestris. Scotch Fir.) Common Turpentine. Horse
Turpentine. This species is more coarse and dense
than any other kind, and has an opaque light brown
colour ; its consistence may be compared to that of
honey ; the taste is very acrid, hot, and disagreeable,
and the smell much less pleasant than either the Venice
or the Strasburg turpentine. It is the kind which, as
its name implies, is most commonly employed, and

* The term Balsam is very improperly applied to this substance,
since it contains no Benzoic Acid.

+ The product of the Amyris Gileadensis, and probably the
Balsatnum Judaicum, Syriacum c Mecca, Opobalsamura, &c. of
the older writers.

TER 457

although inferior in quality to that of the turpentine
tree, Pistachia Terehinthus (Chio or Cyprus), the
Larch, Pinus Larix (Venice Turpentine), and the
Silver Fir, Pinus Picea (Strasburgh Turpentine),
especially for internal use, yet it is too often substi-
tuted for thenx in the shops of the druggist. The
Colleges of London and Edinburgh direct the com-
mon turpentine to be used chiefly in external appli-
cations, for which it was also much employed by the
ancients. Celsus mentions, " Resina liquida pinettj^
as entering into the composition of many of his
" Malagmata^'' and the " Resina liquida^'' of other
writers would appear to be of the same kind. The
Unguentum Elemi compositum contains this resinous
juice as a principal ingredient.

4. Terebinthina Veneta. (Pinus Larix.) + The
Larch, Venice Turpentine. This resin is by most
writers, and in the shops, esteemed the best, after that
of Pistachia Terehinthus^ of those juices commonly
called Turpentines. It is usually thinner than any
other kind, of a pale yellowish colour, and of a hot,
pungent, bitterish taste ; the smell is strong, and far
from being agreeable. Although it bears the name of
Venice Turpentine^ very little of it is exported from
the Venetian territories ; but it is probable that the
merchants of that country were the first who substi-

+ A fluid extract, prepared by decoction from the twigs of this
species of Fir, is the well known Essence of Spruce, which, when
fermented with melasses, forms the popular beverage, called
*' Spruce Beer," (Cerevisia Pini Larieis.)

True Riga Balsam, Beaume de Carpathes, from the shoots
of the Pinus Cembra, previously bruised, and macerated for a
month in water.

This same fir also affords Brian^on Turpentine.

Hungarian Balsam. — A spontaneous exudation from the
P. Pumilio, or Mugho Pinr.

45S TER

t»ted it for the genuine Turpentine of Cyprus. Th^
resinous juice of the Larch is said to remain always,
or at least a vej'y long time, in a state of liquidity ; a
j>ropcrty which is particularly adverted to by Pliny.*
As a Diuretic, the Venice Turpentine has been gene-
rally preferred to all the other kinds ; and it is said to
relax the bowels more, for which reason Riveriusi-
considers it as being safer than other irritating diuretices.

5. Terebinthina Argentoratensis. (Pinus
Picea.) Strasburg Turpentine, This resin is gene-
rally of a middle consistence between that of the
Terebinthus and the Lairix ; more transparent and
less tenacious than either ; in colour yellowish brown ;
m smell more agreeable than any other turpentine,
except the Cyprian ; in taste the bitterest, yet the
least acrid.

Form of Exhibition. The Turpentines may be either
made into Pills with powdered liquorice root, or sus-
j>ended in water by the intervention of egg or mucilage;
for which purpose, Jj requires the yelk of one cgg^ or
3iss of gum arabic. Dose^ gr. x to 3J.

TEREBINTHINA OLEUM. L.E.D.

Oil of Turpentine,
Qualities. Form, a limpid and colourless liquid,
whose specific gravity is only "792; Odour, strong,
penetrating, and peculiar ; Taste, hot, bitter and pun-
gent. Chemical Composition. It is an essential oil,
possessing, however, peculiar habitudes with respect
to alcohol, being readily dissolved by hot alcohol, but
separating again in drops, as the spirit cools ; in the
cold it is sparingly soluble in the strongest alcohol,
and separates from it on standing ; but it dissolves

* Lib. 16, c. 10. + Prax. Med. Lib. 14. c. 1.

TER 450

completely in six parts of sulphuric aether. It is
not acted upon by the alkalies, except by long triture,
when it is converted into a species of resin.* Med.
Uses. It acts according to the dose, either on the
primus, vice producing catharsis, or on the kidneys,
exciting diuresis ; thus its operation offers another
illustration of the views which I have so frequently
urged during the progress of the present work ; it fur-
nishes a striking example of the important influence of
quantity, or dose^ in determining the specific operation
of a remedy ; thus two fluid'drachms of the oil may so
excite the urinary organs as to produce even bloody
urine, and the other ill effects described by Boerhaave
and Lange ; whereas six fluid-drachms^ or a Jluid"
ounce^ will stimulate the bowels, and produce scarcely
any apparent effect upon the kidneys.

As a medicine acting powerfully on the first passages,
its value seems only to have been lately appreciated ;
in Taenia, it may be said to act almost as a specific
remedy, discharging it in all cases, dead. In obstinate
constipation, depending on affections of the brain,
I have lately had several opportunities of witnessing
its beneficial effects ; in an unfortunate instance of
Hydrocephalus acutus in a boy of thirteen years of
age,+ it brought away an accumulation of feculent
matter almost incredible as to quantity, after the total
failure of the strongest doses of ordinary purgatives ;
and I believe, if its dose be sufficiently large, that it
may generally be administered with perfect safety and
confidence. Dr. Latham has long regarded it as a

* Starkey's Soap. This compound is effected by a long and
tedious trituration of alkali and oil of turpentine.

f This case was occasioned by a violent whirling of the body
in a frolic ! the circumstances attending it arc so intercstmg that
I shall take an opportunity of submitting the details to the pro-
fession. S5CC Dr. Yeats work on Hydro-cephalus.

460 TER

valuable medicine in Epilepsy, in which cases it may
in the first instance prove beneficial by unloading the
bow^els, and subsequently in producing an affection of
the head peculiar to its use ; and, which generally
succeeds a large dose, it is an approach to intoxication,
but is unaccompanied with that hilarity and elevation
of thought that so usually follow the potation of spi-
rituous liquors. In small doses it produces diuresis,
and is used with much advantage in sciatica and lum-
bago.* Its use in diseases of the kidneys originating
from ulcerations, and obstructions in those organs has
been very highly extolled. Cheyne, in his Essay on
the gout, recommends it as a specific in Sciatica ; upon
this subject my own experience so completely confirms
the truth of Dr. Maton's observations, that I shall
here insert them. " If," says he, " I may be allowed
to offer the result of my own practice, its effects are in
a few instances successful in the removal of that dis-
ease ; and even those cases which I have seen cured
under its use, appeared to be rather of the symptomatic
than idiophatic kind ; it is reasonable to presume that
the sciatic nerve, from its origin and course, may owe
some of its morbid affections to an obstructed ureter,
as well as to a rheumatic diathesis." Form: 50,
Hunter spoke of oil of turpentine as a styptic, and it
has been administered in the Almond emulsion in cases
of internal hemorrhage of an active nature. We should
however be very careful how we make such an experi-
ment. This oil has the effect of communicating the
odour of violets to the urine of those who take it, and
what is still more extraordinary, to those even who

* " See " A Memoir on the einployraent of Tercbinthinous
Remedies in Disease, by James Copland, M.D."" in the Medical
and Physical Journal for 1821, p, 185.

TEtl 461

merely expose themselves for a short time to its efflu-
via: * a mixture of TT).x of this oil v^^ith fjj of almond
oil, introduced upon cotton into the ears, is serviceable
in cases of deafness resulting from a diseased action of
the ceruminiferous glands ; it is also employed as a local
stimulant in a variety of cases : and in cholic, and
obstina(te constipation, it is sometimes exhibited in the
form of an enema. In America, oil of Turpentine, in
doses of a drachm every hour or two, has been success-
fully administered in cases of Yellow fever, when, says
Dr. Chapman, it appears to be soothing in its effects,
removing the sense of heat and irritation in the sto-
mach, subduing the force of vascular action, and general
excitement, and inducing at once a condition of more
comfort and security. Orfila also recommends it as the
best corrective of inflammation in the stomach from acrid
poisons. In this country it has been very successfully
employed in cases of Melaena, and in Puerperal fever.
As a stimulating liniment its advantages are consider-
able, see Liniment : Terebinth : In Germany, Norway,
and some parts of the Russian Empire, this essential
oil is frequently used as a remedy for lesions of the
tendons, and other bruises. + Dose as an anthelmintic,
f gss — f §iJ5 repeated every eight hours until the worm
is ejected ; in these large quantities it is more conveni-
ent, as well as more efficacious, to administer it like
castor oil, floating upon some liquid aromatic vehicle: J

* Kaauw de Persp. N. 430.

+ The Guestonian Embrocation for Rheumatism. R. 01.
Terebinth : f § iss — Ol : Oliv : f § iss — Acid : Sulph. dilut: f 5 iij.

:^ Scouring Drops. The peculiar odour which distinguishes
oil of turpentine, may be destroyed by the addition ofa few drops
of some fragrant volatile oil, as that of lemons : a combination
of this kind is commonly sold under the name of Scouring Drops,
for the purpose of removing paint, oil, or grease from cloth.

462 TER

by rubbing up Oil of Turpentine witli mucilage, we do
but render it more pungent, and difficult to swallow.
As a diuretic or stimulant it may be given in the form
of an electuary, in doses of from TT^x to f3J. It may
be also employed as a very active clyster, made by
carefully incorporating one or two table spoonful of
the oil with the yelk of an egg, and adding to it a pint
of thin mucilage. This terebinthinate clyster is well
calculated to relieve a paroxysm of flatulent cholic.
Officinal Prep. Liniment. Terebinth. L. The
Pharmacopceias direct the rectification of the oil by
redistillation,* when it is commonly called Spirit of
turpentine, but it appears to be an unnecessary refine-
ment. Dr. Nimmo has proposed the following process
for purifying the oil intended for medicinal use, by
which it is said to have its disagreeable flavour lessen-
ed without sustaining any loss of efficacy. To eight
parts of the oil, add one part of the strongest alcohol,
and let them be well agitated together. In a few
minutes a separation takes place ; the oil, unless very
impure, falls to the bottom, and the alcohol, having
discharged the impurities, floats at the top. Pour off*
the alcoholic portion, add a similar quantity of alcohol,
and proceed as before. If this be repeated three or
four times, the oil will become nearly tasteless, almost
inodorous, and when evaporated will leave no resi-
duum. But pure as the oil may be thus rendered, it
speedily returns to its original condition.

* Dutch, or Haerlem Drops. The basis of this nostrum
consists of the residue of this redistillation, which is a thick, red,
resinous matter, to which the name of Balsam of Turpentine has
been given ; a preparation, however, is frequently vended as
" Dutch Drops," which is a mixture of oil of turpentine, tinc-
ture of guaiacum, spirit of nitric ether, with small portions of
the oils of amber and cloves.

TIG 46S

TIGLII OLEUM. L. Oil of Tiglium.
Croton Tiglium. Oleum e Seminibus expressum.

The Croton Tiglium is a native of the island of
Ceylon, and is found in Malabar, China, Cocinchina,
and the Molucca Islands. Every part of the plant
would seem to be endowed with medicinal activity ;
the root acts as a drastic purgative, and when pulver-
ized, and exhibited in the dose of a few grains, is con-
sidered at Amboyna and Batavia, as a specific for
dropsy ; the wood (lignum Pavance) produces, when
administered in small doses, a diaphoretic effect, and
in larger ones it proves drastic ; the leaves are also
purgative, and when dried and powdered are supposed
to afford an antidote against the bite of the cobra del
Caj^lla, The seeds, however are the parts which have
been more generally employed in medicine, the effects
of which appear to have been well known for nearly a
thousand years.* They were early introduced into
Europe, and long known under the names of Grana
Molucca — Tilii Grana, — and Grana TigliaA It ap-
pears that they were at first very frequently adminis-
tered, but their extreme acrimony and violence,t and
probably the accidents which arose from their injudi-
cious use, soon banished the article from medical prac-
tice ; in India, however these seeds are still employed

♦ Serapion, the younger, one of the earlier Arabian writers on
the Materia Medica, describes them as bearing some analogy to
'i^ Pine nuts."

f The reader will find an account of the Botanical Literature
of this plant, by J. Frost, Director of the Medico-Botanical So-
ciety, in the 17th volume of the Medical Repository, p. 461.

% Rumphius, (Herb : Amboinense) in speaking of the Grana
Molucca, observes that women who are desirous of gettmg rid of
their husbands, give them four grains at one dose.

464 TIG

as an effectual purgative, after first undergoing the
process of roasting, or baking, for the purpose of re-
moving the shell, rendering the nut pulverulent, and at
the same time of moderating the acrimonous qualities. §
The expressed oil of these seeds does not appear to
have been obtained in a separate form until a later pe-
riod ; Lemery speaks of it, and Geoffroy in directing
its dose cautions us against giving more thaa 3J ! — ^he
probably meant a drop. Its use has very lately been
revived, and there can be little doubt but that under
proper restrictions, it may become a valuable acquisition
to the practitioner. The profession is indebted for its
late introduction, or rather revival, to Mr. E. Convi^ell,
of the East India Company's Medical Service, on the
Madras Establishment, who,* having for many years
prescribed it with advantage, introduced a quantijjr of
it for trial in London, through the medium of his
friend, Mr. Short, of RatclifF Highway.

Qualities. This expressed oil has a yellow co-
lour, a faint odour, and an acrid taste ; these qualities
however will be found to vary in different samples ; but
the fact, as Dr. Nimmo + has justly observed, may be
fairly explained, without suspecting the existence of
any fraud, by supposing that the seeds have undergone
a different degree of torrefaction, in order to separate
the oil from the farinaceous part. Chemical Compo-
si-TiON. The recent experiments of Dr. Nimmo have
very satisfactorily shewn that this oil consists of 45
parts of an Acrid purgative principle^ and 55 of a

fj See Ainslie's Materia Medica of Hindostan.

* I state this fact on the authority of a communication made
by order of the Court of Directors of the East India Company,
to the College of Physicians, enclosing the extract of a letter
from Mr. Conwell.

+ Journal of Science and the Arts. No. xxvi.

TIG 465

fixed oil resembling that of olives^ and not possessed of
any cathartic property. The acrid principle appears
to reside in a resinous matter soluble in alcohol and
sulphuric aether, and in, volatile and fixed oils. I have
lately repeated some of Dr. Nimmo's experiments on a
recently imported sample of oil, and with similar re-
sults. The acrid principle appears to bear a strong
analogy to that which I separated from elaterium, and
as I gave to this latter principle the term Elatin, it
seems to me that we might with much propriety, apply
the name Tiglin to the former, especially as it does
not appear to possess any of the characters and habi-
tudes of a salifiable basis ; at all events the adoption of
such a term will obviate the necessity of circumlocu-
tion in our descriptions. Solubility. By alcohol
the oil undergoes a ready decomposition ; the Tiglin
is dtesolved together with a very minute quantity of the
oily part. Ether and oil of turpentine dissolve the
whole ; a fact which enables us, by digesting the seeds
in these menstrua, to obtain the article in as genuine,
and certainly in a much more uniform, condition, than
by the processes of torrefaction and expression, as
practised in India ; for this fact we are also indebted
to Dr. Nimmo. Med. Uses. As far as 1 have been
able to ascertain the fact, this oil does not appear to
produce any effects which cannot be commanded by
other drastic purgatives ; its value depends upon the
facility with which it may be administered; in some
cases it is amply sufficient to touch the tongue, in
others, a drop or two will be required. In maniacs,
and in cases where the administration of bulky medi-
cines is extremely difficult, it would seem to offer a
decided advantage.* Forms of Exhibition. It has

* I understand that to the Veterinary Surgeon this oil has
proved an article of great utility, as it uniformly purges the
Vol. ii. 2 g

466 TIG

been usually given in this country in the proportion of
from one to two drops, in the form of pills. Dr.
Nimmo's discovery with respect to the chemical com-
position of the oil, very naturally suggested to him
the mode of administering it in the form of an alcoho-
lic tincture, (Tinctura Tiglii^) and he has found by
experience that such a preparation furnishes the means
of readily apportioning the dose to the various circum-
stances of the case; thus he found that in administer-
ing a tincture * in doses equivalent to the number of
drops decomposed, the same effects were produced as
have been attributed to the entire oil. Adultera-
tions. Much has been said upon the fraudulent ad-
mixture of this comparatively expensive article with
the cheaper fixed oils ; ?ind we believe with much
truth ; a circumstance which will of necessity prevent
the general use of the article ; and occasion very differ-
ent reports with respect to its value and activity. Dr.
Nimmo however proposes a method of detecting such
adulteration, by a process suggested by the results of
his experiments upon its composition, and whose ra-
tionale will be easily understood after the chemical
history that has been just presented.

'' Let a very light phial be counterpoised in an accu-
rate balance; pour into it 50 grains of the suspected
oil, add alcohol (which has been previously digested +

horse, and may be employed, for that purpose, in those cases in
which Aloes would be inadmissible.

* In making such a tincture we should employ a fluid-drachm
of Rectified Spirit, to two drops of the oil. They should be di-
gested for some time and then filtered. With all the care that
can be used, a certain portion of the spirit will be evaporated,
and half a fluid-drachm of the tincture may be thus considered
as nearly equivalent to a drop and a half of the oil.

t The object of this preliminary step is to saturate the alcoho!

TIN 467

upon olive oil,) agitate them well, pour off the solution
and add more alcohol as before, until the dissolved
portion is diffused in such a proportion of alcohol that
each half drachm measure shall contain equal to one
dose of the oil of Tiglium for an adult. By afterwards
placing the phial near a fire, to evaporate what remains
of the alcohol in the bottle, if the residuum be to that
which has been abstracted by the alcohol as 5b to 45,
the oil is genuine. If olive, or any other oil little so-
luble in alcohol, has been employed as the adulterating
agent, it is evident that the residuum will be in a
larger proportion ; but should Castor Oil have been
employed for that purpose, the proportion of the resi-
duum will be smaller even than in the genuine medi-
cine.'

TINCTURiE. L.E.D. Tinctures.

These consist of alcohol, proof spirit, or spirit of
greater or less density, holding in solution one or more
of those proximate principles of vegetable or animal
matter which are soluble in that menstruum, viz. Sugar,
resin, extractive^ tannin^ cinchonia^ camphor^ volatile
oils, morphia, emetin, conein, elatin, tiglin, and seve-
ral acids. The proper solvent of those bodies, termed
gum-resins, appears to be proof spirit. The compi-
lers of the Codex Medicamentarius of Paris, have de-
fined the different degrees of spirituous strength requi-
site for the full and perfect extraction of the active
elements of different bodies with great truth and
nicety ; thus they direct for these purposes a spirit of

with a fixed oil, that it may not dissolve any portion of that iii
the Tiglium, and thus confuse the results. The quantity of fixed
oil which alcohol is capahle of dissolving is extremely small, and
will not in the least degree injure the alcoholic solution for sub-
sequent medicinal use.

2 G 2

468 TIN

three different standards, viz. 36 (Sp, gr. 'SST,) 32
(•856) 22, ('915) of Beaume's hydrometer ; with the
first are prepared the resinous tinctures ; with the se-
cond those wherein the resinous ^ extractive^ or gummy
elements, hold nearly an equal place ; and with the
third those in which the latter predominate. We are
moreover indebted to this committee for having set at
rest a question which has been long doubtful, whether
the addition of alkaline agents increases the extractive
powers of the spirit ? They have indeed ascertained
by experiment, that the reverse not frequently obtains ;
foi- instance, they found that a smaller proportion of
guaiacum was dissolved by the spirit of ammonia,
than by alcohol of the same strength, and that the
quantity of matter dissolved from the root of Valerian
was the same in both cases. Very active substances,
soluble in alcohol, are those which are particularly
adapted for tinctures, since they furnish preparations
which are efficient in small doses, and very manageable
in extemporaneous prescription, such are the tinctures
of Opium, Digitalis y Hyoscyamus, Scilla, SfC, and
from the chemical analysis of Elaterium, there can be
no doubt but that a very active and useful tincture of
that substance might be introduced into practice ;
while Dr. Nimmo has very clearly proved that the
active matter of tlie Croton Tiglium may be thus con-
centrated, see Tiglii Oleum. On the contrary, sub-
stances of little activity, except in large doses, are the
least adapted for this form of exhibition, as in such
cases the solvent will act more powerfully on the living
system, than the principles which it may hold in solu-
tion, and when continued for any length of time, will
lay the foundation of the pernicious custom of dram
drinking ; such tinctures, however, are not without
their value in combination ; they sometimes increase

TIN 469

the efficacy, and often correct the operation or dis-
guise the flavour, of the medicines with which they
may be united ; for example, the cathartic tinctures in
Formula 70, augment the purgative powers of the
combination, at the same time that they correct its un-
pleasant operation ; many other illustrations are pre-
sented in the different formulae, for the explanation of
which I must refer the student to the Kei/ Letters*
The addition of a tincture has likewise the effect of
preserving decoctions and infusions from spontaneous
decomposition, the compound tincture of Cardamoms
answers such an object in the compound decoction of
Aloes, Tinctures are sometimes made with aether, but
they are generally more strongly characterised by the
nature of the menstruum than by that of the substance
dissolved in it ; indeed, aether is used in these cases,
not to dissolve substances which would resist the ac-
tion of alcohol and water, but for the sake of its own
direct action on the body ; thus the Edinburgh phar-
macopoeia directs an Ethereal Tincture of Aloes,
which is more penetrating and stimulant than the alco-
holic tinctures ; the London College, with the excep-
tion of the Aromatic Spirit of j^ther, does not recog-
nise any preparation of this nature : I have already al-
luded to the Mthereal Tincture of Digitalis of the
French Codex, than which nothing can be more inju-
dicious, for the digitalis does not amount to more
than l-70th part of the tincture, and must therefore be
entirely counteracted by the stimulant effects of the
menstruum. The same objection cannot be urged
against the aethereal tinctures of Castor, Musk, and
Amber, since in these cases, the subject and the men-
struum concur in their mode of operation.

Tinctures derive their names from the substances
which impart activity to them, and as the medicinal

470 TIN

history of each substance is detailed under its proper
head, it will be unnecessary to dwell at any length
upon the individual virtues of these tinctures.

] . Prepared with Rectified Spirit,

TlNCTURA ASSAFGETID^. L,D. Dose^ f3SS tO f3J.

Benzoes Comp. L.E.D. Balsamum

Traumaticiem, P. L. 1745. This is a combination
of Benzoin, Storax, and Tolu, with aloes ; it is re-
garded as a stimulating expectorant, and has been used
in chronic catarrh and confirmed asthma, but it is now
very rarely employed, except as an application to
wounds and languid ulcers. It is sold under the name
of Friar^s Balsam ; and with respect to the use of this
preparation as a Stj/ptic, the public have fallen into a
serious error; fresh wounds it must necessarily injure,
not only by its stimulating qualities, but by the sepa-
ration of the resins which take place on its intermix-
ture with the blood ; these form a substance, which
absolutely prevents what is most desirable in such case^
— the sides of the wound cominor in contact and
uniting by the first intention. Dose. As an inter-
nal remedy from f^ss to f 3ij, triturated with yelk of
egg^ or mucilage, to suspend it in water.

TlNCTURA Castorei. L.E. Dose, l^lxx to f 3ij.
See Form 20, 23, 25, 76, 97, 136.

TlNCTURA Castorei Composita. E. This is
much more active than the preceding tincture, as it
contains assafoetida, and its menstruum is ammoniated
alcohol. Dose TT[xv to f3J.

^ TlNCTURA CiNCHONiE Ammoniata. L. In tliis
preparation we have the tonic powers of the bark com-
bined with the stimulus of the Ammonia. JDose f 3SS
to f3ij. Acids and Acidulous Salts are of course in-
comj)atible with it.

TIN 471

TiNCTURA GuAiAci. L.E.D. A simple solution
of guaiac. Dose^ f3i — ^Siij*

TiNCTURA GuAiAci Ammoniata. This is a solu-
tion of the guaiac in the aromatic spirit of ammonia,
and is consequently more stimulating than the pre-
ceding one, and more efficacious as a sudorific : after
arterial action is properly reduced, it is certainly one
of our best remedies in rheumatism. Dose, f 3J to fsij,
at bed time, and its effects should be promoted by
some warm beverage. It is worthy of remark, that
nitrous acid and the spirit of nitric aether occasion an
extraordinary decomposition of these tinctures, sepa-
rating the guaiacum into coagulated masses, and im-
parting to the whole an intense bluish green colour.
I find that chlorine has the same effect ; * but the sul-
phuric and muriatic acids produce no disturbance, al-
though all acids and acidulous salts must be considered
as incompatible with it. If equal parts of quick-lime

* The change of colour which Guaiacum undergoes hy admix-p
ture with other bodies, not only affords a test by which we may
appreciate its purity, but at the same time it becomes a reagent
by which we may assay the virtues of other vegetable substances.
According to the experiments of M. Taddey and Rudolphi, it
appears that Guaiacum in powder, is an excellent test for vege-
table gluten, forming with it a fine blue colour, whence it affords
the means of determining the quality of wheat flour. From the
experiments of M. Planche, it moreover appears that there is a
series of vegetable roots which, when fresh, are capable of pro-
ducins: a blue colour, if introduced into an alcoholic solution of
Guaiacum : so that we may hereafter be furnished with a chemi-
cal test that will at once appreciate their freshness, which is un-
doubtedly one of the greatest desiderata of pharmaceutical sci-
ence.

A communication has appeared from Mr. A. T. Thomson, in
which he proposes Guaiacum as a test for the freshness of Col-
chicum. I have, however, never been able to succeed with it,
to my satisfaction.

472 TIN

and powdered guaiacum be rubbed together, and a
quantity of water be poured over them, and the mix-
ture be allowed to stand until it becomes fine, we shall
obtain a solution of this substance, which will mix in
any proportion with aqueous vehicles without decom-
position, and to which the aromatic spirit of ammonia
may be subsequently added with effect.

TiNCTURA ToLuiFER^ Balsami. E.D. This is
only useful as an adjunct, to impart agreeable flavour
and fragrance to other remedies.

The above tinctures, when added to water, are in-
stantly decomposed, the practitioner must therefore
remember that when he prescribes them in aqueous
vehicles, it will be necessary to direct them to be tritu-
rated with some viscid liquor, as mucilage, previous to
the addition of the water, in order to suspend the resi-
nous precipitate.

2. Tinctures prepared with Spirit above Proof,

TiNCTURA Aloes Composita. L. D. Elixir
Proprietatis. P.L. 1720. Tincture of Myrrh is the
menstruum of the Aloes in this preparation, to which
Saffron is added. JDose^ f5j to f 5ij. Form. 16, 97.

TiNCTURA Myrrhs. L. The strength of the
spirituous solvent has been very judiciously increased
in the Editio Altera of the London Pharmacopoeia,
by which means a brighter tincture is obtained. It is
rarely used except in astringent and detergent gargles,
or as an external application to foul ulcers ; diluted
with water it presents us with an excellent lotion for
spongy gums.*

* Hudson's Preservative for the Teeth and Gums. Equal
parts of Tincture of Myrrh, Tincture of Bark, and Cinnamon
water, to which are added Arquebusade and Gum Arabic.

Green ouGu's Tincture for the Teeth. The following re-

TIN 473

3, Tinctures prepared with Proof Spirit.

TiNCTURA AngustuRuE. D. See Cusparice Cortex.

TiNCTURA AuRANTii. L.D. An agreeable adjunct
to bitter infusions. Dose, f5ij to fSiij.

TiNCTURA Calumb^ L.D. A valuable stomachic.
Form. 32, 35, 154, 155, 159. Dose, f5i— f 3iij.

TiNCTURA Camphors Composita. Tinctura Opii
Camphor at a. P. L. 1787. Elixir Paregoricum.*
P.L. 1745. This preparation had undergone both
change of name and composition in the last Pharmaco-
poeia ; its old name was thought improper from its
similarity to that of tincture of opium, and the oil of
aniseed has been omitted on account of its disagreeable
flavour ; still, however, these perpetual changes are
most distressing ; the tincture, as it is now prepared,
is very diiferent from that which has been so long and
so generally sold under the name of Paregoric Elixir,
and the chemist is therefore obliged to keep both the
preparations, and to send the one or the other, accord-
ing as it may be required by the old or new name.
One fluid-ounce contains nearly two grains of Opium
and of benzoic acid, and about one grain and a quarter
of camphor. In doses of f3J to f3iiJ5 it is anodyne.

TiNCTURA Cantharides.D. This tincture is highly
stimulating, acting with great energy upon the urinary
organs ; it therefore offers a resource in gleets, fluor

eeipt is given on the authority of Mr. Gray. Of Bitter Almonds,
2 oz. Brazil Wood and Cassia Buds, equal parts, half an ounce ;
root of the Florentine Iris, 2 dr. : of Cochineal, Salt of Sorrel,
and Alum, equal parts, one drachm; Rectified Spirit, 2 pints;
Spirit of Horse Radish, half an .ounce.

RuspiNi's Tincture for the Teeth. This consists of the
root of the Florentine Iris, eight ounces ; Cloves, one ounce j
Rectified Spirit, two pints; Ambergris, one scruple.

* From TTxpvtyopEM lenio, to assuage pain.

47Jr TIN

albus, incontinence of urine, &c. it has also proved
serviceable as a highly stimulating diuretic, in cases of
Hydrops Ovarii, See Form, 116. Dose^ TTJ^x to fsj,
given in some demulcent infusion ; it is likewise em-
ployed with advantage as a stimulating embrocation
and rubefacient, in conjunction with soap or camphor
liniment. Externally it has been used in the cure of
Sinuses, and fistulous openings, in the proportion of
three fluid-drachms to a pint of water.*

TiNCTURA Capsici. L. Tt is an excellent stimu-
lant. See Capsici Baccce. Dose, TT^x to f5i.

TiNCTURA Cardamomi Composita. L. An agree-
able cordial, and adjunct to bitter infusions. See
Form, 47. 5l.i Dose, f ji to f 5ij.

TiNCTURA Cascarill^. L.D. It is added with
much effect to different stomachic infusions. See Form.
33, 39, 41. Dose, f^i to f3iij.

TiNCTURA Catechu. L.E.D. A warm and grate-
ful astringent ; very useful as an adjunct to cretaceous
mixtures in diarrhoea, &c. See Form. 51, 52, 58.
Dose, f3i to f siij.

TiNCTURA Cinchona. L.E.D. Used as an adjunct
to the decoction or infusion of the bark. See Form.
126, 127. Dose, f 3J to fjss. It should be preserved
in a place which is not very cold ; for a low tempera-
ture precipitates the Morphia; this inconvenience, how-
ever, is obviated by the addition of a little acetic acid,
without diminishing the efficacy of the tincture.

TiNCTURA CiNCHONiE Composita. This resembles

* Matthews Injection. This once celebrated remedy for
Fistula in Ano, was nothing more than a diluted Tincture of
Cantharides.

+ Solomon's Balm of Gilead. An aromatic tincture, of
which Cardamoms form a leading ingredient, made with brandy.
Some practitioners have asserted that Cantharides enter its com-
position.

TIN 475

the celebrated tincture of Huxham, and althouorh it
contains less cinchona than the simple tincture, yet
from the addition of aromatics it is more grateful and
stomachic. Dose^ f 3J to f§ss.

TiNCTURA CiNNAMOMi. L.D. See Form, 101.

TiNCTURA ClNNAMOMI CoMPOSITA. L.E.D. As

this is a combination of aromatics with cinnamon, it is
more grateful and stomachic than the simple tincture.
Dose J f3 to f3ij.

TiNCTURA CoNii Maculati. E. As Conelfi is
perfectly soluble in spirit, this tincture constitues a veiy
eleorant and efficient form for the exhibition of Hem-
lock ; I have frequently experienced its effects, when
added to febrifuge mixtures, with satisfaction. The
London college has not hitherto admitted it into the
list of tinctures, which is to be regretted.

TiNCTURA Croci. E.D. It has no medicinal use,
independent of its colour.

TiNCTURA Digitalis, L.E.D. It is a very useful
form for the exhibition of this valuable plant. Dose^
n^^x, cantiously increased. See Digitalis Folia, and
Form. 32.

TiNCTURA GENTIANiE CoMPOSITA. L. E. An

elcijant stomachic bitter, but less eliorible as a remedy
than the infusion. Dose, £"^1 — f 3ij.

TiNCTURA Hellebori Nigri. This preparation
was strongly advised by Dr. Mead, in uterine obstruc-
tions. Do^e, TT[ XXX to f5j. See Uellebori Radix.

TiNCTURA HuMULi. L.E. It is supposed to posse'ss
the tonic and narcotic properties of the hop. Dose,
f3ss to f3iij.

TiNCTURA Hyoscyami. L. Tliis is a much more
powerful nai'cotic than the preceding tincture ; and it
is not liable to affect the head, nor to produce that
disturbance in the biliary secretions which so inevitably
follows the use of opium. Dose, f5ss to f5ij.

476 TIN

TiNCTURA JalapjE. L.E. As the activity of Jalap
does not reside in any one principle, but depends upon
the combination of its gum, extractive, and resin^ proof
spirit is of course its appropriate solvent ; and the re-
sulting tincture is therefore an active purgative, but it
is rarely administered except as an adjuvant to cathar-
tic combinations. JDose^ f 3J to f §ss. See Form. 70, 76.

TiNCTURA Kino. L.E.D. This is little else than
a solution of Tannin; it is however less astringent
than the tincture of Catechu. Dose, f 3i to f 3ij.

TiNCTURA Opii. L.E.D. This is at once a most
convenient and elegant form for the exhibition of
opium ; TT^xix contain one grain of opium. See
Opium, and Form. 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 52, 75, 76, 107, 110,
117, 127, 136, 156, 172. As an external application,
when rubbed upon the skin it produces anodyne effects,
and it is said that these effects are very much increased
by combining it with acetic acid ; an acetate ofmor-
phia is probably thus produced.

TiNCTURA QuAssiiE ExcELSiE. E.D. The bitter
principle of this root, Quassin, is completely extracted
by proof spirit. Dose,^'^].

TiNCTURA Rhei. L.E.D. Less purgative, but
more astringent and aromatic than the infusion. That
made with the East Indian variety, is of a deeper co-
lour, with a tinge of brown. Dose, fgss to f|j.

TiNCTURA Rhei Composita. L. A cordial, used
principally as an adjunct to saline purgatives. Dose,
fSvj to f Jj, to produce purgative effects ; from fSj to
fjij, to act as a stomachic.

The Edinburgh Pharmacopoeia directs two com<p
pound tinctures of Rhubarb for similar purposes, viz.
Tinct. Rhei et Aloes ; and Tinct. Rhei et Gentiance.

TiNCTURA SciLL^. L.E.D. Dose, TT^x to xxx.
See Form. Qb, 109, 139,

TIN 477

TiNCTURA Senn^. L.E. Dose, f3ij to §j. See
Form, 70. Dose, £3!] to f Jj.

TiNCTURA Senn^ Composita. E. In this tinc-
ture, the Senna is quickened by Jalap. Dose, f3ij to

TiNCTURA SerpentarIuE. L.E.D. Dose, f3ij to
f3iij. It is principally employed as a stimulating ad-
junct to the infusion or decoction of Cinchona, in
typhoid fevers. Officinal, Prep. Tinct, Cincon,
comp, L. Dose, f5i to f3iij.

TiNCTURA Valerianjs. L.D. It is only used as
an adjunct to the infusion of Valerian.

TiNCTURA Valeriana Ammoniata. L.D. This
tincture is not more highly charged with the principles
of the Valerian than the foregoing one, but as the
ammonia corresponds with it in virtue, it is probably
more powerful. Dose, f3i to f3ij. See Form, 23, 25.

TiNCTURA ZiNGiBERis. L.D. A highly stimulating
preparation. See Form, 33. Dose, f^ss to f5ij.

TINCTURA FERRI AMMONIATI. L.

As this is merely a spirituous solution of the Ferrum
Ammoniatum, the title of tincture is improperly applied
to it ; it seems moreover to be a very superfluous pre-
pararion.

TINCTURA FERRI MURIATIS. L.E.D.

Qualities. Colour, brownish yellow ; Taste,
styptic ; Odour, very peculiar. Chemical Compo-

Daffy's Elixir. This is the Tinctura Sennas Composita,
with the substitution of treacle for sugar candy, and the addition
of aniseeds and elecampane root. Different kinds of this nostrum
are sold under the names of Dicey's Daffy, and Swinton's
Daffy ; but they differ merely in some subordinate minutia:, or
unimportant additions.

478 TIN

siTioN. It is an alcoholic solution of muriate of iron ;
the iron being in the state o^ per-oxide. Incompa-
tible Substances. Alkalies and their carbonates ;
the infusions of astringent vegetables ; mucilage of
gum arabic : by this latter substance it is precipitated
in gelatinous flakes. Med. Uses. It is one of the
most active preparations of iron which we possess, and
it moreover appears to exert a specific influence upon
the urinary organs. * Mr. Cline informs us that lT[x,
given every ten minutes, until some sensible effect is
produced, afford in dysuria speedy relief; in hemorr-
hage from the bladder, kidneys, or uterus, it acts as a
powerful styptic. See Form. 35, 60, 97, 114. Exter-
nally, it is very efficacious in destroying venereal warts,
either used alone, or diluted with a small portion of
water. Dose, TT^x to f3ss, or f3J. f

TORMENTILL^ RADIX. L.E.D.

Tormentilla Officinalis.

Tormentil Root.

Qualities. This root is knotty, externally black-

* The following remarks, with which I have lately been fa-
voured by Dr. Davy, appear interesting. " In the few cases
which I have tried this remedy for the retention of urine, I have
seen no good effects produced, until it excited nausea. For this
purpose I have found it advantageous to give it in a little tepid
water ; upon chemical examination I could not discover that it
ever passed off by the urine -, the faeces, however are uniformly
coloured black by it, whence I conclude it must be evacuated
through the bowels. In order to prevent its tendency to consti-
pate the bowels, I have found it necessary to give some aperient,
as castor oil, speedily afcer its exhibition." May not this latter
circumstance explain the reason of his not having detected it
in the urine ? (See Vol. 1, p. 176.)

+ Dn La Mottk's Golden Drops. An ^Ethereal solution of
Iron.

TOX 479

ish, internally reddish ; Odour ^ slightly aromatic ;
TastCj austere and styptic. Chemical Composition.
Its active matter is chiefly Tannin^ and except galls
and catechu, it appears to contain a larger proportion
than any other vegetable astringent.* Solubility.
Boiling water extracts all its virtues, as also does spirit.
Incompatible Substances. Solutions of Isinglass,
the Salts of Iron; Alkalies and Alkaline Earths*
Med. Uses, It has been chiefly used in diarrhoea, and
it is very efficacious in that w^hich is so frequently at-
tendant on Phthisis. Dr. Fordyce recommends its
union with Ipecacuan, by which combination, he
observes, we shall astringe the vessels of the intestines,
and at the same time relax those of the skin. Forms
OF Exhibition. In substance, or in decoction made
by boiling §j of the root in oiss of water until reduced
to oj. Dose, of the substance in powder, 3SS to 3J ;
of the above decoction f ^j thrice a day. Officinal
Prep. Pulv. Cret. Comp, L.

TOXICODENDRI FOLIA. L.E.

(Rhus Toxicodendron.)

Sumach Leaves, or Poison Oak,

Qualities Its leaves are inodorous, but have a
sub-acrid taste. Chemical Composition. Gallic
acid, tannin, and a certain acrimonious matter, upon
which the virtues of the plant depend, and which,
according to Van Mons, is disengaged from the leaves
in the state of gas during the night, or while they do
not receive the direct rays of the sun. Med. Uses.
Dr. Alderson of Hull introduced the leaves of this

* It has, for this reason, been substituted for oak bark in the
tanning of leather.

480 TUS

plant to notice, in whose hands they proved successful
in several cases of Paralysis ; the same results how^ever
have not been obtained by other physicians ; the plant
has therefore fallen into disuse, and might, in deference
to public opinion, be removed from the materia medica.
When applied externally it has been know^n to pro-
duce an erysipelatous aftection of the skin ; a remark-
able instance of v^^hich lately occurred at the Botanic
garden at Chelsea, where a person merely rubbed his
eye after having casually touched the plant in question.

TUSSILAGO. (Tassilago Farfara— Jb//ff, Flores,)

Coltsfoot."^

This plant has been regarded as a powerful expec-
torant from the earliest ages ; it is at present only
valued for the mucilage which it affords ; a handful of
the leaves boiled in oij of water, until reduced to oj,
will furnish, by the addition of a little sugar candy, a
very grateful demulcent.

VALERIANA RADIX. L E.D.

(Valeriana Officinalis. Si/lvestris.)

Valerian Root.

Qualities. Odour ^ strong, peculiar and unpleasant;
TastCy warm, bitter, and sub-acrid. Chemical Com-
position. Extractive, gum, resin, fecula, tannin, and
a peculiar essential oil which seems to contain cam-

* British Herb Tobacco. The basis of which is Coltsfoot;
this appears to have had a very ancient origin, for the same plant
was smoaked through a reed in the days of Dioscorides, for the
purpose of promoting expectoration, and was called by him
/3*jy<ov, from /3ii|, tussis, whence Tussilago.

Essence of Coltsfoot. For an account of this nostrum,
see page 127.

VER 481

phor, and on which- its virtues probably depend.
Solubility. Its active matter is extracted by boiling
water, alcohol, and the solutions of the pure alkalies.
Incompatible Substances. The salts of iron. Med.
Uses. It is antispasmodic, tonic, and emmenagogue ;
and it is highly beneficial in those diseases which ap-
pear to be connected with a morbid susceptibility of
the nervous system, as in hysteria, hemicrania, and in
some species of epilepsy ; and it would appear that its
virtues in such complaints may be frequently increased
by combining it with cinchona. Forms of Exhi-
bition. The form of powder is the most effectual,
and next to this a strong tincture made with proof
spirit ; by decoction its powers are considerably im-
paired, and consequently the extract is an inefficient
preparation. Dose of the powder 9j to 3J ; when the
flavour disgusts, the addition of a small portion of
mace or cinnamon^ will be found to disguise it. See
Form^ 25, 31, 38. Officinal Preparation. Infus.
Valerian. D. Tinct. Valerian. L.D. Tinct. Valerian,
ammoniat. L.D. Adulterations. The roots of a
species of crowfoot are sometimes mixed with those of
valerian ; they may be distinguished by a caustic taste
on chewing them ; the roots have also often a disagree-
able smell from the urine of cats, who are allured and
delighted by their odour ; and they are sometimes inert,
from not having been taken up at a proper season, or
from not having been carefully preserved.

VERATRI RADIX. L.E. (Veratrum Album.)
Helleborus Albus. D.

While Hellebore Root.

Qualities. Oc^owr, strong, and disagreeable; Taste^
bitter, and very acrid ; by drying, the odour is dissi-
pated, and in this state it is found in the shops.

Vol. ii. 2 h

489 VER

Solubility. Its active principles are soluble in water,
alcohol, and the alkalies. Chemical Composition.
Pelletier and Caventou have lately discovered in this
vegetable a new alkaline principle, white, crystalline,
and acrid, to which they have given the name of Vera^
tria : it appears to exist in combination with gallic
acid. Med. Uses. The effects of this root are ex-
tremely violent and poisonous ; the ancients employed
it in various obstinate cases, but they generally re-
garded it as * their last resource ; it acts as a violent
emetic and cathartic, producing bloody stools, great
anxiety, tremors, and convulsions. EtmuUer says, that
the external application of the root to the abdomen,
will produce vomiting ; and Schroeder observed the
same phenomenon to take place in a case where it was
used as a suppository, and its juice has been applied to
the purpose of poisoning arrows ; notwithstanding
these effects however the veratrum has been very safely
and successfully administered in cases of mania, epi-
lepsy, lepra, and gout :* but the most ordinary use of
white hellebore is as a local stimulant ; as an adjunct

* In the first edition of this work, I stated the prohability of
the Veratrum being the active ingredient of the Eau Medicinale,
and, upon the authority of Mr. James Moore, I inserted a for-
mula for its preparation ; subsequent enquiry, however, has shewn
the fallacy of this opinion ; but the fact of the medicinal efficacy
of the Veratrum, when combined with opium, in the cure of
gout, remains incontrovertible. One of the two Sweating Pow-
ders of Ward was a combination of the Veratrum and Opium.
It is certainly a very singular coincidence, that recent experi-
ments should have shewn that the active principle of colchicum is
identical with that which gives efficacy to the hellebore, viz.
Gallate of Veratria. The fact itself offers a striking instance of
medical experience having anticipated the discoveries of chemis-
try, while it affords a powerful case in support of the arguments
nEich I have urged in the first volume of this work, p. 103.

VI N 483

to errhine powders ; or in tlie form of decoction, as
a lotion ; or mixed with a lard, as an ointment in
scabies,+ and herpetic eruptions : great caution how-
ever is required in its application, for several authors
affirm that as an errhine, it has caused abortions, flood-
ings which could not be restrained^ and fatal hemorr-
hages from the nose. Dose, gr. iij to v, obtunded by
the addition of twelve times its weight of starch, a
pinch of which may be taken for several successive
evenings ; for internal administration it ought not to
exceed gr.ij. Officinal Prep. Decoct. Veratri.h.
Tinct. Veratri albi, E. Unguent, Veratri, L. Un-
guent. Sulphur i comp. L.

VINUM. mne.

The term wine is more strictly and especially applied
to express the fermented juice of the Grape, althougli
it is generally used to denote that of ani/ sub-acid
fruit. The presence of Tartar is perhaps the circum-
stance by which the grape is most strongly distin-
guished from all the other sub-acid fruits that have
been applied to the purpose of wine making. The
juice of the grape, moreover, contains within itself all
the principles essential to vinification, in such a pro-
portion and state of balance as to enable it at once to
undergo a regular and complete fermentation, whereas
the juices of other fruits require artificial additions for
this purpose ; and the scientific application and due
adjustment of these means, constitute the art of making
wines.* It has been remarked, that all those wines

+ Edinburgh Ointment. The principal ingredienis of which
are the White Hellehore and Muriate of Ammonia.

* For an account of which the reader is referred to a most in-
genious and interesting Essay hy Dr. MaccuUoch, entitled " Re-

2h 2

484 VIN

that contain an excees of malic acid are of a bad quality,
hence the grand defect that is necessarily inherent in
the wines of this country, and which leads them to
partake of the properties of citler, for in the place of
the tartaric^ the malic acid always predominates in
native fruits.

The characteristic ingredient of all wines is Alcohol,^
and the quantity of this, and the condition or state
of combination in which it exists, are the circum-
stances that include all the interesting and disputed
points of medical enquiry. Daily experience convinces
us that the same quantity of alcohol, applied to the
stomach under the form of natural wine, and in a state
of mixture with water, will produce very different
effects upon the body, and to an extent which it is
difficult to comprehend ; it has, for instance, been
demonstrated that Port, Madeira, and Sherry, contain
from one-fourth to one-fifth their bulk of alcohol, so
that a person who takes a bottle of either of them,
will thus take nearly half a pint of alcohol, or almost
a pint of pure brandy ! and moreover that different
wines, although of the same specific gravity, and con-
sequently containing the same absolute proportion of
spirit, will be found to vary veiy considerably in their
intoxicating powers ; no wonder then that such results
should stagger the philosopher, who is naturally un-
willing to accept any tests of difference from the ner-
vous system, which elude the ordinary resources of
analytical chemistry ; the conclusion was therefore
drawn, that alcohol must necessarily exist in wine in
a far different condition from that in which we know

marks on the Art of making Wine, with suggestions for the
application of its principles to the improvement of Domestic
Wmes."

VIN 485

it ill a separate state, or in other words, that its ele-
ments only could exist in the vinous liquor, and that
their union was determined, and consequently alcohol
produced, by the action of distillation. That it was
the product^ and not the educt of distillation, was an
opinion which originated with Rouelle, who asserted
that alcohol was not completely formed, until the tem-
perature was raised to the point of distillation ; more
lately the same doctrine was revived and promulgated
by Fabbroni, in the memoirs of the Florentine Aca-
demy. Gay Lussac has, however, silenced the clamo-
rous partisans of this theory, by separating the alcohol
by distillation at the temperature of 66 ^ Fah, and by
the aid of a vacuum^ it has since been effected at 56^ :
besides, it has been shewn that by precipitating the
colourinor matter and some of the other elements of the
wine by sub-acetate of lead^ and then saturating the
clear liquor with sub-carbonate ofpotass^ the alcohol
may be completely separated without any elevation of
temperature ; and by this ingenious expedient Mr.
Brande has been enabled to construct a table, exhibit-
ing the proportions of combined alcohol which exist
in the several kinds of wine : no doubt therefore can
remain upon this subject, and the fact of the difference
of effect, produced by the samp bulk of alcohol, when
presented to the stomach in different states of combi^
nation, adds another striking and instructive illustra-
tion to those already enumerated in the course of this
work, of the extraordinary powers of chemical combi^
nation in modifying the activity of substances upon the
living system. In the present instance, the alcohol is
so combined with the extractive matter of the wine,
that it is probably incapable of exerting its full specific
effects upon the stomach, before it becomes altered in
its properties, or, in other words, digested: and this

486 VIN

view of the subject may be fairly urged in explanation
of the reason why the intoxicating effects of the same
wine are so liable to vary in degree, in the same indi-
vidual, fi'om the peculiar state of his digestive organs
at the time of its potation.* Hitherto we have only
spoken of pure wine, but it is essential to state that the
stronger wines of Spain, Portugal, and Sicily, are ren-
dered marketable in this country by the addition of
Brand?/, and must consequently contain uncombined al-
cohol, the proportion of which however will not neces-
sarily bear a ratio to the quantity added, because, at the
})eriod of its admixture, a renewed fermentation is pro-
duced by the scientific vintner, which will assimilate
and combine a certain portion of the foreign spirit
with the wine : this manipulation, in technical lan-
guage, is called fretting-in. The free alcohol may,
according the experiments of Fabbroni, be immedi-
ately separated by saturating the vinous fluid with sub-
carbonate of potass, while the combined portion will
remain undisturbed : in ascertaining the fabrication
and salubrity of a wine, this circumstance ought always
to constitute a leading feature in the inquiry; and the
tables of Mr. Brande would have been greatly en-
hanced in practical value, had the relative proportions
of uncombined spirit been appreciated in his experi-
ments, since it is to this, and not to the combined edcO'
hoi, that the injurious effects of wine are to be attri-
buted. " It is well known," observes Dr. Maccullochj
" that diseases of the liver are the most common, and
the most formidable of those produced by the use of

* This may also explain why bitters, under certain circuni-
«lances, have been found to counteract the effects of wine, as in the
instance of the " Poculum Absinthiatum," of which the ancients
enlcrlained so high an opinion. See Vol. 1. page 12S.

VIN 487

ardent spirits; it is equally certain that no such dis-
orders follow the intemperate use o^ pure wine, how-
ever long indulged in : to the concealed and unwitting
consumption of spirit, therefore, as contained in the
wines commonly drunk in this country, is to b/e attri-
buted the excessive prevalence of those hepatic affec-
tions which are comparatively little known to our con-
tinental neighbours." Thus much is certain, that our
ordinary wines contain no alcohol, but what is dis-
armed of its virulence, by the prophylactic energies of
combination.

The odour, or bouquet^ and flavour which distin-
guish one wine from another, evidently depend upon
some volatile and fugacious principle, soluble in alco-
hol ; this in sweet and half fermented wines, is imme-
diately derived from the fruit, as in those from the
Frontignan and Muscat grapes ; but in the more per-
fect wines, as in Claret, Hermitage, Rivesaltes, and
Burgundi/j it bears no resemblance to the natural
flavour of the fruit, but is altogether the product of the
vinous process ; and in some wines it arises from the
introduction of flavouring ingredients, as from al-
monds in Madeira wines, as well as in those of Xeres
and Saint Lucar, and hence their well known nutty
flavour. Among the ancients it was formerly, and in
modern Greece it is to this day, the fashion to give a
resinous flavour, by the introduction of Turpentine
into the casks.* These wines are supposed to assist

* *' Resinata bibis vina, Falerna fugis. — Martial.

Pliny (lib : 14. c. 14.) mentions a Wine under the name of
Myrrbina, which was so called on account of its being impreg-
nated with Myrrh.

488

VIN

digestion, to restrain ulcerous, and other morbid dis-
charges, to provoke urine, and to strengthen the bowels ;
but Dioscorides also informs us that they were known
to produce vertigo, pain in the head, and many evils
not incidental to the same quantity of vinous liquor
when free from such admixtures.*

Wines admit of being arranged into four classes, t

1. Sweet Wines ; which contain the greatest
proportion of extractive and saccharine matter, and
generally the least ardent spirit, though this is often
rather disguised than absent ; as in these wines a
proportion of sugar has remained unchanged during
the process of vinification, they must be considered as

This custom explains the origin and meaning of the Thyrsus of
Bacchus, which appears to have been a spear entwined with leaves
or a £Uet, and surmounted with a Fir cone ; thus,

* See Dioscorides lib. 5, c. 35, 36, 37, 38, 39.

+ An interesting and highly embellished work upon the subject
of "Wines, has lately been published by Dr. IIendei'i>on.

VIN 48^

the results of an imperfect fermentation, and are in
fact mixtures of wine and sugar ; accordingly, what-
ever arrests the progress of fermentation, must have a
tendency to produce a sweet wine ; thus boiling the
must or drying the fruit will, by partially separating
the natural leaven and dissipating the water, occasion
such a result as is exemplified by the manufacture of
the wines of Cyprus, the vino cotto of the Italians and
the vinum coctum of the ancients, by that of Frontig"
nac^ the rich and luscious wines of Canary^ the cele-
brated Tokay ^ Vino Tinto (Tent of Hungary) the
Italian Montefiascone^ the Persian Schiras, the Malm'
sey wines of Candia, Chio, Lesbos, and Tenedos, and
those of the other islands of the Archipelago. The
wines of the ancients, as Chaptal observes, were so
concentrated by boiling, that they rather deserve the
name of extracts or syrups, than that of wines ; they
must have been very sweet, and but little fermented ;
apparently, to remedy this, they were kept for a great
length of time ; according to Aristotle and Galen, seven
years was the shortest period necessary for keeping
wine before it was -fit to drink, but wines of a century
old were not uncommon at the tables of the luxurious
citizens of ancient Rome, and Horace boasts of his
drinking Falernian, born as it were with him, or
which reckoned its age from the same consuls.*

* " O Nata mecum consule Manlio. — Od : xxi. Lib : 3.
The Odes of Horace abound with manifestations of the same
taste, thus,

" I pete

Et Cadum Marsi memorem dnelli." — Od : xiv. Lib : 3.
Here Horace sends his Slave for a cask of the wine on which the
Marian war was recorded, and which must therefore have been
sixty-eight years old.

In ode xxviii. book 3, we find him calling for
*' Bibuli Consulis amphoram."

490 VIN

2. Sparkling or Effervescing Wines, as

Champagne, are indebted for their characteristic pro-
perties to the presence of carbonic acid ; they rapidly
intoxicate, in consequence of the alcohol, which is
suspended in, or combined with the gas, being thus
applied in a sudden and very divided state to a large
extent of nervous surface ; for the same reason, their
effects are as transitory as they are sudden.*

3. Dry and Light. These are exemplified by
the more esteemed German wines, as Hock^ Rhenish^
Mayne^ Moselle^ Necker^ and Elsass, and those
highly flavoured wines, Burgundj/y Claret^ Hermitage,
&c. They contain a very inconsiderable degree of
ardent spirit, and combine with it the effect of an acid.

Now as the poet was born in the Consulate of Manlius, as above
stated, which happened A.U. c. 688, and Bibulus was Consul in
694, the wine must have been hoarded from the time Horace was
six years of age.

Wine however might, according to the opinion of our Poet,
be too old ; he terms wine of this description " Languidiora
Vina," and Plautus compares old wine which has lost its relish
and strength, to a man who has lost his teeth by age, " Vinum
vetustate edentulum."

Nestor's wine was eleven years old. Od. y. 390.

The Romans had their wine cellars at the top of their houses;
thus Horace,

" descende Corvino jubente.
The object of such an arrangement was that the wine might ripen
sooner by the smoke, for their fires were made in the middle of
their rooms, with an opening above to let out the smoke, which
is described as rolling to the top of the house, in the Eleventh
Ode of the Fourth Book.

•' Rotantes vertice fumum."

* From the noxious effects which some persons experience from
potations of Champagne, it has been conjectured that this wine
must possess some narcotic principle like that which exists in
many species of Fungi. This, however, is extremely improbable.

VIN 491

4. Dry and Strong, as Madeira^ Port^ Sherri/^
&c. The name Sec. corruptly written Sack, signifies dry ;
the Sec wine prepared at Xeres * in Spain, is called
according to our orthograghy, Sherris^ or Sherri/.
In the manufacture of Sherry, Lime + is added to the
grapes, a circumstance, observes Dr. Macculloch, appa-
rently conducive to its well known dry quality, and
which probably acts by neutralizing a portion of malic
or tartaric acid.

By the adulteration and medication of wines, three
principal objects are attempted, viz. 1. To give them
strength^ which is effected by adding any ardent spirit;
but the wine is slowly decomposed by it. 2. To per*
feet or change their colour. It is very usual to change
white wines, when they have grown brown or rough,
into red wines, by means of sloes, or other colouring
matter. 3. To lessen^ or remove their acidity. It is
well known that lead in different forms has frequently
been employed for this purpose ; the practice however
is attended with most dangerous consequences ; but
which Dr. Macculloch is inclined to believe has been
over-rated, since the compounds which this metal

* ^yifos signifies dry. This is a curious coincidence.

t The Sack of Shakespeare was probably Sherry ; a conjec-
ture which receives additional strength from the following pas-
sage.

FalstafT. — *' You rogue, here's lime in this Sack too : There
is nothing but roguery to be found in villainous man : yet a
coward is worse than a cup of sack with lime in it ; a villainous
coward."

Huldrick Van Speagle, in his *' Famous Historic of most
Drinks, says " Sack is no hippocrite, for any man who knows
what an Anagram is will confesse that it is contained within tJie
litteral letters and limmits of its own name, which is to say. Cask,
i.e. Sack." See Taylor's Translation of the "Work of the
painful and industrious Huldrickc Van Speagle, a grammatical
Brewer of Lubcck. A.D. 1637."

492 VIN

forms with the tartaric and malic acids are insoluble ;
but against this argument, the decisive results of expe-
rience may be opposed, and Fourcroy conceived that
by the addition of Vinegar, a soluble triple salt, an
acetO'tartrate oflead^ vs^as produced. The fraud may
be easily detected by the test * invented by Dr. Hahne-
mann. The ancients, it appears, w^ere acquainted with
this property in lead, for according to Pliny, the
Greeks and Romans improved the quality of their
wines by immersing a plate of lead in them.+ Wine,
as a pharmaceutical agent, has been employed to ex-
tract several of the principles of vegetables, and to
dissolve eertain mineral bodies : as a solvent, how-
ever, it is liable to many serious objections, as ine-
quality of strength, and uncertainty of composition ;
thus sound and perfectly fermented dry wine, as
Sherry^ is frequently unable to dissolve iron, while
tartarized antimony is instantly decomposed by every
other. As a menstruum, to obtain an extract, it is
quite inadmissible on account of the residuum which
it leaves by evaporation. From such considerations
the London College have at length substituted a weak
spirit, for the wine formerly employed, although the

. * Expose equal parts of sulphur and powdered oyster shells to
a white heat for fifteen minutes, and when cold, add an equal
quantity of cream of tartar -, these are to be put into a strong
bottle with common water to boil for an hour ; and the solution
is afterwards to be decanted into ounce phials, adding 20 drops of
muriatic acid to each. This liquor will precipitate the least
quantity of lead from wines in a very sensible black precipitate.
As iron might be accidentally contained in the wine, the muriatic
acid is added to prevent its precipitation.

+ Lead will not only correct the acidity of wines, but remove
the rancidity of oils: a properly which is well known to Painters,
and which affords an expedient for making an inferior oil pass
for a good one.

VIN 493

term " Vinum^'' is still retained in the Pharmacopoeia,
to obviate those embarrassments which must ever at-
tend a change of name, with a corresponding change
of properties. The Committee were fully prepared to
expect the captious objections which are urged against
this measure, but as the name is chemically and medi-
cinally correct, the etymologist may be fairly allowed
to enjoy his assumed triumph without molestation.

ViNUM Aloes. L.E.D. This solution contains all
the virtues of the Aloes, and is more agreeable than
the tincture. It is a warm stomachic in doses of f3J to
f3ij, and a stimulating purgative when given from fgj

By referring to the Pharmacopoeia, it will be per-
ceived that alcoholic menstrua of different stren«:ths,
have been employed for the different preparations.
The proportions were deduced from careful experi-
ments, and are adapted to the composition of the sub-
stances which the spirit is intended to dissolve : e. g.

Proof Spirit. Water.

Vinum Aloes 1 part 1 .

Antimonii Tartariz : 1 ditto * ..... 1.

Colchici 1 ditto 2.

Ferri 1 ditto ix.

Ipecacuanhas 1 ditto If.

Opii 1 ditto 1|.

Veratri 1 ditto l\.

VINUM ANTIMONII TAPv,T ARIZ ATI. L.
Liquor Antimonii Tartarizatt. P.L. 1809.

Antimonial Wine.
During the period that I was Censor of the College,
I took considerable trouble, in conjunction with my

* The quantity of rectified spirit and water ordered will be
found on admixture to produce a spirit nearly of the above
strenfflh.

494 VIN

colleagues, to ascertain the state in which this prepa-
ration was to be generally met with in the wholesale
and retail shops of the metropolis. We were satisfied,
during our official visitations, that where sound Sherry
wine had been employed as a solvent, an efficient and
permanent solution was obtained, and that no precipi-
tation of Antimony took place, the sediment which
occurred being merely Tartrate of Lime ^ an inciden-
tal impurity derived from the Cream of tartar : but in
a majority of instances an inferior wine of British ma-
nufacture was substituted, in which case the Antimo-
nial Oxyd was universally found in a copious precipi-
tate, in combination with vegetable extractive matter :
and I have even seen this decomposition so complete,
that the supernatant liquor would not yield any trace
of the antimonial salt. This report has been confirmed
by successive Censors, and the College have accordingly
endeavoured to remedy the evil, by superseding the
use of wine altogether, and of introducing a spirit of
equivalent strength. The virtues of this solution are
those detailed under the history of Antimonium Tar-
tar izatum ; of which two grains are contained in every
fluid-ounce of the preparation. The Medicinal Dyna-
meter will shew the proportion of salt in any other
given quantity. Dose, nxx to f5j, in any suitable
vehicle, repeated every three or four hours, in which
case it acts as a diaphoretic. As an emetic, it may
be given to infants in the dose of a tea-spoonful, every
ten minutes, until the desired effect is produced. See
Form: 69, and 117,*

ViNUM CoLCHici. This medicated wine is made
as follows : Take of the recent bulb of the Colchicum,
sliced and bruised, Ibj. ; of Proof Spirit, f §iv ; of

* Ward's Rrd Drop. A strong vinous solution of Tartarized
Antimony.

VIN 495

water, f Jviij ; let them infuse for fourteen days, and
filter for use. There is perhaps no form better calcu-
lated to ensure the medical effects of the plant than the
one we are now considering. Its dose may be stated
to be from TT^xx to f3iss. The virtues of Colchicum
have been already noticed, see Colchici Radix,

ViNUM Ferri. L.D. When prepared according to
the London College (P.L. 1809.) each pint is stated
to contain 22 grains of the red Oxide of Iron ; the
strength however must in such a case depend upon the
quantity of tartar contained in the wine. Very dry
Sherry is frequently incapable of acting upon the iron
until a small proportion of Cream of Tartar be added
to it; would it not therefore be adviseable to direct at
once a given portion o^ferrum tartarizatum to be dis-
solved in wine ? The Dublin formula is more eligible
than that of the former London Pharmacopoeia, since
it directs the use o^ Rhenish wine instead of Sherry as
a solvent, and iron wire in preference to iron filings ;
this last circumstance is important, for the purest iron
can only be drawn, and this is most easily acted upon
by the super-tartrate of potass. These observations
are offered to those who still prefer to make the prepa-
ration with wine. They can have no relation to the
present Vinum Ferri of the London College, which is
prepared with a weak spirit, and which contains tar-
trate of potass and iron, with an excess of super-tar-
trate which supplies the place of the acid contained in
the wine, and ensures the solution of the tartarized
iron in the Spirit. According to the experiments of
Mr. Phillips, which I have every reason to believe ac-
curate, the present preparation contains less peroxide
of iron than the former did ; it will be seen by the
Dynameter that f Jj contains exactly one grain, which
is exactly equivalent to five grains of Tartarized Iron,

49() VIN

whereas an equal quantity of the former wine held in
solution l^^L gr, which was equivalent to seven grains
of the salt. Med, Uses. It is the least unpleasant of
all the preparations of iron, and its medicinal activity
is supported by the testimony of ages, for it is one of
the oldest preparations with which we are acquainted.
JJose^ f3ij to f §ss.

ViNUM IPECACuANHiE. L.E.D. The virtues of this
root are completely extracted by dilute spirit. J^ose
as an emetic from f3ij to f ^ss : as a diaphoretic from
Tl\xx to xl. See Form, 63, 137.

ViNUM Opii. L.E. This is a spirituous solution of
the extract of Opium combined with various aromatics,
which are supposed to modify the effects of the opium,
while by the substitution of the extract for the crude
opium, it is considered as being less likely to disturb
the nervous system. I submit whether the views
offered under the history of Wine, respecting the rela-
tive effects of combined and uncombined Alcohol,
might not lead us, by analogy, to prepare a more efii-
cienf vinum opiiy and a preparation less likely to affect
the stomach : by adding the opium to the wine during
its state of fermentation, it would enter into intimate
union with its elements, in the same way that brandy
is incorporated by the technical manipulation ofjret-
ting-in : this suggestion is also sanctioned by the
generally acknowledged superiority of the Black Drop,
which I have little doubt is indebted for its peculiar
efficacy to the state of combination in which the acetate
of morphia exists in the vinous menstruum. The
preparation, when made with wine, as directed in the
late Pharmacopoeia, is nearly analogous to the cele-

* Ford's Laudanum. This is similar to the Vinum Opii of
the present Pharmacopceia.

UNG 497

brated Liquid Laudanum''^ of Sydenham, and its de-
gree of narcotic power is nearly the same as that of the
ordinary tincture, as may be seen by referring to the
Medicinal Dynameler.

ViNUM Veratri. L. Since the discovery of the
real nature of the Kau Medicinale^ this preparation
has ' fallen into comparative disuse, and might have
been removed, as we have now introduced the Vinum
Colchici, It is however a singular circumstance that
both these preparations should owe their medicinal
powers to the same elementary principle, viz. Ver atria ;
and as some practitioners are still addicted to its use,
the Committee agreed to let it remain.

ULMI CORTEX.L.E.D. (Ulmus Campestris).

Elm Bark.

Qualities. Odour, none; Taste, slightly ])itter
and mucilaorinous. Chemical Composition. Gum,
extractive, gallic acid, and super-tartrate of potass.
Solubility. Water is its appropriate solvent. Med.
Uses. It has been commended in herpetic eruptions,
but in the hands of Dr. Willan and others it has not
proved successful ; it is one of those articles that might
be discarded from our Pharmacopoeia with much pro-
priety. Officinal Prep. Decoct: Ulmi. L.D.

-UNGUENTA. L.E.D. Ointments,

These are unctuous substances analogous to Cerates
except in consistence, which is much less firm, and
scarcely exceeds that of butter : formerly, ointments
were numerous and complicated in their composition,

♦ Laudanum, Paracelsus first bestowed the term Laudanum
upon a preparation of Opium, a Laudata ejus cfficacia^ Lauda-
TUM medicamentum.

Vol. II. 2 I

498 UNG

and surgeons adapted with much technical formality
different ointments to ansv/er different indications :
this practice however has undergone a very judicious
reform, and it is now well understood that in general
all that is required in an ointment is a suitable tenacity
and consistence, to keep the parts to which it may be
applied soft and easy, and at the same time to exclude
from them the atmospheric air ; in some cases, how-
ever, these simple compositions are made the vehicles
of more active remedies, as in the following prepara-
tions, viz,

Unguentum Cantharidis. L. As the active in-
gredient in this ointment is derived from an infusion
of the Cantharides, it is extremely mild, and frequently
inefficacious. The ceratum cantharidis furnishes a
more certain application.

Unguentum Elemi Compositum. L. The elemi
and turpentine in this ointment, render it stimulant
and digestive.

Unguentum Hydrargyhi Fortius. L. The
precise nature* of this compound does not appear to
have been known until the late researches t of Mr.

* According to the experiments of M. Vogel, Annales de Chi-
mie, t. Ixiv. p. 220) this ointment is nothing more than metallic
mercury mixed with grease, the division of which has been car-
ried to such an extent as to impart a blackish colour to the mix-
ture.

+ It is to be hoped that a quantity of the ointment will be pre-
pared according to these views, and be submitted to a more ex-
tended series of experiments. The oxide may be procured by
decomposing Calomel by a solution of pure potass, or by pouring
a solution of the nitrate of mercury into a caustic alkaline solu-
tion ; this oxide should be at first triturated with a little lard, in
the cold, to make the penetration complete, taking care that the
lard be quite free from common salt, or else Calomel will be the
ultimate result : the mixture is then to be submitted to the action

IJNG 499

Donovan, (Annals of Philosophy ^ November^ 1819, J
which promise to lead to a more uniform, efficacious
and economical mode of preparing it; for they t shew
that in the officinal ointment, the mercury exists in
two different conditions, — in the state of metal, mecha-
nically mixed^ as asserted by Vogel, and in that of an
oxide, chemically combined with the lard, and that the
medicinal activity of the ointment exclusively resides
in this latter portion, the presence of metallic mercury
not only being useless but injurious, by obstructing
the absorption of the active compound of the oxide.
Mr. Donovan accordingly formed a direct chemical
combination, by continually agitating together lard
and black oxide of mercury at the temperature of 350^^
Fah: for two hours. At the end of the process it ap-
peared that every ounce of lard had dissolved, and
combined with 21 grains of oxide ; and from the
trials which have been made respecting its activity,
it would seem to be as efficient as the officinal oini-
ment, and moreover that it may be introduced by in-
unction in one third of the time. The investigation is
highly important, for it not only offers the means of

of heat, and it is very important to attend to the necessary tem-
perature, for at 212'=' the oxide and lard wili not unite, at 600"
the oxide will be decomposed and the mercury volatilized, at 500"
and 400° the oxide is partially decomposed, some red oxide being
formed and mercury reduced ; the proper temperature is between
300* and 320', at which it should be maintained for an hour, and
the ointment should be stirred until cold.

+ Four ounces, troy, of mercurial ointment, prepared six
months before, were kept at 212°, when it separated into two dis-
tinct strata, viz. the upper one which was light grey, and ex-
tremely active as a medicine, and the under one, which upon
being triturated with magnesia, yielded a large proportion of
metallic mercury, and which was not found to possess any ac-
tivity,

2i2

500 UNG

preparing a mercurial ointment more ceconomically»
but one more active and manageable, and less liable
to that want of uniformity in strength, which must
always attend a preparation in which so much labour
is required for its completion ; for independent of that
variation in strength which will arise from imperfect
triture, it is by no means an uncommon practice to
use chemical means, which are not admissible, to faci-
litate the process, such as the addition of Sulphur^
which is found to abridge very considerably the la-
bour requisite for the extinction of the mercury, but it
converts a portion of the metal into a Sulphuret, and
diminishes the power of the unguent. There is how-
ever a method of facilitating the process, which is not
liable to any apparent objection, but the theory of its
operation is obscure ; it consists in adding to the half-
prepared ointment a portion of that which has been
long kept ; which appears to act as a leaven to the
whole mass.

The following table exhibits the relative quantity
of mercury contained in each of the different ointments
directed by the British PharmacopceiaB, and in that
prepared according to the process of Donovan.

One Drachm i stronger ointment contains of Merc : SOgrs.

of the Lond : I weaker ointment 10 —

of the Edinb : common ointment. 12 —

- , n h • ^^t^onger ointment 30 —

{weaker ointment 20 —

of that prepared according to Donovan 2^ —

Mercurial ointment furnishes the most prompt, and
least exceptionable mode of impregnating the system.
The external method of administering mercury, says
Mr. John Hunter, is always preferable to the internal,

UNG 501

because the skin is not nearly so essential to life as the
stomach, and therefore is capable in itself of bearing
much more than the stomach. The inunction is gene-
rally performed by rubbing 3SS to 3J on some part of
the body where the cuticle is thin, generally on the in-
sideof the thigh, except perhaps in cases of chronic hepa-
titis, when it is more usually applied to the region of
the liver, care being taken .that the friction is continued
until every particle of the ointment disappears ; and
for obvious reasons, the operation ought if practicable
to be performed by the patient himself. Where it has
been an object to saturate the system with mercury as
quickly as possible, I have witnessed the advantage of
confining, by means of slips of bladder, a drachm of
mercurial ointment in each axilla, in addition to the
mercurial friction. Camphor, turpentine, and other
stimulants, have been sometimes added to the oint-
ment, with a view of promoting its absorption ; this
however is an erroneous practice, since these acrid in-
gredients soon produce pustules on the skin, which
prevent the continuance of the friction ; the warm
bath is a more certain, and less objectionable adjuvant ^
many practitioners therefore advise the body to be im-
mersed in a warm bath, once and again, before the
course is commenced, and to repeat it once or twice a
week during its continuance : the length of time to be
employed in a course of mercury, and the quantity to
be given, are circumstances that must in every case
be left to the discretion of the practitioner. Mercury,
when introduced into the body, acts as a powerful
stimulant, and pervades every part of the system ; hence
it is the most powerful evacuant belonging to the
Materia Medica ; from its stimulant operation, exerted
directly or indirectly, we are able to explain its utility
ii> the cure of disease, and it may be made to act ac*

502 UNCi

cording to management and circumstances, as a tonic,
antispasmodic, diuretic, cathartic, sialogogue, emmen-
agogue, or alterative ; but its most important operation
is that displayed in removing the diseases induced by
the syphylitic poison, although its modus operandi is
Still buried amongst the many other arcana of physic.
The mode of directinor and controllintj the influence
of mercury in the cure of the venereal disease, is now
very generally understood, and it is to be hoped that a
full confidence in its anti-syphilitic powers is as uni-
versally maintained, in spite of the late opinions which
tended to depreciate its value and to question its neces-
sity; there is however no advantage to be gained, as
was once imagined, by exciting profuse salivation. On
its next important application, that of curing chronic
affections of the liver and dropsy, a remark which has
been suggested to me by the results of practice, may
not be unacceptable. I think I have generally observed,
that when the remedy has been pushed to such an ex-
tent as to excite the salivary glands to excessive secre-
tion, the urinary organs cease to participate in its stim-
ulating action, and vice versa, for the mouth is rarely
affected when the mercury runs off by the kidneys ;
this may suggest a precaution of some practical mo-
ment in the treatment of dropsy, and it will be gene-
rally judicious to accompany the administration of this
metal with certain diuretics, in order to direct its ope-
ration to the kidneys;* and it would seem, that for

* Whenever it is our object to direct the mercurial impression
to any particular organ, we should if possible rouse its excitabi-
lity by some specific stimulus. An exception, however, to this
doctrine would seem to offer itself in the fact, that children at
the period of dentition are not readily salivated ; a priori, we
should have certainly supposed that a predisposition to a flux of
saliva, would have produced a contrary effect. As it is, we can

UNG 503

such an object those diuretic medicines should be pre-
ferred that act 'primarily on the organs, as alkalies and
their combinations, squill, &c. : the success of such a
plan of treatment will also depend greatly upon the
exact period at which these remedies are administered;
it will for instance be right to wait until the system is,
to a certain degree, under mercurial influence. It is
hardly necessary to observe, that if the mercury runs
off by the bowels, we shall be deprived of all, or of a
great share of, the benefit to be expected. In certain
cases, the lymphatic vessels seem to resist the admit-
tance of mercury, and to refuse the conveyance of it to
the general circulation : I have already thrown out
some vague hints upon the subject, in the first volume
of this work (p. 288), and I must refer the reader to
some farther remarks, which I apprehend bear upon
this question under the following article.

Unguentum Oxidi Hydrargyri Cinerei. E.
This consists of a mixture o^ one part of grey oxide of
mercury, and three parts of axunge : it was reasonable
to suppose, a priori^ that, as the whole of the mercury
in this ointment is oxidized, its adoption would super-
sede the necessity of the labour required for the prepa-
ration of the common mercurial ointment, and at the
same time afford a combination of equal if not superior
efficacy; but experience has not justified the conclu-
sion, for it has been found to possess little or no acti-
vity ; the consideration of it is therefore introduced
into this work, not on account of its utility, but as an
object upon which I may pause with advantage, to
offer those observations which its history is so well
calculated to call forth and illustrate. The circum-

only conGliule that those organs are not disposed to take on any
action that may be incompatible with, or adverse to, that of den«
tition.

504 UNG

stance which renders this preparation inert, will now
receive a satisfactory explanation from the experiments
of Mr. Donovan, as related in the preceding article ;
in short, it is a mechanical mixture^ instead of a che^
mical combination ; and I beg again to urge the im-
portance of this distinction, and to offer the present
example as a farther illustration of the views I have
already submitted upon the subject. By subjecting
this ointment for some hours to a heat of 300% it
would without doubt become an active preparation.
It is probable that the lymphatics offer less resistance
to the ingress of a mineral body into the system when
it is presented to them in combination with some ani-
mal substance, which must alone be regarded as their
peculiar stimulus, and the only matter which they are
destined perpetually to receive and convey ; for the
same physiological reason, the lacteals may probably
take up iron with greater readiness when in combi-
nation with vegetable matter, than when introduced
into the stomach in a more purely mineral form.

UNGUENTUivr Hydrargyri MiTius. L. This
weaker preparation is sometimes preferred, as it irri-
tates the skin less ; it is however principally used as a
topical dressing to venereal sores, and as an applica-
tion to kill vermin on the body.

Unguentum Hydrargyri Nitratis. L.E.D.
vulgo Citrine Ointment. It is stimulant, detergent,
and alterative ; when diluted with an equal quantity
of simple ointment or almond oil, it may be almost
regarded as a specific in opthalmia tarsi, smeared upon
the cilia every night at bed time.

Unguentum Hydrargyri Nitrico-oxydi. L.
An excellent stimulant application, well adapted for
giving energy to indolent ulcers. If mixed with any
ointment containing resin, it loses its red colour, pas-

UNG 505

sing through olive green to black, which depends upon
the conversion of the red into the black oxide of mer-
cury.

Unguentum Hydrargyri Pr^cipitati Albi.
L. Stimulant and detergent. It is said to be very
efficacious in certain inveterate forms of the Itch. With
the addition of Carbonate of Potass, it has been much
extolled in various cutaneous affections.*

Unguentum Picis Liquidje. L.E.D. Tar Oint-
ment. This ointment has been much extolled for the
removal of tetter, and for the cure of tinea capitis.

Unguentum Resinte Nigr^. L. olim, Ung,
Basilicum f nigrum. Digestive stimulant.

Unguentum Sambuci. L.D. It possesses no ad-
vantage over the simple ointment.

Unguentum Sulphuris. L.E.D. This ointment
is a mechanical mixture of Lard and Sulphur, although
it would appear that a small proportion of the latter
exists also in a state of chemical combination. Med.
Uses. A specific in the itch. Dr. Bateman proposes
a combination, equally efficacious, but which has not
the same disafjreeable smell; vi%. " Take of sub-car-
bonate of potass, half an ounce ; rose water, one
ounce ; red sulphuret of mercury, one drachm ; essen-
tial oil of Bergamot, half a fluid drachm ; sublimed

* The Unguentum Werholfii, so long celebrated on the Con-
tinent, was a corabiiiatioii of this kind.

f Basilicon, i. e. the Royal Ointment.

Bailey's Itch Ointment. This is a very complicated com-
bination ; containing Nitre, Alum, Sulphate of Zinc, and Cin-
nabar, made into an ointment with Olive oil and Lard, and per-
fumed with the essential oils of Anise Seeds, Origanum, and La-
vender -, and coloured with Alkanet root.

The Indians use an ointment in inveterate itch, which is said
to prove very successful, and consists of finely powdered Cocculus
Indicus mixed with a little warm Castor oil.

506 VVM

sulphur, hog's lard, of each eleven ounces. Mix them."
Jasser's Ointment also, as altered in the Prussian Phar-
macopoeia, is an excellent application in Psora, viz,
Bi Sulphur: Sublhn: §ij, Zinci Sulphat : §ij, 01:
Lauri, et Axung. q^ 5, ut fiat Unguentum,

Unguentum Sulphuris Compositum. L. More
stimulating than the simple ointment, from the addition
of white hellebore ; it is however frequently found to
excite too much irritation.

Unguentum Veratri. L.D. It is used for the
cure of scabies, but is less certain than the ointment of
sulphur.

Unguentum Zinci. L.E.D. Astringent and stimu-
lant; very beneficial in some species of ophthalmia,
smeared upon the tarsi, every night.

Very efficient preparations may be also constructed
by adding together equal weights of lard and narcotic
vegetable powders, as those of Coniumy Digitalis^
Belladonna^ &c.

The addition of a small quantity of powdered white
sugar will frequently prevent ointments becoming
rancid.

UV^ URSI FOLIA. L.E.D. (Arbutus Uva Ursi.)

Uva Ursi, Bear-beny, or Trailing Arbutus.

Beards Whortle-berr^, Wild Cranberry, &;c.

Qualities. Odour, slight, resembling that of hyson
tea; Taste, bitterish, and sub-astringent. Chemical
Composition. Tannin, mucilage, gallic acid, ex-
tractive, resin, and traces of lime. Solubility. Both
water and alcohol extract its virtues. Med. Uses.
The ancients employed it on account of its astringency,
the moderns however have exhibited it for various dis-
eases, more especially for those affecting the bladder

ZIN 507

and urinary organs, and, it would seem, without any
theory respecting its modus operandi ; but it has at
length fallen into disrepute, and probably with justice :
it occasionally renders the urine of a blackish colour,
a fact which is not easily to be explained. When it is
administered, the form of powder is preferred, and in
doses from 9j to 5J. The leaves of the Vaccinium
Vitis Idoca (Red Whortle-Berry,) are sometimes sub-
stituted for those of Uvas, Ursi; but they may be easily
distinguished ; hotanically^ by the net work appear-
ance of their veins above, and by their dots underneath ;
chemically^ by their infusion neither precipitating the
solution of isinglass, nor that of sulphate of iron.

ZINCI OXYDUM. L.E.D.

Oxide of Zinc,

This is occasionally used internally as a tonic, and
may be exhibited in the form of pill. It is however
principally employed externally, as a mild but efficient
astringent; viz. Ung: Zinci. Adulterations. Dr.
Roloff of Magdeburg has lately discovered the casual
presence of Arsenic* in this oxide; by boiling the
substance in distilled water, and assaying the solution
with the ammoniaco-nitrate of silver, its presence may
be instantly recognised ; Chalk may be detected by
sulphuric acid, exciting an effervescence ; and White
JLeady by its forming an insoluble sulphate of lead.
It ought to be volatile.

* I have been lately informed by a practical chemist, that he
has occasionally found his hydrogen, when produced by zinc and
dilute acid, to contain a portion of Arsenureted hydrogen ; a
fact which confirms the assertion of Roloff.

508 ZIN

ZINCI SULPHAS. L.E.D.

Sulphate of Zinc ^ olim. White Vitriol,

Qualities. Form, crystals, which are four-sided
prisms, terminated by four-sided pyramids ; they are
slightly efflorescent; Taste, styptic, metallic, and
slightly acidulous. Chemical Composition. One
proportional of oxide, and one proportional of acid ;
its crystals contain seven proportionals of water. So-
lubility. It is soluble in 2.5 times its weight of
water at 60°, and in less than its own weight of
boiling water, but is quite insoluble in alcohol. In-
compatible Substances. Alkalies ; earths; ht/dro-
sulphurets ; astringent vegetable infusions; Milk,
Med. Uses. Tonic, astringent, and, in large doses
emetic, (Form, QQ.) As an emetic it operates directly,
and offers therefore a prompt resource in cases of poi-
son, or where an immediate discharge from the sto-
mach is required ; it appears to diff*er from most reme-
dies of this nature, in not proving diaphoretic in smaller
doses: in spasmodic* coughs it is administered with
the best effects, especially when combined with cam-
phor or myrrh, (Form, 59:) in affections of the chest
attended with inordinate secretion, I have witnessed
much benefit from its exhibition, particularly when
presented in the form of lozenge ; and, when dissolved
in water, in the proportion of grs. ij to fjjj it forms a
useful injection in fluor albus, &c. ; in small doses its
internal exhibition is also useful in Leucorrhaea. When
combined with opium it is well calculated to obviate
that atony, and those frequent discharges of faeces,

* The various quacH remedies advertised for the cure of the
hooping cough are either Opiates, or medicines composed of
sulphate of zinc. The nostrum, sold under the name of Anti-per-
tussis, contains this metallic salt as lis principal ingredient.

ZIN 509

without pain, that take place in the protracted stages
of dysentery. As an external application it is very
generally employed in the proportion of grs. x to eight
fluid-ounces of water. The supposed ill effects conse-
quent on the application of preparations of lead to
great surface, have determined some practitioners to
substitute in their place, solutions of sulphate of zinc,
but not with the same effect ; for to that very property,
which may occasionally render saturnine lotions dange-
rous, is their virtue to be attributed ; see Liquor I^l urn-
bi Suh-acetatis, Dose, as an emetic from grs. x. to
gss — as a tonic, and astringent, from grs. j. to ij. Of-
ficinal Prep. Liquor: Alum: comp : L. (B)
Solutio Sulphatis Zinci. E. Solutio Acetatis Zinci.
E. (I). Tinct: Acetatis ZinciJy, (I) Adultera-
tions. The white vitriol of commerce ought never to
be used in medicine, without previous purification,
since it generally contains the sulphates of copper and
iron.

ZINGIBERIS RADIX. L.E.D. (Zingiber Offici-
nale.) Ginger.

Chemical Composition. Volatile oil, fecula, and
resino-extractive matter : on the first of these principles
its well known flavour and odour depend ; but its
pungency resides in the last. Solubility. Water,
alcohol, and aether, extract its virtues. Med. Uses.
It is highly stimulant, and is therefore frequently
beneficial in flatulant cholic, dyspepsia, and gout ; it
is however more generally employed as an adjunct to
other remedies, to promote their efficacy or to correct
their operation, (see Form, 92, 94, 112, 153,) and it
is found, that it does not produce the ill effects of those
spices, whose virtues reside in an acrid oil. Dose, of

510 ZIN

the powders grs. x to 9j. Officinal Prep. Si/rup :
Zingib ilu.Ytjy, Si/rup: Rhamni: L.. (E) Tinct :
Zingih : L.D.* Tinct: Cinnamom: comp: L. (B.)
Acid. Sulphuric : aromat : E. Confectio Opii, L.
Confectio Scammon: L.D. (E) Infus, Sennce. co.
L. (E) Pulvis Cinnamom: comp: L, E. D. (B)
Pulv: Scammon: comp: L.D. (E) Pulv. Sennce.
comp:Lj. (E) Pil : Aloes : D. Pill : Scillce comp :
L.D. Vinum Aloes. L. E. D. Adulterations.
The powder is rarely met with in any tolerable degree
of purity : there are two varieties of ginger in the
market, viz. Blacky produced by scalding the root,
' and afterwards hastily drying it in the sun ; and the
TVhite^ being that which has been carefully washed,
scraped, and gradually dried.

* Oxley's Concentrated Essence of Jamaica Ginger. —
A mere solution of Ginger in Rectified spirit.

Ginger Beer Powders. — ^White sugar, 5j 9ij, ginger grs. v.
sub-carbonate of soda grs. xxvj, in blue paper. Tartaric acid
grs XXX, in each white paper. These proportions are directed for
half a pint of water.

Ginger Beer. The following is the receipt by which this
popular beverage is prepared. Take of lump sugar half a pound ;
of cream of tartar half an ounce ; Bruised Ginger an ounce ;
boiling water one gallon. Ferment for twenty-four hours with
yeast.

Preserved Ginger. — That from India is almost transparent,
while that manufactured in Europe is always opaque and fibrous.

FINIS.

INDEX

TO THE

PATENT MEDICINES, and Nosifiuais,

DESCRIBED IN THIS WORK.

" Arcana revelata JcetentJ''' Boerh :

'^ Nullum Ego cognosco remedium nisi quod tempestivo
usu Jiat tale, — Ibid.

The references are to the pages in this Volume, unless otherwise

expressed.

Page

Ague Drop 308

Almond Paste 63

Anderson's Pills 51

Anodyne Necklaces.

V. 1. 28— V. 2. 282

Anti-Pertussis 508

Anti- Venereal Drops . . 268
Aromatic Lozenges of

Steel 236

Aromatic Vinegar .... 18
Bailey's Itch Ointment. 505

Balsam of Honey 127

Balsam of Horehound. . 355
Balsam of Liquorice 221 : 321
Barclay'sAntibillousPills 216
Bark, essential Salt of. . 1 58
Bateman's Pectoral Drops 149
Bate's Anodyne Balsam 303
Battley's Liquor opii

Sedativus 359

Beaume de Vie * . 200

Black Drop 358

Blaine's Powder 443

Boerhaave's Red Pill . . 279
Brodum'sNervousCordial 245

Page

Cephalic Snuff. . 452

Chamberlain's Restorative

Pills for Scrofula 278

Chamomile Drops 67

Charcoal, Concentrated

solution of 142

Chelsea Pensioner 247

Cheltenham Salts 430

Cheltenham Salts, the

original combined . . . 432
Cheltenham Salts, the

efflorescence of 431

Ching's Worm Lozenges 275
Cochrane Major, his

Cough Medicine.... 447
CoUey's Depilatory. . . . 380

Corn Plaister 211

Cough Drops 355

Court Plaister 210

Crespigny Lady, her Pills 51

Dafify's Elixir 477

Dalby's Carminative... 319
Davidson's Remedy for
Cancer 98

INDEX.

Page
De La Motte*s Golden

Drops 478

Delcroix's Depilatory.. 99

Dinner Pills 51

Dixon's Antibilious Pills 51

Dutch Drops 462

Eaton's Styptic vol. 1... 154
Eau Medicinale de

Ilusson 174

Economical Breakfast

Powder 454

Edinburgh Ointment . . 483
Elixir of Longevity .... 51

Elixir of Vitriol 40

Essence of Vitriol 40

Essence of Bitter Almonds341

Essence of Coffee 146

Essence of Coltsfoot .. . 127
Essence of Mustard .... 421
Essence of Mustard Pills 421
Essence of Peppermint. . 324

Essence of Senna 289

Essence of Spruce 457

Essential Salt of Bark. . 158
Essential Salt of Lemons 390

Everlasting Pills 68

Ford's Laudanum 496

Ford's Balsam of Hore-

hound 355

Fothergill's Pills 51

Freeman's BathingSpirits 303

Friar's Balsam 127

Fumigating Pastiles .... 127
Godbold's Vegetable

Balsam 362

Godfrey's Cordial 411

Godfrey's Smelling Salts 57

Golden Drops 478

Golden Ointment 99

Golden Spirits of Scurvy

Grass ' 132

Gout Tincturej Wilson's 174
Gowland's Lotion ,,.. 268
Green's Drops.., ..... 268

Page
Greenough's Tincture. . 472
Grindle's Cough Drops 355
Guestonian Embrocation

for the Rheumatism . . 461

Ilannay's Lotion 315

Hatfield's Tincture 248

Hill's Essence of Bardana248

Honey Water 323

Hooper's Pills 51

Hudson's Preservative

for the Teeth 472

Huiles Antiques 339

Hungary Water 433

Hunt's Breakfast Powder 454
Ipecauanha Lozenges . . 293

James's Powder 392

James's Analeptic Pills 393

Jesuit's Drops 127

Jackson's Bathing Spirits 303

Keyser's Pills 6

Lardner's Prepared

Charcoal 142

Lemons, Essential Salt of 390
Liquor Opii Sedativus. . 359
Lynch's Emb ocation . . 303
Madden's Vegetable

Essence 288

Magnesian Cheltenham

Salts 431

Marsden's Anti-scorbutic

Drops 268

Marseilles Vinegar .... 18

Marshall's Cerate 154

Matthew's Pills 249

Matthew's Injection. . . 474

Mock Arrack 440

Moseley's Pills 400

Necklaces, Anodyne . . i. 19

Norris's Drops 76

Norton's Drops 268

Noufileur's Vermifuge,

vol. i 57

Opodeldoch, Steer's. . . . 303

INDEX.

Page
Oxley's Essence of

Jamaica Ginger 510

Pastilles 127

Pate Arsenicale 98

Peter's Pills 51

Pectoral Balsam of

Honey 127

Pectoral Balsam of

Liquorice 245

Permanent Ink 90

Portland Powder i. 57

Plunkett's Ointment 98

Lancaster or Black Drop 358

Radcliffe's Elixir 51

Refined Liquorice 216

Remedy for the Tooth-
ache 134

Remedies various for the

Hooping Cough 508

Riga Balsam 457

Rob Antisyphilitique . . 268
Roche's Embrocation for
the Hooping Cough. . 340

Royal Preventive 378

Ruspini's Tincture .... 473
Rymer's Cardiac Tinc-
ture 140

Scouring Drops 461

Seidlitz Powders 423

Senna, Prepared Essence

of 289

Singleton's Eye Salve. . . 99
Sirop de Cuisniere .... 269
Smeliome's Eye Salve.. 44

Snuif Cephalic 452

Sodaic Powders. ..... . 423

Solomon's Anti-Impeti-

gines 268

Solomon's Balm of Gilead474

Page

Speediman's Pills 51

Spilsbury's Anti-scor-
butic Drops 268

Squire's Elixir 355

Starkey's Pills 249

Starkey's Soap 459

Steer's Opodeldoc 303

Sterry's Plaister 206

Stephens's Mrs. Remedy

for the Stone 310

Storey's Worm Cakes . . 275
Stroughton's Elixir .... 245

Struve's Lotion 340

Sulphur Lozenges 444

Swinton's Daifey's Elixir 447
Taylor's Remedy for

Deafness 48

Taylor's Red Bottle . . . 440

Thieves' Vinegar 18

Thompson's Cheltenham

Salts 432

Tolu Lozenges 124

Transparent Soap 408

V^elno's Vegetable Syrup 269

Virgin's Milk 127—313

Wade's Drops 1 27

Walker's Jesuit Drops 248
Ward's Essence for the

Head-ache 302

Ward's Paste 178

Ward's White Drops . . 268

Ward's Red Drops 494

Ward's Sweating PoAvder 482

Warner's Cordial 400

Webster, Lady her Pills 51
Whitehead's Essence of

Mustard 421

Wilson's Gout Tincture 174
Worm Cakes ... 275

W. Phillips, Printer, George Yard, Lombard-street.

LIST OF BOOKS

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LATELY PUBLISHED.

The Elements of MEDICAL CHEMISTRY ; embracing

only those branches of Chemical Science which are calculated to illustrate or
explain the different objects of Medicine ; and to furnish a Chemical Grammar to
the Author's Pharmacologia; illustrated by numerous Engravings on Wood.
By John Ayrton Paris, M.D. F.R.S. F.L.S. Fellow of the Royal College of Phy-
sicians of London ; Honorary Member of the Board of Agriculture ; Fellow of
the Philosophical Society of Cambridge ; and of the Royal Medical Society of
Edinburgh ; and late Senior Physician to the Westminster Hospital. 1 vol. 8vo.
Price 1 6s. hds.

PHARMACOLOGIA ; Edition the Sixth. Corrected and

extended in accordance with the London Pharmacopoeia of 1824, And with the
generally advanced state of Chemical Science. By J. A. Paris, M.D. F.R.S. F.L.S.
Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of London ; Honorary Member of the
Board 'of Agriculture; Fellow of the Philosophical Society of Cambridge; and
of the Royal Medical Society of Edinburgh ; and late Senior Physician to the
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MEDICAL JURISPRUDENCE, comprehending Medi-

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ESSAY on INSTINCT, and its Physical and Moral Rela.

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A TRANSLATION of the PHARMACOPCEIA LON-

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nature of its various Medicinal Compounds, the processes of their composition,
and of the decompositions which take place during their preparation, illustrated by
diagrams, and wood engravings of the crystalline forms of the Alkaline, Earthy,
and Metallic Salts. By Richard Phillips, F.R.S. L & E. &c. Svo. bds. 8s 6d.

An INTRODUCTION TO MEDICAL LITERATURE,

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Study of Physic, on Classification, on Chemical Affinities, on Animal Chemistry,
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2 Works published bi/ W. Phillips,

An ESSAY on CHEMICAL ANALYSIS; chiefly tran-

slated from the Fourth Volume of the last edition of the * Traits de Cliimie Ele-
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A TREATISE on the STRUCTURE, ECONOMY, and

DISEASES of the LIVER, with an Enquiry into the Component Parts of Bile and
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RESEARCHES into the LAWS and PHENOMENA of

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A TREATISE on the CHEMICAL HISTORY and Me-

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A PRACTICAL TREATISE on the Nature, Symptoms,

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MEDICAL BOTANY ; containing Systematic and Gene-
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comprehended in the catalogues of the Materia Medica of the Royal Colleges of
Physicians of London and Edinburgh, accompanied with a circumstantial account
of their medicinal effects, and of the diseases in which they have been most
successfully employed. — By William Woodville, M.D. late Fellow of the Royal
College of Physicians of London. In 4 vols. 4to. containing 274 Plates. Second
edition. Price d^4 9s. in bds. plain, and £^ 1 Is. 6d. correctly coloured from
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REMARKS on the EDITIO ALTERA of the PHARMA-

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George Yard, Lombard Street, London,
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MEDICAL BOTANY;

CONTAINING

SYSTEMATIC AND (GENERAL DESCRIPTIONS,

WITH

Plates of all the Medicinal Plants, indigenous and exotic,
comprehended in the Catalogues of the

MATERIA MEDIC A

of the Royal College of Physicians of London and Edinburgh j

ACCOMPANIED WITH

A circumstantial account of their Medicinal effects,

AND OF THE

Diseases in which they have been most successfully employed,

By WILLIAM WOODVILLE, M. D.

Of the Royal College of Physicians of London.

In 4 vols. 4to. containing 274 Plates.
Price £A 9s plain in boards, and £S 1 Is 6d correctly coloured from Nature.

CHARACTERS OF THE WORK.

" As a distinct knowledge of Plants is scarcely to be gained by a mere verbal
description, Dr. Woodville has added beautiful and accurate delineations from the
masterly hand of Mr. Sowerby.

" In collecting materials for this work. Dr. W. appears to have taken great pains,
and his labour is certainly successful. His botanical descriptions are accurate ; the
histories which are subjoined are frequently very full and exact : and the account
of the virtues of each plant is scientific and satisfactory."

Monthly Review, N. S.vol. 8, p. 161.

*' It is with pleasure we introduce a work, where ornament and instruction are
so intimately united ; Dr. Woodville combines the botanical history and descrip-
tions of me(iicinal plants with their properties and use ; rendering his work a com-
prehensive system of the Materia Medica. In the conduct of the work, he collects
his materials from the best authorities.

" The plants are drawn and engraved with great accuracy ; the habits and the
proportions properly preserved. This part of the work reflects great credit on the
artist, Mr. Sowerby. We highly approve of this work, and think it an indispen-
sible addition to every medical library." — Critical Review, N. A. vol. 3, p. 69.

" We feel a pleasure in saying that this work is finished with care, and in a neat
and elegant manner. The plates, 274 in number, include the whole of the Ma-
teria Medica of the London and Edinburgh Pharmacopeias. " Among the plates,
some represent plants of which no engraving had before been given ; others of which

engravings were only to be found in large and expensive work?. The whole are,

with very few exceptions, taken from fresh plants, or dried specimens. In giving
an account of the medical properties of the several articles, the author has fol-
lowed the most recent and approved authors, and he has particularly availed him-
self of the works of the latest and most intelligent travellers, in correcting many
vague aud erroneous opinions relative to the mode of procuring and preparing
many curious foreign drugs." British Critic, vol. 7, p. 55.

4 Works published by W. Phillips^

A Statement of the EARLY SYMPTOMS which lead to

the Disease termed WATER on the BRAIN. With Observations on the necessity
of a watchful attention to them, and on the fatal consequences of their neglect. By
G. D. Yates, M.D. F R.S. Fellow of the Royal College of Physiciaiis, London ; of
the Royal Medical Society, Edinburgh; Honorary Member of the Dublin So-
ciety ; Physician to their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cumberland;
to liis Grace the Duke of Bedford; and one of the Physicians to the Asylum for
Female Orphans ; late Physician to the Infirmary and Lunatic Asylum of the
County of Bedford. 6s 6d. 8vo. bds.

A POPULAR TREATISE on the Remedies to be em-

loyed in Cases of POISONING and APPARENT DEATH; including the means
of detecting Poisons, of distinguishing real from apparent Death, and of ascer •
taining the Adulteration of Wines. By M.P. Orfila, Physician to the King, &c.
&c. Translated by William Price, M. D. under the inspection of the Author.
Price 6s. 8vo. boards.

INDEX to the PORTABLE DISPENSARY, containing

Directions for the Proper Application of the Medicines usually contained therein.
Fourth edition, corrected and enlarged, price 6d, stitched.

MEDICAL DIRECTIONS for the Use of Navigators and

Settlers in Hot Climates. By Thos. M. Winterbottom, M.D. Physician to the
Colony at Sierra Leone. 12mo, 2s 6d bds.

The ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL; No. I, g, 3, and 4,

price lOs. each coloured, or Ts. 6d. with the plates uncoloured, completing the
J St Volume. In this volume are contained communications from the following

Zoologists: H. De La Beche, Esq., J. Bell, Esq., Mr. £. C.Bennett,

Broderip, Esq., W. J. Burchell, Esq., J. G. Children, Esq., J. A. French, Esq.
Mr. J. E. Gray, Dr. Horsfield, Rev. W. Kirby, Dr. Leach, W. J. MacLeay, Esq.
G. B. Sowerby, Esq., J.D.C.Sowerby,Esq. Mr. Stephens, Mr. Such, W.Swainson,
Esq., N. A. Vigors, jun. Esq.

A GUIDE to the MOUNT'S BAY and the LAND's

END; comprehending the Topography, Botany, Agriculture, Fisheries,
Antiquities, Mining, Mineralogy and Geology of Western Cornwall. By a
PHYSICIAN. Illustrated by Engravings on Copper and Wood. To which is
added, for the information of Invalids, An Estimate of the peculiar advantages of
the Climates of Penzance, Devonshire, and the Southern parts of Europe.
Post-octavo, 10s. bds.

BRITISH CONFERVM ; or Coloured Figures and De-
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The BOTANIST'S GUIDE through ENGLAND and

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The CLIMATE of LONDON, deduced from METEO-
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George lardy Lombard Street, London. 5

A MAP OF SCRIPTURAL and CLASSICAL GEO-

GRAPHY; accompanied by an Historical and Descriptive Volume, in Demy Oc-
tavo: wherein the ORIGIN of NAl'IONS is particularly examined and discussed ;
with reference to the numerous authorities. The whole intended to facilitate a
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other German States, United States of America, Buenos Ayres, Columbia and
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the British Empire. Authenticated by Official Documents. By Bernard Coheu.
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Observations on a Bill now before Parliament for the Conso-
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Part of the SPIRITUAL WORKS of the celebrated FRAN-

CIS FENELON, Archbishop of Cambray, author of Telemachus, &c. translated
by Richard Houghton, late of the city of Dublin, Surgeon. Second edition. In
2 vols. 8vo. 1 Ss. bds.

Report of the Committee for the Relief of the Distressed

Districts in Ireland, appointed at a General Meeting, held at the City of London
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EMANCIPATION ; or Practical Advice to British Slave

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Ei^ht FAMILIAR LECTURES on ASTRONOMY,

intended as an Introduction to the Science, for the Use of Young Persons and
others not conversant with the Mathematics. Accompanied by Plates, numerous
Diagrams, and a copious Index. By William Phillips, F. L.S. &:c. Second edition
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A Compendious View of the HISTORY of the DARKER

AGES ; comprehending a General Sketch of Roman and Barbarian History, and an
account of the Origin and Progress of the following Nations: Gotiis, Wisigoths,
Ostrogoths, Vandals, Lombards, Thuringians, Burgundians, Barbarians, Franks,
and Britons. By C. Chatfield, Esq. Svo. price 7s b'd bds.

The LAWS of the STANNARIES of CORNWALL;

with Marginal Notes and References to Authorities. To which are added the
several Acts of Parliament, Schedule of Fees, Resolutions of the Jndges, referred
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Works published by W, Phillips^

MINERALOGY AND GEOLOGY.

TRANSACTIONS of the GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY of

LONDON. See page 8.

TRANSACTIONS of the ROYAL GEOLOGICAL SO-
CIETY of CORNWALL; instituted February Ilth, 1814, with Plates; in demy
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A SELECTION of the GEOLOGICAL PAPERS con-
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the end of 18'x!2. Translated with Notes. ByH.T. DeLa Beche, Esq. F.R.S. &c. 8vo.
i8s boards, illustrated by 11 plates, among which is Omalius D'HalJey's Geologi-
cal Map of France. It also contains a Table of Equivalent Formations in English,
French and German ;— and a Translation of Brongni^rt's Table of the Classifica-
tion of Mixed Rocks.

OUTLINES of the GEOLOGY of ENGLAND and

WALES, with an Introductory Compendium ; containing the Elementary Prin-
ciples of that Science, and comparative Views of the Structure of Foreign Coun-
tries, illustrated by coloured Maps, Sections, &c. — By the Rev. W. D. Conybeare,
F.R.S. M.G.S. &c. and W. Phillips, F.L.S. M.G.S. &c, 8vo. price iGs. boards.

A FAMILIAR INTRODUCTION to CRYSTALLO-

GRAPHY, including an Explanation of the Principle and Use of the Common
and Reflective GONIOMETERS. Followed by an Appendix, containing the
methods of applying mathematical calculation to the determination of Crystalline
forms; and Rules for drawing the figures of Crystals; with a list of the primary
forms of Minerals, and some observations on mineralogical arrangement. Illus-
trated by nearly 400 wood cuts, or diagrams. — By Henry James Brooke, F.R S.
F.L.S. &c. In one volume, small 8vo. Price 16s. in boards.

Complete Sets of 165 Models, cut in Wood, by Mr. Larkin,

with great accuracy, and exhibiting the primary forms and their modifications; to
illustrate the preceding treatise by Mr. Brooke. Price £5 5s.

The System of Notation used in Mr. Brooke's work, is adopted in the following

Introduction to Mineralogy.

An ELEMENTARY INTRODUCTION to MINERA-

LOGY: comprising some account of the Characters and Elements of Minerals;
explanation of terms in common use ; descriptions of Minerals, with accounts of
the places and circumstances in which they are found ; and especially the Locali-
ties of British Minerals. By William Phillips, F.L S. M.G.S. L. & C. Honorary
Member of the Cambridge and Yorkshire Philosophical Societies. The third edi-
tion, enlarged, and illustrated by 400 wood cuts. In one vol. 8vo. price 16s. bds.

A DICTIONARY OF CHEMISTRY and MINERA-

LOGY, with an account of the Processes employed in many of the most import-
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ings. By A. & C. R. Aikin. Price J-^ 10s. 2 vols. ^to. boards, with Appendix.
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On the MAMMOTH, or FOSSIL ELEPHANT, found

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A TREATISE on a SECTION of the STRATA from

NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE to the Mountain of CROSS FELL, in Cumber-
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Yorkshire, Derbyshire, &c. To which is added a Treatise on the Discovery,
the Opening, and the Working of Lead Mines, with the Dressing and Smelting of
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An INTRODUCTION to the STUDY of FOSSIL OR-

GANIC REMAINS, especially of those found in the British Strata, intended to
aid the Student in his Enquiries respecting the nature of Fossils, and their con-
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The GENERA of RECENT FOSSIL SHELLS, for the

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GEOLOGY and MINING SURVEY of the CON-

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GEOLOGY and MINING REPORT on the LEINSTER

COAL DISTRICT.— By Richard Griffith, Jun. Esq. Inspector General of His
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The FOSSILS of the SOUTH DOWNS; or Illustrations

of the Geology of Sussex. — By Gideon Mantell, F.L.S. Fellow of the Royal Col-
lege of Surgeons, Member of the Geological Society, kc. Royal 4to £ 3. 3s. bds.

A NATURAL HISTORY of the CRINOIDEA or LILY-

SHAPED ANIMALS; with Observations on the Genera, Asteria, Guryale, Coma-
tula, and Marsupites, illustrated with Fifty Coloured Plates. — By J. S. Miller,
A.L.S. Royal 4to. £2 12s 6d bds.

MINERAL CONCHOLOGY ; or the Fossil Shells of

Great Britain. Coloured Figures and Descriptions, by J. Sowerby, Royal 8vo.
39 Numbers, at 5s, to be continued monthly

8 Works published hij W. Phillips,

TRANSACTIONS

OF THE

(geological S>ocieti>

LONDON,

AT HALF-PRICE.

Published by W. Phillips, GeorgC'yard^ Lombard-street.

The publisher is aware that, notwithstanding the continually
increasing attention bestowed on the interesting science of Geology,
and the high estimation in which these Transactions are held both
in England and other countries, the price at which the first five vo-
lumes were necessarily published, owing to the finished style in which
many of the views are engraved, and the great expense of colour-
ing nearly half the plates, has prevented many cultivators of the
science from purchasing them, and others from completing their sets :
he has therefore determined upon offering sets^ or single copies, of the
2d, 3d, 4th, & 5th volumes, at half the price at zchkh they were pub-
lished.— The impressions of the plates are not in any degree inferior
io those which have been sold: — These volumes contain 332 sheets of
4to. letter press, and plates of various dimensions, equal to 220 single
4to. plates, nearly one half of which are coloured ; and the price at
which they are now offered is therefore at the rate of 4d. per sheet of
4to. letter press, and 5d. per 4to. plate. — The only additional volume
hitherto published, may be had, at the price at which it is sold at the
Society's rooms.

Heretofore sold at
Vol. I .€2 12 6

II 3 16 0

III 3 13 6

IV. Part 1 0 18 0

II 3 3 0

V 1 3 10 0

II 3 10 0

Now offered at

^21 3 0 ^11 17 9

One volume has since been published by the Society,
No. 20, Bed ford -street, Co vent-garden.

February^ 1825.

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