279. The “Pharmacopœia Bateana” contains a Formula for a “Tinctura Antiphthisica,” which is stated to be “a truly good medicament in those consumptions which proceed from ulcers of the lungs.” The following is the Receipt—℞. Sacch: Saturn: ℥ij—Sal Martis ℥j—Infus: Spir: Vin: ℔j—Dose from twenty to forty drops. In this case an insoluble Sulphate of Lead must be formed, which will render the medicine, as far at least as its saturnine effects are concerned, completely inert!

280. This fact has been very satisfactorily proved by the failure of the practical attempts which were made by Dr. Macbride of Dublin, to improve the art of tanning leather by the use of Lime-water, instead of plain water, which he conceived would extract the virtues of Oak Bark more completely. The reader who is desirous of a more detailed account of this plan must refer to Phil. Trans. Vol. lxxiii. part 1, Art. 8.

281. We trust these observations will not create any alarm in the worthy Citizen; he may, with as much safety as pleasure, continue the laudable practice of regaling himself and friends with a cup of strong tea, in spite of the Turtle soup they may have taken, and that too without the least danger of converting their stomachs into tanneries, or their food into leather.

282. For a highly ingenious, and important extension of these views, see Aqua Marina. (Note.)

283. M. Dive, an apothecary of Mont de Marson, has lately announced that a current of carbonic acid, when passed through a solution of Tartrate of Potass, partly decomposes it; and he ascribes to the same agent the production of the Bi-tartrate in the juice of the grape during its fermentation: accordingly, by mixing neutral tartrate with fermentable materials, we shall produce Cream of Tartar in the fermented liquor. Journal de Pharm. Octob. 1821. p. 487.

284. In one remarkable case related by this Physician, the operation of the unbruised mustard-seed is stated to have been promoted by combining it with a decoction of Broom-tops. Query, Was not the adjunct in this case the only efficient part of the remedy?

285. The word “Venenum,” was employed by the ancients to signify both a poison and a medicine; in the former of these acceptations it is used by Virgil in the following passage:

In the latter sense it is used by Plautus—

286. See the dissertation on the operation of Emetics, page 84.

287. Cases and Observations, illustrating the influence of the Nervous System, in regulating animal heat, by H. Earle, Esq.; published in the 7th volume of the Medico-Chirurgical Transactions.

288. By the use of this word I wish to be distinctly understood as expressing only certain effects, without any regard to the causes that may produce them. The phenomena of Accumulation may on some occasions depend upon the absolutely increased quantity of the substance in the body, as in the instance of mercurial action, while in others they may perhaps arise from the system becoming more and more sensible to its stimulus. The history of Poisons would afford some interesting illustrations of these views, and in another work (Medical Jurisprudence, Vol. 2, p. 148), I have proposed a subdivision of these bodies, under the title of “Accumulative Poisons.”

289. “Diary of an Invalid.”

290. Med. Transact. Vol. 1, p. 5.

291. See Historical Introduction.

292. The Mechanical Physicians attempted to adjust the doses of medicines according to the constitution, by a mathematical rule; thus they say, “the doses are as the squares of the Constitution.” And in the Edinburgh Medical Essays, there is actually a formal attempt to correct the errors of this rule. See “An Essay towards ascertaining the doses of vomiting and purging Medicines, by Dr. Charles Balguy, Physician at Peterborough.” Vol. 1. 167.

293. While this sheet was passing through the press, an anecdote was related to me, which is well calculated to illustrate the mischief that may arise from abbreviated prescriptions. One of our most eminent surgeons having occasion to direct the application of a Lead Plaster (Emplast: Lythargyi. P. L. 1787), he abbreviated the term as follows—Emp. Lyth: in the haste of compounding, the h, perhaps carelessly written, was easily mistaken for t, and the chemist accordingly sent the Emplast: Lyttæ! As it was applied to the Pudenda, it is not necessary to state the distress of the patient, and the dismissal of the practitioner, which followed.

294. Camphor, unless it be presented to the stomach in a state of minute division, is liable to occasion heat and uneasiness in that organ. Fothergill’s Med. Observ. vol. i. p. 432.

295. In some cases the subject to be pulverized has been previously exposed to heat, but the doubtful influence of exalted temperature upon vegetable bodies, ought to afford us a lesson of extreme caution; the astringency of the stalks of the Artichoke is entirely destroyed by being gently heated in an oven, for after this operation they no longer strike a black colour with the salts of iron: another example is afforded us in the effects of heat upon Starch, which is thus changed into a species of gum, no longer producing a blue colour with Iodine, and which is known in commerce under the name of “British Gum.”

296. It is perhaps not generally known, that the sugared plumbs sold to children consist very frequently of Plaister of Paris; the introduction of such a substance into the intestines may often prove a source of mischief. I also understand, that it is no uncommon fraud to adulterate biscuits with the same substance. I confess I felt a great inclination to oppose the practice, lately suggested, of improving bad flour by the addition of Magnesia; I object to the introduction of any foreign and insoluble substance into our daily bread, and I am satisfied that the result of medical experience will sanction such an objection.

297. Edition 2. 1823.—I shall avail myself of the present opportunity to recommend this work to the perusal of every student who is ambitious to become acquainted with the Literature of his profession.

298. Dr. Davy informs me that the Veddahs, a savage race inhabiting the wilds of Ceylon, even in that hot climate, effectually preserve their venison in honey.

299. There is one circumstance which sometimes renders the powder of liquorice objectionable upon such occasions; it is liable to irritate the fauces and occasion coughing: for this reason I always avoid its use in cases of pulmonary irritation.

300. Some extracts become so hard, that in the state of pill they pass unchanged; this has occurred to me with the extract of logwood. Astringent vegetable matter, in combination with iron, is frequently characterised by a hardness that is not exceeded by ebony, and which is perfectly insoluble; the action of iron upon the petals of the red rose furnishes a very striking instance of this fact; if the petals be beaten in an iron mortar, for some hours, they ultimately become converted into a paste of an intensely black hue; which, when rolled into beads and dried, is susceptible of a most beautiful polish, still retaining the fragrance of the rose. I have seen a necklace of this description; indeed these beads form an article of extensive commerce with the Turks, and are imported into Europe, through Austria, under the name of Rose Beads or Rose Pearls.

301. Crell’s Annals, 1798. vol. 1.

302. A remedy may even owe its virtues to a precipitation, produced by admixture, as I have already stated.

303. See my work on Medical Chemistry, Sect. Cohesion.

304. Clyster from κλύζω eluo, to wash out.

305. Practical Observations on the Treatment and Cure of several Varieties of Pulmonary Consumption; and on the Effects of the Vapour of Boiling Tar in that Disease. By Sir A. Crichton, M. D. F. R. S. &c. London, 1823.

306. Pliny (Nat Hist. Lib. xxiii. cap. 6.) has the following interesting allusion to the subject of Tar fumes, “Silvas eas duntaxat quæ picis resinæque gratia raduntur, utilissimus esse phthisicis aut qui longa ægritudine non recolligent vires, satis constat; et illum cæliaëra plus ita quam navigationum Ægyptiani proficere, plus quam lactes herbedos per montium æstiva potus.”

307. Εμβροκη, from βρεκω, irrigo.

308. Illinire, to besmear.

309. κολλυρὶον. This term was formerly applied to any medicament, solid or liquid, employed to restrain defluxions; from κωλύω, inhibo to stop, and ῤοῦς fluxio, a running.

310. καταπλασσω illino, to besmear.

311. See Pharmacopœia Chirurgica.

312. Annales de Chimie, vol. xxxiii. p. 52.

313. A respectable Oilman of the name of Sterry, in the Borough, prepares a plaster of this description, which is sought after with great avidity. What a blessing it would be upon the community if every nostrum were equally innocuous!

314. Persons who are exposed to fatigue by the standing posture, such as washerwomen, &c. are particularly liable to sores of the legs, which may be prevented and cured by affording this artificial support.

315. In my Lectures I have usually employed different colours for the purpose of expressing the objects of each ingredient in a formula; in this manner very useful and instructive charts might be constructed: this hint may perhaps induce the industrious student, who is anxious to become a master in the art of prescribing, to attempt a synopsis upon this plan.

316. In these Formulæ the Bark is decomposed, by the alkali; the combination of the Kinic acid and Cinchonia being torn asunder; but as the preparation is not filtered, the febrifuge principle is taken into the stomach in a state of activity.

317. This formula is introduced, as a combination supported by authority, although it may be questioned whether its adoption can be sanctioned upon principle. Let us decypher the intention of the different ingredients by their Key Letters. The basis is Squill, to which Digitalis is added, for the purpose we perceive of acting in unison with it, and Calomel, which succeeds it, is intended to promote and direct the diuretic Basis; two fœtid gums next present themselves to our notice, and these are shewn by the bracket to exert a combined action, depending, as the Key Letter announces, upon the medicinal similarity, but acting in the general scheme of the formula, as shewn by the exterior letter, for the purpose of fulfilling a second indication, distinct and different from that which the Basis is designed to answer, i. e. to produce, not a diuretic, but an antispasmodic and stimulant effect; an important question then arises for our consideration—Is the latter part of the formula consistent with the former, or is the stimulant effect of the Gums compatible with the sedative operation of Digitalis?

318. Abĭes ab abeo, quod in cœlum longe abeat.

319. Dr. Maton, in his appendix to Mr. Lambert’s work on the genus Pinus, observes that the Thus of the ancients, (λὶβανος) does not appear to have been the product of any species of Pinus, although we are informed by Dioscorides (Lib. 1. c. 7.) that Pine resin was often substituted for it. He describes, moreover, a method 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 λὶβανος (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 conjecture.” Op: citat:

320. From α not, and ψὶντος pleasure.

321. Mouldiness is a peculiar plant, propagated by seeds, infinitely small; Reaumur found the interior of an addled egg mouldy, hence the seeds must have passed through the pores of the shell! Dr. Macculloch has lately announced the curious fact, that the propagation of mouldiness may be prevented by the presence of aromatic substances. See p. 177, Note.

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

323. Keyser’s Antivenereal Pills consist of this mercurial salt, triturated with Manna.

324. 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 absurd to imagine that Livy meant to assert that the rocks were dissolved by Vinegar: the expression is only metaphorical. See Sodæ Murias.

325. 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.

326. 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 charcoal, 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.

327. The Sulphuric acid is added for the purpose of preserving the vinegar from decomposition.

328. 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.

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

330. This is a very ancient preparation, thus Ausonius,

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

332. Or it may be detected, in very minute quantities, by the elegant test lately employed by Dr. Marcet, and which I have frequently 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.

333. It had been long known that by the destructive distillation of any kind of wood, an acid is obtained, which was formerly considered 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 reserved for Fourcroy and Vauquelin to demonstrate its composition by experiment, and they have accordingly proved beyond doubt that it is merely the Acetic acid, contaminated with Empyreumatic 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 empyreumatic matter, and lastly the calcareous salt is decomposed by sulphuric acid, when a pure, perfectly colourless, and grateful vinegar rises in distillation.

334. This instrument was invented by Messrs. Taylors for this particular 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, § 8.

335. It may be necessary to state, that the Pharmaceutist should never purchase acetic acid of greater strength than that of 75° of the Acetometer, when it is intended for dilution, for although he might thus avoid the expense of carriage, the saving will be more than counterbalanced 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 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 equivalent to the common distilled vinegar of the Pharmacopœia.

336. 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.

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

338. The Reviewer of Mr. Phillip’s Translation of the Pharmacopœia, in the Royal Institution Journal for July, 1824, has fallen into an important error upon this subject, against which it may be necessary to caution the reader; he says, “the term ‘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 concentrated 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 1·009, and 1000 grains should saturate 145 grains of Sub-carbonate 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 Pharmacopœia 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 5·686 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 Pharmacopœia, and he asks with an air of sarcasm, Where was Dr. Paris during the late revision? I answer—engaged in the discharge of my duty as a humble member of the Committee, and I 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.

339. A very useful practical application has been made of the Pyroligneous Acid, for the purpose of correcting the excessive fœtor attendant upon mortification. Dr. Samuel W. Moore of this city, (to whom we are indebted for the suggestion,) has detailed the particulars of a case of extensive mortification of the cheek, resulting from the use of mercury, in which the acid was applied, and with the happiest success. In a case of cancerous breast, it was also used with the same object, and with similar effect. The mode of using it is simply to apply pieces of lint or linen wet with the acid to the part affected. See New-York Medical Repository, Vol. 22. p. 237.—Ed.

340. 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 about 145° of the acetometer, containing 68·5 per cent. of real acid. A preparation of this kind may be extemporaneously made by putting ʒj of Acetate of Potass into a phial with a few drops of some fragrant oil, and in m xx of Sulphuric Acid.

Thieves Vinegar, or Marseilles Vinegar, is a pleasant solution of essential oils and camphor, in vinegar; the Edinburgh Pharmacopœia 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. It 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 attracted. The first Plague raged in 1649, whereas Wolsey died in 1531. The French Codex has a preparation of this kind, consisting of an acetic infusion of various aromatic herbs and camphor, which is termed “Acetum Aromaticum Alliatum,” seu “Antisepticum” vulgo “des Quatre Voleurs.” p. 108. The German Dispensatories abound with Medicated Vinegars, chiefly aimed against Pestilential Diseases.

341. 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 envelopes the kernel; 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 before an adequate tribunal, but put a period to his existence before the appointed day, by a draught of Laurel Water. Consistent 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. Linnæus, informs us that it was frequently used in Holland, in pulmonary consumption. (Amænitat. Academ. 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 observed, that superstitious people should have selected the berries of this shrub to form necklaces, which are hung round the neck of children to prevent fits 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.

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

The following table comprehends their results.

343. For a detailed account of this poison, see my work on Medical Jurisprudence, vol. ii. p. 398.

344. It seems to be a contest for a shadow.

345. We agree with our author in the general estimate which he forms of the Prussic Acid. The experience of practitioners in this country has by no means confirmed the high expectations originally entertained of this article. Ed.

346. The only mineral substances in which this acid has been found is the Fer Azuré 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 Transactions of the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall, although in this latter instance it is probably a product, not an educt.

347. 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 By-cyanide, we have the relation of one to four in 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 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.

348. 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.

349. Dr. Powell directs only two parts of acid; but this is evidently too little, for it appears by Dr. Wollaston’s scale, that 3 parts of salt require 2½ 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.

350. 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 diffuse itself through the apartment.

351. There is a curious illustration of this fact in the German “Ephemerides;” the case of a person is described who had taken so much Elixir of Vitriol that his keys were rusted in his pocket, by the transudation of the acid through his skin!

352. Nitric acid may be considered as one of the most efficient agents in our possession for exciting prompt vesication. For this purpose, we believe it was first used in the epidemic Cholera of the East Indies, and the success which attended it in that fatal disorder suggested its application in a variety of other diseases. The mode of using it is to rub the surface intended to be vesicated, with the pure acid, and as soon as pain is produced, to neutralize the acid by washing the part with a solution of salt of tartar. If the object is to continue the irritation, a common blister may be laid upon the part. Ed.

353. Nitrous acid gas is a combination of nitrous gas and oxygen.

354. Elixir of Vitriol. The preparation sold under this name is the Acid: Sulph: Aromat: E. and is imperfectly ætherial 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 term Elixir is of Arabian origin, viz. Elechschir, or Elikscir, i. e. an Essence, or pure mass without any dregs.

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

356. See note under the article opium.

357. Axunge, from its being used as the grease of wheels, ab Axe rotarum quæ unguuntur.

358. Dr. Smellone’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 Basilicon, (Ceratum Resinæ, P. L.)

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

360. Garlic, leeks, and onions constitute a tribe of culinary vegetables that has undergone great vicissitudes in reputation: amongst the Egyptians the onion and leek were esteemed as divinities, thus Juvenal,

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

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

The most powerful antidotes to the flavour of this tribe of vegetables are the aromatic leaves and seeds of the Umbelliferæ; 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 observation of the husbandman in Virgil,

And the fact itself offers an additional illustration of the important principle of combination, discussed at page 148.