813

FAILURE OF THE MINERAL MAGNET.

JULIAN SLIGHT, M.R.C.S.

To the EditO1’ of THE LANCET.SIR:-As Dr. Blundell is anxious to direct

attention to the "indisputable fact" of the’’ therapeutic effects" of the mineral magnetill cases of neuralgia, I beg leave to informhim that, in consequence of the cases pub-lished in THE LANCET in 1834, and referredto in his letter of last week, I was inducedto make trial of its "curative powers" (ifany) in the following case, which I consider-ed to offer me a most fitting opportunity.About the period referred to in 1834, I wasattending the lady of a Major, then quarteredin Haslar Barracks, and in passing the re-sidence of the barrack-serjeant, I was re-quested to give my opinion in a case ofneuralgia faciei, with which he had beenafflicted for some years. The paroxysmswere of the most agonizing description, af-fecting (apparently) the masseterine andalveolar branches of the third division ofthe fifth ; and whenever any attempt wasmade to masticate, the pain occurred withten. fold severity. Although a fine stout man,I have frequently seen the tears trickle downhis cheeks from the intensity of his anguish.Living injuxta-position with JJ<M<rHop(t!,I need scarcely add that he had receivedevery attention from the gentlemen of thatestablishment, but without any benefit what-ever. At his urgent reqnest that I wouldtry something to give him relief, I obtainedthe powerful magnets belonging to our Phi-losophical Society, and in the presence ofthe Curator passed them over the affectedcheek for ten minutes or a quarter of anhour each time, both in the absence, andduring the presence, of a paroxysm. Notthe least possible benefit, however, did mypatient experience from its application, andI am obliged to confess that, like the mag-netisms of Mesmer, hae the magnet waswithout any influence, and the magnetiserdespoiled of his power. I am, Sir, yourobedient servant,

JULIAN SLIGIIT, M.R.C.S.12:i, High-street, Portsmouth,

Feb. 20, 1837.

REMARKS ON

DR. SPILLAN’S TRANSLATIONOF THE

PHARMACOP&OElig;IA LONDINENSIS.

To the Editor of THE LANCET.SIR :-Permit me through the medium of

your Journal to offer a few remarks on Dr.Spillan’s Translation of the Pharmacopoeia,with the view to correct various inaccuracies,detected in a hasty perusal of that work,

which are calculated to mislead both thestudent and the practitioner.

I shall, without comment, proceed to

point out some of the errors alluded to,taking them in the order in which theystand in the work. I am, Sir, your obedientservant,

S. A. SANI)ALL,Chemical Assistant at St. Thomas’s Hospital.

Feb. 21st, 1837.

Commencing with the notes under thehead VINEGAR, the Dr. says, "1,000 grs. ofthis vinegar should saturate 148 grains ofcrystallized carbonate of soda." Now,1,000 grs. of vinegar will not saturate 148grs. of crys. carb. soda, but 141 only, forthe strongest and best vinegar contains only5 per cent. of real acetic acid ; therefore,1,000 grs. will contain 50 grs. of real acid,and as 51 grs. require 144 grs. of crys. carb.soda, 50 grs. of acid will saturate only 141grs.

CITRIC AoD.&mdash;"Tartaric acid, with whichit is sometimes found mixed, is detected

by adding to its solution an excess of potass,which forms with it an insoluble bitartrate."Unfortunately the test is rendered uselessby ordering an excess of potass to be used,for even if tartaric acid were present, and anexcess of potash were added, it would re-dissolve any bitartrate that might be found.HYDROCHLORIC ACID.&mdash;In using the chlo-

ride of barium for the detection of sulphuricacid, the Dr. says, " We are very properlydirected to dilute the acid, as it has been

ascertained that chloride of barium is pre-cipitated, when poured into pure hydro-chloric acid." I presume that by pure is

meant strong, for pure acid should occasionno precipitate with chloride of barium,although strong acid takes the water from

the chloride, and the chloride, not havingsufficient water to hold it in solution, is pre-cipitated. Again,-&laquo; Its not acting on gold-r leaf proves the absence of nitric acid." Its

rnon -action proves the absence of chlorine.DILUTE HYDROCYANIC AClD.&mdash;Here Dr.

Spillan quotes a long paragraph from Dr.Paris, to show that cyanuret of silver is in-soluble in niti-ic acid. The quotation maybe right, but the statement is erroneous, asDr. Spillan might have proved in a few

minutes. The directions given in the Phar-macopoeia are quite correct.A little farther on we have "sulphuretted

hydrogen instead of hydrosulphuric acid, oc-curring three times within a few lines ofeach other, together with " muriatic " forhydrochloric acid. The frequency of these

errors, which are evidently the effect of

carelessness, must prove very annoying tothe reader.VERDIGRIS.&mdash;The Pharmacopoeia describes

verdigris as being partly dissolved in water,almost entirely in ammonia, and by dilutesulphuric acid, with the assistance of heat.

S. A. SANDALL,Chemical Assistant at St. Thomas’s Hospital.

814

Dr. S. tells us that " its not being solublein dilute sulphuric acid proves that thearticle is the spurious preparation soldunder the name of ’English Verdigris,’which is a mixture of sulphate of coppertriturated, with acetate of lead." AllowingEnglish verdigris to be such a compound,it would only be in part insoluble in dil.sulp. acid, and this would be the sulphate oflead which is formed; the copper would, ofcourse, be dissolved. Even the best verdi- Igris is not entirely soluble in dil. sulp. acid, ,,owing to some vegetable matter which itcontains.SULPHURIC &AElig;THER.&mdash;After giving the

test for the presence of sulphuric acid, wehave "that of alcohol, by its forming withphosphorus a milky instead of a clear solu-tion, when kept for some time without beingdisturbed." What is meant by " some time "I don’t know, but six days are not sufficientto produce the " milky " solution, and this isas long a time as most persons would liketo wait if they wished to prove the presence Iof alcohol in a sample of aether. !

" Sesquicarbonate of ammonia in crystalsshould be sesquicarbonate of ammonia crystal-

’

line.Potassio tartrate of antinaoray in crystals.-

44 Its solubility in water proves the absenceof cream of tartar, with which it is some-times mixed." Its solubility in water doesnot prove that it is free from cream of tartar.Again,-" Acetate of lead detects in tartar

emetic 1-120th of cream of tartar." In whatway does it detect its Not from the leadbeing precipitated by it, because tartaremetic will precipitate lead, whether creamof tartar be present or not.

Sesquioxide of iroaz should be dissolvedwith very little effervescence; effervescencewould indicate the presence of metalliciron." This should be the presence ofcarbonate of iron.

Bisulphuret of mercury (red).-If adulte-rated with lead, after dissolving in a mixtureof nitric and hydrochloric acid, iodide ofpotassium would detect protoxide and notperoxide of lead.

Hydrochlorate of morphia.&mdash;The precipitatethrown down by nitrate of silver in a solu-tion of hydrochlorate of morphia, is solublein excess of ammonia.

Carbonate of lead.&mdash;" Chalk may be detect-ed by oxalate of ammonia." It must beunderstood that the carbonate of lead andchalk have been previously dissolved indil. nitric acid, but how the chalk is to bedetected by oxalate ammonia we are nottold, for the oxalate precipitates both leadand lime from solution.

Phosph(ite qf soda (crystals.)-When thisphosphate is dissolved in water, and pre-cipitated by chloride of barium, the pre-cipitate is a neutral phosphate, consisting of1 equivalent of acid, and 1 equiv. base, andnot a "biphosphate." The precipitate

thrown down by nitrate of silver is a subses-quiphosphate composed of 3 equivs. oxidesilver and 2 equivs. acid, not a tripho-.phate of the oxide of silver."These are part, only, of the errors which

are to be found in the notes; hut, to leastthem, I proceed to point out a few in thepreparations and compounds, commenciti:with ’ACETIC ACID.&mdash;In the observations on

acetid acid Dr. S. gives the equivalent ofacetate of soda as 137, which is perfectlyright, that is, taking acetic acid at its properequivalent; but if we take it as composed of

Then the equivalent of acetate of sodashould be ’

as correctly stated above. Although thedifference between 136 and 137 in the equi.valent number of a salt may be trifling, set,when we take one equivalent of any elemenlfrom the true composition of a body, it mayalter its properties very considerably.

CITRIC AcID.-The diagrams which arehere introduced for the purpose of illustcat.ing more clearly the changes which takeplace tend only to confuse, instead of assist,the student, from their inaccuracy.Thus " the decomposition which takes

place here, and the proportion of the mate-rials required, may be thus expressed":&mdash;

815

Viewing these diagrams no one wouldsnppose that carbonate of lime was used, forthere is no notice taken of the carbonic acid,.nor is the mucilage, which forms part of thelemon juice, at all mentioned.Then follows an incorrect list of the satu-

rating power of citric acid with the differentalkalies, which I shall arrange along side ofthe true proportions:-We are told that " half an ounce of fresh

lemon juice is equivalent to 16.88 grs. of

crystallized citric acid, and, therefore, neu-tralizes

The crystallized citric acid of commercecontains only one equivalent and a third ofwater, instead of two, as stated by Dr. S.,therefore its equivalent number is 70 insteadof 76.DILUTE HYDROCYANIC ACID.-Tlie Doctor

has inserted an incorrect diagram, takenfrom Dr. Reid’s " Chemistry," showing thechanges which take place when ferrocyanideof potassium is distilled with sulphuric acid.When using Dr. Ure’s method of analyzing

hydrocyanic acid, by binoxide of mercury.it is not prussiate of mercury that is formed,consisting of 2 equiv. of prussic acid to oneof base, but 2 of cyanogen to 1 of mercury,forming a bicyanuret of mercury.NITRIC ACID.&mdash;Here, again, the decom-

position and diagram are wrong, for nitricacid of the Pharmacopoeia is a sesquihydrate,not a bihydrate.COMPOUND POWDER OF ANTIMONY.&mdash;In

the observations on this compound we aretold that" antimony combines with oxygenin three different proportions :&mdash;1 equivalentof antimony, with 1 of oxygen, forming theoxide; 1 of antimony, with 12 of oxygen,forming antimonious acid; and 1 of anti.mony, with 2 of oxygen, forming antimonicacid." Now, not one of these proportions isright, for the oxide, or protoxide, is a sesqui-oxide, composed of 1 equivalent antimony,and I equivalent oxygen ; antimonious acid,1 metal and 2 oxygen; and antimonic acid,1 metal and 2&frac12; oxygen, yet in the notes,under "Sesquisulphuret of antimony," theDoctor tells us that the white substancethrown down, on the addition of water tothe chloride, is the sesquioxide combinedwith some chloride of the metal. Surely hedoes not mean to say that antimonious acidis precipitated by water, and yet it would ,appear so, taking his own composition ofthe different oxides.SOLUTION OF ARSENITE OF POTASS.-If

Dr. S. mean that the quantity of carbonateof potash is not in sufficient quantity to forma neutral arsenite, he is quite right, but he

has forgotten that the carbonate of potashcontains an equivalent and a half of water,so that the whole of his calculations are

wrong. I will here remind Dr. S. that theequivalent of arsenious acid is 50 and not 54,so that 80 parts of arsenious acid will require133.6 of carbonate of potash of the Pharma-copoeia, instead of 103.7.

CHLORIDE of LIME.&mdash;Properties. " A drywhite powder, smelling faintly of chlorine,strong taste, probably soluble in water, thesolution containing both chlorine and lime,"the undissolved portion being hydrate oflime, which still retains some chlorine, sothat it is not certain whether chloride oflime dissolv es in water or not; but the so-lution most undoubtedly contains both chlo-rine and lime.

CHLORIDE. OF LEAD is not composed ofhydrochloric acid and lead, nor does it crys-tallize in circular anhydrous cystals.TARTRATE or POTASS.&mdash;Here, also, Dr.

Spillan has taken no notice of the water inthe carbonate of potash, for 36 of bitartrateof potash will saturate 15.95 of carbonate,instead of 12.7, as stated by Dr. S., so thatthe quantity of carbonate ordered by theCollege, viz., 16, is not " considerably inexcess."

Occasionally symbols are introduced, andgenerally, I believe, they are tolerably cor-rect. We have, however, carbonate of soda

represented by the following:&mdash;(S -- N a)- ‘- 10 H. This is a problem which I mustleave my readers to solve for themselves, forI fear that I have already intruded far beyondthe limits allowed; certainly much furtherthan I intended; but were I to point out allthe errors which I have noticed in the workI should be compelled to draw too largelyon the patience of all.

THE NEW PHARMACOP&OElig;IA.

THE DECOCTIONS, &c. &mdash; SARSAPARILLA.

To the Editor of THE LANCET,SIR :&mdash;After the very able exposure in your

Journal of the errors and defects of the newPhamacop&oelig;ia, it may seem unnecessary to saymuch more on the subject. I have, indeed,in certain journals, seen some rather frivo-lous objections brought against this work of" collective wisdom ;" but it appears to me,that the changes in names and measures, andthe multiplication of s3-nonyms is very con-

fusing, and serves no useful purpose, buttends unnecessarily to bewilder the memory.Some complain that more of the new alka-loid remedies are not added; but they donot consider that the medicines from whichthese are prepared are, for the most part,preferable to their isolated elements,-farmore manageable, safe, and salutary in their