320 ANNUAL OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. 



Tourdis, of the Faculty of Medicine of Strasbourg, and aftewards of Dr. 

 Ozanam, it has no effect when applied to the skin, unless the epidermis has 

 been previously removed. But when applied to the skin from which the 

 epidermis is removed, or to a wound or sore, it acts efficaciously and pro- 

 duces perfectly the anaesthetic effect; and in the cliniss at Strasbourg, satis- 

 factory results have been obtained. We add that ammonia appears to be an 

 antidote to oxide of carbon. 



Ancestkesis by Carbonic Acid. A physician at Paris, Dr. Follin, has re- 

 cently endeavored to alleviate pain by means of a continued stream of car- 

 bonic acid gas. After the discovery of gases by chemistry, towards the close 

 of the last century, medical men in England early undertook to examine the 

 curvative properties of different gases. The first experiments were made by 

 Ingenhousz. He made known that a finger, when the epidermis was re- 

 moved, had the pain increased by oxygen, but diminished, and after a 

 Avliile removed by nitrogen, carbonic acid, or hydrogen. This fact, accord- 

 ing to this author, was then known in France, where it had been first 

 observed. 



It was soon after made useful in therapeutics ; carbonic acid was recog- 

 nized as the most effective gas for removing pain, and was employed with 

 success in several cases of ulcers. But from 1794 to 1834, the facts seem to 

 have been forgotten. At the latter date, M. Mojon, Professor at Genoa, 

 proposed the use of this gas anew. 



Dr. Follin was led to undertake his experiment from a knowledge of some 

 recent trials by Dr. Simpson of Edinburgh. He has applied a douche of 

 the gas with success for the relief of pain, in the case of three females having 

 an ulcerated cancer of the neck of the womb. Quiet followed the applica- 

 tion in a few seconds, and continued, in one case, for ten to twelve hours, 

 when a new application was required ; in a second, eight days ; and in the 

 third, an intermediate interval between the other two. There was, how- 

 ever, no curative effect, which is not remarkable. Others have repeated 

 the experiments. The gas must of course be made pure from any muriatic 

 acid vapor, which may be effected by passing it through a concentrated 

 solution of carbonate of soda. Dr. Follin prefers bicarbonate of soda for 

 obtaining the carbonic acid, which he decomposes by means of tartaric acid. 



IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION OF INKS. 



Alzarine Ink. An ink bearing this name has recently been prepared by 

 M. Leonhardi, of Hanover, by digesting twenty-four parts of Aleppo galls 

 and three parts of Dutch Madder, with one hundred and twenty parts of 

 warm water. The liquids filtered and mixed with 1-2 parts solution of in- 

 digo, 5-2 sulphate of iron, and two parts crude acetate of iron solution. The 

 advantages of this ink are, that, 1. It does not contain gum; 2. The tannatc 

 is prevented from separating by the sulphate of indigo; 3. Mouldiness is 

 prevented by this addition and by the acetate of iron. 



On the Preparation of Writing Ink in Cakes. After M. Leonhardi had 



