530 ANNUAL RECORD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



onist of chloral, merely mitigating the hypnotic effects upon 

 the brain and nervous system. The minimum fatal dose of 

 the hydrate of chloral for the hare is twelve grains for eacli 

 pound of weight of the body. With the cat it has been found 

 that there is practically no antagonism between picrotoxine 

 or strychnine and chloral. Picrotoxine and hydrate of chlo- 

 ral administered together to a cat produced death by stop- 

 ping the action of the heart, apparently without exciting any 

 destructive or exhausting influence upon the superior nerv- 

 ous centres. The energy of the action of hydrate of chloral, 

 however, in its fatal minimum dose, according to Dr. Brown, 

 is in proportion to the development of the cerebral hemi- 

 spheres. 12 i?, LXXXIX., 142. 



ACTION OF BEOMIDE OF LITHIUM. 



The use of bromide of lithium as a remedy appears to be 

 increasing since the first suggestion of its application by Dr. 

 S. W. Mitchell, of Philadelphia, in 1870. Dr. Levy, a French 

 physician, has reported as the result of careful investigation 

 that while the bromide of potassium exercises a decided ac- 

 tion on the muscular system, bromide of lithium has appar- 

 ently none in this respect, but acts more energetically and 

 more rapidly than the potassium upon the spinal marrow 

 and nerves of sensation. He also states that there is an in- 

 fluence of the bromide of lithium, though slight, upon gout; 

 but it is quite difficult to prove any influence in diminishing 

 the quantity of uric acid secreted or contained in the urine. 

 It has, however, a very decided sedative action upon cerebro- 

 spinal cases, and has favorably modified various diseases, es- 

 pecially epilepsy. While its action in this respect is more 

 marked than that of the bromide of potassium, it has the ad- 

 ditional advantage of not acting upon the heart a matter of 

 much moment in some cases. He thinks, therefore, that in 

 any event the bromide of lithium deserves an honorable men- 

 tion in therapeutics. The doses in which Dr. Levy adminis- 

 ters this remedy are 50 centigrammes for the gout, and 20 

 centigrammes for such nervous conditions as hysteria, in- 

 somnia, etc. For epilepsy he uses at first 50 centigrammes, 

 increasing the amount gradually to 2^ or 3 grammes. There 

 is no dangler, he thinks, in giving doses even greater than 

 this. 12 i, LXXXVHL, 286. 



