406 ^ Analysis of Scientific Books. 



whereas, the blue of prussiate of iron is destroyed at a heat 

 below redness, and is any thing but permanent. 



The fourth section contains an account of the physical pro- 

 perties of the prussic acid, unnecessarily separated from its 

 chemical history and preparation, and followed by " Physi- 

 ological experiments made with the pure hydrocyanic acid,'* 

 constituting the 5th section. We consider the curious investi- 

 gations of Mr. Brodie upon this subject as the most satisfactory 

 that have hitherto been made, and as they are not even alluded 

 to, we shall decline troubling our readers with those here de- 

 tailed, which seem chiefly intended to persuade the public that, 

 although prussic acid is perhaps the most virulent of all vege- 

 table poisons, it is only dangerous when improperly or empiri- 

 cally administered. In this section. Dr. G. has the bad taste 

 to retail a conversation which passed between a " person of 

 rank" afterwards called " his lordship," and a " popular phy- 

 sician,''^ respecting the Doctor's book, of which we doubt not 

 a new edition will soon be wanted, and in which we recommend 

 him altogether to erase it. 



Passing over the 6th section, " on the analogy which led to 

 the use of prussic acid as a medicine," we find in the 7th, among 

 other matters, an enumeration of the diseases in which prussic 

 acid has proved beneficial, and which are briefly these ; coughs 

 of all sorts, — hectic fever, — consumption, — asthma, — chronic 

 inflammation, and abscesses of the lungs, — spitting of blood and 

 pleurisy, and a long list of nervous, local, and organic diseases ; 

 but here the Doctor proves too much. 



The 8th and the concluding sections, relate to the m ans of 

 detecting prussic acid, and preventing its poisonous effects, and 

 to the history of its introduction into medicine ; in neither of 

 which do we remark any thing either very new or very import- 

 ant, and with which, therefore, we shall not prolong our review. 



The second part of this Treatise, and which the medical 

 reader will consider as the most important, contains a detail of 

 cases in which prussic acid has been administered, and of the 

 effects which it has produced. As far as we can understand 

 this kind of evidence, it appears that prussic acid is a very 



