1835. Scientific Intelligence. 319 



of silver, or arsenic. The latter he thinks ought never to be used. 

 M. Canquoin recommends its application in cancerous diseases, in 

 the form of a paste, consisting of two to four parts of flour, to one of 

 chloride of zinc, brought to the proper consistence by means of water. 



Muhrbeck has employed it with success internally, to the extent 

 of from - to 1^ gr. for the cure of periodical headache. Hanke has 

 also used it in chorea tic douloureux, epilepsy, dissolved in muriatic 

 ether, (1 gr. chloride, 6 scs. ether) beginning with five drops every 

 four hours. When taken in over-doses it produces nausea, vomiting, 

 cold sweats, convulsions. It may be prepared by distilling one part 

 of zinc with four parts of corrosive sublimate, or by evaporating to 

 dryness a solution of zinc in muriatic acid. These differ in some 

 respect, for the first, called, butter of zinc, is volatile, while the 

 other is only so at a red heat. (Journ. de Chim. Med. i. 77«J 



3. Mercurial Ointment. — M. Langlois, according to the sug- 

 gestion of Chevallier, recommends the following process for making 

 this ointment : He introduced 1| lb. troy into a glass bottle, and 

 poured upon it 7t oz. of melted fat. He then placed the stopper in 

 the bottle, and agitated the mixture until it became cold. It was 

 then placed in warm water, and again liquified. While still soft, 

 the mixture was poured into a marble mortar previously heated with 

 warm water in order to retard the cooling. It was then triturated 

 briskly for three quarters of an hour. No globules could then be 

 observed. The same quantity of fat was added as at first, and the 

 whole was triturated for an hour. The preparation of the ointment 

 was now completed. (Journ. de Chim. Med. i. 125.^ 



IV. — Muriate of Ammonia in some Minerals. 



M. Vogel of Munich has found, 1 . That muriate of ammonia exists 

 in the oxide of iron from Bohemia, but those oxides which he exa- 

 mined that were brought from Bavaria, at a distance from volcanoes, 

 contained none. 



2. That the common salt of Frederickshall, in Wirtemberg ; the 

 rock salt of Hall, in Tyroll, as well as the different salts of all the 

 countries of Bavaria, contain, like volcanic products, muriate of 

 ammonia. 



3. That the water of saline springs does not appear to contain 

 sensible traces of muriate of ammonia, (Jounal de Pharm, xx. 501. ) 



V. — Peroxide of Manganese. 



Vogel of Munich has found organic matter in this mineral, as 

 well as in amphibole, nepheline, asbestus, adhesive state of Menilmon- 

 tant, felspar, and flexible sandstone of Brazil. He detects the organic 

 matter by boiling the mineral with distilled water, decanting without 

 filtering, and exposing the liquid to the sun mixed with a few drops 

 of nitrate of silver ; if organic matter is present a red wine colour 

 will be produced. The presence of this matter in the peroxide of 

 manganese accounts for the carbonic acid which comes over in the 

 preparation of oxygen. The muriatic acid which is sometimes ob- 

 served when oxygen is obtained from this mineral by sulphuric acid, 

 is derived from the latter, as Mr. Kane had shewn. (Journ. de 

 Pharm. xx. 502 J 



