ON CANTHARIDES. ' 43 



With refped to the parenchyma forming the refidue of theExperlmenteani 

 different macerations, infufions, and decodions in water, aJ-canth^jdwu**" 

 cohol, and ether, the author, after having afcertained that 

 thefe fluids were incapable of extracting any thing more, 

 treated it with caut^ic potafh, which immediately caufed a 

 difengagement of a very fenfible ammoniacal odour. When 

 this odour was diflipated, the liquor was filtered, and inftantly 

 mixed with muriatic acid : the mixture became turbid, and 

 gradually yielded a precipitate, which, dried and thrown on 

 burning coals, exhaled an odour fimilar to that of animal matf 

 ters in combuflion, 



Diftilled in a retort, this parenchyma yielded phlegm, a 

 denfe empyreumatic oil, and a confiderable quantity of car- 

 bonate of ammonia. The refidue of the diflillation was a 

 rpecies of coal, from which a white afh was obtained by inci- 

 neration in the open air, in which were found carbonate of 

 Jime, calcareous phofphate, fulphate and muriate of lime, and, 

 finally, oxide of iron. 



In recapitulating the quantities of each of the produdis ob- 

 tained by means of the experiments which have been cited, 

 Ihe author afTerts that one ounce of cantharides, well dried, 

 contains nearly 



Black matter - 1 gros 2 grains ; 



Yellow matter - 1 — 2 



Green matter - 1 — 8 



Parenchyma - 4 — 36 



Acid - - An indeterminate quantity 5 



Calcareous phofphate 12 grains ; 



Carbonate of lime - 2 



Sulphate and muriate of lime 4 



Oxide of iron - 2 



To complete the work which Cit, Beaupoil had undertaken, 

 it remained for him to determine the phyfiological properties 

 of cantharides, as well as thofe of the moft etfential of their 

 immediate materials, and he appears to have executed this 

 with fuccefs in the fourth part of his differtation. Among 

 other things, it refults from the different experiments which he 

 has made on this fubjedt, 



IJi, That cantharides which have not undergone any pre- 

 paration, almoft always produce difagreeable effeifls when 



taken 



