45 [asr. 
on butchers meat. Effect of bark in arresting 
gangrene ; does so by operating on the adjacent 
living fibre. Not fair 40 infer it does this by as- 
tringent property, since camphor, assafetida and 
other substances, destitute of astringency, pro- 
duce the same effect. Even the most powerful as- 
tringents will not arrest gangrene. Mr. James 
es’ experiments noticed. He renders it pro- 
oak bark does not cause contraction 
ving fibres. Effect of alum in corru- 
eating the papille of the tongue noticed, Darwin’s 
rationale of that effect. In a word, the action of 
astringents on living, and dead matter, is dif- 
ferent, as in the case of other medicines, fer ex- 
ample lunar caustic. 
_. Effect of astringent solutions applied to lactife- 
_ rous plants. Opinion entertained by some that as- 
 tringent bodies operate chiefly on the part to which 
they are applied and are rarely communicated to 
remote parts of the system through the medium 
of nervous or muscular influence—erroneous: the 
daily operation of astringents in the treatment 
of diseases, opposed to such anideae Dr. Heber- 
