1892. ] NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 155 
and expect from it; for I finde not that those I have yet met with 
deliver these strange things upon particular experiments duly made, 
but partly upon the authority of chymicall books, many of which 
were never written by those whose name they bear.”’ He then 
proceeds to blame physicians for using expensive medicines, and 
says ‘‘’t were a good work to substitute cheap ones for the poorer 
sort of patients.” 
The change of opinion as respects the therapeutic value of gold, 
foreshadowed in the quotation from the astute Boyle, is well shown 
by comparing the passages on the subject in two different editions of 
Lémery’s ‘“‘ Cours de chymie,” one publisked in 1680 and one in 
1730. In the earlier edition of Lémery’s very successful work we 
read :— 
“Gold is a good remedy for those that have taken too much mer- 
cury, for these two metals do easily unite together, and by this union 
or amalgamation the mercury fixes and its motion is interrupted. 
(p. 25)... . Aurum fulminans causes sweat and drives out 
ill humors by transpiration. It may be given in the small pox 
two to six grains in a lozenge or electuary. Itsstops vomiting and . 
is also good to moderate the active motion of mercury.” (Harris’s 
translation, London, 1680, p. 9.) 
And in the later edition, the eleventh of the series, Lémery, or his 
editor, makes a very different statement. 
“Potable gold, so much praised by the alchemists and sold so 
dear by them, is commonly only a vegetable or mineral tincture 
of a color resembling gold, and as they make this tincture with a 
spirituous menstruum it sometimes excites perspiration. This effect 
they ascribe to the gold, although the metal has rarely anything to 
do with it.” (1730.) 
In the works of Dr. Caspar Neumann a passage occurs that ex- 
presses so clearly the present views of many, that it is hard to realize 
it was written nearly one hundred and fifty years ago. Neumann 
writes :— 
‘Gold has been imagined to be possessed of extraordinary medic- 
inal virtues, and many preparations, diginified with the name of 
this precious metal, have been imposed upon the public. But the 
virtues ascribed to gold have apparently no other foundation than 
credulity and superstition, and most of the golden medicines have 
no gold in them. Evén when gold has been employed in the prepa- 
ration there is seldom any of it retained in the product. We may 
say with Ludovici: ‘It is better to make gold out of medicines than 
medicines out of gold.’” (Lewis’s transl., London, 1759, p. 38.) 
An abstract of the report of the Joy Memorial Committee was 
read by Prof. Martin; the full report will be presented in October. 
Dr. Bouton announced the death of Prof. A. W. von HorrMan, 
the distinguished chemist, an Honorary Member of the Academy. 
Prof. Rees announeed the death of Dr. L. M. Ruruerrurp, the 
