408 Miscellaneous Intelligence. 



when that medicine is new, and its action but little understood ; 

 Dr. Coindet mentions the circumstance that at Geneva alone 140 

 ounces of iodine have been sold since he first made known its 

 use in this disease ; consequently, that above 1,000 persons have 

 used it ; and he remarks that fewer accidents have happened in 

 the application of this quantity than happens in a similar ap- 

 plication of almost any powerful medicine. 



As the iodine in different states will act differently as a 

 medicine. Dr. Coindet states, that of all the preparations he 

 prefers the ioduretted hydriodate of potassa. This is prepared 

 by dissolving thirty-six grains of the hydriodate, and ten grains 

 of iodine in one ounce of distilled water; from six to ten drops 

 in half a glass of water, sweetened, is given three times a day, 

 diminishing or increasing the dose according to the effects. 



Dr. Coindet prepares the hydriodate of potassa by saturating 

 potassa with hydriodic acid. The acid he prepares previously 

 by passing sulphuretted hydrogen gas through water holding 

 iodine in suspension, or through a solution of iodine in alcohol. 

 The sulphur is then filtered out, and the liquor heated to drive 

 off the free sulphuretted hydrogen. A much simpler mode of 

 preparing the hydriodate would be to saturate a strong solution 

 of potassa with iodine, evaporate to dryness, and fuse the salt 

 out of contact with air in a covered platinum crucible or glass 

 flask, until the portion of iodate formed is decomposed and con- 

 verted into iodide ; the whole is then iodide of potassium, and 

 only requires to be dissolved in water to form the hydriodate 

 of potassa. 



Whilst attentively observing the action of this substance on 

 the animal economy, it soon appeared that if given in excess, 

 it seemed to saturate the body, and then produced particular 

 symptoms, which Dr. Coindet calls iodic. This never happens 

 before an effect has taken place on the goitre ; and, as the 

 farther addition and action of iodine, beyond the dissipation 

 of the mass is injurious, a stop is immediately put to its admi- 

 nistration when these eft'ects appear. After eight or ten days 

 its use is resumed, and continued until the symptoms are again 

 observed, when it is discontinued and again resumed after an 

 interval of time, which is to be more or less according to the 

 state of the patient, and the effect of the medicine on him. 



The iodic symptoms when strong are as follows: accelerated 

 pulse, palpitation, frequent dry cough, want of sleep, rapid loss 

 of flesh and strength; with some, there is produced only a 

 swelling of the legs, or tremblings, or a painful hardness of the 

 goitre, sometimes diminished breasts, continued increase of ap- 

 petite, and m all that Dr. Coindet had seen a very rapid dimi- 

 nution and disappearance of the goitre. 



At those times Dr, Coindet forbade iodine and prescribed 

 milk, especially that of asses, warm baths, valerian, kino, car-- 



