Natural His fort/. ■l^^ 



stated in the paper. This apparatus may be much reduced ia 

 size, and made very much more delicate and sensible. 



M. F. 



III. Natural History. 



^ Medicine, &c. 



1. On the Use of Iodine in Medicine, by Dr. Coindet. — Since 

 the first discovery of the use of this substance, in cases of bron- 

 choceie, particular notice has been taken in this Journal of the 

 results of its application, and the conclusions to be drawn from 

 them. See X. 191, and xi. 407. In another memoir, published 

 by Dr. Coindet, and of which the principal points will be con- 

 densed below, a new, and in many cases better mode, of admi- 

 nistering it is pointed out, and its good effect in schrofulous 

 cases detailed, with the advantages which will probably result 

 from its use in this disease. 



It appears that many of the dangerous symptoms caused by 

 iodine, may be attributed, some to its local action upon the 

 mucous membrane of the stomach, which with some persons, 

 cannot bear the remedy uninterruptedly administered, or in in- 

 creased doses, with impunity ; and others to its particular action 

 on the lymphatic system. 



The symptoms belonging to these two actions differ essen- 

 tially. The second action is that which, when properly directed, 

 gives the remedy its usefulness. In order to avoid the first, 

 Dr. Coindet endeavoured to introduce it into the system by 

 other ways than the stomach. An ointment was made, of 1| 

 ounce of hogs'-lard, and half a drachm of hydriodate of po- 

 tassa. A piece of the size of a nut was prescribed night and 

 morning, to be rubbed in on the goitre, or the enlarged scro- 

 phulous glands, or those of the neck. In the first case of its 

 administration in this way, the tumour softened after eight days 

 of friction; in fifteen days the diminution was much greater, 

 and the tumour had divided into many small lobes, distinct 

 one from another ; at the end of a month it had entirely dis- 

 appeared, without any other efTect being produced by the iodine. 



After that twenty-two persons^ were treated in the same way. 

 Above half the number were cured in between four and six 

 weeks, and the others to a greater or less degree. 



Iodine, thus introduced into the absorbent system, presents 

 the same results as when administered internallv. The dura- 

 tion of treatment, the thickening and softening of the skin, the 

 softening of the goitre, its diminution and separation into many 

 cists, tumours, or lobes, the cessation of oppressed respiration, 

 and alt«rationof voice, are exactly the same. 



