18233] 
internal cavities when the pervading irri- 
tation shal}. have happened incidentally 
to fall upon internal membranes. 
These effusions are the most easily. pro- 
duced when the subject is of a scrofu- 
lous constitution: if any one medicinal has 
more controul over them than others, itis 
foxglove, and the operation of this power- 
ful drug bas before been referred by_the 
writer to the remarkable property it ap- 
pears to possess, when properly managed 
in its administration, of imparting tone to 
the minute vessels, It is truly astonishing 
to witness the giving-way of the quick, 
irritative, debilitated, pulse, under a 
cautious aud gradual administration of 
digitalis, and the coming on in its place 
of the steady, orderly, and comparatively 
slow, movement, which is the harbinger of 
returning strength. 
An obstinate ease of stomach-weakness 
has lately been effectually remedied by 
one-grain doses, twice a-day, of the sul- 
pliate of zinc, with fifteen of the extract 
of gentian, administered in .the form of 
pills. This case here is especially alluded 
to on account, of the sufferer having gone 
steadily throngh the usual -routine of al- 
terative stomachics with but temporary 
benefit... The: zinc, with gentian, here 
Report of Chemistry and Experimental Philosophy. 
173 
proved permanently operative; and the 
Reporter must reiterate his . often-told 
tale; that tonic agency upon the nervons 
and muscular fibre isa more important 
principle to recognize in the treatment of 
disease, than some seem disposed to-ad- 
mit. A case of epilepsy, which has.Jasted 
many years, is now under treatment with 
the sulphate of zinc and nitrate of silver; 
and the visits. of the, disease, since these 
medicines have been taken, are not only 
Jess violent, but “fewer and farther be- 
tween.” : 
From some instances the writer has re- 
cently met with of the incidental expulsion 
of worms under the use of medicinals that 
had been- administered with other views, 
he is disposed to think that the mints.are 
more powerful vermifuges than is. gene- 
rally thonght: the lumbricus teres.seems 
especially to be disturbed by them, and it 
would be as well, in obscure cases of sto- 
mach or nervous affection, that either the 
spear-mint, or peppermint, or pennyroyal, 
should constitute the vehicles of more 
active materials,,as they might) prove 
anthelmintic in» cases of worms. being 
present. 
Bedford-row.; 
August 20, 1823. 
D. UwInNs, M.D. 
== 
REPORT OF CHEMISTRY AND EXPERIMENTAL PHILOSOPHY, 
<2 
HE Select Committee of the House of 
Commons on the subject of Gas-lights 
are of opinion, that the danger likely to 
arise from gasometers and gas-works is 
not so great as has been supposed, and 
that therefore the necessity of interference 
by the legislative enactments pointed out 
in the Reports referred to them, does not 
tg at the present period of the session: 
t is in evidence, that the carburetted hy- 
drogen gas, usually supplied to the public, 
is not, of itself, explosive; but that, in 
order to render it so, a mixture of from 
five to twelve parts of atmospheric air, 
and the application of flame, is necessary ; 
whilst the manner in which the gasometer- 
houses are in general built, renders’ it 
extremely difficult to form the mixture 
requisite for explosion, and consequently 
renders the chance of accident remote. 
Thé danger ‘attendant on the use of gas in 
the streets and passages, appears also to 
be small; and that it will, probably, by 
the bétter management and care of the 
bean employed in these éstablishments, 
e henceforth lessened, It appears that, 
in some of the gas-works, safety-lamps are 
used on the premises, to guard against 
accidents that might occur by the appli- 
cation of flame to any explosive mixture 
that may have been formed by leakage 
from the gasometers or pipes.” 
A species of red earth, called Ter- 
ras, has been found in the parish of St. 
Elizabeth, in Jamaica, which turns out to 
be an excellent substitute for terras or 
puzzolana earth, and may therefore be of 
great value to the inhabitants of the West 
Indies. One measure of,this earth, mixed 
with two of well-slaked lime, and one of 
sand, form a cement that answers exe 
tremely well for building any drain or 
bridge, or any structure in water, for it 
will soon harden and become like a stone. 
The decay of modern paper is lament- 
able, and the causes are two-fold: the 
materiel, and the mode of bleaching the 
rags; or the employment of sulphate of 
lime, &c. in the pulp, and bleaching the 
Tags previously, or the paper subsequently, 
with oxymuriatic-acid gas,.or chlorine, 
Nettles (says Mr. Murray) would be an 
excellent substitute for linen rags, if linen 
cannot be obtained in sufficient quantity. 
The last number of the American Journal 
of Science contains a very interesting ar- 
ticle by Professor Silliman, on the defla- 
grator of Professor Hare. He has not 
only fused the anthracite and plumbago, 
but has actually converted them into di- 
amonds, “On the end of the prepared 
charcoal, and occupying an area ofa 
quarter of an inch or more in diameter, 
were found (says he) numerous globules 
of perfectly melied matter, entirely sphe- 
rical in their form, having a high vitreous 
lustre and a great degree of beauty. Some 
of them, and generally they were those 
remote from the focus, were of a jet black, 
like the most perfect obsidian; others 
were 
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