242 Phillips' Remarks on the 



solvent as a stronger spirit, yet this is the least objectionable 

 of any of the preparations of opium which the book contains. 

 The next is " Extrait d' Opium dissous a I'eau froide suivant la 

 methode de Cartheuser, corrigee par Crohare." This preparation 

 (which has a title which would be thought inconveniently long 

 in England,) is merely a cold infusion of opium evaporated to 

 dryness ; that is to say, it is a process by which a very large 

 quantity of opium is wasted. 



The third preparation is " Extrait d' Opium prepare par la 

 fermentation." The opium is to be boiled in water, and the 

 solution fermented with yeast ; the advantages to be derived 

 from this operation are not easily discoverable. 



The fourth preparation of opium requires no comment : It 

 is opium purified by six months' digestion ! 



The part of the pharmacopoeia which is more immediately 

 dependant upon chemical science, commences at p. 160, seventh 

 section. It includes the acids : they are numerous and of 

 course the greater number of them are useless, at least they 

 would be so in this country. We have first " Purification de 

 I'Acide Sulfurique ;" this cannot be regarded as a useful pro- 

 cess ; it consists in re-distilling the acid, an operation which is 

 attended with difficulty and risk, and as sulphuric acid is al- 

 ways diluted before it can be internally exhibited, and also 

 before it is employed for making sulphates, every useful puri- 

 fication is effected by this very dilution, the sulphate of lead 

 being precipitated. 



The next preparation is " Acide Sulfureux ;" if this really be 

 used as a medicine the method probably is not bad. It consists 

 in decomposing sulphuric acid by means of mercury, and after- 

 wards employing the sulphate of mercury formed. 



Thirdly, we have " Acide Nitrique." There are two methods 

 of preparing nitric acid ; one is that followed by manufacturers, 

 who use one portion or atom of sulphuric acid to decompose 

 one of nitre, or very nearly one part of acid and two of nitre ; 

 the nitric acid uncondensable by the water of the sulphuric 

 acid* is passed through water. The other method is that 

 directed in the London Pharmacopoeia ; it consists in using two 



