418 MkceUaneous InteUigeme. 



inhabited ; abundance of seals and whales were found in its 

 neighbourhood. He has named it New Shetland.' 



§ II. Medicine. 



1. Oji the Use ofPrussic Acid in Consumptive Cases. 



(From the Halifax N. S. Weekly Chronicle.) 



We have been politely favoured by Dr. J.R.Henderson of this 

 city, with a copy of the following highly interesting letter from 

 **rofessor Smith, of Columbia College, S. C, §c. : 



Columbia, S. C. June 15, 1819. 



Sir — This communication will evince that you have not made 

 an erroneous calculation of professional liberality in your letter 

 addressed to Dr. Davis and myself, and received yesterday. I 

 recollect that when Mr. Silliman gave me a call, Dr. Davis and 

 myself were conversing upon the encouraging prospects of re- 

 lieving Phthisis Pulmonalis, by the use of the Prussic acid, and no 

 doubt from this Mr. S. was led to make the observation to you. 



We are both desirous to extend the honour and benefit of the 

 Medical Profession ; and for this purpose, by the desire of Dr. 

 Davis, I now undertake to comply with your request in as satis- 

 factory a manner as the limits of a letter will allow. 



It may be proper to premise that Dr. Davis's opinions, on any 

 medical subject, are entitled to much weight, — as to myself, 

 from my situation as Professor of Chemistry, ^c, in the S. 

 Carolina College, although once a practitioner of Physic, I am 

 now debarred from any regular exercise of the profession, and 

 therefore have not the opportunity of making much experimental 

 investigation of medical subjects. 



Having found in the 8th or 9th Number of the Journal of the 

 Royal Institution (London,) an interesting article upon the 

 Prussic acid by Dr. Majendie, of Paris, I pointed it out to my 

 friend Dr. Davis, and requested hira to make trial of this new 

 remedy. A small portion was procured from Charleston, having 

 been manufactured there by Mr. L'Herminier,an excellent French 

 chemist, who has since returned to the West Indies ; but this 



