of Cuntharides. 149 



that these fluids could extract no more, subjected it to the 

 action of caustic potash, which caused immediately to be 

 disengaged a very sensible odour of ammonia. When this 

 odour was once dissipated the liquor uas tiltered, and im- 

 mediately mixed with muriatic acid. The mixture became 

 turbid, and gradually produced a precipitate, v.'hich, when 

 dried and put upon burning coals, exhaled an odour similar 

 to that of animal matters in a state of combustion. 



Distilled in a retort this parenchyme gave a phlegm, thick 

 cmpyreumatic oilj and a very large quantity of carbonate of 

 ammonia. The residuum of the distillation presented a kind 

 of charcoal, from which was obtained, by incineration in 

 the open air, a kind of white ashes, in which were found 

 carbonate of lime, phosphate of lime, sulphate and muriate 

 of lime, and oxide of iron. 



Taking into account the quantity of each of the products 

 obtained bv means of the above experiments, the author 

 asserts that an ounce of cantharides well dried contains 



Gros. Grains. 



Black matter _ _ - 



Yellow matter _ _ _ 



Green matter _ - - 



Parenchyme _ _ _ 



Acid - an indefinite quantity, 



Phosphate of lime - - - 



Carbonate of lime - - 



Sulphate and muriate of lime - 



Oxide of iron _ - . 



To complete the labour which C. JBeaupoil had under- 

 taken, it still remained to determine the physiological pro- 

 perties of cantharides, as well as those of their mosV essential 

 inmiediatc properties. This he appears to have performed 

 with considerable success in tbe fourth part of his disserta- 

 tion. Besides other results, he found the following from the 

 experiments he made on this subject : 



1st, ThaL cantharides which have been subjected to no 

 preparation almost always produce disagreeable eftects when 

 taken internally ; but these effects are relative, according to 

 iheir intensity, tbe age, strength, and constitution of the 

 animals, and'thc dose administered to them : that the oes()- 

 phagus, stomach, and small intestines, are the parts parti- 

 cularly affected ; that such animals as do not fall a sacrifice 

 to their effects experience a desire to puke, very severe 

 pains, and various accidents, which seem to announce that 

 the parts touched by the cantharides have a tendency to be- 

 come disor<ranized. 



K 3 ed. That 



