i ee 
ees 
in a Letter to Dr. Pricftley: #49 
transformed, as, notwithftanding the laxity of their cohefion, 
to cure fuch difeates immediately afterwards. 
While I was confidering hele things, a cafe fell under my 
obfervation, which.allowed me fully to witnefs the operation 
of this boafted cooler, carminative, and febrifuge. It fhews, 
beyond a doubt, that feptic acid, though coerced by pot-afh, 
is in fome degree feptic acid fill Its native virulence does 
not even ee wholly forfake if. Nitre ought to be ranked 
among the poifons; for, in a fufficient dofe, it is truly a poi- 
fon. Though it may be adminiftered in {mall quantities with 
out exciting terrible fymptoms, it refembles in that refpect 
meft other venomous fubftances, which can be fwallewed 
without detriment, and even often with advantage, when 
their dofe is not too Jarge. It is time for writers of Difpen- 
fatories, and on Materia Medica, to know the facts concern- 
ing nitre and its operation, and to publifh them for the fake 
of undeceiving their readers. Too long has the medical 
world heen the dupe of idle and partial opinions on this fub- 
ject. Bead the following accident, and judge of what I have 
faid from the fymptoms induced by {wallowing feptite of pot- 
ath or faltpetre :-— 
A carman, of middle age, had followed his bufinefs as 
ufual on Saturday the 20th day of April 1799. On Sunday 
morning he determined to take a faline cathartic for an in- 
difpofition too trifling to require the advice of a phyfician. 
Accordingly his wife diffolved an ounce of what fhe believed 
to be fulphate of foda (Glauber’s falt) in water, and gave it 
to him at a draught. He fwallowed it. Soon after he was 
-feverely incommoded by what he termed “ a great weaknefs 
about his heart.’” Naufea came on, and was followed by 
vomiting of the contents of the ftomach, mixed with confi- 
: -derable quantities of blood at each time. His ftrength was 
exceedingly impaired: and a fenfation of coldnefs over the 
whole body was remarked by him, particularly in the extre- 
-mities. I did not fee him until after the bloody vomiting 
had continued at times for feveral hours, and then his pulfes 
“at the wrift were very flow. He was however quite rational, 
- and faid he then felt much better than he had done. On ex- 
amining what kind of falt he had take n, for fome cryftals of 
it remained in a wide-mouthed bottle, I found it to be fep- 
tite 
