1 04 Preparations of Gold lately employed medicinally. 



revive the gold, Dr. Chrestien changed this powder for 

 liquorice root, orris root, &:c. 



Beside this, he joined the compounds of gold with ex- 

 tracts of the attenuant plants; sugar, with which he forms 

 lozenges; syrups, in which he dissolves them, &c. He 

 mixes them also witli Galen's cerate, when he wishes to 

 promote suppuration ; and with lard, when he would em- 

 ploy them in frictions on the soies of the feet, after the 

 .method of Cyrillo. 



The writers of the present article do not approve of the 

 combination of the preparations of gold with these dif- 

 ferent substances, as all vegetable and animal substances, 

 dissolved or not, revive gold from its acid solution. They 

 recommend them to be given alone, or dissolved in di- 

 stilled water: or, at least, if they must be mixed, to mix 

 them as short a time as possible before they are used. 



In this way Dr. Duportal asserts that he has found 

 good effects from them in siphylitic complaints. In a 

 chancre corroding one of the corpora cavernosa he found 

 them of real advantage ; but the most striking instance of 

 their efficacy was in a cancerous ulcer, that had destroyed 

 the upper lip, attacked the soft parts of the nose and left 

 cheek, destroyed the square bones [os carres], and rendered 

 the maxillary bone carious. Being called to a consultation 

 with Dr. Payen on this very serious case, in which all the 

 common methods had been tried in vaui, Dr. Duportal 

 hoped to oppose the progress of the disease by the use of 

 Dr. Chrestien's medicine, assisted bv attenuant extracts. 

 In consequence, the patient was directed daily to rub into 

 the gums the trijile muriate of gold and soda; and to take 

 oxide of gold precipitated by potash, with pills composed 

 of the extract" of white henbane, hemlock, and sharp- 

 pointed toad-flax. The ulcer was daily washed with Sy- 

 denham's liquid laudanum, sprinkled over with powder of 

 red bark and camphor, and dressed with a digestive, in 

 which oxide of gold was mixed. Under this treatment, 

 which has been continued two months, gradually increas- 

 ing the dose of the substances, the ulcer has assumed a pro- 

 mising appearance; the carious poinis have disappeared; 

 the suppuration furnishes laudable pus in moderate quan- 

 tity; tlie patient daily improves in flesh and strength; anrl 

 there is every reason to believe that this evident meliora- 

 tion will continue. That it cannot be, ascribed to the 

 means employed in conjunction with the preparations of 

 gold is evident, for they had been used previous to these, 

 without effect. 



XX. Mr. 



