the Colchicum autumnale in Gout. 429 
The bulb of the Colchicum autumnale contains a certain quan= 
tity of extractive matter, and a large portion of mucilage, both 
of which are taken up by the wine, in the first instance: when 
the strained liquor is allowed to stand, a considerable deposit 
almost immediately takes place. 
In the first trials that were made with this medicine in St. 
George’s hospital, it was natural to inquire whether this deposit 
contained any medical virtues ; and upon trials frequently repeat- 
ed, it was found to have none. 
This led to the opmion that the extractive matter suspended. 
in the wine, was alone the active part of the medicine ; and not 
only the first deposit was inert, but also that which from time to 
time was afterwards found to take place. 
Of this opinion I was led to entertain considerable doubts, in 
consequence of having found upon one occasion, in whieh I took 
half a bottle of the Eau Medicinale which had been poured off 
without shaking the bottle, that the sensible effects were very 
mild ; those produced by the other half, in which the deposit was 
mixed, were unusually severe, the nausea being greater, aud a 
greater number of stools being produced. 
These doubts were much strengthened, when I found that the 
effects of the Eau Medicinale are more violent upon many sto- 
machs than those of the vinous infusion of the Colchicum, which 
probably arises from the Eau Medicinale being kept in small 
bottles, in consequence of which‘ all the deposit that takes place 
is given along with the infusion, while the vinous infusion of Col- 
chicum being kept in large bottles, the deposit falls to the 
bottom. If such deposit increased the powers of the medicine in 
counteracting the symptoms of gout, it would be unnecessary to 
prosecute this investigation further, since it would be absurd to 
diminish the violence of a medicine, if, by so doing, its efficacy is 
to be diminished in an equal degree. 
To ascertain this point, I gave sixty drops of the vinous infu- 
sion of Colchicum, in which there was no deposit whatever, toa 
man labouring under a severe paroxysm of gout, to which he 
was a great martyr, and whose paroxysms were usually of several 
weeks continuance ; he was sixty years of age. 
The medicine was exhibited on the 17th of January 1817, his 
pulse being 115. In half an hour he had slight nausea, which 
soon went off. In five hours, a profuse perspiration came on, 
and the pain of the gout entirely subsided, leaving a soreness in 
the parts that had been affected. In twelve hours the bowels 
were gently moved, his pulse 105 and irregular; in fourteen 
hours his bowels were acted on a second time; in nineteen 
hours his pulse was 92, and natural ; in forty-eight hours he 
was 
