Notices respecting New Books. '293 



thev may he administered under all circumstances, or their 

 doses. Much of this information has heen obtained from other 

 authors ; but we nevertheless cannot but think that the profes- 

 sion in general is greatly indebted to Mr. Phillips for bringing 

 it within so small a compass. It is exactly what we wished to 

 see ; and we feel much pleasure in laying before our readers one 

 example of Mr. Phillips's translation, and of the illustrations 

 which he has appended to it. 



" Antimonium Tartarizatum. 

 Tartarized Antimony. 

 Take of Glass of antimony reduced to a very fine powder, 

 Supertartrate of potash powdered, of each one pound, 

 Boiling distilled water a gallon ; 

 Mix the glass of antimony perfectly with the supertartrate 

 of potash, and add them gradually to the boiling distilled 

 water, stirring it continually with a spatula ; boil for a quarter 

 of an hour, and set the solution by ; filter it when cold, and 

 evaporate it that crystals may form. 



"Process. — The method of preparing this very important me- 

 dicine is materially altered, and exceedingly improved, in the 

 present Pharmacopoeia: but I think it is better to employ 

 about one-tenth more of glass of antimony, and to boil the 

 mixture for a longer time than is directed. 



Glass of antimony is prepared by exposing the sulphuret to 

 heat and air, by which the greater part of the sulphur is dis- 

 sipated ; and the antimony, by combining with the oxygen of 

 the air, is converted into protoxide, consisting of 



Antimony 84'62 or of 1 atom of metal... = 44 



Oxygen 15-38 1 atom of oxygen. = 8 



100*00 Weight of its atom = 52 



It is afterwards strongly heated in an earthen crucible, by 

 combining with some of the silica of which it forms a species 

 of glass, which is transparent, and of a red colour. It consists 

 of protoxide of antimony combined with variable proportions 

 of silica, and a little sulphur. A specimen that I examined 

 contained only five per cent, of silica, which is less than is ge- 

 nerally mentioned. The state of combination in which the 

 sulphur exists, has not been, I think, clearly made out; that 

 is to say, it is uncertain whether it is in combination with 

 oxide of antimony, or whether its presence is owing to a por- 

 tion of undecomposed sulphuret. I suspect, however, as ge- 

 nerally supposed, that the former is the case, for the residuum 

 insoluble in the supertartrate of potash has a red colour, re- 

 sembling that of kermes mineral. 



As 



