14-6 Butter of Antimony. [Book VI. 



mixed with the reguius of antimony, the acid acts 

 upon the antimony immediately, fo as to render the 

 mixing of them dangerous, from the corrofive fumes 

 which arife. The common way is to powder tr^m 

 and mix them, and heat being applied, the muriatic^ 

 acid of the fublimate attracts the ?ntimoi'jy. ind rifts 

 with it in the form of a very volatile compound, which 

 condenfes in the neck of the retort, of a confidence 

 between foiid snd fluid, and is hence called butter of 

 antimony. It is very cauftic, and is ufed to confume 

 the callous lips of ulcers, but is too violent to be ufed 

 internally. If it is fubjected to a fecond operation, it 

 comes over fluid. The fame procefs is employed to 

 combine other metals with the muriatic acid. When 

 butter of antimony is thrown into pure water, an 

 abundant white precipitate or calx falls down, which 

 is a violent emetic } and is known by the name of 

 powder of algaroth. 



v The vegetable acids alfo aft upon antimony weakly 

 when applied to it in its metallic (late, but much 

 more ftrongly when it is flightly calcined. A folution 

 of this kind was formerly ufed under the name of an- 

 timonial wine. A quantity of the reguius was caft in 

 the form of a cup, which was occafionally fiiled with 

 wine, and having flood a day or two, it became eme- 

 tic. The quantity of antimony diffolved was very 

 fmall, but was difcoverablc on adding an alkali, and 

 precipitating it. 



To give crude antimony any action as a medicine, 

 it is neceflary to deftroy a part of the fulphur, and 

 alfo in fome meafure to calcine it. The more ful- 

 phur it retains, the lefs aflive it is. If we calcine it 

 *oo much we alfo defiroy its effects* for in the ftate 

 of a white calx it has little or no medical efficacy. 

 The flores antimonii is a preparation in which the an- 

 i timony 



