224 BISMUTH AND ITS SALTS 



Diluted solutions destroy the parasites of mange and scab, 

 and kill fleas and ticks. 



BISMUTH AND ITS SALTS 



Bismuth and its salts belong to the group comprising 

 phosphorus, and the salts of antimony, and arsenic. For- 

 merly, owing probably to defective preparation, and the 

 presence of arsenic or antimony, their administration in full 

 and continued doses produced gastro-intestinal irritation, 

 and fatty degeneration of the liver and other organs. But 

 pure salts of bismuth, being sparingly soluble, and absorbed 

 to a very slight extent if at all, have little, if any, toxic effect. 



Bismuth oxycarbonate, prepared by the interaction of 

 bismuth nitrate and ammonium carbonate ; bismuth oxide, 

 prepared by boiling the oxynitrate with solution of sodium 

 hydroxide ; and bismuth subnitrate or oxynitrate, obtained 

 by the interaction of bismuth nitrate and water, have similar 

 characters and reactions. The carbonate is whitish, the 

 oxide is brownish-yellow, and the subnitrate is white. They 

 form heavy powders, are insoluble in water, but soluble in 

 diluted nitric acid. 



Bismuth salicylate, prepared by the interaction of bismuth 

 nitrate and sodium salicylate, occurs as a white amorphous 

 powder, odourless and tasteless, insoluble in water, alcohol 

 and glycerin, and containing about 65 per cent, of bismuth 

 oxide (Bi 2 3 ). 



Bismuth benzoate, is obtained by heating the nitrate in 

 glycerin and water, and adding a solution of sodium benzo- 

 ate, and washing and drying the precipitate. It is a white, 

 insoluble powder, employed externally as a desiccant, and 

 internally as an intestinal disinfectant. 



ACTIONS AND USES. Externally, applied to wounds, 

 bismuth salts are desiccant, protective, slightly astringent, 

 and antiseptic. The salicylate has been used as a substitute 

 for iodoform. With starch, boric acid, or iodoform, the 

 oxynitrate is employed to relieve irritation and itching of the 

 skin. The oxide, in ointment made with eight parts of 

 vaseline, is sometimes applied after firing or blistering, but 

 ointment of zinc oxide is quite as useful. In human surgery 



