72 



principally to reside, while its separation does not seem to diminish 

 the specific effects of the medicine upon gout. 



When the bulb of the Colchicum autumnale, says the author, is in- 

 fused in wine, both extractive matter and mucilage are taken up, but 

 a copious deposition takes place in the strained tincture. Several 

 experiments proved that this first deposit is nearly inert; but the 

 clear liquor subsequently forms other depositions, and it is to these 

 that the experiments in this paper relate. The author took half a 

 bottle of Eau medicinale containing none of the sediment, and its 

 effects were extremely mild compared with those of the other half 

 containing the sediment. 



To ascertain how far this sediment, thus shown to contribute to 

 the violent operation of the medicine upon, was active in curing the 

 gout, Sir Everard made the following experiment. Sixty drops of 

 the clear vinous infusion were given to a man labouring under a se- 

 vere fit of gout. It produced slight nausea, and operated twice gently 

 upon the bowels. In 19 hours his pulse fell from 115 to 92, and in 

 48 hours he was well, and continued so for more than three months. 



The result of this case satisfied the author that the principle in the 

 colchicum which cures gout is retained in permanent solution, and 

 induced him to believe that the violent effects of the remedy upon 

 the stomach and bowels, must depend upon some distinct substance 

 contained in the sediment. 



To ascertain this point several experiments were instituted upon 

 dogs, tending not merely to confirm Sir Everard's opinion upon this 

 head, but likewise satisfactorily to demonstrate the identity of the 

 Eau medicinale with the infusion of Colchicum autumnale. The ex- 

 periments were made by Mr. Gatecombe, with the following results. 

 Thirty drops of Eau medicinale, with the deposit injected into the 

 jugular vein, produced a purging of nine hours duration. One hun- 

 dred and sixty drops administered in the same way, killed the dog in 

 six hours, and there were appearances of violent inflammation in the 

 bowels. The same quantity taken by the mouth, produced nearly 

 similar effects. One hundred and sixty drops of the vinous infusion 

 of colchicum, without sediment, produced purging and vomiting, from 

 which the animal recovered. Two hundred drops produced the same 

 effect, but 300 drops produced effects corresponding with those of 

 the 160 of Eau medicinale. The dog died in nine hours. Hence it 

 appears that the Eau medicinale produces double the effect of the 

 vinous infusion of colchicum. Six grains of .the deposit from the 

 vinous infusion, produced vomiting and purging, with blood, which 

 lasted twenty-four hours. 



Sir Everard conceives, from these experiments, that the acrimo- 

 nious and highly drastic effect of the Eau medicinale, is to be re- 

 ferred to the sediment which it deposits, and notices the analogy 

 which thus exists between it and the juice of the wild cucumber, the 

 sediment of which is known under the name of Elaterium as a highly 

 drastic purge, whereas the juice which has deposited this substance 

 is comparatively inert. 



