528 THE IMPROVED ART OF FARRIERY. 



The nitrous, or vitriolic acids, expel the marine, and 

 thus reduce the corrosive into a calx similar to the 

 foregoing. Sulphur remarkably abates the power 

 of this metal, and hence crude antimony, in which the 

 regulus appears to be combined with sulphur, from one 

 fourth to one half its weight, proves altogether mild. 

 If a part of the sulphur be taken away by such ope- 

 rations as do not destroy or calcine the metal, the re- 

 maining mass becomes proportionably more active. 

 The sulphur of antimony may be expelled by defla- 

 gration with nitre ; the larger the quantity of nitre to a 

 certain point, the more of the sulphur will be dissi- 

 pated, and the preparation will be more active. 



If the quantity of nitre be more than sufficient to 

 consume the sulphur, the rest of it, deflagrating with 

 the inflammable principle of the regulus itself, renders 

 it again mild. 



The sulphur of antimony is likewise absorbed in 

 fusion by certain metals, and by alkaline salts. These 

 last, when mixed with sulphur, prove a menstruum for 

 all metals, (zinc excepted ;) and hence, if the fusion 

 be long continued, the regulus is taken up, and ren- 

 dered soluble in water. 



From these particulars, with respect to antimony, 

 it may naturally be concluded, that it not only fur- 

 nishes us with an useful and active medicine, but that 

 it may also be exhibited for veterinary purposes under 

 several difl'erent forms, and that the effects of these 

 will be considerably diversified. 



The College of Physicians have, in regard to human 

 medicine, restricted the number of preparations of an- 

 timony in their pharmacopeia to a few only ; and it is 

 highly probable, that, from the proper employment of 

 Ihem, every useful purpose to be answered by antimony 

 as a remedy in thediseases of cattle maybe accomplished. 



