ALTERATIVES. 117 



aloes, in the reduced form, comes tinder the denomination 

 of an alterative. In cases of chronic inflammation, altera- 

 tive doses of aloes are often highly beneficial. 



Antimony. ^ — I have expressed my doubts as to the 

 diaphoretic virtues of this mineral, or that any medicine 

 has the power of producing actual sweating. It, however, 

 stands high as an alterative. Our admirable sporting 

 writer, Nimrod, in his ^ Letters,' thus alludes to it : 

 '^ Without the use of alterative medicines, exclusively of 

 physic, no hunter can he, got into blooming condition ; that 

 is to say, to look well in his skin, to dry immediately after 

 a sweat, and to be in full vigour of body. Of these medi- 

 cines there are several sorts in use ; but the diuretic and 

 diaphoretic are, in my ^pinion, the best — antimony forms 

 the principal.^' ♦ii 



Nimrod's Recipe for Alterative Balls is 



Cinnabar of Antimony, Jiij ; 

 Balsam of Sulphur, Jij ; 

 Camphor, Jj ; 

 Nitre, Jiv. 



To be made into ten balls. 



Recipe for Red Condition Balls. 



R Guaiaci Pulv., ^ij ; 

 Sulphuris, Jiv; 

 Camphorae, Jj ; 

 Potassse Nitrat., Jiij ; 

 Sapon. Castil., 5ix ; 

 Cinnabar. Antimon. Ruhr., Jj ; 

 Mellis, q. s. ut f. massa. 

 One ounce to be given for a dose. 



It is a curious fact that antimony, which (in the form of 

 tartar emetic) produces upon the skin so much irritation, 

 causes no decided effect when taken into the stomach : the 



' For a full account of the effects of antimony in human medicine, see an 

 article on " Treatment by Tartarized Antimony," by A. Smee, F.R.S , in the 

 ' Med. Gazette,' for the 7th October, 1842; 



