186 Dr. Oliver on the Prussic Acid. 



der an organic disease of the heart- — the malady was attended 

 with great palpitation of that organ, and pain at the breast, 

 and insufferable sense of anguish on ascending an eminence; 

 the patient told me that he could not " bear the medicine 

 as it exasperated all his complaints." I had some doubts 

 whether the disease was to be classed with Angina Pectoris, 

 or the one before mentioned. Probably, both diseases 

 sometimes proceed from the same source. Dr. Willan has 

 remarked, that almost all the cases of Angina Pectoris he 

 had known, arose from organic disease of the heart. Does 

 it not afford some reason for conjecturing, from the bad ef- 

 fect of the prussic acid, that the group of symptoms de- 

 nominated Angina Pectoris, may arise from a sudden loss 

 of irritability in the muscular fibres of the heart.'' and do 

 not the effects of stimuli in relieving a paroxysm of Angina 

 Pectoris countenance the same conjecture .'* I have found 

 the acid remarkably increase the appetite for food. I have 

 known it to be useful in a case of stricture in the aesopha- 

 gus, and asthma. I have seen it give more sudden relief in 

 whooping cough, and in the late influenza, than any medi- 

 cine I ever exhibited. I once prescribed it in a case of 

 hydrophobia, but without success. The acid in this case, 

 itwas afterwards found, had lost much of its virtue, although 

 it was not rendered entirely inert. In this case, the acid was 

 given freely, but J now much regret that it had not been 

 more freely given, or that it had not possessed more virtue. 



I should hope, that the unfavourable result of this case, 

 would not prevent the farther trial of the hydrocyanic acid 

 in hydrophobia, as it seems to me, to be a medicine of 

 much promise ; and for the reasons before assigned, it seem- 

 ed here not to have had a fair trial. 



The prussic acid which I have used, has been much 

 weaker than thai of Scheele, or the preparation used in 

 France and England. As Gay Lussac tells us, that the 

 pure prussic acid will be decomposed in an hour; and as 

 we know that of Scheele will retain its virtue much longer, 

 may we not infer that a preparation which is still weaker, 

 will retain its strength much longer ^ I am satisfied, that I 

 have seen some of the Salem preparation, (which is origin- 

 ally weaker,) and have prescribed it after it has been made 

 more than a year, when it has evinced its retention of its 

 virtue by the cure of the disease it was prescribed for. 



