1 8S Effects of the Prussic Acid. 



A great variety of medicines had been used without any 

 -Sensible benefit. About a year since, she commenced the 

 use of the hydrocyanic acid, in doses of two drops^ every 

 four hours, diluted in vi^ater. In a few days the cough be- 

 gan to abate, and in a week or two she was entirely free 

 from the complaint. Since which time, her health has 

 been almost uninterruptedly good. She finds, however, 

 that a slight catarrh will produce a return of cough, but this 

 has, usually, abated with the other catarrhal symptoms; — if 

 not, a few drops have, always, produced a cure. 



Another Lady, in whom symptoms of tubercular phthi- 

 sis were well marked, .experienced much benefit from the 

 use of the acid in doses of two drops every four hours ; the 

 cough became less tedious, the hectic abated, and the pulse 

 diminished from ninety to seventy-five per minute, in twen- 

 ty-four hours from the commencement of the use of the 

 acid ; but the head became giddy to such a degree as to 

 render it necessary to diminish the quantity taken. The pa- 

 tient continued, apparently, gaining for ten days, when there 

 was an increase of the symptoms — an increased quantity of 

 the acid again abated the symptoms, eight or ten days long- 

 er, when the violence of the symptoms returned, but could 

 not be relieved by the acid, nor by any other medicine 

 used. 



I have used the acid in several other cases, with various 

 degrees of success. From all of which, and from what has 

 been published, I have no doubt that the hydrocyanic acid 

 is one of the most valuable sedatives we possess. To digit, 

 purp. it is to be preferred on account of its not producing 

 those tremors, and that disagreeable depression which are 

 sometimes known to follow the use of that doubtful remedy. 

 The disagreeable effects from the use of the acid, will 

 abate on a subduction of the medicine, but the unpleasant 

 effects from the use of digitalis are well known to continue 

 several days ; — And, further, it may be asked whether the 

 use of digitalis, in hectic cases, does not serve to under- 

 mine the already shattered constitution.'* 



11. By Professor Dewey. 



As our physician had some hectic cases, I made for him 

 ??ome prussic acid, accordiug to ^^cheele's process. It has 



