Medical Chemistry. 85 
marked by extreme pain and great heat; (‘au fond de I’ ute- 
rus et par un ecoulement mucoso—purulent par le vagin. 
L’ ouverture du col présentait au toucher une chaleur plus 
forte que la chaleur naturelle et un assez grand nombre d’ 
inégalitiés; les menstrues se montraient sans regularite,’’) 
with the fever, there was uterine colic, constipation, and he- 
morrhoidal tumours, which had been of considerable stand- 
ing. On the twelfth day of the disease, this lady was sei- 
zed with a violent (and with her) an unparalleled uterine 
hoemorrhage ; which proved uncontrollable by any of the 
common means. If the bleeding diminished in a degree, 
the pains of the uterus, and of the piles, became intolerable ; 
and on the contrary, if these pains were assuaged, there was 
great reason to fear that she would sink under the hoemorr- 
hage. In this trying crisis, Dr. Brera gave ten drops of 
prussic acid, inthe form of pills, every hour, and directed 
that they should be continued till they had produced a 
marked effect upon the vital powers. Scarcely had twenty 
drops of the acid been given, when irregular palpitations, 
great anxiety, and vertigo were experienced. ‘The acid 
was then discontinued, and a simple infusion of chamomile 
substituted. Soon after, the skin, which to that time had 
been dry and hot, became covered with an abundant per- 
spiration—the hoemorrhoidal and uterine pains ceased—the 
bleeding stopped—the bowels became free—the urine abun- 
dant and healthy, and all the other numerous and distressing 
affections disappeared; mild injections of the prussic acid 
were used towards the termination of the disease. It re- 
sults from the observations of Dr.’s Brera and Borda, who 
in 1810 made much use of this acid in sthenic diseases, that 
itis one of the best things to calm the movements of the 
heart—to diminish febrile irritation, and te encounter the 
most severe inflammations. Observations of this kind have 
been much multiplied in Italy. At Padua, most diseases 
are much complicated by worms, (vers lombricoides,) in 
the intestinal canal, which are very promptly expelled, and 
even while still alive, by the use of the prussic acid. 
The experience of Dr. Granville in England is cited by 
Dr. Magendie. Dr. Granville mentions cases of advanced 
consumptive patients, in whom the prussic acid produced 
sensible amelioration, but without effecting a cure. A young 
man and woman, however, who attended the gratuitous 
