| Medical Chemistry. 87 
lent convulsive cough, attended by extreme irritation, was 
entirely relieved by the prussic acid, without sustaining the 
slightest inconvenience from her peculiar situation. 
Dr. Granville’s own children, four in number and the, 
youngest an infant at the breast, were all attacked by the 
whooping-cough, which soon became very violent with the 
usual attendants of suffocation, vomiting, tears, extreme ten- 
sion of the blood vessels of the head, severe head ache, 
deprivation of sleep, &c. In one week they were all cured 
entirely by the exclusive use of the prussic acid. 
Dr. A. 'T. Thomson in a communication to Dr. Granville 
says: “‘ the diseases in which I have prescribed the prussic 
acid are catarrhal affections accompanied by cough, and in 
chronic coughs.”’—* I have used it with very great success 
in catarrhal affections which actually reign epidemically in the 
part of the country where I live. The disease begins by 
chills, which are soon followed by a febrile excitement, 
sneezing, hoarseness and thirst, and a hard cough which 
comes by paroxysms, is more frequent during the night and 
deprives the patients_of sleep; the tongue is furred, the 
_ howels costive and expectoration very difficult. Since | 
have used the prussic acid I have rarely had recourse to 
blood letting, although it has been indicated by the pulse, 
but [ have been on my guard knowing the action exerted 
by the prussic acid upon the circulation. I commonly be- 
gin by purging the patient, then I give the acid dissolved in 
distilled water, or in a simple almond emulsion; I take care 
to proportion the dose to the age and strength of the individ- 
uals, gradually increasing it till the cough has ceased. I 
begin with adults by giving them every two or three hours, 
two drops in a spoonful of the vehicle. For children be- 
tween four months and one year, I have prepared the fol- 
lowing formula. 
B. Prassic acid, - - - 2, drops. 
Distilled water, - - - © 9 fluid drachms. 
Syrup of tolu, - - - 1 fluid drachm. 
Mix them, and give two small tea spoonfuls every three 
hours. 
The strongest dose in which I have ever administered 
this acid, has been twenty-four drops (min) in a day for an 
adult, and six drops (min) for a child. The first and the 
most speedy benefit derived from the use of the prussic 
