«Q ON CANTHARIOES. 



Experiments and The fourth contains every thing which relates to the phyfi* 

 oblervations on ological eflays made with thefe animals; the e Reels produced 

 cmthaudes. j^^, ^j^^j^ exhibition, whether internally or externally; and laftly, 

 obfervations relative to the opening of the bodies of feveral 

 dogs, to which the author had given either the entire cantha- 

 rides, or the different immediate materials, which h,e feparated 

 by means of his procefies. 



As the firft and fecond parts contain notliing more than is to 

 be met with in various authors, it is unneceffary to attend to 

 Ihem, and accordingly, the abridger has confined himfelf to 

 the third part, in which the chemical (acts are given. 



Thouvenel, who was the firft rational experimenter on can- 

 tharides, made ufe of water and alcohol to feparate the foluble 

 parts of thefe infecls, and ihe refults he obtained were, 



1. A yellow reddifh extractive matter, of a fliarp bitter tafte, 

 refembling, as he fays, that of ants, but lefs acid. 



2. Another yellow matter, of a paler colour than the former, 

 and nearly infipid. 



3. A fatty matter, of a green colour and acrid tafte, pofTefP 

 ing the fmell by which the entire cantharides arediftinguiihed. 



4. Laftly, A parenchymatous matter. 



Citizen Beaupoil obtanied fimilar produfls; but he not only 

 afcertained their exittence, but examined them feparately, and 

 in this it is that the difference between his labours, and thofe 

 of Thouvenel principally confiRs. 



He firft obferved that the aqueous folution of the peculiar 

 extractive matter afforded by cantharides, does not fail to un- 

 dergo a kind of alteration when expofed to the air; that the 

 fluid becomes turbid, affords a yellowIQi precipitate, which ac- 

 quires a peculiar odour; becomes covered with a vifcid pellicle, 

 emitting a foetid ammoniacal fmell; and that when it has ar- 

 rived at this term, the fluid no longer exhibits any fenfible 

 change. He afterwards remarked that the folution here men- 

 tioned before it undergoes thofe changes which are produced 

 by expofure to the air, ftrongly reddens the tindure of turn- 

 fo!e; that when mixed with redified alcohol or ether, it be- 

 comes divided into two parts, nearly equal; the one pofTeffing 

 the form of a black adhefive precipitate, infoluble in alcohol, 

 and the other that of a yellow brown matter, very foluble in 

 ihal^luiJ. 



(The Condufwn in &ur next.) 



Defcription 



