34 Inefficiency of the Cathartic Powers of Rhiibarbarine, 



periments, should consider it his duty, to contradict the 

 statements erroneously made, and substitute those which t 

 from a more extensive trial, have proved to be the true char- 

 acters of the substance. 



Vegetable chemistry, has added to our materia medica, 

 a catalogue of highly useful, and important remedies, among 

 which stand eminently conspicuous, quinine, cinchonine, 

 morphine, strychnine, cornine,* piperine, &c. all of which 

 continued from full, and extensive trial, to support the char- 

 acters originally assigned them, with the exception of one, 

 which is the subject of the present communication. 



Disagreeable as it is for me, to criticise the writings and 

 discoveries of men, eminent in the profession, yet for the 

 promotion of science, and for the propagation of truth, I 

 feel satisfied they will cordially agree with me, inasmuch as 

 the errors of description were inadvertent, and their sole 

 object no doubt, was, to give the article its real character. 



A chemical principle, discovered by M. Pfaff, and also 

 prepared by M. Nani, a distinguished chemist of Milan, has 

 been obtained from the rheum palmatum. M. Nani denom- 

 inated this principal, sulphate of rhubarb, which name it 

 still retains. M. Nani states that this medicine is cathartic 

 in doses of a few grains, and has many advantages over 

 the rhubarb, from the circumstance of its possessing an uni- 

 form strength, while the different kinds of rhubarb have 

 qualities so various, that in many cases the ordinary dose is 

 very uncertain, &c. &c. See Bib. Univers. July, 1823, also 

 this Journal, vol. vii. page 385. 



From the high commendation of this medicine, I was 

 induced, at the instance of several of the Faculty of this 

 city, to prepare some of it, as there had not yet been any 

 received in this country. I accordingly adopted a pro- 

 cess founded, with some modifications, on that of M. Nani, 

 and published my formula, with some observations on the 

 preparation, in the Philadelphia Journal of Medical and Phy- 

 sical Sciences, and in this Journal, from which it Avas trans- 

 lated and inserted in the Bulletin des Sciences Medicales, for 



* It is much to be regretted that the cornus florida, should yield the cornine 

 in so minute a proportion as to prevent the discoverer from supplying the de- 

 mand. This medicine has uniformly supported the character, and description 

 given by our friend, Dr. S. G. Morton, and the author can produce testimonials 

 of the highest authority, from different parts of the United States, corroborating 

 this statement, and adding new proofs of the efficacy of the cornine, in the 

 treatment of interauttents. 



