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XII. Experiments and observations to prove that the beneficial 
effects of many medicines are produced through the medium of 
the circulating blood , more particularly that of the colchicum 
autumnale upon the gout. By Sir Everard Home, Bart. 
V ; P. R. S. Communicated by the Society for improving animal 
chemistry. 
Read March 21, 1816. 
A knowledge of the readiness with which liquids pass from 
the stomach into the circulation, carrying along with them the 
impregnation of different medicines ; and the readiness with 
which such medicines are carried off from the circulating 
blood, by the action of the kidneys, led Mr. Brande and 
myself to an enquiry respecting the prevention of gravel and 
gout, upon which subject he has laid two separate papers 
before the Society. 
In these communications, the action of different substances 
on the contents of the stomach has been considered, and those 
substances most efficient in depriving them of the principal 
ingredient met with in stone and gout, are pointed out. 
For the cure of gout, the eau medicinale of Husson has 
been most fortunately discovered to be a specific remedy, 
and it is now ascertained, by experiments on different people, 
that a vinous infusion of the colchicum autumnale, or meadow 
saffron, is equally so, and therefore the two medicines must 
be considered as the same. 
To ascertain their mode of action, appeared to me an enquiry 
connected with the objects of this Society, which are not con- 
