1830 .] 
Miscellaneous Notices. 
69 
It is further stated in this notice, that “ From the observations of Lieutenant 
Herbert, it would appear that the ultimate limit of the Deodara extends even be- 
yond 13000 feet above the level of the sea, which,” it is added, “ would make it per- 
fectly hardy in our own country.” But this must be some mistake, for in the ac- 
count of his journey up the Sutluj, the only published paper I have seen by that of- 
ficer, the upper limit of the Deodar is expressly fixed at between 11000 and 11300 
feet, and the lower limit at 7000 feet. I apprehend, however, that these levels are 
peculiar to the above tract, and that in the southern parts of the mountains, from 6 
to 8000 feet will be found its most congenial site. H. 
3. — Abuse of Calomel. 
A paper on this subject, by J. Tytler, Esq. was read before the Medical and Phy- 
sical Society, as noticed in the Gleanings for April, of which the following seems 
to be not without interest to the general reader. 
“ Mercury has a power of affecting the constitution in two ways. One is, that 
of true or common salivation, the symptoms of which are well known, and which is a 
salutary state tending to the removal of disease and the restoration of health : the 
other is directly the reverse, tending to the destruction of the constitution ; and its 
leading symptoms are as follows : — The countenance is haggard and sallow, the 
pulse quick and low, the skin hot and moistened with perspiration ; the bowels vio- 
lently affected, the patient has eight or ten stools a day, very copious and liquid, of 
a black and dark green color ; loss of appetite and extreme dejection ; the gums 
and tongue are red, inflamed, sore, and sometimes ulcerated, a strong coppery taste 
in the mouth, foetid bi'eath and coated tongue ; yet the secretion of saliva is not in- 
creased, the mouth is parched and dry, and the fluid it contains is a thick, viscid 
and^ frothy mucus, which it is very distressing to the patient either to swallow or 
to eject. As this combination of symptoms has not as yet received any name, the 
author calls it false or spurious salivation, or pseudo-ptyalism ; so that true salivation 
affects chiefly the salivary glands, and spurious, the great intestines. The writer 
then proceeds to illustrate this distinction by the relation of some cases of cholera, 
in which, after the cessation ot the original disease, the symptoms of pseudo-pty- 
alism came on. He then relates the case of an officer, attacked with jungle fever, 
for which lie took a quantity of mercury, sufficient to produce true salivation ; in 
consequence of which, the fever seemed to have left Lira, and farther medicine ap- 
peared almost unnecessary. During the succeeding night, unfortunately, the win- 
dows of his bed-room were left open, and in the course of the night a violent storm 
of wind and rain beat into his room for a considerable length of time. In conse- 
quence, in the morning every symptom of true salivation had left him, and those of 
pseudo-ptyalism were fully established, and the fever had returned in all its violence : 
no means that were tried proved of any benefit;, and he died in a few days after- 
wards. 1 he writer’s. own case is next given, in which he narrowly escaped with 
life by true salivation coming on, and the case of an indigo planter, wlio died un- 
der pseudo-ptyalism ; and he then proceeds to relate the case in which he was first 
led to observe the distinction between true and false salivation, and the proper treat- 
inent to be observed in the latter. This case was that of a Naick in hospital, la- 
bouring under jungle fever, who had fallen into a state of pseudo-ptyalism, inso- 
much, that his case appeared almost desperate, and he refused to take any medi- 
cine whatever. In consequence, Mr. T. was obliged to abandon mercury, and, after 
trying the patient with several medicines, succeeded in coaxing him to take a little 
tincture of bark- This change of measures seemed attended with the happiest ef- 
fects, and in a few days the man was dimissed cured. From this and other cases 
of a similar nature, he was led to draw the following rule for the treatment of fever ; 
that, when true salivation should come on, attended with increased flow of saliva 
and diminution of fever, the use of mercury is to be prudently continued till the dis- 
ease be subdued ; but should spurious salivation appear, attended with increase of 
fever and inordinate action of the bowels, mercurv is immediately to be abandoned 
and recourse had to tonics, and, if necessary, to stimulants, to restore the constitu- 
tion to a state of health.” 
4 .—Heights of Places in the Casia Mountains. 
Determined Barometrically by Lieut Fisher 
Bairang, ' ] 1334 
Crest of the steep ascent at which the table land commences, 
and where the change of climate beeomes very sensible,. . 3471 
Hill in the road between Musmai and Chirra, 4051 
Chirra, near the Sanatarinm,. . 4299 
