192 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters. 
of these Sheets consulted Lewis’s Materia Medica upon arsenic, 114 
and agreeable to his pharmaceutic History of that Article, he dis¬ 
solved a small Portion of the white Sort in a solution of fixed vege¬ 
table Alkali. 115 On trying and comparing the Effects of this Solu¬ 
tion, with those of the Patent Ague Drops, he found the Medicine 
to be similar, but the former was too strong; he therefore diluted 
the Solution, by doubling the Proportion of Water, and then com¬ 
paring their Effects, found the Medicines nearly of an equal 
Strength. 
Having thus become acquainted with what he esteemed a powerful 
Medicine, he was strongly impressed with an Idea of its Importance; 
and therefore has kept a regular and connected History of the Cases 
in which he has prescribed it. Hence the following Reports con¬ 
tain an Account of the curative Effects of the Medicine, described 
in a just Proportion of Examples of Successes and Failure, in the 
Course of its Administration. They also contain a particular 
(p. IX) Account of its operative Effects, which being sometimes 
troublesome, both in Degree and Number, will be found to merit a 
serious Attention. They are likewise divided into Sections, in order 
that Cases of similar Nature, Treatment or Event; and also the 
Observations more immediately appertaining to each particular 
Part of the Subject, might appear in a more clear and practical 
Point of View. 
The cases drawn out at large are but few, and those which are 
abstracted are not so numerous as Some might think necessary, 
considering the Number which the Writer has collected. But cer¬ 
tainly it is sufficient for an Author, to deliver, in as concise a man¬ 
ner as possible, such a View of the Result of his Experiments, with 
the Mode if conducting them,, as may be clearly understood and 
readily applied to Practice. Beyond this Point, a Multiplicity of 
Cases and Arguments is of no Consequence; because every Publica¬ 
tion which appeals to the Reality of Facts for its Importance, will 
soon have its Propositions either confirmed or rejected, by the 
daily Experience of the Public. 
(p. X) The Author professes himself a strong Advocate for an 
effective and powerful Materia Medica; on which Account, the Sub¬ 
jects of his late and present Reports have engaged a Share of his 
114 For complete title see p. 148. 
115 Of “white arsenic” Lewis (Mat. Med., p. 101) states that it is “soluble 
plentifully in alkaline lixivia.” See also statement in Wilson’s patent on p. 188. 
