236 
PHARMACEUTICAL REFORM. 
as a very gentle sleep, so gentle that it is difficult to say when the action 
either of the heart or of the lungs is over. The lungs are left with the blood 
in them, the heart has blood on both sides, and the blood itself retains its 
natural character. The death is by the slow negation of breathing. We 
may gather from these facts many important lessons in regard to the risks 
and dangers of miners from fire-damp, Dr. Richardson considers it almost 
impossible that any body of men could be so entrapped with fire-damp only 
as to die in the absence of an explosion. But in those instances in which 
sufficient accumulation of the gas had occurred to produce a fatal atmosphere, 
death would be prolonged, but as easy as sleep; two truths which, in cases 
of accident, should inspire us with thankfulness and hope,—thankfulness that 
those who thus die suffer little; hope as to the possibility of rescue, which 
should not for days be abandoned. 
From marsh-gas we proceed to chloride of methyl, which is readily ob¬ 
tained by distilling a mixture of common salt, wood spirit, and concentrated 
sulphuric acid. By the aid of a gentle heat a gas is developed which may 
be collected over water; it is the chloride of methyl. The action of chlorine 
aided by sunlight upon this compound is to produce the chloride of chloro- 
methyl (bichloride of methylene) mixed with chloroform and the tetrachloride 
of carbon. Chloride of methylene, however, is prepared with much greater 
facility by the action of nascent hydrogen developed from zinc and sulphuric 
acid upon chloroform. By reference to the formula expressing the composi¬ 
tion of the two liquids, it will be seen that this is effected by the replace¬ 
ment of one atom of chlorine in the chloroform by hydrogen. 
The following equation exhibits this change :— 
CHC1 3 + H 2 = CH 2 C1 2 + H Cl. 
The inhalation of bichloride of methylene produces anaesthesia less expe¬ 
ditiously than chloroform, but the insensibility is deep and well sustained, 
and the recovery quiet and more rapid. 
As far as may be judged from experiments upon animals, and by com¬ 
parison with other anaesthetics, the bichloride of methylene appears to com¬ 
bine the anaesthetic power of chloroform with the safer properties of ether. 
Dr. Richardson mentioned in conclusion, that the production of sickness 
occurs with bichloride of methylene as with chloroform and tetrachloride of 
carbon, and that this appears to be the only objection to its employment. 
PHARMACEUTICAL REFORM. 
TO THE EDITORS OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL. 
Dear Sirs,—The valuable suggestions offered by “ A Country Member ” in 
your Journal for this month, show that pharmaceutical progress has taken suffi¬ 
cient root in our profession to permit of no relapse into inertia. As we have 
time now, during the recess, to discuss our propositions and to thoughtfully 
consider and weigh our deductions, would it not be well to give continued ven¬ 
tilation through your medium to a subject that is of deep importance to the 
community at large?—at large, I say advisedly, for not only are medicines more 
potent, and thus require more care and knowledge in their preparation—as men¬ 
tioned by “ A Country Member,”—but the public themselves are generally better 
informed on medical questions than formerly, and consequently the pharma¬ 
ceutist requires a higher standard of knowledge on his own part to keep in ad¬ 
vance of this increased and increasing stimulus of the multitude around him. 
I, from living in a University city, have had many instances to the proof of 
this, and have found the waifs and strays picked up during my short stay at 
