324 
Parrish’s syrup op phosphates. 
rally means tainted meat scarcely eatable. Extractum Carnis, combined with vegetable 
albumen, enable us to make up the deficiency: and that combination is the only one at 
our disposal. What was said of an army also holds good of those European nations in 
general that do not produce a sufficiency of meat. By making the most of the herds of 
South America and Australia, in using them for the preparation of Extractum Carnis, 
and by the importation of corn from the West of United States and other corn-growing 
countries, the deficiency may be made up, although not to the full extent. For, sup¬ 
posing ten manufactories, producing together ten millions of pounds of extract of meat, 
from a million oxen cr ten millions of sheep, that whole quantity would provide the 
population of Great Britain only with one pound yearly for every three persons —that is, 
one pound a day for every 1100 persons. 
I have before stated, that in preparing the extract of meat, the albuminous principles 
remain in the residue ; they are lost for the nutrition, and this certainly is a great dis¬ 
advantage. It may, however, be foreseen that industrial ingenuity will take hold of 
this problem and solve it, perhaps by a circuitous road. For if this residue, together 
with the bones of the slaughtered beasts, be applied to our fields as manure, the farmer 
will be enabled to produce a corresponding quantity of albuminous principles, and to 
better supply our towns with them, either in the shape of corn or of meat and milk. 
Made into a marketable state it may hereafter replace the Peruvian guano, which very 
soon will disappear from the market. 
On the value of extract of meat, as a medicinal substance, it is unnecessary to say a 
word, it being identical with beef-tea, about the usefulness and efficacy of which opinions 
do not differ. At the same time I may remark that it is a mistake to think that beef- 
tea .contains any albumen—that there ought to be any gelatine or drops of fat to swim 
on its surface. Beef-tea does not contain any albumen, and, if rightly prepared, ought 
to be free from gelatine (or glue), whilst the supernatant drops of fat form a non-essential 
and, for many, an unwelcome addition. 
I should be glad if these lines could assist in clearing up public opinion on the value 
of extract of meat as a nutriment: iny aim being, on the one hand, to reduce to their 
right limit hopes too sanguine; on the other, to point out the true share which the 
extract of meat can have in the nutrition of the people of Europe. In doing this, I 
know full well, that whatever may be said for its recommendation would be in vain, if 
the extract of meat did not supply a public and generally-felt necessity, and if it could 
not stand the test of our natural instinct—a judge not to be bribed .—The Lancet,. 
PAEBISH’S SY11UP OF PHOSPHATES. 
TO THE EDITOR OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL. 
Sir,—In a passing allusion which I made to the above preparation before the 
Liverpool Chemists’ Association (Pharm. Journ., Xov. 1, 1865) I inadvertently 
said that no iron phosphate was contained in it. It did not occur to me till too 
late for correction that the one described was his Syrup of Ilypophosphites , and 
not the former. 
I am, Sir, yours, etc., 
Liverpool , November 1, 1865. A. Bedford. 
THE YELLOW AMORPHOUS OXIDE OF MERCURY AND ITS APPLICATION 
IN CONJUNCTIVITIS AND CORNEITIS PHLYCTENULOSA.* 
BY DR. BAGENSTECHER, OF WIESBADEN. 
The following is taken from a paper by Drs. Pagenstecher and Hoffmann in the 
‘Ophthalmic Review’ of July, 18G5 
Two forms of oxide of mercury are recognized:— 
* T ide Pharm. Jouvn. A ol. IV. (2nd scries) p. 512,—a paper by Mr. Balmanno Squire, who 
was the first to recommend this preparation. 
