36 
NOTES AND ABSTRACTS IN CHEMISTRY AND PHARMACY. 
AUSTRALIAN LEECHES. 
By the use of moist clay, and the supply of a little fresh water from time to 
time, leeches can without much difficulty be brought from the most distant 
parts of the globe; and the feasibility of thus conveying them to this country 
from Australia has recently been proved by the introduction of a large number 
of Australian leeches as a commercial speculation. We are sorry to find, how¬ 
ever, that the speculation has proved an entire failure, which has principally 
arisen from two causes. In the first place, the use of the leech has very much 
fallen off of late years, in proof of which we may state that the amount paid for 
leeches at one of our large hospitals is not now more than about one-twentieth 
part of what it used to be; and further, the sale of Australian leeches is limited 
by the fact that they differ in appearance from 
those commonly used in this country. 
The engraving represents the leeches re¬ 
cently imported, with their characteristic mark¬ 
ings. An eminent naturalist, to whom they 
have been submitted, says the characters agree 
very well with those of a leech found in the 
rivers of Australia, and described by Schmarda 
under the name of Hirudo quinque-striata, from 
the fact of there being five stripes down the 
back. These stripes are of a dull green colour 
on a yellow ground. The belly is yellow. 
Schmarda also mentions another species or va¬ 
riety, found in the Murray river, Australia, 
which he names Hirudo tristriata. It differs 
only from the first in having three stripes in¬ 
stead of five. Both sorts are used as medicinal 
leeches. 
NOTES AND ABSTRACTS IN CHEMISTRY AND PHARMACY. 
BY C. H. WOOD, F.C.S. 
Turpentine an Antidote in Phosphorus Poisoning. 
In a recent number of this Journal an account was given of some observations 
by Dr. Audant on the influence of turpentine in counteracting the poisonous 
effects of phosphorus. 
M. Personne has now published some experiments upon the same subject, 
which go still further to prove that turpentine is a real antidote to poisoning 
by phosphorus. 
The experiments were made on fifteen dogs of moderate size and equal 
strength. The animals were divided into three series: the first five received phos¬ 
phorus alone ; the second five received essence of turpentine one or two hours 
after the administration of phosphorus ; the third five received essence of tur¬ 
pentine immediately after the ingestion of the poison. The dose of phosphorus 
given was from OT to 03 gramme, dissolved in oil of almonds and emulsioned 
with yolk of egg. The turpentine was administered in doses of 10 grammes, also 
emulsioned by yolk of egg. 
The first five all died. The second five suffered from the same symptoms as 
the first series, several being very ill, but one only succumbed, the other four 
