THE BORACIC ACID SPRINGS IN TUSCANY. 
149 
the Liq. Chloroformi Co., and by implication, to those of the imitative chloro- 
dynes ; and that whereas the one “ would save,” the others have the ‘ reverse * 
‘results,’ i.e. would destroy the patient. After our long experience of both 
medicines, this is really too strong an appeal to our credulity, and can only tend 
to injure his own cause. The utmost that, from his own point of view, he is 
entitled to assert is, that his preparation produces effects (less or more) different. 
But I cannot admit either his premiss, viz. that his chlorodyne does not 
(under any circumstances) cause contraction of the pupil j nor his conclusion, 
that therefore it does not contain morphia. 
Not the premiss, because the evidence for it is, as yet, entirely of a negative 
character; since I believe he has been so fortunate, that there is no case upon 
record of an excessive or poisonous dose of his preparation. Should such an 
event unhappily occur, we have no assurance that contraction would not ensue. 
Not the conclusion ; since, even admitting that contraction did not follow, it 
is still quite possible that his chlorodyne may contain an ingredient which tends 
to expand the pupil, and thus the two antagonistic forces ,—contractile and ex¬ 
pansive ,—would balance and neutralize each other. 
Therefore Dr. Browne’s assertion, even if it were correct to the fullest extent, 
still affords no proof that his chlorodyne does not owe its chief efficacy to morphia. 
And a long course of observation has furnished me with numerous corrobora¬ 
tive proofs of my position, that chlorodyne, both original and imitative, is little, 
if anything, more than morphia disguised and adorned. 
I submit this leading case for what it may be thought worth, and have no 
doubt that when the line of inquiry is once fairly opened, many geutlemen will 
be able to bring forward experiences of one kind or another to bear upon and 
elucidate a question, which is not only interesting in itself, but (if my position 
is correct) possesses the further and larger interest of showing how both the pro¬ 
fession and the public may be attracted by a specious name, and carried away 
by a delusive imagination. 
THE BORACIC ACID SPRINGS IN TUSCANY. 
TO THE EDITOR OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL. 
Under the impression that some of your readers might like to see a short ac¬ 
count of these interesting springs, I have jotted down a few memoranda which 
1 made on the occasion of a visit to one of them in the summer of last year. 
Six in number, and all of volcanic origin, the springs are situated high up 
the mountains, nearly midway between Florence and Rome. The scenery 
during the greater part of the journey from Florence is very beautiful, the road 
passing through vineyards and olive plantations, varied by large copses of 
myrtle bushes. In the immediate neighbourhood of the springs, however, it is 
as uninteresting as can well be imagined, the large amount of sulphurous gas 
evolved very possibly affecting the vegetation to a greater or less extent. The 
boracic acid is found, mixed with other matter, in three different states :— 
1. Mixed with mud, forming a thick paste, almost solid. 
2. As a thick, muddy solution, very much resembling Thames water at low tide. 
3. As a fountain of the solution, very highly concentrated, and so pure that 
there is not the slightest smell of any compound of sulphur with it. This is the 
more remarkable, as in both the other forms the presence of sulphur is strongly 
indicated by the smell. 
Of the pasty mixture there were only three or four vats or wells ; whilst of 
the more liquid preparation there were about twelve or fourteen,—varying in 
diameter from 30 to 50 or 60 feet. 
The clear solution was thrown up to a height of about 30 feet (on some days 
rather higher, and on some not so high) ; but to prevent waste, a huge cone- 
