CITRINE OINTMENT OF THE BRITISH PHARMACOPEIA. 
541 
markable that the poison the child died of was similar to that the shepherd lost. The 
evidence of Mr. Deane, the analyst, whom he (the coroner) had no idea of bringing 
before them but for the purpose of endeavouring to unravel the mystery, showed that 
both powders were of the same nature, and there was no doubt that the poison had 
been substituted for the original powder, for the purpose of killing the unfortunate 
deceased. What, then, could have been the object of this crime ? This was the only 
child out of six the parents had been able to save, and they must have been most 
anxious that it should live. If any one was at enmity with the parents, and, to 
vent their malice on them, took these means, then there would appear to be some 
cause for the mystery. But there seemed to be no one with whom the parents were not 
on friendly terms, and there appeared to be no motive for the act. Mr. and Mrs. Coles 
were greatly to be pitied, not only for the loss of their only child, but for that most 
unpleasant inquiry. If they thought, by adjourning again, more light could be brought 
to bear upon the subject, he was most willing to do so; but under present circumstances 
an open verdict must be given. 
The jury were then left to themselves, and after the space of nearly an hour, returned 
the following verdict:— 
“By what means the said William Coles came to his death, the jury upon their oath 
say, some person or persons unknown did feloniously, wilfully, and of malice afore¬ 
thought, kill and murder the said William Coles, by a substitution of corrosive sublimate 
for Steedman’s Soothing Powder.” 
THE EFFECTS OF THE CALABAR-BEAN AS AN ANTIDOTE TO 
POISONING- BY ATROPIA. 
In the ophthalmic department of the hospital at Prague last August, four boys, en¬ 
gaged in cleaning the room, drank a portion of a solution of atropia, thinking that it 
contained spirits. Two of the boys either spat out or vomited the fluid, and exhibited no 
symptoms of poisoning, but the two others who did not vomit were distinctly poisoned 
—one, however, much more so than the other. The symptoms were those of poisoning 
by belladonna, and consisted of delirium, dilatation of the pupils, feeble pulse, and in 
one there was coma, alternating with furious delirium. Both the patients were taken to 
bed, one of them being restrained in a strait-jacket, and cold lotions were placed on their 
heads. Dr. Kleinwachter happened accidentally to have with him a solution of the Ca¬ 
labar-bean extract in glycerine, and, by way of experiment, he gave to the patient who 
was the most affected ten drops of the solution (six grains of extract to one drachm of 
glycerine), which in about a quarter of an hour produced violent vomiting. The pulse 
became stronger and quicker, rose to 75 and then to 80 in the minute, the temperature 
of the body fell, the delirium abated, the patient became more quiet, consciousness re¬ 
turned, urine was passed with some pain in the urethra, and the pupils became somewhat 
contracted. In the case of the other patient, who was less affected, some of the extract of 
the Calabar-bean was dropped into the eye, but without any good effect, for on the next 
day the symptoms were almost unchanged, while the patient who had taken the solution 
of the Calabar-bean internally, had almost completely recovered. The rapid and striking 
improvement in one of these cases appears manifestly to be attributable to the adminis¬ 
tration of the Calabar-bean extract, for the patient who was not treated in the same 
manner showed no improvement for forty-eight hours.— Berliner Klinische Wochenschrift 
and British and Foreign Medico-Chirurgical Preview. 
ON THE CITRINE OINTMENT OF THE BRITISH PHARMACOPEIA. 
BY M. DONOVAN, M.R.I.A., ETC. 
There is no known formula for preparing citrine ointment which will always present 
the same appearance and possess the same properties, and a very short time is adequate 
to induce changes to a certain amount. This ointment may be viewed as a metallic 
soap mixed with that compound which Fourcroy designates oxygenized pomatum. 
VOL. YI. 2 Q 
