416 
kere’s solution of pernitrate of iron. 
Solution of chloride of mercury caused an abundant white precipitate, which, 
when boiled with potash, became yellow and heavy, and evolved an alkaline 
vapour. When heated, the precipitate blackened, evolved mercurial vapours, 
and ultimately disappeared. 
With solution of acetate of lead, the fluid gave a heavy drab-coloured preci¬ 
pitate. With sulphate of copper, a pale blue deposit. Both precipitates dis¬ 
solved in dilute nitric acid, the former with effervescence. 
This fluid was carefully preserved, and, on December 4th, I took f 5 ss at 
11 A.M., and f 5 j at 5 p.m. On December 6 th, I took 5 !! at 10.30 a.m., and 5 iij 
at 3.30 P.M. On the 6 th, I took a single dose of f 5 vj. On the 7th, a single 
dose of f 5 x. On the 8 th, a single dose of f 5 xij, and on the 9th a single dose of 
f ^ij. I then subjected the remainder to the same reagents as before, and found 
that the fluid possessed the same reactions as it did on the day I distilled it. 
No effect followed any of the doses. After taking the last dose I walked 
across the square to church, and, during the early part of the service, thrice 
experienced, within as many minutes, a momentary fluttering in the cardiac 
region, such as precedes faintness, but I could not fairly attribute it to the 
conium, for I awoke with a headache and slight nausea, and these had not 
altogether subsided at the time when I experienced the above-mentioned sensa¬ 
tion. Of this there was no repetition, the remainder of the headache passed 
off, and I was well and active during the rest of the day. During the prose¬ 
cution of these experiments upon the tincture and the distillate from the marc, 
I abstained from alcoholic or other stimulants. 
The result of these experiments goes far to prove that the tinctura conii 
fructus recently introduced into our Pharmacopoeia is, at least in all proper 
medicinal doses, an inert preparation. From Geiger’s and Dr. Christison’s ex¬ 
periments it appears that the fruit contains a larger quantity of conia than the 
other parts of the plant, but the fact that the green fruits contain a much larger 
proportion than the dry, seems to have been overlooked. We know that the 
active principle of the poppy is more abundant in the circulating juices of the 
green fruit than in any other part of the j)lant, and that the quantity contained 
in the fruit diminishtfs in proportion as it becomes hard and dry. It is very 
probable that this is the case with the conium, and that we must look for the 
greatest accumulation of its active principle in the green immature fruit. One 
question relative to the tincture still presents itself, viz. does alcohol possess an 
influence antagonistic to that of conium, and, if so, how great is that influence ? 
78 , Upper Berkeley Street, Portmcin Square, W., 
Dec. 14 , 1866 . 
(To he continued.^ 
ADDITIONAL EEMAEKS ON KEEE’S SOLUTION OF PEE- 
NITEATE OF lEON. 
TO THE EDITOR OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL. 
In the ‘ Pharmaceutical Journal ’ for November we submitted a process for 
the preparation of Kerr’s solution of pernitrate of iron, and now beg to append 
the following, regarding points on which we have since had communications. 
TTie colour of the solution, when prepared according to the process already 
referred to, is very considerably paler than if the customary method be 
employed. This depth of colour in -the latter instance may be accounted for 
chiefly by the presence of the products of the decomposition of the nitric acid,— 
a change which is foreign to the preparation in itself. 
