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HYPOSULPHITE OF SODA. 99 
virtues are not appreciated as perhaps they should be. And 
also that some simple remedies prove to be a power in the 
hands of some, while with others they seem to possess no 
curative virtues at all. It is undoubtedlv a fact that the 
actions of many drugs are modified, not only by different or¬ 
ganism, but by different climates and different surroundings, 
and especially when combined with other agents. 
It is my endeavor to-day to bring before you, and, if pos¬ 
sible, impress upon your minds some, at least, of the virtues 
I have found to be possessed by this cheap and efficient rem¬ 
edy, namely, the hyposulphite of soda. 
This preparation is formed by boiling the filtered solution 
of sulphite of soda with sulphur, and after filtration and con¬ 
centration the crystals are deposited in colorless transparent 
prisms or plates. It is odorless, and has a cooling and some¬ 
what bitter taste, is neutral or faintly alkaline in reaction, 
and is soluble in 1.5 parts of water. Its main action is as an 
antiseptic, but it is also a strong deodorizer, alterative and 
insecticede. In the stomach it gives off sulphurous acid, 
which preparation it closely resembles. It destroys bacte¬ 
ria septic-germs, arrests fermentations and removes offensive 
smells. It is much used in photography, and forms an im¬ 
portant part in some officinal tests. 
Among the first cases in which I used this salt with marked 
success was in the treatment of a valuable stallion but recent¬ 
ly brought from Calfornia, and not yet acclimated. Soon 
after arriving, many parts of the body, especially those cov¬ 
ered by the harness, became covered by eruptions, and by 
their intense itching caused the animal to rub and produce a 
raw surface, and he could with difficulty be prevented from 
irritating it still more. A peculiar black discharge issued 
from the anus continually and trickled down the thighs and so 
on to the ground ; his tail had become full of it and seemed 
from its tarry consistency to defy thorough cleansing. A pe¬ 
culiarly bad odor accompanied the discharges, and his appe¬ 
tite was capricious. His food and surroundings were of the 
cleanest and best, and the general attention bestowed upon 
him was befitting a $10,000 stallion. 
