FACTS AND OBSERVATIONS. 
713 
The effects of aconitia on men are the following:—irri¬ 
tation of the mucous membranes, salivation, nausea, muscular 
weakness, prickling sweats, heaviness of the head, pain in the 
track of the facial nerves, dilatations of the pupils, slow 
respiration, depression of the pulse, and weakness of 
sensibility. 
Aconitia is a powerful sedative, and in external forms 
it has been applied with success in calming neuralgic and 
rheumatic pains. 
In conclusion, M. Hollot cautions physicians and pharma¬ 
ceutists in relation to the variable nature or power of com¬ 
mercial aconitia as made by different processes. 
Composition and Characters of Milk. — Dr. 
Voelcker, in an article in the Quarterly Journal of Science, 
states, “Milk is the secretion derived from the blood supplied 
to the mammary gland of the female animal of the class 
mammalia. It is never produced in any quantity until after 
parturition; but during the latter part of utero-gestation it 
occurs in inappreciable amounts, and instances are on record 
where it has been obtained from the gland of an animal 
previous to impregnation. The fluid secreted before partu¬ 
rition, and for some time afterwards, is called colestrum, and 
contains a number of large corpuscles filled with oil-globules, 
distinguished as the c colestrum-corpuscles.’ 
“Milk is white in colour, opaque, and has an agreeable 
sw’eetish taste : the odour is faint, but peculiar. 
“ Its density is greater than that of water. Cow’s milk, of 
good quality, has a specific gravity of about 1030; human 
milk, 1020; goats’ and ewes’ milk, 1035 to 1042; and asses’ 
milk, 1019, compared with water at 1000. 
“The decimal reaction seems to be in a measure dependent 
upon the food, as might reasonably be expected; carnivora 
giving milk possessing an acid reaction, and herbivora an 
alkaline milk. Although apparently homogeneous, it may be 
separated into cream (which consists of oil-globules formed 
by their envelopes of casein (curd), enclosing the fats of 
butter), curd or casein, albumen, milk-sugar, and mineral 
matters, consisting chiefly of phosphate of lime and mag¬ 
nesia, as bone-earth, and salts of potassium and sodium, with 
some oxide of iron.” 
XXXVII. 
46 
