MERCURY. 
§§ 868-870.] 
683 
The sulphocyanide of mercury gives, when burnt, a most abundant 
ash, a fact utilised in the toy known as Pharaoh’s serpent ; the products 
of combustion are mercurial vapours and sulphurous anhydride. That 
the substance itself is poisonous is evident from the following experi¬ 
ment :—5 grm. was given to a pigeon without immediate result ; but 
ten hours afterwards it was indisposed, refused its food, and in forty 
hours died without convulsions. 1 
§ 868 . The more Common Patent and Quack Medicines 
containing Mercury. 
Mordant’s Norton’s Drops. —This patent medicine is a mixture of the tincture 
of gentian and ginger, holding in solution a little bichloride of mercury, and coloured 
with cochineal. 
Solomon’s Anti-impetigines is a solution of bichloride of mercury, flavoured and 
coloured. 
Poor Man’s Friend. —An ointment of nitrate of mercury. 
Brown’s Lozenges.— Each lozenge contains 4 grain of calomel and 3 4 grains of 
resinous extract of jalap ; the rest is white sugar and tragacanth. 
Ching’s Worm Lozenges. —Each lozenge contains 1 grain of calomel; the rest 
white sugar and tragacanth, with saffron as a colouring-matter. 
Storey’s Worm Cakes. —Each cake contains 2 grains of calomel, 2 grains of 
cinnabar, 6 grains of jalap, 5 grains of ginger, and the remainder sugar and water. 
Wright’s Pearl Ointment is said to be made up of 8 ozs. of white precipitate 
rubbed to a cream in 1 pint of Goulard’s extract, and to the mixture is added 7 lbs. 
of white wax and 10 lbs. of olive oil. 
Keyser’s Pills. —The receipt for these pills is—red oxide of mercury 1 \ oz., dis¬ 
tilled vinegar (dilute acetic acid) 1 pint; dissolve, add to the resulting solution manna 
2 lbs., and triturate for a long time before the fire until a proper consistence is attained ; 
lastly, divide the mass into pills of 1^ grain each. 
Mitchell’s Pills. —Each pill contains aloes -8 grain, rhubarb 1-6 grain, calomel 
•16 grain, tartar emetic -05 grain. 
Many Antibilious Pills will be found to contain calomel, a few mercury in a 
finely divided state. 
§ 869. Mercury in Veterinary Medicine. —Farmers and farriers 
use the ointment (blue ointment) to a dangerous extent, as a dressing 
for the fly, and wholesale poisoning of sheep has been in several instances 
the consequence. 2 Ethiops mineral and Turpeth mineral are given to 
dogs when affected by the distemper, worms, or the mange. Mercury, 
however, is not very frequently given to cattle by veterinary surgeons, 
ruminants generally appearing rather susceptible to its poisonous effects. 
§ 870. Medicinal and Fatal Doses.—Horses. —Cinnabar 14-2 grms. 
(\ oz.), calomel 14-2 grms. (J oz.) or more, corrosive sublimate *13 to 
•38 grm. (2 to 6 grains), and as much as 1*3 grm. (20 gi-ains) has been 
given in farcy. 
Cattle. —Mercury with chalk 3-8 to 11-6 grms. (1 to 3 drms.), 
calomel 3-8 to 7-7 grms. (1 to 2 drms.) for worms, *65 to 1-3 grm. 
1 Eulenberg, op. cit., p. 472. 
2 Twenty-five tons of blue ointment are said to have been sold to farmers by a 
druggist in Boston, Lincolnshire, in the course of a single year.—Taylor’s Medical 
Jurisprudence, i. 279. 
