46 
SELECTED ARTICLES. 
1. Whether the method proposed by M. Dausse is new? 
2. Whether there is a similarity of composition between the 
manna which he has purified and natural flake manna? 
3. Whether there exists between the two articles identity 
of therapeutic properties? 
The reply to the first question is furnished by Baume in 
his Elements de Pharmacie. Some persons, says this cele- 
brated pharmaceutist, manufacture flake manna. To do this 
they dissolve common manna in a small quantity of water, 
allow the liquid to settle, decant it in order to separate the 
impurities, then inspissate it to that degree that it will become 
congealed upon cooling, they then suspend threads in it and 
immerse them several times in succession, after the method 
of the candle makers. This manna is a pretty good imitation 
of the flake manna, and it may be said that it equals it in 
quality, as it is nothing else than a very pure manna. Let us 
remark, in the first place, that at the time Baume wrote this, 
vegetable analysis was yet in its infancy, that the employment 
of animal charcoal, as an agent for the removal either of colour 
or smell, was not known, and that notwithstanding there was 
obtained by the simple method of purifying manna which has 
been described, an article which had all the appearances of 
flake manna. Allow us to state in addition, that it was 
known to one member of the committee and to many 
traders, that a pharmaceutist of the school of Paris, M. 
Avequin, actually prepared, eight years ago at Port au Prince, 
in his house at Chaillot, a very beautiful manna in flakes, by 
treating, in the same way as M. Dausse, common manna with 
animal charcoal. We are not informed of the causes of failure 
to this speculation, but at the same time it is certain that the 
use of animal charcoal in the purification of manna was known 
in the year 1828. 
Let us pass to the second question! is there parity of com- 
position, or more rigidly, is the proportional relation between 
the components, the same in the manna purified by M. 
Dausse and natural flake manna? To answer this question, 
the Committee made some experiments, the principal re- 
