262 
MISCELLANY. 
Among persons affected with hypertrophy, with dilatation of the cavities, 
the nervous influence is often insufficient to produce regular and complete 
contractions, and hence often tumultuous action. This state he has found 
can he modified by camphor, and he has seen the most tumultuous ventri- 
cular contractions become regular and perfectly isochronous after the 
administration of a few grains. He is not able to decide whether it acts 
as a stimulant or a sedative. 
3. Digitalis. — M. Lombard believes the want of uniformity in the seda- 
tive action of this medicine upon the functions of the heart, depends upon 
the four following circumstances : 1. The state of the stomach; 2, the 
mode of life of the patient; 3, the doses given ; 4, the mode of adminis- 
tration. Sometimes, owing to an irritable state of the stomach, the exhi- 
bition of digitalis induces vomiting; and if this continues after the cessa" 
tion of the medicine, we must not have recourse to antiphlogistic measures, 
but to antispasmodics ; such as the subnitrate of bismuth, oxide of 
zinc, and effervescing draughts. The mode of administering digi- 
talis is one of the most important points in its therapeutical his- 
tory. The infusion is the preparation which produces most prompt- 
ly symptoms of saturation. In the form of powder it rarely produces 
vomiting, except when the doses are large and frequently repeated. 
The best medicines for obviating or allaying these symptoms of satu- 
ration are calcined magnesia, subnitrate of bismuth, subcarbonate of 
iron, or oxide of zinc. M. L. considers the subcarbonate of iron as 
the best, and thinks he can attribute to its use the absence of baneful 
results among his patients who took digitalis daily for many months. 
4. Foil/gala Senega. — The therapeutical action of this medicine is little 
known. M. Lombard considers it one of the most precious which the 
materia medica possesses. Administered in the form of extract or infu- 
sion, he has found it lower the circulation, and especially regulate the 
ventricular contractions. The dose employed varied between twelve and 
twenty-four grains in the course of the day. The infusion, prepared with 
one drachm to four ounces of water, has been often administered in the 
same time. — British and For. Med. Rev., from Bulletin Gen. de Therap. 
Nov., 1836. 
Oa the production of Jlmmonia during the oxidation of Protosulphate of 
Iron exposed to the air. By M. Sarzeau of Eennes. — For some time past 
pills have been prepared of a mixture of protosulphate of iron, carbonate 
of soda, and an inactive powder. An apothecary having occasion to 
make a mass of this, perceived that it exhaled an ammoniacal odour. He 
immediately made another mass with new materials; but this time finding 
no indications of ammonia, he considered its production in the former case 
accidental. I determined to ascertain if in the oxidation of protosulphate 
of iron, exposed to the atmosphere, there did not occur a phenomenon 
