On lodous Acid. 
255 
But another method of preparing it does exist; this is men- 
tioned by Dioscorides and Kcempfer. According to the for- 
mer, the juice collected from the capsules, for two successive 
days, is mixed together in a mortar ; according to the latter, 
"it is moistened with a little water, so as to soften it, when it 
is well Worked in a wooden bowl, with a wooden spatula, till 
it acquires the consistence, colour and tenacity of malaxated 
pitch. When it has been thus worked, it is several times 
stretched out and rolled with the hands, and then made into 
cylinders." 
The opium prepared by either of these processes will not 
present the drops or tears so distinct in the Natolia, but will 
resemble the uniform texture of the Egyptian and Persian. 
M. Guibourt has specimens of the Persian opium given to 
him by Mr. Morison, of London, which has all the characters 
spoken of by Kcempfer. It is in cylindrical pieces, which 
have sometimes become square from their pressure on each 
other; they are about four inches and a half long, and about 
five or six lines thick, wrapped in satin paper and tied with a 
cotton thread. Each stick weighs about 20 grammes; inter- 
nally they are uniform, reddish, presenting some appearance 
of agglutinated tears, when viewed with a magnifying glass, 
but of a smaller size than those of the Smyrna opium. It has 
a virous smell, mingled with mustiness, which also charac- 
terizes the Egyptian variety, prepared in the same manner. — 
Jour, de Pharm. 
ART. LIII.— ON IODOUS ACID.— By M. Sementini. 
Considering that nitrous acid was nothing but nitric acid, 
plus nitrous gas, M. Sementini was led by analogy, to think 
that an acid resulting from the combination of iodic acid with 
the oxide of iodine, should be called iodous acid. Having 
effected this combination, he obtained a fluid of an amber 
yellow colour, which when kept in a close vessel, lost none of 
its colour, but soon became colourless, when exposed to the 
