222  INCOMPATIBILITIES  OF  IODIDE  OF  POTASSIUM. 
Mr.  H.  considers  this  discovery  more  interesting  as  corroborat- 
ing some  observations  made  many  years  since  in  France, 
According  to  Dr.  Pallas,  the  olive  leaves  and  bark  contain 
a  bitter  crystallizable  principle  which  communicates  a  faint  blue 
color  to  reddened  litmus  paper.    The  bark  contains  two  per  cent. 
The  pharmaceutical  preparations  of  olive  leaves  are  a  tincture 
(1  to  8)  and  an  alcoholic  extract. 
Hydrocotyle  Asiatica,  a  cure  for  Leprosy. — Dr.  Boileau  of 
Mauritius,  afflicted  with  leprosy,  employed  the  leaves  of  the  Hy- 
drocotyle Asiatica  with  decided  success  in  his  own  and  other 
cases.  M.  Lepine,  of  Pondicherry,  has  corroborated  the  state- 
ment of  Dr.  Boileau,  as  to  the  usefulness  of  this  plant  in  leprosy, 
at  the  Leper  Hospital.  It  is  taken  in  powder,  decoction  and 
syrup,  and  its  use  continued  several  weeks. 
Hydrocotyle  Asiatica  is  an  umbelliferous  plant  growing  exten- 
sively in  Asia,  and  has  been  used  before  the  present  application 
of  it  in  India,  as  an  alterative  for  children.  Those  who  wish  to 
learn  further  of  this  remedy,  are  referred  to  Pharm.  Jour.  xiii. 
page  427,  which  contains  a  long  extract  in  relation  to  it  from 
the  Madras  Gazette. 
ON  THE  INCOMPATIBILITY^  IODIDE  OF  POTASSIUM  WITH 
CALOMEL  AND  OTHER  PREPARATIONS  OF  MERCURY,  AND  ON 
A  SIMPLE  MODE  OF  TESTING  PILLS,  POWDERS,  AND  OTHER 
MEDICINES  FOR  THE  PRESENCE  OF  MERCURY. 
By  William  Procter,  Jr. 
c  It  frequently  happens  that  iodide  of  potassium  is  prescribed 
with  calomel,  blue  mass,  and  other  mercurials,  directly  or  indi- 
rectly, and  it  is  well  worthy  the  consideration  of  physicians  to 
discover  what  changes  occur  by  their  contact  in  the  stomach  or 
circulation,  and  how  far  the  action  of  a  mercurial  is  modified,  and 
its  effects  accelerated  or  retarded.  To  make  the  subject  clearer, 
let  us  see  what  changes  may  and  do  occur  in  the  test  tube,  that 
medical  men  may  draw  what  conclusions  the  premises  will  war- 
rant, with  regard  to  the  reactions  that  may  occur  in  the  human 
system. 
1st.  When  calomel  and  iodide  of  potassium,  in  equivalent  pro- 
portions, are  treated  with  boiling  water,  chloride  of  potassium  is 
