MISCELLANY. 
Employment of Electricity in cases of poisoning with Strychnine. — M, 
Duclos has instituted a remarkable series of experiments on rabbits, 
dogs and guinea-pigs. He poisoned these animals with strychnine and 
brucine, and then electrified them ; and found that, on application of the 
negative electricity excited by means of an electrical machine, the symp- 
toms of poisoning subsided, and the animals were saved; the positive 
electricity, on the contrary, increased the muscular contraction produced 
by the posion, and hastened death. 
Animals which had been poisoned with arsenious acid could not only 
not be saved by electrifying them, but were, on ihe contrary, killed soon- 
er, whether positive or negative electricity was employed. — Chem. Gaz. 
from Buchner^s Rep. fur die Pharm. 
Efficacy of Tannic Acid in Poisoning by ' Hemlock. — Hitherto tannic 
acid, or the decoction of galls, or of any astringent vegetable, has been 
considered of great service in cases of poisoning by strychnine, and 
brucine. M. Meyer had recently occasion to observe the great efficacy 
of tannic acid also in a case of poisoning by hemlock. Four children 
had eaten a large root of the water hemlock, Cicuta virosa, L. One 
child died almost immediately; to the other three sulphate of zinc was 
first administered in large doses to produce vomiting, which was assist- 
ed by draughts and frictions to the stomach, after which cold applica- 
tions to the head, horse-radish and mustard plasters were used, clysters 
of vinegar administered, the cold extremities rubbed with flannel and 
warmed, upon which a decoction of gall was administered in frequent 
doses and with the greatest success, for the alarming symptoms gra- 
dually disappeared, and the three children were perfectly restored after 
five days. — Ibid. 
Extract of Hops and Oil of Hops for the Preparation of Beer. — Prof. 
Redtenbacher draws attention to the fact, that of the constituents of the 
hop, the bitter substance (lupuline), the astringent substance, and the 
aromatic oil of hop, are the only substances which enter into the com- 
position of beer. The aqueous extract of hop, prepared by boiling, 
may easily be preserved, and 12 lbs. of it correspond to 1 cwt. of hops ; 
it contains the first two constituents. The oil of hops, which in the 
