ON  PULV.  JACOBI  VERUS. 
99 
I  have  for  the  last  ten  years  used  the  "Pulv.  Jacobi  Verus" 
in  my  practice  with  great  success,  especially  in  pneumonia  of 
children,  &c. ;  and  many  of  my  colleagues  here,  have  since 
adopted  it  with  great  satisfaction. 
Newberry  &  Son's  preparation  is  next  in  effect  to  James's,  and 
in  small  doses,  have  thought  it  equal  to  it ;  but  when  you  have 
to  give  from  ten  to  twenty  grains,  none  can  compare  to  James's. 
I  have  always  been  able  to  detect  when  a  spurious  article  was 
substituted  in  any  of  my  prescriptions,  by  finding  my  patient 
immediately  nauseated,  with  griping  of  the  bowels,  and  frequently 
severe  purging  ensued. 
Very  truly  yours,  Dr.  J.  S.  Unzicker. 
Pulv.  Jacobi  Verus — or  James's  Powder. 
As  given  by  Donald  Monro,  in  the  Pharmacopoeia  Universalis,  page  264.  Ex- 
tracted from  the  Records  of  Chancery,  London.    Signed  and  sworn  to  by 
Robert  James.  1746. 
R.  Sulphureti  Antimonii  quantum 
vis.  Calcino  in  crucibello,  parvam 
Natri  nitrici  copiam,  et  Oli  Animale 
Dippeli  guttas  aliquot  addendo,  do- 
nee massa  alba  evaserit ;  turn  Nitri 
parvam  copiam  adde  et  liqua;  ab 
igne  remotum  lave  Aqua  calida  et 
sicca  residuum. 
Quo  facto  amalgama  e  Mercurii, 
Argenti  et  Reguli  Antimonii  mar- 
tialis  partibus  sequalibus,  addita  Sa- 
lis  Ammoniaci  quantitate  sufficiente, 
paratum  infunde  supra  novam  Ar- 
genti, Antimonii  et  Salis  copiam, 
quam  operationem  octis  et  novis  re- 
pete.  Turn  ut  solvatur,  in  Acidum 
Nitricum  purum  immette,  decan- 
tha  sedulo,  et  evaperato,  residuum 
calcina  usque  colorem  aureum  ob- 
tinuerit  et  in  Alcohole  lava,  quo 
facto  hujus  producti  granum  cum 
granis  triginta  illius  e  calcinatione 
sulphureti  commisce.  , 
Take  Sulphuret  of  Antimony,  as 
much  as  you  like,  a  small  quantity 
of  Nitrate  of  Soda,  and  drop  in  some 
Animal  Oil  of  Dippel,  calcine  in  a 
crucible  until  the  mass  is  white  ; 
after  which  add  a  small  quantity  of 
Nitre  and  bring  it  to  a  flux ;  then  re- 
move from  the  fire,  wash  with  warm 
water  and  dry  the  residue. 
After  this  is  done  amalgamate 
equal  parts  of  Quicksilver,  Silver, 
and  metallic  Antimony,  adding  a 
sufficient  quantity  of  Sal- Ammoniac. 
When  ready,  pour  over  a  new  quan- 
tity of  Silver,  Antimony  and  Salt  ;* 
this  operation  repeat  eight  or  nine 
times.  Then  dissolve  in  pure  Nitric 
Acid,  decant  the  liquid  carefully 
from  the  sediment  and  evaporate 
and  calcine  the  residue  until  it  as- 
sumes a  golden  color,  and  wash  in 
Alcohol;  of  this,  in  this  way  pre- 
pared product,  mix  a  grain  with 
thirty  grains  of  the  above  sulphu- 
rated calcination. 
*  [Note. — In  some  versions  of  this  recipe,  the  amalgam  is  directed  to  be 
distilled,  and  the  mercury  returned  and  re-distilled  eight  or  nine  times. — 
Ed.  Am.  J.  Ph.] 
