376       RATE  AT  WHICH  LIQUIDS  FLOW  THROUGH  SYPHONS. 
Note  by  the  Secretary. — This  case  is  very  interesting,  from 
the  fact  that  it  is  the  first  well-authenticated  case  of  poisoning 
from  the  use  of  the  veratrum  viride.  It  did  not  result  from  its 
legitimate  employment  under  the  direction  of  a  physician. 
Another  point  of  interest  is  the  fact  that  the  alkaloids  sus- 
pended in  water  should  keep  their  strength  for  six  weeks.  Those 
who  are  familiar  with  the  action  of  the  tinctura  veratri  viridis 
with  water  know  that,  on  keeping  a  few  days,  a  dirty,  unpleasant- 
looking  sediment  is  deposited  in  the  bottom  of  the  vessel,  which 
has  usually  led  to  its  rejection  as  worthless. 
Still  another  point  is  the  absence  of  free  vomiting.  Perhaps 
the  nature  of  the  drug  might  have  been  so  changed  as  to  have 
impaired  the  emetic  without  destroying  the  sedative  properties. 
The  relation  of  this  case  should  not  hinder  any  from  administer- 
ing the  veratrum  when  it  is  indicated.  It  must  have  been  given 
tens  of  thousands  of  times,  but  this  is  the  first  well-authenticated 
case  of  death  that  has  come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  Veratrum 
Yiride  Committee  of  this  Society.  The  veratrum  viride  is  used 
at  present  by  the  members  of  this  Society,  and  the  confidence  in  it 
has  grown  with  its  use  as  the  most  reliable  arterial  sedative  known 
to  us. 
Woburn,  March  24,  1865. 
ON  THE  RATE  AT  WHICH  DIFFERENT  LIQUIDS  FLOW 
THROUGH  SYPHONS. 
By  John  Galletly. 
In  a  note  of  Dr.  Ure's,  curiously  gathered,  I  believe,  by  Prof. 
Hunt  into  his  Dictionary  of  Arts,  &c,  I  have  seen  it  stated  that 
Dr.  Ure  had  tried  the  rate  at  which  water,  sulphuric  acid,  and 
rape  oil  flowed  from  a  platinum  vessel  through  a  small  platinum 
syphon.  He  found  these  fluids  to  run  off"  at  very  different  rates, 
but  his  exact  numbers  I  cannot  at  present  lay  my  hands  on. 
The  obvious  difference  in  viscosity  of  the  liquids  employed  seems 
to  have  generally  been  considered  sufficient  to  account  for  his 
results.  I  have  found,  however,  such  differences  between  liquids 
apparently  of  about  the  same  degree  of  limpidity  as  to  lead  me 
to  the  belief  that  this  method  of  examining  an  important  property 
of  these  fluids  is  worthy  of  attention. 
