VARIETIES. 
273 
M.  Pagliari  has  now  revealed  the  composition  which  is  as  follows : 
Eight  ounces  of  tincture  of  benzoin,  one  pound  of  alum,  and  ten  pounds 
of  water  are  boiled  together  for  six  hours  in  a  glazed  earthen  vessel,  the 
vaporised  water  being  constantly  replaced  by  hot  water,  so  as  not  to  inter- 
rupt the  ebullition,  and  the  resinous  mass  kept  stirred  round.  The  fluid 
is  then  filtered,  and  kept  in  stoppered  bottles.  It  is  limpid,  slightly  styptic 
in  ;taste,  aromatic  in  odor,  and  the  color  of  champagne.  M.  Hepp,  of 
Strasburg,  has  substituted  white  resin  for  the  benzoin.  Every  drop  of 
this  fluid  poured  into  a  glass  containing  human  blood,  produces  an  instan- 
taneous magma ;  and  by  increasing  the  proportion  of  the  styptic  to  the 
quantity  of  the  blood,  a  dense,  homogeneous,  blackish  mass  results. 
Many  are  the  circumstances  in  which  the  surgeon  may  not  bo  able  to 
have  recourse  to  the  ligature,  as  in  the  case  of  friable  arteries,  secondary 
haemorrhage  from  deep-seated,  painful,  or  inflamed  wounds,  the  impossi- 
bility of  seizing  the  artery,  or  where  the  haemorrhage  results  from  numerous 
arterioles,  which  are  too  small  or  retracted,  or  from  veins  and  capillary 
vessels.  In  all  cases,  in  fact,  where  compression  is  now  usually  employed, 
without  much  benefit  being  expected  to  result  from  it,  and  often,  indeed, 
proving  useless  or  dangerous,  this  fluid  seems  indicated. — Brit.  Med.  and 
Chir.  Review,  Oct.  1852,  from  Bull,  de  Ther.,  torn.  xlii.  p.  491—502. 
On  Matico  in  Diarrhoea.  By  M.  Modoni. — M.  Modoni  states  that  he  has 
employed  this  substance  in  about  120  cases,  and  usually  with  good  and 
speedy  effect,  in  various  species  of  intestinal  discharges,  and  especially  in 
atonic  diarrhoea.  It  is  given  at  the  Bologna  Hospital  in  doses  of  from  18  grs. 
to  3j\  per  diem,  no  inconvenience,  save  a  little  nausea  or  diarrhoea,  ever 
being  caused,  and  this  being  capable  of  removal,  either  by  diminishing  the 
dose  or  temporarily  suspending  the  i*emedy.  In  the  most  favorable  cases, 
an  impression  is  made  upon  the  disease  by  three  or  four  doses ;  and  it  is 
quite  relieved  in  from  three  to  six  days.  The  medicine  should,  however, 
be  continued  awhile  longer  in  order  to  prevent  relapse.  In  those  diarrhoeas 
which,  owing  to  the  existence  of  visceral  changes,  or  in  the  presence  of  a 
general  dyscrasis,  the  return  of  the  diarrhoea  is  inevitable,  the  matico  is 
still  an  invaluable  remedy,  owing  to  the  rapidity  of  its  astringent  action, 
which  enables  us  to  suspend  the  exhausting  discharges,  and  obtain  time 
for  the  employment  of  any  other  means  which  the  nature  of  the  case 
may  indicate. — Brit,  and  For.  Med.  Chir.  Review,  July  1852,  from  Bulletino 
delle  Scienze  Med.,  vol.  xx.  p.  63. 
On  the  Mode  of  Administration  of  Iodine.  By  M.  Devergie. — M.  Devergie 
administers  the  substance  as  an  "  antilymphatie,"  in  the  following  man- 
ner :  Porphyrized  unoxidized  iron  filings,  40  centigrammes ;  iodine,  1 
gramme,  65  to  80  centig. ;  water  8  grammes  ;  simple  syrup  500  grammes. 
The  iron  and  iodine  are  triturated  in  a  mortar,  the  water  being  added  drop 
20 
