V 
168  SACCHARATED  LIME. 
acrid  one  of  lime  ;  but  this  is  immediately  replaced  by  a  sweet 
taste  in  the  back  of  the  mouth,  admitted  to  be  pleasant.  Made 
as  just  recommended,  the  solution  is  not  liable  to  decomposition 
unless  it  is  exposed  to  the  air.  By  employing  a  smaller  pro- 
portion of  water  to  lime,  a  still  stronger  solution  may  be  obtained, 
but  not  with  any  practical  advantage,  as  there  is  increased  diffi- 
culty of  filtration  and  greater  tendency  to  decomposition." 
This  preparation,  Dr.  C.  states,  "is,  of  course,  a  powerful 
antacid,  and  probably  the  best  we  have,  since  it  is  stronger  and 
pleasanter  than  magnesia,  and  does  not  weaken  digestion  like 
the  alkalies.  Far  from  doing  so,  its  most  important  use  is  as 
a  tonic  of  the  alimentary  system  in  cases  of  obstinate  dyspep- 
sia. As  such,  its  action  is  much  more  powerful  than  that  of 
the  vegetable  stomachic  tonics.  It  is  suitable  for  cases  with  too 
little  as  well  as  for  those  with  too  great  secretion  of  gastric  juice, 
no  doubt  because  the  former  state  of  matters  is  obviously  a  re- 
sult of  atony,  which  the  lime  removes.  It  seems  particularly 
serviceable  in  gouty  constitutions.  In  the  dyspepsia  of  hysteri- 
cal and  anemic  cases  it  does  not  seem  to  be  of  great  use.  Care 
should  be  taken  to  tell  the  patient  not  to  take  it  before  break- 
fast, as  it  sometimes  causes  a  degree  of  nausea  in  the  morning, 
when  the  stomach  is  empty.  It  suits  very  well  to  take  it  imme- 
diately after  meals  ;  its  alkalinity  does  not  at  all  interfere  with 
digestion.  Practitioners  seem  generally  to-  take  up  the  prejudice 
beforehand,  that  saccharated  lime  must  be  liable  to  produce 
constipation,  probably  judging  so  from  the  action  of  chalk  ;  but 
I  wish  particularly  to  insist  that  it  has  not,  in  the  slightest  de- 
gree, any  tendency  to  occasion  such  an  effect.  On  the  contrary, 
it  is  a  very  valuable  means  of  overcoming  gradually  that  chronic 
constipation  which  is  so  frequent  an  accompaniment  of  dyspep- 
sia;  and  persons  who  have  for  years  been  in  the  constant 
habit  of  using  aperient  medicines  have  been  able  to  abandon 
them  in  great  measure  after  taking  this  remedy  for  some  time. 
In  a  single  instance  it  acted  as  a  purgative.,  so  that  its  use  could 
not  be  continued.  It  will  be  found  serviceable  in  checking  the 
diarrhoea  of  disordered  digestion,  acting  as  lime-water  does, 
only  that  the  latter  is  so  dilute  that  it  is  often  impossible 
to  administer  it  to  adults  in  the  quantity  desirable.  Patients 
who  take  saccharated  lime  habitually  get  to  like  the  taste,  and 
seem  to  think  it  exhilarating.     It  may  be  found  useful  also  in 
