MISCELLANY. 
349 
the least sulphur, they have remarked repeatedly, the production of appre- 
ciable quantities of hydro-sulphuric acid ; this can only be attributed, say 
they, to the partial reduction of the sulphuric acid, by the nascent hydro- 
gen. 
This is regarded, by the repoiters, as an interesting fact, since it shows 
that when hydro-sulphuric acid is generated in an acid liquid, containing 
arsenious acid, a mutual action should ensue, giving rise to the formation 
of sulphuret of arsenic, the presence of which would not be revealed by 
Marsh's method, as the gentlemen have assured themselves — hence in 
cases where the quantity of arsenic is small, it may either escape his* no- 
tice altogether, or else be so feebly indicated as to fail in establishing con- 
viction. — Ibid. 
Urinary Calculi composed of Ckolos ferine. — In a letter addressed t to the 
editor of the Journal de Chimie Medicare, M. Batilliat renews the asser- 
tion which he had previously made, that he had met with urinary calculi 
composed of cholosterine, and the accuracy of which assertion had been 
questioned by M. Pelletan. It appears that on the occasion of this fact 
being reported for the first time, M. Pelletan questioned the possiblity of 
the concretion being other than of biliary origin. In reply, M. Batilliat 
says that it is the duty of the chemist to be satisfied with determining the 
composition of concretions which are submitted to him for examination, 
and to allow to physiologists the explanation of their origin and formation. 
He then renews the statement in the following words: — "It is not the less 
certain, that the calculi of which 1 spoke are derived from the urine, and 
are composed of cholosterine, as M. Pelletan is himself well assured." 
This is a case sufficiently remarkable to be ranked among urinary con- 
cretions. — Ibid. 
Crystals of Sulphur in the compound tincture of Cochlearia. — The presence 
of sulphur in the plants of the natural family Crucifera, cannot, at the 
present day, be called in doubt, as every one knows that it is a constituent 
of the volatile oil of these plants. 1 do not know, however, that any one 
since Baume, has announced the detection of crystals of sulphur in a 
preparation obtained from the plants by distillation. We have lately col- 
lected a small quantity from the compound tincture of cochlearia, prepared 
July, 1840, and which was exposed to cold, the last winter. To satisfy 
ourselves that the crystals were really sulphur, we projected them on 
burning coals, and perceived them to burn with a blue flame, and to give 
off the characteristic odour of sulphurous acid. — Ibid. 
On the Distilled Water of Bitter Almonds. By Jacob Bell. — The sub- 
ject was introduced by an allusion to the use of this remedy as an external 
application, by several medical men, among whom were mentioned the 
