THERAPEUTIC  STUDIES  ON  ESSENCE  OF  VALERIAN.  239 
is  80  per  cent,  of  sulphate  of  magnesia,  15  per  cent,  of  sulphate 
of  iron,  and  5  per  cent,  of  sulphate  of  quinine,  one  scruple  con- 
taining 16,  3,  and  1  grains  of  the  respective  salts.  These  pro- 
portions have  been  found  the  best  for  general  use,  and  allso  for 
the  purposes  of  manufacture.  The  proportion  of  quinine  may  be 
increased  by  prescribing  an  additional  quantity  which  is  readily 
soluble  in  the  solution  of  the  salt. 
One  peculiarity  is  especially  deserving  of  notice ;  that  in 
this  combination  the  assisting  or  adjuvant  property  of  both  iron 
and  quinine  are  remarkably  developed,  the  effect  of  both,  particu- 
larly of  quinine,  being  heightened  in  a  very  marked  manner.  At 
the  same  time,  both  of  the  remedies  are  less  apt  to  disagree  with 
peculiar  constitutions  which  ordinarily  refuse  to  tolerate  either 
iron  or  quinine.  If  the  heightened  power  be  borne  in  mind  in 
prescribing  this  combination,  there  will  be  very  few  cases  found 
in  which  it  will  be  not  be  suitable  whenever  either  iron  or  quinine 
arc  indicated. — London  Pharm.  Journ.  April,  1861. 
THEKAPEUTIC  STUDIES  ON  ESSENCE  OF  VALERIAN. 
By  M.  Barailler. 
The  following  conclusions  have  been  attained  by  Barailler  ; 
1.  Employed  in  the  case  of  a  healthy  man,  the  essence  gives 
rise  to  several  symptoms,  the  principal  of  which  are,  intellec- 
tual sluggishness,  drowsiness,  deep  sleep,  reduction  in  number 
of  arterial  pulsations ;  and,  later,  an  increase  and  an  abundant 
flow  of  urine. 
2.  Given  to  a  sick  m.an,  it  modifies,  in  a  prompt  and  rapid 
manner,  the  symptoms — stupor,  somnolence,  coma  from  some 
dynamic  cause,  which  complicate  severe  fevers. 
3.  This  modification  is  obtained  by  administering  from  50 
centigrammes  to  1  gramme  (from  10  to  20  drops)  of  the  essence 
in  24  hours. 
4.  The  action  of  this  remedy  can  only  be  explained  by  the 
employment  of  the  law  of  similitude,  enunciated  by  Hippocrates 
and  by  a  number  of  the  ancient  authors. 
5.  Certain  nervous  conditions,  such  as  vertigo,  hysteria,  es- 
sential asthma,  &;c.,  are  modified  in  a  remarkable  manner  by  the 
volatile  oil  of  valerian,  which,  under  the  results  of  a  series  of 
new  experiments,  is  capable  of  extending  the  sphere  of  therapeu- 
