78 
Liq.  Magnesice  Bisulphitis. 
J  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
I    Feb.  1, 1872. 
as,  according  to  Dr.  Leared,  this  common  complaint  is  due  to  the  pres- 
ence of  butyric  acid  in  the  stomach.  "  On  considering  the  taste,'' 
says  that  gentleman,  "  experienced,  as  well  as  the  conditions  under 
which  heartburn  comes  on,  it  seemed  to  me  that  the  cause  of  it  was 
the  presence  of  butyric  acid  ;"  and  from  many  experiments  performed 
by  that  gentleman  on  himself  and  others  by  means  of  the  pure  acid, 
symptoms  were  produced  in  every  respect  similar  to  the  complaint 
itself,  so  that  there  can  be  little  doubt  but  that  his  theory  is  a  correct 
one.  The  very  fact  that  alkalies  give  relief  prove  its  cause  to  be  from 
an  acid.  When  the  stomach  is  overtaxed,  and  in  certain  weak  con- 
ditions of  digestion,  fermentation  takes  place ;  butyric  acid  is  set 
free  from  the  food,  i.  e.  it  is  formed  out  of  its  own  elements,  if  the 
food  be  of  a  starchy  nature  ;  and,  according  to  Leared  "  On  Imperfect 
Digestion,"  page  249,  "  the  acid,  by  being  in  excess,  but  not  pure 
(or  it  would  be  soluble),  rises  to  the  surface  of  the  contents  of  the  sto- 
mach, when  it  combines  with  me'lted  fats  (for  which  it  appears  to  have 
a  strong  affinity)  ;  the  acrid  mixture,  on  being  presented  to  the  car- 
diac orifice  by  the  motions  of  the  stomach,  is  instinctively  rejected 
into  the  oesophagus,  and,  by  the  reversal  of  its  proper  movement, 
transmitted  to  the  mouth,  accompanied  by  the  sensations  of  heart- 
burn." Now,  as  bisulphites  have  the  power  of  preventing  this  fer- 
mentation, they  are  well  worthy  the  attention  of  the  profession,  but 
the  great  drawback  is  that  the  chief  bisulphite  manufactures  are 
those  of  lime,  soda  and  potash,  these  being  objectionable,  as  they 
tend  to  injure  the  coats  of  the  stomach.  To  remedy  this  failing,  the 
thought  at  once  suggested  itself  to  me  that  a  bisulphite  of  magnesia 
might  be  prepared  ;  and  magnesia  being  free  from  these  objections,  it 
may  prove  a  valuable  remedy,  and  is  worth  notice.  I  have  not  seen 
or  heard  anything  of  the  preparation  previous  to  my  making  it.  I 
therefore  give  a  brief  outline  of  the  process  I  adopt,  and  hope  to  enter 
more  fully  into  the  subject  at  a  future  time.  I  first  treat  magnesia 
carbonate  with  B.  P.  sulphurous  acid,  which,  on  evaporation,  yields 
magnesia  sulphite,  Mg  S03,  which  is  not  very  soluble  in  distilled 
water.  I  then  mix  the  sulphite  of  magnesia  thus  formed  with  dis- 
tilled water,  in  the  proportion  of  16  grs.  to  £j.  and  pass  into  it  sul- 
phurous anhydride  until  a  clear  solution  is  obtained.  The  result  is  a 
solution  of  magnesia  bisulphite. 
The  dose  may  be  one  tablespoonful,  containing  about  nine  grains  of 
the  salt ;  its  action  is  a  mild  aperient  antiseptic,  preventing  butyric 
