GLEANINGS — PHARMACEUTICAL,  ETC.  403 
In  making  the  "Ferruginous  Wine  of  Bark,"  2 J  drachms 
of  the  pyrophosphate  and  77  grains  of  extract  of  pale  bark  are 
dissolved  in  32  ounces  of  white  wine. 
Subearbonate  of  Bismuth. — Dr.  Hannon,  of  Brussels,  (Bull,  de 
Therapeutique,  Feb.  15,  1857,)  gives  the  following  method  of 
preparing  this  salt  and  of  using  it  therapeutically :  The  bismuth 
is  first  purified  by  melting  the  metal  in  powder  with  ten  times 
its  weight  of  powdered  nitre.  After  cooling,  the  metal  is  again 
powdered,  and  this  process  with  nitre  repeated,  which  frees  it  from 
arseniurets  and  sulphurets,  which  it  almost  always  contains.  One 
part  of  this  bismuth  is  then  dissolved  in  three  parts  of  nitric 
acid,  the  solution  evaporated  to  two-thirds  of  its  bulk,  and  then 
added  drop  by  drop  to  a  solution  of  carbonate  of  soda,  when  a 
white  subearbonate  of  bismuth  precipitates.  The  precipitate  is 
then  washed  five  or  six  times  with  distilled  water,  and  lastly  on 
a  filter  to  remove  all  traces  of  carbonate  of  soda.  After  drying, 
it  should  be  preserved  in  well  stopped  vials. 
Dr.  Hannon  remarks  that  the  physiological  properties  of  the 
salts  of  bismuth  are  very  little  known,  for  the  reason  that  the 
subnitrate  is  the  only  salt  which  has  been  employed  in  medicine, 
and  the  insolubility  of  this  salt  renders  it  inefficient  in  most  of 
the  cases  in  which  it  is  indicated.  The  subearbonate  now  con- 
sidered is  soluble  in  the  gastric  juice,  its  action  is  rapid,  it  pro- 
duces no  sensation  of  weight  in  the  stomach  like  the  subnitrate, 
it  rarely  constipates,  colors  the  stools  less  than  the  subnitrate, 
and  may  be  long  employed  without  oppressing  the  stomach. 
The  action  of  the  subearbonate  appears  to  be  at  first  sedative 
and  subsequently  excites  the  phenomena  which  result  from  the 
action  of  tonics. 
Its  therapeutical  uses  point  to  "  all  cases  of  gastralgia  con- 
secutive upon  phlegmasia  of  the  digestive  passages,  cases  in 
which  the  tongue  is  red  and  pointed,  and  cases  in  which  the  di- 
gestion is  laborious  and  accompanied  with  putrid  and  acid  eruc- 
tations, or  in  which  there  is  a  tendency  to  diarrhoea  or  spasmodic 
vomiting,"  demand  the  employment  of  subearbonate  of  bismuth. 
This  salt  is  also  indicated  « in  the  vomiting  of  children,  whether 
caused  by  teething  or  caused  by  fits  of  indigestion,  and  in  the 
diarrhoea  of  weak  children,  especially  when  occuring  at  the 
time  of  weaning." 
