ON DIAPHORETIC ANTIMONY. 
297 
ART. XLII.— ON DIAPHORETIC ANTIMONY.* 
By Oscar Figuier. 
This preparation is most generally known, in the shops, 
by the name of white oxide of antimony, and is extensively 
employed by practitioners. It is the compound which the 
French Codex, of 1818, designates by the name of oxidum 
stibii album mediante nitro confectum. 
All pharmacologists are far from according in the mode of 
preparing this medicine, and one of the most unfortunate 
effects of this disagreement is, that the products obtained by 
the different methods do not present similarity in their com- 
position and properties. 
It results from the experiments of M. B?rzelius, on this 
subject, that when a large excess of nitre is not employed, the 
product contains, in a state of mixture, differently oxydised 
compounds of antimony. M. Soubeiran has admitted that 
such is the composition of diaphoretic antimony, obtained by 
equal quantities of nitre and antimony, according to the 
Codex of lSlS.t 
* This paper is an extract from a monograph upon the substances de- 
signated under the name of white oxide of antimony, which obtained the 
gold medal of the Royal Society of Medicine, Surgery, and Pharmacy, of 
Toulouse. 
f The following are the directions taken from the revised Codex of 1837. 
Super Antimoniate of Potassa. 
{Jintimonie Diaphoretique lave. ) 
Super Stibias Potassicus. 
R. Pure Antimony, {Stibium purum,) 1000 
Nitrate of Potassa, {Nitras potassicus,) 2000 
Reduce each of these bodies to a fine powder, and mix intimately. 
Throw the mixture by small portions at a time into a crucible, previously 
heated to redness. When it is almost full, fit on the cover, and continue 
the heat for about half an hour. Then remove the contained pasty matter, 
allow it to cool, place it in a stoneware pan, and pour upon it a sufficient 
quantity of clear water. Allow the substance to break up of itself, then 
agitate with a wooden ladle, wash by decantation until the water no 
vol. v. — NO. IV. 
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