176 
MISCELLANY. 
now cite eleven cures well established in the cases of nine young men, 
and two females, one forty years old, the other sixty. 
"I commenced by administering- only a drachm of the syrup, and this 
was given morning and evening; no other precautions were taken besides 
enjoining a moderate diet and some hygienic measures. I have augmented 
gradually the dose of the syrup until I have given an ounce in the twenty- 
four hours. The first case in which I had occasion to employ it, was 
that of a young man, for two years laboring under a gastritis, which had 
resisted all the remedies employed. He suffered much, and his condition 
was becoming most alarming; he had become so weak and emaciated as 
to present the appearance of phthisis. The efficacy of the remedy was 
such, that after a month's exhibition the'gastritis had entirely disappeared, 
and yet the maximum quantity of syrup taken in the twenty -four hours 
did not exceed six drachms. In spite of so satisfactory a result, I did 
not lay aside distrust, and employed the medicine with the same reserve 
in a second case, and with the same success, for the patient was cured in 
twenty-four days. 
"The other cures, obtained by the same treatment, were neither less 
certain or less conclusive, so that I regard the discovery of codeia as a 
true blessing to humanity, especially in a climate like ours, where gas- 
tritis is so common." — Journ. de Pharmacie. 
Action of Iron at a high temperature upon Benzoic acid ; production of 
Benzin. — M. Felix D'Arcet passed the vapor of benzoic acid over red 
hot iron; by this he obtained a yellowish fluid oil which had an empy- 
reumatic odor mixed with that of bitter almonds. This oil, was rectified 
on a saltwater bath, and left a pitchy residue ; the distilled fluid was 
very fluid and colorless ; it had a peculiar odor, boiled at 185° F., and con- 
gealed at 21°. By decomposition with oxide of copper it was found 
to consist of 
Hydrogen, 7.935 
Carbon, 92.065 
100.000 
This liquid is therefore benzin, composed of six equivalents of hydrogen 
and twelve equivalents of carbon ; its production is attended with the for- 
mation of carbonic acid, and supposing hydrated benzoic acid to have 
been used, the action must have been thus : 
Hydrogen, Carbon, Oxygen, 
Benzoic acid, 6 14 4 
Carbonic acid separated, 2 + 4 
Benzin obtained, 6 + 12 
