ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 
decayed. " " In two others the plumule had pushed out be- 
yond the coating of the seed, but only formed a kind of 
fungous protuberance, which, in a short time, became quite 
putrid, with a peculiar odor, like decaying animal matter." 
This experiment evinced some feeble retention of vitality. 
J. C. 
ART. XL VI. — OBSERVATIONS ON THE CARBONATE AND 
PROTOMURIATE OF IRON. By William Procter, Jr. 
There has heretofore been an uncertainty connected with 
the medicinal power of several of the preparations of iron, 
from the fact that they are variable in strength. 
This is easily accounted for when we consider the difficulty 
experienced in being able to present the iron in such a form 
as readily to unite with the acids with which it may be wished 
to combine it so as to control its quantity, and, at the same 
time, to preserve it from further oxidation if in the state of 
protoxide. 
The recent discovery of a method of preparing the equiva- 
lent carbonate of iron, by M. Vallet,* has placed this deside- 
ratum at our disposal, and, with this agent, the pharmaceutist 
may offer to the physician these remedies in an unexceptionable 
form. 
Carbonate of Iron, as generally prepared, contains less than 
eight per cent, of carbonic acid, while the remainder is princi- 
pally the peroxide of iron, which, from its insolubility,possesses 
little activity. M Vallet has observed that the presence of 
sugar in the process for making this salt, prevents the action 
of the oxygen of the air, and, at the same time, allows the de- 
composition to proceed in so perfect a manner as to prevent 
the evolution and consequent loss of any carbonic acid. To 
* Journal de Pharmacie. 
