VARIETIES. 
85 
of  sulphate  qf  zinc  in  the  apothecary's  shop,  whither  he  was  at  once  taken, 
or  later  to  use  the  stomach  pump  at  the  hospital.  He  died  in  thirty  min- 
utes after  drinking  what  he  supposed  to  be  a  harmless  draught  of  water. 
The  liquid  was  a  solution  of  cyanide  of  potassium  in  water,  of  the  same 
strength  as  that  swallowed  in  the  first  case — a  pound  to  the  gallon.  The 
quantity  taken  was  therefore  about  half  a  drachm  of  one  of  the  most 
deadly  poisons  known,  of  which  two  or  three  grains  are  sufficient  to  kill  a 
large  animal,  and  five  grains  have  destroyed  human  life  in  several  instan- 
ces. The  prolongation  of  life  in  this,  and  the  wonderful  escape  from  death 
in  the  former  case,  were  undoubtedly  in  great  part  owing  to  the  fact  that 
the  stomach  was  filled  with  food,  and  that  on  this  account  the  poison  was 
not  so  rapidly  converted  into  hydrocyanic  acid  and  absorbed. 
The  editor  justly  remarks: 
"We  are  far  too  lax  in  our  police  regulations  respecting  the  use  and  sale 
of  poisons,  and  if  the  same  energy  which  is  exercised  in  the  enforcement 
of  the  liquor  and  Sunday  laws  were  turned  in  this  direction,  much  good 
would  result." — Med.  News,  July,  1866. 
Liquor  of  Villate. — M.  Houel  presented  to  the  Imperial  Academy  of 
Medicine  (May  2,  1866)  a  pamphlet  on  this  preparation  by  Dr.  Not  i,  of 
Lisieux,  which  drew  from  the  members  some  interesting  remarks,  a  sum- 
mary of  which  may  interest  our  readers. 
The  liquor  of  Villate  is  an  astringent  and  escharotic  preparation  which, 
according  to  the  Veterinary  Pharmacopoeia,  is  composed  as  follows : 
Liquid  Subacetate  of  Lead,  .  ,    30  parts, 
Crystallized  Sulphate  of  Copper, 
Crystallized  Sulphate  of  Zinc,  act,     .  .    15  " 
White  Vinegar,     .  .  .  .  200  " 
Dr.  N.  has  employed  this  preparation  with  success  for  many  years  in 
the  treatment  of  caries,  and  of  fistulas  following  cold  abscesses.  The  me- 
moir of  Dr.  Notta  contains  numerous  striking  cases  drawn  from  his  own 
practice  and  that  of  M.  Nelaton,  showing  the  efficacy  of  this  preparation. 
There  is  much  difference  of  opinion,  however,  among  the  members  of  the 
Society  of  Surgery  of  Paris  in  regard  to  this  article.  MM.  Houel,  Leon, 
Labbe,  and  Desormeaux  assert  that  they  have  obtained  the  best  results 
from  its  use,  and  have  never  seen  any  injury  or  even  serious  inconvenience 
result  from  it. 
On  the  contrary,  MM.  Legouest,  Chassaignac,  Boinet,  Le  Fort,  and 
Laborie,  state  that  it  occasions  excessive,  insupportable  pain,  irritation, 
and  very  serious  inflammation.  Finally,  MM.  Follin  and  Verneuil  have 
used  it  sometimes  with  good,  sometimes  bad  effects  ;  both  have  found  in- 
jections of  the  fluid  induce  acute  pain  ;  the  first  has  never  seen  any  injury 
result,  the  second  has  witnessed  severe  inflammation,  which,  however,  re- 
sulted in  a  cure. — Med.  News,  July,  1866,  from  Revue  de  Therapeutique 
Med.-Chirurg.,  June  1,  1866. 
