A  Aprini,  mT' }  Form  alas  for  Poultices.  177 
I  may  also  state  that  in  several  other  experiments  of  which  I  kept  no 
record,  no  increase  in  the  quantity  of  cream  was  perceived  after  three 
or  four  hours  : — 
Apparent  percentage 
No.  Hours.  Temperature.  of  cream. 
(43°  .       .       .       .  14. 
A"  4'  \55°     .       .       .  .  8J. 
2  4  J  45°  12. 
z*  4'  \60°     .  8. 
3  2  (45°.  .  .  .  14. 
d*  \60°     .  .  12. 
- — Pharm.  Journ.  and  Trans.,  Jan.  25,  1873. 
FORMULAS  FOR  POULTICES.* 
The  article  "  Cataplasm,"  in  the  new  Dictionnaire  des  Sciences 
Medicales  has  been  worked  up  by  M.  Brochin  as  completely  as  possi- 
ble to  the  actual  state  of  our  knowledge  of  this  ancient  method  or 
treatment.  Amongst  the  opinions  of  authors  and  the  modern  modes 
of  compounding  cataplasms,  M.  Brochin  cites  those  of  Cayol,  Brous- 
sais,  Reveillc-Parise,  and  especially  Velpeau  and  Trousseau.  The 
editor  of  the  Journal  de  Medecine,  from  whom  we  quote  this  article, 
observes  that  he  has  had  the  opportunity  of  following  the  last-named 
illustrious  physician  for  some  years,  and  never  heard  him  order  either 
a  bath  or  a  cataplasm  ;  occasionally,  however,  and  with  a  certain  air 
of  solemnity,  he  would  order  the  poultice.  This  was  made  nearly  as 
follows  : 
Extract  of  Stramonium,  or 
Extract  of  Belladonna  ; 
Extract  of  Opium  ; 
Camphor  in  Powder  ; 
Water.  Of  each  10  parts.  Mix. 
A  bread  poultice  having  been  made,  some  camphorated  alcohol  is  to 
be  boiled  with  it ;  the  paste  should  then  be  enclosed  in  a  little  muslin 
or  tarletan,  and  the  surface  watered  with  the  above  mixture.  It  is 
then  to  be  applied,  and  covered  with  some  impervious  cloth  and  a  large 
piece  of  flannel.  M.  Brochin  leaves  out  the  camphor  in  powder,  and 
replaces  it  with  ten  parts  of  ether.  This  topical  application,  which  is 
rather  expensive,  can  be  retained  in  place  several  days.  Trousseau 
*  Practitioner,  from  the  Journal  de  Medicine. 
9 
