294 
Pleis  Fit  Powders. 
(  Am.  Jour.  Phaem. 
1     July  1, 1871. 
[We  omit  the  analytical  details  and  calculations  and  condense  the 
author's  results  into  the  following  tables  :] 
100  parts  of  the  four  samples  yielded 
Powers  &  Weightinan. 
80  79 
0-37 
Bi03 
AgCl 
As   
CI  0-18 
I  at  120^  2-30  f.o. 
I  by  ignition  2-01 1 
NOo  14-85 
Roserigarten 
&  Sons. 
81-67 
trace 
A.  W.  Wright. 
&  Co. 
81-08 
trace 
trace 
trace 
1-80 
2 
95 
14-45 
2-  02 
3-  28 
The  composition  of  these  samples  is  as  follows 
BiO.3  NOo 
Bi03,  3H0 
BiCl3+2(HO,Bi03 
AgCl 
Arsenic 
Water  uncombined 
(difference) 
79-20 
18-33 
1-36 
0-37 
0-74 
100  00 
77-07 
21-24 
trace 
1-69 
100  00 
I  5-30 
13-77 
73-44 
23-88 
trace 
trace 
tiace 
100-00 
Kurlbaum 
&  Co. 
81-73 
trace 
0-78 
09 
14-  27 
76-90 
15-  48 
5-94 
trace 
1-68 
100  00 
PLEIS'  FIT  POWDERS. 
By  a.  W.  Miller,  M.  D. 
This  nostrum  is  advertised  extensively  in  this  city  and  vicinity  as 
an  infallible  remedy  for  epilepsy,  popularly  termed  "fits."  The  cir- 
culars issued  by  the  proprietor  distinctly  claim  that  these  powders 
have  never  failed  when  used  according  to  directions.  Presuming  this 
assertion  to  be  correct,  they  would  form  one  of  the  most  valuable 
additions  to  our  materia  medica,  as  epilepsy  is  well  known  to  be  one 
of  the  most  intractable  of  all  chronic  diseases,  baffling  in  but  too 
many  instances  the  most  skillful  practitioners. 
In  order  to  determine,  if  possible,  in  what  respect  this  article  differs 
from  the  remedies  usually  resorted  to  by  the  profession,  a  box  of  the 
preparation  was  examined.  It  contained  24  powders  of  odd  sizes, 
folded  in  a  slovenly  manner,  and  presenting  a  general  untidy  appear- 
ance. The  division  of  the  material  had  evidently  not  been  very 
carefully  managed,  as  scarcely  any  two  of  the  papers  contained  the 
same  amount.    The  w^eight  of  the  separate  powders  was  found  to  vary 
