ON VALERIANATE OF QUININE. 
69 
rian to the medicinal agent of the most powerful of our exotic 
products. According to Mr. Devay, this provision is fully 
justified by clinical verification: valerianate of quinine in 
small doses is anti-periodic, very effectual, and superior to 
the sulphate by its nevro-sthenic properties. 
Doubtless the gastro-intestinal accidents produced by this 
latter salt have been much exaggerated; still, it is no less 
true that the sulphate is much more irritating than the bark in 
substance ; first, by reason of its greater solubility; and again, 
because it has not the corrective properties possessed by the 
Peruvian bark, viz. — tannin. 
It is not so with the valerianate. In this last product the 
quinine is modified by its intimate association with a vegetable 
acid, which, to a slightly perturbating action upon the nervous 
system, joins those eminently characteristic of Peruvian bark. 
There is, in this, a fact connected with therapeutic dynamics, 
concerning which we cannot too much engage physicians to 
consider attentively. Thus, as we said before, in our first 
memoir, valerianate of zinc is an antispasmodic raised to its 
highest power ; so valerianate of quinine is a medicine en- 
dowed with antiperiodic powers of the greatest energy. This 
is a fact we have acquired through numerous cases zealously 
collected several months since. But it is due to us to say, 
that the administration of the valerianate will for a long time 
expose the practitioner to mistakes, until the apothecaries 
generally become experienced in its composition, and in all 
the minute and delicate preparations required by it. Mr. 
Devay remarks, that to judge of the therapeutic action of va- 
lerianate of quinine, it is necessary, first of all, to satisfy our- 
selves of the excellence of its composition. His experiments 
were made with valerianate of quinine, prepared under his 
supervision by Mr. Guillermond, a skilful pharmaceutist of 
Lyons. 
Characters. 
According to the analyses of the Prince of Canino, who was 
the first to prepare and describe valerianate of quinine, this 
