256 ON THE TRANSFORMATION OF MERCURY, ETC. 
by little and little, to the bottom of the vessel, and after some 
time it may be collected to be subjected to particular exami- 
nation. 
2. That sal-ammoniac, and other alkaline chlorides, do not 
prevent the change taking place, and that, in as short a space 
of time, contrary to the opinions of some writers, who pretend, 
that in such a case, in the instance of sal-ammoniac, for ex- 
ample, when added to the mercurial salt, it gives stability to 
it, and prevents the reduction taking place. 
3. That with the cook's syrup, previously acidulated by a 
few drops of hydrochloric acid, the reduction of the sublimate 
into calomel, equally takes place. 
4. That the simple syrup of sarsaparilla (prepared from the 
hydro-alcoholic extract of the root, according to the formula) 
also transforms the sublimate into calomel. 
5. That the syrup of honey, completely freed from the wax 
by means of chalk, also effects its reduction ; but that with this 
and the preceding preparation, the complete transformation 
appears to be much slower in being effected, for we have found 
it possible, after a contact of two months, to separate a small 
quantity of sublimate by shaking it up with ether, while we 
have been unable to discover that salt when mixed with the 
cook's syrup, after the same lapse of time, and by resorting to 
the same means. 
6. That the pure syrup of sugar does not decompose the 
sublimate, as M. Mialhe has also ascertained. 
In the presence of there being well-established facts of 
which a good many medical men hold no account, for we still 
see them, we may almost say, daily prescribe sublimate mixed 
w T ith cook's syrup, or some analogous preparation, we have 
asked ourselves if, among the soluble preparations of mercury 
possessing medicinal properties analogous to those of sublimate, 
there may not be some w T hich could be mixed with syrups 
loaded with extractive matter, without undergoing decompo- 
sition ? We have made experiments on this subject, and have 
