322 
POISONING  BY  FRUIT  OF  RHUS  TOXICODENDRON. 
ing  agent  ?  A  solution  of  benzoic  acid  added  to  a  solution  of  the 
tersulphide  caused  a  white  precipitate ;  the  tersulphide  was 
decomposed,  and  the  offensive  odor  was  intensified. 
About  a  fluidrachm  of  anise  water  (prepared  after  the  man- 
ner of  preparing  camphor-water)  was  added  to  an  ounce  of  the 
ten-grain  solution  of  the  tersulphide  of  potassium,  and  the  odor 
instantly  changed  its  character,  and  was  no  longer  offensive.  A 
like  effect  followed  the  addition  of  a  single  drop  of  the  oil  of 
anise  to  two  ounces  of  the  same  solution.  No  perceptible 
chemical  change  occurred  in  the  solution. 
A  single  drop  of  oil  of  anise  was  rubbed  with  a  drachm  of 
lard,  and  then  five  grains  of  tersulphide  of  potassium  in  fine 
powder  were  thoroughly  mixed  with  it,  to  form  an  ointment 
which  was  without  offensive  odor. 
The  oil  of  anise  employed  in  these  experiments  was  more 
than  two  years  old. 
Is  the  phenomenon  just  mentioned  due  in  any  manner  to  the 
quality  possessed  by  the  vapor  of  the  oil  of  aniseed  to  intercept 
radiant  heat  ?  Professor  Tyndall,  in  his  recent  work,  "  Heat 
considered  as  a  Mode  of  Motion,"  (New  York  edition,  p.  374,) 
states  that,  regarding  dry  air  at  the  tension  of  one  atmosphere 
as  unity,  the  absorbent  power  of  the  vapor  of  the  oil  of  aniseed 
in  intercepting  radiant  heat  is  represented  at  372,  which  is 
greater  than  that  of  any  other  essential  oil  mentioned  by  him 
in  this  connection. 
Whether  this  is  to  be  regarded  as  an  instance  of  catalysis,  and 
the  presence  of  the  oil  simply  arrests  the  evolution  of  hyposul- 
phuric  acid,  is  a  question  to  be  determined.  Chemists  may  or 
may  not  regard  these  suggestions  worthy  of  consideration.  I 
cannot  attempt  to  account  for  the  phenomenon. 
Navy  Yard,  Boston,  Mass.,  April  2,  1864. 
— Amer.  Jour.  Med.  Sci..  Oct.,  1864. 
POISONING  BY  EATING  THE   FRUIT  OF  THE  RHUS 
TOXICODENDRON. 
By  J.  W.  Moorman,  of  Hardinsburg,  Ky. 
The  poisonous  effects  of  the  Rhus  Toxicodendron  are  well 
known.  (See  Griffiths  Medical  Botany,  p.  184 ;  U.  S.  Dispensa- 
