118  PROCESS  FOR  REDUCING  OXIDE  OF  IRON. 
The  author  concludes  his  essay  by  a  review  of  the  diseases  in 
"which  he  has  employed  veratria. 
Aconitia.  The  author  has  experimented  with  this  alkaloid  on 
dogs,  rabbits,  birds,  frogs  and  fish. 
Aconitia  slackens  respiration,  paralyzes  the  system  of  volun- 
tary muscles  and  deprives  the  cerebral  nerves  of  their  power  of 
action;  it  appears  to  be  nearly  without  influence  on  the  circula- 
tion, or  at  least  it  renders  this  very  variable  and  irregular.  It 
produces  a  dilatation  of  the  pupil,  and  an  augmentation  of  the 
saliva,  whilst  the  urine  does  not  appear  to  be  affected.  It  occa- 
sions in  man  a  painful  sensation  in  the  cheeks,  upper  jaw  and 
forehead,  and  causes  death  by  asphyxia.  The  author  says  but 
little  in  regard  to  the  diseases  in.  which  it  should  be  used.  It 
ought  certainly  to  be  useful  in  delirium  and  mania  arising  from 
excitement.  Perhaps  it  will  be  indicated  in  "  tonic  or  clonic  " 
cramp,  in  tetanus,  trismus,  chorea,  and  spasmodic  asthma  of  a 
nervous  type. 
The  largest  dose  given  by  the  author  without  danger  was 
three-quarters  of  a  grain  (0.0488  gramme.*) 
NEW  PROCESS  FOR  REDUCING  OXIDE  OF  IRON  BY  MEANS  OF 
CARBONIC  OXIDE. 
By  M.  Eugene  Feguex, 
Reduced  iron,  quite  lately  scarcely  known  as  a  product  of  the 
laboratory,  has  become,  since  the  important  researches  of  M. 
Que'venne,  a  therapeutic  agent  of  great  value ;  because  of  its  perfect 
insipidity,  easy  tolerance  by  the  stomach,  and  prompt  assimila- 
tion, advantages  which  no  other  ferruginous  preparation  can 
dispute  with  it. 
It  is  ordinarily  prepared  by  reducing  one  of  the  oxides  of  iron 
by  means  of  hydrogen,  an  expensive  process,  since  it  requires 
*[Note. — Either  there  is  some  mistake  in  the  figures  used  at  page  164  of 
the  Repertoire  de  Pharmacie,  for  1855,  from  which  wo  translate  this  article, 
or  else  the  aconitia  used  by  Dr.  Praag  was  impure,  as,  in  fact,  much  of  the 
commercial  aconitia  is  known  to  be.  For  this  reason  we  feel  best  satisfied  to 
caution  our  medical  readers,  as  in  a  much  more  minute  dose  its  power  has 
been  manifested  in  other  hands. — Editor  Am.  Jour.  Pharm.] 
