MISCELLANY. 
349 
taken as an effervescing draught. The decomposition is as follows ; 1st, 
carbonate of the protoxide of iron; 2nd, sulphate of soda; 3d, a little un- 
decomposed carbonate of soda, the quantity ot bicarbonate being more 
than sufficient for the decomposition of the sulphate of iron. — Imer, Jour. 
Med. Sci. — Dublin Jour, from Summarium des Neuesten in der Heilkunde. 
Battley's Liquor opii Sedativus and Liquor Cinchonas. — This prepara- 
tion, which has been made according to a secret formula for many years, 
is said to be formed simply by macerating opium in distilled water for a 
given time at an equable and gentle temperature (that of the laboratory,) 
with free access of light and air. About a seventh part of alcohol is added 
at the end of the process, in order to preserve the liquor. 
Mr. Battley's "Liquor Cinchonae" is prepared by macerating seven 
pounds of coarsely-powdered bark in seven gallons of distilled water for 
24 hours, straining, and evaporating, to a certain extent, in wedgwood 
dishes. About four ounces of spirit may be added to preserve the liquid. 
It is said to be a preparation equal to quinin : seven or eight drops are a 
sufficient dose. 
American Journal of Medical Sciences, and Lancet. 
On Pharmaceutical Preparations. — Dr. Robert D. Thomson exhibited 
to the Westminster Medical Society (March 26th 1836) several specimens 
of vegetable concentrated extracts, which were prepared by careful atten- 
tion to the nature of the elements which entered into their composition. 
He remarked, that in regard to extracts, it is an important object to reject 
all those parts which have no action upon the animal system. For ex- 
ample, in the extract of conium, the only constituents which can possess 
any remedial agency, are extractive or tannic acid (both of which names are 
applied to substances possessing identical properties,) and the oxide of 
coneine. But tannic acid readily decomposes under particular circum- 
stances, as by exposure to the air, when saturated with moisture, and is 
then converted into a different substance, ulmine or ulmic acid, possessing 
different properties. The principle coneine, in which the narcotic proper- 
ties of the conium maculatum reside, is a colourless oil, but when exposed 
to the atmosphere, it is changed into a green resin, which imparts its 
colour to the extract. Hence a good green colour is a test of the genuine 
nature of this extract, if proceeding from the proper colouring matter, and 
hence a spurious extract is too often introduced into apothecaries' shops, 
which is coloured by means of salts or copper. The specimens of this 
extract before the Society, possessed the green colour of the oxide of co- 
neine in perfection, and after having been kept for two years, was as per- 
fect as when first formed, and not a trace of copper could be detected by 
appropriate tests. It was double the strength of the common extract of 
the shops, a dose consisting of two grains and a half. The specimen of 
