252 
MINUTE DIVISION OF MERCURY. 
pletely united. Mr. Earle frequently ordered this compound, 
and stated, that in obstinate cases, in which the usual mercurial 
remedies failed to affect the system, three or four grains of 
the " pilula conii cum hydrargyro" had the desired effect in 
a short time. He also observed, that in almost all cases in 
which hyd. cum creta or pit. hydrarg. were indicated as an 
alterative, the addition of the conium was rather an advantage 
than otherwise, as its sedative properties facilitated the ab- 
sorption of the mercury by preventing its action on the 
bowels, while the narcotic effect was not perceptibly objec- 
tionable. 
Following up this idea, it occurred to me that - other ex- 
tracts might be applicable for the reduction of mercury in the 
same manner, which the subjoined experiments prove to be 
the case. 
Extract of hyoscyamus was found to unite with metallic 
mercury, by trituration, in about half an hour ; extractum 
sarsae. in twenty minutes ; extractum taraxaci in ten minutes, 
and extractum rhei in about twenty minutes. In mixing 
these preparations, a very perceptible change takes place in 
the extract, at the time the union commences. Ext. hyoscia- 
mi, for instance, loses its friable and spongy texture, becomes 
adhesive and plastic, making a crackling noise as it is stirred 
in the mortar. The union with ext. taraxaci appears to be 
more complete than with any of the others ; for it was found 
impossible entirely to separate the mercury afterwards by 
washing. Filtering paper, the texture of which was such as 
to allow the passage of the extract, would not retain the mer- 
cury, which came through it in so minute a division that it 
scarcely had the appearance of a precipitate, but seemed to be 
completely suspended in the liquor. 
This property of dividing mercury cannot depend upon any 
acid which the extracts contain, since vegetable acids have 
little or no chemical action on the metal, and extractum 
taraxaci, supersaturated with caustic potash, was found to 
divide it as easily as without the addition of the alkali. 
The elements of an extract being united, namely, albumen, 
