Pharmaceutical Notices. By WILLIAM PROCTER, Jr. Donovan's Solution.-The formula for Donovan's solution, as published by its author, and of which a copy is found in the United States Dispensatory, presents so complex an appearance in the way of frac tions of a grain, that many apothecaries, not possessed of a delicate balance and weights are deterred from making it. Another objection is, that a loss of iodine is occasioned by the exposure rendered necessary during the trituration of the three elements with the alcohol during the time that elapses before the combination is effected. The mercury rapidly acquires its dose of iodine, whilst the arsenic, which combines less readily, is liable to all the deficiency occasioned by vaporization. That this occurs is evident from a small quantity of arsenic left undissolved by the distilled water. The proportions in Donovan's formula are 6.08 grains of arsenic, 14.82 grains of mercury, and 49 grains of iodine, which are not exactly in atomic relation. In order that the preparation should be composed of one equivalent of each iodide, the numbers should be 5.5 arsenic, 14.62 mercury, 46.09 iodine, so that there is one-tenth of an equivalent of the arsenical iodide in excess. It is hardly probable that any sensible variation would be observable in the medicinal action of the solution if the iodides were used in equivalent proportion; and as their combining number is the same, the preparation of the solution may be much simplified. The aggregate of the solid contents of half a pint of Donovan's solution is 70 grains, which is composed of 33 grains of biniodide of mercury and 363 grains of sesqui-iodide of arsenic. If the formula was made to require 35 grains of each iodide, and half a pint of water, it would be greatly simplified, and could be made extemporaneously. The addition of hydriodic acid to the solution is unnecessary in this case, and its design in the formula of Donovan is doubtless to supply any deficiency due to loss of iodine in the operation. The following formula, closely resembling that of Donovan in the proportions, avoids the fractions of a grain: Take of Sesqui-iodide of arsenic, 36 grs: 66 Biniodide of mercury, 34" Distilled water, half a pint. Triturate the two iodides with half an ounce of the water until they combine and dissolve, and then add the rest of the water, and filter. The sesqui-iodide of arsenic is easily prepared. One part of metallic arsenic is reduced to an impalpable powder, intimately mixed with five parts of iodine by trituration, then introduced into a small flask or thin vial, and the mixture very gently heated until liquefaction occurs. The vessel should be nearly full, so as to prevent the formation of much iodine vapour, and enable the operator to bring the fused iodide in contact with all parts of it, and include any iodine that may have sublimed on the sides. If, on cooling, the contents of the vial assume a reddish yellow colour and crystallize on the sides of the vial, and no iodine odour is apparent, the operation is finished. The vessel is then fractured and the iodide removed. If the arsenic and iodine are pure, and the process skilfully conducted, nearly the whole of the arsenic is combined, and the compound is quite pure enough for making Donovan's solution without sublimation. The metallic arsenic should be bright and lustrous, and the iodine crystallized and free from water. The ordinary cobalt or fly stone, which is metallic arsenic, is often pure enough for pharmaceutical use. Atropia.-The activity of good extract of belladonna, leaves little to desire on the part of the practitioner in the internal exhibition of this drug, the dose being quite small, yet in its external application, with a view to the dilatation of the pupil of the eye, or as an application in neuralgia, the extract is so disagreeable an application that several European surgeons have sought to avoid the staining effect on the skin by resorting to the active principle, atropia, in an isolated condition. In the February number of the Journal de Pharmacie et de Chimie, it is stated that "among the new remedies employed by M. Berard in the treatment of diseases of the eye, atropia should be placed in the first rank. This alkaloid, which can now be obtained from some pharmaceutists, possesses some incontestable advantages in certain cases over belladonna itself. "The greatest of these advantages is certainly the extreme rapidity with which it affects the dilatation of the pupil even in very minute quantity, as for instance by a solution containing one grain in one hundred grains of distilled water. "Another advantage appreciated by the patient is the fact that the use of atropia avoids all the smearing and staining of the face, so characteristic of the ordinary mode of applying the extract; and which creates so great a repugnance to its use.' According to the Dublin Quarterly Journal (November, 1845, page 553,)" Dr. Wilde of that city employs the solution of atropia of these strengths: No. 1. Atropia grs. j. distilled water f.3j. diluted alcohol gtts. iij. No. 2. Atropia grs. ij. distilled water f.3j. diluted alcohol gtts. iij. No. 3. Atropia grs. iij. distilled water f.3j. diluted alcohol gtts. iij. The alkaloid is rendered soluble by a drop of nitric acid, and the spirit is added to make the solution keep. A single drop of No. 1 placed on the conjuctiva of the lower lid causes dilatation of the pupil in a healthy eye in from five to fifteen minutes." The best process yet published for atropia is that of Mein, noticed in the United States Dispensatory, and in which the root is the subject of treatment with alcohol, lime, etc. As we cannot get belladonna root here, the only available source is the best extract, which, independent of the large amount of inert matter to get rid of, is too expensive to be employed with that view. Those who incline to make the experiment, however, may proceed by treating the extract with warm water until all the soluble portion is dissolved, filtering out the chlorophylle and albumen, evaporating the solution to a syrup, dissolving this in alcohol, and filtering, if necessary, and then proceeding as in Mein's process with lime, acid, etc. Belladonna leaves contain a large quantity of dark colouring matter, which renders the recent juice claret coloured, and is the chief cause of the staining. A solution of extract of belladonna precipitated with subacetate of lead, the excess of lead carefully with sulphuric acid, and the solution filtered from the sulphate of lead, carefully evaporated to four times the weight of the extract, no doubt would answer all the purposes of the solution of atropia. Syrup of Orange Peel.-Those who are in the habit of preparing the syrup of orange peel according to the United States Pharmacopoia, know that it is strongly disposed to fermentation, and rapidly loses its agreeable qualities in warm weather. When made by the following formula it is more aromatic and preserves readily. Two ounces of the recently dried peel of the sweet orange is reduced to powder and lixiviated with a mixture of two parts of alcohol and one of water, until six fluid ounces are obtained. This tincture is then poured over and mixed well with 32 ounces (av.) of sugar in coarse powder, and spread on paper until the alcohol has evaporated. When this is accomplished, the aromatized sugar is made into syrup with 16 fluid ounces of water, merely carrying the heat to ebullition in a covered vessel, straining and bottling hot. Prepared in this way, syrup of orange peel has a fine amber colour, and the orange taste in a marked degree.-Am. Journ. of Pharm. A brief notice of a highly Malignant Disease. By B. H. PEARSON, M. D., of Powelton, Ga.-Dec. 5, 1846, was called to see Green, a boy about 13 years of age, belonging to the Rev. Mr. On or about the 1st of October he had a slight attack of fever, from which he gradually recovered under domestic prescriptions, so as to be able to resume his work on the plantation. He seemed, however, not to recover strength, but appeared weaker every day, until he finally left off work again, although still not confined to the house. He complained of great prostration and want of appetite. This, his master attributed to his having over-strained himself in carrying home his cotton, being extremely active, and picking more cotton than he could well carry; and for which he prescribed an occasional dose of Cook's pills, and tartar emetic ointment to the spinal column. I found him greatly emaciated; pulse extremely feeble, 175, rather irregular; the sounds of the heart were very weak, yet natural; respiration was feeble; no abnormal sounds; there was slight cough, with frothy expectoration in small quantities; appetite much impaired; bowels a little loose; stools dark; slight tenderness of the lower cervical vertebræ. Prescribe blue mass gr. j. at night, cups over the cervical vertebræ, and an easily assimilating diet. 9th.-Green says he is better, which continued to be his answer, when asked how he was, until the day of his death. A careful ex amination showed slight dulness under the left clavicle; bowels natural; no other change in the symptoms. Upon enquiry, I find he descended from syphilitic parentage, his grandfather, on his mother's side, having had that disease; and also that most of the male children from the same descent died in infancy. Prescribe hydriodate of potash grs. ijss. three times a-day, which was gradually increased to grs. iv. This was persevered in for about three weeks, when, seeing no improvement, but rather a gradual increase of his cough and his weakness, a resort was had to tonics, quinine, and stimulating expectorants, but with no benefit except relieving his cough a little at night. Feb. 14th.-A neighbouring physician was called in, who pronounced his disease to depend on torpidity of the nutritive system. Prescribed hydriodate of potash grs. iij. three times a-day, under which prescription he remained until his death, which took place the last of February, being confined to his bed but three or four days before he died. He complained of no pain except a neuralgic affection of his knees for about a fortnight, and soreness of his hips from lying in bed. His bowels remained natural to the last. Post mortem examination fifteen hours after death. Body extremely emaciated. Upon laying open the cavity of the thorax, the left pleura was found adherent throughout its whole extent; the heart and lung upon this side was perfectly studded with tubercles, of a cheese-like consistency, about the size of small buck-shot; the right lung was tuberculous, but not to the same extent as the left; a few tubercles on the upper surface of the liver, otherwise it was tolerably healthy; the spleen and peritoneum were equally affected; the pancreas, stomach and bowels healthy. This case is given as an example of several occurring in the same family, four of whom have died, one is now at the point of death, and the disease seems to be extending to other families. I have not had an opportunity of seeing those sick in other families yet, but doubt not from the description of the symptoms that they are affected in the same way. Thus far every one who has been attacked has died in a time varying from five weeks to four months-their symptoms varying in some particulars. One's bowels were badly affected for several weeks before death. In another, a large vomica bursted, and considerable matter was coughed up on the day preceding her death, which was probably the immediate cause of it. They all seemed to be taken sick by surprise, and died thinking they were getting well, except the mother of the family, who lived but five weeks after she first began to complain, and but two after she first felt sick enough to take to her bed, and she supposed she was "tricked." Dr. Terrel, of Sparta, recommends the use of iodine to the remaining members of the family, as the only means of preventing the extension of the disease. Possibly it might be of service if used in season. But the probability is, that the disease may be advanced to an incurable state before the first symptoms appear,-and besides it is so insidious in its approach, that it is some time before the patient knows the nature of the attack. A disease similar to this prevailed some years ago in Maj. -'s family, of Wilkes county, and between twenty and thirty died. I hear also it is prevailing in Tennessee, to an alarming extent in some neighbourhoods.-Southern Med. and Surg. Journ. Ship Fever.-Both Journals of Medicine and the newspapers, generally, are bringing frightful intelligence of the extension of ship fever in Europe, and all the Atlantic ports, north of Philadelphia, in this country. Vessels are continually arriving here with vast multitudes of miserable human beings, from famine-stricken Ireland, who were both physically and morally enfeebled before commencing a voyage which disease tracks across the ocean with an unerring certainty. Complaints are made that the ship fever is by no means confined to the emigrant vessels, but that it appears on shore, clinging to the Irish emigrant, and breaking him down even far in the country, after he has escaped from the confinement of a ship hold. This is true to a degree; but had these thoughtless, head-strong, imprudent people one ray of discretion when they get on land, their sufferings would be less than they are. Cases of ship fever would be fewer in number, and less severe in character, were the emigrants influenced by the advice urged upon them by kind-hearted, benevolent physicians and others. Soon after leaving the vessel, however good their condition at the time, they seize with ravenous avidity upon every possible variety of edible that comes within their reach, to say nothing of drinks-and the result is a sudden engorgement of the stomach. Nature seeks relief from this plethora, in some instances by a diarrhea; in others, a peculiar state of the system is induced, remarkable for the turbulence of the blood, which seems to boil and foam in the vessels-and this is ship fever, with all its bad concomi tants. Bad food, and the huddling together of men, women and children in the hold of a ship for weeks, engender the disease which is brought to our shores. When those who have escaped the action of a poisoned atmosphere between decks, afterwards sicken on land, exhibiting the same degree of intensity in the symptoms, the disease is brought on, in a majority of cases, as already remarked, by the uncontrolled appetites of the victims to the malady. A constant professional intercourse with multitudes of Irish emigrants, who arrive in the port of Boston, furnishes opportunities for witnessing ship fever in all its phases. The only efficient remedy, certainly the first source of relief, is a fresh atmospheric exposure. It is delightful to contemplate the changes effected by this simple process. Very little medication is required in the management of patients from sea. Of the kind of treatment most satisfactory with the other class, those sickening from over-eating, and other irregularities, there may be a variety of opinions. The disease terminates fatally, very quickly, at sea; but the worst forms, on being removed |
