pressed of the effects of chlorine in derangements of the liver, and in syphilitic affections. As those opinions were derived from experience alone, I cannot but think that a future day will confirm them.

I am told that some others have been less successful than myself or my friends with this remedy, and that by the application of chlorine to the skin, they have been unable to produce a sensible effect of any kind. I can make no reply to such opinions, as I do not know how the trials on which they rest have been conducted; but I must affirm, that I have sooner or later been able to produce very distinct effects in almost every case in which I have employed it. Time will decide between us; but on one side of the question I need not say, there is a want of right observation.

If it be considered that the most active of all the mercurial preparations in use are calomel, (submuriate of mercury,) and corrosive sublimatė, (oxymuriate of mercury,) we may ascribe this great activity to the chlorine of the composition. Why the sanative powers of the mercurial preparations were supposed to arise from the metal alone, I cannot conceive. In like manner the chemists for a long time neglected the water that might be mixed with the materials of their experiments, the elements of which water gave rise to effects that misled them in all their reasonings. I am now nearly, I think, in a condition to show what effects in the system arise from mercury as a metal, and what effects are derived from the other elements of the mercurial preparations, whether this metal in them be combined with oxygen or with chlorine. June 3, 1817.

Experiments on Croton Tiglium, or Purging Croton Nut. Extracted from a Letter from WILLIAM INGLEDOW, Esq. Surgeon, H. E. I. C. at Mysore, to MR. RUMSEY, Surgeon, Amersham.

[From the Edinburgh Medical and Surgical Journal, for April 1817.] THE Croton or Jemahlgotta, is the most common purgative that is employed by the native physicians in the Deekan; VOL. VIII.

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No. 29.

but, owing to the inaccuracy of their weights, they are liable to administer it in very unequal quantities; and from over doses being frequently given to their patients, the severe drastic effects of the croton have been experienced to a degree that have endangered life, which circumstances chiefly have brought the medicine into disrepute, and have occasioned it to be considered of a highly dangerous nature.

In the native books of physic, the croton is ordered to be prepared by boiling in cow dung and water, after the central film, which unites the halves of the nut, has been removed.

The thin film inclosed within this seed is said to be of a very poisonous nature; the operation of boiling renders the medicine milder in its effects, by extracting part of the oil which it contains; and to prevent vomiting, griping, and excessive purging, pepper, ginger, and borax, are usually combined with it.

Seeing a satisfactory account of croton as a purgative in Dr. Ainslie's Materia Medica, and having a good opportunity of employing that medicine in the Charity Fever Hospital of this place, I began to use it early in the year 1815. I preferred to commence with the native mode of preparing it to any other, until I might obtain some correct knowledge of its effects from personal experience; and it was accordingly administered, as above prepared, to twenty-six persons, giving to each adult, male or female, one grain made into two pills, with a few grains of powdered ginger. Upon nine of these the purging commenced one hour after the pills were taken. Upon six others, two hours afterwards; upon six, three do. do.; upon two, four do. do.; upon two, six do. do.; and upon one it had no effect whatever. One person was purged twice; nine do. do. four times; four do. do. five do.; two do. do. six do. One of these individuals was griped severely; and ten others had a little griping.

Having derived a little confidence from the above trials, I prescribed the croton to nearly the same number of sick, after preparing it by extracting the film and boiling the nut in plain water merely; and its effects were similar to those of the former preparation.

I now determined to make trial of the croton after having

been exposed to the sun only; the film was removed, and the seed bruised and exposed for three days, by which means much of an oily substance was extracted.

This medicine was given to two hundred and forty-one persons, in doses of one grain to each adult, joined with a few grains of camphor, and made into two pills. Upon seven individuals it had no purgative, nor any sensible effect. Upon fifty-three others, purging commenced one hour after the pills were taken. Upon ninety-five, two hours afterwards. Upon thirty-six, three do. do. Upon thirty-five, four do. do. Upon six, five do. do. Upon six, six do. do. Upon two, seven do. do. Upon one, eight do. do. Nine of these were purged once; thirty-two, twice; thirty-seven, thrice; fifty-seven, four times; forty, five do.; twenty-two, six do.; six, seven do.; eleven, eight do.; five, nine do.; eight, ten do. Five others were purged eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, and twenty times, and two had each fifteen purgative evacuations.

Of the above individuals sixty-five were vomited from one to four times; one of them had six and another eight vomitings from the pills.

Thirty-seven were griped in a trifling degree; forty others experienced more griping pain, and some of these latter were severely griped. A few had both vomitings and gripings, of these two last descriptions of sufferers.

In the above list ten were boys and girls, seven and eight years old; they took the croton in smaller doses, proportioned to their ages.

Being satisfied that the croton was an excellent purgative, and could be used with perfect safety, I wished to ascertain the powers of the expressed oil. I procured a small quantity that had been some time prepared; but as it was old, its operation was very uncertain, and it frequently had no sensible effect whatever.

After obtaining a supply of newly expressed oil, I prescribed it to thirty-four adults, in doses of five drops to each; and understanding that the oil of croton was more violent in its operation than the prepared nut, I declined administering it to any but full grown persons. Ten of these patients were purged in one hour after taking the oil; eleven others in two hours after

wards; seven in three do. do.; six in four do. do.; two were purged twice; four do. three times; seven do. four do.; three do. five do.; seven do. six do.; one do. seven do.; four do. eight do. Three were purged nine, ten, and eleven times; one eighteen, and two twenty times.

Of those who took the oil of croton, thirteen had from one to four vomitings; six experienced a little, and twelve much griping A few of this number had both vomiting and griping.

The oil was laid aside, as its effects were complained of; and the vomiting and griping it occasioned were both more frequent and more severe than when the pills were used.

The trials of the croton, from which these remarks have been taken, were made prior to the month of February last, since which period the same preparation of that purgative has been administered to two hundred and twenty-seven persons more; but as the effects were very similar to those above detailed, they were not particularly noticed in the relations of the cases.

In June, July, and August last, I have prescribed the croton to one hundred and sixty-four other patients, but instead of having it contused, the seeds, having the films taken out, were exposed entire to the sun until they became hard, and so dry as to admit of being divided into minute particles by trituration. This process requires a little attention to secure the proper quantity in every dose, and the oil which the croton contains prevents its being reduced to an impalpable powder.

The croton for this preparation was exposed during three days; the doses were the same in quantity as were previously. used, and the effects similar, except that the number of purgative evacuations was frequently greater, owing to a larger proportion of oil being retained in the nut by exposing it whole to the sun.

Having prescribed the croton to upwards of seven hundred persons, I can pronounce it to be a valuable and safe purgative. I have not ventured to give it either to children under seven years of age, or to any individual much advanced in life. The above trials have been made almost entirely upon sick poor from this town and neighbouring villages, and sepoys

and others in the service of the Rajah, who sought relief at the Fever Hospital. Some of the former were ill provided with the common necessaries of life; and upon such subjects the effects of the croton might be expected to be more severe than with the other natives liberally supplied with good food, or upon Europeans, who possess naturally much stronger constitutions. A few of these patients were Company's sepoys.

Croton purges should be employed with caution to persons debilitated by mercury, or infirm from long-continued sickness, as their operation is sometimes extremely severe upon such patients and occasions them considerable distress.

Whenever this medicine purges too violently, the native practitioners employ ghee, or butter, internally, along with congee, or rice water, or, instead of these, cold buttermilk, to check its operation; and sometimes they use affusions of cold water upon the body for this purpose. I have tried the former in a few instances, and was told with good effects. Mysore, September 10, 1816.

History of a case of Ill Conditioned Ulcer of the Tongue, successfully treated by Arsenic. Communicated in a letter from CHARLES LANE, Esq. to HENRY CLINE, Esq. President of the Society.

[From the Medico-Chirurgical Transactions, Vol. VIII. Part I.] Arundel, Dec. 16, 1816.

MY DEAR SIR, You possibly may call to your recollection a case of ill conditioned ulcer of the tongue, in a gentleman whom I brought to you for your opinion in the year 1813; you deemed it at the time a very alarming case, and said that only two so formidable of the kind, had ever before fallen under your observation. The fortunate result of this case, and the very great and decided benefit derived from the use of arsenic in it, induced me to trouble you with the following account of its history.