(Centralbl. f. med. Wiss., Dec. 2, 1882) made experiments to ascertain if this substance really weakens the heart as maintained by Liebermeister and others. He made a triple series of observations. In the first, patients who were taking the drug regularly were examined sphygmographically before, during, and after the morning and evening dose. In the second the pulse curve of other persons was taken before and after the exhibition of a single five-gramme dose. In the third, the arterial pressure was measured before and after the exhibition of a single five-gramme dose. The result showed: 1. As the dose was gradually increased in patients of the first class, the pulse became progressively stronger and the systolic line of the tracing higher. 2. After the single dose the pulse was stronger and the systolic line higher; the increase appeared one hour after the dose, reached its maximum in two to three hours, and disappeared after three to five hours, the normal dicrotism was accentuated and often passed into tricrotism. [This is not very intelligible, tricrotism is normal, not dicrotism-probably the author means to say that the so-called dicrotic curve was more accentuated and that the so-called tidal curve was more distinct.] 3. The arterial pressure rose about one hour after a single dose and returned to the normal about three hours afterwards. These results indicate unmistakably that no depressing influence is exerted on the heart by the Salicylate. [We do not think they do, they only show that the drug has the power of temporarily stimulating the heart, like alcohol and many other stimulants; but as large quantities of alcohol frequently repeated end by weakening the heart, the Salicylate of Soda may do the like for aught the author shows to the contrary.]

Case of Bromide Eruption.-Dr. Horrocks showed, at the Pathological Society, a patient (a little girl aged 10) who had suffered from epilepsy for two years. She came under his treatment at the hospital in Queen Square, four months ago, and was put upon Bromide of Potassium, taking two doses daily of five-and-twenty grains apiece. A month ago she came to him with dull red, tender swellings on both her shins, very closely resembling erythema nodosum. He ordered her some Lotio Plumbi for them. Later on some acnelike spots came out on backs of arms and forearms, but there were none between the shoulders, and it was this fact which had caused him to bring the case before the Society. Dr. Thin remarked

that not long ago he had published an account in the Lancet of a woman, aged 24, who had been taking Bromide of Iron for some uterine affection, and has a rash upon her legs which some supposed at first to be syphilitic. The child which Dr. Horrocks had brought this evening reminded him very much of his own case. The diagnosis of such cases could generally be arrived at by a process of exclusion, even when there was no history. This commencement of a subcutaneous swelling has been described in several cases of Iodide eruption. Dr. Radcliffe Crocker did not think the position of the rash in this case was so very rare; cases had been brought forward both by himself and Dr. Barlow similar to it. He had recently under observation a patient whom he had been treating with Bromide of Potassium, and who came one day with soft swellings with pustular apices on the chest and extensor surfaces of the arms and legs. He did not stop the Bromide but gave her some Arsenic. When he saw her a week later there were large abscesses where the pustules had been.

Santonin Poisoning.—A child, twenty-five months old, never before ill, except colds, got on November 28th, 1874, 6 a.m., two Santonin lozenges (each lozenge of the German Pharmacopoeia contains, one kind five centigr., the other twenty-five milligr.). Passed the day quite well. No stool. At 4 p.m. suddenly clonic spasms of the side of face, beginning with twitching and distortion of corner of mouth, and then going into left orbital muscles. At first simultaneous restless twitching of both bulbi, the convulsion turning to left; dilatation of both pupils, left more than right. After a few minutes there came on clonic convulsions of left arm, beginning in fingers and going up whole The voice, which at the beginning of the fit was quavering, stopped after ten minutes. After fifteen minutes the second time spasm of the left side of face and arm, but after a little while the convulsions all ceased; there were only fibrillary twitchings at left corner of mouth and left eyelids; the left pupil remains longer dilated than right, there then occurs equally strong contraction of both and then the normal state. At the end of the attack a clysma of vinegar was applied with but little effect. After the fit complete euphoria. At 5.30 p.m. a similar attack for ten minutes. Another vinegar clysma was applied. About 7 p.m. the spasm again began in left side of face and left arm,

arm.

and went on increasing in severity. About 7.15 the left leg shares in the convulsions, the voice is quavering and indistinct. Both eyes look persistently towards left with dilated pupils. At 7.30 vinegar clysma and warm bath. These symptoms increase, the voice is gone. About 8 o'clock slight twitchings of abdominal and thoracic muscles, then the right face becomes convulsed the eyeballs turned towards right; trismus, the respiration threatens to stop; the pulse not slower; heart's action strong. Slight stridor. About 8.15 artificial respiration performed, and kept up to 8.30. Without it the respiration was uncertain, and at long intervals. Spontaneous defecation followed by vomiting. Then short clonic fits, all of right leg, while the spasm of left leg was slighter. Shortly before 8.45 all symptoms gone.

On the 29th, 8 a.m., the same spasms of left face and head recommenced, and during the day there were three such fits. The next day some weaker fits, but fibrillary twitching of mouth and corners of eyes all day.

On December 1st two fits. Then they ceased, complete euphoria came on. The urine was of intense yellow-green colour (Binz, Arch. f. exp. Phys., vi, 300).

Pseudaconitin or Nepalin, the Alkaloid made from A. ferox.— EXPERIMENT 1.-April 7th, 1873, 9 p.m., A. P-, stud. phil., æt. 18, thin, with delicate skin. The smallest distance of the arms of the compass at which he could feel the points separately between 5 and 7 mm. in both cheeks. The difference of temperature he could perceive on both cheeks between 35° and 39° was 0.5° C. The right cheek was rubbed with an alcoholic solution of Aconitine (gr. ij to 3j).

8th, 9.30 a.m.-Says that soon after the rubbing in there occurred burning and prickling, which still exists, but less intensely. Felt the same burning in increased intensity in right eye, which he attributes to having touched the eye with the hand he applied to the cheek that had been rubbed with Acon. The upper lid of right eye somewhat swollen, conjunctival vessels injected. Pupils equal. The left cheek can feel the compass points at 7 mm.; the right at not less than 15 mm. The difference of temperature is felt on left cheek at 0.5°, on the right at 14° C. The vessel brought to both cheeks, is felt warmer by the left.

9th, 8 p.m.-The prickling and burning gone, and has left a

numb feeling. Conjunctiva normal. Smallest distance of compass points, right 13 mm., left 6 mm.

temperature on right cheek 1.1° C.

Smallest difference of

EXPERIMENT 2.-April 4th, 10 p.m.-C. H-, stud. med., of His right cheek was rubbed with the above

robust frame.

solution of Aconitin.

11th, 8 p.m.-The prickling and burning that came on immediately after the rubbing continues. A variation of temperature of 2.7° C. felt well on left cheek, not at all on right cheek. Smallest distance of separate sensation of compass points, left 8 mm., right 18 mm.

13th, 9 p.m.-Still feels some slight prickling in right cheek. A cold metal object feels less cold to right than to left cheek. Smallest distance of separate sensation of compass points right 20 mm., left 9 mm. Smallest perceptible variation of temperature right 2.8° C., left 0.9° C. A warm vessel felt warmer to left than to right cheek.

15th, 2 p.m.-Prickling and burning quite gone. Smallest distance of separate sensation of compass points, right 16 mm., left 9 mm. A difference of temperature amounting to 2.4° C. felt accurately on left, not on right cheek.

EXPERIMENT 3.-April 5th, 10 a.m.-L. v. W-, stud. med., æt. 21, robust. Smallest distance of separate sensation of compass points on both cheeks 11 mm. Both cheeks felt a

variation of temperature to 0.9° C. Right cheek rubbed with Acon. sol., left with a solution of Merck's Aconitin of similar concentration.

6th, 9 a m.-The subjective phenomenon of right cheek the same as in former experiments. No effect observed on left cheek. Smallest distance of compass points felt separately, right 18 mm., left 10 mm. The difference of temperature of 2.3° C. felt well on the left, not at all on right cheek.

The tactile faculty and temperature feeling were found to be the same as above in the evening.

A case of neuralgia supraorbitalis in a man, æt. 50, which had lasted several years, was cured by applying the above solution of Pseudoaconitin to the painful part (Böhm, Arch. f. exp. Phys., i, 395).

Arsenite of Potash.-A man, æt. 54, affected for some time with an intermittent fever, took on the 16th of last May (1843)

a secret remedy which, it was said, would certainly cure the febrile attacks; it was the notorious Maurin who had sent into that village a depôt of his remedy contained in packets with the labels bearing: from such an age to such an age, &c.

The patient, to conform to the prescription of the author, took the packet with the label "from thirty to forty-eight years," and followed point by point the instructions, which were to take half in the morning fasting, and, if that dose caused vomiting, to take warm water to facilitate the vomiting. The other half was to be taken two hours after the first. The unfortunate man after having swallowed the half of the dose of the remedy at six a.m., was seized immediately with vomiting and diarrhoea; some hours later he suffered much from pains in the stomach, and it was impossible for him to bear the least pressure in that region. A doctor who was called was surprised, frightened even at the face of the patient, which looked pale, the features drawn, the eyes shrunk into the orbits, in short, the Hippocratic countenance. The pulse was small and thready (serré), the tongue very red, cramps in the legs, abundant vomitings and stools. The patient died in the night after suffering the most cruel tortures, and having taken only the half of the dose of the secret remedy. The dose for persons from thirty to forty-eight was found to contain thirty-five centigrammes of Arsenite of Potash to thirtytwo grammes of water. Maurin was condemned to five months imprisonment, and fined 50 francs (Bull. de Therap., xxvii).

Cantharides.-A woman, æt. 26, affected with bronchitis for which the application of a blister had been judged necessary, received from a chemist one gramme, thirty centigrammes of powder of Cantharides destined for the preparation of the blister, and at the same time ten centigrammes of Kermès (antimonial). The woman mistook the powders and swallowed some spoonfuls of the former in a gummy liquid three hours before her husband, alarmed, went for M. Keusmerer. The latter found her seated, laughing at the fright of her husband, complaining of no pain except a slight roughness in the throat, and a certain feeling of illness which she could not define. He prescribed quickly five centigrammes of Tartrate of Antimony in a kilogramme of water, injections of marshmallows, and a large, prolonged tepid bath. The patient must have taken seventy to seventy-two centigrammes of the Cantharides powder. The bath