Medical properties and uses. - This preparation of antimony is diaphoretic, expectorant, and emetic, according to the dose. It was formerly much employed in asthma, and in catarrhal affections; but it is uncertain in its operation, and is not much employed in modern practice, unless when combined with mercurials, when it forms a useful alterative in herpetic and other eruptions. It is also occasionally prescribed in conjunction with opium, or other narcotics, and sarsaparilla, in cases of chronic rheumatism. During its use, the patient must avoid taking acids and acidulous salts, as these augment greatly the emetic properties of the preparation. The dose is from gr. j. to grs. iv. in a pill, twice a day.

Officinal preparation. - Pilulae Hydrargyri Chloridi comp., L. ANTIMONII OXYDUM NITRO-MURIATICUM, Dub. Nitro-muriatic Oxide of Antimony.

"Take of prepared sulphuret of antimony, twenty parts; muriatic acid, one hundred parts; nitric acid, one part. Add by degrees the sulphuret of the mixed acids in a glass vessel; then digest with a gradually augmented heat until the effervescence is completed, and boil for an hour. Pour the strained cooled liquor into a gallon of water. Let the oxide of antimony afterwards subside, and wash it with much water till all trace of acid be gone: finally, dry the oxide in bibulous paper."

This oxide is intended for the preparation of tartar emetic. ANTIMONII POTASSIO-TARTRAS, Lond. Potassio-Tartrate of Antimony.

"Take of sesquisulphuret of antimony, finely pulverised; nitrate of potassa, in powder, of each, two pounds; bitartrate of potassa, powdered, fourteen ounces; hydrochloric acid, four fluid ounces; distilled water, a gallon. Mix accurately the sesquisulphuret of antimony and the nitrate of potassa; then add the hydrochloric acid, and ignite the powder, spread upon an iron plate. After the residue is cold, rub it to very fine powder, and wash it frequently with boiling water until it comes off tasteless. Mix the powder thus prepared with the bitartrate of potassa; then boil for half an hour in a gallon of distilled water. Filter while the solution is hot, and set it aside, so that crystals may form. These being removed and dried, again evaporate, that more crystals may form."

Tartras Antimonii; olim, Tartarus Emeticus, Edin. Tartrate of Antimony; formerly, Tartar Emetic.

"Take of sulphuret of antimony, and nitrate of potassa, of each an equal weight; bitartrate of potassa, a sufficient quantify. Triturate separately the sulphuret and the nitre, and, having mixed them well together, throw them into a red-hot crucible. When the deflagration is finished, separate the red matter from the white crust, and rub it into a very fine powder, which must be washed with several affusions of warm water, and afterwards dried.

"This powder is now to be rubbed together with an equal weight of bitartrate of potassa, and the mixture boiled in a glass vessel, with four times its weight of distilled water, for an hour; then strained through paper, and the strained solution set aside to deposit crystals by evaporation."

Antimonii et Potassae Tartras; sive, Tartarum Emeticum, Dub. Tartrate of Antimony and of Potassa.

" Take of nitro-muriatic oxide of antimony, four parts; bitartrate of potassa in fine powder, five parts; distilled water, thirty-four parts. Boil the water in a glass vessel; then gradually add to it the oxide and bitartrate of potassa, previously well mixed together, and boil for half an hour : then filter the solution through paper, so that as it slowly cools crystals may be formed."

Syn. Tartrate de Potasse antimonii (F.), Spiessglanz-welnstein (G.), Tartaro antimoniato (I.).

By all these methods, a little modified, crystallised tartar emetic may be prepared. With regard to the formula of the London College, it is a bad modification of the Edinburgh process. The intention of the addition of the hydrochloric acid is to prevent the formation of sulphuret of potassium, and the presence of free potassa, in the residue of the ignition : but a chloride of antimony is also formed, which in crystallising mixes with the crystals of the tartar emetic, and requires many recrystallisations for their complete separation.

The theory of the other two processes is sufficiently obvious. The object of both is to form a sesquioxide of antimony to unite with the superabundant acid of the bitartrate of potassa so as to form double salt, or a tartrate of antimony and of potassa. The process of the Dublin Pharmacopaeia is undoubtedly the best of the three: and it is to be regretted that it was not adopted by the London College. Indeed, it is a misfortune that all the colleges have not concurred in adopting the same preparation of antimony for the formation of this important salt. The sesquioxide, which is the object of all the processes, is a compound of 2 eq. of antimony = 125.2 + 3 of oxygen, = 24 making the equivalent = 153.2 (Sb).

Qualities. - Tartrate of antimony and potassa is procured in transparent crystals, the general character of which is an octahedron with a rhombic base. They are inodorous, very slightly styptic to the taste, and efflorescent. The salt should be bought in crystals. In powder, it is frequently adulterated with bitartrate of potassa. If a few of the crystals be put into a solution of sulphuretted hydrogen, their goodness may be judged of by the quantity of orange-coloured precipitate that forms. When the salt is adulterated with bitartrate of potassa, it is precipitated from its solution in water by spirit. Tartar emetic effloresces, becoming white and opaque, when exposed to the air: it the crystals deliquesce, its purity may be suspected. It is soluble in about 15 parts of water at 60°, forming a perfectly clear, transparent solution; and in 3 parts at 212°, in which crystals form as it cools. It is spontaneously decomposed when kept in aqueous solution; and is also decomposed by heat, the strong acids, the alkalies and alkaline carbonates, the earths, hydrosulphurets, some of the metallic oxides, lime-water, chloride of calcium, and acetates of lead; and also by the decoctions or infusions of many bitter and astringent vegetables, as those of cinchona bark, rhubarb, galls, kino, and catechu; with which, therefore, it ought never to be conjoined in prescriptions.

It may, however, be prescribed in conjunction with decoction of oak bark, with nitrate of silver and chloride of barium. It is insoluble in alcohol.

According to the analysis of Thenard1, the constituents of tartar emetic are 35.4 of tartaric acid, 39.6 of oxide, 16.7 of potassa, and 8.3 of water; a more recent analysis by Dr. Gobel, of Jena, makes them, protoxide of antimony 42.6, tartaric acid 45.0, potassa 9.8, and water 57.52; according to Phillips the proportions are 36.6 of tartaric acid + 13.3 of potassa + 42.6 of sesquioxide of antimony + 7.5 of water in 100 parts. It may be regarded as consisting of 1 equiv. of potassa=47.15 + 1 of sesquioxide of antimony = 153.2 + 2 of tartaric acid = 132.96+2 of water= 18; making the equivalent 351.31. But these analyses are far from being satisfactory.

Medical properties and uses. - This triple salt is emetic, diaphoretic, expectorant, alterative, rubefacient, and sometimes cathartic. It is certainly the most important of the an-timonial preparations; and in proper doses may supersede the use of all the others. It is given as an emetic in the commencement of fevers, in doses of from one to two grains dissolved in distilled water. To obtain its diaphoretic effect, the general dose is from one-sixteenth to one-fourth of a grain. Laennec in France, M. Rasori in Italy, and some English physicians besides myself, prescribe it in very large doses, in acute rheumatism, inflammation of the lungs and the pleura, chorea, hydrocephalus, and apoplexy. Laennec, orders from grs. iv.

1 Annales de Chimic, xxxviii. 39. 2 Schweigger's Journal, b. vii. p. 71. to grs. vj. in a glass of infusion of orange leaves, sweetened, and gradually increases the dose. Rasori gives at first grs. xij. during the day, and the same quantity at night, dissolved in a pint of barley water, to be taken in divided doses; and carries it to doses of grs. ij. and a half.1 I have given it in doses of grs. iij. and iv. in pleurisy, after one bloodletting. The two first doses cause vomiting; but this seldom occurs after the second dose; and full doses may be continued for weeks without any nausea being excited. It should never be ordered when the redness of the tongue indicates an irritable condition of the mucous membrane. It seems to operate, in large doses, by causing a temporary inflammatory state of the mucous surface; and thus acting as a mild but extensive counter-irritant, it suspends inflammatory action in other organs. In small doses, combined with squill, ammoniacum, and camphor, repeated every three hours, it operates as an expectorant. In doses of gr. j. also combined with calomel, it is a powerful alterative in acute rheumatism, and many cutaneous diseases.

When 3ij. of it are triturated with j. of lard, and applied to the skin, it causes a pustular eruption, which has proved very serviceable in mania, white swellings, and deep-seated inflammations, as a counter-irritant. Dr. Joseph Tonelli supposes, that independent of the local irritation on the skin, which this ointment produces, it exerts a specific effect on the lungs; owing as he conjectures, to its abstracting a portion of the oxygen which the lungs furnish to the blood.2 This opinion is purely hypothetical. The effects of this ointment on the lungs, labouring under disease, however, is very wonderful, as I have had many opportunities of proving. On some skins it does not always produce the desired effect, and requires to be aided by the addition of white sugar, as in the following formula: Antimonii Potassio-tartatris 3 ij. Sacchari Albi 3j. Adipis 3ix. Tere ut fiat unguentum.

When taken in very large doses, tartar emetic acts as a corrosive poison, producing violent vomiting, hiccough, a sensation of burning in the stomach, colic, hypercatharsis, syncope, difficult respiration, convulsions, and death. The treatment consists in evacuating the poison by bland, oily liquids, freely taken; after which decoction of yellow bark should be administered, with opium and local bleedings.3

1 Arch. Gen. de Med. May, 1824.

2 Annali Univ. di Medic. July, 1824.

3 One fluid ounce of infusion of yellow bark is sufficient to completely decompose Эj. of emetic tartar.

Officinal preparations. - Vinum Antimonii Potassio-tartratis, L. Vinum Tartratis Antimonii, E.