The labours of the alchemist have tortured antimony in various ways, as it was one of the metals by which he hoped to gain his imaginary riches. The pharmaceutist has not been less diligent at a later era; but our account of its chemical properties must chiefly or entirely respect its medicinal use.

Antimony, in its crude state, is combined with sulphur; and, as a medicine, we have said, nearly inert. When completely oxidated, as in the former preparation of the diaphoretic antimony, it is equally useless. Its active form is that in which the sulphur is partly separated, or where the metal is combined with an acid. As every scientific examination of the comparative activity of the different saline preparations shows that their effects are nearly in the proportion of their solubility, it is probable that the different calces also are active only as they are soluble in the fluids, perhaps the acid of the stomach. Ail the oxides are in different degrees soluble, and all arc volatile. The carbonic acid alone has never formed an union with antimony.

The sulphur of the antimony is usually separated by deflagrating it with nitre or crude tartar, and the oxide is more or less active as the proportion of these additions is less or greater. The different preparations are generally denominated from the proportion of hydro-genated sulphuret, mixed with the metal. An alkali added to crude antimony forms a sulphuret, which dissolves the metal, and is called liver of antimony. If equal parts of crude antimony and nitre be deflagrated, a different combination of the metal, its alkali, and sulphur, are obtained, styled saffron of antimony. If sulphur of antimony, with three parts of nitre, be-deflagrated, the metallic mass, mixed with the salts, is called the solvent of Routrou. When washed, it is the inert calx, mentioned under the appellation of diapho-rctic antimony. The water employed in washing it, holds a little of the antimony, which, when separated by an acid, is called cerussa antimonii, or the materia perlata of Kerkringius. When some of the sulphur remains, by diminishing the proportion of nitre or tartar, the preparation is called the medicinal regnlus of antimony. The metal and its oxides are equally volatile, and sublime in flowers, styled nix antimonii, which as a medicine is useless and neglected. Antimony exposed to great heat, excluding the air, becomes a glass, and the more readily the less it has been previously calcined. Theregulus itself has been cast into pills, and in the form of cups. The pills are styled perpetual; for they produce a cathartic effect, and may be repeatedly employed without diminution: the cup imparts an emetic power to wine, without any loss of its substance or virtue by the employment of many years. Each is, however, uncertain, and often violent in its operations; and physicians have neglected both.

The vitriolic acid, if strong and hot, acts violently on antimony, and reduces it to a white inert oxide; the fluid above containing a solution of sulphat of antimony. The nitrous acid does not dissolve the metal, but is itself in part decomposed by it. We find a white oxide at the bottom, and a nitrat of antimony above. Water precipitates a part of the nitrat, but the remaining oxide is separated by an alkali, and becomes a deliquescent salt.

The muriatic acid scarcely acts on the antimony; but if the latter is oxidated by the nitrous acid, the solution is copious. The muriat of antimony is decompounded also by an alkali. The usual way, however, of combining antimony with the muriatic acid is, by oxidating the metal, or the acid, by a highly oxidated metallic salt, the corrosive sublimate. The metal thus united to the muriatic acid is highly soluble in water, and extremely corrosive. It sublimes in an oily form, and is called butter of antimony. It is called antimonial caustic, and. in the late Pharmacopoeias, antimonium muriatum. When a large proportion of water is added. the oxide, containing a small portion of the acid, is precipitated, called, from an Italian physician, the powder of Algarotti; by some, mercurius vita, though it does not contain the smallest portion of mercury. The vegetable acids act on the metal more readily when oxidated; but this subject must be afterwards considered.

We are now enabled to examine the different preparations of antimony, and shall follow Dr. Black's arrangement. He considers the preparations of antimony retaining a portion of its sulphur, for of the pure regu-lus we shall take little further notice, as produced by simple triture; by the effects of heat and fire; by alka-lis, nitre, and acids.

By triture alone, the prepared antimony of the shops is obtained. It is almost an inert mass; but we find Kun-kell and some other authors recommending it in rheumatism; and we recollect its being used in the drastic electuary of Dover for dropsies, and as an anthelmintic. It forms the tablettes of Kunkell; and certainly sometimes produces nausea, when suspended in a bag, in the preparation of the Lisbon diet drink, in which the prepared antimony should be always employed.

By the effects of heat and fire we obtain the vitrum antimonii, the antimonium vitrificatum Phar. Lond. The sulphur is in a great measure separated by gentle heat; but the operation is difficult, from the volatility of the metal. It has been advised to add common salt of charcoal dust to diminish the fluidity and prevent sublimation; but the salt is sometimes decomposed, and renders the medicine dangerously active. The proper state of the oxide is that of a grey or ash colour, forming the darkish brown oxide of Thenard; whose valuable experiments on antimony communicated to the National Institute, but of which an abstract only, by M. Morveau, has been published (Annates de Chi-mie, xxxii. 257), we shall often refer to. In this state it contains 0.16 of oxygen; but in the glass, eight parts of the oxide of antimony are combined with one of the prepared antimony. The vitrum antimonii is a more important preparation, since it has been chosen for the antimonial oxide, from which the emetic tartar is usually prepared. This has always seemed to us one of the most certain states in which the oxide of antimony can be obtained, since a determined proportion of sulphur is necessary to its vitrification; and M. Vau-quelin seems to be of the same opinion if the silicious earth which it acquires from the crucible, or from some parts of the remaining matrix, be separated.