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ERGOT OF RYE.
611 ON THE USE OF THE STOMACH-PUMP IN INFANTS. To the Editor of THE LANCET. SIR,-I lately successfully employed the following means for the removal of a teaspoonful of laudanum from the stomach of an infant, about six months old, which had been accidentally administered by the mother. The child was comatose, but capable of being momentarily aroused ; there was considerable throbbing at the anterior fontanelle, in other respects it presented nothing remarkable. I administered emetics, and titillated its fauces, without producing vomiting. It then became a matter of serious importance how to afford further assistance, as I bad a stomach-pump only fitted for the adult, but believing that I could introduce a male elastic catheter, without stiletto, into the stomach, and whilst retained therein, could so adjust the external end of the catheter alternately to the filling and discharging foramezi of the adult stomach-pump, I tried that plan, in order, ad libitum, to evacuate and fill the infant’s stomach, and the expected purposes were thereby fully obtained. I am, Sir, your obedient servant, M. D. THOMPSON.
Stalybridge, August 2,
1844.
ERGOT OF RYE.
To the Editor.-Sir:As much discussion has arisen on the success attending the administration of the ergota, I beg to observe that the non-success may be
lately
attributed chiefly to the want of care in its preservation, as it is well known that few drugs suffer more from a small parasite than the secale. It has struck me that its success might be more relied on if, on obtaining some fresh ergot, I could cause destruction to these little insects. I now invariably keep a small piece of camphor in the stoppered bottle in which it is placed, which soon annihilates the whole race ;and since I have adopted this plan I have never had cause to find any failure in the treatment by the secale. FRANCIS RAWLE, Surgeon. Saffron Walden, July 18, 1844.
CHEMISTRY, PHARMACY,
AND
MATERIA MEDICA. ON THE INORGANIC CONSTITUENTS OF PLANTS.
By
Drs. H. WILL and R. FRESENIUS.
(Continued from page 559.) A METHOD FOR THE ANALYSIS OF THE ASHES OF PLANTS.
MANY chemists appreciating the importance of the of the ashes of plants, and desirous of entering upon it, will find it to be a matter of no mean importance to be put in possession of a method, simple and correct, and upon which they may rely without a previously laborious examination of methods. Such an one is the
analysis
following:Alethodfor the Quantitative Analysis of Ashes. Preparation. -Plants in a normal and healthy condition should be selected, unless the design be to study diseases and their causes. All foreign matter, such as dirt, dust, &c., should be carefully removed; but they should not be washed, or the soluble salts will be extracted. Plants exposed to moist weather or in a withered state should also be rejected for the same reason. The design of analysing the ashes of plants may be First
ascertain the amount and nature of the insimply toconstituents of a plant or some vegetable suborganic or it obtain a soil
may be to knowledge of the and particularly the presence or absence of alkalies, alkaline earths, and phosphates. For this latter purpose an examination of the ashes of all the plants grown upon the soil will suffice. When we know the composition, of
stance,
the ashes of the weeds and cultivated plants, we know the soluble constituents of the soil, and we can determine for what crop it is most suitable. Woods, herbs, and roots, after being perfectly dried, may be burned upon a clean iron plate; leaves, fruits; and seeds, will be best burned in a Hessian crucible by means of charcoal, amid which it should be placed somewhat obliquely. Sometimes the ashes are left perfectly white, but some seeds require a higher temperature than others to rid the ashes of charcoal, which is mixed with the phosphates, but care must be taken not to fuse the alkaline salts, or they will prevent the perfect combustion of the charcoal. The ashes will be burnt the whitest which are not shaken or stirred together. They should afterwards, if necessary, be heated to low redness in an open platina crucible over a spirit-lamp, with constant stirring; then, whilst still warm, rubbed to a fine powder and transferred to a well-stopped bottle. A qualitative analysis should now be made to determine to which of the three groups (vide antea, p. 5.i9) the ashes belong. Concentrated hydrochloric acid generally dissolves them completely, unless, they abound in silica; After the sepaas the ashes of the stems of grasses, &c. ration of the silica, the acid solution is treated with acetate of ammonia, or it may be neutralised by means of caustic ammonia, free acetic acid being afterwards added. In most cases a yellowish-white gelatinous precipitate is formed, consisting of phosphate of peroxide of iron. This precipitate must be collected upon a filter, and ammonia added in excess to the clear solution, by which means a fresh precipitate will be obtained. If a red precipitate be formed it is peroxide of iron. The solution should now be allowed to stand for some time, the air being excluded ; if no precipitation takes place the ashes contain no phosphate besides that previously separated, but if there be a white precipitate it consists of phosphate of lime and phosphate of magnesia, more phosphoric acid being present than is combined with peroxide of iron. This completes the qualitative examination, unless the operator choose to test for fluorine, oxide of manganese, iodine, bromine, or any other substance, the presence of which may be suspected. Separate portions of ashes must be used for these purposes, as also for carbonic acid, and alkalies, in ashes belonging to the third process. The other constituents may be determined in one quantity of ashes, the silica has only to
be separated once. ; A.-Determination of the Quantity of Ashes in Plants. It is often highly desirable to ascertain the entire quantity of inorganic constituents of plants. A quantityof solid matter is annually removed from the soil in the crop, and it is necessary to repair this loss by means of manures. The weight of the crop, taken from a given surface, should, therefore, be well known, and rational agriculturists acquire this information with sufficient accuracy for practical purposes. The vegetable substance under examination should be dried over a water-bath until it no longer loses weight. The quantity most convenient to employ depends upon the proportion of its inorganic constituents. Herbs and seeds, being rich in these matter.:, from thirty to fifty grains will be sufficient, whilst ten times that amount of woods must be taken. The combustion succeeds best in a platinum crucible, at first covered and heated gently, afterwards remove the lid and apply a stronger heat to Those ashes which do not consume all the charcoal. effervesce with acids, as the ashes of seeds, may be treated with nitric acid and again ignited, when they will be speedily rendered quite white.
B.-Analysis of Ashes rich
in Carbonates and
Phosphates.
1. Determination
of the Silica, Charcoul, and Sand.About sixty grains of the ashes, which have been found soluble in hydrochloric acid, are to be treated with concentrated acid in a matrass, held obliquely, so as to avoid any loss of fluid during the evolution of carbonic acid ;a gentle heat is then applied, until it is evident that every. thing is dissolved, excepting the carbonaceous and sandy particles. The whole is now carefully removed into s-
porcelain basin, evaporated to dryneew over a water-bath,
Stalybridge, August 2,
1844.
ERGOT OF RYE.
To the Editor.-Sir:As much discussion has arisen on the success attending the administration of the ergota, I beg to observe that the non-success may be
lately
attributed chiefly to the want of care in its preservation, as it is well known that few drugs suffer more from a small parasite than the secale. It has struck me that its success might be more relied on if, on obtaining some fresh ergot, I could cause destruction to these little insects. I now invariably keep a small piece of camphor in the stoppered bottle in which it is placed, which soon annihilates the whole race ;and since I have adopted this plan I have never had cause to find any failure in the treatment by the secale. FRANCIS RAWLE, Surgeon. Saffron Walden, July 18, 1844.
CHEMISTRY, PHARMACY,
AND
MATERIA MEDICA. ON THE INORGANIC CONSTITUENTS OF PLANTS.
By
Drs. H. WILL and R. FRESENIUS.
(Continued from page 559.) A METHOD FOR THE ANALYSIS OF THE ASHES OF PLANTS.
MANY chemists appreciating the importance of the of the ashes of plants, and desirous of entering upon it, will find it to be a matter of no mean importance to be put in possession of a method, simple and correct, and upon which they may rely without a previously laborious examination of methods. Such an one is the
analysis
following:Alethodfor the Quantitative Analysis of Ashes. Preparation. -Plants in a normal and healthy condition should be selected, unless the design be to study diseases and their causes. All foreign matter, such as dirt, dust, &c., should be carefully removed; but they should not be washed, or the soluble salts will be extracted. Plants exposed to moist weather or in a withered state should also be rejected for the same reason. The design of analysing the ashes of plants may be First
ascertain the amount and nature of the insimply toconstituents of a plant or some vegetable suborganic or it obtain a soil
may be to knowledge of the and particularly the presence or absence of alkalies, alkaline earths, and phosphates. For this latter purpose an examination of the ashes of all the plants grown upon the soil will suffice. When we know the composition, of
stance,
the ashes of the weeds and cultivated plants, we know the soluble constituents of the soil, and we can determine for what crop it is most suitable. Woods, herbs, and roots, after being perfectly dried, may be burned upon a clean iron plate; leaves, fruits; and seeds, will be best burned in a Hessian crucible by means of charcoal, amid which it should be placed somewhat obliquely. Sometimes the ashes are left perfectly white, but some seeds require a higher temperature than others to rid the ashes of charcoal, which is mixed with the phosphates, but care must be taken not to fuse the alkaline salts, or they will prevent the perfect combustion of the charcoal. The ashes will be burnt the whitest which are not shaken or stirred together. They should afterwards, if necessary, be heated to low redness in an open platina crucible over a spirit-lamp, with constant stirring; then, whilst still warm, rubbed to a fine powder and transferred to a well-stopped bottle. A qualitative analysis should now be made to determine to which of the three groups (vide antea, p. 5.i9) the ashes belong. Concentrated hydrochloric acid generally dissolves them completely, unless, they abound in silica; After the sepaas the ashes of the stems of grasses, &c. ration of the silica, the acid solution is treated with acetate of ammonia, or it may be neutralised by means of caustic ammonia, free acetic acid being afterwards added. In most cases a yellowish-white gelatinous precipitate is formed, consisting of phosphate of peroxide of iron. This precipitate must be collected upon a filter, and ammonia added in excess to the clear solution, by which means a fresh precipitate will be obtained. If a red precipitate be formed it is peroxide of iron. The solution should now be allowed to stand for some time, the air being excluded ; if no precipitation takes place the ashes contain no phosphate besides that previously separated, but if there be a white precipitate it consists of phosphate of lime and phosphate of magnesia, more phosphoric acid being present than is combined with peroxide of iron. This completes the qualitative examination, unless the operator choose to test for fluorine, oxide of manganese, iodine, bromine, or any other substance, the presence of which may be suspected. Separate portions of ashes must be used for these purposes, as also for carbonic acid, and alkalies, in ashes belonging to the third process. The other constituents may be determined in one quantity of ashes, the silica has only to
be separated once. ; A.-Determination of the Quantity of Ashes in Plants. It is often highly desirable to ascertain the entire quantity of inorganic constituents of plants. A quantityof solid matter is annually removed from the soil in the crop, and it is necessary to repair this loss by means of manures. The weight of the crop, taken from a given surface, should, therefore, be well known, and rational agriculturists acquire this information with sufficient accuracy for practical purposes. The vegetable substance under examination should be dried over a water-bath until it no longer loses weight. The quantity most convenient to employ depends upon the proportion of its inorganic constituents. Herbs and seeds, being rich in these matter.:, from thirty to fifty grains will be sufficient, whilst ten times that amount of woods must be taken. The combustion succeeds best in a platinum crucible, at first covered and heated gently, afterwards remove the lid and apply a stronger heat to Those ashes which do not consume all the charcoal. effervesce with acids, as the ashes of seeds, may be treated with nitric acid and again ignited, when they will be speedily rendered quite white.
B.-Analysis of Ashes rich
in Carbonates and
Phosphates.
1. Determination
of the Silica, Charcoul, and Sand.About sixty grains of the ashes, which have been found soluble in hydrochloric acid, are to be treated with concentrated acid in a matrass, held obliquely, so as to avoid any loss of fluid during the evolution of carbonic acid ;a gentle heat is then applied, until it is evident that every. thing is dissolved, excepting the carbonaceous and sandy particles. The whole is now carefully removed into s-
porcelain basin, evaporated to dryneew over a water-bath,