IV.-R. S., aged 21, strong limbed, thin, pale, took in twenty-five days, from the 29th June to the 23rd July, two ounces of liq. ferri acet., beginning with five drops, and increasing to fifty drops for a dose.

The blood drawn on the 25th June and 23rd July showed the following condition:

Before taking the Iron the blood was bright red; the colour of the blood-corpuscules light; few, but extremely large colourless ones were observed; the blood coagulated in 7' 50"; serum yellowish, clear, alkaline; clot pretty firm.

After taking the Iron the blood was still unusually light; the blood-corpuscules were strongly coloured; but few and small colourless ones were observed; coagulation in 8' 20"; serum as before, clot firm and elastic.

After each V. S. a feeling of fainting occurred. In spite of the long and vigorous use of the Iron, few symptoms occurred in this prover; no urinary symptoms were observed, and in the head only slight confusion occurred occasionally.

For the first half of the period there occurred in the digestive organs only an occasional feeling of increased warmth in the abdomen, especially in the stomach, along with pressure, tension and pricking, which always went off, or was prevented by

motion immediately after taking the medicine. Even during the last half of the period the large doses only caused those sensations occasionally when taken on an empty stomach. During the 2 last days of taking the medicine the pricking in the abdomen came on, as also during the day. During the first 4 days after leaving off the medicine, he was tormented by colicky pain, with very few intervals of ease, its severity was variable, movement had very little influence on it; on satisfying the call to stool that occurred some relief was obtained; partaking of food increased the pain. It did not disturb the rest at night, and only came on after rising. The abdomen was not swollen nor sensitive to touch, the tongue was latterly slightly furred white, the appetite not impaired.

On the 3rd day of taking the medicine the fæces became greenish, then greenish-black, and at length quite black, at the same time firmer-indeed, so extremely hard, that the whole force by the abdominal muscles was required to expel them. On exceeding 26 drops for the single dose they again became loose, indeed at length quite soft.

Twice, on the 3rd July and again on the 16th, hoarseness, with a feeling of roughness in the larynx ensued; the first time it lasted three days, the second time eight days. Each time the solution was swallowed a sensation of constriction was experienced in the fauces.

The first fortnight the mental and bodily energy was increased; but in the latter half of the proving period there occurred a feeling of weakness, laziness, disinclination for bodily and mental activity, fatigue on the least exertion, especially on walking. In the last days of taking the medicine, and four days after leaving it off, he had an almost insuperable inclination to sleep under all circumstances, and at all times.

The pulse repeatedly sank from the normal 70-74 to 68-62, and was always very full and tense, even for some days after the second V. S.

V.-C. H., aged 20, stout and strong-limbed, pasty; skin disposed to perspire easily, tendency to rheumatic affections and catarrhs; at this time well, except a slight chronic bronchial

catarrh. He took in 17 days, from the 10th to the 26th of July, 1/2 oz. of liq. ferri acet., rising from 5 drops to 40 per dose.

The blood drawn on the 6th and 26th July shewed the following composition:

Before taking the Iron the blood was bright red, with light coloured corpuscules and few colourless ones. Coagulation in 6' 57"; serum yellow, clear, alkaline; clot firm, elastic, deeplycupped, with a thin buffy coat. After taking the Iron, blood deep red; blood corpuscules deeply-coloured, and very many colourless ones; coagulation in 6' 4"; serum and clot as above.

Soon after taking the first doses there occurred tension and rumbling in the stomach; increased on the second day, but decreasing on the third, and going off entirely on the fourth. But on the ninth day these symptoms increased to pressure and weight with pinching, extending from the stomach all over the abdomen. These symptoms were worst in the morning and evening, and sometimes accompanied with inclination to vomit. They attained their maximum on the 12th day (112 drops per diem). Although after this still larger quantities were taken, they gradually went off excepting a slight feeling of tension in the stomach.

The appetite notwithstanding this was increased; the digestion excellent; no constipation, only transient tenesmus recti felt once or twice. The colour of the fæces commenced to change soon, and ran through all shades, from greenish-brown to black. The third day after leaving off the medicine the normal colour had returned.

In the urinary apparatus there was only occasionally transient urgent call to urine and frequent emission, not worth mentioning. The prover's vascular system is very excitable, but not much difference was observed in the frequency of the pulse, and only after taking the Iron 10 days, was a greater tension of it noticed and an increase of the heart's beats.

During the first days of the proving he felt an increased feeling of health and mental and bodily energy; but on the fourth day a feeling of weakness and weight in the limbs ensued. Along with this there was remarkable alteration of the disposition, ill-humour; he felt inclined for nothing; was indifferent even to things that on other occasions interested him; every thing appeared on the dark side, he could not be cheered up; memory seemed to fail him; the head all this time remained free from all pain This alteration of the disposition seemed to be independent of the abdominal affection. On the third day after leaving off the medicine there occurred sediment in the urine, and a peculiar odour of the perspiration. His face lost in fulness and roundness, but it also lost its pasty bloated appearance, and looked firmer and fresher.

PROVING OF SUMBUL.

By Mr. W. CATTELL, of King's College.

THIS recently introduced root is a vegetable product of some portion, as yet undetermined, of Asia; Bucharia in the Mogul empire, north of Mount Thibet, according to the botanists Ernam and Von Ledeboir; Trebesond and Persia, have also their advocates, but little beyond conjecture is really known of its habitat. It comes to us through the Russian market at Moscow, via Kaitke from central Asia, as a thick, homogeneous, single root, from two to four inches in diameter; from its porosity we

may presume its nature to be aquatic, that it grows in moist places, or by the banks of rivers; of the specimens obtained some are tuberous, others fusiform, but without any fibrils. The external surface is generally dusky brown and very tough, thin, and wrinkled; on making a horizontal section, we find the inner substances to be arranged in concentric layers of very light-grey coarse irregular fibres. Its odour is that of the finest musk, which is communicated to the breath for half-an-hour after taking the tincture or masticating the root, perceptible even to the person himself. It has the taste of, to many, an agreeable, bitter; according to Reinsch's analysis it contains besides water, traces of an etherial oil, two balsamic (resins) soluble in æther, -hence this substance should be conjoined with alcohol in its preparation, the other in alcohol; also wax, aromatic spirit and a bitter substance soluble both in water and alcohol." From 3xvij of the root he obtained 3 jss of Balsam, and from this extracted crystalizable Sumbulic acid, gr. x.

There is at present much difficulty in procuring specimens of the root, since Savory, having obtained almost the monopoly, refuses to part with it except in his preparations; those we have procured are from Germany by means of Mr. Schweitzer, of East Street, Brighton, who has lately received some very fine samples.*

The Sumbul, according to Dr. Granville's + pamphlet, from which we have before quoted, has awakened considerable curi

*Mr. Headland has prepared triturations and the other forms of Sumbul from a portion of this supply.

This author, in a pamphlet of 40 pages under the title of "Sumbul," has recorded in the greater part, observations and remarks wholly foreign to the subject, and keeps himself and his drugs constantly before the readers. The following note to his remarks upon the increased frequency of sudden death amongst the higher classes is worthy of being transcribed:— "Among its many causes I reckon homœopathy, or the prolonged use of poisonous substances; (!!!) hydropathy, or the act of rudely interfering with the natural functions of the heart and brain; also the burning of gas in sleeping apartments, lately introduced, and the mistaken horror of cupping due to a most dangerous publication, entitled Fallacies of the Faculty."" (!!) We commend to this gentleman the friendship of Dr. Dick, who again charges us in the Lancet with giving "doses of Bi-chloride of Mercury, which no Allopathist would think of exceeding."

VOL. IX, NO. XXXVI.-APRIL, 1851.

S