124

ELEMENTS OF MATERIA MEDICA.

water, more so in alcohol, and much more so in sulphuric ether. Itcommunicates a fine orange colour to starch.

Characteristics. —Liquid bromine is recognised by its colour, odour,volatility, and the colour of its vapour. To these characters must beadded its powerful action on antimony, arsenicum, and potassium, beforementioned, its dissolving in ether, forming a hyacinth red liquid, and theorange colour which it communicates to starch. It causes a yellowishwhite precipitate with a solution of the nitrate of silver. The only sub-stances which resemble in their external appearance liquid bromine, arethe terchloride of chromium and the chloride of iodine.

The soluble bromides cause white precipitates with the nitrate ofsilver, acetate of lead, and protonitrate of mercury. The precipitatesare bromides of the repective metals. Bromide of silver is yellowishwhite, clotty, insoluble^ in boiling nitric acid, and in a weak solution ofammonia (by which it is distinguished from chloride of silver), but dis-solves in a concentrated solution of this alkali. Heated with sulphuricacid it evolves vapours of bromine. If a few r drops of a solution ofchlorine be added to a solution of a bromide, and then a little sulphuricether, we obtain an ethereal solution of bromine of a hyacinth red colour,which floats on the water.

The bromates when heated evolve oxygen, and become bromides. Thebromates cause white precipitates with the nitrate of silver, the proto-salts of mercury, and with strong solutions of the acetate of lead. Bromateof silver is not soluble in nitric acid, but dissolves readily in solution ofammonia. If a few drops of hydrochloric acid be added to a bromate,and then some ether, a yellow or red ethereal solution of brome isobtained.

Physiological effects.— (a.) On vegetables. — I am unacquaintedwith any experiments made with bromine on plants.

(b.) On animals generally. — The action of bromine on animals hasbeen examined by Franz, (quoted by Wibmer, Die Wirkung d. Arzneim.ler. Bd. p. 433; also in Journ. Chim. Med. t. v. p. 540;) by Bartliez,by Butske, and by Dieffenbacli (Christison, on Poisons, p. 187.) Theanimals experimented on were leeches, fishes, birds, horses, rabbits, anddogs. But notwithstanding the numerous experiments wdiich have beenperformed, nothing satisfactory has been made out with respect to itsmode of operation, beyond the fact of its being a local irritant andcaustic, and, therefore, when swallowed, giving rise to gastro-enteritis.Injected into the jugular vein it coagulates the blood, and causes im-mediate death, preceded by tetanic convulsions. No positive inferencescan be drawn as to the specific influence of bromine on any organs of thebody. Some of the symptoms (such as dilated pupil, insensibility, andconvulsions) would seem to indicate a specific affection on the brain.Franz frequently observed inflammation of the liver.

(c.) On man. — Bromine stains the cuticle yellowish brown, and bycontinued application acts as an irritant. Its vapour is very irritatingwhen inhaled, or applied to the mucous lining of the nose or to the con-junctiva. Franz, by breathing the vapour, had violent cough, and a feel-ing of suffocation followed by headache. Butske swallowed a dropand a half of bromine in half an ounce of water, and experienced heatin the mouth, oesophagus, and stomach, followed by colicky pains.