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ELEMENTS OF MATERIA MEDICA.

phur, contains, according to Gay-Lussac ( Cours de Chimie, Le§on 20‘),hydrosulphate of ammonia, with excess of sulphur; but in what state ofcombination has not been determined.

Physiological Effects, (a.) On vegetables. —The vapour of thiscompound is injurious to vegetation. •

(b.) On animals. —I am unacquainted with any experiments madewith it on animals ; but analogy leads us to believe that its action is thatof a powerful poison, analogous to other alkaline sulphurets, and tohydrosulpliuric acid.

(c.) On man. —In small but repeated doses it acts powerfully on thesecreting organs, the action of which it promotes, but at the same timemodifies. Its principal influence is directed to the skin (on which itacts as a sudorific), and to the pulmonary mucous membrane. In some-what larger doses it occasions nausea and giddiness. In still largerdoses it causes nausea, vomiting, diminished frequency of pulse, giddi-ness, extreme languor, drowsiness, and sleep. Excessive doses would, ofcourse, produce death, though 1 am unacquainted with any case of thiskind.

In the gaseous state it acts, when inhaled, as a powerfully asphyxiatingagent. Instances of its deleterious operation, in conjunction withhydrosulpliuric acid, have occurred in Prance, in workmen exposed tothe vapours from the pits of the necessaries. The symptoms are, suddenweakness, insensibility, and death; or where the vapours are less con-centrated, there are sometimes delirium and convulsions.

Uses. —In this country it has been principally employed in diabetesmellitus, with the view of reducing the morbid appetite and increasedaction of the stomach, as well of the system in general ( Hollo , on DiabetesMellitus , p. 28, ed. 2nd). Combined with alcohol, F. Hoffmann admi-nistered it under the name of liquor anti-podagricus, as a powerful sudo-rific in gout. It has also been used in old pulmonary catarrhs ; and byBrauw and Gruitliuiscn in vesical catarrh (Vogt, Pharmakodyn.)

Administration. —It is given in doses of from four to six drops, insome proper vehicle (distilled water is the best). On account of its speedydecomposition, it should be dropped from the bottle at the time ofusing it.

Antidotes. —The antidotes for hydrosulphate of ammonia, as well asfor hydrosulphuric acid, are chlorine and the chlorides of lime and soda.In cases of asphyxia by the inhalation of these substances, the treat-ment consists in placing the patient on his back in the open air, withhis head somewhat elevated; applying cold affusion to the face andbreast; producing artificial respiration of air, through which chlorine isdiffused, by pressing down the ribs and forcing up the diaphragm, andthen suddenly removing the pressure ; using strong friction in the courseof the vertebral column, chest, soles of the feet, &c., and injectinginto the stomach, stimulants; as, a weak solution of chlorine (or ofchloride of lime) or brandy, &c. In the event of hydrosulphuret ofammonia being by accident swallowed in poisonous doses, dilute solu-tions of chlorine, or of the chlorides of lime or soda, should be imme-diately given, and the contents of the stomach removed by the stomach-pump as soon as possible.