342
ELEMENTS OF MATERIA MEDICA.
land ( Erfahr. iib. d. Gebr. u. d. Krlifte d. salzs. Schivererde, Berl. 1794 :and Vollst. Darstell. d. med. Kr'dfte u. d. Gebr. d. salzs. Schwererde,Berl. 1794), with great benefit. The latter waiter has employed it in allthe forms of this disease, but especially in excited and inflamed condi-tions, (particularly of delicate and sensible parts, as of the lungs and eyes)in painful ulcers, indurations which are disposed to inflame, and cuta-neous affections. It has also been administered as a resolvent, deob-struent, or alterative, in some other diseases: for example, scirrhus andcancer, cutaneous diseases, bronchocele, &c. As a local application, asolution of it has been used as a wash in herpetic eruptions, and as acollyrium in scrofulous ophthalmia.
In pharmacy and chemistry it is extensively employed as a test forsulphuric acid and the sulphates.
Administration. —It is used in the form of aqueous solution. TheLiquor Barii Chloridi, Ph . L. consists of a drachm of the saltdissolved in an ounce of distilled water. The dose is ten drops graduallyand cautiously increased until nausea or giddiness are experienced.The officinal solutions of the Edinburgh and Dublin Pharmacopoeias areabout times stronger. Common water, and all liquids containingcarbonates, phosphates, or sulphates, are incompatible with it.
Antidotes. —The antidotes for the barytic salts are the sulphates,which form therewith an insoluble sulphate of baryta. Hence sulphateof soda, sulphate of magnesia, or well or spring water (which containssulphate of lime) should be copiously administered. Of course the poi-son should be removed from the stomach as speedily as possible. Toappease any unpleasant symptoms caused by the continued use of largemedicinal doses, opiates may be employed.
Order 13. Compounds of Calcium.
History. —Lime , and the mode of obtaining it by burning the carbo-nate, were known in the most remote periods of antiquity. Hippocrates (Popularium, ii. sect. 5) employed this earth in medicine. Dr. Black in 1755first explained the nature of the process for making it. In 1808 Davyshewed that this substance was a metallic oxide, aud hence it has beentermed the oxide of calcium. To distinguish it from the hydrate of lime,it is termed caustic or quicklime (calx viva), or burned lime {calx usta.)
Natural History. —It occurs in both kingdoms of nature.
(a.) In the inorganized kingdom. —In the mineral kingdom lime isfound in the form of carbonate, sulphate, phosphate, silicate, arseniate,tungstate, borate, and titanate. Its base, calcium, occurs in combina-tion with fluorine. “ Lime is also disseminated through sea water,though in small quantities ; so that calcium is widely distributed in landand water, being principally abundant in the central and higher parts ofthe fossiliferous rocks, and wddely dispersed, in small quantities, through-out the more ancient rocks, and in the waters of the ocean.” (De la Beche,Research, in Theor. Geol . p. 21.)
(b.) In the organized kingdom. —In vegetables, lime (or calcium) is aninvariable ingredient, except, it is said, in the case of Salsola Kali. (De-candolle, Phys. Veget. p. 382.) It is found combined with carbonic, sul-