SESQUISULPHURET OF ANTIMONY.

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enteritis is marked, our principal reliance must be on the usual antiphlo-gistic measures, particularly blood-letting, both general and local, andblisters to the abdomen. One drawback to the success of this treatmentis the great depression of the vascular system, so that the patient cannotsupport large evacuations of blood. Opium is a very valuable agent.Indeed Jager seems to regard it in the light of a counterpoison. How-ever, on this point he has probably taken a too exaggerated view of itsefficacy; but it is undeniable that on many occasions it is of greatservice. If the stomach reject it, we may employ it in the form ofclysters. If constipation and tenesmus be troublesome, mild laxatives,especially castor oil, should be exhibited.

Arsen'id Io'didum. — l'odide of Arsen'icum .

This compound is prepared by gently heating, in a tubulated retortplaced in a sand-bath, a mixture of one part finely pulverized metallicarsenicum and three parts of iodine: the iodide is afterwards to be su-blimed, to separate the excess of arsenicum. The compound thus obtainedis an orange-red solid, volatile, and soluble in water. If the solution berapidly evaporated to dryness, we reprocure the iodide ; but if we con-centrate, and then place the solution aside, white pearly plates areobtained, which by Plisson arc regarded as a periodide of arsenicum, butby Serullas as a compound of oxide and iodide of arsenicum (Souberain,Nouv. Traite de Pharm. ii. 613; and Serullas, Journ. de Chim. Med. iii.601). Iodide of arsenicum is probably composed of 1-j eq. iodine= 187\5,and 1 cq. arsenicum = 38. It has been employed by lliett in the formof ointment (composed of iodide of arsenicum, gr. iij.; lard, Sj.) as an appli-cation to coiToding tubercular skin diseases (Magendie , Formulaire).

Order 17. Compounds of Antimony .

Antimo'nii Sesquisulphure’turn. — Sesquisul'phuret of Antimony .

History. —Black sulphuret of antimony was known in the most ancienttimes, being used by the Asiatic and Greek ladies as a pigment for theeyebrows (2 Kings, ix. 30 ; Ezekiel, xxiii. 40 ; Pliny , Hist. Nat. xxxiii.)It was formerly called stimmi (arly-yi vel a-i/ipc, stibium (or//3i), or platy-ophthalmon (irAarvd</>3aXpov), Dioscorides , v. 99.) In the native state itis technically termed antimony ore, and when fused out of its gangue, crudeantimony, or sulphuret of antimony.

Natural History. —Sesquisulphuret of antimony is found native invarious parts of the world, especially in Hungary, in the Hartz, in France ,in Cornwall, and in Borneo . From the latter place it is imported intothis country by way of Singapore , being brought over as ballast to thevessels. In the years 1835-36, and 37, the quantities of ore importedwere respectively 645, 825, and 659 tons ( Trade List, Jan. 10, 1837, andJan. 9, 1838).

Preparation. —The old method of separating the sesquisulphuretfrom its siliceous gangue was to melt it in a covered crucible or pot, inthe bottom of which there are several holes, through which the fused sul-phuret passes into an inferior or receiving pot. According to Gensenne’smethod, the melting pots are placed in a circular reverberatory furnace,