1366

ELEMENTS OF MATERIA MEDICA.

d

(as the ash, privot, and lilac), and of Caprifoliacece (as the eld eLonicera). a n>'

Mode of catching Cantharides. —In the south of France mals are caught during the month of May, either in the nl0l j e r th®evening, when they are less active, by spreading large cloths uo rjytrees, which are then strongly shaken, or beaten with long P 0 ^ eS ’]o'0 ?catchers usually cover their faces, and guard their hands by(Richard, Diet . des. Drag. i. 550). Various methods have been ^olmended for killing the insects ; such as exposing them to the p[ ojvinegar (the practice mentioned by Dioscorides ), or of hot " at -

r states, that if

con^

spirit of wine, or of the oil of turpentine. Geigerby dropping oil of turpentine into the bottle in which they arethey are not subject to the attack of mites; but I believe they , v ji)Cfrequently destroyed by immersing the cloths containing them in 1gar and water, and then drying on hurdles covered with paper or 0 ,j*>Preservation. —Cantharides should be preserved in well' sglass bottles, and to prevent them from being attacked by mites edomesticus), a few drops of strong acetic acid should be added toI have found this a most successful mode of preservation. I3esm ,they are subject to the attacks of a moth (Tinea fl,avifrontCtwo coleopterous insects (Anthrenus muscorum and Hopliafar

Commerce. —Cantharides are imported from St. Petersburg !), jeach containing 160 or 170 lbs.; and also from Messina, incases, holding each about 100 lbs. They are principally brou»towards the end of the year. ^

In 1839, duty (Is. per lb.) was paid on 16,376 lbs. j

The cantharides from St. Petersburgh are the largest a)1 jy#esteemed. They are somewhat more copper-coloured than tU'or English varieties, which have rather a brassy than copper tin • f/KCharacteristics for Medico-legal porposes. —There K

mical tests for cantharides to be relied on. Orfila (Toxicol- ^ . 1'

published the effects of various reagents on tincture of canthan^ jp/

they are unimportant. Cantharides are rarely met with in

perfect form to enable us to recognise them by their zoological

Their physical characters are much more important. In all p°cantharides you may distinguish golden-green particles; these ^jiiseparated from the other contents of the stomach by immersing (boiling water: the fatty matter rises to the surface, while the i' 1 ^,powder falls to the bottom. Orfila has recognised these pa')'.body nine months after interment; so that they do not read’.^ 0 t^ (pose, even when mixed with decaying animal matters. &0insects, however, have the same golden-green colour, but al '0 v t- _vesicating properties; and vice versa , there are many insectscate, but which have not a golden-green colour. The phys lC ‘ j lt ,( 1°riters of the particles, aided by' their physiological effects, t0 ° e .j\) j l|C \ltolerably conclusive evidence of the presence of cantharides.of the effects of cantharides, and their preparations, we shou f”..as follows:—If the suspected matter be a liquid, evaporate itsistence of an extract; then digest in repeated quantities ot 'ether. The etlierial solutions are to be mixed, anct allowed to

sistence of an extract; then digest in repeated quantities oi

m the air: the vesicating properties of the residuum may be 1by applying it to the inside of the lip or to the arm. If the