The village-pastor's surgical and medical guide, in letters from an old physician to a young clergyman, his son.

  • Skrimshire, F. (Fenwick), 1774 or 1775-1855.
Date:
1838
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The village-pastor's surgical and medical guide, in letters from an old physician to a young clergyman, his son. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    the bowels emptied by two or three copious ca- thartic glysters, you will proceed to give the acid drink or coffee every quarter or half hour at first, and then at longer and longer intervals, allowing the patient now to indulge in sleep in these inter- vals, if the propensity still continues. We have no chemical tests, by which to prove the presence of opium ; but the smell of it in the breath of the patient, and more particularly in the matter first thrown off the stomach, will frequently confirm the suspicions excited by the peculiarities of the symptoms. There is an acid obtained by the chemical action of nitric acid on sugar, which was on that account called acid of sugar; it is now known by the name of oxalic acid. As sold in the shops under either of these names, it is a white crystallised salt, very much like Epsom salts in appearance, but in- tensely acid and acrid to the taste. In the dose of half an ounce, it has frequently proved fatal in less than an hour; and there is no doubt, but that a much less dose would destroy life. Another salt in crystals but of a brownish appearance, sold under the treacherous name of salt of lemons, is a compound of oxalic acid and an oxalate of lime, and is also a poison. Oxalic acid and acid of sor- rel have been identified by the chemist, though procured by different processes, the latter having- been long since manufactured in Switzerland from the juice of the sorrel.