The absence of symptoms of proper nervous disorder proves that the medicine does not act directly on the cerebral centres, or those of animal life, and that it cannot, therefore, rank with the narcotics. The probability is, that it immediately depresses the heart and lungs, through the nervous centres in the medulla oblongata; and this depression may be so great, from over-doses, as to suspend the functions of these organs. The fatal effects of poisonous doses are more rapid than can be accounted for by the simple impression on the stomach and bowels, which, though sometimes inflamed, are in other instances quite sound; while the most violent and even corrosive action of such medicines as arsenic and the mineral acids, completely disorganizing as they do the gastric membrane, often allows the patient to linger for several days.

is it possible to approach to a solution of the question, as to the nature of the alterative action of colchium? Some observations, made upon the character of the urine under its influence, tend to throw light upon the subject. Many years since it was asserted by Professor Che-lius, of Heidelberg, that colchicum, given during the existence of gout and rheumatism, occasioned a great increase of uric acid in the urine. This was afterwards stated by Dr. Graves, of Dublin, not to be a constant result; but comparatively recent experiments by Dr. Maclagan, of Edinburgh, tend strongly to confirm the statements of Chelius. Dr. Maclagan examined the urine before and after the use of colchium, in a considerable number of rheumatic cases, and uniformly found both the urea and uric acid in the urine greatly increased. in two instances, which he reports in detail, the increase was gradual from the beginning to the close of the administration of the remedy. in one case, it was from 10.49 parts of urea and .257 parts of uric acid in 1000 of the urine, at starting, to 11.635 of the former and 1.034 of the latter, on the eighteenth day; in the second case, from 6.358 and .097 in the beginning, to 16.824 and .936 on the twelfth day. Thus, the urea was more than doubled, on the average of the two cases, and the uric acid more than quintupled. At the same time, the blood which, at starting, in one of the cases contained a little both of urea and uric acid, at the close of the experiment did not exhibit a trace of either. (Ed. Monthly Journ. of Med. Sci., N. S., v. 231.) Similar results were obtained by Dr. Wm. A. Hammond, of the 17. S. Army, who found colchicum the only one, out of several diuretics employed, which increased the quantity of solid matters, organic and inorganic, discharged with the urine. Before the exhibition of colchicum, the average daily discharge of organic matters by urine, for three days, was 33.29 grammes; for the three following days, under the use of the colchicum, it was 42.04 grammes, or a daily average increase of about 26 per cent. (Proceed, of Acad, of Nat. Sci., Nov. 1858.)* it has been inferred, from these observations, that col-

* it should be stated here that Dr. Garrod has drawn different conclusions from his observation of three or four cases, having found that colchicum rather diminished the excretion of uric acid, and had no marked effect on that of urea. (Lancet, Am. ed., Sept. 1858, p. 194.) - Note to the second edition.

The more recent experiments of Dr. Wm. Moss, of Philadelphia, though too limchicum cures gout and rheumatism by causing an evacuation of the urea and uric acid, existing in the blood in these complaints. I infer something more. The increase was not merely sufficient to deprive the blood of the accumulation, arising from a previously defective elimination; but it was greatly in excess beyond the ordinary normal amount excreted in health. Thus, Becquerel states the average urea in health at 12.102 in 1000 and uric acid at 0.398, which is very much less than the amount eliminated in the above cases under the influence of colchicum. it would appear, therefore, that colchicum has the property of increasing the production of urea and uric acid; in other words, of accelerating the process of normal change or disintegration of the tissues; thus assimilating it, according to the views I have presented, to the other great alteratives, which prove most efficient in the treatment of disease. This property of hastening the disintegrating process seems to be connected with the acrid property, which renders all these bodies more or less stimulant to the secretions in general. The experiments, however, with colchicum, as with the other alteratives in this relation, require extension. Should it be found that an ordinary effect of colchicum is to increase the urea and uric acid in the urine, in health as well as during the existence of rheumatism, the result will be confirmatory of these views.

2. Therapeutic Application

Colchicum was probably known to the ancients; though some doubt is entertained whether it was the particular species now employed, or another of the same genus, which is referred to by their medical writers. But, whatever may have been known of the medicine, it was entirely lost sight of until again brought before the notice of the profession by Storck, of Vienna, who, in a treatise published in 1763, recommended it as a useful remedy in dropsy and other diseases. For a short time it enjoyed considerable reputation as a diuretic and expectorant; but had again passed into disuse, when the supposed discovery, that it was the active ingredient of the eau medicinale d'Husson, a secret remedy, famous in the cure of gout, once more revived its reputation, and gave it a place among our most valuable medicines, which it has ever since held, and is not likely soon to lose. This eau medicinale was prepared by a French military officer, named Husson, in the latter part of the last century, and proved so successful as an antiarthritic remedy, that many attempts were made to discover its source and composition. it was ited in number, in regard to colchicum, to justify a positive conclusion, so far as they go, tend to verify the results obtained by Dr. Garrod. Dr. Moss took 60drops of the wine of the fresh root daily for five days, and states as the result that, though the quantity of urine and its solid ingredients were somewhat increased, that of urea remained almost precisely as in health, and the uric acid was slightly diminished. [Am. J. of Med. Sci., April, 1861, p. 387.) - Note to the third edition.