By the action of nitre on antimony we obtain the crocus antimonii. This is a sulphurated oxide also, and obtained by deflagrating equal parts of nitre and antimony; to which, as we have said, the London and Dublin colleges add a small proportion of sea salt. This sulphurated oxide, like the preceding, contains, according to Thenard, about 10.18 of oxygen. In the shops the proportion of nitre is sometimes curtailed, and the medicine is useless. In its best state, the crocus of antimony acts unequally and violently, and is only used in veterinary practice.

With a less proportion of nitre this preparation is called also regulus antlmonii medicinalis, and it is sometimes styled crocus metallorum. Macquer and Lemery choose to call it liver of antimony. With a larger proportion of nitre, viz. two parts of the latter to one of the metal, a milder preparation is obtained, viz. the emeticum mitius of Boerhaave. With three partsof nitre we obtain the antimonium diaphoreticum latum of Meu-der, antimonium calcinatum, or the antimonium diaphore-ticu?n, and the calx antimonii nitrata when unwashed. All these preparations are inert, and now little employed. The antimonium ustum cum nitro consists of antimony roasted to a calx, and then exposed for an hour to a red heat with nitre. The remainder was edulcorated with water, and it was erroneously supposed to be the same with James' powder. As a substitute for it this preparation was inserted in some of the former editions of the Edinburgh Dispensatory.

With acids the most active preparations of antimony are obtained. With the vitriolic acid the Dispensatories of the united kingdoms have admitted no formula. A vitriol-ated antimony was employed by Dr. Klaunig of Breslaw, which Wertholf used with advantage in fevers, and adds, that it proved emetic, cathartic, and diaphoretic. We have no reason, however, to think it superior in efficacy to the other preparations. The antimony is repeatedly distilled from the muriatic acid; and the sulphat, thus formed, is sublimed. The sublimed substance is then powdered, and alcohol burnt on it. Wilson's antimonium catharticum is supposed to be of the same nature.

With the nitric acid we have no antimonial preparation. The bezoardicum minerale is, indeed, prepared with nitrous acid from butter of antimony; but the acid is decomposed, and no traces of it remain. The. result is still butter of antimony; though the metal is more oxygenated, and the preparation much milder.

The muriats of antimony are very important preparations. The antimonium murlatum of the London, the murias antimonii of the Edinburgh, and the stibium mu-riatum causticum of the Dublin, Dispensatory, are prepared in the same way. The crocus antimonii, with an equal weight of sulphuric acid, is added to double the weight of muriat of soda: the salt and the oxide must be mixed, and the acid slowly added. The whole is then to be distilled in a sand bath, and the sublimed matter suffered to deliquesce in the air. The liquid part is the muriat, or butter, of antimony. In this case the sulphuric acid decomposes the sea salt, whose acid unites to the oxide. Inthenard's scale this preparation contains one-twentieth of oxygen. As the sulphur adhering to the crocus antimonii renders the operation dangerous, Gottling's process is preferable. To four ounces of glass of antimony and sixteen of sea salt, he adds twelve ounces of sulphuric acid, diluted with eight of water. The butter of antimony is drawn off in a retort. This preparation is chiefly used as a caustic; yet we have been informed that it has been employed in very small doses internally: we know not with what success. The powder of algarotti we have already mentioned as its precipitate; and the Dublin college has introduced a.calx stibii preparata, in which the oxide is precipitated by an alkali. This last preparation contains 0.20 of oxygen.

The emetic tartar is the next preparation that occurs, and it is one of such convenient exhibition and extensive use, that all the art of the pharmaceutist, all the resources of modern chemistry, have been exhausted in rendering it more steady in its operation, more perfect, and more useful in its administration. We learn from Dr. Fordyce, that we are indebted for this preparation to Dr. Cullen. If true, we cannot sufficiently admire the sagacity and judgment that prompted him in the choice, nor be sufficiently grateful for a present of such value. In children, in maniacs, and many cases where no medicine could be given, this may be disguised; in all cases where active antimonials are wanted, this preparation may be easily and successfully administered. In almost every febrile complaint it is highly useful; and joined in a small proportion to resinous purgatives, it mitigates their acrimony, and renders them useful in smaller doses. Its advantages, however, will often recur, and we need not anticipate them in this place. The chemical details must now engage our attention.

The tartar emetic is emphatically called in French Femetique, in the new chemical nomenclature; it is called antimonium tartarisatum by the London college; tar-tris antimonii by the Edinburgh; and tariarumstibiatum by the Dublin. The first two employ the crocus anti-monii, and add three parts of this to four parts of the crystals of tartar, and thirty-two parts of water. The last orders two ounces of the precipitated calx of antimony, with four ounces of crystals of tartar finely powdered, and five pounds of water. In fact, the antimonium tartarisatum is a triple salt; for the crystals of tartar contain potash, and this union is essential to the medicine. The London appellation hits this union very happily; while the Edinburgh college, resigning the advantage of trivial names, which are as useful in pharmacy as in botany, renders every title a definition. The different oxides of antimony have all had their patrons; but the crocus is not in general prepared with sufficient accuracy for this purpose. The precipitated oxide of the Dublin Pharmacopoeia, the pulvis algarotti of pharmaceutists, or the glass of antimony, may with more propriety be employed. It is only sufficient that the. calx contain 0.20 of oxygen: we have before given some reasons for preferring the glass.