Solutions of iron in vegetable acids are much more mild, and less ungrateful, both to the palate and mach, than those made with the mineral acids.

The dose is from a tea spoonful, to a table spoonful, two or three times a day. In chlorotic cases, and in debilitated phlegmatic habits, it is an excellent remedy; but in inflammatory habits should be cautiously admi-red.

Tinctura martis in spiiritu salis.- Tinctura ferri mu-riati. Take of the rust of iron, half a pound; muriatic acid, by weight, three pounds: pour the muriatic acid upon the iron in a glass vessel, and shake the mixture now and then, during three days; set it by, that the faeces may subside, evaporate the liquor poured off to one pound, and add three pints of the rectified spirit of wine. Pharm. Lond. 1788.

The Edinburgh college employs the scales of iron or the black oxide; and the Dublin iron wire. The first and last are therefore nearly the same, and very different from the London formula, in which the red oxide is used. The red muriat is, however, only soluble in spirit of wine; and some of this muriat is formed both in the Edinburgh and Dublin forms.

This was formerly called tinctura martis Mynsichti. Its virtues are the same as of other preparations of iron; but it is generally more speedy and certain in its effects: its dose, from ten to sixty drops, two or three times a day. It has sometimes been given for gleets; and in suppressions of urine, arising from spasmodic affections of the urethra, in a dose, ten drops every ten minutes till some effects are perceptible: it relaxes the spasm by producing nausea. It is very efficacious in destroying venereal warts, either used alone, or diluted with a small proportion of water.

Tinctura florum martialum.-take of the martial flowers, four ounces; and of proof spirit, one pint. Digest and strain.

All the tinctures of steel are no other than real solutions of iron in acids, combined with vinous spirits; but the first of these two is the strongest. The dose of the first may be from ten to twenty drops three times a day; and of the latter, three times the quantity may be allowed.

Carbonas ferri precipitatus is the name of a preparation introduced into the last edition of the Edinburgh Dispensatory, usually styled the ferrum precipi-tatum. It is prepared by dissolving four ounces of sulphate of iron, in five quarts of water, and adding five ounces of carbonate of soda, dissolved in a sufficient quantity of water. The iron precipitated is, at first, in the form of the black oxide; but it attracts more oxygen in drying, and becomes of a red colour. It is-a valuable medicine, and may be given from five grains to fifteen; but the former dose is generally sufficient. The carbonate of soda is employed; as the salt, which results from the double decomposition, is very soluble, and of course easily separated.

Aqua ferri acrati is introduced into the Dublin Dispensatory, and is made as the artificial acidulous water, introducing.into the vessel half an ounce of iron wire, and suspending it in the water. This is an elegant chalybeate, and by no means inferior to the Pyr-mont water.

Sulphas ferri exciccatus, and oxidum ferri rubrum, are preparations introduced into the last Edinburgh Dispensatory. In the first, the water of crystallization only is separated by a gentle heat; and in the last, the sulphat of iron is decomposed by a violent fire. A little red sulphat remains, which must be separated by elutriation.

Tinctura ferri acetati is directed by the Dublin college to be prepared in the following manner. An ounce of acetated vegetable alkali is rubbed with as much vitriolated iron till the mass deliquesces. Alcohol is then added. The process is easily explained; and the tincture is a solution of the black oxide, unless it gain some oxygen in the preparation. The sulphat of potash, formed in the process, is not soluble in alcohol; so that the tincture when filtered has no saline impregnation, except that of the iron. The dose is thirty drops.

Lixivium martis.- Let the substance remaining after subliming the flowers be set in a moist place, and it will deliquesce. It is sometimes called oleum martis pcr deliquium, and essentia martis. The dose is from one to three or four drops. It is an astringent, and a very powerful one. In surgery it is used as a styptic, and in cases of haemorrhage applied to the bleeding vessels on lint.

Mars saccharatus. Candied steel.- Put any quantity of clean filings of iron into a brass kettle, suspended over a gentle fire; add to them, by little and little, twice their weight of white sugar, boiled to the consistence of candy, with which powdered starch hath been previously mixed, in the proportion of one drachm to a pound, agitating the kettle continually, that the filings may be crusted over with the sugar, and taking great care to prevent their running into lumps. The dose is 3 ss. two or three times a day.

Mars solubilis, chalybs tartarisatus; now ferrum tar-tarisatum.-take of iron filings, one pound; powdered crystals of tartar, two pounds; mix them with distilled water into a thick paste; expose them to the air in an open earthen vessel for eight days; and then rub the matter, when dried in a sand bath, to the finest powder. Pharm. Lond. 1788. This is said, to have succeeded after all other preparations of iron have failed"; and is supposed to be more soluble in the animal fluids. The dose is from ten grains to thirty, twice a day. It is in fact a triple salt, as potash is combined, and the filings of iron are oxidized by exposure to the air. A more ready way of preparing it is that proposed by Thenard, viz. to boil the cream of tartar with an oxide of iron. This compound is very soluble, crystallizes in small needles, and has a chalybeate taste. It is decomposed by sulphurated hydrogen and its compounds, as well as by the gallic acid, not by alkalis, or alkaline carbonats.