Kermes Mineral, a compound of the ter-sulphide with the teroxide of antimony. The secret of its preparation was purchased in 1720 by the French government and made public. It is prepared either in the dry or wet way by treating the tersulphuret of antimony with carbonated soda or potash. The officinal process is to boil 1 oz. troy of the pulverized sulphuret of antimony with 23 oz. troy of carbonate of sodium in 16 pints of water for an hour, and after filtering to allow the liquor to cool slowly in an earthen vessel. The kermes subsides in 24 hours. It is then collected on a filter, washed with boiled water, and dried without heat. It is a purplish brown, tasteless powder. Kermes mineral, as containing more oxide, is a more active drug than the precipitated sulphuret. It has been used to produce the depressing action of antimony upon the heart, and has consequently been considered antiphlogistic. It is the active ingredient in what is known as James's powder, the pulvis antimonialis of the pharmacopoeia. Of late years it has been much less employed than formerly.