Further observations on the internal use of the hydro-cyanic (prussic) acid, in pulmonary complaints; chronic catarrhs; spasmodic coughs; asthma; hooping-cough; and some other diseases : with full directions for the preparation and administration of that medicine / by A.B. Granville.

  • Augustus Granville
Date:
1819
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Further observations on the internal use of the hydro-cyanic (prussic) acid, in pulmonary complaints; chronic catarrhs; spasmodic coughs; asthma; hooping-cough; and some other diseases : with full directions for the preparation and administration of that medicine / by A.B. Granville. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

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    [a] ready formed in the blood. This fluid does, in- deed, contain the principles of the acid in ques- tion, but they require the presence of an alkali^ to influence that peculiar attraction and com- bination of their molecules, which constitutes what has been called prussic acid. It is a fact, that when we wash the residue of animal matter in water, no prussic acid is found, un- less alkalies be present at the same time ; but on treating animal matter by heat, ammonia is formed, the presence of which is sulEficient to promote the subsequent formation of prussic acid. This acid is also observed in the vegetable kingdom, though in small quantities. The smell of those substances, in which it is found, fully indicate its presence. This is the case with the bitter almonds, the kernels of apricots, cherries, and several plumbs, the peach flower, peach and nectarine leaves, the leaves of the lauro-cerasus, &c. We are indebted to Messrs. Vauquelin and Schrader for this dis- covery.