Medicines, their uses and mode of administration : including a complete conspectus of the three British pharmacopoeias, an account of all the new remedies, and an appendix of formulae / by J. Moore Neligan.
- John Neligan
- Date:
- 1849
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Medicines, their uses and mode of administration : including a complete conspectus of the three British pharmacopoeias, an account of all the new remedies, and an appendix of formulae / by J. Moore Neligan. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)
35/504
![one of carbonic acid, combined with an equivalent and a half of water. It attracts moisture from the air, deliquescing rapidly and becoming liquid. By a red heat it is fused, but is not decomposed. It is solu- ble in lessthanits own weight of water at 69°, but is insoluble in alco- hol. It is highly alkaline, but not caustic. Adulterations.—As commonly met with in the shops, carbonate of potash contains much water; the quantity present may be known by the loss of weight which the salt suffers when exposed to a red heat; in the London Pharmocopmia, it is stated, that this should not be more than 16 per cent; in the Edinburgh, 20 per cent. The pre- sence of sulphates or'muriates may be detected by the same tests as those given for bicarbonate of potash. Therapeutical Effects.—As an antacid it may be employed in the same cases as the bicarbonate, but in consequence of its unplea- sant taste, and irritant, even poisonous, properties, it is not much used in medicine. The external application of the alkaline carbonates has recently been highly praised by Devergie, for the treatment of many obstinate diseases of the skin, particularly the various forms of papu- lar and scaly eruptions, and the eruptive diseases of the scalp. But, although he sometimes uses the carbonate of potash where the dis- ease is very chronic, its acridity forbids its general employment, and he prefers the carbonate or bicarbonate of soda, (see page 15). In pharmacy it is employed for the preparation of caustic potash, the bi- carbonate, &c. Dose and Mode of Administration.—Gr. v. to gr. xx. largely diluted ; for external use, gr. v. to gr. x. may be dissolved in f§i of water, or made into an ointment with §i of prepared lard.—Potassce carbonatis aqua, D.—liquor, L. (Carbonate of potash, (from crystals of tartar, D.), one part (§xx. L.) ; distilled water, 2 parts (Oj. L.) ; dissolve and strain ; Sp. Gr. 1320. D.) A convenient strength for internal use ; Dose, min. x. to f5i. in milk or in some aromatic water. Incompatibles.—Same, as the bicarbonate ; but sulphate of magne- sia, is decomposed by the carbonate. In cases of poisoning with this salt, the antidotes are the same as those for solution of potash. SodjE bicarbonas, fU.S.] D. E. Sod^e sesquicarbonas, L. Bicar- bonate of soda ; Sesquicarhonate of soda. Preparation.—[U. S. Take of carbonate of soda in crystals, a conve- nient quantity. Break the crystals in pieces, and put ihem into a wooden box, having a transverse partition near the bottom pierced with numerous small holes, and a cover which can be tightly fitted on. To a bottle having two tubulares, and half filled with water, adapt two tubes, one connected with an apparatus for generating carbonic acid and terminating under the water in the bottle, the other commencing at the tubulare in which it is inserted, and entering the box by an opening near the bottom, beneath the partition. Then lute all the joints, and cause a stream of carbonic acid to pass through the water into the box until the carbonate of soda is fully saturated. Carbonic acid is obtained from marble by the addition of diluted sulphuric acid.] Dub.— Carbonate of soda, two parts ; water, five parts ; dissolve ; expose the solution in a proper apparatus to the stream of carbonic acid gas procured from the solution of white marble in dilute muriatic acid, until it ceases to absorb the gas, and set it aside that crystals may form ; evapo- rate the liquor at a temperature not above 120°, and crystallize by cooling, mix these crystals with the former, dry and preserve in a close vessel.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21143602_0035.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
