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bonate by Buchwald, the ammoniacal chloride by Hartmann; but it has beenalmost wholly superseded, oflate years, by the sulphate of quinine and by arsenic.In asthma, Dr. Bree, 1 who was himself a sufFerer from the disease, regards iron aspreferable to all other remedies. However, the experience of others has not con-firmed his favourable opinion of it. The sesquioxide of iron has Iatterally beenextensively employed, at the recommendation of Mr. B. Hutchinson, (Cases ofTic üoloureux successfully treated. 1820.) in tic douloureux, and with variablesuccess; in some cases acting in a most extraordinarily beneficial manner, inothers being of no avail.

In diseases of the spieen and liver, the ferruginous Compounds are occasionallyfound useful. I have already alluded to the influence which they are supposed topossess over these organs; a supposition the more probable from the occasionalremarkable effects produced by them in diseases of these organs. "I regard ironas a specißc," says Cruveilhier, (Dict. de Med. et de Chir. /'rat. t. yiii. p. 62.)"in hypertrophy of the spieen, or chronic splenitis; whether primitive or conse-cutive to intermittent fevers." After noticing the Symptoms attending this condition(such as paleness of the lips, &c, great lassitude, abdominal and cephalic pulsa-tions, brought on by the slightest exertion, pain at the left side, disordered stateof the digestive organs, accelerated pulse, and heart easily excited,) he goes on toremark, " By the aid of iron I have obtained the compiete resolution of enlarge-ments of the spieen, which have occupied half, or even two-thirds, of the abdomen."In hypertrophy of the liver, iron has not been equally serviceable.

Some years ago the preparations of iron were strongly recommended in Cancerby Mr. Carmlchael. {Op. svpru eil.) The grounds on which he was led to theuse of them were the probabüity that Cancer had an independent life—in otherwords, that it was a kind of parasite, as some preceding writers, more particularlyDr. Adams, had presumed; and secondly, the efficaey of iron in destroying intes-tinal worms, which led him to hope that it would be equally destruetive to otherparasites. With these views he employed (externally and internally) variousferruginous Compounds—namely, the ferrotartrate of potash, the subcarbonate(sesquioxide) of iron, and the phosphates. Whatever hopes may have at one timebeen entertained of these remedies as curative agents, in this most intractable dis-ease, they are now completely destroyed, That these medicines are occasionallyuseful as palliatives may perhaps be admitted; but they have no curative powers.Indeed this might have been suspected, from the hypothetical grounds on whichthey were introduced into use. The proofs of the parasitical nature of Cancermust be much stronger than any yet offered, ere we can admit this hypothesis.Moreover, the preparations of iron, though useful, are not so " very effectual" inworms as Mr. Carmichael's remarks would lead us to imagine.

In certain affeclions of the digestive organs, the preparations of iron are occa-sionally used with benefit; as in some forms of dyspepsia, but only in the condi-tions of System already noticed.

In some uffeetions of the nervous System which oeeur in weak debilitated sub-jeets, it is also useful; for example, in epilepsy, Chorea, hysteria, and the shakingpalsy produced by the vapour of mercury.

These are the most important diseases for which we employ the ferruginousCompounds. There are many other diseases for which chalybeates are occasion-ally beneficial; but the general principles regulating their use will be readily com-prehended from the foregoing remarks, and I have only to add, that in all diseasesattended by debility and marked by atony and inertia of organs, more especiallyin those indicating a disordered state of the bffimatose funetions, the preparationsof iron will be found in most instances more or less serviceable. Furthermore, Imay enumerate scrofula, rickets, dropsy, and gout, as diseases in which iron hasbeen at times used with advantage.

i A Pracücal Jnquirij on Disordered Respiration, distivgvb'-ltinBirmingham, 1797.

Convulsiva Asthma, its Specific Causes, &x.