4S8

Earths and Earthy Salts.

FAKT III. -

cold, acts more powerfully on lime than hot water, and at 60°retains in solution rather less than O002 parts, or one six hun-dredth part of lime.

Qualities. — Lime water is inodorous; has a strong, styptic,acrid taste; is limpid and colourless; and changes to green thevegetable blue and red colours. It unites with oil, forming animperfect soap. When exposed to the air, it attracts carbonicacid, which, combining with part of the lime held in solution,forms on its surface a pellicle of carbonate of lime, whichthickens, cracks, and sinks to the bottom of the vessel, leavingits place to be supplied by another pellicle; and thus, by suc-cessive formations, the whole of the lime is abstracted fromthe water. Hence the necessity of preserving the solution inwell closed bottles. It is decomposed by the acids and sul-phur, the alkaline carbonates, phosphates, borates, tartrates,and citrates; the infusions of orange-peel, columba, cinchona,rhubarb, and senna, which are consequently incompatible informulae with it.

Medical properties and uses. — Lime-water is tonic, antacid,anthelmintic, and externally detergent. It proves very usefulin dyspepsia attended with much acidity of the stomach, byneutralizing the acid, and dissolving the sordid mucus withwhich it is often loaded in this disease; and has also beenfound efficacious in diarrhoea, diabetes, and leucorrhcea. Itdestroys intestinal worms, and dissolves the mucus whichforms their nidus; and lbr the same reason proves serviceablein slimy bowels. Its internal use, however, -should be occa-sionally suspended for a few days, as its long continued actionon the stomach is apt to prove hurtful. Externally it is appliedas a lotion to foul and cancerous ulcers, tinea capitis, andscabies, but with little advantage.

The dose is from f^ij to Ofs, alone, or diluted with milk.

Officinal preparations. Oleum Lint cum Cake. E. D. Aqua Calcitcomposita. D.

LIQUOR ALUMINIS COMPOSITUS. Lond. Com-pound Solution of Alum.

" Tike of alum, sulphate of zinc, each half an ounce; boil-ing water, two pints. Dissolve the alum and the sulphate ofzinc together in the water; then filter the solution."

Medical properties and uses. — This solution is astringent anddetergent. It is employed as a lotion for cleansing ulcers, andin some cases of cutaneous eruptions. When properly diluted,it forms a useful collyrium in opthalmia, and an injection inghBet, and in fluor albus when the discharge proceeds only fromthe vagina. 4