PULV

359

Pulvis Antilyssus. This is Dr. Mead's celebrated powder for hydro-phobia, &c, and consists of two parts of ground liverwort, and onepart of black pepper ; it can only act as an astringent stimulant.

Pulvis Antimonialis. L. D. Antimonial Powder. Pulvis de phos-phate calcis el stibii compositus. P. Oxidum anlimonii cum phosphatecalcis. E. Take fcj of sulphuret of antimony in powder, and tbij ofhartshorn shavings; mix, and throw them into a wide crucibleheated to whiteness, and stir constantly as long as much vapourarises; reduce what remains to powder, and put it into a proper cru-cible ; then expose it to a gradual fire, and heat it to whiteness fortwo hours; reduce the residue to a very fine powder. The DublinCollege, the Edinburgh College, and the Codex, direct equal partsof sulphuret of antimony and hartshorn shavings to be pulverized.The Dublin College also directs the hartshorn to be boiled, to sepa-rate the animal gluten; but this is unnecessary.

Decomposition. First : The gelatine of the hartshorn shavings andthe sulphur of the sulphuret of antimony are both decomposed anddriven off by the heat, leaving the base of the hartshorn shavings(phosphate of lime) in the vessel. Secondly : The antimony be-comes protoxidized by the oxygen of the atmosphere, and this beingvolatile is nearly driven off, and partly converted into peroxide, unit-ing with the phosphate of lime, either chemically, or mechanically,or perhaps partly both, and the preparation therefore consists of thephosphate of lime, peroxide of antimony, and a little protoxide ofantimony, both of which oxides are found to vary much in propor-tion, in spite of the greatest care in the preparation. Mr. Brandehas found five per cent, of protoxide ; at other times scarcely a traceof this can be detected. Mr. It. Phillips found from 35 to 38 ofperoxide of antimony, and from 6'5 to 62 of phosphate of lime. Inother cases almost all the antimony has been volatilized.

Imitated by mixing Jj of tartarized antimony with gxviij of calcinedhartshorn; Or, mix 3J of tartarized antimony with 3VJ to 3X ofperoxide of antimony.

Adidlerated with bone-earth, chalk, gypsum, and other white powders ;and the fraud is concealed, so far at least as the operation of themedicine is concerned, by the uncertain effects even of the genuinepreparation.

Insoluble in water, but partially soluble in acids. When protoxide ispresent in any proportion it will dissolve entirely in hot muriatic acid.

Incompatible with all acids, alkalies, and their carbonates, and astrin-gent vegetable infusions.

Medicinally, it is of uncertain effect, seeming at one time to be inert,though given in doses of a hundred grains (Dr. Elliotson), but at