(seq. 445)

438

Materia Medica

Sialagogues

of acrimony has no taste or smell and is totally innert upon the human
body except by its weight, it is said to have been for years in bones and
flesh without producing any effect, but we must doubt these facts.
I believe however under certain circumstances mercury is absorbed when
taken into the stomach, it passes rapidly through the alimentary canal
unalter'd and without producing any effect, in order to render mercury
usefull it is requisite its form be changed and the mode of
accomplishing it are various. Dr Cullen has confined them to four heads Viz
Evaporation, calcination, trituration and union with acids, by
agitating for some time pure mercury with water, the water becomes dark and
finally black, and a preparation is furnished which possesses
considerable power and might be usefull this water kills earth and tape
worms in my opinion the oxide is formed by agitation, it has been
denied that mercury is at all soluble in water, but it certainly
communicates some of its properties to it. I think that in some degree it is
soluble in it. In speaking of the different modes of exciting salivation,
I must not forget that of exposing the subject to the fumes of cinnabar,
by throwing it upon live coals, the fumes are apply’d to old venerial sores
particularly those seated in the mouth and fauces, by inhaling the fumes,
this is a most powerfull method of exciting salivation, sometimes producing