337

society, that, whenever the membersmet, any individual might have theprivilege of soliciting such informa-

tion. Independent of the im-

portance of obtaining it to the in-dividual himself, the discussionwhich might arise out of his qlies-tion would not unfrequently be oflasting advantage to others. Letthem communicate to each otherwhatever occurs of importance atthe different hospitals, or in any

. other quarter, which may come totheir knowledge. In short, letthem associate themselves with thedetermined resolution to promoteeach other’s benefit in everypossible way; and, doubtless, goodwill be the result of such an asso-

ciation. I am, Sir,Yours, respectfully,

. AN OLD PRACTITIONER.

Aug. 31, 1824.

MR. BATTLEY’S Second Letter*on the Components of Opium.

* The first letter will be found inVOL. III. p. 305.

[From the Medico-chirurgical Review.]GENTLEMEN, - In your last

number, I stated that I had sub-

jected twenty-six pounds of opiumto the action of water, and that aresiduum or refuse of three poundswas left in deposit. I showed, also,that the morphium of opium (socalled) was contained or includedin this residuum.

Finding much inconveniencefrom the attempt to continue myexperiments upon the large scaleof twenty-six pounds, I have pro-ceeded upon eight pounds only, andto that scale or standard the fol-

lowing statements must be referred.I do not, however, find the same

proportional results, and I appre-

hend that equality, in this respect,is not to be expected from any twoquantities of opium, although of

equal weight.Eight pounds (avoirdupois) of

opium, when perfectly dried,weighed about seven pounds, andimparted to distilled water 4 Ibs.12 oz. leaving a residuum of 2 lbs.4 oz. when dried ; the latter con-

taining, as I continue to assert, themorpltium. This residuum, sub-jected to the process described inmy last paper, produced of purecrystals 8 drachms 44 grains.

The 4 lbs. 12 oz. imparted to thedistilled water, when dried, wassubjected successively, four times,to the action of cold water, and pre-cipitated 12 oz. 60 grains. This

precipitate, dried, and then ma-cerated in diluted acetic acid andammonia in excess, yielded,

drs. grs.Morphium - - - - - 2 4Pure resinous matter - 3 40Remained in the filter - 0 14

5 58

Leaving 9 oz. 26 grains not actedupon, and the remainder suspendedin the maceration. ’

.

Little, if any, effect, followedfrom the immersion of the 9 oz. 26grains in four pounds of alcohol(cold) during fourteen hours :-when heated to boiling tempera-ture, the alcohol became deeplytinged, and the boiling was re-

peated in fresh alcohol, eight to tentimes, until the alcohol ceased to

be affected. The following are theresults of this operation, viz.

oz. drs. grs.Pure resin - - - 4 2

Not acted upon - 4 6 40One moiety of the lat-ter, immersed in a

338

mixture of distilledwater - - _ - 2 pints.Ammonia - - - I oz.

left in deposit matter of a grey slatyappearance, weighing, when dried,1 oz. 2 drachms, 20 grains, and.imparted -to the fluid, the same

weight of 1 oz. 2 drachms, 20

grains, resembling, in appearance,hard extract of liquorice.

The other moiety was immersedin diluted nitric acid, and remainedin a temperature of 100°, duringseveral days, when a mass was

formed, which imparted to distilledwater 2 drachms, 10 grains, of abright deep yellow colour, (whencondensed,) in quality adhesive, andto’the taste bitter,-acrid. Of theremainder, 1 drachm, 40 grains,boiled in alcohol, yielded to thatmenstruum 22 grains of a dingyyellow appearance, and of- the tasteof raw coffee.The 4 lbs. 12 oz. (reduced bythe precipitation before-mentioned,of 12 oz. 60 grains) in the state ofextract, had entirely lost its cha-racteristic properties of taste andsmell, and had become simply bit-ter to the taste, but intense in de-gree, and of an agreeable odonr, andupon being alternately extendedand relaxed bythe hand, alteredfrom a dark dull, appearance to a

bright yellow colour.Of this mass :-Four ounces were diffused in ten

pints of distilled water; themixture, turbid, upon ilteringbecame ’transparent, and thetest paper showed the presenceof an acid. ’To-this clear ortransparent solution was addedone pint of acetic acid, andafter twenty-four hours, am-monia was added in excess ;a precipitation ensued, which,when-- washed and dried,

weighed twenty-one grains, ofa dark, shining, brittle quality,and pulverised readily. Boil-

ing alcohol dissolved 19 grains,leaving a refuse of two grains.Upon recovering the extract(19 grains) from the alcohol,not a crystal was formed, thusshowing the entire absence ofmorphium, from the mass fromwhich the 4 ounces were taken.

Four ounces diffused in the samequantity of distilled water,produced a mixture slightlyturbid, which became perfectlyclear upon passing the filter,showed an acid as before, andupon adding liq. potass, so

long as the presence of acidwas indicated by the test paper,the .solution became exceed-

ingly, turbid, and deposited asubstance, which, when wash-ed and dried, weighed threedrachms; this substance yield-

j 6d to boiling alcohol (frequentlyrepeated) crystals, 2 drachms,33 grains, and left on the.filter21 grains saline particles.

Four ounces diffused in the samequantity of distilled water,presented similar effects, until,by the addition of ammoniainstead ofliq. potass., a con-siderable deposition, of a yel-low colour and globular forma-tion, was produced, weighing,when dried; about one ounce.

,

-,Severe illness prevented thefurther prosecution of this

.

branch of the investigation.’To four ounces diffused in like

manner, magnesia was added;the deposition weighed lounce,

- 2 quarters, 1 drachm, andyielded to boiling alcoliol,’stillmore frequently repeated thanbefore, crystals 3 drachms, 21grains.

339

I have now brought this inquiryto a point which will enable me, ina future paper, to state what sepa-rations from opium are effected

upon obtaining the liq. op. sedativ.,and what those separations se-

verally are; and I shall also en-deavour, in the same paper, to showthe constituents of that -prepara-tion. I am, Gentlemen,

Your obedient Servant,RICHARD BATTLEY.

Fore Street, Aug. 14th, 1824.

HOSPITAL REPORTS.

GUY’S HOSPITAL.

Case of Fracture of the Skull withDepression without any distur-bance of the functions of theBrain.

We consider that the treatmentof these injuries is as yet but im-perfectly understood, yet we canlook back and see a vast improve-ment in this department of surgerywithin the last twenty years. The

operation for the removal of de-

pressed portions of bone was thenalmost invariably practised, but acase of simple fracture, even at-

tended with depression, now seldomoccurs requiring operation. Therehave been two or three cases of thisdescription very lately at this hos-pital which have done perfectlywell by the antiphlogistic planmerely ; some requiring blood-let-ting, others not ; and we give the

.following case as an example ofthe latter class:M. H. setat. 19, a young woman

of rather a plethoric habit, residingat Clapham, was knocked down bya cart drawn furiously along the

road near Clapham-rise without adriver ; it happened about ten at

night, and although she heard thecart coming, it was so dark thatshe could not tell in which directionto get out of the way, and unfortu-nately came in contact with thevehicle. She soon after recoveredfrom the effects of the blow andgot up, and was assisted, by a per-son passing at the time, to a housein the neighbourhood ; from whichshe was afterwards removed to thehospital, and was admitted into

Chapel-ward on August 25th.When she came in, she said,

that she had felt no sickness, anddid not feel particularly chilly.She betrayed no confusion of in-tellect but only complained of hav-ing a dull heavy pain in her head.On examination of the head it ap-peared that the blow was receivedon the right side of the cranium ;and on further examination there

was a fracture of the parietal-boneon the same side discovered, withan evident depression of a largeportion of the bone, so that nearlythe whole of the thickness of thebone from which it had been de-tached could be felt.

She came in towards evening,and after remaining in bed a shorttime the pain in her head was les-sened, and as her pulse was notquick she was not bled, but had acold application made to the part.

26th. Had a quiet night, butcomplained of a little pain in thehead ; tongue moist; pulse 78 ;bowels moved once. Ordered tocontinue the cold application, andto take hydrargyri submuriatis gr.v., and to be put on the low diet.

28th. Continues to improve ;had a good night’s rest; feels norestlessness; is a little thirsty; pulsenatural ; was yesterday ordered a