Observations on antimony: Read before the Medical Society of London, and published at their request — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
Observations on antimony: Read before the Medical Society of London, and published at their request
John Stuart Mill · en
Crude white arsenic, the most virulent poison of that tribe, is not
always baneful[38]. It is now more than twenty years since it was taken
in large quantity by four persons, on whom it had no other effect than,
what is usually produced by antimonial preparations, to excite violent
vomiting. All of them were lately, and, I believe, are still in perfect
health. To this I was an eyewitness, and took large lumps of white
arsenic out of the pot in which their victuals were prepared. It happened
at Kelso, in the shire of Roxburgh, and is well known in that country.
I was a few years afterwards, desired to visit a gentleman in
Northumberland, who had taken white arsenic: it operated in the same
manner, and for several years after this accident he continued in his
usual health.
Thus far does arsenic resemble antimony, but their affinity is still
more strongly asserted by Hoffman. While, says he, the sulphureous part
of antimony is intimately combined with the arsenical or reguline[39];
it cannot exert its violence. For mineral poisons cannot act or become
noxious, till the poisonous parts are freed from their union with those
which correct their virulence.
But that mineral sulphur has a power of correcting poison, is clearly
proved by that experiment which shews, that arsenic, the greatest poison,
being melted on a slow fire, with an equal portion of mineral sulphur,
is converted into a mass, almost void of virulence; and if regulus
of antimony is fused with an equal portion of the same sulphur, it
immediately loses its drastic power[40].
This theory probably introduced an arsenical medicine into practice at
Berlin, where Hoffman, who was physician to the king of Prussia, resided.
Newman, professor of chymistry and director of the Royal Elaboratory
and Dispensatory in that city, observes, that _chymistry is capable of
converting sundry poisons into remedies; thus the virulent antimonial
regulus is changed, by that art, into the mild diaphoretic antimony;
and some have been hence induced to imagine, that arsenic might also be
corrected and rendered safe, and have even ventured to put so dangerous
a speculation in practice. A preparation of arsenic with nitre has been
actually sold at Berlin, and in other places, under the title of a
specific febrifuge_[41]_._