Transactions of the Royal Medico-Botanical Society of London / edited by W. H. Judd.

Date:
1839
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Transactions of the Royal Medico-Botanical Society of London / edited by W. H. Judd. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

    36/260 (page 28)
    Kiue and are hereby given to the President, Earl Stanhope, for his enlightened and valuable address, and that his lordship }>e .requested to permit it to be printed for distribution amongst the Fellows of the Society. June 13^/t. A paper, from Dr. Hancock, was read, on a compound of celandine, anthora, squills, and waicori, from which the author experienced much benefit in dropsy, rheumatism, and arthritic diseases, and which he considers to be superior, in many respects, to colchicum. Jime 28^7^. Mr. Everitt, the Professor of Chemistry, de- livered a lecture on arsenic, and on its presence in the stearine •or German composition candles, being the first notice taken of this evil in London. A communication from Mr. Previte, on the Agar-agar or Fuctis amylaceus” was read. The Agar-agar is a very small and delicate fucus of white colour, and flattened filiform shape; it contains, according to the analysis made by Dr. O’Shaughnessey, vegetable jelly, nearly identical with the pecten of Eruchonnot, true starch, wax, gum, sulphate and hydrochlorate of soda, sulphate and phosphate of lime, traces of iron, and woody fibre. This fucus is prepared as an article of diet in the following manner;—it is first steeped for a few hours in cold rain Avater, in order to remove the saline ingredients, then ground to a fine powder, and boiled for twenty-five minutes, or half an hour, by which all the starch and gelatine will be dissolved. The solution while hot should be passed through muslin or calico, so that the woody fibre is removed ; lastly, the strained fluid should be boiled down, till a drop placed on a cold surface gelatinizes; Avith milk and sugar, and flavoured with lemon juice or sherry, k would afford the invalid a pleasant article of diet; it is very nutritive, easy of digestion, and free from any disagreeable of prejudicial qualities.