The American dispensatory : containing the natural, chemical, pharmaceutical and medical history of the different substances employed in medicine, together with the operations of pharmacy / illustrated and explained, according to the principles of modern chemistry.

  • Coxe, John Redman, 1773-1864.
Date:
1827
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The American dispensatory : containing the natural, chemical, pharmaceutical and medical history of the different substances employed in medicine, together with the operations of pharmacy / illustrated and explained, according to the principles of modern chemistry. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    It is probable, that without the actual presence of water, none of the so called acids, are capable of evincing their peculiar effects. Some substances have the property of acids induced, by combina- tion with oxygen; others, by combination with hydrogen; and some are capable of undergoing the change, by uniting with either. Those acids formed by the conjunction of hydrogen are denominat- ed Hydracids. Acids have either simple or compound bases. Those with simple bases are the arsenous, arsenic, boracic, carbonic, iodic, hydriodic, muriatic, nitrous, nitric, phosphorous, phosphoric, sulphurous, sul- phuric, hydro-sulphuric. There are, besides the above mentioned, several more of no use in medicine, and which do not consequently require to be here men- tioned. Acids with compound bases are either ternary or quaternary, that is, embracing three or four principles; they possess the properties of acids in general, but are distinguished from those with simple bases by their, great alterability. The ternary acids coincide nearly with the vegetable acids, and are characterized by being converted entirely into water and carbonic acid when completely decomposed by oxygen. They consist of various portions of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. To this, however, the Prussic acid, which is a ternary one, is an exception, its principles being carbon, hydrogen, and ni- trogen. The quaternary acids coincide nearly with the animal acids, and are characterized by furnishing ammonia, as well as water and car- bonic acid, when decomposed. Hence they contain, in addition, a portion of nitrogen. None of these are employed in medicine. Of the ternary, which are numerous, those principally employed in me- dicine are the acetic, benzoic, citric, gallic, succinic, tartaric. Some of the acids are solid; viz. arsenic and arsenous, benzoic, boracic, camphoric, citric, chromic, gallic, uplybdic, oxalic, phos- phoric, succinic, tartaric, &c. Some are fluid; as the nitric, phos- phorous, sulphuric, &c. Some are gaseous, viz. carbonic, nitrous, muriatic, sulphurous, hydro-sulphuric, &c. The particulars of each acid employed in medicine, will be noticed under their respective heads. It may be observed here, that the word acid is derived from the Greek «jt<$, (ii acies, acumen: quod acida linguampungendo velli- cent. Blanchard,s Lexicon,) or from o|k$, acidus, from whence, in part, oxygen.