this once, at least, prejudice has submitted to evidence. It will be the same, I trust, with the new substances which chemistry and physiology have unanimously disclosed to us as precious medicines the repugnance which many enlightened practitioners have to prescribe them will soon disappear before the results of experience, when every day teaches us to appreciate their value. Among the causes which have retarded the progress of the materia medica, we must number the impossibility of separating, by chemical analysis, the several elements of which these medicines are composed. But even when we have been able, at this day, to accomplish this analysis, the fear which has been and still is entertained by many, that the medicines might act altogether differently on man from what they do on other animals, would have prevented us from obtaining a knowledge of the properties of each of their principles. Nothing, however, is more false than this idea: fifteen years' experience in my laboratory, and at the bed side of the sick, enable me to affirm, that these medicines and poisons act in the same manner on man as on the other animals.* My confidence in this respect is such, that I do not hesitate to use on myself the substances which I have found innocent in their effects on other animals; and I should not advise any one to make an inverse experiment. It is by following this course, that I have been able to determine the physiological properties * It is evident, that those animals only which approach the nearest to man in their organization are here intended. and medicinal virtues of the principal part of the substances contained in the Formulary. Already very numerous, these substances act by small doses; they are not mixed with any principle that disguises or prevents their action; their effects are decided and not to be mistaken, for they have been studied with care on animals, and on man sick and well; their chemical properties being known, and the process by which they are obtained being perfectly determined, there is no ground to fear a variation in their force or manner of acting finally, each one presents us a remedy, not only in its greatest simplicity, but also capable of the greatest energy. Translator's Preface. Since the translation of Majendie's Formulary, by Charles Thomas Haden in 1823, an edition of which was published by Mr. Webster, of Philadelphia, in 1824, two new editions have been issued by M. Majendie, and several new articles added to the list, with many improvements made on, and more knowledge acquired, respecting former articles; and, as these medicines are increasing in demand daily, the call for information on their preparation and use has not been less so. Having received the fifth and last edition from Paris, with a number of the new remedies, it was thought that a new translation would facilitate the dissemination of knowledge on these important improvements in the materia medica, and benefit the interests of humanity. By adding to the already too long list of medicines, alternately taken up and thrown aside, according as carelessness or caprice dictates, we but plunge the prac tice into greater uncertainty and difficulty, and the science more and more into confusion. By an analytical examination of those which we know have been used with advantage in disease, we raise the veil which obscured our view of the cause of the frequent failures in their use, facilitate the practice of our profession, and circumscribe within narrow limits our range of observation; consequently strengthen our judgment on what we do observe. This analysis, by discarding the quantities of inert and useless materials with which we have been obliged so often to fill our patients' stomachs in order to get at the advantage of the small particles of active ingredient, and which obscure and impede its action, gives us great advantages; it relieves the patient of that nausea and antipathy to taking his medicines which are so often occasioned by large quantities of a remedy; it removes the necessity for loading and distressing the chylopoietic viscera at times when it is desirable they should be free from all causes of irritation; in the exhibition of remedies to children, where it is so necessary to disguise and concentrate them, it offers peculiar benefits,-many of them being thus rendered tasteless, or much of their disagreeable flavor being removed, which frequently resides in an inactive or useless fatty matter, removeable by analysis. In rendering the medicines colorless, too, as is often the case, the advantage is not small. And especially, by enabling us to give our medicines oftener in solution, we are facilitated in our practice, besides rendering them more portable. The objection to these prepa rations on account of their price is one which is daily lessening, and which a wider use will continue to remove. It must be recollected that the weights and measures in the body of this work are according to the French standard. Inattention to this has occasioned some misunderstanding respecting the power and value of some of the medicines. To guard against this, in future, I have given, in an appendix, tables of those weights and measures compared with those of the United States, taken from the best authorities, it being considered preferable to giving them in the body of the work with every article. I have also given formula for the preparations of each article mentioned in the work, that is used, equalized to our standard of weights, and doses calculated accordingly. New York, September, 1827. NOTE-Since this work has been in the press, I have received infor has been prepared in England, called sulphate of jalap, or jalapine, which Messrs. Pelletier and Caventou are about preparing, and will soon transmit to Messrs. F. & N. G. Carnes, of this city, when an opportunity will be afforded to make use of it. It will in all probability be useful as an aperient. mation from Paris that a new article I have also procured through Messrs. Carnes, who receive the medicines prepared by Messrs. Pelletier and Caventou, some gum elastic setons, prepared in the same manner will, probably, prove highly conveas the catheters of Bernard. They nient and useful... The author describes the mode of preparing and administering the several new medicines in his Formulary. TABLES, Giving a comparative View of the French Weights and Measures with those used in the United States. French English grains. grains. 1 0,8203 72 gros 576 8 ounce 9216 128/16/1 pound English grs. = = 472,5625 or Dij. 19,0703 grs. 3 vij. 52,56 7561,0000 or 3xv. 3vj. 1, The above French division is that called pois de marc, being that formerly used in France. It is this measure that is used in the body of this work. The English division to which it is reduced is that of troy weight. I have given below the new French divisions, reduced to troy weight also. French division. 15,4440 pd. oz. dr. sc. gr. 154,440 002 1 14 44-100 1544,400 0 3 1 = 15444,023 2 8 1 2 4 4-10 0 14 The French litre contains 2,1133 English pints, and the French pint 2,0171 English; so that the difference between them and the English quart measure is but trifling, and they may be used as The same may be said of their gros and our drachm. near Middleburg, Loudoun county, was for five years subject to distressing affections of the lungs. The first three years he had only periodical discharges of blood and pus-frequently from half a pint to a pint of the former at a time, attended with a most harassing and suffocating cough. He was greatly reduced, and so far gone in what his friends thought consumption, that they entirely despaired of him, and abandoned all hopes of his ever being restored; as the ordinary remedies, and almost everything that could be thought of, had been tried in vain. plaints, or pulmonary consumption and who have been relieved by it. I will now endeavor to describe the Liverwort in such a manner as shall enable the most common observer to trace and distinguish it. It grows mostly along the north sides of hills and mountains, and strong places,-the leaves are small, frequently smaller, but seldom larger than a dollar, they are green and roundish, but deeply notched, so as to divide the leaf into three lobes, with a round slendor stom, varying in length from about two inches to three or four; of a slight purple cast. This, as well as the leaf itself, is a little downy; but in addition to this, the leaf is beset with fine, short hairs, somewhat stiff. On chewing this, there is nothing remarkable in the taste, except a slight degree of pungency and astringency, which it imparts to the mouth after chewing it sometime, the tea is rather pleasant than otherwise. Should its general application be attended with the same happy results that its partial exhibition has been, what an acquisition will it be to the Materia Medica of the United States, and to the sufferers under a malady which affords one of the greatest outlets to human life! It was the opinion of Dr. Rush, one of the luminaries in the Having been a patient of mine as well as a particular friend, I could not view without the deepest sensibility, his deplorable condition, and had myself relinquished any hope of his surviving. In this desperate situation he was advised to try the Liverwort, in the form of infusion, or a strong tea, to be used cold as a common drink. In less than ten days, he derived the most positive benefit, and in four or five weeks, every symptom had vanished: No cough, expectoration or discharge of blood or matter a fine appetite, general health much improved, gaining flesh and strength rapidly, and such a change in his whole appearance, as both astonished and delighted every friend he had. It has not been more than eight republic of Medicine, that there weeks since he commenced the is a remedy for every physical use of the Liverwort, and evil, and time and science will though he might now dispense probably realize it. with it yet he will continue it for weeks or even months, longer. He is not the only one that has experienced its salutary influThere are several others in his neighborhood who have been laboring under breast com ences. I have enclosed a leaf of the Liverwort, hoping that it may be convenient for you to have it represented in the Intelligencer. I am very respectfully, your obedient servant, T. P. HEREFORD. Prince William co. Va. Sept. 1827. The plant above described is so familiarly known, that we doubt whether any uncolored engraving of it would aid materially to the diffusion of the knowledge of it. It is known to botanists by the name of Hepatica triloba, a name derived, like the familiar name of it, from its peculiar appear ance, and grows on the shady and moist side of hills.-Nat. Intelligencer. BREAD. Bread has been very aptly callBut in order that it may prove a staff substantial and pleasant, and not a "broken reed," it is necessary that it should be good, that is, light and sweet. It is, then, during the first, or sugar fermentation, that it should be "cast into the oven;" and it will then, after well baking, come forth sweet, and fit for the tooth or the stomach of a monarch-- aye, and even of the "sovereign people." The reason why bread will be heavy, if put into the oven too soon, is, that it wants the enlightening effect of the fixed air which is generated during fermentation. If taken at the "very nick of time," or during the saccharine fermentation, it will have all the requisite lightness, while the sweetness is confined in the loaves and ever ready to greet the taste of the thrice fortunate and happy eater. That it should be without In order to make good bread, sweetness, when allowed to run barm or yeast of a good quality, into the vinous fermentation, is not should be combined in due propor- at all strange, when it is considertion with good flour. This being ed that sugar has turned into wine, premised, the grand secret and or rather spirit, and the spirit has mystery of having the bread come evaporated during the process of out of the oven delicious, inviting, baking. This sort of bread may and nutritive, is the exact point be easily distinguished without of time of putting it in. While in tasting, by its loose, open appearthe dough, it will naturally run ance, the pores or cells being veinto several sorts of fermentation, ry large, whereas the genuine the first of which is the saccharine, good bread is marked by finer or that which produces sugar; the pores, and a sort of network of a next is the vinous, the third the uniform appearance.-The reaacetous, &c. If the dough be son why bread turns out sour, when formed into loaves, and thrown in- allowed to attain the acetous or to the oven before the first fer vinegar fermentation, is obvious to mentation, the bread will turn out every one. This may be called heavy, and whoever eats it may the hypocritical bread, not only lay his account with having the because it is sour, but it is apt to nightmare, and twenty other "ills assume the appearance of all the that flesh is heir to." If it be other kinds, and a reference to kept from the oven till the second the senses, either of taste or fermentaion, it will prove to be smell, is necessary to inform you light enough, but tasteless, and no as to its real character.-Berkbetter than the same quantity of shire American. chips; if it be delayed till the acetous fermentation, it comes out sour, & altogether uneatable. To make bread what it should be we would add to the above that the |