Pharmacologia / Fourth American, from the Seventh London Edition

by John Ayrton Paris

[644]. I have myself witnessed the bad effects of a diet of unsalted fish; and in my examination before a Committee of the House of Commons in 1818, appointed “for the purpose of inquiring into the laws respecting the Salt Duties,” I stated the great injury which the poorer classes in many districts sustained in their health, from an inability to procure this essential article. Lord Somerville (in his address to the Board of Agriculture) gave an interesting account of the effects of a punishment which formerly existed in Holland. “The ancient laws of the country ordained men to be kept on bread alone, UNMIXED WITH SALT, as the SEVEREST punishment that could be inflicted upon them in their moist climate; the effect was horrible: these wretched criminals are said to have been DEVOURED BY WORMS, engendered in their own stomachs.”

Salt was an object of taxation at a very early period in this country; Ancus Martius, 640 years before our era ‘Salinarum Vectigal instituit.’ This tribute was continued on the Britons when our Isle was possessed by the Romans, who worked the Droitwich Mines, and who made salt part of their soldiers Salarium, or salary. Hence the custom at the Eton Montem of asking for salt.

The great advantages which must ultimately accrue to this nation in its fisheries, agriculture, manufactures, and commerce, from a late remission of the odious and impolitic tax upon salt, are incalculable. The government of France appears to have been as impolitic with regard to this tax as the English. Buonaparte abolished the collection of turnpike dues; and imposed a tax on salt, payable at the Salt-pans, in its stead. It is not perhaps generally known, that by the aid of this tax he was enabled to complete the grand entrance into Italy, over the Simplon; so that it may be fairly observed, that if Hannibal was enabled to cross the Alps by the aid of Vinegar—Buonaparte, by the assistance of Salt, succeeded in constructing a public road over the same mountains.

[645]. Cheltenham Salts.—A factitious compound has been long vended, as a popular purgative, under this name; it is formed by triturating together the following salts. Sulphate of Soda, grs. 120. Sulphate of Magnesia, grs. 66. Muriate of Soda, 10. Sulphate of Iron, gr. ½. As a purgative it is very efficacious, and superior probably to that which is actually obtained by the evaporation of the Cheltenham water itself; for notwithstanding the high pretensions with which this latter salt has been publicly announced, it will be found to be little else than common Glauber’s Salt. This fact has been confirmed by the experiments of Mr. Richard Phillips, (Annals of Philosophy, No. lxi,) who observes, that the “real Cheltenham Salts contain no chalybeate property, but are merely sulphate of soda, mixed with a minute quantity of soda, and a very small portion of common salt.” It could not be imagined that the salt should contain oxide of iron even in a state of mixture, much less in combination, for carbonate of iron is readily decomposed by ebullition, and the oxide of iron is precipitated before the salt can be crystallized. A preparation, under the name of Thomson’s Cheltenham Salts, is accordingly manufactured in London, by evaporating a solution consisting of sulphate of soda and sub-carbonate of soda.

“Efflorescence of real Cheltenham Salts.” The preceding salt deprived of its water of crystallization.

“Efflorescence of real Magnesian Cheltenham Salts,” made from the Waters of the Chalybeate Magnesian Spa. This is asserted to be a sub-sulphate from nature, which combines both a pure and a sub-sulphated magnesia in its composition; “but,” says Mr. Phillips, “neither nature nor art has ever produced such a combination; in truth, it consists of Epsom Salt, with small portions of magnesia, and muriate of magnesia or muriate of soda.”

Murio-sulphate of Magnesia and Iron. The preparation thus named by Mr. Thomson, was found by Mr. Phillips to consist of Epsom Salt, deprived of part of its water of crystallization, and discoloured by a little rust of iron, and containing a small portion of muriate of magnesia.

Thus it appears, that not one of these preparations is similar to the water which is drank at the Spa; in order to remedy this difficulty, Mr. Thomson prepared the “Original Combined Cheltenham Salts,” by evaporating the waters to dryness: but a very small share of chemical penetration is required to satisfy us that no process of this description can remedy the defect described, for as Mr. Phillips has observed, the chalybeate properties of the water must be essentially altered by such an operation.

[646]. Hungary Water. Aqua Reginæ Hungariæ. This article, when genuine, is a pure spirit distilled from the Rosemary, and is strongly scented with the rich perfume of that aromatic plant.

[647]. I apprehend that the peculiar flavour of Cogniac depends upon the presence of an æthereal spirit, formed by the action of Tartaric or perhaps Acetic acid upon Alcohol; it is on this account that Nitric Æther, when added to Malt spirits, gives them the flavour of French Brandy. The same flavour is also successfully obtained by distilling British spirits over wine lees, or by distilling a spirit obtained from Raisin Wine, which has become acescent.