Note 652 — PHARMACOLOGIA. (continued 7)

If any additional argument were necessary, we might repeat, that Arsenic in its metallic state is not poisonous. As it is almost impossible to reduce metallic arsenic to a state of powder, without its becoming oxidized, M. Renault had recourse to its alloys for deciding the question; and he found that Mispickel (an alloy of iron and arsenic,) when given to the extent of two drachms, had no apparent effect; this result agrees with the conclusion of Bayen in his work on Tin, and proves that the arsenic which may be contained in that metal cannot produce any medicinal effect, as it exists in its metallic state. Recherches Chimiques sur l’Etain, par Bayen et Charlard, 1781.