Antihecticum poterii

Antihecticum poterii, in pre-modern medicine, was a celebrated chemical preparation for use in hectical disorders. It was made of equal quantities of tin and chalybeated regulus (the metallic form of antimony, impregnated with iron), by melting them in a large crucible, and putting to them, little by little, three times the quantity of potassium nitrate. The detonation being over, the whole thing was washed with warm water until no saltiness remained.

It was a very penetrating medicine, said to make its way into the minutest of passages, and searching even the nervous cells. It was used in treating heaviness of the head, giddiness, and dimness of sight, which proceeded apoplexies and epilepsies. In treating all afflictions and foulnesses of the viscera of the lower belly, it was believed inferior to nothing; for example, in treating jaundice, dropsies, and other mal-nutritioned states. It was regarded as superior in treating even the most obstinate chronic distemper (disturbance of the humour).

References

*1728 [http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/HistSciTech/HistSciTech-idx?type=turn&entity=HistSciTech000900240149&isize=L Antihecticum poterii] .

ee also

*Arcanum joviale, a similarly-used preparation