sayre materia medica-2

8/14/2019 Sayre Materia Medica-2

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SAYR ES MATER IA ME DICA - P a r t I I

A R I S TO L O C H I A C E . B i r t h w o r t F a m i l y

Climbing sh ru bs, or low h erbs, with perfect flowers , the lurid calyx coherent , with theovary, which forms a 6-celled capsule or berry in fruit. Leaves petiolate. Principalconst ituen ts ar e volatile oil and resinous pr inciples.

118. SERPENTARIA. SERPENTARIA

VIRGINIA SNAKE-ROOT

The dried rhizome and roots of Ar i s t o l o'c h i a s e r p e n t a ' r i a Linn (Virginia), and of Aris to lochia r e t icu la ' t a Nuttall (Texas).

S a y r e s M a t e r i a M e d i c a p a r t I I - P a g e 1


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BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS. Stem 8 to 15 inches high, pubescent. Leaves alternate, ovate, or oblong, with a heart-shaped or halberd-shaped base. Flowers a llnext t he r oot, short-pedun cled; calyx-tube bent like the letter S ; stamens 6, th e sessilean th ers adn at e to th e fleshy style.

HABITAT.United St at es ( Vi r g i n i a a n d Te x a s ).

DESCRIPTION OF DRUG.A rhizome about 25 mm. (1 in.) long, andabout the thickness of a quill, contorted, bent up and down, externallylight grayish-brown, with short stem-bases on the upper side andnumerous long, fibrous, branching rootlets below, interlaced; internallygrayish, closely mat ted. The bar k is t hin, overlaying quite a lar ge woodyzone, and separated into wood-wedges by broad medullary rays; t h ep i t h i s n o t i n t h e c e n t e r but is nearer the upper side, making thelower wood-wedges the longest. O d o r f a m i l y t e r e b i n t h i n a t e ,c h a r a c t e r i s t i c ; taste warm, bitter, and camphoraceous. Vi rg i n i a a n dTe x a s S e r p e n t a r i a are both recognized by the U.S.P. The latter isabout twice as lar ge as th e form er, with fewer an d th icker rootlets.

ADULTERATIONS.As found in commerce, Serpentaria is frequentlyadulterated with portions of the stem. Hydrastis canadensis has beenused a s a n inten tiona l adu ltera tion; also spigelia. All of these m ay ea silybe distinguish ed from th e genu ine by th eir genera l cha ra cter istics.

Powder .Cha ra cteristic element s: See Par t iv, Chap. 1, B.



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CONSTITUENTS.Volatile oil ( 1 / 2 per cent.), containing borneol,aristolochine, C 32 H 22 N2O13 (very bitt er), ta nn in, resin, sta rch, etc.

Preparation of Aristolochine .Precipitate decoction with lead acetate; ex. haustprecipitat e with hot a lcohol; evaporat e; dissolve out alka loid with wat er. It is bitter,yellow, am orphous, or in needles; soluble in alcohol, wat er, precipita ted by ta nn in.

ACTION AND USES.Aromatic stimulant and tonic. Its only possibleth era peutic virtu e is as a stimu lant to the gast ric mu cosaWood.

Dose: 5 to 30 gr . (0.3 t o 2 Gm.).

Tin c t u r a C i n c h o n C om p o s i t a (2 percent. of serpentaria) 1 to 4 fl. dr. (4 to 15mils).

119. ASARUM CANADENSE Linn.CANADA SNAKE-ROOT. Asarum, N.F.WILD GINGER. A long, creeping rhizome, more or less contorted. In commercebroken int o pieces from 100 t o 150 mm. (4 to 6 in.) long, from t he t hickness of a str awto that of a goose-quill; somewhat quadrangular or twoedged; externally grayish-biown, longitudinally wrinkled, beset with small fibers, easily broken off; internallynearly white, the small wood-bundles surrounding a large pith; odor peculiar,aromatic; taste aromatic and pungent. it contains a large percentage of volatile oilwhich is often used in perfumery. This contains asarol, probably identical withlinalool, its acetic and valerianic esters, methyl eugenol. Aromatic stimulant andton ic. Dose: 30 gr. (2 Gm.).

P O LYG O N E .-B u c k w h e a t F a m i ly

Herbs or woody plants with alterna te, entire leaves , and with th e stipules in t he formof shea th s above the sma ller joints of th e stem . Fruit an aken e. The leaves and stemar e very rich in cryst als of calcium oxalat e.

120. RHEUM. RHUBARB

RHUBARB

The dried rhizome and roots of Rhe 'um o ff i c ina l e Baillon, R h e u m p a l m a t u m Linn , an d the var. Ta n g u t i c u m Maximowicz, an d proba bly other species of Rheu m,depr ived of most of th e cort ex an d carefully dried.



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BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS.Botanical history somewhat obscure. It isknown, however, from au th entic specimens, tha t the plant is a h erbaceous perennialwith acidulous juice, resembling th e garden r hu barb, but a tta ining a larger size th anan y oth er species. Leaves very large, roundish, corda te a t ba se, and 5- to 7-lobed. Theflower-stem, 6 to 8 feet high, bears flowers having a greenish perianth; ovary (andfru it) trian gular , 1-celled.

SOURCE.Rhubarb is obtained from many species of Rheum, mostlynatives of Asia, especially of China, Chinese Tartary, and Thibet.Russian or Turkish rhubarbso called because all of it imported intoth ese coun tr ies from Ch ina ha d to be submitt ed to official inspectionisnow never found in the market. The caravan commerce between Russiaand China has been an important one for many generations, and therhubarb in European commerce was almost entirely carried from Chinathrough Persia and Asia Minor; hence the old name of Turkey rhubarb.Later on it was brought through Northern China, Siberia, andEu ropean Russia (Kiacht a) to St. Peters bur g.

The Russian rh uba rb of ear ly times was evidently what is now knownas Shensi variety. That brought into the trade by the port of Canton,kn own in Eu rope as Indian rh uba rb, is now called Can ton. The Chineserh uba rb is t he var iety recognized in comm erce. The r oot, often at ta ininga weight of fifty pounds, is cut up into pieces of a suitable size fordrying, holes being usually bored through the pieces and a stringpassed th rough for h an ging them u p.

DESCRIPTION OF DRUG.In cylindrical, conical, or plano-convexpieces, or pieces with no regular shape, varying in size from 75 to 150mm. (3 to 6 in.) long, and 50 to 75 mm. (2 to 3 in.) thick; they areusually sorted into round and flat rhubarb. Externally somewhatshriveled, often with portions of the cortical layer which have not beenpar ed awa y; us ua lly covered with a bright yellow dust , benea th which itis seen to have a rusty-brown hue; under the lens it is seen to bemarked with the medullary rays (innumerable short, broken lines of adeep brown color) crossing a white ground, forming elongated whitish

meshes. Well-formed pieces broken transversely display near thecam bium zone da rk lines a rr an ged as an intern al r ing of sta r-like spots,with radiating, reddish medullary rays, marking the internal origin of the leaves. T h e t i s s u e i s m a d e u p of a white parenchyma, withreddish-brown or brownish-yellow medullary rays, so twisted, however,as to be scarcely recognizable as such, giving a c r o s s - s e c t i o n am o t t l e d a p p e a r a n c e o f r e d , w h i t e , a n d y e l l o w . The white



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par enchyma cells ar e loaded with sta rch a nd crysta ls of calcium oxalat e,which cause the grittiness between the teeth; the medullary rayscontain the active constituents. Odor characteristics; taste bitter,aromatic, astringent, and gritty. When chewed, it tinges the salivaorange-yellow. It yields a y e l l o w i s h p o w d e r with a reddishbrowntinge.

The common pie-plant, Crimean rhubarb, from Rheum rhaponticum Linn, is a European variety, having properties similar to that of rh uba rb, but th e ast ringent prin ciples predomina te. It is fusiform , about



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100 mm. (4 in.) long and 20 mm. ( 4 / 5 in.) th ick, with a th ick ora nge-redcork, partially removed; a c r o s s - s e c t i o n shows a comparativelyregular, radiate structure of red medullary rays traversing a whitishpar enchyma a nd exten ding int o th e cort ical layer when p resen t; its odor

is less aromatic, is less gritty, and its taste more mucilaginous andastringent. Ru m ex hym enosepalus , Canaigre, has been used, in powder,to adu ltera te powdered r hu bar b. For detection, follow genera l directionsfor examin at ion of powder s, see Par t iv, Cha p. I.

Choice of Rhubarb .Select the moderately heavy and compact pieces,which should break with a brittle fracture, presenting a l ive ly,m o t t l e d a p p e a r a n c e o f y e l l o w i s h a n d r e d d i s h f i b e r si n t e r m i n g l e d w i t h w h i t e p a r e n c h y m a ; odor decidedly aromatic;ta ste bitter , ast ringent , an d grit ty, not mu cilaginous, tingeing th e salivaorangeyellow when chewed. Very light, rotten, or worm-eaten piecesshould be r ejected. Th e yield of extr active usin g dilute alcohol should n otbe less t ha n 30 per cent. The yield of ash should not exceed 13 per cent.It should be st ored in air -tight cont a iner s with a few drops of ch loroformto prevent th e development of insects.

Powder. -Cha ra cter istic element s: See Pa rt iv, Cha p. I, B.

CONSTITU ENTS.Seemin gly a m ixtur e of differ ent color ing pr inciplesof a somewhat resinous quality, each having a peculiar solubility of itsown: C h r y s o p h a n , C 27 H 30 O14 (and chrysophanic acid), e m o d i n ,a p o r e t i n , p h o r e t i n , e r y t h r o r e t i n , r h e u m i c a c i d , and r h e o -t a n n i c a c i d ; also starch, calcium oxalate, pectin, and arabic acid.Chrysophan is a yellow glucoside yielding, with acidulated water, sugarand chrysophanic acid, C 15 H 10 O4, yellow crystals, one of the bestsolvents for which is hot benzol. According to Hagar, by properextraction with chloroformic solvent, etc., rhubarb yields not less than 3per cent. of chrysophanic acid. Chrysophanic acid, or dioxy-methyl-anthraquinone (C 14 H 5CH 3(OH) 2O2) is closely related to emodin, whichis a trioxy-methyl-anthraquinone (C 14 H 4CH 3(OH) 3O2). C a t h a r t i c a c id

represents the cathartic principles of rhubarb in a crude butconcentr at ed form . For it s pr epar at ion, see Senn a (240)

EMODIN TEST, in Rhubarb.Boil 0.100 Gm. of powdered rhubarbwith 10 mils of an aqueous solution of potassium hydroxide 1 in 100),allow it to cool, filter, acidulate the filtrate with hydrochloric acid andsha ke it with 10 mils of eth er; on st an ding, th e ether eal layer should be



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colored yellow. On sh ak ing th is eth erea l solut ion with 5 mils of am moniawat er, t he latt er should be colored cher ry-red (presen ce of emodin) andth e eth erea l layer sh ould r ema in yellow (presence of chr ysopha nic acid)U.S.P.

Preparation of Ph oretin .Wash alcoholic extract with water; dissolve residue in alitt le alcohol; add eth er. This precipitat es cru de ph oretin.

Preparation of Chrysophanic Acid .Tincture of rhubarb, after standing for sometime, deposits yellow sedimentary crystals. This sediment, dissolved in benzene,deposits t he pr inciple on eva porat ion.

Chr ysarobin is a principle ea sily convert ed int o chr ysopha nic acid by oxidat ion. Th esource of this is Goa p owder (from An dira araroba ). The powder is extra cted with hotbenzen e (ben zol), an d th e liquid allowed to cool. The ora nge-colored pr inciple separ at esas t he liqu id cools.

ACTION AND USE S. P u r g a t i v e a n d a s t r i n g e n t . It has been highlyesteemed as an antidysenteric remedy because of the fact that thecathartic principles are accompanied by the antiseptic action of chrysophan, and because catharsis is followed by an astringent andtonic effect upon the mucous lining. Roasting destroys the catharticqua lity, when t he r oot becomes s imply a bitter ast rin gent. Dose: 15 to 30gr . (1 to 2 Gm.).

121. R U M E X , N.P.YELLOW DOCK. The root of R u 'm e x c r i s 'p u s Linn, and of some other species of Rumex. Off. in U.S.P. 1890 A fusiform root from 100 to 200Mm- (4 to 8 in.) long and 10 to 15 Mm- (2/5 to 3/5 in.) thick; e x t e r n a l ly r e d d i s h -



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b r o w n , the upper portion annulate, the lower portion wrinkled; f r a c t u r e short,exhibiting a ra th er t hick cort ical layer a nd a yellowish or wh itish inter ior, somewh atmottled, th e ra th er porous an d h orn y wood-wedges separa ted by fine, distinct, reddishmedullary rays; inodorous; taste astringent and bitter. Alterative, tonic, andastringent. Dose: 15 to 60 gr. (1 to 4 Gm.). E x t r a c t u m R u m i ci s F l u i d u m , U.S.P.1890. Dose: 15 to 60 dr ops (1 to 4 mils) .

122. CANAIGRE .The root of R u ' m e x h y m e n o s e p ' a l u s Torrey, from which ata nn in is obta ined. This plan t r esembles comm on dock, R um ex crispus , an d flour ishesin dry, barren, sandy soil in Southwestern United States and Mexico. It propagatesby means of the roots, which grow in clusters of three or four. They are from 50 to150 mm . (2 to 6 in.) long, a nd 25 to 50 mm . (1 to 2 in.) th ick, red dish-brown t o almostblack. A cross-section shows a prominent cambium line a nd a broad ra diatin g cent er.The tissue is chiefly parenchyma, containing starch, tannin, and a yellowish-redcoloring matter. The tannin is yellowish-white, identical with that of rhubarb(rheotannic acid).

123.POLYGONUM ACRE

.WATER PEPPER. SMART WEED. (Herb.)Stimu lant , diuret ic, an d emm ena gogue. Dose: 1 to 2 dr. (4 to 8 Gm.).

124. BISTORTA .BISTORT. The rhizome of P o l y ' g o n u m b i s t o r ' t a Linn.Ha bitat : Europe, North ern Asia, an d Northwestern United Sta tes, in m oist places.An S -shaped rhizome (bent upon itselfbistorted), flattened, and transversely striateon upp er side, an d convex, with depressed rootscars, on lower side; color dar k reddish-brown, int ern ally lighter; fra cture sm ooth ish, showing a th ick bar k a nd a pith of aboutthe sa me th ickness .as th e bark. Conta ins tan nin, 20 per cent., an d star ch, with redcolorin g ma tt er. Tonic and a st rin gent . Dose: 8 to 30 gr. (0.5 to 2 Gm.), in decoction.

C H E N O P O D I AC E .-G o o s e f o ot F a m i ly

Weed-like h erbs, with minu te greenish flowers ; ovar y 2 -styled, 1 -celled, becomin g a I -seeded th in ut ricle or caryopsis. Generally blan d an d inn ocent .

125. CHENOPODIUM .AMERICAN WORMSEED. The fruit of C h e n o p o ' d i u mambro ' s i o i ' de s Linn, and variety a n t h e l m i n ' t i c u m Gray. Off. U.S.P. 1890 Asma ll, irr egularly globular , seed-like fruit (utr icle) not lar ger th an a p in-hea d an d of agrayish-yellow or brownish color. By ru bbing the minu te gra ins (fru it) in t he h an ds,th e capsular covering to th e seeds is broken off, when th e shin ing, lent icular , blackishseeds appear an d a peculiar, strong, terebinth inate odor is rendered sensible. Tastepun gent an d bitter. The var iety Anthelminticum gives a similar fruit, but is more

ar oma tic. Const ituen ts: Its m edical pr operties depend u pon a volat ile oil, 3.5 per cent.(125a), in which it, as well as a ll th e oth er pa rt s of th e plant , abounds. Ant helmint ic.Dose; 15 t o 30 gr. (1 to 2 Gm .).

125a. O L E U M C H E N O P O D I I , U.S.OIL OF CH EN OPODI UM. A th in, yellowish ,volatile oil, tur ning da rk er or brownish by age, ha ving th e peculiar odor a nd t ast e of th e fru it. It is comp osed of a h ydrocarbon a nd a h ea vier oil. Dose: 4 to 8 drops (0.25 to0.50 mil).



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P H YTO L AC C AC E .-P o k e w e e d F a m i ly

Tropical plants r epresented in th e United Sta tes by Phy tolacca decand ra and Rivinia,lvis .

126. PHYTOLACCA, N.F . POKE ROOT

The d ried r oot of P h y t o la c 'c a d e c a n ' d r a Linn, collected in au tu mn .

BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS. Stem red, 3 to 8 feet high, smooth, with anun pleasan t odor. Leaves large, petiolate, alter na te, ovat e-lan ceolat e, ent ire, cuspida te.

Racemes lateral, opposite the leaves; calyx (perian th ) white, lobes ovat e, rounded a tth e apex; ovary bright green, berries dar k pur plishred, pulpy.

HABITAT.North America; naturalized in West Indies and Southern Europe.

DESCRIPTION OF DRUG.A lar ge root, often 25 to 75 m m. (I to 3 in.) in diam eter,but cut into various sized t r a n s v e r s e or l o n g i t u d i n a l s li c e s for drying an d for t hemarket; externally yellowish-brown, much wrinkled; i n t e r n a l ly g r a y i s h , turningyellow on exposure. S t r u c t u r e l oo s e ly fi b r o u s , almost ligneous, alternating withdark, circular layers; a t r a n s v e r s e s li c e shows on its face numerous concentriccircles formed by the projecting ends of fibers between which the interveningpar enchyma ha s shru nk; odor slight ; ta ste sweetish, then acrid.

CONSTITUEN TS.Resin, tan nin, st ar ch, gum , sugar , fixed oil, salts, and probably aglucoside. A tr ace of alkaloid is reported, but th e writer ha s foun d a lkaloidal rea ctionquite pronounced in concentrated and purified solutions of the drug. Its virtues are

impar ted to water a nd a lcohol.

ACTION AND USE S.-Altera tive, emet ic, cat ha rt ic. It is not su itable for a cat ha rt ichowever, becau se of th e n ar cotic effect often produced. Its most imp ort an t use is a san alter at ive in chr onic rh eum at ism, etc., an d extern ally, in th e form of oint men t, in



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various sk in diseases. Dose: 3 to 30 gr. (0.2 to 2 Gm.). Em etic in th e lar ger dose.

F l u i d e xt r a c t u m P h y t o la c c e ,(U.S.P . 1900), Dose: Em et ic, 1.0 mil (15 dr ops.)Alter at ive 0.2 mil (3 drops).

127. P HYTOLACCAE FR UCTUS .POKE-BERRIES. Globular , pu rplish or black,berry-like fru its, about 8 m m. ( 1 / 3 in.) or less in diam eter, adh ering togeth er in ma ssesfrom t he exuda tion an d dr ying of a pu rplish-red juice. Ten-celled, each cont ainin g asingle glossy black seed imbedded in a succulent pulp. Inodorous; taste sweetish,slightly acrid, and nauseous. Constituents: Phy to l acc in , phy to l acc i c ac id , tannin,sugar, gum, and an evanescent coloring matter, turned yellow by alkalies andbleached by sun light.

C ARYO P H YL L E .-P i n k F a m i ly

Her bs with swollen joints, opposite, entire. a nd regular flowers; petals 4 or 5 mostlyremoved from the calyx by a short internode. Usually bland herbs; some are highly

valued as ornam ental plants.

128. SAPONARIA LEVANTICA .LEVANT SOAPWORT. The root of G y p 's o p h i l a p a n i c u l a ' t a Linn. Habitat : Italy to Asia Minor. A simple, fusiformroot, longitu dina lly wrinkled, an d ma rk ed with tr an sverse ridges; used in wash ing silksand other fabrics. It contains sapotoxin (8.5 per cent.), and the acrid glucosidesaponin, yielding by h ydrolysis sa pogenin, which is used a s a detergent .

129. SAPONARIA .SOAPWORT. Sap ona ' r i a o f fi c in a ' l is Linn. An acrid root,foun d in Eu rope and t he Un ited Sta tes; cont ains r esin, and t he glucoside; saponin. Thelatter is a white powder, soluble in hot water and alcohol, its solution when shakenfoams like soap-water. When treated with acids it is split into sugar and acrysta llizable pr inciple, sapogenin, soluble in wa ter . Used a s a n alter at ive in doses of 15 to 60 gr. (1 to 4 Gm.).

130. STELLARIA .CHICKWEED. The herb of Ste l l a ' r i a me 'd i a Smith.Demulcent a nd emollient ; a poultice is used in opht ha lmia, bruises, inflamm at ion, etc.

P O RT U L AC E .-P u r s la n e F a m i ly

131. PORTULACA .GARDEN PURSLANE, The herb of P o r t u l a 'c a o le r a 'c e a Linn. Refrigeran t a nd mild efficient diuret ic in a scites; it h as a beneficial action incata rr ha l affections of th e genito-ur ina ry t ra ct, Dose: 1 to 3 dr. (4 to 12 Gm.).

N YM P .-Wa t e r L i l y F a m i l y

Aqua tic plan ts, with peltate or corda te leaves from a prostra te r hizome.

132. NYMPHAEA .WATER LILY. The rhizome of N ym p h a e ' a o d o r a 't a Aiton. Habitat : United States, in ponds. About 500 mm. (20 in.) long and 50 mm. (2 in.)thick, usually broken up into grayish, spongy segments, consisting mainly of

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par enchyma , with a few scat tered wood-bun dles. Inodorous; ta ste m ucilaginous an dast ringen t. Used as a demu lcent an d ast ringen t. Dose: 15 to 30 gr. (1 to 2 Gm.).

The rhizome of N u ' p h a r a d 'v e n a Nu tt all, Yellow P ond Lily, has similar propertiesand u ses.

R A N U N C U L AC E . --C r o w fo o t F a m i l y

Her baceous or somewh at sh ru bby plan ts with a crid juice; distinguished by the pa rt sof the flower-sepals, petals, stamens, and pistils-being free and distinct that is,separated and independently situated on the receptacle. The leaves are dilated atbase, one-ha lf clasping t he st em. Fruit a pointed or feat her y aken e, dry pod, or berr y.The order ha s nu mer ous a noma lies in t he form an d str uctur e of th e calyx, an d corollain such genera as columbine, aconite, larkspur, ranunculus, anemone, etc., which,nevert heless, agree in t he separ at ion of th eir sepals and pet als, the insert ion of th eirnu merous sta mens, direction of their an th ers, stru ctu re of seed, etc.



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133. CIMICIFUGA. CIMICIFUGA

BLACK SNAKEROOT. BLACK COH OSH

The dr y rh izome a nd roots of Cimicif'uga r acemosa Nu tt all.

BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS. Stem 4 to 8 feet high, from a thick rhizome;leaves alternate, ternately decompound; flowers regular, small, white, in wandlikeracemes often 3 feet long; sepals 5, petaloid; petals from 1 to 8, small, on claws, 2-horned at apex; stamens numerous; pistils 1 to 3; fruit 1 to several dry, dehiscentpods.

SOURCE.This plant is common in rich woodlands of the UnitedStat es, westwar d to Iowa an d nort hwar d to Cana da. Act'a racem o'sa ismentioned by Flckiger as a synonym of this plant. A similar plant,

Act'a spicat'a , furnishing a rhizome resembling black snakeroot, is

comm on in Eu rope; it differ s, however, in h aving juicy berr ies inst ead of dr y follicles.

DESCRIPTION OF DRUG.A short horizontal rhizome from 10 to 25mm ( 2 / 5 to 1 in.) thick, with numerous branchesremains of aerialstems each terminated by a deep cup-shaped scar; on the lower sideare found n u m e r o u s b r i t t l e r o o t l e t s from 1 to 2 mm. (1/25 to 1/12in.) thick; e x t e r n a l l y brownish-black; fracture of rhizome, horny; odorslight (th e powder, however, ha s a hea vy odor); ta ste bitt er a nd a crid.



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C r o s s - s e c t i o n of the rhizome exhibits a large, whitish pith, aroundwhich, more or less stellately arranged, are wood-wedges separated bymedullar y ra ys. Bark ha rd a nd t hickish. The r ootlets display, under t hemicroscope, a thick cortical layer, the space within which containsconverging wedges of open, woody tissue, three to five in number,form ing a Ma ltese cross. The stellate a rr an gement of the woody wedgesof the r ootlets is one of th e best dist inguishing cha ra cter istics.

Powder .Cha ra cteristic element s: See Pa rt iv, Chap. I, B.

CONSTITUENTS.Besides the ordinary vegetable principles-fat,sugar, tannin, and starch-there exists a r e s i n which has been by someassigned as the active medicinal constituent. This resin, amounting toabout 3 1 / 2 per cent., is contained in the resinoid c i m i c i f u g i n orm a c r o t i n of the market. An acrid, crystalline principle, soluble inchloroform, ether, and alcohol, and not precipitated by lead acetate, isalso said to exist in t he r oot. Ash , not m ore than 10 per cent .

Preparation of Cimicifugin .By precipita ting th e concentra ted t inctu re with water , acrude article is prepared which is known as the resinoid. A purer form is made byprecipitating the tincture of the fresh drug with lead subacetate, removing the leadfrom solution with H 2S, an d evaporat ing. Soluble in a lcohol an d chloroform.

ACTION AND USES.Antispasmodic, diaphoretic, and expectorant. ItS a y r e s M a t e r i a M e d i c a p a r t I I - P a g e 1 3


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acts like digitalis on the circulation, and as a sedative upon cardiacganglia; small doses stimulate digestion and secretion; used inrh euma tism a nd distu rban ces of the menst ru al fun ction. It is a powerfuluterine stimulant. In large doses cimicifuga causes nausea, headache,vertigo, tremors, muscular relaxation, slowing and weakening of thepu lse. Dose: 15 to 30 gr . (1 t o 2 Gm.).

OFFICIAL PREPARATIONS.F l u i d e x t r a c t u m C im i c ifu g a e Dose: 5 t o 30 drops (0.3 t o 2 mils).Ext r ac tu m Cimic ifug Dose: 3 to 5 gr. (0.2 to 0.3 Gm.).

134. HYDRASTIS. HYDRASTIS

GOLDEN SEAL. YELLOW PUCCOON

The dr ied rhizome a nd r oots of H y d r a s ' t is c a n a d e n 's i s Linn. Yielding n ot less tha n

2.5 per cent . of ether soluble alka loids of Hydr ast is,

BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS.Plant about 8 inches high, from a thick,knotty rhizome. The single radical leaf simple, 5-lobed; stem 2-leaved at summit;

flowers term inal, single, greenish; calyx of 3-peta loid sepa ls, regu lar ; fruit a h ead of 1-2-ovuled ber ries.

SOURCE.The area of the country over which hydrastis grows insufficient abu nda nce to be a comm ercial sour ce of the dru g is embra cedin Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, and West Virginia. It is alsofoun d in oth er portions of th e Eas ter n Un ited Sta tes. Lar ge qua nt ities of

the drug are now being cultivated. One of the fields the writer hasvisited, is located in Douglas, Michigan, Seal Growers, as they arecalled, have a cooperative Society to promote their interests. in thegrowing of th is plan t a nd gins eng, especially.

DESCRIPTION OF DRUG.A knott y, cont ort ed r hizome a bout 40 mm .(1 3 / 5 in.) long and 5 mm. ( 1 / 5 in.) thick; on the upper side are severalscars which mark the positions and detachment of former herbaceousstems; these scars (cup-like projections) have given rise to the namegolden seal. E x t e r n a l l y rough, of a dull yellowish-brown color,

annulate, and beset with numerous slender rootlets; i n t e r n a l l y of alemon-yellow color; breaks with a short, resinous fracture; a c r o s s -s e c t i o n shows a th ick bar k, na rr ow wood-wedges, and br oad m edullaryra ys which ra diat e from a lar ge pith . The r ootlets show a woody cent ersur roun ded by a t hick pa ren chyma tous cort ical tissu e which is border edby an outer row of compressed cells; odor distinct; taste bitter. Two tothr ee hundr ed thousand pounds of the drug ar e ann ually consum ed.



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CONSTITUENTS.The two alkaloids, h y d r a s t i n e , C 21 H 21 NO 6 (colorless and slightly acrid), and b e r b e r i n e (yellow and intenselybitter), are the principal constituents. B e r b e r i n e , C

20H

17NO

4, is v e r y

w i d e l y d i s t r i b u t e d i n n a t u r e , being found in drugs from severaldifferent families of plants. H y d r a s t in e , w h e n p u r e , is i n p e r f ec t lyco lo r l e s s , very brilliant, glassy crystals. As a rule, however, they arewhite and opaque, owing to the presence of numerous fractures. Theyellow color of berberine adheres very tenaciously to the hydrastine, soth at th e a bsolutely colorless h ydra stine is difficult to obta in. C a n a d i n e ,



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C20 H 21 NO 4, tetrahydroberberine, the sulphate of which is soluble inwater and alcohol. T h e r e s i n o i d , h y d r a s t i n , s h o u l d n o t b ec o n f o u n d e d w i t h t h e a c t i v e a l k a l o i d . This resinoid is made byprecipitating a concentrated alcoholic tincture of hydrastis withacidulated water, and is probably, in the main, an impure muriate of berberine. Hydrastinine, which Falk regards as a valuable remedy, ismade by decomposing the alkaloid, hydrastine, with dilute nitric acidan d gent le heat , when opianic acid is also form ed.

Preparation of Hydrastine .Pereolate drug with water; precipitate berberine byadding HCl; to filtrate add ammonia in excess. The impure hydrastine which thendeposits is dissolved in alcohol, filtered t hr ough cha rcoal, an d crysta llized.

Preparation of Berberine .(Obtain ed a lso from Berber is vulgaris an d a llied dru gs.)Exhaust powdered root with boiling water, evaporating to soft extract; exhaust thiswith alcohol; add water. Distil off alcohol; add H 2SO 4 in excess, when berberinesulpha te crysta llizes in yellow n eedles.

ACTION AND USES.Until the introduction of the white alkaloidhydrastine, the drug was used almost exclusively as a local astringent;but of late years, since the many physiological experiments with thisalkaloid, it has been used internally in chronic inflammations of themucous membrane. Hydrastis is now quite largely employed in the

treatment of depraved mucous membranes, as, for example, in chronicrhinitis, the atonic stomach of drunkards, chronic intestinal catarrh,catarrhal jaundice, vaginal leucorrhea, and the later stages of gonorrhea. It has been recommended in the treatment of uterinehem orr ha ges resulting from endometr itis, an d is said to act well in cas esin which E rgot h as proved useless.



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In dyspepsia it has been used as a stomachic stimulant, and hasreceived praise in the vomiting of pregnancy. Dose: 30 gr. (2 Gm.).Hydrastine is said to have antiperiodic properties and is given in dosesOf 1/32 gr. (0.002 Gm.).

OFFICIAL PREPARATIONS.E x t r a c t u m H y d r a s t is Dose: 8 gr. (0.5 Gm.).F l u i d e xt r a c t u m H y d r a s t is Dose: 5 t o 30 dr ops (0.3 t o 2 Mils).Tin c t u r a H y d r a s t is (20 per cen t.)Dose: 10 to 60 drops (0.6 to 4 mils).Glyce r i t um Hydras t i s (each mil conta ins 1 Gm. of drug). Used ext ern ally.

135. ACTA ALBA .WHITE COHOSH. The rhizome of Act ' a a lb ' a Bigelow. Habitat : Sout hern a nd Ea stern Un ited States. Often foun d in the Eur opean ma rketmixed with black he llebore; its ap pea ra nce, however, is more like cimicifuga . Violentpurgat ive, irritan t, an d emetic.

136. C O P T I S , N.F.GOLD THREAD. The herb of Cop ' t i s t r i fo l 'i a Salisbury. Habitat : Northern and Eastern United States. The drug as found in commerceconsists mainly of long, thread-like, yellow rootlets, attached to a slender, tereterhizome, mixed with trifoliate leaves. Contains berberine and a white alkaloidresembling hydr astin e. Ton ic. Dose: 15 to 60 gr. (1 to 4 Gm.) in decoction.

137. HELLEBORUS NIGER .BLACK HELLEBORE. The rhizome and roots of Hel l e 'bo r u s n i ' ge r Linn. Habitat : Central and Southern Europe. Irregular andkn ott y; extern ally brown-black; inter na lly grayish, with a t hick bark ; ta ste sweetish,bitter, a nd acrid; odor slight, peculiar . Poisonous; an th elmintic, dra stic cat ha rt ic, an demm enagogue. Dose: 5 to 20 gr. (0.3 to 1.3 Gm.).

138. HELLEBOR US VIRIDIS .GREEN HELLEBORE. The rhizome and roots of Hel l e 'bo r u s v ir i 'd i s Linn. This resem bles above, but is smaller. Used as a diuret ic,cathartic, and emmenagogue. Dose: 5 to 20 gr. (0.3 to 1.3 Gm.). It should not beconfoun ded with verat ru m viride (also called green h ellebore), a car diac an d n ervoussedative.

139. XANTHORRHIZA .YELLOW-ROOT. The rhizome of X a n t h o r r h i ' z aapiifol ' ia L'Heritier. Habitat : Southern and Central United States. About 500 to1,000 mm. (20 to 40 in.) long, and 10 mm. ( 2 / 5 in.) thick; externally of a brightyellowish -brown color; int ern ally yellow; inodorous an d bitt er. Con ta ins ber berin e, thealkaline base of berberis vulgaris; it is a m at ter of record t ha t in ma ny, perha ps most,berberine-yielding plants, a colorless alkaloid accompanies berberine, but, accordingto Lloyd, a second a lka loid does not exist in t his dr ug. Used a s a t onic. Dose: 1 / 2 to 1 dr.(2 to 4 Gm.).

140. PULSATILLA , N.F.PASQUE FLOWER. The h erb of An em 'on e pu l sa t i l 'l a an d of An e m o n e p r a t e n ' s is Linn , collected soon after flowering. Off. U.S.P . 1890.The dru g never comes into the m ar ket in a condition in which t he leaf or other pa rt sar e rea dily recognizable, as t hey a re m ost always broken or compr essed. The U.S.P.



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1890, directed tha t th e herb sh ould be car efully preser ved, an d not kept longer t ha none year. Even the drying of the plant is said to render the drug unreliable.Constituents: A peculiar acrid crystallizable principle exists in the plant known asanemonin (C 10 H 8O4) an acrid, unstable principle not well understood. Someau th orities sta te th at it un dergoes decomposition a fter it s solution, under conditionsthat are not precisely known, into anemonic acid (C

10H

10O

5) and anemoninic acid

(C 10 H 18 O6), etc.; others state that it is a volatile, fluid, acrid principle, verysusceptible of decomposition.

Preparation of An emonin .If aqu eous distillate be tr eat ed with chloroform, th e latt er,on evaporat ion, yields a residue-anem onin. Dose: 1 1 / 2 to 3 gr. (0.1 to 0.2 gm.).



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Diuretic, diaph oret ic, mydriat ic, irrita nt . The a ction of pulsat illa is said t o resembleaconite a s a car diac sedative. One a ut hor says it is equivalent t o senega in convulsivecough s an d in br onchitis. The recent tinctu re, in 5-drop doses (ma de according t o theformula of the tincture of recent herbs, U.S.P. 1890, is highly esteemed by somepractitioners. The drug is not infrequently classed among the most usefulemmena gogues. Dose: 1 to 5 gr. (0.065 to 0.3 Gm.).

141. ADONIS VERNALIS , N.F.FALSE. HELLEBORE. The herb of Adon ' i sverna l ' i s Linn. This rather obscure drug owes its poisonous quality and medicinalactivity to a glucoside, adon id in , whose physiological action seems to be almostidentical with that of digitalin, except that it is more powerful, and not cumulative.Like digitalis, it is used in hea rt disease an d dropsy, slowing the h ear t's action, an dma king it more r egular an d forcible; it great ly increases u rina ry secretion. Dose: 2 to10 gr. (0.12 to 0.6 Gm.), in infusion.

142. R a n u n c u l u s .CROWFOOT. BUTTER CUP. The herb of R a n u n ' c u l u sb u l b o ' s u s Linn. Habitat : Europe and North America. Base of stem thick; flowersyellow, the ovaries of which form akenes with a short, curved beak; inodorous, withacrid taste. Used externa lly as an irr itant .

143. STAPHISAGRIA. STAPHISAGRIA

STAVESACRE

The r ipe seed of Delph in ' ium s t aph i sag 'r i a Linn.

BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS. Stem 3 to 4 feet high, erect, more or lesscolored pu rp le; leaves long petiolate, a ltern at e, pa lmat ely 5-9-divided, blotched withpurple; flowers in loose spoke-like racemes, varying from light-blue to purple;irregular; sepals 5, petaloid, upper one pr olonged int o a spur ; petals 4, small; fruit 3,ha iry follicles.

SOURCE.This herb is a native of Italy, Greece, the Greek Islands,Asia Minor, Mediterranean regions, and Canary Islands. It wasintr oduced int o En glan d in 1596.

DESCRIPTION OF DRUG.About 5 mm. ( 1 / 5 in.) long, 3 to 4 mm. ( 1 / 9 to 1 / 6 in.) thick; e x t e r n a l l y flattish, tetrahedral, the broadest sideconvex; test a brownish , with ret iculat e ridges, rough an d deeply pitted;i n t e r n a l l y it contains a whitish, oily albumen, inclosing a small,str aight embryo in its shar per end. The out er layer of th e testa is madeup of thin-walled, narrow cells, which become larger near the edges of the seed and in the. superficial wrinkles. They contain a small numberof minute starch granules. The interior layer exhibits a single layer of sma ll, densely-packed cells. The a lbum en is composed of th e usu al tissue



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loaded with gra nu les of album inoid ma tt er a nd drops of fat ty oil. Near lyinodorous; ta st e bitter an d as tr ingent . Dose 1 gr, (0.06 Gm.).

Powder .Dark greenish. Characteristic elements: The angular cells of theparenchyma of the endosperm with aleurone and oil globules; very large epidermal

cells, brown, thick-walled, with irregu lar th icken ings.

CONSTITUENTS.Resides fixed oil, etc., one of the most prominentconstituents i s a p o i s on o u s a l k a l o id , d e l p h i n i n e , which exists in t heform of a malate. This alkaloid, however, is said to be c o m p o s e d o f s e v e r a l d i s t i n c t p r i n c i p l e s . Marquis has separated four distinctalka loids from t he s eed.



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Preparation of Delphinine .Treat the decoction with magnesia, exhaust theprecipitat e with a lcohol, an d evaporat e. The cru de alka loid thu s obta ined consists of th ree distinct pr inciples-resin, sta phisagrine, an d delphinine. Pu re delphinine is solublein a lcohol and ether .

ACTION AND USES.Stavesacre is mostly used as a parasiticide todestroy vermin, especially against pediculi vestimentoruminhabitingth e garm ent s next t o th e skin. A tinctur e in cologne spirit ha s been usedin some distr icts as a subst itut e for tinctur e of cocculus indicus, a ppliedto the scalp as an antiparasitic. Internally, the action resembles aconitein its effects upon the heart and respiration. Dose: 1 to 2 gr. (0.065 to0.130 Gm.). Poisonous doses are rapidly diffused, and antidotalmea sur es should be ra pidly applied. (Fluidextra ctu m sta phisagr i, usedexter na lly as a par asiticide.)

144. D E L P H I N I U M , N.P.LARKSPUR SEED. The seed of D e l p h i n ' i u mconsol ' ida Linn. Habitat : Centra l Eur ope; cultivated a nd n at ura lized in some partsof the United States. A flattish, tetrahedral seed, 1 to 1.5 mm. ( 1 / 25 1 / 16 in.) broad ;edges sharp, testa black and roughly pitted; internally, it consists of whitish, oilyalbumen, inclosing a small, straight embryo; inodorous; taste bitter and acrid;cont ains delphinine. Used as a diuret ic, cat ha rt ic, an d em etic; poisonous. Dose: 1 / 2 t o 3gr. (0.03 to 0.2 Gm .).

145. NIGELLA .NIGELLA. The seeds of Nige l' la da ma sce ' na Linn. Habitat :Levant; cultivated. Triangular-ovate, about 2.5 mm. ( 1 / 10 in.) long; test a br itt le, du ll-black; embryo straight and small, with pointed ends. It has a strawberry-like odor,an d bitter t aste. Used as an emmen agogue and diuretic.

146. ACONITUM. ACONITE

MONKSHOOD

The dr ied tuber ous r oot of Ac o n i 't u m n a p e l 'l u s Linn. Yieldin g, by official as sa y, notless than 0.5 per cent. of ether soluble alkaloids, also assayed biologically.

The m inimu m leth al dose of fluidextra ct sh ould n ot be grea ter th an 0.00004 mil foreach gr amm e of body weight of guin ea-pig.

BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS.Stem 3 to 4 feet high, smooth and erect;leaves nea rly sessile, alter na te, palma tely 5-divided; root-leaves long-petioled; flowers deep violet, irregular , very showy, in ra cemes; sepals 5, petaloid, th e up per one h oodedor helmet-sha ped; petals 2, concealed.



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SOURCE AND VARIETIES.This genus of poisonous herbs, includinga nu mber of species, is foun d t hr oughout cold, moun ta inous distr icts of Eu rope, in th e Himalayas, an d in Nort hwester n North Amer ica. It is oneof the oldest and commonest plants of the English garden, and is oftenfound in dangerous proximity to horseradish (Royle). Hindu writersmen tion no less th an eight een differen t kinds of bishth e vern acularfor a conit e. Ten of th ese a r e sa id to be unfit for m edicina l use on a ccoun tof their extremely poisonous nature. The root (tuber) of A. napellus isth e sour ce of the m edicinal pr epar at ions of this dr ug. Nepau l aconite isthe source of the extremely active alkaloid, pseudaconitine (see below).



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A. fischeri produces J apa nese a conite r oot. It yields japa conitine, st at edto be identical with aconit ine.

DESCRIPTION OF DRUG.Almost na piform , abr upt ly taper ing, from40 to 100 mm . long, about th e th ickn ess of a finger a t th e top, which istuberculated; e x t e r n a l l y dar k-brown, wrink led longitudina lly at lower

portion, stem scars visible, rootlets usually detached; f r a c t u r e s h o r t ,horny or starchy, exhibiting sometimes a spongy or resinous, white,grayish, or brownish tissue; taste at first sweetish, then acrid andtingling, followed by numbness. This peculiar t i n g l i n g s e n s a t i o n o f t h e t o n g u e is one of th e most pr ominen t cha ra cter istics u pon which th etoxicologist depend s for t he r ecognition of t his dr ug an d its pr epa rat ions .At the upper portion of the root there of ten projects a lateral branchconnecting a second tuber, which is an offspring of the other. A c r o s s -s e c t i o n of th e tuber shows a t hick bar k a nd a p i t h o ft e n i n t h e fo r mo f a s t a r , the two being separated by a nucleus sheath; the cambium,following the outline of the pith, is also 5- to 7-angled, and at theterminal and basal extremities of each ray are found small groups of vascular bundles; these, however, are inclined to follow the wholecam bium line.

Powder .Microscopical elements of: See Part iv, Chap. I, B.



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ADULTERANTS.With allied aconite roots, defective roots, andhorseradish. The root of European masterwort resembles aconite root,but it is ar omat ic an d pungent.

CONSTITUEN TS.The pr incipal const ituen t is a conitine, C 34 H 47 NO 11 (0.5 per cent.), forming about one-third the total alkaloid of the root.This is white, u sua lly am orph ous, bu t with difficulty m ay be obta ined inrhombic, tabular crystals; almost insoluble in cold water, soluble inalcohol, ether, and diluted acids. Other related principles exist in thedrug c o m b i n e d w i t h a c o n i t i c a c i d (H 3C6H 3O6), but our knowledgeof them is not satisfactory. The crystallized alkaloid melts at 189 to190C., an d yields acetic acid at slight ly higher tem pera tu re.

Pseu daconitine, C 36 H 49 NO 12 , from Aconitum ferox , is highly poisonous.Atisine, C 22 H 31 NO 2 (from Aconitum heterophyllum ), does not present

an y close a na logy to th e alka loids of th e oth er a nd well-kn own species of aconite ( A. napellus , A. fer ox, and A. japonicum ). In small doses it issa id to be non-toxic, but its a ct ion, according to some report s, resem blesth at of aconite.

Commercial aconitine contains some of the allied principles, which are



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separated from the alkaloid with difficulty. Ash, not exceeding 6 percent.

Preparation of Aconitine .After extracting oil and resin by a suitable solvent, analcoholic extract is made which is treated with hot water. The aqueous solution is

precipitated by adding NH 4OH in excess. This precipitate is exhausted with ether-ethereal solution distilled to dryness. Purify residue by dissolving in acidulated(H 2SO 4) water, again precipitating with NH 4OH, etc. This process yields acommercial product which is n ot free from p seudoaconitin e.

ACTION AND USES.Antipyretic to a certain extent by reducingcirculation; depressant of the sensory nerve-ends, the heart, therespirat ion, an d spinal system. lt relaxes t he inhibitory appara tu s of thehear t, an d par alyzes t he cardiac muscle and its cont ained ganglia, therespiratory centers, and the spinal cord in all its functions-sensory,reflex, and motor-but does not affect the cerebrum. Murrell has calledattention to the fact that the English alkaloid is seventeen timesstronger than the German, while the French is variable, but generallybetween t hese; th e crystalline variety (Duquesnel's or Mer ck's a conitine)is th erefore to be preferr ed on accoun t of its un iform str ength . The doseof th e comm ercial a conit ine is 1 / 64 gr.; th e crysta llized alka loid, however,is given in doses of on ly from 1 / 300 to 1 / 250 gr .

Dose of drug: 1 gr. (0.06 Gm.).

OFFICIAL PREPARATIONS.F l u i d e xt r a c t u m Ac on i t i , Dose: 1 / 4 to 2 dr ops (0.015 t o 0.12 mil).E x t r a c t u m Ac on i t i Dose: 1 / 6 t o 1 / 3 gr. (0. 010 to 0.02 Gm .).Tinc tu ra Acon i t i (10 per cent . )Dose: 1 / 2 to 4 dr ops (0.03 t o 0.25 mil).

147. HEPATICA .LIVERWORT. The leaves of A n e m ' o n e h e p a ' t i c a Linn. Habitat : North Amer ica a nd E ur ope. Hear t-sha ped, about 50 mm . (2 in.) long, slight lyleath ery; inodorous; astr ingent a nd bitt er. The more corr ect synonym for t his plan t isliverleaf, as the term liverwort is applied to a family of cryptogamic, moss-likeplants Hepatic . Used as a demulcent and tonic. Dose: 1/2 to 2 dr. (2 to 8 Gm.) indecoction.

148. P O N I A .PEONY. The root of P on ia o ffi c ina l i s Linn. Seldom used,although at one time a popular remedy in epilepsy, diarrhea, and as anemm ena gogue. Occas iona lly used in chorea, wh ooping-cough, et c. Dose: 15 t o 60 gr. (1to 4 Gm.), in infusion.



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M AG N O L I AC E .M a g n o l ia F a m i ly

Trees a nd shr ubs, m ostly of subtropical r egions. Leaves coriaceous; a ltern at e, simple,usually pellucid-punctate, entire, or rarely dentate; flowers axillary or terminal,usu ally solita ry, perfect, or, in a few genera , un isexua l; sepals , petals , stamens , and

pistils nu merous an d h ypogynous. Fruit var ious , cone-like, or form ing a st ellate gr oupof whorl (illicium ), or capsu lar with vent ra l or d orsal deh iscence.



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149. I l l ic ium .STAR ANISE. The dry fruit of I l li 'c i um ve ' ru m Hooker filius. Off.U.S.P. 1890. The fruit is pedun culat e, and consists of light, s t e l la t e l y a r r a n g e d , one-seeded carpels, which are b o a t - s h a p e d and u n i t e d a r o u n d a s h o r t c e n t r a lc o l u m n risin g from a n obliqu e pedicle. Ea ch car pel is 12 or 15 mm . ( 1 / 2 to 3 / 5 in.) long,woody, wrinkled, with a st ra ight beak; rust y-brown in color, an d split a t t he vent ra lsuture, exposing the flattish, bright, glossy-brown, oval seed; odor intermediatebetween fenn el and a nise; ta ste (residing in th e car pel,) ar oma tic an d sweet; s e e d n o ta r o m a t i c , but oily. Adulterated with Illicium religiosum Siebold (found growingaround Buddhist t emples in south west China, when ce its n ame), a poisonous plantcultivat ed in China a nd J apa n, which resem bles it in appea ra nce., but is more woody,ha s a cur ved beak, a clove-like odor, an d a disagreeable ta ste. Constituents : A volatileoil resem bling th e oil of pimp inella a nise. Th e former oil is solidified at 35C., an d th elatter between 50 and 60C., almost entirely composed of anethol (C 10 H 12 O), withsma ll amoun ts of ter penes, sa frol, an isic acid, etc.

It has stimulant, anodyne, diuretic, and carminative properties which resideexclusively in the volatile oil. Dose: 5 to 30 gr. (0.3 to 2 Gm.).

150. MAGNOLIA .MAGNOLIA. The bark of Magn o 'l ia g l au ' c a Linn. Habitat :Middle an d South ern Un ited Sta tes. A th in-quilled bar k of a gra y color, or sometimeslight br own, fissured, an d covered with nu mer ous scat ter ed wart s; th e inn er sur facesmooth an d of a light brown color; fra ctu re sh ort , towar d th e inner portion somewha tfibrous; nea rly inodorous, with a bitter , spicy, and p un gent t ast e. It cont ains a volatileoil, resin, ta nn in, coloring m at ter s, gum, a nd a crysta lline glucoside, magnol in . Usedas a diap horet ic, tonic, and febrifuge. Dose: 10 to 80 gr. (2 to 4 Gm.) in decoction.

151. WINTERA .WINTER's BARK. From D r i ' m y s w i n t e ' r i Forster, a SouthAmerican tree. It has an aroma similar to that of canella and cinnamon, for whichdrugs. it h as been su bstituted, and is known in some places as Winter 's Cinn am on.The bark of Drim ys granatensis from New Granada is said to have been offered asCoto bark. It also has an astringent, pungent, as well as aromatic taste. Dose: 15 to30 gr . (1 t o 2 Gm.).

152. LIRIODENDRON .TULIP-TREE BARK. From L i r i o d e n ' d r o n t u l ip i 'fe r a Linn. Habitat : United States westward to Kansas. In quills and curved piecesobtained from the branches. These quills and pieces are about 2 mm. ( 1 / 12 in.) th ick;outer surface purplish-brown, with thin ridges forming elongated meshes; nearly



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inodorous; ta ste p un gent an d bitt er. Tonic, febrifuge a nd vermifuge. Dose: 1 to 2 dr. (4to 8 Gm.) in infusion or fluid extr act.

Preparation of Liriodendrin .Concentrate the alcoholic tincture; add water until apermanent turbidity commences to appear. Set aside to evaporate spontaneously. Itform s, when pur ified, white needles or sma ll scales. Insoluble in wa ter , soluble in eth eran d a lcohol.

C ALYC AN T H A C E .C a l y c a n t h u s F a m i ly

153. CALYCANTHUS .FLORIDA ALLSPICE. The bark of C a l y c a n ' t h u sf lor ' idus . An a roma tic stimulan t, used in diarr hea mixtu res. Dose: 10 to 30 gr. (0.6 to2 Gm.).

MYRISTICACE

154. MYRISTICA. NUTMEG

NUTMEG

The kern el of th e ripe seed of Myr i s 't i c a fr a g 'r a ns Houttuyn.

BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS. Tree about 30 feet high. Leaves oblong-oval,

entire, glossy above, whitish beneath, aromatic. Flowers dioecious; m ale flowers inaxillar y clust ers; fem ale flow ers single, solita ry, an d a xillary, both very sma ll and of apale yellow color.

HABITAT.Molucca Islan ds; cultivat ed in adjacent Ea st India islan ds,an d especially in t he Dut ch Ba nda Islan ds, when ce most of th e nut megsar e import ed for m ar ket.

DESCRIPTION OF DRUG.A roun dish or oval k ern el about 25 mm . (1in.) long; externally light grayish-brown, marked with worm-shapedfurrows and covered with lime (done by the Dutch growers to kill thegerm, th inking in t his wa y to monopolize its cultivat ion). They a re h ar dan d n ot r eadily pulverizable, but can easily be cut or grat ed, showing aw a x y l u s t e r ; i n t e r n a l l y yellowish, a c r o s s - s e c t i o n h a v i n g am o t t l e d a p p e a r a n c e , due to the penetration to the albumen of theinner seed-coat in narrow brown strips; these strips contain oilyma terial; hilum a nd micropyle on th e broad end, cha laza nea r th e upper



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end, un ited by a groove corr esponding t o th e ra ph; the em bryo is sma ll,in a cavity at the base; o d o r strongly aromatic; t a s t e warm andaromatic.

The m ale, wild, or long nu tm eg, as it is var ious ly ter med , is occas iona llyfound in market- it is much longer than the official nutmeg, elliptical,destitu te of th e dar k brown inn er veins, an d of a bitt er a nd disagr eeableta ste. Penang an d Singapore nu tmegs are un limed.



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C a li fo r n i a n u t m e g , so called, is t he seed of T orrega Californica (nat . ord . Conifera e);testa smooth, brownish, internally marbled, resembling nutmeg, but has aterebinthina te odor an d taste.

Powder.Cha ra cteristic element s: See Pa rt iv, Cha p. I, B.

CONSTITUENTS.The greater portion of nutmeg (25 to 30 per cent.)consists of a fixed o i l ; this is official in t he Br itish P ha rm acopoeia a ndis called oil of mace or mace butter; it contains chiefly myristin, withsome myrist ic acid, olein, palm itin, r esin, a nd volat ile oil (see 154 b). Thear oma tic propert ies of nut meg depend u pon 2 to 8 per cent. of vo la t i l eoi l . Ash , not exceeding 5 per cent .

ACTION AND USES.Aromatic stimulant and stomachic. Used as acorrective and as a condiment. In large doses it possesses narcoticproper ties. Dose: 8 to 30 gr. (0.5 t o 2 Gm.).

OFFICIAL PREPARATIONS.

154a. O l e u m M y r i s t i c , U.S.OIL OF NUTMEG. A thin, colorless orpale straw-colored volatile oil, lighter than water, and having thecharacteristic properties of nutmeg; on standing for a considerablelength of time it becomes da rk er a nd t hicker , and d eposits a cryst alline f atty glyceride of myristic acid. It contains a hydrocarbon, pinene,myristicin, and an oxygenated compound, myristicol, isomeric withcarvol. Action and uses same as nutmeg, but rarely used. Dose: 1 to 3dr ops (0.065 to 0.2 mil).

154b. OLEUM MYRISTIC EXPRESSUM .EXPRESSED OIL OF NUTMEG.MACE BUTTER (see Myristica Constituents). Unctuous blocks, marbled whitishan d brown. Mostly used extern ally.

155. Maci s , N.F. (U.S. 1890).-The thick membrane or arillode immediatelyinvesting the kernel of the nutmeg. It comes in narrow bands, irregularly slit aboveinto somewhat bran ched a nd lobed divisions, united a t t he base in a n u nbroken ban d;reddish or orange-yellow in color, with a fatty feeling when scratched or pressed;

peculiar ar oma tic odor an d t ast e. It cont ains volatile oil (about 8 per cent .), a r ed fixedoil, gum, resin, sugar, and proteids, but no starch. Aromatic stimulant and tonic;mostly used as a flavoring agen t. Dose: 5 to 20 gr. (0.3 to 1.3 Gm.).



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M E N I S P E R M A C E . - M o o n s e e d F a m i l y

Woody climbers, m ostly tropical, with peltat e or pa lmat e alter na te exstipula te leaves ,an d sm all dioecious, green ish, or whitish flowers in a xillary p an icles. Sepals and petals

alike, in th ree rowsth e petals somet imes want ing. The stamens equa l or exceed th epetals in number. Pistils 2 to 6, with nearly straight ovaries, which, however, areincur ved in fruiting, so th at th e seed is either a crescent or a ring.

156. CALUMBA. CALUMBA

COLUMBO

The r oot of J a t e o r r h i 'z a p a l m a 't a Lamarck, sliced transversely and dried.

BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS.Un dergroun d stem a short, irr egular rh izome,from which start numerous fleshy fusiform roots 1 to 4 inches in diameter. Leavespa lma te, on long pet ioles. Accord ing to Bent ley and Tr imen , the bla de of th e leaf oftenrea ches 14 inches in length . Flowers dioecious, sepals 6, petals 6, stam ens 6; ant her $2-celled; fru it a bout th e size of a h azelnu t, den sely cloth ed with long, sprea ding h airs,each t ipped with a black, oblong gland.

HABITAT.Ea st Africa an d Mada gascar , cultivated in th e Ea st Indies.DESCRIPTION OF DRUG. I n t r a n s v e r s e s e c t i o n s , circular or ovalin outline, 25 to 50 mm. (1 to 2 in.) in diameter; 3 to 12 mm. ( 1 / 8 t o 1 / 2 in.) th ick. The out er edge is covered with a br own wr inkled layer of cork .The bark is about 9 mm. ( 3 / 8 in.) thick; a dark, shaded cambium lineseparates this bark from the s p o n g y g r a y i s h - y e l l o w c e n t r a lp o r t i o n . In drying the central portion contracts more than the outer,hence the disks are depressed at this point, where also are found a fewinterrupted circles of projecting wood-bundles, while the outer portionnear th e cam bium is distinctly radiate. A m i c r o s c o p i c s e c t i o n showsnear the center very d i s t i n c t b r i g h t y e l l o w w o o d - b u n d l e s , whichare n a r r o w a n d r a d i a t e n e a r t h e b a r k . The parenchyma is filledwith large, oval or circular sta rch gra nu les.



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Odor faint ; tast e slight ly aroma tic, very bitt er, a nd mu cilaginous. Dose:30 gr . (2 Gm.).

SUBSTITUTION.American calumba has frequently been used. It isalmost uniformally much smaller, the color is not yellow, it contains no

starch and is not mucilaginous. The decoction gives brown precipitatewith ferr ic ch lor ide.

Powder .Cha ra cteristic element s: See Par t iv, Chap. 1, B.

CONSTITUENTS.A neutral crystalline principle, c a l u m b i n ,extremely bitter, b e r b e r i n e , c a l u m b i c a c i d , and starch, of which it



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contains 33 per cent. N o t a n n i n i s p r e s e n t ; it can therefore becompoun ded with sa lts of iron. The best solvent for t he bitt er pr inciple isdilut e acetic acid. This liquid, however , is not a good men st ruu m. Ash , 8per cent .

Preparation of Calum bin .In fus ion of colum bo, mad e with 3 per cent. of oxalic acid,is neut ra lized with am monia. Evapora te to one-third, an d when cool, shak e out witheth er. On evapora tion of eth erea l solution, white calum bin is obta ined.

ACTION AND USE S.A simple t onic, stimu latin g th e a ppetite t hr oughthe gustatory nerves, increasing in turn the gastric and salivarysecretions. Its special value as a tonic resides in the fact that it has nodisagreeable effects, s uch a s n au sea, h eada che, or febrile disorder , likeother remedies of its class. Externally, antiseptic, disinfectant, andanthelmintic.

OFFICIAL PREPARATION.Tin c t u r a C a lu m b (20 per cent .),. Dose: 1 to 4 fluid d ra ms (4 to 15 mils)

157. PAREIRA, N.F. PAREIRA

PARE IRA BRAVA



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The d ry r oot of C h o n d o d e n ' d r o n t o m e n t o 's u m Ruiz et. Pa von. With not more tha n5 per cent. of stem bases.

BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS.A vine with twining stem 4 inches indiameter; leaves large, corda te, long-petioled, with ent ire m ar gins; flowers dioecious;

fruit pur plish, ovoid, 1-seeded, dru paceous, form ing t hick clust ers resembling bu nchesof gra pes.

HABITAT.Brazil.

DESCRIPTION OF DRUG. A long , b r an ch in g , wood y roo t , found in comm erce intort uous , subcylind rical pieces, a bout 100 t o 150 mm . (4 to 6 in.) long, an d from 20 to100 mm. ( 4 / 5 to 4 in.) th ick. Exte rna l l y it var ies from brown to light grayish -brown incolor, an d is mar ked with fissures, tra nsverse ridges, and longitu dina l wrinkles. Whencut or sliced it displays a da rk brown inter ior, leaving u nder th e knife a waxy lust er. A



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cross -sec t ion displays a thin bark; within this bark circle there are two or morecircles (zones) of ra diat ing wood-wedges. About 12 of thes e wood-wedges a re found inthe central zone radiating from a common center. The outer c i rc les (zones) o f w o o d - w e d g e s a r e s e p a r a t e d f r o m o n e a n o t h e r b y a n a r r o w l i n e o f p a r e n c h y m a , stone cells, and compressed cells, and the short, circular, radiatingw e d g e s of w o o d a r e s e p a r a t e d f r o m o n e a n o t h e r b y m e d u l la r y t is su e , ma kinga combination of concentric and radiate arrangement which is quite characteristic.Sometimes sections of the stem a re foun d in t he dr ug; these have a rat her thick ba rk an d a na rrow pith . Taste at first mild, then bitter an d somewhat acrid; odorless.

Powder .Brownish -yellow. Cha ra cterist ic elemen ts : St ar ch, ellipsoidal, simple or 2 to4 compound (7 to 15 in diam.); sclerenchyma consisting of long bast fibers andnu mer ous isodiam etr ic or elonga ted s tone cells 20 to 50 across; wood fibers, simpleor bordered pits; cork, dark brown cells (20 to 25 in diam.); calcium oxalate, inrosettes, few.

CONSTITUENTS.Pelosine (cissampeline), amorphous, insoluble in hot or coldwat er, soluble in a lcohol and chloroform ; sta rch, gum, ta nn in; tast e sweetish-bitt er.

Preparation of Pelosine (also kn own as Cissa mp eline).Boil root in a cidu lat ed H 2SO 4 water, precipitate with K 2CO 3, pur ify by red issolving in acidula ted wa ter , decolorizewith char coal, again pr ecipitat e with K 2CO 3 an d pu rify from solut ion in eth er.

ACTION AND USES.As a remedial agent pareira is generally conceded to bebeneficial as a diuret ic an d tonic in the tr eat men t Of cystitis and Su ppu ra tive kidneydiseases, acting in a sooth ing ma nn er, especially on t he bladder . Form erly renownedas a lithontriptic. Dose: 30 to 60 gr, (2 to 4 Gm.). F lu i d e xt r a c t u m P a r e ir , U.S.P.1900 Dose: 1 / 2 to 2 fluiddr am s (2 to 8 mils).

158. M E N I S P E R M U M YELLOW PARILLA.The dry rhizome and roots of M en i s p e r ' m u m c a n a d e n ' se Linn . Rhizome a bout 1,000 m m. (40 in.) or m ore long,and 6 mm . ( 1 / 4 in.) th ick; ex t e rna l l y dar k yellowish-brown, knott y, and longitu dina llywrinkled; fracture woody and tough; nearly inodorous; taste bitter. Rootlets thin,brit tle, yellow. A cross -sec t ion of th e rh izome displays a th ick ba rk an d a yellowishinterior. Under the microscope are seen n u m e r o u s w o od -w e d g e s se p a r a t e d b yn a r r o w m e d u l l a r y r a y s ; at the extremity of each wood-ray there appears asemiluna r bun dle, which on longitu dina l section proves to be composed of bast fiberspenet ra ting th e bark . The diam eter of th e pith var ies, not infrequent ly occupying one-th ird of th e space between t he bar k. The overground st em, with which t he dr ug is notinfrequ ent ly mixed, has a very lar ge, porous pith . Constituents : B e r b e r i n e (yellow) in

small am oun t, a nd menispine (white), the principal constituen ts, with resin, tan nin,an d sta rch. Altera tive, tonic, diur etic, and la xat ive; said to resemble sar sapa rilla in itsaction. The root wa s intr oduced into the m ar ket a s Texas sar sapa rilla. Dose: 5 to 30gr. (0.3 to 2 Gm .).



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159. COCCULUS .FISH BERRIES. Coc ' cu lu s In ' d i cus . N.F. The fruit of An a m i r t a c o cc u l u s Wight a nd Arnott. Obtained from a climbing shru b in E asternIndia , na tive of Malaba r coast . The berr ies are ovoid, k idney - shaped , and about t hes i ze o f a l a rge pea , with an obscure ridge around the convex back. Externallywrinkled an d blackish-brown in color. T h e en d o ca r p is white, an d extends from th econcave side deeply into the interior.

Th e s e e d i s s e m i l u n a r , oily, very bitter, but the pericarp is tasteless. The chief constituent is picro toxin .

Preparation of Picrotoxin .To aqu eous extr act ad d MgO; tr eat th is with hotalcohol. Evapora te an d collect th e deposited picrotoxin.

Locally employed in cut an eous affections . The decoction (or t inctu re a dded t o wat er, 1to 4) is u sed a s a n insecticide in h ead lice. P i c r o t o x in i s a n a c r i d n a r c o t i c p o is o n ;in its a ction on th e secret ions it is said t o resemble pilocar pine. The berr ies have beenused from a ncient times for st upefying an d capt ur ing fish, but th is unsportsm an likemet hod of fishing in some pa rt s of th e coun tr y is now illegal.

Cocculus indicus ha s been somet imes confoun ded with th e fruit of th e Lau rus n obilis ,comm only known as bayberry. The latt er is, however, genera lly larger, distinctly ovalin form , an d t he seeds lie loose within an d fill the cavity of th e fruit. The seed of th ebayberry has an agreeable ar oma tic ta ste.

B E R B E R I D AC E .-B a r b e r r y F a m i l y

Her bs, shru bs, or t rees with wat ery juice. A peculiar ity of the l e aves in th e principalgenu s of the order su ggests th e na me bar berry; these ar e usua lly b e s e t w i t h s p i n y

t e e t h , occasionally r e d u c e d t o s i m p l e o r b r a n c h i n g s p i n e s (barbs).In f lo r e scence various; solitary (Podophyllum), in racemes (Berberis), panicles,cymes, or spikes. F l o w e r s greenish (Caulophyllum) or white with outer greenishbra ctlets (Podoph yllum ); f r u i t a ber ry or capsu le (sometimes ed ibleMay a pple).

160. CAULOPHYLLUM .SQUAW ROOT. BLUE COHOSH. N.F . The r hizome a ndroots of C a u l o p h y l ' l u m t h a l i c t r o i ' d e s Linn . Off . in U.S.P. 1890. Rh izome crooked ,of horizonta l growth, a bout 1 00 m m. (4 in .) long, an d 6 to 8 mm . ( 1 / 4 to 1 / 3 in.) th ick;o n t h e u p p e r s i d e a r e b r o a d c u p -s h a p e d s c a r s and short bent branches havingconcave terminations; it is beset with numerous tough and w i r y l i g h t - b r o w nr o o t le t s m a t t e d t o ge t h e r . Exter na lly of a du ll brown color, int ern ally whitish, w i t h



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n u m e r o u s n a r r o w w o o d -w e d g e s , somet imes i n tw o c i r c le s , inclosing a large pith.The rootlets have a much thicker bark and a thick central woody cord. Nearlyinodorous; taste slightly sweetish and somewhat acrid. (Highly magnified starchgra ins of caulophyllum , see Fig. 87.) Constituents : CAULOP HYLLINE . Resins, 12 percent., tannin, starch, gum, etc. Caulophyl l ine is colorless, odorless, and almostta steless, is not pr ecipita ted by alka lies, an d crysta llizes with difficulty; ma ny of itscharacteristics make it appear as a proximate principle belonging to a new class of bodies about which little is known.

Preparation of Cau lophyllin .Concentr at e alcoholic tinctu re a nd a dd th is to a lar gevolume of wat er. Collect pr ecipitat e an d dr y in cur ren t of war m a ir.

Caulophylline .Extr act dru g with 60 per cent . alcohol. Evap ora te tin ctu re to a semi-solid. Add ferric hydrate and sodium bicarbonate to this residue and extract themixture with chloroform. The principle remains on the evaporation of the solvent.Emm enagogue, diuret ic, and a nt ispasmodic; it ha s some repu tat ion in t he tr eatm entof rh eum at ism a nd a s an expectora nt in bronchitis. Dose: 5 to 30 gr. (0.3 to 2 Gm.).

161. PODOP HYLLUM. PODOPHYLLUM

MAYAPPLE. MANDRAKE

The dried rhizome and roots of P o d o p h y l ' l u m p e l t a ' t u m Linn. Yielding not lessth an 3 per cent . of resin U .S.P. IX.

BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS.Leaf 7-9-lobed; peltate. Flowering stembearing two one-sided leaves with the stalk thickest near their inner edge. Flowerlarge, white, nodding. Fru it ovoid, slight ly acid, edible.



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DESCRIPTION OF DRUG.Rhizome 300 mm- (12 in.) or more longand 5 mm- (1/5 in.) thick, jointed, consisting of nodes and internodes,th e length of the in ter nodes being a bout 50 mm . (2 in.). The r hizome isv e r y m u c h t h i c k e n e d a t t h e n o d e s , w h e r e i t i s s o m e t i m e sb r a n c h e d l a t e r a l l y, e a c h n o d e h a v i n g a c i r c u l a r s c a r o n t h e

u p p e r s id e and about six to ten small brittle rootlets below or scarsfrom broken rootlets; externally smooth, slightly wrinkledlongitudinally, of an orange-brown color; fracture short, white andstarchy, showing a rather thick bark, and from s i x t e e n t o t h i r t yv a s c u l a r b u n d l e s e n c i r c l i n g a b r o a d p i t h ; the parenchymacontains chiefly starch. Odor faint and characteristic; taste sweetish,slightly acrid, an d quite bitt er.



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Preparation of Podophyllin .Composed of several resinous principles separable bysolvent s. Et her dissolves out a r esin of brigh t yellow color, leavin g a br own, odorlessresin of litt le more prompt a ctivity. A concentr at ed tinctu re is precipita ted by wat ercont ain ing HCl. The pr ecipita te is collected a nd d ried.



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Podophyllin is not found to any extent in the fresh drug, according to Lobman. It isdeveloped to th e fullest ext ent only by stora ge.

CONSTITUENTS.Resins associated with other common vegetableprinciples; p o d o p h y l l i n (Resina podophylli, U.S.P.) 4 to 6 per cent., together with amorphous and crystalline principles. Later investigationshave given prominence to the following: Podophyllotoxin, C 15 H 14 O6 (white crystals), converted by hydration into podophyllic acid,C15 H 16 O7; picropodophyllin, isomeric with podophyllotoxin (inert);

quer cetin , yellow needles; podophylloresin (pur gat ive). Some a ut horit iesstate that the purgative principle is closely related to emodin. (See Rh am nus purshiana .)

ACTION AND USE S.Classed usually with th e dra st ic cat ha rt ics. Dose:10 to 20 gr. (0.6 to 1.3 Gm.). Podophyllin is an irritant to the mucousmembrane; in small doses an active cathartic, having reputedcholagogue properties, hence the name vegetable calomel. Dose: as alaxative 1 / 10 gr. (0.006 Gm.), a s a pu rgat ive 1 / 4 gr . (0.016 Gm.).

There is a remarkable difference shown in the medicinal activity of podophyllin, whether precipitated by water alone, whether byacidula ted wa ter , or by solution of alum. The one pr ecipita ted by wat eris said to be fifteen to twent y times a s a ctive as t he one precipitat ed byacidulated water, and the one precipitated by alum much weaker thaneither.



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OFFICIAL PREPARATIONS.F l u i d e xt r a c t u m P o d o p h y lli Dose: 5 t o 15 drops (0.3 to 1 m il).Res ina Pod ophy l li Dose: 1 / 8 t o 1 / 2 gr. (0.0081 to 0.0324 Gm.).

162. J EF FE RSO'NIA DIP HYL 'LA Persoon.TWIN-LEAF. (Rhizome.) Hasproperties somewhat similar to senega; it is also diuretic, alterative, andantispasmodic. Dose: 15 to 60 gr. (1 to 4 Gm.).

163. BERBERIS RADIX .BARBERRY ROOT. The root of B e r ' b e r i s v u l ga ' r i s Linn/ Habitat : Europe, Western Asia, and North America. Thick, muchbranched,from 25 t o 50 mm. (1 to 2 in.) in diam eter in t he t hickest pa rt ; wood light yellowish,ha rd, tough, with a very thin bar k (see Bar berry Ba rk below); odor slightly ar oma tic;taste bitter. It contains five alkaloids, of which b e r b e r i n e is the m ost int eresting.Used a s a ton ic in doses of 30 to 60 gr. (2 to 4 Gm.).

164. BERBERIS CORTEX BARBERRY BARK. The bark of the above root,coming in long, th in pieces, exfoliatin g, or separ at ing into th in layers; outer sur face

yellowish-gray; inner sur face bright yellow. It cont ains th e sam e alka loids as th e root,but in greater proportion. This species is the host plant for the common wheat rust(Puccinia gram inis ) in its a ccidio sta ge. The leaves wh en pa ra siticized by th is fun gusseem t o be covered with yellow spots, th e openings of th e cups in wh ich t he sp ores ar eborne. Dose: 3 to 10 gr. (0.2 to 0.6 Gm.).



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165. BERBERIS, N.F.

BERBERIS. (OREGON GRAPE.)-The rhizome and roots of species of the sectionOdostem on (Mahonia) Refinesque of the genu s Berberis Linn , without th e admixtureof more th an 5 per cent. of th e overground pa rt s of th e plant or other foreign ma tt er.

Berberis with out th e bark sh ould be rejected.In more or less knotty irregular pieces of varying length and from 3 to 50 mm. indiameter; bark from 0.5 to 2 mm. thick; wood yellowish, distinctly radiate, withna rrow medullary r ays, har d a nd tough; rhizome with a small pith; odor distinct; tast ebitterish.

Powder .Yellowish-brown composed chiefly of fragments of wood fibers associatedwith a few tracheae and medullary rays. Wood fibers yellow with large simpletr an sverse pores; tra chea e chiefly with border ed pores occasionally reticulate; sta rchgra ins single or 2 to 3 compoun d. The individual gra ins ar e irregula rly spher ical.

CONSTITUENTS.Contains three alkaloids, b e r b e r i n e , oxycan th ine andb e r b a m i n e ; th e two lat ter ar e white. Used as t onic and a ltera tive in doses of 8 to 30gr. (0.5 to 2 Gm .). (Flu idextra ctum U.S.P. 1900.)

M O N I M I A C E

166. BOLDUS .BOLDO, N.F. Th e leaves of P e u m u s b o ld u s Molina , an evergreenshr ub gr owing in th e Chilian Andes. Th ey ar e broadly oval, about 50 m m. (2 in.) long,with ent ire mar gin a nd r ough, reddish-brown su rfaces, covered with n um erous sma llglands containing a volatile oil; upper surface glossy, lower surface hairy; midribprominent ; odor fragra nt; ta ste pu ngent, ar oma tic, somewhat bitter. They a re u sedas a n a roma tic stimu lant an d tonic; in South America in inflamm at ion of th e genito-ur ina ry t ra ct. Dose: 15 to 60 gr. (1 to 4 Gm.), in fl'ext., tinctu re, or infusion.

L AU R AC E .L a u r e l F a m i ly

Aromatic trees or shrubs, all parts of which yield volatile oil. Leaves simple,altern at e, pellucid-pun cta te.



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167. CINNAMOMUM ZEYLANICU M

CEYLON CINN AMON

The dr ied inn er ba rk of th e shoots of C in n a m o 'm u m z e yla n 'i cu m Breyne.

BOTANICAL CHARACTERIS TICS.Tree a bout 30 feet h igh. Root with th e odor of camphor as well as that of cinnamon. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, entire, smooth andshinin g, tast ing of cloves. Flowers in pan icles, usua lly un isexua l. Drupe 1-seeded, theseed la rge, with oily cotyledons.

HABITAT.Ceylon.



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DESCRIPTION OF DRUG.Long, cylindrical quills deprived of thecorky layer by scraping; c o m p o u n d , consisting of 8 or more thin,papery, light brownish-yellow, quilled layers, inclosed one within theother, their sides curling inward, giving the sticks a flattenedappearance on one side; somewhat flexible, with a splintery fracture;the outer surface is marked with shining, wavy bast lines, andoccasionally with small scars or perforations indicating the formerposition of leaves; un der th e microscope it is seen to be form ed by a layerof stone cells.

The inner surface is darker and striated. A characteristic, sweet,fragrant odor, and a warm, aromatic, pungent, and sweetish taste runthrough the different cinnamon barks, but the taste of the Ceyloncinna mon is t he m ore delicat e. The broken pieces, cau sed by repa ckingat custom-houses (sorted and sold as small cinnamon), are commonly

used in phar ma cy.Powder .Cha ra cteristic element s: See Pa rt iv, Chap. I, B.

CONSTITUENTS.All the cinnamons contain volatile oil, mucilage,resin, tannin, mannite, and bitter substance, in varying relativeproportions.

In typical samples, the Saigon variety contains the most volatile oil (1per cent. or more) and mannite, the Cassia variety coming next and the

Ceylon last, the oil of the last ranging from 0.50 to nearly 1.00 per cent.Cassia cont ains t he m ost an d Saigon th e least , of both ta nn in an d bitt ersubstance. The oil of cinnamon is not identical in the different barks,that of Ceylon cinnamon is recognized as of finer and more perfectflavor, while the Saigon, being sweeter, is more aromatic but the odor isless perma nen t . Ash , nor exceeding 6 per cent .; not exceeding 2 per cent .insoluble in HCl.

ACTION AND USES.Aromatic stimulant and tonic, carminative andastringent. The different varieties of cinnamon are among the mostpleasant and efficient aromatics and form agreeable a d j u v a n t s to agrea t ma ny official pr epar at ions . Dose: 8 to 30 gr. (0.5 to 2 gm.).



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168. CINN AMOMUM CASSIA .CASSIA BARK. The bark of the shoots of one ormore undetermined species of C i n n a m o ' m u m grown in Ch ina (Chinese cinn am on).Off. U.S.P. 1890. Cas sia cinn am on is in t ubes or cur ved pieces, of a d ar ker yellowish-

brown color than preceding, nearly deprived of the corky layer; these tubes areusu ally simple, ra rely double, 1 mm. ( 1 / 25 in.) or m ore th ick, and break with a r ath ershort fracture; odor and taste similar to, but somewhat less delicate than, that of Ceylon cinn am on. Cons tit uen ts t he sa me, th e volat ile oil being officially recognized a sfrom t his source. This variety ha s been su perseded by Sa igon cinna mon in th e officialprepar at ions cont aining cinn am on.



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168a. OLEUM CASSI .OIL OF CINNAMON. Contains at least 80per cent. of c i n n a m i c a l d e h y d e . Both th e Ceylon oil an d t ha t d erivedfrom Cassia, and other cinnamon barks are found in commerce, andthey are essentially the same. The oil of Ceylon cinnamon has a moredelicate odor and flavor. All of the various oils of cinnamon becomedarker and thicker by age and exposure to the air; they have thecha ra cter istic odor of cinna mon, a sweetish, spicy, and bur ning t ast e.

CONSTITUENTS.Oil Of cinnamon consists chiefly of c i n n a m i ca l d e h y d e , with small quantities of hydrocarbon; when the oil isexposed to the air for a time, the cinnamic aldehyde is oxidized intocinnamic acid, two resins, and water, the oil becoming thicker anddarker, and frequently separating out a few crystals of the cinnamicacid.

OFFICIAL PREPARATIONS.

Aq u a C i n n a m o m i (0.2 per cen t.), Dose: 1 / 2 to 1 fl. oz. (15 to 30 Gm.).S p ir i t u s C i n n a m o m i (10 per cent .), Dose: 10 to 20 drops (0.6 to 1.3 mils).

169. CINNAMOMUM SAIGONICUM. SAIGON CINN AMON

SAIGON CASSIA

The dried bark of the stem and branches of an undetermined species of

C i n n a m o ' m u m

DESCRIPTION OF DRUG.It takes its name from Saigon, the capitalof Fr ench Cochin -Chin a , where it is collect ed an d expor ted . It is in la rgequills or broken pieces, 1 or 2 mm. ( 1 / 25 to 1 / 12 in.) thick; the gray orgrayish-brown bark, which is not removed, is more or less rough andwarty, longitudinally wrinkled and ridged, and covered with whitishpatches. Inner bark cinnamon-brown or dark brown, with numerouswhite stri n ear t he bark ; fra ctu re short, granu lar; odor a romatic; ta stearomatic and pungent. Ash, not exceeding 6 per cent.; not exceeding 2

per cent . insoluble in HCl.

COMPARISON OF THE CINNAMON BARKS.Color .-There is quite a difference in the depth of the color of the

three barks. The Ceylon is the lightest, the Saigon is the darkest, andthe Cassia intermediate. This difference in shade is shown best in thepowder.



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Thickness .The Ceylon is very thin and papery. The Saigon,usually regarded as the thickest, is in the average about the same asCassia.

Odor .The odor and taste of the Saigon is the strongest, theCeylon is th e most delicat e, th e Cassia weakest .

Microscopical .To distinguish between the barks no difficulty isexperienced in cross- and longitudinal sections, which display theoilcells, stone cells, and other elements. In the powdered condition theCeylon shows the largest stone cells. In Cassia the stone cells are lessnumerous and smaller. In the Saigon the oblong stone cells are aboutth e sam e size as t hose of Cassia, but fewer in nu mber.

Powder .Elemen ts of: See Pa rt iv, Cha p. I, B.



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SASSAFRAS. SASSAFRAS

Sas ' s a f r a s va r i i fo ' li um O. Kuntze. The various portions used in medicine are thebar k of the root, t he volat ile oil, and t he pith , all official, an d t he wood, unofficial.

BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS.Tree with spicy, aromatic bark, 15 to 125feet h igh, with yellowish-green t wigs. Leaves ovate, entire, or some of them 3-lobed.Flowers dioceious, green ish-yellow, in ra cemes.

HABITAT.North Amer ica, from Kan sas east war d.

170. SASSAFRAS. SASSAFRAS BARK

The dried bark of the root of Sassa f r a s va r i i fo l ium O. Runtze, collected in earlyspring or a ut um n a nd deprived of the outer corky layer with not more tha n 2 per cent .of adher ing wood present .

DESCRIPTION OF DRUG. I n s m a l l , i r r e g u l a r , r u s t - b r o w nf r a g m e n t s , deprived of the grayish-brown, fissured, corky layer,



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leaving a reddish or ru st-brown su rface; 1 to 5 mm - ( 1 / 25 to 1 / 5 in.) thick.It br eaks with a sh ort , cork y fra ctu re, exposing a whitish inter ior dottedwith numerous oil-cells; o d o r highly fragrant, characteristic; tastesweetish, aromatic. Oil is employed in the c o m p o u n d s y r u p o f

s a r s a p a r i l l a .Powder .Cha ra cteristic element s: See Pa rt iv, Chap. I, B.

CONSTITUENTS. Volat i le o i l (about 5 per cent.), camphoraceousmatter, tannin (6 per cent.), sassafrid (a derivative of tannin, 9 percent .), gum , resin, st ar ch, et c. Ash , not exceeding 30 per cent .

ACTION AND USE S.-Aromat ic stimu lant , alter at ive, an d ast rin gent. Itis used a lmost ent irely as an adjuvan t or corr ective. The infusion is u sedas a popular household r emedy for its diur etic and diaph oret ic effects infebrile sta tes. Dose: 30 to 120 gr . (2 to 8 Gm.), in in fusion.

170a. OLEUM SASSAFRAS , U.S.A volat ile oil usua lly distilled fromthe entire root. A colorless or yellow liquid, sp. gr. 1.051.075, becomingthicker and of a reddish color by age and exposure, and having thecharacteristic odor and taste of sassafras. It contains a hydrocarbon(safrene, C 10 H 16 ), and an oxygenated compound, safrol, C 10 H 10 O2 (melts at 8.5C., 47.3F.), a widely distributed principle obtainedcommercially from oil of camphor, phellandrene, C 10 H 16 , eugenol,

C10 H 12 O2, etc. Generally used as a flavor. Dose: 1 to 5 drops (0.065 to0.3 mil). The oil is sometimes adulterated with the artificial oil and acamphor oil fraction. Virginia is said to be the chief producer of oil of sassafras.

171. SASSAFR AS LIGNUM (Unofficial).SASSAFRAS WOOD. The wood of theroot, comin g in billets , par tia lly or wholly depr ived of bar k, or in r as pings or chips; palebrownish or reddish in color, light and easily cut; medullary rays narrow; odor andta ste like th e bar k, but weaker , ther e being a sma ller pr oport ion of volatile oil. It isused like the ba rk.

172. SASSAFRAS MEDULLA, N.F. SASSAFRAS P ITHThe dr ied pith of Sassaf ra s var i ifol ium O. Kun tze.

DESCRIPTION OF DRUG.Thin, cylindrical, white pieces, very light an d spongy;inodorous; taste insipid and mucilaginous. The tissue is entirely composed of parenchyma. It contains a mucilage (not precipitated by alcohol or lead subacetate)



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which forms a limpid, ropy, viscid solution with water, but not sufficiently tenaciousto hold insoluble subst an ces in su spension. D e m u l c e n t , often used a s an app licat ionto inflam ed eyes.

PREPARATION.Muci lago Sas sa fr a s Medu l lae (2 per cent .).

173. NECTANDRA .BEBEERU BARK. GREENHEART BARK. FromN e ct a n 'd r a r o 'd i i Schomburgk. Habitat : Sout h Amer ica. La rge, flat , hea vy pieces,from 250 to 300 mm. (10 to 12 in.) long, 50 to 150 mm. (2 to 6 in.) broad; usuallydeprived of the cork, leaving longitudinal depressions in the grayishbrown outersurface similar to the digital furrows of flat calisaya bark; internally pale brown,roughly str iate. It s st ru ctu re is chiefly short liber cells filled with seconda ry deposit,causing it to break with a short fracture. Inodorous; intensely bitter, somewhatastringent. It contains tannin, beberine (identical with buxine and pelosine), andsipirine.

ACTION AND USES .Tonic, ast ringent , an df eb r i fuge

, intr oduced as a substitutefor cinchona as an antiperiodic, but much inferior. Dose: 15 to 60 gr. (1 to 4 Gm.),commonly used in th e form of beberine su lpha te.

174. COTO .COTO BARK. Origin undetermined. Habitat: Bolivia. Very large, flatpieces, about 5 to 15 mm. ( 1 / 5 t o 3 / 5 in.) thick, usually deprived of cork; the outersurface cinnamon-brown, rough, having the appearance of having been shaved orsplit off; inner surface darker brown, rough from numerous close ridges of longitudinally projecting bark fiber; a fresh cross-section shows numerous small,yellowish spots (groups of st one cells). Odor a roma tic, cinn am on-like, str onger wh enbruised; ta ste h ot, bitter.

PARACOTO BARK, N.F .Which occasionally enters our market fromBolivia, very much r esembles the a bove, but is mar ked with wh itish fissures, an d ha sa fainter , somewha t n ut meg-like odor.

CONSTITUENTS.Cotoin, in true coto bark, paracotoin in the other; both barkscontain volatile oil, resin, and piperonylic acid. They have established quite arepu ta tion in d iarr

sayre materia medica-2

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