*
MEDICINES,
THEIR USES
MODE  OP  ADMINISTRATION;
INCLUDING
    A COMPLETE CONSPECTUS OF THE THREE

        BRITISH PHARMACOPOEIAS,




AN ACCOUNT OF ALL THE NEW REMEDIES,
AN APPENDIX OF FORMULAE.
     J. MOORE NELIGAN, M.D.,
              * • •
PHYSICIAN TO JERVIS-STREET HOSPITAL, AND LECTURER ON MATERIA MEDICA AND THE-
       RAPEUTICS IN THE DUBLIN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE.
WITH NOTES AND ADDITIONS, CONFORMING IT TO THE PHARMACOPOEIA.

  OF THE UNITED STATES, AND INCLUDING ALL THAT IS NEW


      OR IMPORTANT IN RECENT IMPROVEMENTS
    DAVID MEREDITH REESE, A.M., M.D.

LATE PEOFESSOE OF THE INSTITUTES OP MEDICINE AND SURGERY IN THE WABHJMflTOH
UNIVERSITY OF BALTIMORE, &C.    C, 1.» If
              \\ I i VI ■■Jflf <•
Qa
                  '■'•" ••'• ,  •" *
        THIRD EDITION.  "-> I ''■'"'"1» \ 1! Y &



        NEW-YORK:   ^/ngtoOr*


PUBLISHED BY HARPER & BROTHERS,

       No. 82 Cliff-steeet.
185 1. 
Qv
m
a.
Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1844, by
             Harper & Brothers,
<i the Clerk's Office of the Southern District of New-York. 
           PREFACE
OF  THE  AMERICAN EDITOR.
  In introducing the present work to  the  profession in America,
the editor feels great confidence in the  favourable reception it will
receive, in view of its  intrinsic merits, so soon as it can be exam-
ined by those  competent to estimate its practical value.   He re-
gards it as condensing within small compass an amount of infor-
mation, upon the several departments upon which it treats, sur-
passing in kind and extend that found  in any other volume in the
English language.  For though the Conspectus of Dr. Thompson,
lately republished here, is an approach to a somewhat similar plan,
yet the present work is so much more ample in its scope, and ex-
hibits so extensive a range of topics of a critical and practical  char-
acter, that it wc-uld seem to be occupying a field  of professional
research hitherto unexplored.
  As a " book of reference for the practitioner, and an outline of
Materia Medica for the student," it is  presented to the public  by
the author with an unpretending title, in reliance that his  labours
will be appreciated by his professional brethren, without the ad-
ventitious favour which an imposing  name is wont to bespeak.
And yet this single volume will be found  to compress within  its
pages, not merely " medicines, their uses and modes of administra-
tion," but a compendium of Chemistry, Pharmacy, Toxicology, Pa-
thology, and Therapeutics, so far as these several departments are
connected with the details of Materia Medica;  and an elucidation
of the nature, physical  and chemical properties, modes of prepara-
tion and administration, and methods of adaptation to morbid con-
ditions of function or structure, of every individual agent employed
in the art of healing.  And so skilfully is this process of condensa
tion elaborated to our hands, that at a single glance, and, for the most
part, within the compass of a page, all these several aspects of the 
IV
PREFACE OF  THE AMERICAN  EDITOR.
Individual articles of the Materia Medica may be summarily ex-
amined.
  But, while this just meed of praise is frankly bestowed upon the
scientific labours of the learned author, the editor has not scrupled
to criticise, with the freedom characteristic of our fraternity, not
only the  classification of the  work, and its innovations upon  our
burdened nomenclature, but many of the author's theoretical, and
a few of his practical observations, to which exception is taken for
the reasons found in  the accompanying notes, which, in every in-
stance, are designated by brackets [  ], and which, for the conveni-
ence of the student, are inserted in loco, instead of being placed at
the foot of the page,  or in an appendix.
  The nomenclature and pharmaceutics of the volume have been
conformed to the Pharmacopoeia of the United States, that great
national work  being  everywhere recognised in this  country; and
approved by our universities  and medical colleges, as  entitled to
be ranked with the  similar publications of London, Dublin, and
Edinburgh, the three British authorities cited in the text.
  So, also, a number of new remedies, and many officinal prepara-
tions, both  old and new, omitted by the author, have been  sup-
plied by the editor, availing himself  of details furnished by two of
his  friends  belonging to  the New-York College  of Pharmacy,
Messrs. Milhau and Dupuy, to whom he acknowledges his obliga-
tioas.
  In the  hope that the reprint of this valuable compend of Profes-
sor Neligan  will be regarded  as worthy the patronage of the  pro-
fession and the public, and that the improvements attempted may
contribute to the promotion of medical literature, the undersigned
bespeaks for both the candid examination  of  medical teachers,
practitioners, and  students.
                                             D. M. Reese. 
PREFACE.
   The object of the author in the following pages has been to fur-
nish a concise view, but as  complete as possible, of the different
substances, both simple and compound, which are deemed worthy
of a place in the Materia Medica.   While, therefore, sufficient at-
tention has been bestowed on the different articles contained in the
three British  Pharmacopoeias, an account is also given of those
remedies of more recent introduction, which, although not officinal,
are important agents in the treatment of disease.
   The difficulty, in the  present  state of our knowledge, of accu-
rately classifying  medicines  with reference to their therapeutical
properties, has deterred many recent writers from adopting a phys-
iological classification of the Materia Medica; but the great prac-
tical value of an arrangement which is based on the  ultimate medi-
cinal effects of remediate agents, has induced the author to adopt
such a classification, in preference to either a natural-historical or
alphabetical arrangement.  In order, however, to afford a  facility
of reference, the chapters themselves, and the individual articles
described in each chapter, are arranged in alphabetical order.
   Although the author  fully admits the interest attached  to the
study, and the advantage derived  from a knowledge of the natural
and  chemical history of medicines, he has, nevertheless, thought
that  they might, not only with propriety, but with benefit, be omit-
ted from a work of this character, which is intended as one of ref-
erence for the practitioner, and as an outline of Materia Medica for
the student.
   In  describing each medicinal  substance, the following  plan is
aaopted:
   1st. The officinal appellation and English name of each  article
is given;  and, in the case of a vegetable substance, the native coun-
try and Botanical Classification of the plant from which it is obtain-
ed.  For the advantage of the student, the most important charac-
ters of each medicinal plant are also concisely described.
  2d. The Physical properties.
  3d. The Chemical  properties.
  4th. The mode  of  preparation.   Under this head the  processes
of the three British Pharmacopoeias are given in full, 
V)
PREFACE.
  5th. The adulterations, and the manner in which they may be
detected.
  6th. The therapeutical effects, and the uses of the substance in
the treatment of disease.
  7th. The dose and mode  of administration.   Under this head all
the officinal preparations of the British Pharmacopoeias, as well as
many of those ordered by the Continental and American colleges,
are introduced.
  8th. The incompatibles
  9th. In the case of poisons, the antidotes and mode of treatment.
  The author has added an Appendix of Formulae, which are prin-
cipally confined to the new remedies described in  the work,  and
also an extended Posological Table.
  Leeson-street, Stephen's Green, Dublin.
    TABLE OF THE ABBREVIATIONS EMPLOYED.

B. C.....Botanical Characters.
P. U. & M. of Prep.    .  Part Used and Mode of Preparation
P. P.....Physical Properties.
C. P.....Chemical Properties.
Prep.....Preparation.
Th.  E.....Therapeutical Effects.
D. & M. op Adm.   .    .  Dose and Mode of Administration.
Pharm. Prep.  .    .    .  Pharmaceutical Preparations.
Iwcomp.....Incompatibles. 
PRELIMINARY  OBSERVATIONS
AMERICAN  EDITOR.
  The following table of contents, which the author has prefixed
to his volume, exhibits, a classification of the Materia Medica pro-
fessedly " based on the ultimate  medicinal  effects of remediate
agents."  This is intended as an approximation to the Physiological
classification, which all concur in regarding  as desirable, and, in-
deed, necessary, in order to conform this department to the syste-
matic arrangements so happily introduced into the other branches of
medical science. The imperfection of our knowledge in respect to
the  laws of vitality, and the phenomena resulting from morbid and
curative agencies,  as applied to the living organization, does, in-
deed, present a formidable  obstacle to such an arrangement of the
multiplied articles  of the Materia Medica as shall be unexception-
able, or which, in point of accuracy, shall be entitled to entire con-
fidence.  And, moreover, the improvements which are annually
introduced in this department forbid the expectation that any clas-
sification can  be made, in the present state of the  science, which
will not need to be modified, in order to keep pace with the march
of discovery and  improvement characteristic of the age.   Still,
however, there are  certain great  outlines, which may be seized
upon, as having enough of fixity and permanence to furnish the ba-
sis of a systematized arrangement less faulty than any yet adopted.
  Dr. Neligan has here arranged the whole Materia Medica into
22 divisions or chapters, alphabetically entitled as follows, viz.:
Antacias,
Anthelmintics,
Antispasmodics,
Astringents,
Cathartics,
Caustics,
Diaphoretics,
Diuretics,
Emetics,
Emmenagogues,
Emollients,
Epispastics,
Errhines,
Expectorants,
Narcotics,
Refrigerants,
Sedatives or  Contra-
  stimulants,
Sialagogues,
General Stimulants,
Special Stimulants,
Tonics, and
Supplementary
  agents. 
Vfii               PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS.
  It may deferentially be objected to this classification, that it is
inaccurate, hypercritical, and incomplete;  and that while it inno-
vates by proposing new technical distinctions, it does so still more
exceptionably, by rejecting one or more significant and well-estab-
lished terms, and substituting  others  of ambiguous and  equivocal
meaning.   Besides, its last extended  class or chapter of " supple-
mentary agents," for which he found it  impossible to provide a
place in any one of his divisions, presents an insuperable objection
to his classification.
  For the most accurate, philosophical, and complete  arrangement
of the Materia Medica which has ever been published, the student
is referred to the late publication on the subject by Professor Paine,
of the New-York University, a brief analysis of which can only be
presented here.
  He divides the Materia Medica into eleven classes, viz.:  1. An-
tiphlogistics ; 2. Permanent tonics ; 3. Diffusible stimulants ; 4. Cer-
ebro-spinants or nervous agents ; 5. Astringents; 6. Uterine agents;
7. Urinary agents ; 8. Anthelmintics ; 9.  Errhines;  10. Chemical
agents; 11. Diet and regimen, in a general sense.
  The obvious merit of this arrangement consists in the fact of its
entire completeness, embracing every remedial and auxiliary agent
included either in  the Materia Medica or Materia Alimentaria, all
of which may be comprised under one or the other of these classes,
without the unsightly appendage of a long list of " supplementary
agents."
  The first class, Antiphlogistics, he  divides into nine orders, viz..
Bloodletting, Cathartics, Emetics, Alteratives, Expectorants, Direct
sedatives, Diuretics, Cutaneous and  other  local applications,  Low
diet, and Rest. And these, again, he divides and subdivides as they
severally admit of such division.  The group of sialagogues, inclu-
ding all the mercurials, &c, and sudorifics, comprising all the an-
timonials, &c, he places among the General Alteratives; while he
assigns  to the division of Limited Alteratives,  Iodine, Bromine,
Gold, Silver, Iron, Zinc, Mercury, &c, with their preparations, as
also Strychnine, Veratria, Cicuta, Colchicum, Cod's liver  oil. Sarsa-
parilla,  &c, &c, together with all those agents, whether animal,
vegetable, or mineral, which are included under the six subdivis-
ions, as follows,  viz.:
  1. Adapted to scrofulous, and some other specific inflammations.
  2. Adapted to syphilis, and certain other chronic inflammations!
  3. Adapted to scrofula complicated with syphilis.
  4. Adapted to rheumatic inflammation  and gout. 
PRELIMINARY  OBSERVATIONS.
IX
   5. Adapted to intermittent fevers and intermittent inflammations.
   6. Adapted to obstinate and chronic cutaneous diseases, &c.
   Under the head of " cutaneous and other local applications," and
order of Antiphlogistics, he includes, as subdivisions, Epispastics,
Caustics, Emollients, &c.; while Narcotics, Antispasmodics, &c,
are comprised in his class of" Cerebro-spinants or Nervous agents;"
and in the class of " Chemical agents"  he places all the Antacids.
   But without  entering into farther details, for which reference
must be had to the work of Professor  Paine itself, enough is here
exhibited to show its superiority over the arrangement of Professor
Neligan.  Attention is  particularly invited to the fact that, in this
work, the author has rejected the designation Alteratives, and in
his classification substitutes the term "  Special Stimulants."  It will
be seen by the other arrangement referred to, that  a very large
class of remedial agents are grouped  among the Alteratives, and
Professor Paine defines  this term as including " all remedies which
actually produce an influence  upon disease ;" and he cites the high
authority of Pereira, who teaches that " this class includes nearly
the whole of the articles comprising our Materia Medica."  The
substitute for the title of this class, as  well as the rejection of the
term  alteratives, will be found animadverted upon in its proper
place.   The student is  advised to  estimate the  merits  of the two
classifications by comparing them for himself.
                               B 
\ 
CONTENTS,
CHAPTER I.

  ANTACIDS.
Page
Ammonias causticas aqua (Liquor Ammo-
  nia, Aqua Ammonia)  .
Ammonias bicarbonas   ....
Ammonias carbonas (Ammonias Sesquicar-
  bonas) .......
    Aqua Ammonia Carbonatis, D. E.
    Liquor Ammonia Sesquicarbonatis, L.
Calcis aqua (Calcis liquor)
Creta prasparata.....
Calcis carbonas pracipitatum
    Mistura Creta, D. L. E.  .
    Pulvis Creta compositus, D. L. E.   .
    Trochiscus Creta, E.
Magnesia......
Magnesias carbonas     ;    .     .     .
    Aqua Magnesia Bicarbonatis
    Trochisci Magnesia, E.   .
Potassas caustica  aqua (Liquor Potassa,
  Aqua Potassa)  .....
    Brandish's  alkaline Solution
Potassas bicarbonas     ....
    Liquor Potassa effervescens, L. .
    Potassa Aqua effervescens, E.  .
Potassas carbonas.....
    Potassa Carbonatis aqua, D.
    Potassa Carbonatis liquor, L.   .
Sodas bicarbonas (Soda Sesquicarbonas) .
    Aqua Carbonatis Soda acidula, D.
    Liquor Soda effervescens, L.
    Aqua Soda effervescens, E.
    Trochisci Soda Bicarbonatis, E.
Sodas carbonas.....
    Soda Carbonas siccatum,  D. E.
    Soda Carbonas exsiccata,  L.   .
    Soda Carbonatis aqua, D. .     .     ,

             CHAPTER II.

           ANTHELMINTICS.
Allium sativum
    Sirup of Garlic.
Artemisia santonica
    Vermifuge powder
    Vermifuge bolus
Geoffroya inermis  .
    Decoctum Geoffroya, D.
Gigartina helminthocorton
    Infusion of Corsican moss
    Jelly of Corsican moss
Mucuna  pruriens (Dolichos pruriens)
Nephrodium  filix-mas  (Aspidium  jUix-
  mas)
    Oleum Filicis Maris
Petroleum  Barbadense
Granati radix .
Sabadilla
    Enema of Cevadilla
Spigelia  .
    Infusum Spigelia, U.
Stanni pulvis  .
                                       Page
Tanacetum vulgare     ....  46
    Infusum Tanaceti   .    .     .     .46
Terebinthinas oleum    .    .     .     .46
     Terebinthina vulgaris, D. L.    .     .  47
     Oleum Terebinthina purificatum, L. E. 47
     Oleum Terebinthina rectificatum, D.    47
    Enema Terebinthina, D. L. E. .     .  47

             CHAPTER HI.

           ANTISPASMODICS.
Assafostida......48
    Mistura Assafatida, D. L.     .     .  49
     Tinctura Assafatida, D. L. E.      .49
    JEther Assafatida  .    .     .     .49
     Spiritus Ammonia fatidus, D. E.    .  49
    Pilula Galbani composita, D. L.     .  49
    Pilula Assafatida, E.   .     .     .49
    Pilula fatida.....49
    Enemafcctidum, D. E.   .     .     .  50
    Emplastrum Assafatida, E.    .     .50
Castoreum   .    .    .    .     .     .50
     Tinctura Castorei, D. L. E.    .     .50
     Tinctura Castorei composita,  E.     .  50
    Antispasmodic pills, Paris H. .     .50
Fuligo ligni......50
    Decoctum Fuliginis  .    .     ,     .51
     Tinctura Fuliginis  .    .     ,     .51
    Spiritus Fuliginis   .    .     .     .51
Galbanum......51
     Tinctura Galbani, D.     .     .     .51
    Emplastrum Galbani, D. L.    .     .  51
Moschus......51
    Mistura Moschi, L.  .    .     .     .52
     Tinctura Moschi, D.      ...  52
    Pulvis Moschi compositus .     .     .52
    Musk pills     .    .    .     .     .52
    Antihysteric pills    .    .     .     .52
Opoponax......52
Ruta.......53
    Oleum Ruta, D. E. .    .     .     .  53
    Infusum Ruta .    .    .     .     .53
    Extractum Ruta, D.      ...  53
    Conserva Ruta, D.....53
    Confectio Ruta, h.....53
Sagapenum......53
    Pilula Sagapeni composita     .     .  54
Succinum......54
    Oleum Succini, D. L.     .     .     .54
    Acidum Succinicum, D.   .     .     .54
Valeriana......54
    Infusum Valeriana, D. L.      .     .  54
    Tinctura Valeriana, D. L. E.  .     .  55
    Tinctura Valeriana Ammoniata, D. L.
      E.......55

             CHAPTER IV.

            ASTRINGENTS.
Acetum, L.  .    .         ...  56
    Acetum Vini, D.....56
    Acetum Gallicum et Britannicum, E.   56
    Acetum destillatum, D. L. E.   .     .  57 
Xll
CONTENTS.
    Oxymel, D. L. .
    Acetic Gargle  ....
Acidum Sulphuricum
    Acidum  Sulphuricum purum, D. E.
    Acidum Sulphuricum dilutum, D. L. E
                                       Page
                                       57
                                       57
                                       57
                                       58
                                       59
    Acidum Sulphuricumaromaticum, D. E. 59
    Unguentum Acidi Sulphurici, D.    .  59
Alumen (Alumina et Potassa sulphas)  .  59
    Pulvis Aluminis compositus, E.     .  60
    Alum Whey.....60
    Cataplasma Aluminis, D.  .    .    .60
    Alumen Siccatum, D.     ...  60
    Alumen exsiccatum, E.    •    .    .60
    Liquor Aluminis compositus, L.     .  60
Catechu.......61
    Infusum Catechu, E.      .    .    .62
    Infusum Catechu compositum, D. L. .  62
    Tinctura Catechu, D. L. E.   .    .  62
    Electuarium Catechu, E.  .    .    .  62
    Electuarium Catechu compositum, D.   62
    Catechu Lozenges   .     .    .    .62
Creasoton (Creasotum)  .     .    .    .63
    Unguentum Creasoti, L. E.   .    .  64
Creta    .     .    .    .     •    .    .  64
    Pulvis Creta compositus  cum  Opio,
      D. L.......64
    Pulvis Creta  Opiatus, E.      .    .64
Cupri Sulphas.....64
Ferri Pernitras    .    .     .    .    .  65
Ferri Sulphas.....65
    Ferri Sulphas exsiccatus, E.   .    .66
    Pilula Sulphatis Ferri,  E.    .    .66
Gallas.......66
    Infusum Galla      .     .    ■    .67
    Tinctura Gallarum, D. E.     .    .  67
    Tinctura Galla, L.  .     .    .    .67
    Unguentum Gallarum, D.      .    .  67
    Unguentum Galla compositum, L. E.  67
Genum Urbanum.....68
    Decoctum Gei radicis      .    .    .68
Hasmatoxylum Campechianum   .    .  68
    Decoctum Hamatoxyli, D. E.  .    .  69
    Extractum Hamatoxyli, D. L. E.   .  69
Kino.......69
    Pulvis Kino compositus, D. L. .    .  70
    Tinctura Kino,  D. L. E.  .    .    .  70
Krameria......70
    Extractum Krameria, D. E.   .    .  71
    Infusum Krameria, L.    .    .    .71
Lythrum Salicaria.....71
Monesia.......71
    Tinctura Monesia   .     .    .    .71
    Mistura Monesia   .     .    .    .71
Plumbi  Acetas.....71
    Pilula Plumbi Opiata,  E.    .    .  72
    Unguentum  ( Ceratum,  L. ) Plumbi
      acetatis, D. L. E.....73
Plumbi  Carbonas.....73
    Unguentum Plumbi carbonatis, D. E.  74
Plumbi  Diacetatis (Subacetatis) Liquor .  74
    Plumbi Subacetatis Liq.  compositus, D.  74
    Liquor Plumbi Diacetatis ditutus, L.   74
    Ceratum Plumbi compositum, L.    .  74
Plumbi Oxydum Semivitreum (Lithargy-
  rum).......74
    Emplastrum Lithargyri, D. E. .    .  75
    Emplastrum Plumbi, L.  .     .    .75
    Unguentum Plumbi compositum, L.  .  75
    Emplastrum Lithargyri  cum resina, D.  75
    Emplastrum Resina,  L.  .     .    .75
    Emplastrum Resinorum, E.    .    .75
    Emplastrum Saponis, D. L. E. .      75
    Emplastrum  Saponis compositum vel
      adharens, D.      ....  75
    Ceratum Saponis, L.
Polygonum Bistorta    .
    Decoctum Bistorta
Punica Granatum, bacca tunica exterior et
  flores  ...•••■
    Decoctum Granati, L.
Quercus Robur (Quercus pedunculata)    .
    Decoctum Quercus, D.  L. E.
    Extractum Quercus, D.   •     •     ■
Rosa Gallica  ...•■•
    Infusum Rosa, E.  .
    Infusum Rosa acidum, D.
    Infusum Rosa compositum, L.  .
    Conserva Rosa, D. E.
    Confectio Rosa gallica, L.
    Mel Rosa, D. L. E.....
    Sirupus Rosa gallica,  E. .
Sodas Boras (Borax-   Soda Biboras)
    Mel Boracis, D. L. E.
Tannin.......
Tormentilla......
    Decoctum Tormentilla, L.
Uva-ursi.......
    Extractum Uva-ursi, L.   .
    Decoctum Uva-ursi, L.
Zinci Acetas......
    Tinctura Acetatis Zinci, D.
Zinci Carbonas impurum  (Calamina)
    Zinci Carbonas impurum praparatum,
      D........
    Calamina Praparata, L. E.
    Unguentum Calamina, D. E.   .
    Ceratum Calamina, L.
Zinci Oxydum.....
    Unguentum (Oxydi, D.) Zinci, D. L.
      E.......
Zinci Sulphas      .    .     .

             CHAPTER V.

               CATHARTICS.

Aloe.   A.  Socotrina.   A.  Hepatica.   A.
  Barbadensis.  A. Indica
    Extractum Aloes hepatica, D.  .
    Extractum Aloes purificatum, L.
    Pulvis Aloes cum Canella,  D.
    Pulvis Aloe's compositus, D. L.
    Pilula Aloes, E.
    Pilula Aloes composites, D. L.  .
    Pilula Aloes cum Myrrhd, D. L. E.
    Pilula Aloes et Assafatida, E.
    Pilula Aloes et Ferri,  E. .
    Pilula ante cibum   ....
    Decoctum Aloes compositum,  D. L.   .
    Decoctum Aloes, E. .
    Vinum  Alors,  D.  L. .
    Tinctura Aloes, D. L.  E. .
    Tinctura Aloes composita, D. L.
    Tinctura Aloes et Myrrha, E.  .
    Enema Aloes,  L.
Calomelas, Calomelas sublimatum. Hy-
  drargyri Chloridum  ....
Calomelas prascipitatum, D.  .
    Pilula Cathartica composita, U. S.  .
    Pilula purgantes  cum  Mercurio
Cambogia (Gambogia)  ....
Cambogia Zeylanicum, E.   .    .     \
    Pilula Cambogia composita, D. L.
    Pilula Cambogia, E.
    Pilula Gambogia et Scammonia, U. S.
    Cathartic Pills ■    .     .    .     .
     Tinctura Cambogia .
Cassia Pulpa ...
    Electuarium Cassia, D.
V,ge
 75
 75
 76

 76
 76
 76
 76
 77
 77
 77
 77
 77
 77
 77
 77
 78
 78
 78
 78
 79
 79
 79
 80
 80
 80
 80
 80

 81
 81
 81
 81
 81

 82
 82
88
88
89
89
89

89
89
90
90
90
90
92
92
92
92
92
92
93 
CONTENTS.
Xlll
     Confectio Cassia, E.
 Colchici Cormus et Semina  .
     Acetum Colchici, D. L. E.
     Extractum Colchici cormi, L.
     Extractum Colchici cormi aceticum, L.
       E.......
     Oxymel Colchici cormi, D.
     Tinctura  Colchici seminum, D. L. E
     Tinctura  Colchici composita, L.
     Vinum Colchici, L. E.
     Vinum Colchici seminum  .
     Succus Colchici
 Colocynthis.....
     Extractum Colocynthidis (simplex, D.)
       D. L. E.....
     Extractum Colocynthidis compositum,
       D. L.   .    .    .
     Pilula Colocynthidis, E.  .
     Pilula Coloeynthidis composita, D.
     Pilula Colocynthidis et Hyosciami, E
     Enema Colocynthidis, L.
     Tinctura Colocynthidis
     Decoctum Colocynthidis
 Crotonis Oleum
     Sapo Crotonis .
 Elaterium
     Elaterin  .
     Pulvis Elaterii compositus
     Tinctura Elaterii
     Solutio Elaterina
 Euphorbia Lathyris
     Oleum Euphorbia Lathyris
 Helleborus Niger  .
     Tinctura Hellebori, D. L.
 Hydrargyrum cum Creta
 Hydrargyrum cum Magnesia
 Hydrargyri Pilulas .
 Jalapa   ....
     Pulvis Jalapa compositus,
     Anthelmintic Powder
     Extractum Jalapa, D.  L.
     Extractum sive Resina Jalapa, E
     Sapo Jalapinus
     Tinctura Jalapa, D. L. E
     Sirup  of Jalap .
 [Juglans Cinerea,  U. S. P.]
     [Extractum Juglandis]
 Linum Catharticum
 Magnesia
 Magnesias Carbonas
 Magnesias  Sulphas .
     Magnesia Sulphas purum, D.
     Pulvis Salinus compositus, D. E
     Enema Catharticum, D.
 Manna   .....
     Mannite   ....
     Aqua laxativa  Viennensis .
 Mel......
     Mel Despumatum, D.
 Olivas Oleum  ....
 [Podophyllum Peltatum, U. S. P.]
     [Extractum]
     [ Tinctura]
Potassas Acetas
Potassas Bisulphas .
Potassas Bitartras  .
Tartari  Crystalli, D.
    Effervescing Aperient with Cream of
      Tartar  ....
Potassas Sulphas
    Potassa Sulphas cum Sulphure,
Potassas Tartras
Prima.....
Rhamni Baccas
D. L
E.
Page
 93
 93
 94
 94

 94
 94
 95
 95
 95
 95
 95
 95

 96

 96
 96
 96
 96
 96
 96
 96
 97
 97
 98
 98
 99
 99
 99
 99
 99
 99
100
100
101
101
101
102
102
102
103
103
103
103
103
103
103
104
104
104
104
105
105
106
106
106
106
107
107
108
108
108
108
109
109
109

110
110
111
111
HI
112
                                       Page
     Sirupus Rhamni, D. L. E.     .    .112
Rheum.......112
     Pulvis Rhei compositus, E.     .    .114
     Pulvis Rhei compositus, Guy's H.   .  115
     Pulvis Rhei cum Hydrargyro, Guv's
      H.      ...             .115
     Extractum Rhei, D. L. E.      .    .115
     Pilula Rhei, E.....115
     Pilula Rhei composita, L. E.   .    .115
     Pilula Rhei et Ferri,  E.   .     .    .115
     Infusum Rhei, D. h.  E.   .     .    .115
     Tinctura Rhei. E.....115
     Tinctura Rhei composita, D. L.     .  115
     Tinctura Rhei et Aloes, E.     .    .115
     Vinum Rhei, E.     .    .     .    .115
     Sirupus Rhei  .    .         .    .116
     [Tinctura Rhei et Senna, U. S. P.] .  116
     [Warner's Gout Cordial, V. S.  P.]  .  116
     [ Vinum Rhei compositurn]      .    .116
Ricini Oleum......116
     Castor Oil purgative Emulsion  .    .  117
Sambucus Nigra.....117
Scammonium......118
     Pulvis Scammonii compositus, D. L.   119
     Pulvis Scammonii cum Hydrargyro  .  119
     Extractum, sive Resina, Scammonii, E.  119
     Mistura Scammonii, E.    .     .    .119
     Electuarium (Confectio, L.) Scammo-
      nii, D. L......119
     Sirupus Scammonii  .    .     .    .119
Senna.  Senna Alexandrina  .     .    .  120
Senna Indica, E......120
     Infusum Senna compositum, D. L.  .122
     Infusum Senna, E.  .    .     .    .  122
     Infusum Senna cum  Tamarindis, D.  122
     Infusum Senna compositum, E.     .122
     Sirupus Senna, L. E.    .     .    .122
     Potio Cathartica     .    .     .    .122
     Electuarium Senna, D. E.     .    .122
     Confectio Senna, L. .    .     .    .  122
     Electuarium Senna  .    .     .    .122
     Tinctura Senna composita, D. L. E.   122
Sodas Phosphas.....123
Sodas et Potassas Tartras.  Sodas Potas-
  sio-tartras......124
     Seidlitz Powders    .    .     .    .124
Sodas Sulphas.....124
Sulphur.  Sulphur Sublimatum    .    .  125
     Sulphur Lotum, D.....126
Tamarindus......126
     Tamarind Whey    .   .     .    .127
Terebinthinas Oleum    ....  127
Viola    .......127
     Sirupus Viola.....127

             CHAPTER VI.

                CAUSTICS.

Acidum Aceticum.....128
Acidum Muriaticum.   Acidum  Hydro-
  chloricum......129
Acidum Nitricum.....130
Acidum Sulphuricum   .    .    .    .131
Ammonias Aqua fortior.  Ammonias Li-
  quor fortior......131
Antimonii Murias.   Antimonii Sesqui-
  chloridum......131
Argenti Nitras.  Argenti  Nitras fusum  .  132
Argenti Nitratis Crystalli, D. .         .  132
Arsenici Oxydum  Album.  Acidum Ar-
  seniosum.  Arsenicum Album  .    .  134
Cupri Subacetas.  ^Erugo   .    .    .  135
     Unguentum cupri Subacetatis, D.    .135
     Unguentum ^Eruginis, E.     .    .  135 
XIV
CONTENTS.
                                      Page
    Linimentum ^Eruginis, L.     .    . 135
    Oxymel cupri Subacetatis, D.  .    . 135
Cupri Carbonas.....135
Cupri Sulphas.....136
Hydrargyri Oxydum Nitricum, D. .    .136
Hydrargyri Nitrico-oxydum, L.    .    . 136
Hydrargyri Oxydum Rubrum, E.  .    . 136
    Unguentum Hydrargyri Oxydi-nitrici,
      D. L.......136
    Unguentum Oxydi Hydrargyri, E.   .136
Potassa Caustica.  Potassas Hydras. Po-
  tassa   ....         .     . 137
    Potassa cum Calce, D. L. E.        . 137
Zinci Chloridum.....137

             CHAPTER VII.
            DIAPHORETICS.

Ammonias Acetatis Aqua, D. E.  Am-
  monias Acetatis Liquor, L. .    .     . 139
    Diaphoretic Mixture .... 140
Antimonii Oxydum, E.  Antimonii Ox-
  ydum Nitro-muriaticum, D.     .      140
Antimonii Pulvis compositus, L.  Pulvis
  Antimonialis, D. E.....141
    Diaphoretic Pill     .    .    .     .142
Antimonii Sulphuretum,  D.  E.   Anti-
  monii Sesquisulphuretum, L.    .     . 142
Antimonii Sulphuretum aureum, E. Sul-
  phur Antimoniatum fuscuni, D.   Anti-
  monii Oxysulphuretum, L. .    .     . 142
    Pilula Calomelanos (Hydrargyri Chlo-
      ridi, L.) composita, D.  L. E. .     . 143
Antimonii et Potassas  Tartras sive Tar-
  tarum Emeticum, D.....143
Antimonii Potassio tartras, L.     .     . 143
Antimonium Tartarizalum, E.    .     . 143
    Liquor Tartari Emetici, D.    .     .145
    Vinum Antimonii Potassio-tartratis, L. 145
    Vinum Antimoniale, E.             145
Arctium Lappa.....145
Dulcamara        .....145
    Decoctum Dulcamara, D. L. E.     . 146
Guaiaci  Lignum.....146
Guaiaci  Resina (Gfuaiacum)  .    .     . 146
    Decoctum Guaiaci, E.    .         .147
    Decoctum Guaiaci compositum,  D.   .147
    Aqua Calcis composita, D.     .     . 147
    Mistura Guaiaci, L. E.  .    .     . 147
    Tinctura Guaiaci, D. L. E.    .     .147
    Tinctura Guaiaci Ammoniata, D. E. . 148
    Tinctura Guaiaci composita,  L.      . 148
    Sirupus  Guaiaci     .... 148
Ipecacuanhas pulvis compositus    .     . 148
    Pilula Ipecacuanha et  Opii, E.      . 148
Mezereon, D. E.  Mezereum, L.  .     . 148
    Decoctum Mezerei, D.    .    .     . 149
Sarza. L. E.  Sarsaparilla, D.     .     .149
    Infusum Sarsaparilla compositum, D. 151
    Decoctum Sarsaparilla, D.     .     .151
    Decoctum Sarza, L. E.  .    .     . 151
    Decoctum Sarsaparilla compositum, D. 151
    Decoctum Sarza compositum, L. E.  .151
    Extractum  Sarsaparilla, D.    .     . 151
    Extractum Sarza, L.     .    .     . 151
    Extractum Sarsaparilla fluidum, D.  . 151
    Extractum Sarza fluidum, E.  .     . 151
    Sirupus  Sarsaparilla, D. .    .     .151
    Sirupus  Sarza, L.....151
    [Extractum Sarza fluidum Hydro-al-
      coholicum].....152
    [Sirupus Sarsaparilla compositus, U.
      S. P.]  .    .         •    •     • 152
    [Sarsaparilline, Salsaparine]   .     .152
Sassafras     ....
    Oleum Sassafras, D. E.   .

            CHAPTER  VIII.
                DIURETICS.
iEthereus Nitrosus Spiritus, D.
Spiritus ^Etheris Nitrici, L. E.
    Diuretic Potion .
Bucku, E.   Diosma, L.  Diosma Crena-
  ta, folia, D.....
    Infusum Buchu,  D.  .
    Infusum Bucku,  E.  .
    Infusum Diosma, L.
    Tinctura Bucku, D. E.
Cambogia     .    .    .     .
Cantharis, L. E.  Cantharis vesicatoria,
  D......
P'ge
153
153
                                       155
                                       155
                                       156

                                       156
                                       157
                                       157
                                       157
                                       157
                                       157

                                       157
    Cantharidine    .    .     .     .    .158
    Tinctura Cantharidis, D. L. E.     .158
Digitalis Purpurea.....159
    Digitalin  .     .    .     .     .    .159
    Infusum Digitalis, D. L. E.    .    .  159
    Tinctura Digitalis, D. L.  E.   .    .  160
    Pilula Digitalis et Scilla, E.   .    .160
Juniperus Communis   .     .     .    .160
    Oleum Juniperi, D. L. E. .     .    .  160
    Spiritus Juniperi compositus, D. L. E.  161
Pareira (Cissampelos Pareira) .     .    .161
    Extractum Pareira,  L. E.      .    .161
    Infusum Pareira, L. E.   .     .    .161
    Decoctum  Pareira  .     .     .    .161
Potassas Acetas.....162
Potassas Bitartras.....162
    Imperial  .     .    .     .     .    .162
    Cream of  Tartar Whey   .     .    .162
Potassas Nitras.....162
    Sal Priinelle.....162
Pyrola, D.  E.  Chimaphila, L.     .    .163
    Decoctum  Pyrola, D.     .    .    .163
    Decoctum  Chimaphila, L.  .     .    .  163
Scilla (Scilla Maritima)  .     .     .    .163
    Scillitina  .     .    .     .     .    .164
    Pulvis Scilla, D.   .     .     .    .164
    Tinctura Scilla, D.  L. E.      .    .  164
    Acetum Scilla, D. L. E.   .     .    .  164
    Vinum Scilla   .    .     .     .    .165
Scoparium (Cytisus Scoparius)     .    .  165
    Infusum Scoparii, L.     .     .    .165
    Decoctum  Scoparii, E.     .     .    .165
    Decoctum  Scoparii compositum, L.  .165
    Extractum Spartii Scoparii,  D. .    .105
Sodas Acetas......255
Terebinthinas Oleum    .     ...    \  \§§
Terebinthina Chia (Pistaciu Terebinthus)  166
Terebinthina  Canadensis  (Abies  Balsa-
  ™ea).......166
Urea.......167

             CHAPTER IX.

                 EMETICS.
Ammonias Carbonas
Antimonii et Potassas Tartras
Cupri Sulphas     ....
Ipecacuanha (Cephaelis Ipecacuanha)
    Emetina  ....
    Vinum Ipecacuanha, D. L. E.  .
    Sirupus Ipecacuanha, E.  .
[Sanguinaria Canadensis,  Bloodroot  TT
  S. P.] .     .     .         .     . '
    [ Tinctura  Sanguinaria, U. S  P 1
Scilla...../J
    Oxymel Scilla,  D. L.
169
169
170
170
170
171
171

172
172
172
172 
CONTENTS.
XV
                                       Plge
     Sirupus Scilla, E.....172
     [Sirup  Scilla compositus,  U. S. P.
       Hive Sirup].....172
 Sinapi (Sinapis Nigra, et Sinapis Alba) . 173
 Viola Odorata......174
     Violina......174
 Zinci Sulphas.....174

              CHAPTER  X.

            EMMEN AGOGUES.

 Crocus Sativus.....175
     Sirupus Croci, L. E.     .    .     . 175
     Tinctura Croci, E.....176
 Ergota (Acinula Clavus, L.) .    .     .176
     Infusum Ergota     .    .    .     .177
     Decoctum Ergota    .    .    .     .177
     Tinctura Ergota     .    .    .     .177
     Tinctura Ergota Etherea .    .     . 177
 Rubia Tinctorum.....178
 Ruta Graveolens.....178
 Juniperus Sabina.....178
     Oleum Sabina, D. E.    .    .     . 178
     Infusum Sabina     .    .    .     .179

              CHAPTER XI.
                EMOLLIENTS.

 Adeps Suillus (Axungia)     .     .     . 180
     Adeps Suillus praparatus,  D.  .     . 180
 Adeps Ovillus (Sevum)  .    .     .     .180
     Adeps Ovillus praparatus,  D.  .     .180
 Althasa Officinalis.....180
     Decoctum -A^Acke-D.     .     .     .181
     Mistura  Althaa, E.....181
     Sirupus Althaa, D. L. E.      .     . 181
 Amygdalae Amaras; Amygdalae Dulces  . 181
     Oleum Amygdalarum, D. L.   .     .181
     Confectio Amygdalarum, D. L. .     . 182
     Conserva Amygdalarum, E.    .     .182
     Mistura Amygdalarum, D.  L. E.     . 182
 Amylum.......182
     Mucilago Amyli, D. E.   .     ,     .183
     Decoctum Amyli, L. .    .     .     . 183
 A vena (Oatmeal).....183
     Gruel......184
     Porridge......184
 Cera Flava......184
 Cera Alba......184
     Unguentum  Cera Alba, D.     .    . 185
     Ceratum, L......185
     Ceratum simplex, E.....185
     Unguentum  Cera Flava, D.    .    .185
     Emplastrum Cera, L.    .     .    .185
     Emplastrum simplex, E.  .     .    .185
     Linimentum simplex, E.  .     .    .185
 Cetaceum (Spermaceti)  .    .     .    .185
     Unguentum  Cetacei,  D.              185
     Ceratum Cetacei, L.  .    .     .    .185
     Unguentum  Cetacei,  L.  .     .    .185
 Cydonia Vulgaris.....186
    Decoctum Cydonia, L.   .     .    .186
 i* arina (Flour).....186
 Ficus Carica......186
 Glycirrhiza Glabra.....187
     Glycirrhizine.....187
    Extractum Glycirrhiza, D.  L. E.    .187
    Refined Liquorice    .    .     .    .187
    Decoctum Glycirrhiza, D. .     .    . 187
     Trochisci Glycirrhiza, E. .     .    .  187
Gossypium......188
Gummi Acacias.....188
    Mucilago Gummi Arabici, D.   .    .189
    Mistura Acacia, L.....189
     Mucilago, E.   .     .
     Emulsio Arabica, D. .
     Mistura Acacia, E.  .
     Trochisci Acacia, E.
     [Sirupus Acacia]
 Hemidesmus Indicus (Smilax Aspera)
     Sirupus Hemidesmi  .
 Hordeum Distichon
     Decoctum Hordei, D. L.   .
     Decoctum Hordei compositum, D. L.
     Mistura Hordei, E.   .
 Linum Usitatissimum
     Oleum Lini, D. L. E.
     Infusum Lini compositum, D. L^
     Infusum Lini, E.
     Linimentum Calcis, D. E.
     Pulvis pro Cataplasmate, D.
     Cataplasma simplex, D.
     Cataplasma Lini,  L.          .
 Malva Sylvestris   ....
     Decoctum Malva compositum, L.
 Maranta......
     Arrow-root Milk
     Arrow-root Gruel    ,
 Canna Coccinea ( Tous-les-mois)
 Olivas Oleum.....
 Ovum......
 Saccharum......
 Sacchari Fasx......
     Sirupus simplex, D. L. E.
 Sago.......
     Sago Milk.....
     Sago Pudding  .    .    .    .    .
 Salep.......
 Sambucus Nigra.....
     Unguentum Sambuci, D. L.
 Tapioca .         .....
     Tapioca Milk.....
     Tapioca Pudding    .    .     .    .
 Tragacantha......
     Pulvis Tragacantha compositus, L. E.
     Mucilago Gummi Tragacantha, D. E.
 Tusilago Farfara.....
     Decoctum Tussilaginis
 Uvae Passas......
 Verbascum Thapsus    .

             CHAPTER XII.

               EPISPASTICS.

 Ammonias Aqua fortior  .
     Linimentum Ammonia, D. L. E.
     Linimentum Camphora compositum, D.
      L. .     .    .    .     .    .
     Linimentum Ammonia compositum, E.
     Linimentum Ammonia sesquicarbona-
      tis, L.......
    Ammoniacal Caustic .     .    .    .
Antimonii et Potassas Tartras
     Unguentum  Tartari Emetici, D.
     Unguentum  Antimonii  Potassio-tar-
      tratis, L.
     Unguentum Antimoniale, E.
Aqua Fervens......
Artemisia Chinensis     ....
    Moxas......
Cantharides......
    Emplastrum Cantharidis, D. L. E.   .
    Emplastrum Calefaciens, D.
    Acetum Cantharidis,  L. E.
    Ceratum Cantharidis, L.  .
     Unguentum Cantharidis,  E.
     Unguentum Cantharidis, D. L. .
     Unguentum Infusi Cantharidis, E.   .
  Page
.  189
.  189
.  189
.  190
.  190
.  190
.  190
.  190
.  191
.  191
.  191
.  191
.  192
.  192
.  192
.  192
.  192
.  192
.  192
.  192
.  193
.  193
.  194
.  194
.  194
.  194
.  194
.  194
.  194
.  195
.  195
.  196
.  196
.  196
.  196
  196
  196
  197
,  197
.  197
  197
  197
  197
  198
  198
  198
 199
 200

 200
 200

 200
 200
 200
 200

 200
 200
 200
 201
 201
 202
 202
 203
 203
 203
203
203
203 
XVI
CONTENTS.
     Emplastrum Cantharidis compositum,

     Blistering Cloth;  Tela Vesicatoria ;
       Charta Vesicatoria
     Papier d'Albespeyrres
Capsicum
Crotonis Tiglii Oleum  .
Euphorbia
     Unguentum Euphorbia
Ipecacuanha  .
     Linimentum Ipecacuanha
Mezereum
Ranunculus Acris  .
Ranunculus Flammula  .
Ruta Graveolens
Sabina   ....
     Unguentum Sabina, D.
     Ceratum Sabina, L. E.
Setons and Issues  .
Sinapis  .     .    .    .
     Cataplasma Sinapis, D. L.
Terebinthinas Oleum
    Linimentum Terebinthina, D. L. E.
     St. John Long's Liniment

            CHAPTER XIII.
               ERRHINES.
Asarum Europasum
    Pulvis Asari compositus, D.
Euphorbium  .
Hydrargyri Oxydum Sulphuricum
Veratrum Album   ...
L.E.
            CHAPTER XIV.
           EXPECTORANTS.

Acidum Benzoicum
Antimonii et Potassas Tartras
Balsamum Peruvianum .
Balsamum Tolutanum  .
    Tinctura Balsami Tolutani, D.
    Tinctura Tolutana, E.
    Sirupus Balsami Tolutani,  D.
    Sirupus Tolutanus, L. E.
    Tolu Lozenges .
Benzoi'num   ....
    Tinctura Benzo'ini composita, D
Ipecacuanha   ....
    Pilula Ipecacuanha composita, L
Lobelia.....
    Tinctura Lobelia, E.
    Tinctura Lobelia atherea, E
    Whitlaw's ethereal Tincture of Lobelia
Marrubium Vulgare
    Horehound Tea
    Candied Horehound  .
Scilla    ....
    Pilula Scilla composita, D
    Pilula Scilla, E.
Senega  ....
    Decoctum  Senega, D. L.
    Infusum Senega, E. .
    [Sirupus Senega, U.  S. P
Styrax   ....
    Styrax Colatus, L.  .
    Extractum Styracis, E.

            CHAPTER XV.

                NARCOTICS.
Page

203

203
203
203
204
204
205
205
205
205
206
206
206
206
206
206
206
207
207
207
207
208
208
209
209
209
209
211
212
212
213
213
213
213
213
213
213
214
214
215
215
215
215
216
216
216
216
216
216
217
217
217
217
217
218
218
218
Belladonna    ....
    Atropia   ....
    Extractum Belladonna, L. E.
220
220
221
222
224
224
224
225
225
226
226
                                       Page
     Succus spissatus Belladonna, D.    • 221
     Emplastrum Belladonna, D. L. E.  . 222
     Unguentum Belladonna   .     .    • 222
     Succus Belladonna  .     .     .    -222
     Tinctura Belladonna
Cannabis Indica [Apocynum Cannabinum
  U. S. P.]    .     .  _  •
     Extractum Cannabis .
     Tinctura Cannabis  .
Hyoscyamus  ..._•■
     Extractum Hyoscyami, L. E.   .
     Succus spissatus Hyoscyami, D.
     Tinctura Hyoscyami, D. L.  E. .
     Succus Hyoscyami
Lactucarium......226
     Tinctura Lactucarii, E.   .     .    • 227
     Trochisci Lactucarii, E.  .     .    • 227
    Extractum Lacluca, L.               227
Lupulus.......227
    Lupulin   ...... 228
    Extractum Humuli, D.               228
     Extractum Lupuli, L. E.  .     .    . 228
    Infusum Lupuli, L.  .     .     .    . 228
     Tinctura Humuli, D.     .     .    . 228
     Tinctura Lupuli, L. E.   .     .    . 228
Morphia.......228
Morphias Acetas.....229
Morphias Murias (Morphia Hydrochloras) 230
     Morphia Muriatis Solutio, E.   .    . 232
     Trochisci Morphia, E.               232
     Trochisci Morphia et Ipecacuanha, E. 232
                                       232
                                       233
                                       233
                                       233
                                       233
                                       233
                                       233
                                       238
                                       238
                                       238
                                       239
                                       239
                                       239
                                       239
                                       239
                                       239
                                       239
                                       239
Opium
    Turkey Opium .
    Smyrna Opium
    Constantinople Opium
    Egyptian Opium
    East Indian Opium  .
    Persian Opium .
    Extractum Opii aquosum, D.
    Extractum Opii purificatum, L.
    Extractum Opii, E.  .
    Pilula Opii sive Thebaica, E.
    Pilula Saponis cum Opio, D.
    Pilula Saponis composita, L.
    Pilula e Styrace, D. .
    Pilula Styracis, E.  .
    Pilula Styracis composita, L.
    Confectio Opii, D. L.
    Electuarium Opii, E.
Trochisci Opii, E.....239
D.
     Tinctura Opii, D. L. E
     Tinctura Opii Camphorata, D. E.
     Tinctura Camphora composita, L.
    Acetum Opii, D. E. .
     Tinctura Opii Ammoniata, E.
     Vinum Opii, D. L. E.
    Enema Opii, D. L. E.
    Linimentum Opii, L. E.
    Linimentum Saponis cum Opio,
    Emplastrum Opii, D. L. E.
    Black Drop    .    .
    [Acetum Opii, U, S. P.]
    Liquor Opii sedativus
Papaver.....
    Extractum Papaveris, L. E.
    Sirupus Papaveris, D. L. E.
    Decoctum Papaveris, D.  L. E.
Rhceas.....
    Sirupus Rhceados ' .
Stramonium ....
    Extractum  Stramonii, D. L. E.
     Tinctura Stramonii  .
Toxicodendron
     Tinctura Toxicodendri
239
240
240
240
240
240
241
241
241
241
241
241
242
242
242
243
243
243
243
244
245
245
245
246 
CONTENTS.
xvn
CHAPTER XVI.
Page
            REFRIGERANTS.

Acetosella......246
Acetum.......247
     Sirupus Aceti, E.....247
Acidum Citricum.....247
Acidum Tartaricum    .... 248
     Trochisci Acidi Tartarici, E.  .    . 249
Citrus Aurantium.....249
Limones.  Limonum Succus     .    . 250
     Sirupus Limonum, D. L. E.   .    . 250
Mora.......251
     Sirupus Mori, L.....251
Potassas Chloras.....251
Potassas Nitras.....252
     Nitre Whey.....252
Rosa Canina......252
     Confectio Rosa Canina, E.    .    . 252
     Conserva Rosa fructus, L.    .    . 252
Rumex Acetosa.....252
Rumex Aquaticus.....253
Sambucus Nigra, Baccas     .    .    . 253
     Succus Spissatus Sambuci, D. .      253


            CHAPTER XVII.

    SEDATIVES OR CONTRA-STIMULANTS.

Acidum Hydrocyanicum (Acidum Prus-
  sicum)  ....... 254
[Acidum Pyroligneosum]     .    .     . 257
Aconitum......257
     Extractum Aconiti, L. E.  .    .     . 258
     Succus Spissatus Aconiti, D.  .     . 258
     Tinctura Aconiti    .... 259
     Extractum, Alcoholicum  Aconiti     . 259
     Unguentum Aconiti .... 259
     Aconitina, L.                       259
     Solutio Aconitina   .... 259
     Unguentum Aconitina    .    .    . 260
Amygdalas Amaras, Oleum    .    .     . 260
Amygdalus Persica (Persica vulgaris)   . 260
Antimonium Tartarizatum    .    .     . 261
Conium Maculatum    .... 261
     Conia......262
     Extractam Conii, L. E.        .     . 263
     Succus Spissatus Conii, D.    .     .  264
     Tinctura Conii, D. L. E.  .    .     . 264
     Succus Conii   ..... 264
     Pilula Conii composita, L.    .     .  264
     Cataplasma Conii,  D. L.  .    .     .  264
     Unguentum Conii,  D.                264
     Emplastrum Conii   ....  264
Creasotum......264
     Mistura Creasoti, E.      ...  265
Digitalis.......265
     Succus Digitalis    ....  266
     Extractum Digitalis, L. E.    .     .  266
Lauro-cerasus (Prunus Lauro-cerasus)   .  266
     Aqua Lauro-cerasi, D. E.  .    .     .  267
[Naphtha]......267
Potassii Cyanidum.....268
     Sirup of Cyanide of Potassium      .  269
     Calmative Lotion    ....  269
Tabacum  (Nicotiana Tabacum)    .     .  270
    Enema Tabaci, L.  E.     .    .     .  271
    Infusum Tabaci, D.....271
     Vinum Tabaci, E.        .    .     .271
    [Unguentum Tabaci, U. S. P.]      .  271
Zinci Cyanidum.....271
[Zinci Ferro-hydrocyanus]    .    .     .  271
[Zinci Iodidum].....272
CHAPTER XVIII.
SIALOGOGUES.
Page
Armoracia (Cochlearia Armoracia)  .     . 273
Mezereon......273
Pyrethrum (Anacyclus Pyrethrum) .     . 273
    Tinctura Pyrethri   .... 273

            CHAPTER XIX.

          GENERAL  STIMULANTS.

Acidum Aceticum Camphoratum, D. E. 275
    Aromatic Vinegar   .... 275
Acidi Nitrici unguentum, D. .     .     . 275
iEther Aceticus.....275
    Camphorated Acetic Liniment  .     . 276
^Ether Nitrosus, D.....276
^Ether Sulphuricus     .... 276
    Spiritus jEtheris Sulphurici, E.     . 278
    Liquor jEthereus Oleosus, D.  .     . 278
    Oleum uEthereum, L.    .     .     . 278
    Spiritus uEtheris  Sulphurici compos-
      itus, L.......278
Alcohol.......279
                                      279
                                      279
                                      281
                                      281
                                      282
                                      282
                                      282
                                      282
                                      282
                                      283
283
    Spiritus Rectificatus, D. L. E. .
    Spiritus Tenuior, D. L. E.
    Mistura Spiritus vini gallici, L.
Ammoniacum (Dorema Ammoniacum)
    Mistura Ammoniaci, D. L.
    Emplastrum Ammoniaci, D. L. E.
    Emplastrum Gummosum, E.
Ammomao Causticas aqua
Ammonias Carbonas
Ammonias Hydrosulphuretum
Ammonias Murias (Ammonia  Hydrochlo
  ras)    ......
Ammonias Spiritus.....284
    Spiritus Ammonia aromaticus, D. L. E. 284
    Tinctura Ammonia composita, L.   . 284
Anethuin Graveolens   .... 285
    Oleum Anethi, E.....285
    Aqua  Anethi, L. E.....285
Angelica Archangelica .... 285
Anisum (Pimpinella Anisum) .    .    . 285
    Oleum Anisi, D. L. E.   .    .    . 286
    Spiritus Anisi, L.  .    .    .      286
    Spiritus Anisi compositus, D.   .    . 286
Armoracia......286
    Infusum Armoracia compositum, D. L. 28b
    Spiritus Armoracia compositus, D. L.  28f
		. 287
Infusum Arnica		. 287
Tinctura Arnica		. 287
Balsamum Tolutanum		. 287
		
Calamus Aromaticus		. 288
		
		. 290
Mistura Camphora, D. L. E. .		. 291
Mistura Camphora cum Magnesia		D.
E......		. 291
Tinctura Camphora, D. L. E. .		. 291
Oleum Camphoratum, D. .		. 291
Linimentum Camphora, L. E. .		. 291
Linimentum Sapo7iis, D. L. E. .		. 291
[Aqua Camphora, U. S. P.]		. 292
		. 292
Tinctura Capsici, D. L. E.		. 292
		. 292
Cayenne Lozenges		. 292
Cardamine Pratensis		. 292
		. 293
Tinctura Cardamomi,	L. E. .	. 293
Tinctura Cardamomi comp., D. L. E. 293 
xvm
CONTENTS.
Carum Carui......
    Oleum Carui, D. L. E.
    Aqua Carui, D. L.....
    Spiritus Carui, D. L. E.  .
Caryophyllus......
    Oleum Caryophylli, D. L. E.
    Infusum Caryophyllorum, D.
    Infusum Caryophylli, L. E.
Cassias Cortex et Oleum
    Oleum Cassia, E.
    Aqua Cassia, E.    .    .    .     ■
    Spiritus Cassia, E.  .
    Tinctura Cassia, E. .
Cepa.......
Cerevisias Fermentum   ....
    Cataplasma Fermenti, D. L.
Chlorinii Aqua.....
Cinnamomum......
    Oleum Cinnamomi, D. L. E.
    Aqua Cinnamomi, D. L. E.
    Spiritus Cinnamomi, D. L. E. .
    Tinctura Cinnamomi, D. L. E. .
    Confectio Aromatica, D. L.
    Pulvis Aromaticus, D. E. .
    Pulvis Cinnamomi compositus, L.
    Electuarium Arpmaticum, E.
    Emplastrum Aromaticum, D.
Cocculus Indicus.....
    Picrotoxin     .    .    .    .     .
    Unguentum Cocculi, E.   .    .
    Unguentum Picrotoxin
Coriandrum......
Cuminum Cyminum    .
Daucus Carota.....
    Cataplasma Dauci, D.    .    .     .
Dianthus Caryophyllus  .    .    .     .
Electricity,  Galvanism,  and Magnetic
  Electricity  ......
Elemi.......
    Unguentum Elemi, D. L. .
Fceniculum......
    Oleum Faniculi, D.  E.    .
    Aqua Faniculi, D. L. E.  .
Inula Heleniurn.....
Lauras Nobilis.....
Lavandula    .    ...
    Oleum Lavandula, D. L. E.
    Spiritus Lavendula, D. L..E.
    Spiritus Lavandula composili, D. E. .
     Tinctura Lavandula composita, L.
Limonum Cortex et Oleum  .
Mastiche.......
Melissa Officinalis  .
    Infusum Melissa    .    .    .    ,
Mentha Piperita   ...
     Oleum Mentha Piperita, D. L. E.
     Aqua Mentha Piperita, D.  L. E.
     Spiritus Mentha Piperita, D. L.
     Spiritus Mentha, E.
     Essence of Peppermint
 Mentha Pulegium   ....
     Oleum Mentha Pulegii, D.  L. E.
     Spiritus Mentha Pulegii, L.
     Aqua Mentha Pulegii, D. L. E.
     Essence of Pennyroyal
 Mentha Viridis     ....
     Oleum Mentha Viridis, D.  L. E.
     Spiritus Mentha Viridis, D. L.  .
     Aqua Mentha  Viridis, D. L. E.
     Essence of Spearmint
     Infusum  Mentha simplex, D.
     Infusum  Mentha compositum, D.
 Myristica Moschata
     Oleum  Myristica, I). L. E.
Page
296
294
294
294
294
295
295
295
295
296
296
296
296
296
296
296
296
297
298
298
299
299
299
299
299
299
299
299
300
300
300
300
301
301
301
301

302
303
303
303
303
303
303
304
 304
 305
 305
 305
 305
 305
 305
 306
 306
 306
 306
 307
. 307
, 307
. 307
. 307
. 307
. 307
. 307
. 307
. 307
. 308
. 308
. 308
. 308
. 309
. 308
. 308
. 308
    Adeps Myristica, E.
    Macis, D.  .
    Spiritus Nucis Moschata, D
    Spiritus Myristica, L. E. .
Olibanum     .    ■     •   ■
Origanum     .
    Oleum Origani, D. L.
Pimenta .     .    ■     •   ■
    Oleum Pimenta, D. L. E.
    Aqua Pimenta, D. L. E. .
Piper Longum
Piper Nigrum .
    Piperin    .
    Confectio Piperis Nigri, D. L. E
    Unguentum Piperis Nigri, D.
    Rubefacient Cataplasm
Porrum.....
Potassii Sulphuretum
    Potassa Sulphureti Aqua, D.
    Balneum Sulphuretum
    Unguentum Potassii  Sulphureti
Rosmarinus   ....
    Oleum Rosmarini, D. L.  E.
    Spiritus Rosmarini, D. L. E.
Sabadilla     ....
    Veratria, L. E. .
    Tinctura Sabadilla  .
    Extractum Sabadilla
    Unguentum  Veratria
    Tinctura Veratria
Scrophularia Nodosa
    Unguentum  Scrophularia, D.
Serpentaria   ....
    Infusum Serpentaria, L. E.
    Tinctura Serpentaria, D. L. E.
Sodas Chlorinatas Liquor
[Labarraque's Solution} .
Sodas Murias  (Soda Chloridum)
Staphisagria  ....
    Delphinia ....
Sulphur.....
     Unguentum Sulphuris, D. L. E
     Unguentum Sulphuris compositum, L
Terebinthinas Oleum
    Resina, D. L. E.
     Unguentum Resina Alba, D.
     Ceratum Resina, L.  .
     Unguentum Resinosum,  E.
    Pix Liquida, D. L. E.
    Aqua Picis  Liquida, D.
     Unguentum Picis Liquida,  D.
     Pix Nigra, L. .
     Pix Arida,  E. .
     Unguentum Picis Nigra, L.
     Pix Burgundica, D.  E.
     Pix Abietina, L.
     Thus, D. .         .
     Abietis Resina, L.
     Emplastrum Picis, L. E.  .
 Veratrum Album
     Vinum Veralri, L.   .
     Decoctum Veratri, D. L.  .
     Unguentum Veratri, D. L.
 Vinum Album  Hispanum (Vinum
   cum)
 Zingiber.....
     Sirupus Zingiberis,  D. L. E.
      Tinctura Zingiberis, D. L. E.
     Essence of Ginger

              CHAPTER  XX

            SFECIAL  STIMULANTS.
 Arsenici lodidum  .
E.
Xeri-
Page
308
308
309
309
309
309
310
310
310
310
311
311
312
312
312
312
312
312
313
313
313
313
314
314
314
315
315
315
315
315
315
316
 316
 316
 316
 316
 317
 317
 318
 319
 319
 319
 319
 319
 320
, 320
. 320
. 320
. 320
. 321
 321
. 321
. 321
. 321
. 321
. 321
. 321
. 321
. 321
. 321
. 322
. 322
. 322

.  322
.  323
.  324
.  324
.  324
325 
CONTENTS.
XIX
E.
                                       Page
Arsenici et Hydrargyri Hydriodatis Li-
  quor   .......  326
Aurum   .     .     .    .     .    .    .  326
    Pulvis Auri.....326
    Simp of Gold.....327
    Ointment of Gold    .     .    .    .327
Auri lodidum......327
Auri Perchloridum.....327
    Caustic of Recamier ....  328
    Sodii Auro-terchloridum   .    .    .  328
Auri Peroxydum.....328
    Pills of Oxyde of Gold   .    .    .328
Bromineum......328
Copaiba.......328
    Copaiva Pills......  330
    Gelatine Capsules of Copaiva  .    .  330
    Franks's Specific Solution of Copaiva  330
    Oleum Copaiba, E.  .
    Resina Copaiba
Cubeba  .....
    Cubebin   ....
    Oleum Cubeba,  E.
    Tinctura Cubeba, D. L.   .
Fucus Vesiculosus  .
Hydrargyrum  ....
    Hydrargyrum Purificatum, D.
    Pilula Hydrargyri, D. L. E.
    Hydrargyrum cum Creta, D. L.
    Hydrargyrum cum Magnesia, D
    Unguentum Hydrargyri, D. E.
    Unguentum Hydrargyri fortius, L.
    Unguentum Hydrargyri mitius, D. L.
      E........
    Ceratum Hydrargyri compositum, L. .
    Linimentum Hydrargyri  compositum,
      L........
    Emplastrum Hydrargyri, L. E.
    Emplastrum Ammoniaci cum Hydrar-
      gyro, D. L. E.
Hydrargyri Acetas.....337
    Pills of Keyser  .    .     .    .    .337
Hydrargyri Bichloridum (Corrosivus Sub-
  limatus)     ......  337
    [Hydrargyri Chloridum  Corrosivum,
      U. S. P.].....338
    Pilula Corrosivi Sublimati    .     .  339
    Liquor Hydrargyri  Bichloridi, L.    .  339
Hydrargyri Bicyanidum      .    .     .  339
Hydrargyri Biniodidum .     .    .     .  339
    Unguentum Hydrargyri Biniodidi, L.  340
Hydrargyri Chloridum [mile, U.  S. P.]
  (Calomelas)  .     .    .     .    .     .340
    Pilula Calomelanos composita, D. L.
      E.......
    Pilula Calomelanos et  Opii,  E. .
    Unguentum Calomelanos   .
Hydrargyri lodidum    ....
    Pilula Hydrargyri  Iodidi, L.  .
    Unguentum Hydrargyri Iodidi, L.
Hydrargyri Nitratis Unguentum (Ungu-
  entum Citrinum)   .
Hydrargyri Oxydum Nigrum .
    Lotio Nigra
Hydrargyri Oxydum Rubrum
    Lotio Flava
Hydrargyri Persulphas  .
Hydrargyri Prascipitatum Album
    Unguentum Pracipitati Albi, D.
Hydrargyri Sulphuretum Nigrum
Hydrargyri Sulphuretum Rubrum
    Mercurial Candle
Indigo.....
Iodinium               -     •
    Tinctura Iodinii, D. E.
331
331
331
331
331
332
332
332
332
336
336
336
336
336

336
336

336
336

337
      342
      342
      343
      343
      343
      343
    .  344
L.E.  344
    .  344
    .  345
    .  345
    .  346
    .  346
    .  348
	Page
Unguentum Iodinii, D.	. 348
Morrhuae Oleum (Oleum Jecoris Aselli)	. 348
	349
	351
Extractum Nucis-vomica, D. E.	. 352
Tinctura Nucis-vomica, D.	. 352
	, 352
	353
Unguentum Plumbi Iodidi, L. .	. 353
Potassii Bromidum	. 353
Potassii lodidum (Potassa Hydriodas)	. 354
Liquor Potassii Iodidi compositus, L.	356
Liquor Iodinei compositus, E.	. 356
Tinctura Iodinii composita, L. .	. 356
Unguentum Potassa Hydriodatis, D.	356
Unguentum Iodinii compositum, L.	. 356
Unguentum Iodinei, E.	. 356
	356
	356
Unguentum Iodidi Sulphuris	. 357
CHAPTER XXI.	
TONICS.	
Absinthium (Artemisia Absinthium)	358
Infusum Absinthii	359
Tinctura Absinthii	359
Extractum Artemisia Absinthii, D.	359
Acidum Muriaticum dilutum .	359
Acidum Nitricum dilutum	360
Acidum Nitromuriaticum	360
Balneum Acidi Nitromuriatici .	360
Acidum Phosphoricum dilutum	300
Anthemis Nobilis ....	361
Oleum Anthemidis, L. E. .	361
Decoctum Chamameli compositum, D.	362
Infusum Chamameli, D.	362
Infusum Anthemidis, L. E.	362
Extractum Chamameli, D.	362
Extractum Anthemidis, E.	362
	362
Liquor Argenti Nitratis, L. E. .	363
	363
	363
Liquor Arsenicalis, D. E. .	364
Liquor Potassa Arsenitis, L.	364
Pilula Asiatica	364
	364
	365
Infusum Aurantii compositum, D. L.	365
Infusum Aurantii. E.	365
Confectio Aurantii, L.	365
Conserva Aurantii, E.	365
Sirupus Aurantii, D. L. E.	365
Tinctura Aurantii, D. L. E.	365
Barytas Murias (Barii Chloridum) .	366
Aqua Baryta Muriatis, D.	366
Solutiu Baryta Muriatis, E.	366
Liquor Barii Chloridi, L. . Bismutlii Subnitras (Bismuthi Trisnitras	366
	
Bismuthum A Ibum)	367
Calcii Muria6 (Calcii Chloridum) .	367
Aqua Calcis Muriatis, D. .	368
Solutio Calcis Muriatis, E.	368
Liquor Calcii Chloridi, L.	368
Calumba (Colombo.)	368
Infusum Colomba, D.	369
Infusum Calumba, L. E. .	369
Tinctura Colomba, D.	369
Tinctura Calumba, L. E. .	369
Extractum Calumba .	370
	370
Cascarilla.....	370
Infusum Cascarilla, D. L. E. .	371
 
XX
CONTENTS.
                                       Page
     Mistura Cascarilla composita, L.    .371
     Tinctura Cascarilla, D. L. E..     .  371
Centaurium        •    •     •     •    •  3?1
     Infusum Centaurii  .     .     .    .371
Cetraria Islandica  .    .     .     .    .371
     Decoctum Lichenis Islandici, D.     .  372
     Decoctum Cetraria, L.    .     .    .  372
     Cetrarin   ......  372
Chiretta.......372
     Infasum  Chiretta, E.                373
     Tinctura Chiretta   ....  373
Chondrus Crispus.....373
[Cimicifuga.  Actaea Racemosa.  Black
  Snakeroot, U. S. P.] .     .     .    .373
Cinchona Flava.....373
Cinchona Rubra.....373
Cinchona Coronas.....373
Cinchona Cinerea.....373
     Quinina Sulphas, D.      ...  376
     Quina Disulphas, L.      ...  376
     Quina Sulphas, E.  .     .     .    .  376
     [Quinia Sulphas, U. S. P.]    .    .  377
     Infusum  Cinchona, D. L. E.    .    .  380
    Decoctum Cinchona, D. L. E.  .    .  380
     Tinctura Cinchona, D. L. E.   .    .  381
     Tinctura Cinchona composita,  D. L. E.  381
     Liquor Cinchona    ....  381
     Extractum Cinchona, D. L. E.  .    .  381
     Quina     ......  382
     Cinchonia .....      382
     Pilula Quina, U. S.      .     .    .  382
     Vinum Quina  .....  382
    Murias Quina  .....  382
    Acetas Quina   .....  382
     Citras Quina   .....  382
     Tartras Quina  .....  382
     Nitras Quina-  .....  382
    Phosphas Quina    ....  382
     Tannas Quina  .....  382
[lodidum Quinias].....383
Cnicus Benedictus.....383
Cochlearia Officinalis   ....  383
Contrajerva......383
Cuprum Ammoniatum.   Cupri  Ammo-
  nio-sulphas......383
     Pilula Cupri Ammoniati, E.    .    .  384
     Aqua Cupri Ammoniati, D. E. .    .  384
     Liquor Cupri Ammonio-sulphatis, L. .  384
Cupri Sulphas.....384
Cusparia.   (Anguslura)  ....  384
     Infusum Cusparia, L. E.  .     .    .  385
     Infusum Angustura, D.   .     .    .  385
     Tin,ctura Cusparia, E,    .     .    .  385
     Tinctura Angustura, D.   .    .    .  385
Drymis Aromatica.....386
Fel Bovinum......386
     Fel Bovinum Inspissatum  .     .    .  386
Ferrum, L.......386
Ferri Filum et Limatura, E.  .     .    .  386
Ferrum, Fila, Scobs, et Oxydi Squamae,
  D........386
Ferri Acetas......387
     Tinctura Ferri Acetatis, D.     .    .  387
     Tinctura Acetatis Ferri cum Alcohole,
      D........385
Ferri Ammonio-chloridum    .     .    .  339
     Tinctura Ferri Ammonio-chloridi,  L. .  388
Ferri Ammonio-tartras  ....  388
Ferri Bromidum.....389
     Pilula Ferri Bromidi     .     .    .  389
Ferri Carbonas Saccharatum .     .    .  389
     Pilula Ferri  Carbonatis   .     .    .  390
     Mistura Ferri composita, D. L. E.   .  390
     Pilula Ferri  composita, D. L   .    .  390
L.
Ferri lodidum
    Sirupus Ferri Iodidi, E.
    [Solution Protoidide]
    [Dupasquicr's Sirup]
Ferri Lactas
    Trochisci Ferri Lactatis
    Sirupus Ferri Lactatis
Ferri Mistura Aromatica
Ferri Mu,riatis Tinctura, E.
Ferri Muriatis Liquor, D.
Ferri Sesquichloridi Tinctura,
Ferri Oxydum Nigrum  .
Ferri Oxydum Rubrum, E.
Ferri Sesquioxydum,  L. .
Ferri Carbonas. D. .
Ferri Oxydum Rubrum, D.
    Emplastrum Thuris, D.
    Emplastrum Ferri, E.
[Ferri Phosphas, U. S. P.]
Ferri Sulphas .
Ferri Tartras  .
    Vinum Ferri
Ferrugo, E.   .    .    .
Ferri Rubigo, D.
Ferrum Tartarizatum,  E.   Ferri  Tar-
  tarum, D.  Ferri Potassio Tartras, L.
Gentiana Lutea
  Page
.  390
.  391
.  391
.  391
.  391
Ferri Citras   .    .    •     ■
Ferri Ammonio-citras
    Ferri et Quina Citras
    Aqua Chalybeata
     Tinctura Ferri Aurantiacea
Ferri Cyanuretum.   Ferri Percy anidum  391

                                     '. 392
                                     . 393
                                     . 393
                                     . 394
                                     . 394
                                     . 395
                                     . 395
                                     . 395
                                     . 395
                                     . 395
                                     . 396
                                     . 396
                                     . 396
                                     . 396
                                     . 397
                                     . 397
                                     . 397
                                     . 398
                                     . 398
                                     . 398
                                     . 398
                                     . 398
                                     . 398
    Infusum Gcntiana compositum,
    Infusum Gentiana, E.
    Mistura Gentiana compositum, L
    Tinctura Gentiana composita, D "
    Tinctura Rhei et Gentiana, E.
    Vinum Gentiana compositum, E
    Extractum Gentiana, D. L. E.
Menyanthes Trifoliata  .
Myrrha.....
    Tinctura Myrrha, D. L. E.
Quassia.....
    Infusum Quassia, D. L. E.
    Tinctura Quassia, D. E. .
    Extractum Quassia, E.
Salix.....
    Salicin    ....
Simaruba     ....
    Infusum Simaruba,  D.  L.  E.
Taraxacum   ....
    Decoctum Taraxaci, D. E.
    Extractum Taraxaci, D. L. E.
    Liquor Taraxaci
Ulmus Campestris  .
    Decoctum Ulmi, D. L.
Zinci Oxydum
Zinci Sulphas

            CHAPTER XXII.

         SUPPLEMENTARY  AGENT!
Ammonias Oxalas  .
Aqua Destillata
Argentum
Argenti Cyanidum  .    '.
Argenti Ammoniati Solutio
Aurantii Flores
Aurantii Oleum
Aurantii Aqua .
Barytas Carbonas   .
Barytas Nitras .
Barytas Sulphas
D. L.
      399
      400
      401
      401
      401
L.E.  401
      401
      402
      402
      402
      403
      403
      404
      404
      405
      405
      405
      406
      406
      406
      407
      407
      407
      407
      407
      408
      408
      408
408
408
409
409
409
409
409
409
410
410
410 
CONTENTS.
XXI
                                   Page
Bergamii (Bergamota) Oleum     .    . 410
Bismuthum......410
Calcis Phosphas Praecipitatum    .    .411
Carbo Animalis.....411
    Carbo Animalis purificatus, L. E.   . 411
Carbo Ligni......411
    Cataplasma Carbonis Ligni, D.    . 412
Cocci.......412
Cornua Cervina.....412
Curcuma Longa.....413
    Turmeric Paper    .    .    .    .413
Ferri Sulphuretum.....413
Lacmus (Litmus).....413
    Litmus Paper.....413
Manganesii Oxydum    .... 414
        .......414
	Page
	. 414
	. 414
Plumbi Oxydum Hydratum .	. 414
Plumbi Oxydum Rubrum	. 414
Potassii Ferrocyanidum .	. 414
Pterocarpus Santahnus . .	. 414
	. 415
	
Aqua Rosa, D. L. E.	. 415
Sirupus Rosa, D. L.	. 415
Sirupus Rosa centifolia, E.	. 415
Sambuci Nigra? Flores . ;	. 415
Aqua Sambuci, L. E. .	. 415
Sodae Phosphatis Solutio, E. .	. 415
	
APPENDIX.
A. Formula   .
B. Posological Table
417
429 
 
   MEDICINES:





       THEIR USES




           AND




MODE OF ADMINISTRATION* 
 
          MEDICINES,

                THEIK  USES
                          AND
MODE   OF  ADMINISTRATION,
                        CHAPTER  I.

                          ANTACIDS.

                (Alkalines—Antilithics—Lithontriptics.)

  Antacids are medicines which correct acidity of the stomach
and digestive organs, by combining chemically with the free acid
existing there, and neutralizing it.  Their action is manifestly only
temporary and palliative, as they do not correct that peculiar state
of the digestive organs which favours  the formation of acid;  and
their continued use produces a precisely similar disease of the ali-
mentary canal.  Antacids should, therefore, be prescribed in com-
bination with  the vegetable tonics, and in no case should their ad-
ministration be long persisted n without occasional interruptions.
One or two circumstances relating to the particular remedy  of this
class which should be employed, require to be noticed.  Where
the acid  exists in the stomach in  the gaseous  state, ammonia  and
its carbonate should be preferred, as, in consequence of their vola-
tility, a  gaseous acid, which  would elude the action of the fixed
alkalies, will be neutralized by them.   If the acidity be present in
the lower bowels,  as in the ccecum or colon,  magnesia or lime
should be preferred, as  being less likely to  be neutralized  or ab-
sorbed before they reach that portion  of the intestinal  canal than
the other antacids.   Where the acid exists  in the urinary organs,
the alkalies will be found best adapted, as they have  a tendency
to act more directly on the kidneys ;  and where it is lithic acid that
predominates  in the urine, the preparations of potash should be
preferred to those of soda, as the salt formed by the combination
of the former  with the acid in question is much more soluble than
that formed with the latter.
  [The suggestion here made, touching the danger of the long-
continued use of antacids, is of great practical importance,  for or-
ganic dyspepsia has often resulted from the incautious frequency
of their employment, the tone of the stomach being permanently
destroyed.  The alkalies  and  alkaline earths, when used  as ant- 
26
ANTACIDS.
acids, are strictly chemical remedies, and, when taken beyond the
extent necessary to correct free acid, become irritants to the nerves
of the stomach, and prove a source of numerous morbid mischiefs.
The direction to combine them with vegetable tonics, while it miti-
gates the  evil by taking the antidote and poison together, will fail
to remove it.  A much  better practice for removing acidity is to
rely upon antacids only as a palliative and temporary remedy, and
employ suitable medication and regimen, especially  the latter, for
removing the cause upon which the generation of acid in the stomach
depends.  In a majority of cases, it will be found that functional indi-
gestion or incipient dyspepsia  is the source of acidity when its pres-
ence in  the stomach becomes afflictive.   The food, or any portion
of it,  remaining in the  stomach undigested, becomes  subject  to
chemical laws, and undergoes fermentation or putrefaction before
passing the  pylorus, and the  generation'of acids  and gases is the
result, which present us  with the  phenomena of flatulence and
acidity, which usually coexist.  In infant  children,  the  improper
quantity and quality  of the  food  which  is so often indiscreetly
given is the source of the symptoms  for which antacids are pre-
scribed.  In these, as well as in adults, therefore, proper abstinence
and attention to regimen will soon correct the evil without medi-
cation, if  treated  early ; but  where the mischief  has subsisted  so
long that the tone of the stomach is impaired, either by  the disease
or the treatment,  the vegetable tonics may be resorted  to, or any
other agencies  adapted to restore or improve the digestive func-
tion.]

  Ammonite caustics aqua, D. Ammonia liquor, L.   Ammonite
aq.ua, E.   Water of caustic  Ammonia;  Aqueous solution of Am-
monia.
  P. P.—A colourless limpid fluid, with a pungent ammoniacal
odour and a very acrid alkaline taste.  The sp. gr. varies with
the  strength of the preparation; that of Dublin  is directed to  be
•950, that of London and Edinburgh -960.
  C. P.—A solution of  gaseous ammonia in water.  Ammonia is
composed of N. H3., or of 1 eq. of  amidogene and 1 of hydrogen
(Kane).   At 32°  F. water may be made to absorb  780 times  its
volume  of the gas; the  solution of the Dub.  Phar.  contains 10#5
per cent., that of Lond. and  Edin. 8*3. per cent,  of ammonia.  It
neutralizes acids,  with which  it forms  salts ; gives a brown colour
to litmus paper, which is only temporary ;  and forms dense white
fumes with  the vapour  of muriatic acid.   Exposed  to  the  air, in
consequence of the volatility  of the gas, part of it rapidly escapes,
while the remainder,  absorbing carbonic acid, is converted into
carbonate of ammonia, which remains in solution.   Cooled down
to —40°, a strong solution freezes into long,  silky needles;  and at
50° it boils ; the weak solution of the pharmacopoeias boils at about
150°.
  Prep.—Dub. " Muriate of ammonia, in powder, 3 parts ; recently-burned lime, 2
parts ;  water, 10 parts ; sprinkle one part of hot water on the quick-lime, put into 
ANTACIDS
27
an earthen vessel, and cover it;  dissolve the salt in the remainder of the hot wa-
ter ; put the lime, when it has fallen into powder and become cool, into a retort,
and add the saline liquor, when  cold, to it; with a medium heat, distil five parts
into a refrigerated receiver."   Lond. " Hydro-chlorate of ammonia, jx. ; lime,
jviij. ; water, Oij.;  put the lime slacked with water into a retort, then add the
salt, broken into small pieces, and the remainder of the water; let ffxv.  distil."
Edm.  " Sal-ammoniac, fxiij.; quick-lime, fxiij.; water, ffviiss.;  distilled water,
ffxij. ; slack the lime with the water;  cover it up till it cools ;  triturate it well and
quickly, with the sal-ammoniac previously in fine powder; and put the mixture into
a glass retort, to which is fitted a receiver with a safety tube, and containing ff iv.
of the distilled water, but capable of holding twice as much.  Connect with  the re-
ceiver a bottle, also provided with a safety tube, and containing ff iv. of the distilled
water, but capable  of holding twice as much.  Connect this  bottle with another
loosely corked,  and containing the remaining  ffviij. of the distilled water.  The
communicating tubes must  descend to the bottom of the bottles at the farther end
from the retort; and the bottles and receiver must be kept cool by snow, ice, or
a running stream of very cold water.  Apply to the retort a gradually-increasing
heat till gas ceases to be  evolved; remove the retort, cork  up  the aperture in the
receiver where it was connected with the retort, and apply to the receiver a gentle
and gradually-increasing heat, to drive over as much of the gas in the fluid con-
tained in it, but as little of the water as possible.  Should the liquid in the last bot-
tle not have a density of 960, reduce it with some of the strong ammonia in the
first bottle, or raise it with distilled water, so as to form aqua ammoniae of the pre-
scribed density.  The strong  aqua ammoniae in the first bottle  may be reduced, to
form the weaker solution, by diluting it with two parts and a half of water."
   Adulterations.—Solution  of  ammonia  often contains  carbonate
of ammonia, which is known  by its  effervescing  with  acids;  or
muriate of ammonia, which is detected by solution of nitrate  of
silver causing a white precipitate with it, nitric  acid having been
previously  added to saturation.   That it is of the proper strength
is indicated by its being of the  prescribed density.
   Th. E.—Ammonia  acts as a direct antacid, by  its  neutralizing
powers; it also  stimulates powerfully the  digestive organs.   It is,
therefore, to be preferred to the other  remedies of this  class, in
cases where we  wish to  combine the  effects of a  stimulant and ant-
acid, as in  cardialgia, and flatulence  arising from acidity of the
stomach ; but if there be any tendency  to  inflammation present, it
should not be  employed.    As an antidote  in poisoning with the
mineral acids, it is  not  so valuable as  the other  alkalies; but in
cases of poisoning with  prussic acid, oil of bitter almonds, &c, it
is only inferior to chlorine.
   D. & M. of Adm.—Min. x. to  min. xxx. in an ounce of water,
sirup, or any bland liquid.
   Incomp.—All acids; and  the earthy and metallic salts, except those
of potash, soda, lime, and baryta.

   Ammonite bicarbonas, D.   Bicarbonate of Ammonia.
   P. P.—Large crystals of  the right  rhombic prism series, with a
weak ammoniacal odour, and a saline taste.
   C. P.—It is composed of I eq. of ammonia, 2 of carbonic acid,
and 2 of water; or of 1  eq.  of amidogene,  1 of hydrogen, 2 of car-
bonic acid, and 2 of water (Kane).  It is permanent in the air; ex-
posed to  a strong heat, it evaporates, leaving no  residue  if pure; it
is soluble in eight parts of water  at 60°; boiling water decomposes
it, driving off part of its carbonic acid and ammonia.   The solution
in cold water is  faintly alkaline. 
28
ANTACIDS.
  pRKP.—Dub. " In a proper apparatus, expose any quantity of water of carbonate
of ammonia, until the alkali is saturated, to the stream of carbonic acid gas, which
escapes during the solution of white marble in dilute muriatic acid ; then set it aside
that crystals may be formed, which are to be dried without heat, and kept in close
vessels."
  Th. E.—This salt, though scarcely ever used in the present day,
is an excellent  antacid ; it is free from the stimulating properties of
ammonia or its carbonate, and also is more agreeable to the  taste.
  D. & M. of  Adm.—Gr.  v. to gr. xxv.  It may be given in cold
aqueous  vehicles, or in any of the bitter infusions.
  Incomp.—Same as for aqua ammoniae

  Ammonite carbonas, D. E.  Ammonite sesquicarbonas, L.  Car-
bonate of Ammonia ; Sesquicarbonate of Ammonia.
  P. P.—A solid white salt, in semitransparent fibrous cakes or
fragments; with a pungent ammoniacal odour, and a caustic alka-
line taste.  Sp. gr. '966.
  C. P.—It consists of 3 eq. of carbonic acid,  2 of ammonia, and 2
of water; or of 1 eq. of the bicarbonate, and 1 of a simple carbon-
ate  which consists  of 1  of amidogene,  1  of hydrogen, and 1 of
carbonic acid (Kane).  Exposed to the air, it effloresces, and soon
falls to powder: carbonate of ammonia is evolved, and the remain-
ing powder is the bicarbonate.  It is sublimed by heat, without any
residuum if it be pure.  It is soluble in four parts of water at 60°,
but is decomposed by boiling water, and by alcohol; the solution
is highly alkaline, but turmeric paper, which has been rendered
brown by it, recovers its yellow colour on  exposure to the air.
  Prep.—Dub. " Muriate of ammonia, powdered and well dried; and dried car-
bonate of soda, of each, one part; mix, and put them into an earthen-ware retort :
and sublime the carbonate of ammonia with a gradually-increasing heat into a re-
ceiver  kept cool."  Lond., Edin. " Hydrochlorate of ammonia (sal-ammoniac, E.),
Ibj.; chalk, ftjss.; reduce them separately to fine powder;  mix, and (in  a retort
with a proper receiver, E.) sublime with a gradually-increasing heat."
  Adulterations.—If this  salt contain any fixed or insoluble impu-
rity, it will not be entirely sublimed by heat, nor completely solu-
ble  in water.  Sometimes, owing to bad preparation, it contains
muriate  or sulphate of ammonia; their presence is detected, the
former by nitrate of silver, the latter by muriate or nitrate of bary-
ta, causing a white precipitate in a  solution of the salt,  nitric acid
having been previously added to saturation.
  Th. E.—As an antacid, it  may be employed in the same forms
of dyspepsy as the  solution of ammonia;  but where  flatulence is
present,  the use of the carbonate is objectionable.  Carbonate of
ammonia is  also administered  with much  advantage in the lithic
acid diathesis ; and in diabetes it has  been employed with much suc-
cess by Dr. Barlow, of London.—(Guy's Hosp. Rep., vol. v., p. 287.)
  D.  &  M. of Adm.—Gr. v. to gr. xx. in pill, or in  any cold aque-
ous vehicle.   Gr. xxx. produces  vomiting.—Ammonia-  carbonatis
aqua, D. E.  Liquor ammonia; sesquicarbonatis, L. (Dissolve ^iv. of
carbonate (sesquicarbonate, L.) of ammonia in 15 parts  (Oj., L. E.)
of distilled water, and strain.  " The density of this solution is 1090," 
ANTACIDS.
29
Dub.)   A convenient strength for medicinal purposes;  dose, min.
xxx. to min. lx., properly diluted.
  Incomp.—Acids; calcareous salts; and the salts of iron, zinc, lead,
and  mercury; but sulphate of magnesia is not incompatible with
carbonate of ammonia.

  Calcis aqua, D. E.   Calcis liquor, L.   Lime-water.
  P. P.—A transparent, colourless liquid;  odourless, but having a
disagreeable alkaline taste.
  C. P.—Lime is only sparingly soluble in water; requiring 778
parts at 60° and 1270 parts of boiling water ; being, therefore, more
soluble in cold than in hot water, so that a saturated solution, when
boiled, deposites a hydrate of lime.  Exposed to the air, lime-water
absorbs carbonic acid, and becomes covered with a thin crust of
carbonate of lime.  It acts faintly alkaline on vegetable colours ;
gives white precipitates  with carbonic  and oxalic acids, but does
not precipitate with sulphuric acid.
  Prep.—Dub. " Fresh burned lime, and boiling water, of each one part ; sprinkle
the water on the lime, in an earthen vessel, covered while the lime grows hot and
falls to powder; then pour over it 30 parts of cold water ; cover the  vessel again,
and agitate the mixture repeatedly for 24 hours; then, as soon as the lime has sub-
sided, pour off the clear liquor, and keep it in well-stopped bottles."  Lond. " Lime,
Ibss.; distilled water, Oxij.; upon the lime first slacked with a little of the water pour
the remainder of the water, and shake them together; then immediately cover the
vessel and set it by for three hours; afterward keep the solution with the remaining
lime in stopped glass vessels; and when it is to be used, take from the clear solu-
tion."  Edin. "Take any convenient quantity of water; pour a little of it over
about a  twentieth of its weight of lime; when the lime is slacked, add it to the rest
of the water in a bottle; agitate well; allow the undissolved matter to subside; pour
off the clear liquor when it is wanted, replacing  it with more water,  and agitating
briskly as before."

  Th. E.—Lime-water is a  useful antacid in those forms  of  dys-
pepsy  characterized by great irritability of the stomach, accompa-
nied with constant  secretion  of  acid.   In  America, a diet almost
exclusively of lime-water and milk, in the proportion of one part of
the former to two or three of the latter, is found to be a very ef-
fectual plan of treatment in dyspepsia accompanied with vomiting
of food.   In the acidity of stomach of the gouty and rheumatic di-
athesis, the alkaline antacids should be preferred to lime.
  D. &. M. of Adm.—f§i. to f§iv.  It is most  conveniently admin-
istered in milk, which  conceals its disagreeable taste; but as this
would be an injurious  addition in many cases, it may be given
alone.   When lime-water has been administered for some time, its
use should  be occasionally discontinued.
  Incomp.—The  vegetable and  mineral acids, tartar emetic, and
most vegetable infusions and decoctions, as of calumba, cinchona
bark, gentian, senna, rhubarb, sarsaparilla, &c.

  Creta  pr^eparata, D. L. E.  [and U. S.  P.].   Calcis  carbonas
praecipitatum. D.   Prepared chalk ; prepared carbonate of lime.
  P. P.—Prepared chalk is  usually in  small conical masses,  of a
dull, grayish white colour, opaque, and very friable ; the powder is 
30
ANTACIDS.
soft and massive.   It is odourless and tasteless, but adherent to the
tongue.  Sp. gr. about 2*3.   Precipitated carbonate  of lime  is  a
snow-white, fine powder.
  C. P.—It is composed of one eq. of carbonic acid, and one of
lime.   It is permanent in  the air;  exposed to a red  heat, it parts
with its acid, and is converted into  quicklime.   It is miscible with,
but is not soluble in water;  it dissolves in small quantity in water
containing carbonic acid, from which, however, it is  deposited on
exposure to the  air.
  Prep.—Creta praparata, ~D. L. E. " Chalk, any quantity (ibss. L.); add a little
water to the chalk,  and rub it to powder; put it into a large vessel with a sufficien-
cy of water, and mix with frequent agitation; let it rest for a short time (until the
coarser particles subside, D.), and pour off the supernatant liquor (still turbid, L. E.);
(repeat the process, E.; frequently, D.): finally, collect on a filter the fine powder
that has subsided from the poured-off liquor, and dry it for use (on a bibulous stone
or on  paper, D.).n  " Oyster shells, first freed from impurities, and washed with
boiling water, are prepared in the same manner," L.—Calcis carbonas prcBcipitatum,
D. " Take of the water of muriate of lime, five parts ;  add three parts of carbon-
ate of soda dissolved in four times its weight of distilled water ; wash the precip-
itate thrice with water by subsidence and effusion ; finally, collect it, and dry it on
a chalk stone or on paper."
  Adulterations.—Prepared chalk  generally contains silica  and
alumina, and, from not having been  sufficiently dried,  moisture;
those impurities are best detected by the tests of the Edin. Pharm.,
which indicate  the exact amount of pure carbonate  of lime pres-
ent:  "A solution of gr. xxv. in fix.  of  pyroligneous acid, when
neutralized by carbonate of soda, and precipitated by gr. xxxij. of
oxalate of ammonia, continues precipitable after filtration by more
of the test."
  Th. E.—Chalk is employed with much benefit as  an antacid  in
acidity of the stomach, especially when accompanied with diarrhoea,
so frequently the case in infancy and  childhood ; for this purpose,
it is advantageously combined with aromatics, or with opium.   It
is also employed as an antidote in poisoning with nitric, muriatic,
or oxalic  acids.  Precipitated carbonate of lime is not employed  in
medicine, as it possesses no advantage over prepared chalk, and is
much more expensive.   It  is used as an ingredient in  tooth pow-
ders, and for the preparation of mercury with chalk.
  D. & M. of Adm.—Gr. x. to 3ij.  in powder or in mixture.—Mis-
tura  creta;, D.  L.  E.  (" Prepared chalk, §ss.; pure sugar,  3iij. ;
mucilage of gum-arabic, §i.;  water, by measure, Ibj.; mix ;" D. " Pre-
pared chalk,  gss. ;  sugar,  3iij.; mixture of  acacia,  f^iss.; cinna-
mon-water, fgxviij.; mix;"  L.   ''Prepared chalk, 3x.; pure sugar,
3v.;  mucilage,  fgiij. ; spirit of cinnamon, f§ij. ; water, Oij.;  trit-
urate the chalk, sugar, and  mucilage together, and then add grad-
ually the water and spirit of cinnamon," E.)   Chiefly used  in diar-
rhoea as a vehicle for  more active  medicines.  Dose,  f*i. to tfm.
Pulvis cretce comp., D.  L. E.  (" Prepared chalk, ibss.;  cinnamon,
§iv.;  tormentil  root,  and gum-arabic, of each,  s-iij.; long  pepper,
§ss.; rub them  separately to fine powder, and then  mix them,"  D.
L.   " Prepared chalk, §iv.; cinnamon, in fine powder,  3iss.;  nut-
meg, in fine powder,  3i.;  triturate  them  well together," E.)  Ant- 
ANTACIDS.
3
acid and  aromatic, principally employed in diseases of children,
dose, gr. x. to gr. xxx.   Trochiscus creta;, E.—(Prepared chalk,
§iv.; gum-arabic, §i.;  nutmeg, 3i.; pure sugar, §vi.; reduce them
to powder, and beat them with a little water into a proper mass for
making lozenges.)  Antacid and  aromatic, used in acidity of the
stomach ; dose, 3i. to 3ij.
   Incomp.—Acids, and acidulous salts.

   Magnesia, D. L. E.  Magnesia; Calcined Magnesia.
   P. P.—A very light, soft powder, perfectly white, odourless and
tasteless, slightly adherent to the tongue.  Sp. gr. about 2*3.
   C. P.—It consists of one eq. of magnesium, and one of oxygen.
Exposed to the air, it absorbs carbonic acid  and moisture :  it is
highly infusible.  It is very slightly soluble in water, requiring 5142
times its weight of water at 60° for its solution;  and, like lime, it is
more soluble in cold than in hot water.   It acts feebly alkaline on
vegetable colours.
  Prep.—"Expose any convenient quantity of carbonate of magnesia in a crucible
to a full red heat for two hours (or till the powder, when suspended in water, pre-
sents no effervescence on the addition of muriatic acid, E.), and preserve it, when
cold, in well-stopped glass bottles," D. E.  " Carbonate of magnesia, giv.; burn it
for two hours in a very strong fire," L.
   Adulterations.—Magnesia generally contains some carbonate, ei-
ther from faulty preparation or bad keeping;  its presence is indi-
cated by its causing effervescence with  dilute mineral acids.   It is
frequently adulterated with lime, silica, and alumina.  If it contain
silica, it will not dissolve completely in dilute muriatic acid ; if alu-
mina be present, the  solution in dilute  muriatic acid precipitates
with excess of ammonia; and if lime be present, solution of oxalate
of ammonia, or of the bicarbonate of potash, gives a white  precipi
tate with the solution in the dilute acid.
   Th. E.—As an antacid, magnesia is  employed in dyspepsia at-
tended with acidity of the  stomach; in such cases it is generally
preferred to the alkalies, as being less irritant, and as the combina-
tions which it forms with the free acids  of the stomach are gently
laxative.  In gastrodynia  and heartburn, given in combination with
some aromatic, a short time before the meals, it seldom fails to prove
beneficial.  It is also administered with much advantage in the acid-
ity attendant  on  infantile diseases, and  in persons of a gouty and
rheumatic diathesis.    Magnesia is also used as an antidote  in poi-
soning with the mineral acids.
   D. & M. of Adm.—Gr. x. to gr. xv., twice or three times daily.
It may be given suspended in milk, or in some aromatic water.
   Incomp.—Acids ; acidulous salts ; metallic salts ;  and muriate of
ammonia.

   Magnesia  carbonas, D.  L. E.   Carbonate of Magnesia.
   P.  P.—A very white powder, light and  bulky;  inodorous and
tasteless, varying in density, two sorts being commonly met with;
the one very light, and either in very fine powder or in  small cubi-
cal cakes (light magnesia); the other dense, and somewhat granu-
lar {heavy magnesia). 
32
ANTACIDS.
  C. P.—According to Berzelius, it is a compound of hydrate of
magnesia with hydrated carbonate of magnesia, consisting of 3 eq.
of carbonic acid, 4 eq. of magnesia, and 4 eq. of water.  It is per-
manent in the air; exposed to a red heat, it parts with its water and
carbonic acid, magnesia being left.   It is very sparingly soluble in
water, requiring 2493 parts of cold, and 9000 of hot water  for its
solution.  But water  charged with carbonic acid gas  dissolves it,
in the proportion of 13^ grains to the ounce.   It acts, on vegeta-
ble colours, feebly alkaline.
  Adulterations.—They are similar to those of  calcined magnesia,
and may be detected  by the same tests.
  Th. E.—Carbonate of magnesia is employed as an antacid in the
same cases as magnesia; but, owing to the carbonic acid which is
disengaged in the  stomach when it meets with  the acids naturally
present in that viscus, it is objectionable  in many cases.
  D. & M. of  Adm.—Gr. xv. to 3ss.; it may be administered sus-
pended in milk, or in some aromatic water.  The most convenient
ibrm, however, for the exhibition of the carbonate of magnesia, is
the solution in carbonated water, which was first introduced to the
notice  of the profession by  Sir  James  Murray of Dublin.   It is
prepared by  exposing distilled water, in which very pure carbon-
ate of magnesia is  suspended (in the proportion of 13^ grains of the
latter to every fluid ounce of the former), to a  stream  of carbonic
acid gas forced into it by means of steam power, until a complete
solution is formed.  It then constitutes Aqua magnesia; bicarbona-
tis, and is given as an antacid in doses of f§ss  to fgiss.   Trochisci
magnesias, E.  (Carbonate of magnesia, §vi.; pure sugar, §iij.; nut-
meg, 3i.; beat them  in powder, with mucilage  of  tragacanth, to  a
mass, for lozenges.)   In acidity of the stomach, ad libitum.
  Incomp.—Acids; acidulous and  metallic salts;  muriate of am-
monia ; and  lime-water.

  PoTASS^E  CAUSTICS AQUA,  D.   LlQUOR POTASS^, L.  PoTASSiE
aqua, E.   Water  of caustic potash;  Solution of potash.
  P. P.—A transparent colourless liquid, with  an oily appearance
and a soapy feel;  it is odourless, but has an intensely acrid alkaline
taste.   Its specific gravity is different  in the  three British Phar-
macopoeias;  that of the Dub.  preparation  is 1*080. that of Lond.
1-063,  and that of Edin. 1'072.
  C. P.—A solution of potassa in water.  Exposed to the air, it ab-
sorbs carbonic acid rapidly, and is converted into the carbonate of
potash.  By  heat  the water  is driven off, but  no farther  change
takes place.   It reacts on vegetable colours powerfully alkaline.
Solution of potash converts  most oils and  fats  into soap.   It  does
not effervesce with acids, but combines with them, forming salts.
  Prep.—Dub.  " Carbonate  of potash, from potashes of commerce, and recently-
burned lime, of each, two parts; water, fifteen parts ; sprinkle one part of the water
made hot on the lime in an earthen vessel, and as soon as it is slacked, mix with the
salt, and add the remainder of the water.  Put the mixture, when cool, into a well-
stopped bottle, and agitate frequently for three days ; as soon as the carbonate of
lime has subsided, pour off the clear liquor, and preserve in carefully-stopped green- 
ANTACIDS.
33
glass bottles."  Lond. " Carbonate of potash, f xv.; lime, fviij.; boiling distilled wa-
ter, cong. j. ; dissolve the carbonate of potash in half a gallon of the water ; sprink-
le a little of the water upon the lime in an earthen vessel, and the lime being slacked,
add the rest of the water.  The liquors being immediately mixed together in a close
vessel, shake them frequently until they are cold ; then set aside, that the carbon-
ate of lime may subside.  Lastly, keep the supernatant liquor, when poured off, in
a well-stopped green-glass bottle."   Edin. " Carbonate of potash (dry), fiv.;  lime,
recently burned, fij.; water, fixlv.; let the lime be slacked, and converted into milk
of  lime with fjvij. of the water ; dissolve the carbonate in the rest of the water ;
boil the solution, and add the milk  of lime in successive portions, about an eighth
at  a time, boiling briskly for a few minutes after each addition.   Pour the whole
into a deep, narrow glass vessel for twenty-four hours, and  then withdraw with a
siphon the clear liquid, which ought to amount to at least ffxxxv., and should have
a density of 1 072."  As solution of potash corrodes flint glass, it is directed to be
kept in green-glass bottles.
   Adulterations.—Solution of potash  as kept in the  shops is fre-
quently  too weak ; this is known by its not being of the  density
prescribed by the colleges.   If it  contain  any  carbonate, it  will
effervesce on  the  addition of a dilute  acid.   A  white precipitate
caused by carbonate of soda, in the solution neutralized with dilute
nitric acid, indicates the presence of lime.
   Th. E.—In dyspepsia, attended with  acid eructations, cardialgia,
and gastrodynia, solution  of potash is employed with much benefit.
It  not only neutralizes the free acid, but also counteracts the mor-
bid tendency of the stomach  to acid secretion. Its beneficial action
is  especially manifested in various forms  of chronic  cutaneous dis-
ease, so often dependant  on acidity of the  digestive organs;  in
which cases it should be  preferred to  the other remedies of this
class.  In the acidity  of the stomach of the gouty and rheumatic,
and in deposites of lithic acid, or the lithates in the urine, solution of
potash is also administered with much advantage.
   D. &  M.  of Adm.—Min. x., gradually increased  to min. xl.; it
should be largely diluted.  Fresh table  beer, or veal broth, are  said
to conceal its nauseous taste, and, consequently, are frequently em-
ployed as vehicles for its administration.   The  combination with
some aromatic bitter,  as  gentian, cascarilla, or calumba, is gener-
ally  found highly  beneficial. — Brandish's alkaline  solution (best
American pearlashes,  fbfj.;  quicklime,  recently burned, and wood
ashes  (from  the  ash),  of each, rbij.; boiling water, cong. vj.;  add
first the  lime, then the pearlashes, and  afterward the  wood ashes,
to the boiling water;  mix, and in twenty-four hours  draw off the
clear liquor, to every pint of which add oil of juniper,  min. ij.).  This
solution  has a less disagreeable taste than the officinal aqua potas-
ses, and  is therefore more generally employed ; it is, however, very
liable to vary  in strength.  Dose, f3ss.  to f3ij.
   Incomp.—Acids ;  acidulous and metallic salts ; and  the prepara-
tions of  ammonia.

   Potass^e bicarbonas, D. L. E.  Bicarbonate of Potash.
   P.  P. — Transparent, colourless  crystals, the  primary  form of
which is a right oblique-angled  prism.   It is  inodorous, but has  a
mild alkaline taste, without any  acridity.
   C. P.—It is composed of one eq. of potassa, two of carbonic acid,
                                 E 
34                           ANTACIDS.

and one of water.   It is permanent in the  air;  exposed to a mod-
erate heat, part of the carbonic acid is driven off, and it is reduced
to the state of carbonate.   It is  soluble in four  parts of water  at
60°, and in less than its own weight of boiling water ; the solution
is feebly alkaline.   It is insoluble in alcohol.
  Prep.—Dub. "Carbonate of potash, from potashes of commerce, one part; dis-
tilled water, two parts ; dissolve ; expose the solution, in a proper apparatus, to a
stream of carbonic acid gas, produced by the solution of white marble in dilute mu-
riatic acid;  as soon as the liquor becomes turbid, filter, and again expose it to the
stream of gas until the alkali is saturated ; set the solution aside in a cool place till
crystals form, which are to be dried without heat, and kept in well-closed bottles."
Lond.  " Carbonate of potash, ibvi.; distilled water, cong. j.; dissolve the carbonate
of potash in the water ;  afterward pass carbonic acid through the solution to satu-
ration ; apply a gentle heat, so that whatever crystals are formed may be again dis-
solved. Then set aside, that crystals may be again produced ; and the liquor being
poured off, dry them.  Carbonic  acid is obtained from chalk, rubbed to powder, and
mixed with water to the consistence of a sirup, upon which sulphuric acid diluted
with an equal weight of water is then poured."  Edin. "Carbonate of potash, fvj.;
carbonate of ammonia, §iiiss.; triturate the carbonate of ammonia to fine powder;
mix with it the carbonate of potash ;  triturate them thoroughly together, adding by
degrees a very little water, till  a smooth and uniform pulp be formed.  Dry this
gradually at a temperature not exceeding 140°, triturating occasionally towards
the close ; and continue the desiccation, till a fine powder be obtained, entirely free
from ammoniacal odour.
  Adulterations.—Bicarbonate of potash  frequently contains car-
bonate  of potash, from not having  been sufficiently saturated with
carbonic acid gas during the preparation;  this is best detected by
the action of corrosive  sublimate  on a solution in forty parts of
water; if the salt contain even a  trace of the  carbonate, a brick-red
precipitate is produced.   If any  sulphates or muriates be present,
a solution supersaturated  with nitric  acid is precipitated white ;
with  solution of muriate or nitrate of baryta, if the impurity be a
sulphate;  with solution of nitrate of silver, if  the impurity be a
muriate.
  Th. E.—Bicarbonate of potash may be administered as an anta-
cid in the same  cases as  solution  of caustic  potash, its operation
being similar; but it is  not so powerful as  that preparation.   It
possesses the advantage, however, of being less unpleasant to the
taste, and its employment may be  continued without interruption
for  a longer period.
  D. & M. of Adm.—Gr.  x. to gr. xx., two or  three  times a day,
usually given dissolved in some aromatic  water.—Liquor potassa;
effervescens, L.   Potassa;  aqua effervescens, E.   (Bicarbonate  of
potash, 3i.; distilled water, Oj.;  dissolve the  salt in the water,  and
pass into it carbonic acid  under strong pressure, " more than suffi-
cient for saturation ; and keep the solution in a well-stopped vessel,"
L.)   Kali water; an  excellent and agreeable form for the admin-
istration of this salt; dose, fgij. to fgviij. three times a day.
  Incomp.—Acids ;  acetate and muriate of ammonia; lime-water ;
and most of the metallic salts, but not sulphate of magnesia.

  Potassa carbonas  impura, L.   Lixivum cinis, D.  Impure car-
bonate of potash; Pearlashes; Potashes.—Potass*: carbonas e lix-
ivo cinere, D.   Potassa  carbonas, L. E.    Carbonate of potash, 
/
                               antacids.                            35


prepared from potashes.—Potass^e carbonas e  tartari crystal-
 lis, D.   Potass^ carbonas purum, E.   Carbonate of potash, pre-
pared from  crystals of tartar ; pure  carbonate  of potash.   Pearl-
 ashes or potashes  are procured,  by lixiviation, from the ashes of
 many trees and land plants. They are imported in large, deliques-
 cent masses of a dirty bluish-white colour, packed in barrels. They
 are principally brought from America, where they are prepared in
 very  large quantity from  the trees cut  down  in  the clearing  of
 land : purified by the processes mentioned below, they are convert-
 ed into  pure carbonate of potash.
   P. P.—Carbonate of potash is  met  with in the  form  of  coarse,
 white, crystalline grains, inodorous, with an acrid  alkaline taste.
   C. P.—It is composed of one eq. of  potassa, and one of carbonic
 acid, combined with an equivalent and a half of water.   It attracts
 moisture from the  air, rapidly deliquescing and becoming  liquid.
 By  a  red heat it is  fused, but is not decomposed.   It is soluble in
 less than its own weight of water  at 60°, but is insoluble in alcohol.
 It is highly alkaline, but not caustic.

  Prep. — Carbonate  of  Potash from Potashes.  Dub.  "  Potashes, in coarse
powder, and cold water,  of each, one part ;  mix with trituration, and macerate for
a week in an open vessel, frequently agitating;  filter and evaporate to dryness in a
perfectly clean silver or iron vessel; towards the end of the evaporation, frequently
stirring with an iron spatula ; put the coarse powder thus obtained into close ves-
sels.  If the potashes be not sufficiently pure, before they are dissolved, roast them
in a crucible until they become white."  Land. " Impure carbonate of potash, Ibij.;
distilled water, Oiss.; dissolve the impure  carbonate of potash in the water, and
strain; then pour it off into a proper vessel, and  evaporate the water, that the liquor
may thicken ; then stir constantly with a spatula till the salt concretes. Carbonate
of potash may be procured more pure  from the crystals of bicarbonate of potash
heated to  redness."  Edin. " Obtained from the potashes of commerce by lixivia-
tion, evaporation, and granulation, by fusion and refrigeration."  Carbonate of
Potash from crystals  of tartar, D. " Take  any quantity of crystals of tartar,
heat them to redness in a silver crucible lightly covered, until they cease to emit
vapours ;  reduce the residue to a coarse powder, and roast for two hours,  with fre-
quent stirring in the same crucible uncovered; then boil it with twice its weight of
water for a quarter of an hour; and after due subsidence, pour off the clear liqour;
let this be  done three times ; filter the mixed washings, and evaporate in a silver
vessel; reduce the residual salt while becoming dry, by frequent stirring, to a  gran-
ular form; and then heat it to an obscure  red.  Before it has perfectly cooled, take
it from the vessel, and preserve it in well-stopped  bottles."  Pure Carbonate of
Potash, E. " More readily obtained by heating crystallized bicarbonate of potash
to redness in a crucible ; but more cheaply by dissolving bitartrate of potash  in 30
parts of boiling water, separating and washing the crystals, which form on cooling,
heating these in a loosely-covered crucible to redness, so long as fumes  are dis-
charged, breaking down the mass and roasting it in an open crucible for two hours,
with occasional  stirring, lixiviating the product with distilled water, filtering the
solution thus obtained, evaporating the  solution  to dryness, granulating the salt to-
wards the  close by brisk  agitation, and heating the granular salt nearly to redness
The product of either prpcess must be kept in well-closed vessels."

  Adulterations.—As commonly met with in the shops,  carbonate
of potash contains much water;  the quantity present may be known
by the loss of weight which the salt suffers when exposed to a red
heat;  the Lond.  College state  that this should  not be more than
16 per cent.;  the Edin. College, 20 per cent.   The presence of
sulphates or muriates may be detected by the same  tests as those
given  for the  bicarbonate of potash.
  Th. E.—As an antacid, it may be employed in the same cases as 
36
antacids.
the bicarbonate ;  but in consequence of its unpleasant taste and ir-
ritant, even poisonous properties, it is not much  used in medicine.
In pharmacy it is employed for the preparation of caustic  potash,
the bicarbonate, &c.  When this salt has been taken in poisonous
doses, the best antidotes are vinegar, lemon juice, or fixed oil.
   D. & M.  of Adm.—Gr. v. to gr. xx., largely diluted.—Potassa;
carbonatis aqua, D.—Liquor, L.  (Carbonate of potash  (from crys-
tals  of tartar, D.), one part (gxx., L);  distilled water, 2 parts (Oj.,
L.) ; dissolve and  strain.   " Sp.  gr.  1320,"  D.).   A  convenient
strength  for internal use; dose, min. x. to fei., in milk  or in some
aromatic water.
   Incomp.—Same as the bicarbonate ;  but sulphate of magnesia is
decomposed  by the  carbonate.

   Sod,e bicarbonas, D. E.  Sod,e sesquicarbonas, L.   Bicarbon-
ate of soda;  Sesquicarbonate of soda.
   P. P.—Usually in the form  of a fine, white powder, but some-
times it is met with  in small, indistinct  crystals ; it is inodorous, but
has  a mild alkaline  taste.
   C. P.—It is composed of one eq. of soda, two of carbonic acid,
and one of water.   It is permanent in  the air;  by a moderate heat,
the  water and one eq. of carbonic  acid are expelled, and it is re-
duced to the state of carbonate.  It requires 13  parts  of water at
60°  for its solution, but a much less quantity of  boiling water; in
the  latter it  loses one fourth of its acid, and becomes the sesquicar-
bonate.  The solution is faintly alkaline ; it effervesces with acids,
but  does not precipitate with the salts  of magnesia.
   pKEP. — Dub. " Carbonate of soda, two parts ; water, five parts ; dissolve ; ex
pose the solution in a proper apparatus to the stream of carbonic acid gas procured
from the solution of white marble in dilute muriatic acid, until it ceases to absorb
the gas, and set it aside, that crystals may form; evaporate the liquor at a temper-
ature not above 120°, and crystallize by cooling; mix those crystals with the former;
dry,  and preserve in a close vessel."  Edin. " Fill with fragments of marble a glass
jar, open at the bottom,  and tubulated at the top; close the  bottom in such a Avay
as to keep in the marble without preventing the free passage of a fluid ; connect the
tubulature closely by a bent tube and corks with an empty bottle, and this in like
manner with another bottle filled with one part of carbonate of soda, and two parts
of dried carbonate of soda, well triturated together; and let the tube  be long enough
to reach the bottom of the bottle.  Before closing the last cork closely, immerse the
jar to the top  in diluted muriatic acid, contained in any convenient vessel; when
the whole apparatus is thus filled with carbonic acid gas, secure the last cork tight-
ly ;  and let the action go on till next morning, or till gas is no longer absorbed by
the salt. Remove the damp salt which is formed, and dry it either  in the air with-
out heat, or at a temperature not above 120°."  Sesquicarbonate of Soda, Lond
 " Carbonate of soda, ftvij.; distilled water, cong. j.;  dissolve, and strain ; then pass
carbonic acid into the solution to saturation, that the salt may subside ; dry this with
 a gentle heat,  wrapped and pressed in cloth."
   Adulterations.—The only one of importance is with the simple
 or monocarbonate, and this  is seldom wanting;  it may  be readily
 detected by  the action of  solution of corrosive sublimate, which
 gives  a reddish-brown precipitate with a  solution of the bicarbon-
 ate  in 40 parts of  distilled  water, if it contain so much as a  hun-
 dredth part of the carbonate.
    Th. E.—In the various forms of dyspepsia attended by secretion 
ANTACIDS.
37
 of acid and vomiting, no remedy is employed so frequently as the
 bicarbonate of soda.  It is usually taken in solution with excess of
 carbonic  acid.  In lithiasis,  and in gout  and  rheumatism  where
 there is excessive secretion of uric acid and the urates, it is not so
 well adapted as  the potash  preparations, for the salt formed with
 soda and  uric acid is  extremely insoluble, being, in fact, the compo-
 sition which is deposited in the joints of persons who suffer from
 repeated  attacks  of gout.
  D. & M. of Adm.—Gr. x. to 3ss., dissolved in water.—Aqua car-
 bonatis soda; acidula, D.  Liquor (Aqua, E.) soda; effervescens, L. E.
 (Bicarbonate  (carbonate, D.) of soda, 3i;  water (distilled, L.), by
 measure, tbj. (Oj., L. E.); dissolve ; and, in a proper apparatus, pass
 into it  a stream of carbonic acid gas (obtained from the solution of
 white marble  in muriatic acid diluted with six parts of water, D.)
 until it is more than saturated :  keep in well-stopped vessels.)  This
 constitutes soda-water, the form in  which  the bicarbonate is most
 generally used; as met with in the shops, however, soda-water is
 seldom anything more  than  a  simple solution of carbonic acid in
 water, not containing any carbonate of soda; this may be easily
 known by adding tartaric acid  to the solution ;  when it has-ceased
 to effervesce after being poured from the bottle, no farther efferves-
 cence  will take place,  unless the alkaline carbonate  be present.
 Dose,  f^vj. or f^viij.,  two or three  times a day.  Trochisci soda;
 bicarbonatis, E.   (Bicarbonate of soda, §i.; pure sugar, §iij.; gum-
 arabic, §ss.; pulverize them; and with mucilage beat  them into a
 proper mass for making lozenges.)   In acidity of the  stomach, ad
 libitum.
  Incomp. — Acids;  lime-water; muriate  of ammonia ;  metallic
 salts, except those of magnesia.

  SoD^E CARBONAS VENALE, SWe, BARILLA, D.  SoD^E  CARBONAS  IM-
 pura, L.   Impure carbonate of soda; Barilla.   Sod^e carbonas, D.
 L. E.  Carbonate of soda.—Impure carbonate of soda  or barilla is
 obtained by burning to ashes several terrestrial plants which belong
 to the  natural family Chenopodiacea;, and  which usually grow on
 the seashore.  It is imported in  the form of hard, grayish-blue mass-
 es, not deliquescent, packed in  barrels.   It is chiefly brought from
 Sicily, France, and the East Indies.   It is only employed for yield-
 ing carbonate of  soda by the processes mentioned below.  In  the
 present day, however, carbonate of soda is prepared on the large
 scale from sulphate of soda by a complicated  process, the details of
which  will be found in all modern works on chemistry.
  P. P.—Carbonate of  soda  occurs in large, transparent  crystals,
or fragments of crystals, the primary form of which is an oblique
rhombic prism.   They  are inodorous, but  have a disagreeable, al-
kaline, somewhat caustic taste.  Sp. gr.  1-623.
  C. P.—It is composed of one equivalent  of soda, one of carbonic
acid, and  ten of water.   It  effloresces when exposed to the air ; by
heat it  is fused in  its water of crystallization, which is expelled, and
a white anhydrous salt  left,  which again  becomes liquid at a red 
38
ANTHELMINTICS.
heat, but is  not decomposed.   The crystals are  soluble m twice
their weight of water at 60°, and in their water of crystallization
at 212°.  The solution is powerfully alkaline.
  Prep.—Dub. " Barilla, reduced to powder, one part ; water, two parts ; boil the
barilla in the water for two hours, occasionally stirring; strain the liquor, and, hav-
ing triturated what remains of the barilla, boil again with the same quantity of wa-
ter ; repeat this procedure a third time.  Evaporate the filtered and mixed wash-
ings in an open iron vessel to dryness, avoiding so high a heat as might again liquefy
the salt;  stir with an iron spatula until the mass becomes white ; then dissolve in
boiling water, and evaporate the liquor to a specific gravity of 1220, and expose to
the air at a temperature  of about 32°, that by cooling crystals may be formed, which
are to be dried and kept in a well-closed vessel.  If the  salt should not be suffi-
ciently pure, repeat the  solution and crystallization."  Lond. " Impure carbonate
of soda, fcij.; distilled water, Oiv.;  boil the salt in the water, and strain it while yet
hot; lastly, set it aside, that crystals may be formed."  In the Edin. Pharm., car-
bonate of soda is an article of the Materia Medica.
   Adulterations.—The impurities usually met with in carbonate of
soda are sulphates and muriates ; they may be detected in the man-
ner indicated, when they are present in carbonate of potash (which
see).
   Th. E.—Carbonate of soda is not employed as an antacid so fre-
quently as the bicarbonate, in consequence of its disagreeable taste ;
it may,  however, be used in  the same cases.
   D. & M.  of Adm.—Gr. x.  to  3ss.; dissolve in water.—Soda; car-
bonas siccatum, D.  E.  Soda; carbonas exsiccata,  L.   (Heat any
quantity of  crystallized carbonate of soda in a proper (silver, D.)
vessel (stirring frequently, D.) till it is  dry (afterward heat to red-
ness,  L. E.); reduce to powder, and keep in well-stopped bottles.)
Thus dried, carbonate of soda may be given in the form of powder
or pill;  it has a very  caustic taste; therefore, when given in pow-
der, especially to children, it should be combined with some bland
substance, as tragacanth, to conceal its acrimony.   Fifty-four grains
of the dried  carbonate of soda are equal  to 144 grains of the crys-
tallized  salt.  Dose, gr.  v. to gr.  xx.—Soda; carbonatis aqua, D.
(Carbonate  of soda, any  quantity;  dissolve it in water, so that the
specific gravity of the solution may be  to that of distilled water as
1024 to 1000.  A liquor  of  this  specific gravity may be obtained
by dissolving §i. of carbonate of soda in lb'i.,by measure, of distilled
water.)    A convenient strength for internal use ;  dose, fgss. to f§j.
  Incomp.—Acids, and their salts ; lime-water  ; and magnesia.
                         CHAPTER II.

                      ANTHELMINTICS.

                            (Vermifuges.)

  Anthelmintics are remedies which possess the property of de-
stroying worms, or  expelling them from  the  intestinal canal.  Be-
sides the specific, or more immediate anthelmintics, which are only 
anthelmintics.
39
described in this division, many of the more  active cathartics will
effect this  purpose;  and they should always  be administered in
conjunction with the specific remedies, the efficacy of which they
tend much  to increase.  As the action of those remedies, however,
is merely temporary, it will be requisite, as soon as the worms are
expelled, to employ means calculated to restore  the digestive or-
gans to a healthy action, and to correct that peculiar state of them
which promotes the  generation of intestinal  worms.   The means
best calculated for this purpose are, keeping the surface of the body
warm by proper clothing, a light but nutritious diet with a moder-
ate use of common salt, and, at the same time, the administration of
bitter tonics with gentle  aperients, and, if anaemia be present, the
preparations of iron.
  [There is no topic upon which the profession is so justly charge-
able with uncertainty and palpable error as it is  with  reference to
the treatment of diseases attributed to worms in the alimentary
canal, by remedies  denominated  anthelmintics, to which the spe-
cific property of destroying  worms  is ascribed.  It is  well known
that the existence of living  worms  in the stomach and  bowels  is
often found to be consistent with otherwise sound health, and that
they  often  spontaneously escape from the  body  per  os  and per
anum, when no previous evidence of their existence has been dis-
cernible, and when no other  disturbance of health can  be detected.
This is  often observed in schoolboys who partake freely,of unripe
fruit; and  these worms are of the variety called lumbrici, and they
are often found in the bowels of persons who have been killed when
in high health.   Still, however, this same kind of worms is  found
in children and persons of bad general health, and sometimes accu-
mulating in such numbers as to become a source of disease, and
require remedies for their destruction and removal.  In most cases,
however, even of this character, the worms  are often  the effect of
pre-existing disease,  and by no means its primary cause, notwith-
standing their presence may now be the only apparent source of
mischief.  Especially will it  be found in children that their diges-
tive organs have been impaired for a long time and their health frail
and feeble, before any suspicion of worms could  be gathered from
the symptoms.  And in a multitude of examples, anthelmintics, sup-
posed to be specific in their action, are given  for weeks and months,
when there is not only no proof of the existence of worms, but when
the  ultimate history of the  patient proves that  he has only suf-
fered from the suspicion of being troubled with worms, while his
malady has been all  the while of another and a different  character.
This discovery is, however,  very often delayed until all the arti-
cles of this class and many more have been tried in vain, and until
mothers, nurses, doctors, and quacks have drugged the patient to
surfeiting with worm nostrums and vermifuges of every variety.
   The  author  has judiciously stated in the  preceding paragraph,
that the action of anthelmintics is " merely temporary," even when
they act at all.   This is true, so far as the worms are concerned,
when there happen to be any in the case ; but the patient who has 
40
anthelmintics.
taken " an ounce of garlic swallowed whole," or an equal quantity
of " tin filings" and followed these with a drachm of cowhage or a
draught of " two ounces of spirits of turpentine," will be slow to
confess that their action upon his stomach and bowels has been
" merely temporary," and is  often condemned to  find the results
disastrously permanent;  even when taking these worm medicines
has only proved, as it often does to the satisfaction of the physician,
that there are no worms in the case, and that anthelmintics are un-
called for.
   The truth is, that no certain diagnosis of worms other than their
appearance  in the discharges is worthy of confidence, and  hence,
without this ocular proof, the use of anthelmintics is of  equivocal
propriety.  And even where the symptoms of intestinal irritation
lead to the suspicion of worms, to '• restore the healthy action of the
digestive organs," and correct the morbid state which " promotes
the generation of intestinal worms," these are the  true indications.
It need scarcely be said, that the medicines  arranged under  this
class are not those best adapted to this  purpose, but are correctly
pointed out by the author in the last sentence of the preceding
paragraph.
   It is only when the presence of worms is definitely ascertained
that any of the specific anthelmintics, as  they are here called, are
at all adapted to the case, and then only for merely " temporary" pur-
poses, and quickly followed  by cathartics, unless they possess this
property in common with their specific virtue.   The turpentine will
be found to  be the most successful of any, especially in tape-worm
and in ascarides, in which latter case it should be used as an ene-
ma, as this species only infest the rectum.]

   Allium sativum, D. L. E.   Garlic.  A native of Italy, Sicily, and
the South  of France, commonly cultivated in our gardens ;  belong-
ing to  the class  Hexandria, order Monogynia in  the Linnaean ar-
rangement, and to the natural family Liliacea;.
  B. C.—Stem a foot and a half to  three feet high, surrounded with many linear
grass-like leaves, and bearing a head of many whitish flowers emerging from a
membranous spatha.
  P. U.  & M. of Prep.—The bulb; it is dug up for use in the month of August,
cleaned and  dried in the sun, and kept in bunches in a dry place.
   P. P.—The bulb, as it is termed, consists of several small bulbs,
called  cloves, grouped together within a  common  membranous
covering; when dry, of a dirty whitish colour, and a withered as-
pect ; the  cloves, which have each their proper covering, are white
and succulent, of a strong, disagreeable, peculiar odour, and an
acrid, pungent taste.
   C. P.—Garlic consists of an acrid volatile oil, fecula, albumen, and
a saccharine matter;  its medical properties depend on the volatile
oil, which is heavier than water, of a yellowish colour, and a very
penetrating odour; it contains some sulphur.
   Th. E.—Garlic, though now seldom employed  as an anthelmin-
tic in regular practice, is an excellent remedy in ascarides.   Roque
states that he has met with great success by giving the infusion by 
ANTHELMINTICS.
41
the mouth and in clyster, and, at the same time, causing friction to
be made with a liniment over the abdomen.
   D. & M. of Adm.—In  substance, §ss. to gj. swallowed whole,
or made into  pills with soap; of the expressed juice, min. xx. to
min. xxx. on sugar; of an infusion prepared by infusing §ss. of the
bulb in f§ij. of water or milk, f3ij. to fhiij. two or three times daily.—
Sirup of Garlic (Garlic, one part;  boiling  water, eight parts;
sugar, sixteen parts); dose, f§ss. to f§j.

   Artemisia santonica, semina, D.  Worm-seed.  The substance
which is met with in  the shops under  this  name is imported  from
Barbary and the Levant, and appears to be a mixture of fragments
of flower-buds and their footstalks.   It is incorrectly stated by the
Dublin College to  be the seeds of the plant  above named.
   P. P.—The fragments are  smooth, of a greenish-yellow colour;
have a strong, aromatic odour, and a bitter taste.
   C. P.—It contains  a bitter, resinous, extractive matter, and an
acrid volatile  oil.
   Th. E.—Not much  employed now in this country,  though still
considered a  very excellent  anthelmintic in several parts of the
Continent.  It is used in cases of ascarides  and lumbrici.
   D. & M. of Adm.—Gr. xx. to gr.  xxx., made  into an electuary
with honey, may be given to  children night and mprning, followed
by a  brisk purge.— Vermifuge powder, P. (Worm-seed; Corsican
moss ; wormwood  ; tansy;  scordium ; senna ; and rhubarb, of each
equal  parts);  dose, 3ss. to 3i.— Vermifuge bolus, P. (Worm-seed,
gr. viij.;  calomel,  gr.  ij.;  camphor, gr. vj.;  sirup,  q.  s  for one
bolus). Dose, one to two daily.

   Geoffroya inermis, cortex, D.  Andira inermis (Kunth).   Cab-
bage-tree bark. A  native of Jamaica, belonging to the class Diadel-
phia, order Decandria, and to the natural family Leguminosa.
  B. C.—A  tree of considerable size, with pinnate leaves, and reddish-lilac flowers
in panicles, with short pedicles.
   P. P.—In rather thick fibrous pieces, of  a brownish-ash  colour.
It has a heavy odour, and a mawkish  bitter taste; is pulverulent,
the powder resembling jalap.
   C. P.—It contains  a brownish-yellow, crystalline, very bitter,
alkaline substance, which has been named Jamaicina, and on which
its  medicinal  properties depend, colouring matter,  gum, fecula,
woody fibre, &c.
   Th. E.—A powerful anthelmintic, especially in cases of the lum-
brici ;  but in consequence of its frequently producing vomiting, hy-
percatharsis, and even delirium, it is now  seldom employed; ad-
ministered with due caution, however, it is an excellent vermifuge.
Brera  states that he has found it peculiarly efficacious  when  com-
bined with valerian.
  D. & M. of Adm.—It should be commenced in small doses; of
the powdered bark, gr. xv. to gr. xxx.—Decoctum Geoffroya;, D.
(The bark, bruised, i],; water, by measure, fbij.; boil  down to Ibj.; 
42
anthelmintics.
and to the strained liquor add sirup of orange, §ij.)   Dose, for an
adult, fgss. to fgi.;  for a child, f3ss.  to  f3iss.  If fever, delirium, or
other disagreeable effects arise from its use, warm water should be
first given, then castor oil, followed by opiates.

  Gigartina Helminthocorton.   Corsican Moss.   A  native ot
the shores of the  Mediterranean about Corsica.  The  substance
Known in the shops as Corsican moss consists of fragments of a
great variety of Algae; Decandolle enumerates no less  than five-
and-twenty.  A small, though the  most essential part of the mix-
ture, is the plant above named.
  P.  P.—Corsican moss, as met with in commerce, consists oi
brownish filaments mixed with  broken,  irregular fronds,  having
whitish or greenish articulations; it has a nauseous  odour,  and an
acrid, bitter taste.
  C.  P.—It  consists of vegetable jelly, the nature of which is not
well known, vegetable fibre, salts of lime  and soda, a trace of iron,
manganese,  and silka.  Its active principle is soluble in  water.
  Th. E.—Corsican moss has been used by  the natives  of Corsica
for several centuries, as a remedy for intestinal worms ;  it appears
to be useful  in cases of lumbrici.  Bremser speaks highly of its an-
thelmintic properties, which he  ascribes to the chloride  of  sodium
it contains.
  D. & M.  of Adm.—In powder, gr. x. to 3ij., made into an electu-
ary with honey or treacle.—Infusion of  Corsican moss (Corsican
moss, giss.;  boiling water, fgiv.).   Dose, foij.  to f-ss., in a cupful of
water or milk.' Jelly of Corsican moss, P. (Corsican moss, §j.; su-
gar,  §ij.; white wine, fgij.; isinglass, 3ss.;  boil and strain).   Dose,
3j. or 3ij.

  Mucuna pruriens, L. E. [and U. S. P.]  Dolichos pruriens, D.
Cowitch.  A native of the West Indies, belonging to the class Di-
adelphia, order Decandria, and to the natural family Leguminosa;.
  B. C.—A twining shrub, bearing purplish flowers, with a disagreeable, alliaceous
odour, in axillary racemes, succeeded by coriaceous legumes, each containing three
to five seeds.
  P-  U.—The spiculae, or hairs, of the legumes.
  P.  P.—The entire legumes, with the hairs attached, are  usually
imported; they are shaped like  the letter f  of a brownish  colour,
from two to four or five  inches  long, thickly clothed with strong
brown bristles, or  setae, which, examined by the microscope, ap-
pear finely acuminate and serrated towards  the point;  these bris-
tles separate easily, and adhere obstinately to the skin, producino-
intolerable itching, accompanied with intense heat, and  sometimes
pain and swelling.
  C  P.—The hairs contain  tannin, according to Martius, but no
acrid principle.
  Th. E.—The operation of cowitch, as an anthelmintic, seems to
be completely mechanical;  the minute hairs wounding  and irrita-
ting the worms, thus obliging them to let go their hold on the coats
of the intesane, which is } rotected from injury by its mucous se- 
anthelmintics.
43
cretion.  It is chiefly serviceable in cases of ascarides and lumbri-
ci, having but little  effect on the  tape-worm;  indeed, by many
practitioners it is esteemed, and not without reason, as the  best
vermifuge for the lumbrici.
  D. & M. of Adm.—The legumes are dipped in sirup, and  then
scraped, so as  to remove the setae; this process is repeated  with
fresh legumes  until the  sirup acquires the consistence of honey ;
of this a teaspoonful  is given to a child, or a table-spoonful to  an
adult, for three successive mornings before breakfast, and the last
dose followed by a brisk purge.

  Nephrodium filix mas, E.   Aspidium  filix mas, D.  L.  Male
Shield Fern.   Indigenous ;  belonging to the Linnaean  class and
order Cryptogamia Filices, and to the natural family Filices.
  B.  C.—Rhizome, or underground stem, large, tufted, scaly; producing in spring
beautiful fronds or leaves, pinnate, with oblong, serrated, obtuse leaflets.
  P.  U. & M. of Prep.—The rhizome ;  it should be dug up in summer, cleared of
root fibres, &c., but not washed, and dried quickly and thoroughly in the open air
without heat, in the shade; the tufts, and those parts of the root-stock which  are
greenish internally, should alone be kept; they should be reduced to powder imme-
diately, and preserved in well-stoppered bottles ; the druggists' stock should be re
newed annually, as in two years it loses its medical properties.
  P. P.—The  powdered root is of a greenish-yellow colour, of a
rather disagreeable odour, and a nauseous, bitter, somewhat astrin-
gent taste.
  C. P.—It contains a small  portion of volatile oil, on which its an-
thelmintic  properties seem to  depend; some fixed oil, fecula, un-
crystallizable sugar, gum,  and woody fibre.
  Th. E.—The powder of the male  fern-root is perhaps the  most
efficacious anthelmintic  we possess in the treatment of taenia; and
as an indigenous remedy,  it  is especially  worthy  of attention.
Bremser, however, in his treatise on intestinal worms, states  that,
"though an excellent remedy against Bothriocephalus  latus  (the
tape-worm of the Swiss), it is not so efficacious against Ta;nia so-
lium (the tape-worm  of this country)."  It acts as a  poison to the
worms, as they are discharged dead in all cases.
  D. & M. of  Adm.—Powder, 3i. to 3iij.; it should be given in the
morning early, and followed in two hours afterward by  a brisk
purge.  Oleum Filicis Maris, Dr. Peschier.  (The tufts of the rhi-
zome are  reduced to a moderately fine  powder, exhausted  with
ether and  the  ethereal  liquor distilled.)   Dose,  min. xx.  to  min.
xxx., dropped on sugar, or made into an emulsion with almond  mix-
ture  ; half of this dose is given at bedtime, and the remainder  on
the following morning ; if it do not purge, an active cathartic should
be given in the afternoon of the same day.

  Petroleum Barbadense, D. L. E.  Petroleum ; Rock  oil; Bar-
badoes tar.   A mineral production, found floating on the waters  of
springs and lakes in several  of the West India islands.
  This substance, though still  retained in the British pharmaco-
poeias, is altogether discarded from practice.  It was formerly em- 
44                      anthelmintics.
ployed in cases of tape-worm, both inwardly, in form of emulsion,
and externally, by friction over the abdomen.

  Punica Granatum., radicis cortex, D.  Granati radix, E.  Pom-
egranate bark; Bark of the root of Punica Granatum.   A native
of the North of Africa, introduced into the South of Europe, where
it now grows freely; belonging to the class Icosandria, order Mo-
nogynia in  the Linnsean arrangement, and to the natural iamily
Myrtacea;.
  B. C.—A small, handsome tree, growing to the height of twenty feet, with a
brownish bark, and smooth leaves on short footstalks; it produces m July, at the
extremities of the young branches, splendid rich scarlet flowers, which are succeed-
ed by the orange-like fruit, crowned with the hardened persistent calyx.
  P. P.—Pomegranate bark is usually met with in short quills, or
portions of quills, of a  grayish-yellow colour externally, yellowish
internally, brittle, not fibrous, with a faint odour, and an astringent
taste.
  C. P.—According to  Mitouart's analysis, it consists of tannin,
wax, a sweetish substance (part of which is soluble in alcohol, and
part in water ; the former cry stall izable, the latter having the char-
acters of Mannite), and free gallic acid in large quantity.
  Adulterations.—The root bark of the  common barberry (Berbe-
ris  vulgaris), and of the box-tree (Buxus sempervivens), are said to
be sometimes  substituted for that of the pomegranate :  the fraud is
easily detected, as neither of these substances, although very bitter,
possesses the least astringency.
  Th. E.—The bark of the root of the pomegranate is  an  excel-
lent vermifuge in cases of tape-worm, and is  much employed in va-
rious parts of Europe; but it is chiefly used in India, where it is
said scarcely ever to fail, if properly administered : some practition-
ers state that it should not be employed unless joints of the worm
have already come away naturally.
  D. & M.  of Adm.—Two ounces of the bruised bark are macer-
ated for twenty-four hours  in  two pints of water, then boiled to
one half, and filtered ;  this is given in three doses, with an interval
of half an hour between each dose: vomiting frequently occurs
after the first or second dose ;  but this should not prevent us from
administering the  third.  Soon  afterward the patient passes  many
stools, in which joints of the worm are expelled.  The doses should
be  occasionally repeated for four or five days after fragments of
the worm have ceased to come away.

  Sabadilla, L. E. Cevadilla.  [U. S. P. Veratria.~\  Fruit of He-
lonias officinalis, L.; of Veratrum Sabadilla, of Helonias officinalis,
and probably of other Melanthacea, E.; of Asagra;a officinalis,
Lindley.  A  native of Mexico,  belonging to the class Poly gam ia,
order Moncecia in the  Linnsean arrangement, and  to  the natural
family Melanthacea,.
  B. C.—A bulb, sending up numerous grassy leaves, from  the centre of which
springs an annual stem, about six feet in height, terminated by a spike of small
white flowers, succeeded by numerous trifollicled capsules. 
anthelmintics.
45
   P. P.—The  fruit consists of three follicles, oblong, adherent at
the base, about half an inch in length ; they are composed of a thin,
yellowish, elastic membrane, containing from  one to three shining
black seeds ; the seeds have little odour, but when powdered and
snuffed into the  nostrils, they produce violent  sneezing  and dis-
charge of mucus: they have  an acrid, intensely  bitter taste, which
is very permanent.
   C. P.—Cevadilla consists of fatty matter, cevadic acid, wax, vera-
tria combined with gallic acid, yellow colouring matter, and gum.
   Th. E.—Although possessed of highly  poisonous properties, ce-
vadilla has been employed internally as an anthelmintic with much
success in cases of tape-worm and of ascarides ;  its use has been
hitherto almost entirely confined  to the  Continent, and from  the
numerous instances of its successful employment recorded by dif-
ferent practitioners, it  appears deserving of a high character as a
vermifuge.
   D. & M.  of  Adm.—Powder, gr. iij. for eight  successive morn-
ings fasting, followed on the ninth day by an active purge, in cases
of taenia.—Enema of  cevadilla  (Cevadilla,  3ij.; water f§x; milk,
fgviiij.: the  cevadilla is boiled in the water until it is  reduced to
seven ounces, then filtered, and the milk added).  To be adminis-
tered in cases of ascarides.

   Spigelia, L. E.  Spigelia Marilandica, radix, D. Carolina pink;
root of Spigelia Marilandica.  A native of the United States,  be-
longing to the Linnaean class and order Pentandria Monogynia, and
to the natural family Gentianacea;.
  B. C.— A perennial root, sending up  numerous simple stems, bearing, in the
month of July, rich, carmine-coloured flowers, in racemes.
   P. P.—Usually met  with in bundles about  twenty inches long,
consisting of numerous slender, yellowish-brown fibres, proceeding
from a small, dark-brown rhizome: they have a faint  odour, and a
bland,  somewhat  nauseous taste.
   C. P.—The root consists of acrid resin, tannin, bitter extractive,
and woody fibre,  with  a trace of fixed oil.
   Th. E.—Spigelia root, in consequence of its  being much more
active in the recent state than when dried, bears a higher charac-
ter as an anthelmintic  in America than  in Europe. It is the most
popular vermifuge in the United  States  for  the  expulsion of lum-
brici,  possessing,  however, little or no powers over any other spe-
cies of intestinal worm.
   D. & M.  of Adm.—In powder, gr. x. to gr. xx. for children.  In-
fusum spigelia;, U. S.  (Spigelia  root, §ss.;  boiling water, f^xvj.;
macerate for two hours and strain.)   Dose, f§ss.  to fgi. for a child;
four times  the  quantity  for an adult.   However administered, it
should be always followed by a strong mercurial purge.

   Stanni pulvis, D. L. E.  Powder of Tin.—Tin is  found in na-
ture chiefly  in the form of  peroxide,  existing in large  quantities in
Cornwall, in South America, and in  the East Indies. 
46
ANTHELMINTICS.
   P. P.—Metallic tin is of a bluish-white colour, brilliant, soft, and
 malleable, with but little tenacity ; it emits a slight peculiar odour
 when rubbed.   Sp.  gr. 7*3.
   C. P.—It melts at 442° F.;  if the  heat be increased, it oxydizes
 rapidly, and at a red heat  burns brightly ; it dissolves  slowly in di-
 lute muriatic acid,  but  rapidly if the acid be strong  and  boiling:
 nitric acid, slightly diluted, acts on tin with great violence; heat is
 produced, orange fumes disengaged, and pure peroxide of tin is
 formed.
  Prep.—The metal is separated from the impurities which exist with it in the ore
 by smelting and liquation.  For medical purposes, it is reduced to powder by agita-
 ting it while in a state of fusion in a wooden box, the inside of which has been rub-
 bed with chalk (in a mortar previously heated, triturating briskly as it cools, E.), and
 separating the finer particles by means of a sieve.—Dub., Edin.
   Adulterations.—Pewter filings  are sometimes substituted for tin
 filings in commerce;  and Christison  says  that lead powder is not
 unfrequently sold for powder of tin.   These adulterations may be
 detected by first acting  on the specimen with nitric  acid, so as to
 convert it into the peroxide, boiling the powder thus obtained with
 distilled water, when, should the tin be pure, the water will  not pre-
 cipitate with solution of sulphate of magnesia.
   Th. E.—Powder of tin  is a most effectual anthelmintic, espe-
 cially for  children, in cases of lumbrici; not so useful in cases of as-
 carides, and producing little or no effect in cases of taenia.   It ap-
 pears to  act  mechanically, and, consequently, its administration
 should be always followed by an active cathartic.
   D. & M. of Adm.—§ss. to §i. made into an electuary, with  an
 equal quantity of honey or treacle.

   Tanacetum vulgare, folia, D.  Common Tansy.—Indigenous ;
 belonging  to the class Syngenesia, order  Polygamia superfiua, in
 the Linnsean arrangement, and to the natural family Composita;.
  B. C.—Stem two to three feet high, bearing a corymb of yellow flowers.
   P. P.—The whole  plant has  a  disagreeable, camphoraceous
 odour, and a nauseous, bitter, aromatic taste.
   C. P.—The only  important  constituents  of the plant  are  bitter
resin and  volatile oil.
   Th. E.—Though  rarely employed in regular practice, it is fre-
quently administered as a vermifuge with much benefit as a domes-
tic remedy; it is only applicable for cases of lumbrici.
   D.  & M. of Adm.—In  powder, 9i. to 5i.   Infusum Tanacetr
 (leaves, §ij.; boiling  water, Oj.; macerate for an hour).  Dose, f~i.
or f§ij.

   Terebinthina oleum, D. L. E.   The volatile  oil distilled from
the liquid resinous exudation (Terebinthina  vulgaris,  D. L.)  of
various species of Pinus and Abies (Edin.).   Of Pinus sylvestris
 (Dub., Lond.).   Oil of Turpentine;  Spirits of Turpentine.—The
 trees  irom which the  varieties of common turpentine  met  with in
 commerce are procured are inhabitants of the forests of the colder 
antispasmodics.                      47
regions of Europe and North America, and most of them are culti--,;*
vated in the British Isles;  they are placed in the natural  family
Conifera;, and in the Linnsean class and order Monaecia Monadel-
vhia.
  Prep.—Common Turpentine, Terebinthina vulgaris, is procured in America by Cut
ting off the outer bark near the root of the tree, and making an incision through the
inner bark into the wood; as the turpentine exudes, it flows into a hole dug in the
earth, whence it is removed into casks.  Volatile oil of turpentine is an article of the
Materia Medica in the L. and E. P.s, being always prepared by the manufacturer on
►he large scale.  The Dublin College gives the following formula for its preparation :
" Common turpentine, by weight, Brv.; water, by measure, Ibiv.;  distil the oil from a
copper alembic; yellow resin will remain after the distillation."  This oil is farther
directed to be purified; Oleum Terebinthina pwrificatum, L. E.—rectificatum, D. (Oil
of turpentine, by measure,Mj. (Oj., L. E.); water,iy measure,  Ibiv. (Oiv.,L. E.); dis-
til till Ibiss. by measure of the oil be obtained (distil the oil cautiously, L. E.).
   P.  P.—Oil of turpentine is a transparent, colourless, limpid fluid;
of a peculiar, penetrating, balsamic  odour; and  a  pungent, bitter,
disagreeable taste.   Sp. gr. *872 at 50° F.
   C.  P.—It  is composed of C20 H16.  It is very soluble in ether,
less so in alcohol, and very sparingly soluble in  water.   Exposed
to the air, it gradually absorbs oxygen, thickens,  and  becomes yel-
lowish.  It boils at 314°, and cooled down to—17° it deposites white
crystals  stearopten, which are heavier than  water.   Oil  of turpen-
tine is very inflammable, burning with  a heavy, yellowish  flame,
and much smoke; in chlorine gas it takes fire  spontaneously.
  Not liable to adulteration.
  Th. E.—As the most effectual remedy we possess for the  expul-
sion of tape-worm, oil of turpentine  stands  deservedly in high re-
pute.   It operates as  a specific poison to the parasite, causing its
immediate death, and afterward, in consequence of its cathartic
properties, expelling it from the body.   It has also  been used with
much benefit in the form  of enema for ascarides in  the rectum.
  D.  &c  M. of Adm.—As an anthelmintic; for adults, f§ss. to f^ij.;
for children, f§i.  to  ffss.   It may be given  either  floating  on the
surface of water, or made into an emulsion with mucilage (of which
it requires equal portions), or with yolk of egg (one to every ounce).
Enema Terebinthina;,  D. L. E. (Common  turpentine, §ss.  (oil of
turpentine,  fgj., L. E.);  yolk of one egg (a  sufficiency, L. E.);
water (of a temperature not exceeding 100°, D.), (decoction of
barley, L.), f§x. (f^xix., L. E.); rub the oil  and the yolk together,
and add the water gradually,  D.E.—Mix, L.).
                         CHAPTER  III.
                      ANTISPASMODICS.
  Antispasmodics,  as their name  indicates, are medicines  which
counteract irregular or inordinate muscular action—spasm.   This
deranged state of the system depends on so many different causes,
and is produced  by so many different sources of irritation, that its 
48
antispasmodics.
successful  treatment will very frequently depend on the employ-
ment of remedies calculated to remove the more immediate cause
or source of irritation by which  the spasmodic affection is produ-
ced.  It follows, therefore, that  under peculiar circumstances, the
remedies  which  will be  found most successful  in  counteracting
spasm must be derived from very different divisions  of the Materia
Medica; and thus the term Antispasmodic will become applicable
to a narcotic, a sedative, a stimulant, a cathartic, or a tonic.  There
are, however, certain medicines which  appear to exert a  direct
control over spasmodic action independent of any influence upon
its exciting causes, and these will form the subject of our inquiry in
the present chapter.
   [The foregoing remarks are discriminating and judicious, and yet
no allusion is made to three of the most  potent means which our
art recognises among its resources for subduing  spasm, and with-
out which neither of those here named can always be relied on.
Emetics are  among our most useful  and efficient antispasmodics,
and even when given only in  nauseating doses, often without being
carried far enough to  excite vomiting, by relaxing the muscular
fibre, upon the constriction of which spasmodic diseases depend,
will afford speedy relief. But the lancet is our most certain, speedy,
and effectual antispasmodic, and  a full bleeding drawn from a large
orifice, the patient being placed in  an erect position so as to favour
syncope, will be found best adapted  to  relieve those violent  and
rapid spasms which endanger life,  and even when all the rest may
have been used in vain.  The warm bath, of which valuable reme-
dy in spasm no mention  is made, though it  may be called " non-
medical,"  is, nevertheless, an agent of great importance singly em-
ployed, and  invaluable as  an auxiliary  in severe and protracted
spasm, especially when the bowels are involved in the disease.]

   Assafcetida, D. L. E.    Gummy, resinous exudation  of Ferula
assafcetida; probably, also, of Ferula Persica (Edin.).—A native of
Persia,  especially the  provinces  of Khorasan and  Laristan;  be-
longing to the Linnsean class and  order  Pentandria Digynia, and
to the natural family Umbellifera;.
  B. C.—The root is long, tapering, of the thickness of a man's leg, black external-
ly, white and juicy internally; of a powerful alliaceous odour,  sending up many
radical leaves, about two feet long; and after some years a round stem, clothed
with leafless sheaths, eight or nine feet high, and bearing yellow flowers in umbels,
succeeded by flat, thin, reddish-brown fruit.  The whole plant dies after it has once
flowered and ripened its seed.
  M. of Prep.—When the plant is four years old, the root-leaves are removed, and
in forty days afterward the top of the root is sliced off; a fetid juice exudes, which
concretes in a couple of days, is then scraped off, and a fresh slice of the root made ;
more juice exudes, is collected as before, and the  same process repeated from ten
to twelve times within six weeks, until the root is completely exhausted.  The juice
is exposed to the sun to become harder, packed in casks and cases, which are sent,
by way of Bombay, to Europe.
   P. P.—Assafcetida is met with in commerce in irregular  lumps
from half a pound to three pounds in weight; of a pinkish-yellow
and reddish-brown colour externally ;  when recently cut, of a 
ANTISPASMODICS.
49
pearl-white colour with a waxy lustre ;  but, on exposure to the air,
rapidly acquiring a rose tint   It has  a powerfully  disagreea^e,
peculiar, alliaceous odour, and a strong, bitter, acrid  taste.   Sp.
gr. 1-31 to 1-35.
   C. P.—It is composed of 48*85 per cent, of resin, 4*60 of volatile
oil, 19-40 of gum with traces of saline matters, 9*70 of sulphate and
carbonate  of lime, with some  bassorin, extractive,  lignin,  &c.
(Brandes).   The resin and volatile oil are the medicinal principles.
Exposed to the air, it is  apt to  become very  hard, owing to the
presence of the sulphate of lime, the setting of which is supposed to
be the cause.  Assafcetida softens with a moderate  heat; and is
inflammable, burning with a fuliginous  flame.   It is partially  solu-
ble in alcohol, ether,  and vinegar ; and it may be formed into an
emulsion with water.   It is  reduced to  powder with difficulty, un-
less triturated with carbonate of  potash.
   Th. E.—Assafcetida is a  powerful  stimulating antispasmodic,
especially adapted for the spasmodic nervous  diseases of  females,
as hysteria, and some forms  of chorea  and epilepsy.   No  remedy
we possess is so successful in  the treatment of hysteria, adminis-
tered either during the paroxysm or in the interval;  in a hysteric
paroxysm, we are frequently unable to administer medicines by the
mouth; when, given in the form of enema, assafcetida is found to
be very effectual.  In the convulsions  of infants, especially when
dependant on flatulence, and in  the  flatulent  constipation of the
aged, few  remedies are more  efficacious.   It  has also been em-
ployed with much benefit in  the chronic spasmodic stage of hoop-
ingcough, in  pure spasmodic asthma, and in that peculiar spasmod-
ic difficulty  of breathing, so frequently the attendant of chronic
catarrh.   Assafcetida has been also used as a vermifuge.
   D.  & M. of Adm.—Gr. x. to 3ss., in pills or emulsion.  Mistura
Assafcetida;,  D. L.  (Assafcetida, 3i. (3v., L.);  pennyroyal water,
ffviij. (water, a pint, L.) ; rub the assafcetida with the water, grad-
ually  poured in, until an emulsion is formed.) Dose, fgss. to f^iss.;
used also as  an enema for children.—Tinctura Assafcetida;, D. L.
E. (Assafcetida, §iv.  (^v., L. E.) ; rectified spirit, by measure, fbij.
(Oij., L. E.); (water, fgviij., D.) ;  macerate for  14 (7, E.) days, and
filter.)  Dose, f3ss. to f3ij.—JEther Assafcetida;, P.  (Assafcetida, 1
part'; sulphuric ether, 4  parts; dissolve.)  Dose, min. xx. to  min.
xxx.—Spiritus Ammonia; fastidus, D. E.  (Spirit of ammonia, by
measure, rbjj. (ffxss., E.) ; assafcetida, %\\ (§ss., E.); macerate for
three days; distil Ibiss., by measure, D.   Macerate for  12 hours;
distil f3xss., E.)—L. (Hydrochlorate of ammonia, §x.; carbonate of
potash, §xvj.; rectified spirit, and water, of each, Oiij.;  assafcetida,
§v.; distil with a slow fire three pints).  Dose,  f3i.  This is merely
a solution of the  volatile oil of assafcetida in the spirit of ammonia.
—Pilula;  Galbani comp., D. L.    (Assafcetida, §ss.;  myrrh  and
sagapenum, of each, giss.;  galbanum,  §j.;  treacle (syrup, L.), a
sufficiency.)«— Pilula; Assafcetida,   E.  (Assafcetida,  galbanum,
and myrrh, of each, three parts;  conserve of red roses, four parts,
or a sufficiency.)   Dose, gr. x. to 3j.—Pilula; fcetida, Den.  (As- 
50
ANTISPASMODICS.
safcetida and castor, of each, 9 parts;  camphor, 3 parts;  Dipper's
animal oil, 1  part; tincture of myrrh,,a sufficiency.)   Dose. gr. vj.
to gr. xij.  Enema fcetidum, D. E.  (Add two drachms of tincture
of assafcetida to the enema catharticum.)—Emplastrum Assafcetida;,
E.   (Litharge plaster and assafcetida, of each,  §ij.; galbanum
and  bees' wax, of each, §i.; liquefy the gum  resins  together, and
strain them, then add the plaster and wax also, in the melted state,
and  mix all thoroughly.) Applied externally in hysteria, flatulence,
and  hoopingcough.

  Castoreum, D. L. E.  A peculiar secretion from  the preputial
follicles of Castor fiber; Castor.  The beaver, an inhabitant of the
northern parts of Europe, and  of  North America,  is  placed by
Cuvier  in  the class Mammalia, order  Rodentia.  Both the male
and  female beavers are furnished with  castor sacs.   In the living
animal the secretion contained in them is fluid, but when removed
from the animal it rapidly concretes.
  P. P.—As  met with in commerce, North American  castor (the
only kind  now imported into  Britain) consists of  the two  sacs
united together by a kind of natural ligament; they are wrinkled ;
of a reddish-brown  colour externally, paler internally; breaking
with a somewhat resinous fracture; sometimes quite hollow in the
centre.   They have a strong, peculiar, disagreeable  odour, and a
somewhat aromatic, bitter taste.
  C. P.—It contains volatile oil, resin, albumen, a peculiar princi-
ple discovered by Brandes and named  by  him Castorine, and to
which he says it owes its properties, fatty matter, mucus, carbonate
of ammonia, and salts of soda and potash.  Castor yields its active
principles almost entirely to alcohol.
  Th. E.—Formerly in high esteem as an antispasmodic, but nearly
fallen into disuse, its employment being  restricted to some  of the
milder forms  of hysteria, in which any benefit it produces is owing
to its nauseous smell and taste.
  D. & M. of Adm.—In substance from, 3i. to  3ij.—Tinctura Cas-
torei, D. L. E.  (Castor, powdered (bruised, E.), ^ij. (§iiss., L. E.);
proof spirit, by measure, Ibij. (rectified spirit, Oij., L. E.); macerate
for seven (fourteen, L.) days, and strain ; "may also be prepared by
percolation,"  E.)   Dose, f3i^. to f3iv.—-Tinctura Castorei  comp.,
E.   (Castor  bruised, giiss.;  assafcetida in  small fragments,  5x.;
spirit of ammonia, Oij.; digest in  a well-closed vessel for seven
days, strain, and express strongly the residuum, and filter.)  Dose,
f3i.  to  f3ij.—Antispasmodic pills, Paris H.  (Castor, gr. vj.; va-
lerian, gr. xxx.; oxyde of  zinc, gr. xx.; sirup, q. s.  for iij. pills.)
No., 3 a day.

  Fuligo ligni, wood soot,  formerly contained in the British Phar-
macopoeias, is still much used on the Continent, and, within the last
few years, has been employed, with excellent effect, as an antispas-
modic, by some eminent physicians in Dublin.  It has been found
most beneficial in the latter stages of hoopingcough in children, 
antispasmodics.
51
 and in  some forms of hysteria.  It is prepared by burning wood
 under a small flue, and collecting the soot which is deposited in the
 chimney.  It consists of a peculiar extractive matter called pyretin,
 some acetic acid, acetates of soda, potash, magnesia, and ammonia,
 creasotc, &c.  It yields its active properties partly to water, but
 more completely to  alcohol.  The preparations of soot that have
 been employed are  as follows:  Decoctum Fuliginis  (wood soot,
 §iv.; boiling water, Oiss.; boil down to Oj. and strain).  Only used
 as an external application to chronic eruptions of the scalp, and to
 obstinate ulcers.—Tinctura Fuliginis (wood soot, §ij.; assafcetida,
 li.;  proof spirit, gxxxij.; digest for three days and strain).   Dose,
 f3j. to f3ij.—Spiritus Fuliginis (wood soot, one part;  proof spirit,
 five parts ;  water, fifteen parts ; distil four parts).   Dose, min. xx.
 to min.  xxx.

  Galbanum, D. L. E.—Concrete gummy resinous exudation of an
 unascertained plant  (probably of a species of Opoidia, E.—of Bu-
 bon  Galbanum,  D.—of Galbanum  officinale, L.).   It  is imported
 from India,  and from the Levant.
  P. P.—It occurs in both tears and in lump; the tears are globu-
 lar,  irregular, about  the size of a pea,  usually' agglutinated into
 masses  of a pale greenish-yellow colour, somewhat  translucent,
 having  a strong peculiar odour, and an  acrid, disagreeable, bitter
 taste ; the lump variety is of a darker colour, rather opaque, with
 a less powerful odour and taste;  when exposed to cold, both kinds
 become brittle, and may be readily reduced to powder.
  C. P.—Galbanum  consists chiefly of resin and gum, with a small
 proportion of volatile oil, and some  bassorine.   It is nearly entirely
 soluble  in proof spirit, and partially so in rectified spirit and in
 ether; it forms an emulsion with  water, and is rendered softer, but
 not melted by heat.
  Th. E.—Galbanum is employed in the same cases as assafcetida,
 with which  it is generally combined, being less energetic than that
 substance.  It is more frequently employed externally, as a stimu-
 lating antispasmodic, in consequence of its consistence  being better
 suited for plasters.
  D. & M.  of Adm.—In  substance, either in pill or emulsion, gr. x.
 to gr. xx.—Tinctura Galbani, D.    (Galbanum, in small fragments,
 §ij.; proof spirit, by measure, rbij.; digest for seven days and filter.)
 Dose f3i. to f3ij. — Emplastrum  Galbani,  D.  (Litharge  plaster,
 ibfj.; galbanum, Ibss.; yellow wax, §iv.; add the litharge plaster
 and  the wax to  the  melted galbanum, and then melt  all  together
 with a medium heat.)—L.   (Galbanum,  gviij.; lead plaster,  fbiij.;
 common turpentine, 3x.; resin of  the spruce fir  powdered, §iij.;
 add  first the resin, then the plaster melted with a slow fire to the
galbanum and turpentine melted together, and mix them all.)  Ap-
plied externally, spread on leather.

  Moschus, D. L. E.—Inspissated secretion from the preputial fol-
licles of Moschus moschiferus; Musk. The musk deer, an inhab- 
52
ANTISPASMODICS.
itant of the mountains of Eastern Asia, especially frequenting the
steppes of the Altai, the banks of the River Irtysch, Mongolia, Thi-
bet, and Butan, as far as  Tonquin, is placed by Cuvier in the class
Mammalia, order Ruminantia.  In the male animal, immediately in
front of the prseputial orifice, is situated a small  sac, filled with a
viscid fluid, which, in the dry state, constitutes musk.
  P. P.—The musk-bag, or, as  it is commonly called, musk-pod, is
somewhat oval, about 2\ inches long, and 1| inches broad, smooth
and bare  on one side, somewhat convex, and covered with stiff,
brownish-yellow hairs on the other, containing from 3iss. to  3iij. of
musk.   Musk  is in  the form of small  unctuous grains, of a deep
reddish-brown colour, mixed with whitish  hairs ; it  has a strong,
peculiar, diffusible,  very persistent  odour, and a bitter, aromatic
taste.
  C. P.—Musk  consists  of ammonia, stearine, elaine, cholesterine,
acid oil combined with ammonia, volatile oil, an undetermined acid,
gelatin, albumen, fibrine, carbonaceous matter, and numerous salts
(Guibourt and Blondeau).   It yields its active principles  partially
to water, but more  completely  to alcohol.
  Adulterations.—Grain musk is usually adulterated; dried bul-
locks' blood is employed for this purpose; it may be detected by
adding to an infusion of  the  suspected drug solution of corrosive
sublimate ; if it be genuine, it will not precipitate.   Spurious musk-
bags are said not to be uncommon in commerce.
  Th. E.—Musk is not much prescribed now, in consequence of its
high price; it is, nevertheless, a stimulating antispasmodic of great
power, and is administered with excellent effect in hysteria, in cho-
rea, and in the subsultus tendinum and hiccough of fevers and other
diseases assuming  a typhoid type.   In  cases of hysteria of long
standing, so nearly  allied to epilepsy as to  be scarcely distinguish-
able from it, I have obtained very beneficial results  from the em-
ployment of musk.
  D. & M. of Adm.—In  substance, gr. x. to gr. xx.—Mistura Mos-
chi, L.   (Musk, gum-arabic, sugar, of each, 3iij.; rose-water, Oj.;
rub the musk with the sugar, then with the gum, the rose-water be-
ing gradually  poured in.)  Dose, f§i. to f^ij.—Tinctura Moschi, D.
(Musk, in powder,  3ij.; rectified  spirit, by measure, Ibj.; macerate
for seven days, and filter.)   Too weak for medical use.—Pulvis
Moschi comp.,R.  (Musk, 8 parts ; valerian, 10 parts ; camphor, 3
parts, mix.) Dose, gr. x. to  gr. xx.—Musk pills,  Paris H.  (Musk,
2  parts; oxyde of zinc, 1  part; sirup, q. s.)  Dose, gr. v. to gr.
vnj.—Antihysleric pills,  Paris  H.  (Musk, extract of valerian, of
each, 9j.; extract  of opium, gr. xij.; divide into 12 pills.)   Dose,
No. 2-3.

   Opoponax, D. L.   Gum-resin of Opoponax chironium,  L ; of
Pastinaca Opoponax, D.  This plant  is a native of the South 6f
Europe.  It belongs to the  class and  order Pentandria Digynia,
and to the natural  family Umbellifera:.   Opoponax is  obtained by
incisions into the root; it occurs in reddish-yellow tears, possessing 
antispasmodics.
53
a somewhat fetid but faint odour, with a bitterish, acrid taste;  it
consists chiefly of gum and resin, with a small quantity of volatile
oil, starch, and extractive matter.  This substance is quite obsolete
in medical practice; it was formerly employed  in the same cases
as assafcetida and galbanum, which it resembles in its physiological
properties.

  Ruta, L. E.  Ruta graveolens, folia, D. Rue; leaves (and un-
ripe fruit, E.) of Ruta graveolens.—A native of the South of Eu-
rope,  cultivated in our gardens.   It belongs to the natural family
Rutacea, and to the Linnaean class and order DecandriaMonogynia.
  B. C.—A small branching shrub, with glaucous, bluish-green leaves, and yellow
flowers in umbellate racemes.
  P. & C. P.—Although the leaves only are ordered by the Dub-
lin  and London Colleges, the entire plant is met with in the shops.
It has a strong, disagreeable, somewhat aromatic odour in the fresh
state, much of which is lost in drying, and  a bitter, acrid, unpleas-
ant taste.  Its medicinal properties depend on volatile oil and bit-
ter extractive; the  former, Oleum Ruta, is officinal in the Dub. &
Edin. Phar.; it is obtained by distilling the fresh herb with water.
Oil of Rue is of a rich yellow colour, becoming  darker by age ;  it
has the peculiar odour of the plant in a marked degree, and a bit-
ter, acrid, warm taste; its sp. gr.  is 0*911.  Rue yields  its active
properties to boiling water, but by decoction the volatile oil is dis-
sipated.
   Th. E.—Rue is a stimulating antispasmodic of some power, al-
though not much employed in the present day.  It has been admin-
istered with benefit in the spasmodic colic and general convulsions
of children ; and, in the hands of some practitioners, is said to have
proved useful in hysteria and idiopathic epilepsy.
   D.  & M. of Adm.—Preparations of the fresh herb should always
be  employed,  as the infusion (prepared by infusing §i. of the herb
in Oj. of boiling water, in a covered vessel, for an  hour) or the
oil; the  dose  of the former is  f§i. to f^ij.;  of the latter, min. ij.  to
min. v., in some agreeable sirup.—Extractum Ruta, D.  (Prepared
as  the simpler  extracts.)  A useless preparation,  the volatile oil
being dissipated in  the process.   Dose, gr. x. to  gr. xx.—Conserva
Ruta, D.  Confectio Ruta, L.   (Rue (dried, L.), caraway,  bay
berries, of each, giss.; sagapenum,  §ss.; black pepper, 3ij. ;  des-
pumated honey, §xvj.  " Rub together to a very fine powder, and
having added the honey, mix  all well," D.  " Rub the dry ingre-
dients together  to  a very fine  powder, and preserve them ;  then,
whenever the confection is to be used, add the honey to  them, and
mix them  all," L.)   Only used in enemas,  in the spasmodic affec-
tions  of infants  and children.  From 3j. to 3j. is added to fgvj.  or
fgviij. of thin gruel.

   Sagapenum, D. L.  Gum-resin, obtained from an unascertained
plant (species  of Ferula, Lond.).   Imported from the Levant.
   P.  p.—It occurs in semi-translucent masses of a dark brownish- 
54
antispasmodics.
yellow colour, consisting of numerous tears agglutinated together;
it has a fetid odour, weaker than assafcetida, and a hot, acrid taste ;
it breaks with  a horny fracture.
  C. P.—According to the  analysis of Pelletier, sagapenum con-
sists of gum, resin, volatile oil, bassorin, and some salts.
  Th. E.—Sagapenum produces effects  precisely similar  to, but
weaker than assafcetida; it is, consequently, scarcely ever employ-
ed now.
  D. & M. of Adm.—In substance, given in the form of pill, gr. v.
to gr.  xx.—Pilula  Sagapeni comp., L.  (Sagapenum, §j. ; aloes,
3ss.;  sirup of ginger, q. s.; beat together until they are incorpora-
ted.)  Dose, gr. v. to gr. xx.  A useful purgative and antispasmodic
in the flatulent colic of dyspepsia.

  Succinum, D. L.  Amber.—An oil (Oleum Succini), and an acid
(Acidum Succinicum),  are still  retained in  the Dublin, and the oil
in the .London Pharmacopoeia, but, although once highly esteemed
in medicine as antispasmodics, they really possess such feeble me-
dicinal properties, and are  so little employed in the present day, that
we  may very well omit any account of them here.

  Valeriana, D. L. E.  Root  of Valeriana officinalis.—An indi-
genous plant, belonging to the class  Triandria, order Monogynia,
in the Linnsean arrangement, and  to the natural family  Valerian-
acea.
  B. C.—The root is tuberous, perennial, sending up a smooth, erect,  furrowed
stem, from two to four feet high, which produces rose-coloured flowers in a some-
what panicled corymb.
  P. P.—The root, which should be  dug up in autumn  when the
leaves have decayed, or in spring before  the stem rises, consists of
a short tuberous root-stock, and numerous  root-fibres from  two to
six  inches long, yellowish  brown externally, whitish internally, of a
strong, penetrating, characteristic odour, and a bitter, acrid, some-
what aromatic taste.  Cats are remarkably  fond of the odour.  The
roots of those plants which grow on the banks of rivers are  useless.
  C. P.—It consists of woody fibre, resinous  extractive, gummy
extractive, resin, and  a little more  than  one  per cent, of volatile
oil; a  peculiar acid has also been recently discovered to exist in it,
which has been named valerianic acid.   Valerian imparts its prop-
erties to both water and rectified spirit.  Magnesia combined  with
valerian completely removes its odour, which may be  again re-
stored by the addition of sulphuric acid.
  Th. E.—Medical practitioners differ much in  opinion as to the
powers of this substance, it being generally regarded as a medicine
of little virtue.   In several cases of epilepsy and of hysteri in which
I employed it, I have found it decidedly  beneficial; however, I
have at the same  time remarked that, by  repetition, even  though
the dose be increased, it soon loses its antispasmodic powers.
  D. & M. of Adm.—In  powder, 3ss. to 3j.—Infusum Valeriana;,
D.  L.  (Valerian, 3ij.  (§ss.,  L); boiling  (distilled, L.) water, f^vij. 
ASTRINGENTS.
55
(Oj., L.);  digest for an hour (half an hour, L.), and strain.)  Dose,
f§j. to f^ij.—Tinctura Valeriana, D.   (Valerian, in powder. §iv.;
proof spirit, by measure, Ibrj.; macerate for seven days, and filter.)'
L. E. (Valerian bruised, §v.; proof spirit, Oij.; macerate for four-
teen (seven, E.) days, and  strain;  " or prepare  by percolation,"
Edin.)  Dose, fsij. to f3iv.—Tinctura  Valeriana Ammoniata, D.
(Valerian, in powder, §ij.; spirit of ammonia, by measure, ibj.;  ma-
cerate for seven  days, and filter.)   L.'E.  (Valerian  bruised, §v.
(aromatic, L.) ; spirit of annonia, Oij.; macerate for fourteen days
(seven, E.), and strain ; " or prepare by percolation," Edin.) Dose
f3j. to f3ij.
                       CHAPTER IV.

                        ASTRINGENTS.
                (Styptics—Desiccants—Constringenjs.)

  Astringents  may be defined, substances which produce  con-
traction and condensation when they come in  contact with living
matter.  The  more  immediate effect of astringents is to diminish
secretion and excretion ; ultimately they exert a tonic influence on
the human body.  Hence, then, they appear to be  very nearly al-
lied to tonics; indeed, in many instances the most powerful tonics
will be obtained from  the division  astringents.  Much difference
of opinion exists as to the modus operandi of this class of remedial
agents.  Since the time of Cullen, this has been generally explain-
ed by a reference to their action in tanning; for the same substan-
ces which, by a peculiar chemical  action, harden  and condense
dead animal matter, operate  as astringents on the  living system.
This hypothesis may, to a certain  extent, hold good as to the local
action  of astringents  when applied to a morbidly secreting surface ;
that is to say,  they act by constringing the  extreme vessels of the
part.   But this will  not account for their power in checking dis-
charges from remote parts, when they are introduced into the sys-
tem through the digestive organs; in the latter case, we must sup-
pose that \hey produce  some  peculiar change in the living principle
of the  structure generally, which is incompatible with excessive se-
cretion or discharge.  In cases where the use of astringents is in-
dicated, it will be always necessary, in the  first instance, to ascer-
tain the  cause by which the morbid discharge is  produced, as it
often  arises in  diametrically opposite  states of the system, and
therefore  very different remedies will, in  different cases, assume
the character  of  an astringent.  Thus, where irritability exists,
opium, taken from the division narcotics, will often  prove our most
useful  remedy, given either alone  or as an adjuvant to some more
immediate astringent.  If a  state  of plethora of the vascular sys-
tem exist, bleeding and other depletory measures will be indicated 
56
astringents.
or if the  discharge, as in some forms of diarrhoea, be caused by
acrid or acid matter, emollients or demulcents, and antacids must
be employed.
  [Many of the articles  relied on for internal exhibition  as astrin-
gents, and especially useful in controlling haemorrhage, are depend-
ant for their utility, not upon their  astringent powers  upon  the
stomach, sympathetically transferred to the remote seat of the haem-
orrhage, but upon their  nauseating properties, thus retarding  the
general circulation, and  diminishing  both the force and frequency
of the pulse.  It is to this that dry salt, or salt and water, owes its
reputation as a  popular remedy in haemoptysis, and not to any fan-
ciful astringent  action.]

  Acetum, L.   Acetum vini, D.   Acetum Gallicum  et Britan-
nicum,  E.   Vinegar  prepared  by fermentation  (Lond.).  Wine
vinegar (Dub.).   French or British vinegar (Edin.).
  P. P.—Vinegar is of a pale reddish-yellow colour, transparent;
with a sharp, peculiar odour (acetous), and an acidulous, refreshing
taste.   Sp. gr. from  1*006 to 1*019.   French, or wine vinegar, is
generally of a deeper colour, and has a more fragrant odour than
British, or  malt vinegar ; its  density also is greater,  being from
1*014 to 1*022.
  C. P.—It is composed of acetic acid, colouring matter, mucilage
and  water, and a trace  of alcohol;  British  vinegar  also contains
sulphuric acid, manufacturers being allowed by law to  add a thou-
sandth  part by  weight of that acid;  wine  vinegar may  be distin-
guished from malt vinegar by " ammonia  in excess, causing a pur-
plish muddiness, and slowly a purplish precipitate with it" (Ed.
Ph.);  in addition to the constituents mentioned above, it  generally
contains  some  bitartrate and  sulphate of  potash.   The odorous
principle  of vinegar is conjectured to be acetic ether.  Its medici
nal virtues depend on the acetic acid  it contains.
  Prep.—Vinegar is an article of the Materia Medica in the three British Pharma
copceias.  In France it is prepared from the lighter  wines, by exposing them to the
air in large wooden vessels placed in a room, the temperature of which is raised to
between 68° and 80° F.  In Britain, various kinds of malt liquor, cider, raw sugar
dissolved in water, &c., are substituted for wine.   Of late years, a greatly-impro
ved process has been introduced in  Germany, by which vinegar may be made  in
thirty-six hours : Strong alcohol is diluted with five  or six parts of water, and about
a thousandth part  of yeast, honey, or impure vinegar added  to it; the mixture  is
heated to 75° or 80°, and made to trickle slowly through a mass of beechwood sha-
vings, contained in a tall cask, narrowed at the bottom, and pierced with small
holes at the top and lower part, to allow a circulation of air : as soon as the mixture
is passed through the barrel three or four times, it  is converted into vinegar; the
change being effected by the alcohol absorbing oxygen from the atmospheric air, the
process taking place very rapidly, owing to the great surface of the liquid which is
exposed.
  Adulterations.—Vinegar varies much  in  strength, and also fre-
quently contains many impurities.   The density, as first  shown by
Mollerat, does  not indicate accurately the  quantity of acetic acid
present;  this is more correctly ascertained  by its neutralizing pow-
er over crystallized carbonate of soda, 144 grains of the salt being
equal to 51 grains of real acetic acid.   The strongest vinegar  pre 
astringents.
57
parea, which is  termed proof vinegar, is estimated to contain five
per cent, of real acid.  In the application of this test, however, care
must be taken to allow for any sulphuric  acid present.   The im-
purities most commonly met With  in vinegar  are metallic matter,
generally copper or lead ; some acrid vegetable substance, as cap-
sicum, grains of paradise, &c, and sulphuric acid.   If the colour
be  altered on the  addition of sulphuretted hydrogen, it  contains
metallic matter: the presence of any acrid substance may be de-
tected by the taste, the vinegar having been first neutralized with
carbonate of soda;  the quantity of sulphuric  acid contained is  in-
dicated by the  extent of  the precipitate produced with solution of
muriate or nitrate of baryta.
   Th. E.—Vinegar is an excellent refrigerating astringent, and
as such is employed with much benefit in the colliquative sweat-
ing  and diarrhoea  of hectic; taken largely diluted  with water, as
the usual drink  of the patient, it will seldom fail to diminish the ex-
cessive discharges.   As a local astringent, it is used to check hcem-
orrhage from the  nose, from  the  uterus, from hoemorrhoidal  tu-
mours, and from ulcers; in intestinal  haemorrhage, enemas con-
taining vinegar have been employed with much advantage, partic-
ularly when the bleeding proceeds from  the large  intestines.  In
"relaxation of the uvula and tonsils, it forms an excellent  addition to
astringent gargles ; and in chronic ophthalmia, diluted with wTater,
it is  beneficially employed as  a collyrium.   Finally, in poisoning
with the alkalies, or alkaline carbonates, vinegar is one of the best
antidotes that can be employed; but in poisoning with  most other
substances, for  which at one time it was very generally used, its
administration is in general productive of harm.
   D. & M. of  Adm —f3ij. to  fgss.  For an enema, f§i. to fjfij.
As a drink in hectic, fgiij., diluted with  Oiss. of distilled water, may
be taken in the course of the day.—Acetum  destillatum,  D. L. E.
 ("Wine vinegar, by measure,  10 parts; distil 8 parts, by  measure,
with a gentle  heat in glass vessels, rejecting the first part which
comes  over.   The specific gravity of this acid should be 1*005,"
D.   " Take of vinegar, conj. j.;  let the vinegar distil in a sand bath,
 from a glass retort into a glass receiver.   Keep the Ovij. first  dis-
 tilled for use,"  L.  " Take of vinegar (French by preference),  8
 parts; distil over  with a gentle heat, 7 parts; dilute the product,
 if  necessary, with  distilled water, till the density is  1*005,"  E.)
 This preparation is preferred  to common vinegar for external use
 in  lotions, eye-washes, &c.—Oxymel, D.  L.   (" Honey, by weight,
 rbij.; distilled vinegar, by measure, Ibj.;  boil down with  a gentle
 heat to the consistence of sirup, removing the scum," D.  " Honey
 (clarified), ibx.; acetic acid,  Oiss.; mix  the  acid with the honey
 made hot," L.)  An  excellent addition to gargles.—Acetic gargle,
 P.   (Vinegar, f^ij.; honey of roses, §i.;  barley-water, fijiv.; mix.)
 An excellent gargle in relaxed sore throat.

    Acidum  sulphuricum  venale, D.  Acidum sulphuricum, L. E.
                                H 
53
ASTRINGENTS.
Commercial sulphuric acid (specific gravity. 1*850, D.; 1*845,  L.
E.);  Oil of Vitriol.
  P.  p.__It is a heavy, oily-looking liquid, transparent, colourless
when pure  (the commercial acid generally has a brownish-yellow
tinge), inodorous, with an intensely acid, burning taste ; when much
diluted with water, the taste is merely styptic.
  C.  P.—It is composed of one  equivalent of sulphuric acid (SO)
and one  of water;  it boils at 620°, and freezes at— 29°.   It has a
great affinity for water, which it absorbs from the atmosphere ; du-
ring its combination with water great heat is evolved ; a mixture of
4 parts, by weight, of strong- acid with one of water raises the tem-
perature to near 300°.  Sulphuric acid is one of the most powerful
acids of chemistry, supplanting nearly all others from their combina-
tions.  It chars  and destroys most animal and vegetable substan-
ces.   Its best characteristic is the heavy white precipitate, insolu-
ble in either  acids  or alkalies, which it produces with  solution  of
the muriate or nitrate of baryta.
  pREP.—The method of preparing sulphuric acid is  described in all elementary
works on chemistry.  The Dublin and Edinburgh Colleges have given formulae, for
purifying the acid, in order to obtain it free from the impurities usually met with in
the commercial sort; it is then termed Acidum Sulphuricum purum: " Commercial
sulphuric acid, Ibj.;  put it into a retort of flint glass, attach a receiver of the same
kind, and with the joinings left open, apply heat until a twelfth part shall have dis-
tilled over; this is to be rejected, as it contains water : having again applied heat,
distil the residue to dryness.  A few slips of platina put into the retort prevent the
ebullition from becoming too violent: the specific gravity of the distilled acid should
be 1 845.  Let it be kept in well-closed vessels," D.  "If commercial sulphuric
acid contain nitrous acid, heat ffviij. of it with between gr. x.  and gr. xv. of sugar,
at a temperature not quite sufficient to boil the acid, until the dark colour at first oc-
casioned shall nearly, or altogether disappear.  This process removes nitrous acid.
Other  impurities may be removed by distillation, which, on the small scale, is easi-
ly managed by boiling the acid with a few platinum chips, in a glass retort, by means
of a sand-bath or gas-flame—rejecting the first half ounce," E.
   Adulterations.-—If the  acid contain water, it will  not  be of the
prescribed  density.   The impurities usually present in commercial
sulphuric acid are sulphate of lead, nitrous acid, and oxyde of arse-
nic.   Dilution with distilled water will precipitate the white  sul-
phate of lead, if it be  present;  the smallest trace of nitrous acid
will be detected by pouring gently over the specimen to be exam-
ined  a solution of the protosulphate of iron; if nitrous acid be con-
tained in it, a deep-red colour will be produced at the line of con-
tact.   The arsenic adulteration can  be easily detected by adding
the diluted acid  to  pure zinc in Marsh's apparatus, and proceeding
as for that  substance (see Arsenic) ; or  by passing a stream of
sulphuretted hydrogen through  the dilute  acid, when a yellow sul
phuret of arsenic will be formed.
   Th. E.—Sulphuric acid is a most powerful corrosive poison, de-
stroying the  animal tissues wherever it comes  in contact  with
them.  Properly diluted, it  is an excellent tonic astringent, and is
employed with very beneficial results in all  forms  of passive hcem-
orrhages, and to  check  excessive discharges, when they are  de-
pendant on debility.  Thus, it is used with much advantage in hce-
moptysis, in  cpistaxis, in slight  but protracted bleedings from the 
ASTRINGENTS.
59
uterus, the stomach, or intestines, in purpura hoemorrhagica if very
great debility be present, and in the colliquative sweating and diar
rhoea of hectic.  As  a topical astringent, sulphuric  acid largely
diluted was at one time much used to foul and indolent ulcerations
of the mouth and fauces, but in consequence of its liability to injure
the teeth, it is  scarcely ever  employed  in such cases at present.
The internal use of this acid, if continued for any length of time, is
apt to derange the digestive functions, causing cardialgia, griping
pains, and emaciation.
   D. & M. of Adm.—Acidum sulphuricum dilutum, D. L. E.  (Sul-
phuric acid  (pure, D.), one part (fgiss., L.; f§j., E.); distilled wa-
ter, 7 parts (f^xivss.,  L.; fgxiij., E.); add the acid  to the water
gradually, and mix.  Sp. gr., 1*084, D.;  1*090, E.).   Dose, min. x.
to min. xxx. in  f§i. to  f§ij. of some mild  liquid; it is usually given
in the acid infusion of roses.—Acidum  sulphuricum aromaticum,
D. E.   (Sulphuric acid (commercial, E.), by weight, §vj. (fgiiiss.,
E.);  rectified  spirit,  by measure, ibij.  (Oiss.,  E.);  add  the acid
gradually to the spirit, digest  the mixture with a very gentle heat
for three days in a close vessel; then add cinnamon  bruised, giss.,
and ginger bruised,  §j. ; digest for six days  more, and  " filter
through paper placed in a glass funnel,"  D.   " Strain ; or the mix-
ed powders may be moistened with a little of the acid spirit, and
after 12 hours the powders may be exhausted by percolation with
the rest of the  spirit," E.)   This preparation is used  in the same
cases as the dilute sulphuric acid, for which it forms  an agreeable
substitute.   Dose, min. x to.  min.  xx. in a wine-glass of  water.—
Unguentum acidi sulphurici, D.   (Sulphuric  acid,  3i.;  prepared
hog's lard, §i.;  mix.)   Not much employed at present; said to be
useful in scabies.
   Ixcomp.—The alkalies, and their carbonates; most metals, and
their oxydes; some of the earths, and their carbonates ; acetate of
lead ; and chloride of calcium.
   In poisoning with  this acid, the best  antidotes  are the alkaline
bicarbonates, or carbonate  of magnesia.  Chalk  and magnesia,
though  generally recommended, should  not  be employed, as with
the former sulphate of lime is formed, and the combination of sul-
phuric acid with the latter produces a considerable degree of heat.
External  parts burned with it  should  be washed with soap and
water.

   Alumen ;  Alumen^e et potassa  sulphas, D. L.   Alumen, E.
Alum ;  sulphate of alumina and potash.
   P. P.—As met. with in the shops,  alum is in transparent, colour-
less, crystalline masses, void of odour, having a sweetish, astringent
taste.   Sp.gr., 1*700.  By solution  and crystallization,' it may  be
readily obtained in regular octahedres.
   C. P.—It is  composed of one eq. of sulphate of potash, one  of
tersulphate of alumina, and 24 of water  (KO, S03'+ Al2 O3,  3 SO3
-f- 24 HO).  The  crystals  effloresce slightly in the air; heated,
they fuse  in their water of crystallization, all  of which they part 
60
ASTRINGENTS.
with, and are converted into a light, porous mass, known as dried
or burned alum.   Alum dissolves in 18*4 parts of cold water, and
in 0*75 parts of boiling water: the solution is decidedly acid.  By
a red heat alum is deprived of most of its sulphuric acid, and con-
verted  into a mixture of sulphate of potash and pure alumina.
   This salt is not liable to adulteration.
   Th. E.—Alum is a powerful astringent, and as such is employed
with benefit in the treatment of many diseases, both  as a general
and topical remedy.   Administered internally, it is found useful in
the treatment of chronic diarrhoea and dysentery, in atonic mucous
discharges, in  passive  hoemorrhages, in the  colliquative  sweating
of hectic, &c.  In pyrosis, given in large doses frequently repeated,
it has proved very successful in  the hands of many practitioners ;
and it has also been found to be  an excellent  remedy  in the treat-
ment of colica pictonum, given in full doses combined with opium.
As a topical astringent, it is employed  to  arrest  bleeding from mi-
nute vessels, as in epistaxis, in menorrhagia, in hoemorrhage from
leech bites, &c.; dried alum in fine powder is an  excellent appli-
cation in the early stages of the inflammatory sore throat  of scarla-
tina, measles, and smallpox, and in diphtheritis; it is  best applied
by insufflation, that is, by placing some of it in a glass  tube, and
blowing it into the throat.   Dissolved in water, alum  is  also used
with much advantage, as a gargle, in relaxation of the uvula and
tonsils, in chronic ulcerations of the mouth and fauces, and  in ex-
cessive salivation; as a collyrium, in  chronic ophthalmia;  and as
an injection  in gleet and fluor albus.
   D. & M. of  Adm.—Internally, gr. x. to 3ss. in powder, or made
into pill with extract of liquorice, or it may be given in solution in
some aromatic water.—Pulvis  aluminis  comp., E.   (Alum, §iv.;
kino, §i.; mix them  and reduce them  to fine powder.)  A useful
astringent in chronic diarrhoea, and in passive haemorrhages from
the stomach and bowels ;  dose, gr. xij. to 3ij.  It has also been
applied externally to flabby, ill-conditioned ulcers.—Alum whey.
(Alum, powdered, gr. x.;  new milk,  f§ij. ; boil together  for ten
minutes, and strain, to separate the curd.)   Sufficient for  one dose.
Externally,  gr. xxx. to 3ij. dissolved in Oi. of water.—Cataplasma
aluminis, D.  (Agitate together, so as to form a  coagulum, the
whites  of two eggs and a drachm of alum.) In chronic or purulent
ophthalmia, applied to the eye between  two folds of linen.__Alumen
siccatum, D.—exsiccatum, L.  E.  (Take any convenient quantity
of alum; liquefy it in an earthen (or iron, E.) vessel over the fire,
increase  the heat till the ebullition has ceased;  then  reduce it to
powder.)   For  external use only. — Liquor aluminis comp., L.
(Alum  and  sulphate  of zinc,  of each, §i. ;  boiling water, Oiij. ;
dissolve the  salts together in the water, and strain.)  An excellent
astringent lotion, collyrium, or injection.
   Incomp.—Alkalies and their carbonates ; lime and magnesia, and
their carbonates;  tartrate  of  potash;  acetate of lead : vegetable
extractive matter; and substances containing tannin. 
ASTRINGENTS.
61
   Catechu, D. L.  E.   Catechu; Extract of the wood of Acacia
 Catechu, D. L.—Extract of the  wood of Acacia Catechu: of the
 kernels of Areca Catechu, and of the leaves of Uncaria Gambir;
probably, too, from other species, E.—Acacia  Catechu is a native
 of several parts of the East Indies ; it belongs to the natural  fam-
 ily Leguminosa, and  to  the Linnasan class and order Polygamia
 Moncecia.  Areca  Catechu  inhabits most  of the Indian continent
 and  islands ; it belongs to the natural family Palmacea, and to the
 Linnsean class and  order Monozcia Hexandria.   Uncaria Gambir
 is a  native of many of the islands of the Indian Archipelago ; it is
 placed in the natural family  Cinchonacea, and in the Linnsean
 class and order Pentandria Monogynia.

  B.  C.—Acacia Catechu;  stem, 15-20 feet high, with a brown, scabrous bark, and
 a hard, heavy wood, dark-red in  the centre; flowers numerous, pale-yellow; le-
 gumes, 8 seeded.—Areca Catechu; a beautiful palm between 40 and 50 feet high;
 leaves, 15 feet in length,  crowded at the extremity of the stem; flowers in  nu
 merous clusters, appearing from among the leaves; fruit, a handsome orange
 coloured ovoid drupe.— Uncaria Gambir; a stout scandent shrub; leaves ovato
 lanceolate ; flowers green and pink, in loose heads, on opposite axillary peduncles
  Prep.—From the acacia, catechu is obtained by boiling the red heart-wood, cut
 into chips, for some hours in water, until the decoction is sufficiently concentrated
 to become, on cooling, a tough extract; it is then divided into small masses, and
 dried slowly in the shade.   In the interior of the fruit of the Catechu palm is con-
 tained a roundish, conical nut, marbled internally brown with whitish veins, com-
 monly known by the name of  betel nut, and which, with lime and the leaves of the
 Piper betel, constitute the celebrated masticatory of the East, called Betel.  These
 nuts contain a large quantity of tannin, and a decoction of them concentrated and
 dried forms some of the inferior catechus of commerce. The leaves of the Uncaria
gambir are boiled in water immediately after they are pulled from the tree, the de-
 coction concentrated, and run  into square or parallelopiped moulds, to constitute
 the catechu in cubes of commerce.

   P. P.—A great many varieties of catechu occur in commerce;
 but we  shall confine our attention to the two sorts most usually
 met  with in druggists' shops, the remainder being chiefly employed
 for tanning.   1st. Brown Catechu in irregular masses.  This is the
 produce of the  Acacia Catechu;  it occurs  in irregular  masses,
 weighing from three or four ounces to a  pound or  more each, of
 a  chocolate-brown colour,  very  friable, with  an astringent, bitter
 taste.  2d.  Catechu in cubes (Gambeer, Terra Japonica,  Cubical
 resinous  Catechu).   This  variety is obtained from the Uncaria
 Gambir ; it occurs  in cubes, whose faces are about an inch  square ;
 it  is of a yellowish-brown  colour, with a paler, dull, earthy frac-
 ture ;  is void of odour, but  has  a very astringent taste, becoming
 feebly sweetish.
   C. P.—The different varieties  of catechu consist  principally of
tannin, and a peculiar acid, which has been named catechuic acid.
 Their astringency depends on the tannin, of which the finer quali-
ties  contain  55 per cent.,  while some inferior specimens do not
yield more than 28 per cent.  Catechu does not dissolve complete-
ly in boiling water, but,  when  of good quality, is almost entirely
soluble in alcohol.   The watery infusion is of a dark reddish-brown
colour, and reddens litmus  paper faintly ;  it gives a blackish pre-
cipitate with sulphate of iron. 
62
ASTRINGENTS.
  Adulterations.—The  varieties of catechu  are  so numerous, so
different in quality, and many of them so very impure, that the only
satisfactory test of their relative value is to ascertain the quantity
of tannin which is contained in them.  This, may be readily done
by acting on a given weight with ether, evaporating the ethereal
solution to dryness, treating the extract thus obtained with cold
water, and again  evaporating, when the proportion soluble in both
ether and water should amount at least to from 38 to 40 per cent.
of the specimen.
  Th. E.—Catechu is a simple, but very efficacious astringent, and,
consequently, is in general use.   It  may  be administered  in all
cases of increased mucous discharges, where there is no inflamma-
tion  present.   Thus, it  is employed with benefit in chronic cys-
tirrhoea, in leucorrhoea, in gleet, in chronic catarrh, and in old-
standing cases  of diarrhoea and dysentery, in which it is usually
given in combination with opiates.  It is also an  excellent remedy
in passive hoemorrhages from the intestines or uterus ; as a topical
astringent, it is one of the most useful applications in relaxation of
the  uvula and  tonsils, in  slight ulcerations of the mouth, and in
chaps or excoriations of the nipple in nurses; for the latter pur-
pose, the tincture should be applied with a camel's-hair pencil  re-
peatedly in the course of the day.   Public  speakers and singers
employ,,.catechu lozenges, with much  benefit, as  a  preventive of
hoarseness, and as a remedy for it when it exists.
  D. & M. of  Adm.—Gr. x. to 3j. in  powder with sugar, or  made
into  a  bolus with honey or treacle.—Infusum Catechu, E.   Infu-
sum  Catechu comp., D. L.  (Extract  of catechu (powdered, L.),
3iiss. (3vi., L.);  cinnamon, bruised,  §ss. (3i., L.);  boiling water
(distilled, L.), tbss. (Oj., L.); digest (macerate, L.) for an hour in
a covered vessel, and strain (through linen, D.), D. L.—" Catechu,
powdered, 3vj.; cinnamon  powdered, 3i.; sirup,  f^iij.; boiling wa-
ter,  fgxvij.; infuse the catechu and  cinnamon with the water  for
two  hours, strain  through linen or calico, and  add the sirup," E.)
Dose, f§i. to fgij.  two or three times a day,  or the  same quantity
may be added  to an astringent enema.—Tinctura Catechu,  D. L.
E.   (Catechu (in moderately fine powder, E.), §iij. (^iiiss., L. E.);
cinnamon, bruised, §ij. (giiss., L. E.);  proof spirit, by measure, fbij.
(Oij., L. E.) ; macerate  (digest, E.) for 7 (14. L.) days (strain and
express strongly,  E.), and filter.   " This tincture  may be also pre-
pared by the process of percolation, the  mixed powders being put
into  the percolator without being previously moistened  with  the
spirit," E.)  Dose, f3i. to  f3rj., usually employed  as an adjunct to
astringent mixtures in diarrhoea.—Electuarium  Catechu, E.  Elect.
Catechu comp., D.   (Catechu, §iv.; cinnamon, §ij. (§i., E.); kino,
giij.  (jiv., E.) ;  (nutmeg, §i., E.); reduce these to powder, and add
opium (Turkey, D.) diffused in a little sherry, 3iss.; and sirup of
ginger, boiled  down to the consistence of honey, fbiji- (Oiss., E.);
and  beat them thoroughly to a uniform mass.)  A useful astringent
in chronic diarrhoea and dysentery.   Dose, 3i. to 3ij.  One  ounce
(Dub.) contains gr. iiss. of opium.—Catechu lozenges, P.  (Catechu, 
ASTRINGENTS.
63
 1  part;  sugar, 4 parts ;  mucilage' of gum-tragacantn, sufficient to
 form into a proper mass; divide into lozenges of gr. xij. each.)
   Incomp.—The alkalies ; salts of iron  and of lead ; gelatine ; and
 all vegetable  substances whose active  principle is an alkaloid, as
 an insoluble tannate of the alkaloid will be formed ; Christison, how-
 ever, states that it is probable that the alkaloidal tannates are suf-
 ficiently soluble in the acids of the gastric juice.

   Creasoton, L.  Creasotum, E.—An oxyhydrocarburet,prepared
from pyroxylic oil (Lond.).—Creasote (Edin.).  Creasote exists in
 pyroligneous  acid, wood smoke, and in wood tar,  from the  latter
 of which it is  usually prepared.  Different processes are followed
 by different manufacturers for the preparation of creasote; and as
 they are very complicated, and can only be successfully executed
 on the large scale, I must refer to  some of the modern works on
 chemistry for an account of them.
   P. P.—Pure creasote  is a colourless, transparent,  oily-looking
 liquid, having a smoky odour, and a bitter, acrid, somewhat caustic
 taste.   Its sp. gr. at 68° F.  is  1*037 (Reichenbach) ; 1*066 (Edin.
 Phar.).
   C. P.—It is a compound of C7H4* O.   It boils at. a temperature
 of 397*4, and  is  not congealed at—16*6° ; at a temperature a little
 above its boiling point it is decomposed ; it is inflammable, and burns
 with a very sooty flame.  Creasote forms two different compounds
 with cold water: one, a solution of 1*25 parts  of creasote in 100
 parts of water;  the other, a solution of  10 parts  of water in 100 of
 creasote.  It  mixes with acetic acid in all proportions, as also with
 alcohol  and ether.  It coagulates  albumen; and  has a powerful
 preservative  property with  respect to  animal substances, whence
 its name is derived (upeac oofa).
   Adulterations.—Creasote, from being badly prepared, frequently
 contains a number of peculiar  principles which  exist in tar, and it
 is commonly adulterated with the fixed and volatile oils; its purity
 may be known by its being colourless, by its complete solubility in
 acetic acid, by its density not being too high, and  " by its leaving
 no translucent stain on white filtering paper, when dropped  on it,
 and exposed  to a temperature of  about 212° for ten  minutes/'—
 Ed. Ph.
   Th. E.—As an astringent,  creasote is  only employed externally.
 Its principal uses are,  as a styptic, to arrest hoemorrhage, which it
 does very effectually when  the bleeding proceeds  from  small ves-
 sels, as in cuts  or abrasions, from  leech bites,  or  from ulcerated
 surfaces; and as an application to indolent ulcers, especially  when
 accompanied  with a sanious discharge,  to chronic venereal or pha-
 gedenic ulceration, to  ulcerated chilblains, and in chronic skin dis-
 eases, particularly those of the scalp.   In the external application
 of creasote in the form of wash, its little solubility in water should
 be remembered, for if an excess be present it will float on the sur-
 face, and being  thus directly applied, will produce an effect very
 different from what was intended.  For a wash, min. ij. to min. vj. 
64
ASTRINGENTS.
may be dissolved in fgi. of water ;' or the following ointment may be
employed: Unguentum Creasoti, L. E.  (Creasote. f3ss. (f3i., E.);
axunge, §i. (giij., E.); " rub and mix them," L.  " Melt the axunge,
add the creasote, stir them briskly, and continue to do so as the mix-
ture concretes on cooling," E.)
  [Creasote is much  used in the United States, not only as  an as-
tringent, but as a caustic, a gargle in ulcerations  of the throat, and
especially in certain diseases of the ear.  For this latter  purpose,
one drachm is added  to three drachms of oil of almonds, and intro-
duced  by a camel's-hair pencil in purulent discharges from the ear,
attended with deafness.   Or it may be diluted with twelve times its
quantity  of the oil, and then poured into the ear.   It has acquired
a merited popularity by its success in these cases.]

  Creta, Chalk (described in  the  division  Antacids), is employed
as an astringent in the various  forms  of diarrhoea ;  its beneficial ef-
fects, however, depend on its antacid properties (see p. 29).  Chalk
mixture is very generally used as a vehicle for more active  astrin-
gents.   The following  preparation is  admirably adapted for the
simpler forms of diarrhoea  unattended with inflammation: Pulvis
creta comp. cum opio, D. L.   Pulvis creta; opiatus, E,   (Compound
chalk powder,  §viss.  (jvj., E.); hard opium, powdered, 3iv.; mix
them.)   Dose,  for adults, gr. xx. to gr. xl.; for  children, gr. ij.  to
gr. x.    Forty  grains (D. L.),  thirty-seven (E.),  of  this powder
contain one grain  of opium.

  Cupri sulphas, D.  L. E.   Sulphate of copper.   Blue vitriol.
  P. P.—This  salt usually occurs  in  fragments  of large  crystals,
of the  oblique rhombic prism series, semitransparent; of a beautiful
blue colour; without odour, but having a styptic, metallic taste.
Sp. gr. 2*2.
  C. P.—The  crystals  are  composed of 1 eq. of protoxide of cop-
per, 1  of sulphuric acid,  and 5 of  water (CuO, SO3, HO+4 HO).
They effloresce slightly in dry air; at a temperature of 212°, they
part with 4 eq. of water ;  at  400° they become anhydrous and
white ; and at a red heat they fuse and lose  part of their acid.  Sul-
phate of copper is soluble in 4 parts of cold, and in 2 of boiling wa-
ter ; it is insoluble in alcohol.  It has an acid reaction.
  Prep.—It is an article  of the Materia Medica in the three British Pharmacopoe-
ias.  On the large scale, it is usually prepared by roasting copper pyrites, sulphuret
of copper, exposing it to the air and to moisture until it is oxydated, dissolving out
the sulphate thus formed, evaporating and crystallizing.
   Not liable to adulteration.
   Th. E.—Sulphate  of copper n  arge doses, if it oe not rejected
by vomiting, is a  powerful  irritant poison, producing inflammation
of the parts with which  it  comes  in contact, and acting  remotely
on the nervous system, causing death, with coma and convulsions.
In small but repeated doses, it operates as  a tonic and astringent;
with the latter intention, it is employed alone in chronic  diairhcea
and dyseniery, in which  it will often  succeed in checking the dis- 
ASTRINGENTS.
65
charges, when vegetable astringents completely fail.  Externally, a
solution of sulphate of copper is used with benefit as a stimulating
astringent to indolent and ill-conditioned ulcers accompanied with
excessive discharge, as a collyrium in chronic ophthalmia, and as an
injection in chronic  mucous discharges from the urethra or vagi-
na.  In the early stages of gonorrhoea, if the inflammation does not
run very  high, a weak solution, gr. i. to f§i. of water, injected three
or four times a day, will often succeed in checking the disease.
   D. & M. of Adm.—Gr. ss. to gr. ij. or gr. iij., made into pill with
conserve  of roses.  For  a lotion, gr. ij. to  gr. x. in f§i. of water.
For an injection, gr. i. to  gr. iv. to f§i.  of water.
   Incomp.—The alkalies and their carbonates ;  acetate of lead ; ni-
trate of silver; all the salts of iron except the sulphate; and most
astringent vegetables.
   In poisoning with this  salt, the best antidote is albumen, as the
whites of eggs;  and in their absence, wheaten flour.   Sugar  has
also been found beneficial, and iron filings have been recently pro-
posed, so as to precipitate the copper in the metallic state.

   Ferri pernitras.   Pernitrate of iron ; Persesquinitrate of iron.
   P. P.—A transparent liquid, of a fine orange-brown colour, with
a weak nitric acid odour, and an acid, styptic taste.
   C. P.—From this solution, large transparent, colourless crystals
may be procured : according to Pelouze, their composition is 2 at-
oms of peroxide of iron (Fe2 O3), 3 of nitric acid, and  H of water.
If kept in a bottle not quite filled, or by exposure to heat, the solu-
tion is decomposed, peroxide of iron thrown down, and nitrous acid
is evolved; in which state  it is unfit for medical use.
  Prep.—Nitric acid and distilled water, of each, equal parts ; clean iron cut into
small fragments, a sufficiency; mix the acid with the water in  a capacious glass
vessel, and add the iron gradually, and in small quantities at a time, as long as any
is dissolved.  Preserve the solution in well-stoppered glass bottles.
   Th. E.—Solution of the  pernitrate of iron is an admirable astrin-
gent, possessing  also tonic  properties.   It will be found particular-
ly useful in chronic  cases of mucous diarrhoea, where there is much
emaciation and  loss of appetite.   In such cases I have derived
much benefit from its employment, after many other remedies had
failed.   My friend  Dr.  Montgomery, of Dublin, informs  me  that
he has used it extensively  in the treatment of mucous discharges
frum the vagina,  and that,  in such cases, he considers it the best of
the ferruginous preparations.
   D. & M. of Adm.—Min. xx. to min. xxx. for adults ; min. v.  to
min. xv.  for children.  It is best administered in water, sweetened.
with simple sirup.
   Incomp.—All astringent vegetable infusions, decoctions, or sirups.

   Ferri  sulphas, D. L. E.  Sulphate  of protoxyde of  iron;  Green,
vitriol.
   P. p.—Commonly met  with in large transparent,  pale, bluish-
green crystals, the primary form of which  is  the oblique  rhombic 
66
ASTRINGENTS.
prism.  They are inodorous, but have an acid, disagreeable, styp-
tic taste.   Sp. gr., 1H2.
  C. P.—The crystals are composed of 1 eq. of protoxide ot iron,
1 of sulphuric acid, and 7 of water (Fe O, SOJ, HO+6 HO).  They
effloresce slightly in dry air, but if moisture be  present, they attract
oxygen, and become covered with a  brownish-yellow crust of  the
sesquioxyde of iron.   Heated, it fuses in its water of crystallization,
6 eq.  of which it parts with at a temperature of 238° ;  at a red heat
it is decomposed, the sulphuric acid  driven off, and the  red  pcrox-
yde, colcothar, left.  Sulphate of iron requires  for its solution once
and a half its weight of cold water, and a third  of its weight of
boiling water.   It is  insoluble in alcohol.  The  solution reddens
litmus paper.
  Prep.—Dub. " Iron filings, 4 parts ; sulphuric acid, 7  parts ; water, 60 parts;
dissolve the metal with the aid of iieat, and filter the liquor through paper.  Then,
after due evaporation, set  aside, that  crystals may form  by slow cooling." Lond.
" Iron filings, jviij. ;  sulphuric acid, gxiv.; water, Oiv.; mix the acid with the wa-
ter,  and add the iron; then apply heat, and when bubbles have ceased to escape,
strain the liquor, and  set it aside, that crystals may be formed ;  evaporate the liquor
poured off, that it may again yield crystals.  Dry them all."  An article of the Ma-
teria Medica  in the Edinburgh Pharmacopoeia.
  Adulterations.—The presence of the sesquioxyde, which is very
common in the commercial salt, is known by the  yellowish-brown
colour of the crystals.  It often is contaminated with copper, which
may be readily detected by immersing a polished  plate of iron  in a
solution  of the salt, on which the copper will  be  deposited, if  any
be  present.
  Th. E.—Sulphate of iron, taken  in small  doses frequently re-
peated, acts as a tonic and  astringent;  with the  latter intention  it
is employed in passive haemorrhages, in chronic diarrhoea and dys-
entery, and in atonic  mucous discharges.  As a topical remedy,  ic
is used to  check bleeding from many small vessels, and in solution
as an astringent lotion or injection, to ulcers, in chronic ophthalmia,
and in chronic discharges from mucous membranes,  as in leucor-
rhcea and gleet.
  D.  & M. of Adm.—Gr. j. to gr. v., in pill.—Ferri sulphas exsic-
catus, E.   (Expose sulphate of iron to a moderate heat in an un-
glazed earthen vessel till it becomes  white and perfectly dry.)    A
more convenient preparation for internal use  than the crystallized
salt;  three grains are equal to nearly five of  the  crystals.   Dose,
gr.  ss. to gr. iij-—Pilula sulphatis ferri, E.  (Dried sulphate of iron,
2 parts ; extract  of taraxacum, 5  parts ;  liquorice-root powder,  3
parts ; conserve  of roses, 5 parts ;  beat them together  into a proper
mass, which is to be divided into  five-grain pills.)  Each pill con-
tains | of a grain of dried sulphate of iron.  Dose,  one  to three pills.
For external use, gr. ij. to gr. x. may be dissolved in fgi. of water.
  Incomp.—The alkalies, and their  carbonates ; nitric acid ; lime-
water ; nitrate and tartrate of potash ; iodide of potassium ;  borax;
muriate and nitrate of baryta;  acetate of lead ; the soaps ;  and all
vegetable  astringents.

  Gall^e,   D. L. E.   Galls;  gall-nuts;  Excrescences  (diseased 
ASTRINGENTS.
67
buds, L.) of Quercus infectoria.—This tree is a native of Asia Mi-
nor ; it belongs to the natural family Cupulifera, and to the Lin-
nsean class and order Monazcia Polyandria. Galls are formed on the
young branches, in consequence of the irritation produced by the
puncture of a hyrnenopt rous  insect, the Diplolepis Galla'. tincto-
rum, which punctures  the bark for the deposition of its egg?.
  P. P.—Galls vary in size from  that of a large pea to that of a
cobnut.  They are of a grayish-green colour, tuberculated on the
surface, the tubercles and intervening spaces smooth;  hollow, and
of a yellowish-white colour internally.  They have an intensely-
astringent taste, but no odour.  Galls are imported principally from
Constantinople and Smyrna, but some  are brought from the East
Indies.   In commerce, two kinds  of galls are commonly met with,
blue or green galls, and white galls: the former are gathered be-
fore the escape of the insect, and are the best; the latter are  perfo-
rated with a small circular hole, through which  the insect has es-
caped, are larger, of a paler  colour, but are  much inferior  in as-
tringency.
  C. P.—Galls are composed of about 26 per cent, of tannin, with
a trace of gallic acid, extractive matter, a compound of pectic acid
and tannin insoluble in cold water, tannates  and  gallates of potash
and oi lime (Berzelius).  They yield  their astringent property to
water, proof-spirit, alcohol, and ether.   Of these, water is the best
solvent; the solution gives a curdy precipitate with solution of gel-
atine (tannate of gelatine, the basis of leather), and a bluish-black
precipitate with salts of the sesquioxyde of iron (tanno-gallate of
iron, the basis of ink).
  Galls are not liable  to adulteration in  English trade.
  Th. E.—Galls are among  the  most powerful vegetable astrin-
gents we possess; nevertheless-, they are but seldom employed in-
ternally ; in medicine they may be used in  passive hoemorrhages,
in  chronic  diarrhoea  or  dysentery, in  gleet, and  in leucorrrura.
They are the best antidote in poisoning, with tartar emetic,  ipe-
cacuanha, emetina, and the vegetable  alkaloids generally.   Exter-
nally, galls are employed as topical astringents in the  milder forms
of hcetnorrhoids, in relaxation of the uvula and tonsils, in chronic ul-
cerations of the mouth and fauces, and in atonic mucous discharges.
  D. cc  M. of Adm.—Internally, in powder, gr. v. to 3 j.—Infusum
Gallon.   (Galls, powdered, 3iv.; boiling water, f^vj.)  Dose, f^ss. to
f§ij.—Tinctura Gallarum, D.  E.   Tinctura Galla'., L.  (Powdered
galls, §iv. (lv., L.; §ij., E.); proof-spirit, by measure, Ibij. (Oij.> L.;
Oj., E.);  macerate for seven  (fourteen, L.) days, and filter;  " or
may be prepared by  percolation, as  tincture of capsicum," E.)
Dose, f3ss. to f3ij.  Externally, 3ij. infused  in Oj. of water, for a
gargle, lotion, or injection.— Unguentum Gallarum, D.   (Galls, in
fine powder, §j.; lard. §viij.; mix.— Unguentum Galla compositum,
L.  E.   (Galls, finely powdered, 3ij.; hard opium, in  powder, 3ss.
(3i., E.); lard, §ij. (§j., E.); triturate  well together.)   The  opium
in the L. and E.  formulae is an excellent addition to this ointment?
a drachm of camphor is also often added with benefit. 
68
ASTRINGENTS.
  Incomp.—The mineral acids ;  salts of iron and lead ; sulphate of
copper ; nitrate of silver ; carbonate of potash ; lime-water ; tartar
emetic ; and infusions of cinchona, calumba, cusparia, ipecacuanha,
opium, &c.

  Geum urbanum, radix, D.  Root ofGeum Urbanum, or Common
Avens.—Indigenous ;  belonging  to the natural family Rosacea, and
to the Linnsean class and order Icosandria Polygynia.
  B. C—Root of many brown fibres ; stem, 6-18 inches high, herbaceous ; leaves
green, hairy ; flowers yellow, terminal, solitary.
  P. U. & M. of Prep.—The root; it should be dug up in spring, and dried with a
moderate heat.
  P. P.—Geum root consists of numerous small fibres, proceeding
from a root-stalk about two or  three inches  in length; it  is dark-
brown externally, reddish internally; has  an aromatic, clove-like
odour in the recent state, which is lost by  drying; its taste is aro-
matic and astringent.
  C. P.—The principal  constituents of the root are tannin, resin,
and a trace of volatile oil.
  Th.  E.—As an astringent, this root was  formerly much employ-
ed in various diseases, and still bears a high character in many
parts of the Continent;  in Ireland, though retained in the Dublin
Pharmacopoeia, it is only used as a domestic remedy.
  D. & M. of  Adm.—In powder, 3ss. to  3i.   Decoctum Gei radi-
cis.  (Geum  root, bruised, gi.;  boiling water, Oi.; boil  down to
f^xij.).   Dose, f§ss. to f§i.
  Incomp.—All substances incompatible with tannin.

  H.EMATOXYLON, E.   HjEMATOXYLUM, L.  H^EMATOXYLUM CaMPE-
chianum, lignum, D.   Logwood; Wood of Hamatoxylum Campe-
chianum.—A native of Campeachy in Central America, now natu-
ralized in Jamaica.   It belongs  to the natural family Leguminosa,
and to the Linnsean class and order Decandria Monogynia.
  B. C.—Stem crooked, about 8 inches  in diameter, and 40 or 50 feet high; leaves
large, pinnate : flowers yellow, in racemes.
  P. P.—The heart-wood of the tree, which is of a dark-red  col-
our, is alone employed,  the bark and alburnum being chippfed off.
It is imported in billets, which  are  dense  and hard, have a weak,
agreeable odour, and a sweetish, astringent taste.
  C. P.—Logwood contains a peculiar red, crystalline, bitter prin-
ciple, which has been named hamatin, or  hamatoxylin, resin,  vol-
atile oil, some tannin, acetic acid, and various salts.  Hamatin  is
often found in the fissures of the wood, in beautiful, large, red crys-
tals.  Logwood yields its active principles to both water and alco-
hol ; the solutions are of a fine purple colour, which is changed to
violet by the alkalies; with alum, or acetate  of lead, a blue precip-
itate is produced; a dark brown, with the  salts of iron ;  and a red-
dish with gelatine.
  Adulterations.—Various red-coloured woods are substituted for
logwood, from which they  may  be readily distinguished by not
possessing the same agreeable odour. 
ASTRINGENTS.
69
  Th. E.—Logwood is an excellent astringent in chronic diarrhoea
and  dysentery, for which it is peculiarly adapted, as,  although  it
checks  the  excessive discharge, it does not produce constipation.
It has also been used in the profuse sweating of phthisis, and in di-
abetes.
  D. & M. of Adm.—Decoctum Hamatoxyli, D. E.  (Logwood, in
fine  chips, giss.  (§i., E.); cinnamon, bruised (powdered, E.), 3j.;
water, by measure, tbij. (Oi., E.).  Boil the logwood in the water
down to  one half, adding the cinnamon towards the  close;  and
strain.)    Dose, fgi. to fgij.    Extractum  Hamatoxyli, D. L. E.
("Prepared as the simpler extracts," D.  "Logwood, powdered
(in  chips, E.), tbiiss. (ibj., E.); boiling water (distilled, L.), cong.
ij. (cong. i., E.) ; macerate for 24 hours, then boil down to cong.  j.
(Oiv., E.), strain while hot, and  evaporate in the water-bath  (va-
pour-bath, E.) to a proper  consistence.)  Not much used; it be-
comes so  hard by keeping, that pills  made  of it pass through the
bowels  unchanged.  Dose,  gr. x. to gr. xxx.
  Incomp.—The mineral acids ; acetic  acid ;  lime-water ;  sul-
phates,  and acetates.

  Kino, D. L. E.   Kino;  Extract of Pterocarpus erinaceus, L.
Concrete exudation of Pterocarpus erinaceus, and of other undeter-
mined genera and species, E.—African kino (which I believe to be
the variety usually met with in British commerce) is obtained  from
the Pterocarpus erinaceus,  a native of Gambia and Senegal; be-
longing to  tha  natural family Leguminosa, and  to the Linnsean
class and order Diadelphia Decandria.  East India Kino, which,
according to Pereira, is always regarded in  commerce as genuine
gum Kino, is the extract of a plant not yet  positively ascertained,
probably  another species of the  genus Pterocarpus.  Botany  Bay
Kino, also sometimes met with, is the inspissated juice of the Euca-
lyptus resinefera, a native of Australia and Van Dieman's Land;
belonging to the natural  family Myrtacea.
  Prep.—African Kino is procured from incisions made into the trunk and branch-
es of the tree, whence the juice exudes, and gradually concretes into brittle tears.
Botany Bay Kino is obtained in a similar manner.  East Indian Kino is said to be
procured by boiling down the leaves and young branches, and thus forming an ex-
tract.
  P.  P.—Kino occurs in the form of small angular fragments or
tears, none of them larger than a pea, opaque, glistening, and  of a
reddish-black colour.  They are very brittle;  when chewed they
adlicie to the teeth, and give the saliva a blood-red colour.   They
are void of odour, but  have an intensely astringent taste.
  C. P.—Kino is composed of 74 per cent, of tannin and a peculiar
extractive containing  catechuic  acid,  24 of  red gum, and 1 of in-
soluble matter.  It is only very partially soluble in cold or  boiling
water;  but alcohol dissolves nearly two thirds of it, and is there-
fore  the best menstruum for its administration in medicine.
  Adulterations.—Other astringent substances,  which bear a gen-
eral  resemb. ice to kino, but  are of inferior quality, are frequent- 
70
ASTRINGENTS.
ly substituted  for it  in commerce ; none  of them, however, have
the same glistening,  reddish-black colour, which is so well seen in
the smaller fragments of kino; the sophistication, therefore, may
be readily detected by the eye.
  Th. E.—^Kino is an admirable astringent, possessing nearly sim-
ilar properties to catechu, and may be employed in the same dis-
eases.   It is generally supposed to be better adapted for menorrha-
gia and leucorrhoea;  and as it is more tonic, owing to the extract-
ive which it contains, it  should be preferred where great debility
exists.
  D. & M. of Adm.—In powder, gr. x. to 3ss.  Pulvis Kino comp.,
D. L.  (Kino, 3xv.; cinnamon, §ss.; hard opium, 3i.; rub separate-
ly to  fine powder, and mix.)   An excellent astringent in chronic
diarrhoea and dysentery ; it has also been highly praised  in pyrosis;
gr.  xx. contain gr. i.  of opium; dose, gr. x.  to gr. xxx.—Tinctura
Kino, D. L. E.  (Kino, bruised (in (moderately fine, E.) powder, L.
E.), ^iij. (^iiiss., L. E.) ;  proof (rectified, L. E.) spirit, by measure,
fbij. (Oij., L. E.);  macerate (digest, E.) for 7 (14, L.) days, and
filter.  " This tincture cannot be  conveniently prepared by  perco-
lation," E.)  Dose, f3j. to f3ij.
  Incomp.—The mineral acids;  carbonates of the  alkalies; sul-
phate of iron ; nitrate of silver;  acetate of lead ; and gelatin.

  Krameria, L. E.  Krameria triandra, radix et extractum, D.
Rhatany;  The root  (and extract, D.) of Krameria  triandra.—A
native of Peru, belonging to the natural family Polygalacea, and to
the Linnsean  class and order Tetrandria Monogynia.
  B. C.—Stem shrubby, procumbent; leaves villous-silky, oblong, sessile ; flowers
solitary, reddish ;  stamens 3, whence the specific name.
  P. P.—Numerous, long, woody root branches, to  which  the
common root-stock, about an inch in length, is often attached ; they
consist of a reddish-brown, smooth bark, nearly an eighth of an
inch in thickness, and a yellow, hard, woody centre (Meditullium);
they are inodorous, the bark has an intensely astringent, somewhat
bitter taste, but the woody centre is nearly tasteless.
  C. P.—The bark of rhatany root consists  of nearly 43 per cent.
of tannin, a trace of gallic acid, 56  per cent, of gum, extractive, and
colouring matter, and a small quantity of a peculiar acid which has
been named Krameric acid.   It yields its active principles to cold
water and to alcohol.
  Th.  E.—Rhatany  root is a powerful astringent and tonic, ana
as such is employed with much benefit in the treatment of chronic
diarrhoea and of dysentery, in passive haemorrhages,  in menor-
rhagia, and in atonic mucous discharges.  As a topical  astringent,
it may be applied in the form of powder to indolent ulcers with  ex-
cessive discharges ; and as a styptic, to arrest haemorrhage, when it
proceeds from very small vessels.   Rhatany root finely powdered
is a constituent of most tooth powders; it reddens and consolidates
the gums, and whitens the teeth.
  D. & M. of Adm.—In  powder, gr. x. to 3ss.—Extractum Kra- 
ASTRINGENTS.
71
rnena; D. E.  (An article of the Materia Medica, D.—" Prepared
in the same way as extract of liquorice," E.)   Dose, gr. xx. to gr.
xl.—Infusum Krameria, L.   (Rhatany, §i.; boiling distilled water,
Oi.;  macerate for 4 hours in a vessel lightly covered, and strain.)
Dose, f^i. to f§ij.   This infusion  becomes quite turbid on cooling,
and would be better made with cold water by the process of per-
colation.
  Incomp.—All substances incompatible with tannin.

  Lythrum salicaria,  herba, D.   Purple Loosetrife.—An indi-
genous  plant, belonging to the natural  family Lythracea, and to
the Linnsean class and order Dodecandria Monogynia.
  The whole of this herb possesses mildly astringent properties; it
was formerly much employed in chronic diarrhoea and dysentery,
but at present it has fallen completely into disuse.

  Monesia.—Under this name,  a few  years since, an astringent
extract was imported into  France from South  America; it was
said  to have been obtained  from  the bark of a tree, a native of
Brazil, but the name  of which is not known.   The extract was
brought over in large cakes, which were purified by dissolving in
water, filtering, and evaporating; the purified extract is in  small
fragments resembling  kino in appearance,  but it  has not the  pecu-
liar ruby lustre of that substance ; the taste is at first sweetish, then
astringent, and the odour feebly aromatic; it dissolves readily in
water, affording a dull brown, somewhat opaque solution.   Ac-
cording to the analysis of  MM. Derosne and Henry, it consists
of tannin,  red colouring matter, glycirrhizine, and a  peculiar acrid
principle,  which they  have named Monesine.
  Like numerous other medicines  when first introduced, Monesia
was  extravagantly lauded as a remedy possessing powerfully as-
tringent properties; experience  has, however, proved that it is
much inferior to either kino  or catechu, and it probably may take
an intermediate station between those substances and extract of
rhatany.  It has been used  in all cases where astringents are ad
missible, both externally and internally, but the disease in which it
appears to have been  most serviceable is chronic diarrhoea.
  D. & M. of Adm.—In substance, gr. v. to gr. xv.—Tinctura Mo-
nesia, Donovan.  (Extract of monesia, §i.; proof spirit, fgixss.; wa-
ter, f§ij. ; mix, and when the faeces have subsided, pour off the tinc-
ture.)   Dose, f3i. to fsij.—Mistura Monesia.   (Extract of monesia,
9ij.; water, fgviiss.; compound tincture of cardamoms, f§ss.;  mix.)
Dose, f^ss. to fjjij. two or three times a day.
  Incomp.—Mineral acids;  salts of iron, zinc, and  lead;  opium;
and sulphate of quina.

  Plumbi acetas, D.  L. E.   Acetate of Lead; Sugar of Lead.
  P. P.—Usually met with  in irregular white masses of acieular
crystals, having an acetous odour, and a sweetish, astringent taste ;
the crystals are quadrangular prisms with dihedral summits. 
72
ASTRINGENTS,
   C. P.—Acetate of lead consists of 1 eq. of protoxide of lead, 1
of acetic acid,  and 3 of water (Pb O (C4H303)+3 HO).   It efflo-
resces slowly by exposure to the air, losing part of its  acetic acid,
and attracting carbonic acid, thereby becoming partially insoluble.
By heat, the salt fuses in its water of crystallization, which is  all
driven off;  and if the heat be increased, decomposition takes place.
It is soluble in  less than twice its weight of water at 60°, in less
of boiling water, and in 8 parts of alcohol.  The solution reddens
litmus paper.
  Prep.—Dub. " Carbonate of lead (cerusse), any quantity ; distilled vinegar,  ten
times its weight; digest in a glass vessel, till the vinegar becomes sweet; pour off
the liquor and add more vinegar, as long as it continues to be sweetened ; filter the
liquors, and, by alternate slow evaporation and cooling, obtain crystals, which are to
be dried in the shade."  Lond. " Oxyde of lead rubbed to powder, Ibiv. jij.; acetic
acid and distilled water, of each, Oiv. ; mix the acid with the water, and add  the
oxyde of lead to them, dissolve with a gentle heat, and strain ; lastly, evaporate, so
as to form crystals." Edin. " Pyroligneous acid, of the density 1034, Oij.; distilled
water, Oj. ; litharge,fxiv. ; mix the acid and water, add the litharge, dissolve it with
the aid of a gentle heat, filter, and concentrate the  solution  sufficiently for crystal-
lization on cooling."
   Adulterations.—This salt is usually  met with in commerce suffi-
ciently pure for  medical use.  In the Edinburgh Pharmacopoeia, the
following tests  are given by which a hundredth part of impurity
may be easily detected: " Entirely soluble in  distilled water, acid-
ulated with acetic  acid: 48 grains thus dissolved are  not entirely
precipitated by  a solution of 30 grains of phosphate of soda."
   Th. E.—Acetate of lead taken in large doses acts as an irritant,
causing inflammation of the stomach and intestines, with  intense
pain and vomiting.   In  medicinal doses it operates  as a  sedative-
astringent, and  as  such is employed with benefit in  the treatment
of disease, where the indication is to lower the circulation, and at
the same time check excessive discharge.  In all forms of passive
hoemorrhage it proves singularly serviceable ;  and when the bleed-
ing is of an active character, it  may  be beneficially employed in
conjunction with antiphlogistic treatment.   In the autumnal cholera
of this country, acetate of lead, combined with opium, is the rem-
edy on which most reliance is to be placed ; and this combination
has been highly spoken of by many practitioners for the treatment
of Asiatic  cholera.  In  chronic  diarrhoea and  dysentery it also
proves serviceable;  but  for  diminishing expectoration, and check-
ing the  colliquative sweating and diarrhoea of phthisis, it is much
inferior to dilute sulphuric acid.   As a topical remedy, a solution
of this salt is employed with benefit in most forms of superficial  in-
flammation  of a phlegmonous character, in ophthalmia, in gonor-
rhoea, gleet, and leucorrhoea, and in cutaneous eruptions attended
with surrounding inflammation.  A collyrium of the acetate of lead
should not be employed  in any form of ophthalmia when the cor-
nea is ulcerated, as it produces an indelible white stain, which be-
comes imbedded in the substance of the cornea ; an observation first
made by Dr. Jacob, of Dublin.
  D. & M.  of Adm.—Gr. ij. to gr. viij., in the form of pill, twice or
thrice daily.—Pilula plumbi opiata, E.  (Acetate of lead, 6 parts ; 
ASTRINGENTS.
73
opium, 1  part;  conserve of red roses, about one part;  beat them
into a proper mass, which is  to be  divided  into four-grain pills.
This pill may be made, also, with  twice the quantity of opium.)
This forms a" most useful  astringent combination;  each pill con-
tains 3 grains of acetate of lead and  half a grain of opium ;  dose,
2 or 3 pills, three times a day.—Unguentum (Ceratum, L.) plumbi
acetatis, D. L.  E.  (" Ointment of white  wax,  tbiss. ;  acetate  of
lead, §i.; make  an ointment,"  D.  " Acetate  of lead, powdered,
3ij.;  white wax, §ij.;  olive oil,  fgviij.; dissolve the wax in fgvij. of
the oil, then to these add gradually the acetate of lead separately
rubbed with the remainder of the oil, and stir with a spatula till
they unite," L.   "Simple ointment,  §xx.;  acetate of lead, in fine
powder, 3i.; mix them thoroughly,"  E.)   A  soothing  and astrin-
gent application to irritable ulcers or excoriated  parts.
   Incomp.—Hard water ; the mineral acids, and  their salts; citric,
tartaric, and carbonic acids, and their salts ; the alkalies ; lime-wa-
ter ; iodide of potassium;  tincture of galls; opium ; albuminous
liquids ; and various vegetable  infusions.
   When  an overdose of acetate of  lead has  been taken, sulphate
and phosphate of soda, and sulphate of magnesia, are the  best anti-
dotes ;  their administration should be succeeded by emetics, and
afterward by active purgatives and opium.

   Plumbi carbonas, D. L. E.   Carbonate  of Lead, White Lead:
Cerusse.
   P. P.—A  heavy,  white, obscurely-crystalline powder;  some-
times met with  in grayish-white, chalk-like masses ;  inodorous and
tasteless.
   C. P.—It is composed of 1 eq. of protoxyde of lead, and 1 of car-
bonic  acid (Pb O, CO2).  Exposed to heat, it parts with its carbonic
acid, and is converted into  the yellow oxyde of lead.  It is insolu-
ble in  water, but dissolves in nitric acid with effervescence.
  pREP.— \n article of the Materia Medica.  On the large scale, it is generally pre-
pared by exposing bars or plates of lead to the fumes of strong acetic or pyrolig-
neous acid, disengaged from the iron pots in which it is contained, by placing them
in a mixture of dung and tanners' refuse.  The carbonate forms on the surface of
the lead, and is detached by rolling the  plates under water.  On the Continent it is
also frequently prepared by transmitting a curgfct of carbonic acid gas through a
solution of acetate of lead.
   Adulterations.—Carbonate of lead is very much adulterated ; the
impurities generally found  in it are chalk,  sulphate  of baryta, and
sulphate of lead ; the two latter may be detected  by their insolubil-
ity in dilute nitric acid.  The presence of chalk may be discovered
by dissolving the suspected specimen in dilute nitric acid, throwing
down the lead from the solution  by sulphuretted hydrogen, filtering,
and adding solution of oxalate of ammonia ;  when, if any chalk had
been present, a white precipitate (oxalate of lime) will be produced.
  Th. E.—Carbonate of lead is  more apt to produce lead-colic than
any other of the  preparations of this metal; it is, consequently, never
used internallv.   Topically, it acts as a sedative-astringent, and  is
employed in  the form of ointment to promote the cicatrization of 
74
ASTRINGENTS.
excoriated parts and slight ulcerations.   Spread  on leather, it is
said to prove useful applied over the seat of the pain in local neu-
ralgia.— Unguentum plumbi carbonatis, D. E. ("Carbonate of lead,
in very fine  powder, §ij.;  ointment of white  wax, fbj.; make into
an  ointment," D.   " Simple ointment, 5*v.; carbonate of lead, §i.;
mix thoroughly," E.)

  Plumbi diacetatis (subacetatis, D.) liouor, D. L.   Plumbi  di-
acetatis solutio,  E.   Solution of Diacetate of Lead; Gowlard's
Extract; Extract of Saturn.
  P. P.—This solution is transparent and colourless; it  has a weak
acetous odour, and  a  sweetish, astringent taste.  Sp. gr., 1*118 at
68° (D.) ; 1*260 at 62° (L.).
  C. P.—It is an aqueous  solution of diacetate of lead, which salt
may be obtained in a crystalline form by evaporation ; crystallized
diacetate of lead is  composed of 1 eq. of acetic acid, 2 of protoxyde
of lead,  and ten of water (2 Pb O, (C4HaO3) + 10 HO).   Exposed
to the air, it deposites a white precipitate of carbonate of lead ; the
same effect is produced by adding a solution of carbonic acid or a
carbonate.
  Prep.—Dub.  " Semivitrified oxyde of lead, 1 part ;_ distilled vinegar, 12 parts;
boil down the mixture in a glass vessel, until 11 parts remain ;  set aside the liquor,
and when the impurities have subsided, filter."  Lord. "Acetate of lead, ibij. "§iij.;
oxyde of lead, rubbed to powder, Ibj. jiv. ;  water, Ovi. ;  boil them for half an hour,
frequently stirring, and when the liquor is cold, add of distilled water as much as
may be sufficient to measure with it,  Ovi.;  lastly, strain the solution."   Edin.
"Acetate of lead, §vj. jvi. ; litharge, in fine powder, §iv.; water, Oiss. ; boil to-
gether, stirring occasionally ; when the solution is cold, add water, if necessary, to
make up Oiss.; and then filter.  Preserve the solution in well-closed bottles."
  Th. E.—This solution is not used  internally;  externally, it  is
employed, properly diluted, in the same cases as a solution of ace-
tate of lead ; the only advantage it possesses  over  which is, that it
does not dry up so quickly.—Plumbi subacetatis  liquor comp., D.
Liquor plumbi diacetatis dilutus, L.   (Solution of subacetate (di-
acetate,  L.)  of lead, 3i. (f*3iss., L.) ;  distilled water,  fbi. (Oj., L.);
proof spirit, 3i. (f3ij., L.) ;  mix.)  This preparation is too weak for
general  use.—Ceratum plumbi comp., L.   (Solution of diacetate
of lead, f§iij.; wax, piv. :  ojp-e oil, Oss.; camphor, 3ss.; mix the
melted wax with fgviij. of tlrc oil, then  remove them  from the fire,
and, when first they begin to thicken, add  gradually the solution of
diacetate of lead, and  stir them constantly with a spatula until they
cool; lastly, mix with them the camphor dissolved in the remainder
of the oil.)   Govrtard's Cerate;  employed as a dressing  to diminish
pain and irritation.
  Incomp.—Same as for acetate of lead ; solution of gum : organic
matter;  and soap liniment.

  Plumbi oxydum  semivitreum, D. L.   Lithargyrum,  E.  Fused
protoxyde of lead;  Litharge.—Though much employed in pharma-
cy  and the arts, litharge is only used in medicine as a  desiccative
and astringent powder, to  sprinkle over excoriated parts and super- 
ASTRINGENTS.
/ o
ficial  ulcerations.   It enters into the composition of the following
ointments: Emplastrum Lithargyri, D. E.  Emplastrum Plumbi,
L. (Litharge, in very fine powder, fbv. (foyj., L.; §v., E.) ; olive oil,
cong. j. (fgxij., E.); water, by measure,  fbij. (Oij., L.; fjiij.,  E.); boil
together (with a superior heat, D.; over a slow fire,  L.), stirring
constantly, until the oil and litharge unite into the consistence of a
plaster ;  it will be proper to add a little boiling water if it evaporate
too fir.)   Diachylon plaster;  it is used for retaining the  edges of
fresh  wounds in contact, and as the basis of many other plasters.—
Unguentum plumbi  compositum, L.  (Prepared chalk, gviij. ;  dis-
tilled  vinegar, f§vj. ; plaster of lead, Ibiij.; olive oil, Oi.;  melt the
plaster in the oil with  a slow fire; then  gradually add the chalk
separately mixed with the vinegar, the effervescence being finished,
and  stir constantly till  they  are  cooled.)   Generally used as a
dressing for indolent ulcers.—Emplastrum Lithargyri cum Resina,
D.  Emplast.Resina,L. Emplast.Resinorum,F,. (Litharge plaster,
rbhiss. (foiij., L.; §v., E.); resin (yellow, D.), fbss. (§i., E.); add the
resin, powdered, to the  litharge plaster  melted over a slow fire, and
mix.)  This is the adhesive or sticking plaster of the  shops, com-
monly used for  retaining the edges of  wounds in contact, and for
strapping ulcers.—Emplastrum Saponis, D. L. E.  (Litharge plas-
ter, ibiij. (§iv., E.);  soap (hard, D.; Castile, E.), sliced, fbss. (§i. ;
gum  plaster, §ij., E.);  melt the plasters, add the  soap,  and boil
down to a proper consistence.)  This plaster, when kept, is apt to
crumble  to powder, to obviate which, the Edinburgh College have
added the gum plaster.   It is chiefly employed to give mechanical
support.—Emplastrum Saponis compositum vel adharens, D.  (Soap
plaster, §ij. ;  plaster of litharge and resin, §iij.; make into a plaster,
which should be melted and spread on  linen.)  An excellent  ap-
plication for the prevention of bed-sores.—Ceratum Saponis,  L.
(.Soap, ^x.;  wax, gxiiss.; oxyde of lead, powdered, ^xv.;  olive oil,
Oi.; vinegar, cong. j.;  boil  the vinegar with the oxyde of lead over
a slow fire, constantly stirring them till  they  unite; then add  the
soap,  and boil again in a similar manner, until all the moisture is
evaporated ;  lastly, mix with these the wax, previously dissolved in
the oil.)   A cooling, astringent dressing.

  Polygonum bistorta, radix, D.   Bistort;  Root  of  Polygonum
bistorta. — Indigenous;  belonging to  the natural family Poli/go
nacea, and to the Linnsean class and order Octandria  Trigynia.
  B. C.—Root perennial; stem herbaceous, annual, 1-1£ feet high ;  leaves ovate,
waved ; flowers rose-coloured, in a dense, cylindrical spike.
  P. & C. P.—The root is dark-brown externally,  wrinkled and
tortuous ; reddish internally ;  inodorous ; taste strongly astringent.
It contains a large quantity of tannin, Some gallic acid, starch, and
woody fibre;  it yields its astringency to  both  water  and alcohol.
  Th. E.—Bistort is among the most  powerful  of our  indigenous
astringents ;  nevertheless, it has nearly fallen  into disuse.   It may
be employed  with  benefit  in  chronic mucous discharges, and  in
passive haemorrhages. 
76
ASTRINGENTS.
  D. & M. of Adm.—In powder, 3ss. to zi.—Decoctum Bistorta.
(Bistort,  §ij.; boiling water, Oiss.; boil down to Oi.)   Dose, f§i.
to f§ij.
  Incomp.—All substances incompatible with tannin, and tincture
of iodine.

  Punica Granatum, bacce tunica exterior et flores, D.   Gra-
natum, L.  [Granati Fructus Cortex, U. S. P.]  The bark of the
fruit (and the flowers, D.) of Punica Granatum.—This tree  has
been described in the division Anthelmintics.
  P. P.—The fruit rind is met with in the shops, in arched, irregular
pieces, reddish-brown and warty on  the outside, yellowish  within,
about a line in thickness ; inodorous ; with a bitter, astringent taste.
The flowers  are reddish, odourless, and have a weak, astringent
taste; they are not used  at present.
  C. P.—The rind of the pomegranate consists of 18*8 per cent, of
tannin, 17*1 of mucilage, 10*8 of extractive, 30 of lignin, and  at race
of resin.   It yields its astringency to both water and alcohol.
  Th. E.—Pomegranate rind may be used as an astringent in the
same cases as  the other vegetable remedies  of this  class; but at
present it is rarely employed.
  D. &  M. of Adm.—In powder, 3ss. to 3i.  Decoctum Granati,
L.  (Pomegranate rind, §ij.; distilled water, Oiss.; boil down to Oj.,
and strain.)   Dose, f§ss.  to f§i.                                 I
  Incomp.—All substances incompatible with tannin.

  Quercus, L.  Quercus cortex, E.  Quercus robur, cortex, D.
—Oak bark; Bark  of Quercus pedunculata  (Willdenow), L. E.;
of  Quercus robur (Linnaeus),  D.—Indigenous; belonging  to the
natural family Cupulifera; and  to  the  Linnsean class and order
Moncecia Polyandria.
  B. C.—A large, long-lived tree ; leaves bright green, deciduous; flowers, male,
yellowish ; female, greenish, tinged with brown ; fruit (acorns), 2 or 3 on a long pe-
duncle, surrounded at the base by the.cupule.
  P. P.—Oak bark is in pieces of various  lengths, silvery-gray on
the outside, reddish-brown within ; inodorous ; taste powerfully as-
tringent ; the pieces  are brittle, and break with a short fracture.
  C. P.—It contains from 15 to  20 percent, of tannin, with some
gallic acid, uncrystallizable sugar, pectin, and salts.   It yields its
virtues to both water and alcohol.
  Th. E.—Oak bark is  an excellent astringent, and  may  be  em-
ployed in the treatment of chronic diarrahoea and dysentery, in al-
vine hoemorrhages, and to check atonic mucous discharges.  As a
topical  remedy, it is used with benefit in the form of decoction;
as  a gargle, in  relaxation of the uvula and tonsils ; and as an injec-
tion, in fluor  albus, and in prolapsus of the uterus or rectum.
  D. &  M. of Adm.—In powder,  a bad form,  3ss.  to 3i.—Decoc-
tum Quercus, D. L.  E.  (Oak  bark  (bruised, L.), pi.  (^x.,  L. E.);
water (distilled, L.),  Oij. (rbij., D.); boil down to Oj. (fbj., D.), and
strain.)  Dose, t'gi. to t^iv.  A convenient strength for a  garble, 
astringents.
77
injection,  or lotion.—Extractum  Quercus, D.   (Prepared as the
simpler extracts.)   Not much used; dose, gr. x. to 3j.
  Incomp.—All substances incompatible with tannin.

  Rosa gallica, D. L. E.   Red rose.   Petals  of Rosa gallica.—
A native of the middle and south  of Europe, now cultivated exten-
sively in our gardens.  It belongs to the natural family Rosacea,
and to the Linnsean class and order Icosandria Polygynia.
  B. C.—An undershrub, very variable in  size and character, owing to cultivation ;
the flowers are of a fine purplish-red colour, spreading.
  P.  P.—The dried petals have a velvety appearance, an agreeable
roseate odour,  which is developed during desiccation, and a some-
what aromatic, bitter, astringent taste.  They should be gathered
before the  flowers expand, the white claw cut  off, and  then  dried
quickly with a stove heat.
  C.  P.—They consist of volatile oil, tannin, gallic acid, colouring
matter, albumen, fatty matter, and some  salts.  They  yield their
properties  to boiling water, affording  a  reddish-yellow  solution,
which is changed to bright red by sulphuric acid.
  Th. E.—The petals of the red rose are very mildly astringent,
and are chiefly employed in medicine on account of their colour
and odour, the  officinal preparations forming agreeable vehicles for
the administration of more active  medicines.
  D.  & M. of Adm.—Infusum Rosa, E.   Inf. Rosa" acidum, D.
Inf. Rosa comp.,  L.  (" Red-rose petals,  dried and deprived of
their  claws, §ss.;  dilute  sulphuric acid,  by measure, 3iij.; boiling
water, by measure, fbiij.;  purified sugar, giss.; first pour the water
on the petals in a glass vessel; then add  the  acid, and digest for
half an hour;  strain the  cooled  liquor, and add the  sugar," D.—
" Red-rose petals, dried, 3iij.; dilute sulphuric  acid, f3iss.;  sugar,
3vi.;  boiling distilled water,  Oj.;  pour the water on the  rose petals
in a glass vessel; then mix  in the acid.  Macerate for six hours,
and strain  the liquor; lastly, add  the sugar to it,"  L.—The Edin-
burgh College employs the same proportions as the London.   The
petals are to be infused in the water in a covered vessel of glass or
porcelain, not  glazed with lead, for an hour;  the  acid  added, the
liquor strained through linen or calico, and the sugar dissolved in
it.)    An agreeable  refrigerant  and mild  astringent; dose, f§i. to
fs?;ij.  It forms one  of the best vehicles for the administration of
the neutral purgative salts.—Conserva Rosce, D. E.  Confectio
Rosa- gallica,  L.   (" Red-rose petals, fhj.; sugar, fbiij.; bruise the
petals in a stone mortar, then, the sugar being added, pound them
again until they are thoroughly incorporated," D. L.   " Beat the
petals of Rosa gallica to a pulp, gradually adding twice their weight
of sugar," E.)  A very  weak astringent;  dose, 3i.  to 3ij.   It is
principally used as a basis for pills, for which purpose it is the best
material that can be used, as it  neither hardens, nor becomes can-
died by keeping.—Mel Rosa, D. L. E.  (Red-rose petals, dried (and
without the claws, D.), giv.; boiling water, by measure, fbiij. (Oiiss.,
L. E.) ; honey, rbv.  " Macerate the rose petals m  the water for 
78
ASTRINCENTS.
six hours, then add the honey to the strained liquor, and (in a water-
bath, L.)  boil down to the consistence of sirup (removing the
scum, D.)," D. L.  " Infuse  the petals in the water for six hours,
strain, and squeeze;  let the  impurities subside;  pour off the clear
liquor, mix with it the honey, and evaporate  the  whole to the con-
sistence  of sirup, removing  the scum," E.)  Chiefly employed as
an addition to astringent gargles; dose, 3ij. to 3iv.—Sirupus Rosa
gallica, E.   (Dried red-rose petals, §ij.; pure sugar, §xx.;  boiling
water, Oj.; infuse the petals in the water for 12 hours, strain the
liquor, and dissolve the  sugar in it with the  aid of heat.)   Princi-
pally used for imparting its fine red colour to mixtures, &c.
   Incomp.—All substances incompatible with tannin.

   Sod,e  boras, D. Borax ;  Sod^e biboras, L. E.  Borax; Biborate
of Soda.
   P. P.—Usually met with  in  large, translucent, colourless crys-
tals, aggregated together; the  crystals are either oblique rhombic
prisms, or regular octohedrons  : inodorous, with  a somewhat styp-
tic, alkaline taste.
   C. P.—Crystallized borax consists of one eq.  of soda, 2 of bo-
racic acid,  and 10 of water (Na O, 2 BO3+10 HO);  but  octahe-
dral borax contains  only 5 atoms of water.   Exposed to the air,
it  effloresces  slowly; heated, it melts in its water of crystalliza-
tion, which, if the heat be increased, is driven off, and a light an-
hydrous  salt,  calcined borax, left; at a still higher temperature it
fuses again, and  as it cools,  forms a transparent  solid, glass of bo-
rax.  Borax is soluble in 12 parts of cold and in 2 of boiling wa-
ter ; the solution  is alkaline,  changing the vegetable blues to green.
In solution, this salt is readily recognised by adding sulphuric acid,
which precipitates boracic acid in pearly, crystalline scales.
  Prep.—An article of the Materia Medica;  on the large scale, it is prepared either
by refining crude borax of commerce,  Tincal, a natural crystalline formation, met
with on the shores of some lakes in Thibet and Persia;  or by saturating native bo-
racic acid, obtained from the lagoons of Tuscany, with carbonate of soda.
   Borax is not liable to adulteration.
   Th. E.—Borax is  only employed in medicine as  a topical as-
tringent, in  aphthous ulcerations of the  mouth and throat, in ex-
cessive mercurial salivation, and in  some forms of chronic  skin
disease.
   D. & M. of Adm.—For a lotion or  gargle, gr. xx.  to gr. xxx.
may be dissolved in  fgi. of water, or  §i. of the following prepara-
tion  in f§v. of water: Mel Boracis, D. L. E.  (Borax, powdered,
3j.; clarified honey, §i.;  mix.)   The best form  for  applying borax
to aphthous ulcerations.
   Incomp.—The  mineral acids,  and most of their salts.

   Tannin.  Tannin; Tannic acid.—A peculiar principle, on which
the astringent property of vegetable substances chiefly depends.
  Prep.—" Macerate powdered galls for twenty-four hours in a closely-stopped bot-
tle, with sufficient sulphuric ether to moisten them; express strongly with a powei- 
ASTRINGENTS.
79
ful press ; repeat the process until the galls are completely exhausted ; recover as
much as possible of the ether by distillation, and evaporate the residue to dryness
over the vapour-bath."—Leconet.
  P. P.—Thus obtained, tannic acid is a yellowish-white, uncrys-
tallizable solid,  shining and pulverulent; inodorous; taste  purely
astringent, void of all bitterness.
  C. P.—Its composition is C18H8Oia.   Exposed to the air, it ab-
sorbs oxygen,  and is almost entirely converted into gallic acid.
It is very soluble in water, moderately so in alcohol  or  proof  spir-
it, and but sparingly soluble in ether.  Its  solution reddens litmus
paper.
  Th. E.—Tannic acid is powerfully astringent,  and has been em-
ployed on the Continent with much success in the treatment of the
various forms of atonic haemorrhage, and  in chronic mucous dis-
charges ; it has been found peculiarly efficacious in  menorrhagia,
and in the colliquative sweating and  diarrhoea of hectic.
  D. &  M. of Adm.—Gr. ss. to gr. j. or gr. ij., in the form  of pill,
or dissolved  in water.  It has been also employed in the form of
gargle, injection, or lotion, in the proportion of gr. v. to  gr. viij. of
tannin, to fgi. of water.
  Incomp.—The mineral acids ; the alkalies, and their carbonates ;
lime-water, acetate of lead, nitrate of silver, tartar emetic, the ve-
getable alkaloids, and gelatin.

  Tormentilla, D. L. E.   Tormentil;  Root of Potentilla tormen-
tilla, L.  E.;  of  Tormentilla officinalis, D.—Indigenous ; belonging
to the natural family Rosacea, and to the Linnsean class and order
Icosandria Polygynia.
  Tormentil root  contains about  18  per  cent, of tannin, and,  con-
sequently, is an astringent of some power,  and may be  used in the
same cases as the other vegetable astringents.   At  present, how-
ever, it is scarcely ever employed, except  as  a domestic  remedy.
The dose of the powdered root  is from 3ss. to  3i., three or  four
times a day.  The decoction is a better mode of administering it:
Decoctum Tormentilla, L.   (Tormentil, bruised, §ij.; distilled wa-
ter, Oiss.  Boil down to Oj., and  strain.)   Dose,  fgi. to fgiss., two
or three times a day.  It is also an excellent astringent lotion or
injection.

  Uva-ursi, D.  L. E.   Bearberry; Leaves of Arctostaphylos  Uva-
ursi, L.  E.; of Arbutus  Uva-ursi, D.—Indigenous ; belonging to
the natural family Ericacea, and to  the Linnsean class and order
Decandria Monogynia.
  B. C.—A small, trailing shrub ; leaves  obovate, entire, evergreen ; flowers rose-
coloured, in terminal racemes ;  berry globose, scarlet, 4-5 seeded.
  P. P.—The dried leaves are dark-green, shining, convex  above,
concave and reticulated on the under surface; they have a  very
astringent, somewhat bitter taste,  and emit a faint odour in the pro-
cess of pulverization.
  C. P.—They contain 36*4 per  cent, of tannin, with some gallic 
80
ASTRINGENTS
acid, resin, extractive, salts, &c.   They yield their astringency to
water and to alcohol.
  Adulterations.—The leaves of the red whortleberry (Vaccinium
Vitis-idaa) and  of  the  common box  (Buxus  sempervirens)  are
often either mixed with, or substituted for, uva-ursi; the former are
readily distinguished by their under surface being dotted, not retic-
ulate ;  and the latter, by their want of astringency.
  Th. E.—The employment of uva-ursi as an astringent is now al-
together restricted to chronic diseases of the urino-genital appara-
tus, attended with mucous discharge ; as in the advanced stages of
catarrh of the bladder, in gleet, leucorrhoea, &c.  To produce any
beneficial effects, its use must be  persevered in for a considerable
time.
  D. & M. of Adm.—In powder, gr. xx. to 3j.—Extractum Uva-
ursi, L.   (Uva-ursi, bruised, Ibriss.; boiling distilled water, cong.
ij.; macerate for 24 hours ; then boil down to a gallon, and strain the
liquor  while yet hot; lastly, evaporate to  a proper consistence.)
Dose, gr.  v. to gr. xv.. two  or three times a  day.—Decoctum Uva-
ursi, L.   (Uva-ursi, bruised, §i.;  distilled water, Oiss.;  boil down
to Oj., and strain.)   Dose, fgi. to fgiij.
  Incomp.—All substances incompatible with tannin.

  Zinci acetas.   Acetate of Zinc.
  P. P.—This salt occurs in small, white, rhomboidal plates, with
a pearly lustre ; inodorous; having a bitter,  styptic taste.
  C. P.—It is composed of 1 eq. of oxyde of zinc, 1 of acetic acid,
and 7 of water (Zn O, (C4H303)+7 HO).   Exposed to the air, it
effloresces slowly.   It is very soluble in water  and in alcohol.
  Prep.—Acetate of zinc may be readily prepared by dissolving the oxyde, or car-
bonate of the metal in dilute acetic acid, filtering and  evaporating, so as to obtain
crystals.
  Th. E.—Dissolved in  spirit or in water, this salt is used as a top-
ical astringent in  ophthalmia, and in chronic mucous discharges.  As
soon as the inflammatory symptoms have subsided, it forms an ex-
cellent injection in gonorrhoea.  It is not employed internally.
  D.  & M. of Adm.—For a lotion or injection, gr. ij. to gr. x.
may be dissolved in  fgi- of distilled water.—Tinctura acetatis zinci,
D.   (Sulphate of zinc and  acetate of potash, of each, 1 part; rub
together, and add 16 parts of rectified spirit; macerate for a week,
frequently agitating, and filter through  paper.)  One drachm con-
tains a quantity of the salt  nearly equal to four grains of the crvs-
tallized acetate;  largely diluted with water, it forms an excellent
cooling, astringent lotion.
  Incomp.—The  stronger acids; the alkalies and their carbonates;
and lime-water.

  Zinci carbonas impurum, D.  Calamina, L. E. Impure carbonate
of zinc; Calamine.—This is one of the  most common ores of zinc;
previous  to its being  used  for medical purposes, it is directed by
the colleges to  be burned with a red heat, and reduced to fine pow- 
astringents.
81
 der in the same manner as prepared chalk.  It then constitutes
 prepared calamine, Zinci carbonas impurum praparatum, D.; Cal-
 amina praparata, L. E.  It is commonly met with in the form of
 a heavy, flesh-coloured  powder; when pure, almost entirely  solu-
 ble in sulphuric acid ; it is generally a very impure oxyde of zinc,
 most, if not all, of the carbonic acid having been  dried off by the
 roasting.  Calamine is used in powder, or in the form of ointment, as
 a mild desiccative and astringent for the treatment of intertrigo, ex-
 coriations, and superficial ulcerations.  The  following is the only
 officinal preparation:  Unguentum Calamina, D. E.  Ceratum Cala-
 mina, L.  (" Ointment of yellow wax, fbv.; prepared  impure car-
 bonate of zinc, dried, fbj.; rub the carbonate of zinc until it is com-
 pletely  powdered;  then add  it to  the  ointment, and  mix," D.
 " Calamine, wax, of each, fbss.; olive oil,  f§xvj.; mix the oil  with
 the melted wax;  then remove them from the fire, and when first
 they begin to thicken add the calamine, and stir constantly till they
 cool," L.   " Calamine,  prepared  in the  same way as prepared
 chalk, 1 part; simple  cerate, 5 parts ; mix  them well together," E.)
 This preparation, under  the name of Turner's cerate, is in very gen-
 eral use, as a desiccative and healing ointment.

   Zinci oxydum, D. L. E.   Oxyde of Zinc; Flowers of Zinc.
   P. P.—A yellowish-white, earthy  powder; inodorous and taste-
 less.
   C. P.—It is composed of 1 eq. of  zinc, and 1 of oxygen (Zn O).
 When heated it becomes yellow, but regains its whiteness as it
 cools ; at a white  heat it is volatilized.  Oxyde of zinc is insoluble
 in water, but most acids dissolve it readily ; from its  solution  in any
 of the acids, it is precipitated  by ammonia as a white gelatinous
 hydrate, which is redissolved by an excess of the alkali.
  Prep.—Dub. " Zinc, in small fragments, any quantity;  throw it at separate inter-
 vals into a crucible, sufficiently deep, heated to whiteness, the mouth being inclined
 somewhat towards the mouth of the furnace ; after the injection of each piece ol
 zinc, invert another crucible over it lightly, so as not to exclude the  air; preserve
 for use the light and very white sublimed powder."  Lond. " Sulphate of zinc, Ibj.;
 sesquicarbonate of ammonia,  jviss.;  distilled water, cong. iij.; dissolve the sul-
 phate of zinc and sesquicarbonate of ammonia, separately, in Oxij. of the distilled
 water, and strain;  then mix.   Wash what is precipitated frequently with water;
 and, lastly, burn it for 2 hours in a strong fire."  Edin.  "Sulphate of zinc, fxij.;
 carbonate of ammonia, §ij.; dissolve each in Oij. of water; mix the solutions ; col-
 lect the precipitate on a cloth; wash it thoroughly ;  squeeze and dry it; expose it
 for 2 hours to a red heat."
  Adulterations.—As  met with in the shops, this preparation gen-
 erally  contains carbonate or sulphate of zinc, sometimes, also, lime
 and iron.  The tests  of  the Edinburgh Pharmacopoeia will detect
 these impurities : " White ; tasteless ; entirely soluble in dilute ni-
 tric acid ; this solution is not affected by nitrate of baryta, but gives,
 with ammonia,  a white precipitate entirely soluble in an excess of
 the test."
  Th. E.—As an astringent, oxyde of zinc is only employed external-
 ly, in the form of powder  or ointment, to slight excoriations, chapped
nipples, intertrigo, superficial ulcerations, and in ophthalmia tarsi. 
82
ASTRINGENTS.
   D. & M. of Adm.— Unguentum (oxydi, D.) zinci, D. L. E.   (Ox-
yde of zinc, §ij. (3L, L. E.) ; ointment of white wax, Sri. (prepared
lard, jvj., L.;  simple liniment, gvj., E.) ; " melt  the  ointment, and
mix in the oxyde in very fine powder," D.; " mix well," L. E.)

   Zinci sulphas, D. L. E.  Sulphate of Zinc ; White Vitriol.
   P. P.—This salt is met with in the "shops, in small fragments of
transparent, colourless crystals, the  primary form of which is the
right rhombic prism; they are inodorous, but have  a styptic, me-
tallic taste.
   C. P.—It is composed of 1 eq. of oxyde of zinc,  1 of sulphuric
acid, and 7 of water (Zn O, S03+7 HO).   It  effloresces in dry
warm air;  heated, it melts in its water of crystallization, which, if
the  temperature  be increased, is all  driven off;  and at an intense
heat it is decomposed, the  acid being expelled,  and the oxyde of
zinc only remaining.  Sulphate of zinc is soluble in 2 J parts of tem-
perate water, and in less than its own weight of boiling water;  it
is also soluble  in  alcohol.
  Prep.—Dub. " Zinc, in small fragments, 30 parts ; sulphuric acid, 20 parts ; wa-
ter, 120 parts ; pour  the acid, previously diluted with the water, gradually on the
zinc in a glass vessel; when the effervescence has ceased,  digest the mixture for
some time ; then evaporate the filtered liquor, and after the  requisite evaporation,
set aside, that crystals may form."  Lond. " Zinc, in small pieces, jv. ;  dilute sul-
phuric acid, Oij. ;  pour gradually the acids upon the pieces of zinc ; and when the
effervescence has ceased, strain ; then boil down until a pellicle begins to form.
Lastly, set aside, that crystals  may be formed." Edin. " It may be prepared either
by dissolving fragments of zinc in diluted sulphuric acid, till a neutral liquid be ob-.
tained, filtering the solution, and concentrating sufficiently for it to crystallize on
cooling ; or by repeatedly dissolving and crystallizing the impure sulphate of zinc of
commerce, until the product, when dissolved in  water, does not yield a black pre-
cipitate with tincture of galls."
   Adulterations.—The only impurity of any importance met with
in this salt is oxyde of iron; it may be readily detected by adding
ammonia to a solution of the sulphate, when a white precipitate will
be produced, soluble in an excess of the alkali;  but if any iron be
present, it will not be redissolved.
   Th. E.—In large doses, unless discharged by vomiting, sulphate
of zinc is an irritant poison.  In small doses it acts as  an astringent.
and  is beneficially employed as such in chronic diarrhoea and dys-
entery, in excessive  secretion from the  bronchial tubes  unaccom-
panied with inflammation, in fluor albus, and in gleet.   As a topi-
cal remedy, it  is very much employed in solution; as a collyrium,
in chronic ophthalmia ; as a lotion, in old ulcers attended with pro-
fuse discharge ; and as an injection, in the advanced  stages of gon-
orrhoea, in gleet, and in leucorrhoea.
  D. & M. of Adm.—Gr. j. to gr. v., made into  pill with conserve
of roses, or with seme astringent extract.  For external use. gr. j. to
3ss., according to circumstances, may be dissolved in f§i. of water.
  Incomp.—Alkalies, and their carbonates; lime-water; acetate of
lead; and nitrate of silver.
   In poisoning with  this salt, warm  demulcent drinks,  as  infusion
of linseed, decoction ol barley. &c, should be administered to pro- 
CATHARTICS.
83
mote its evacuation.  Should inflammatory symptoms occur sub-
sequently, they are to be  combated by  the  usual  antiphlogistic
remedies.
                       CHAPTER V.

                         CATHARTICS.

                          (Purgatives.)

  Cathartics may be defined, medicines which quicken or increase
alvine evacuations.   Cathartics vary much in the manner in which
they produce their effects.  Some act merely by exciting the mus-
cular fibres of the  intestines to increased peristaltic motion,  and
ihus cause their contents to be more quickly and more completely
evacuated.  Some stimulate the mucous follicles and exhalants, so
mat a larger quantity of fluids than usual is excreted from the inner
coai of the intestines, and  thus the faecal evacuations are rendered
more liquid and more copious.   In many, both those properties are
united. ;  and some extend their stimulus to the neighbouring  viscera
also, and hence produce an increased discharge of the supplement-
ary intestinal secretions, as the bile  and pancreatic juice.  Cathar-
tics differ also as to the  part  of  the intestinal canal on which they
act; the effects of some being confined to the small, of others to
the large intestines, while many of them  appear to stimulate the
entire tube.   1 hey differ, moreover, as to the degree in which they
produce their elfecrs, and  hence have been generally divided  into
three classes :  1st. Laxatives, which operate so mildly as  merely
to produce tne evacuation of the intestinal  contents without causing
increased secretion or stimulating any of the neighbouring viscera.
2d. Purgatives, properly so called, which, besides remarkably in-
creasing the peristaltic action of the intestines, occasion increased
excretion of fluids from the exhalant vessels and from the neigh-
bouring viscera, and also extend their stimulant effects to the  sys-
tem in general.  3d. Drastic or hydragogue cathartics, which op-
erate in the same manner  as purgatives, but with much greater en-
ergy, and which, if given  in an overdose,  produce inliammation of
the intestines, characterized by constant vomiting and purging, with
intense pain.   Although, for the sake of simplicity in our classifica-
tion, we have arranged the remedies belonging to those three di-
visions und^r- the one head Cathartics, in prescribing them, duo at-
tention must be paid to the distinctions in  their mode of operation,
so as to fulfil the indications  for which they may be administered.
Those distinctions  will be  more  conveniently considered when
treating of the therapeutical effects of the individual remedies of this
class.
   [It appears highly probable that the varieties of cathartic proper- 
84
CATHARTICS.
ties possessed by different  articles of this class depend  upon the
time they remain in the alimentary canal before they prove stimu-
lating to the mucous membrane lining that tube.  Hence, some of
them, as calomel, begin to irritate the stomach almost immediately
upon  entering that viscus,  and most generally nauseate the pa-
tient by the commotion thus early set up in the contents by their
presence.  The  same may  be said of several other  drugs oi  anal-
ogous properties.  By the time they reach  the  duodenum, they
seem to act with their greatest energy ;  and as the biliary and pan-
creatic ducts enter into this intestine, the organs adjacent are stim-
ulated to action, and these secretions being restored, the peristaltic
motion of the intestines is excited by the presence of the  bile, rath-
er than by any farther direct agency of the  medicine.   The bile
is the natural purgative  of the body, and when present  in proper
quantity and quality, cathartics are uncalled for.  The superiority
of calomel as a purgative depends on its being so prompt in  its ir-
ritation, when given  in  a proper dose, that it rouses the liver into
action by agitating the extremities of. its ducts,  while itself has not
yet passed the duodenum.   Other cathartics which resemble it in
their operation are analogous, in their early affecting the stomach
and upper bowel, thus securing biliary discharges.
  That this opinion is not fanciful, appears probable when we re-
member that the bile  of  some of the inferior animals, particularly
the ox-gall, and  the oil extracted from the liver of codfish, is found
to produce free action upon the bowels  in those cases in which the
function of the liver  has been  suspended, or when its  ducts are
obstructed.   And in  such  cases, for want of a substitute  for the
bile, we  find it necessary to combine with the calomel, or  follow
its administration by  some active cathartic, or one which  excites
the peristaltic motion ; for which purpose calomel appears to be in-
adequate itself, except when it succeeds by restoring the  biliary se-
cretion.  The action of jalap, scammony, rhubarb, colocynth, &c,
would seem to produce the peristaltic motion, by  an analogous ac-
tion to the bile itself, and have to be combined with the calomel in
those cases where bile is absent, but are uncalled for when the lat-
ter  succeeds in restoring the function of the liver.
  There are some cathartics which, it is well known, expend their
irritation invariably upon the lower  intestines,  appearing to  enter
the stomach, pass into the duodenum, and even  the whole length of
the canal, without exciting irritation or pain until  they  reach  the
rectum.  This is eminently the case with aloes and similar a-rents,
and hence  all purging produced by  these is wholly artificial, and
independent  of  the biliary  secretion, or any inordinate  peristaltic
motion in the upper intestines.  Some articles of this class, as sen-
na, colocynth, and scammony, seem  to  commence their  action
about the time they reach the colon, while still  others produce gri-
ping in the  ilium, as is the  case with gamboge and other drastic
articles, the  pain of which about the umbilicus and the convolutions
of the smaller intestines is uniform.
   The cathartic effect of the waters found at the Mineral Springs 
CATHARTICS.
85
 has often excited surprise, when the small quantity of purgative
 salts contained in the large quantity of the waters drank is disclo-
 sed by analysis.   Similar effects, however, can be produced at any
 time by  very large dilutions with water, acidulated with a similar
 small proportion of Epsom salts.   A single teaspoonful of Epsom,
 dissolved in a quart of common water, if a few drops of either of
 the mineral acids be added, and  the whole quart speedily drank,
 will produce as free purging as would follow 2 oz. of the same salts,
 if dissolved in a  small quantity of water.   It is, therefore, easy to
 explain the  remarkable effect of mineral waters thus : Six or  more
 tumblers of the water  of Congress Spring, for example, are quick-
 ly drank, containing, possibly, not more than a drachm of purging
 salts, combined with a small portion of mineral acids and non-pur-
 ging saline  ingredients.  The stomach is  mechanically distended,
 as  also the  duodenum, by  the draught of fluid, and the biliary se-
 cretion is often  provoked  immediately by the agitation and irrita-
 tion of its ducts.   Hence the peristaltic motion begins, and progress-
 es rapidly by the distension of so large a quantity of fluid, the small
 dose of  salts  being  merely  auxiliary, and hastening the  process.
 Accordingly,  we find that  in ordinary cases the discharges are not
 only bilious, but fluid to an extent corresponding with the number
 of glasses drank.  And it will be observed, also, that in  those inva-
 lids who complain at  the  Springs that whatever  quantity of the
 water they  drink it fails  to purge them, the reason is,  that the
 function  of  the liver is suspended, and the bile is absent.  Nor in
 such persons do  the waters succeed  as a  cathartic, until  calomel,
 blue  pill, or some similar  medicine is premised, overcoming the
 hepatic obstruction,  after which the waters have their appropriate
 effect.
   These suggestions are introduced here  as the result of much re-
 flection and diligent observation for many years, and will admit of
 more amplification than in this  place would be allowable.  They
 will receive confirmation by comparing them with the^therapcu-
 tical effects of the remedies named under the class of Cathartics bv
 the author.]

   Aloe, L.   Aloe  Socotrina,  D. E.  Aloes ; Socotrine aloes;
 from (inspissated juice  of the leaves  of,  L.)  Aloe spicata, D. L.  :
 of an undetermined species of Aloe, E.
   Aloe  hepatica, D.   Aloe Barbadensis, E.  Aloe  Indica, E.
 Hepatic  aloes; Barbadoes  aloes ; Indian aloes.  From Aloe vulga-
 ris, D.   Extract, or inspissated juice of one or more undetermined
 species of aloe, E.—The Edinburgh College  correctly states, that
 aloes is obtained from  various species of the genus Aloe; they are
inhabitants  of the East and West Indies, Socotora, Barbarv, and
the Cape of Good Hope;  and belong  to  the natural  family  Lili
 acea, and to the Linnsean  class and order Hexandria Monogynia.
  B. C.—The species of the genus Aloe from which  the drug is obtained are gen
erally characterized by having woody stems, with large; fleshy, amplexicaul leaves,
glaucous, flat above and convex below, having marginal spines or serratures ; flow
ers numerous, in spikes or racemes, tubular, coloured ; stamens exserted 
86
CATHARTICS.
  P. U. & M. of Prep.—The proper juice of the leaves inspissated ;  it is obtained
by cutting the leaves transversely near their base, and evaporating the juice, which
flows spontaneously from them, either in the  sun or with the aid of heat; some-
times the flow of juice from the leaves is aided by plunging them in hot water ; and
sometimes by pressure, when an inferior sort of aloes is obtained ;  a still worse de-
scription is procured by evaporating a decoction of the leaves.
  P. P.—Obtained in those different  ways, and from various parts
of the world, aloes differs  much in its physical properties, conse-
quently several varieties of the  drug are met with in commerce.
In addition to three kinds admitted by the Edinburgh College, we
shall  describe a  fourth, Cape aloes.  1. Socotrine  aloes (Alo'i So-
cotrina), so named from its being  prepared in the island of Soco-
tora, whence it is imported into England  either by way of Smyr-
na or Bombay;  it is in masses of a golden-brown colour, having a
smooth, glassy fracture, and  a translucent  garnet-red hue at the
edges;  the odour is fragrant  and  aromatic, much heightened by
being breathed on, and the taste is bitter; it yields a  powder  of a
beautiful golden-yellow colour, which is  almost entirely soluble in
proof spirit.  The following are the  characters assigned to Soco-
trine  aloes by the Edinburgh Pharmacopoeia:  " In thin pieces,
translucent and garnet-red, almost  entirely soluble in spirit of the
strength of sherry.  Very rare."  Socotrine aloes is most proba-
bly procured from the Aloi Socotrina ;  it is imported in skins, or
in chests.  2. East Indian  aloes (Aloe Indica, E.) is usually con-
founded, at least  in Ireland, with the  foregoing variety.   It occurs
in large, opaque masses, of a dark, liver-brown colour, with a dull,
waxy fracture ;  the odour is similar to, but weaker  than  that of
Socotrine aloes, and the taste equally bitter;  it yields a dull, red-
dish-yellow  powder, a great part  of which is insoluble in proof
spirit.   It is  brought to England in skins and chests from Bombay,
but is stated  to be originally obtained from  the coasts of the Red
Sea.  It is probably derived from a species  of aloe, if not identical
with, nearly allied to the Alo'<; Socotrina.   3.  Barbadoes aloes (Aloi
BarbadeMis, E.   Aloe hepatica, D.) is a product of Barbadoes, Ja-
maica,  and  other West Indian Islands, whence it is imported in
gourd-shells.  It is of a dark liver-brown, sometimes  almost black
colour; the fracture is dull and opaque, the  odour strong and  disa-
greeable, resembling'that  of  the human axilla, and the taste  very
bitter.  It is reduced to powder with difficulty, the powder being
of a dull dark-yellow colour.  This variety is obtained from the
Aloi  vulgaris, and probably  from  some  allied species.  4. Cape
aloes (Aloi Capensis)  is imported  in skins and in chests from the
Cape of Good  Hope, and  is very common  in English  commerce,
although not introduced into any of the Pharmacopoeias.  It is of
a glossy, resinous appearance, a dark-brown colour, with a green-
ish-yellow shade, especially when in small fragments, a  strong, dis-
agreeable odour, much increased by  breathing on it,  and an acrid,
bitter taste ;  it is  very brittle, and readily reduced to powder, which
is of a  shining, greenish-yellow  colour.   It is  procured from the
Aloe spicata and several other allied species.
   C. P.—The  most important constituent of aloes is a bitter ex- 
CATHARTICS.
87
tractive  matter (Aloisin, Pfaff), amounting in the finer sorts to
nearly 80, in the inferior  to about 50 per cent.; it is probably the
active principle of the drug.   The finer sorts of aloes contain  also
resin, and  a peculiar  acid (Aloitic acid,  Pereira) ; in  addition to
those substances, the inferior sorts contain some vegetable albumen.
Aloes is  almost completely soluble in boiling water, but as the  wa-
ter cools a dark-brown substance, insoluble in cold  water, is depos-
ited ; it is very sparingly soluble in  rectified spirit, but  dissolves
almost entirely in  proof spirit, and still  more readily in weaker
spirit; heated, it fuses imperfectly, and, if the heat  be continued, is
converted into a resinous-looking, very friable mass.
   Adulterations.—-The only adulteration  of aloes is the mixing
the "inferior  sorts with, or substituting them for, the finer kinds ; of
this we can judge by the physical characters, particularly the odour
when breathed on,  or  by  the solubility  in weak spirit.
   Th. E.—In moderate doses, from three to ten grains, aloes  acts
as a stimulating cathartic, influencing especially the large intestines,
on which it  operates rather by exciting their peristaltic action, than
producing increased secretion from their mucous  membrane.  It
produces its effects more slowly than most other medicines of this
class, from ten to eighteen hours usually elapsing before it operates.
The specific action of aloes on the large intestines contra-indicates
its  employment in hoemorrhoidal affections, in irritation or inflam-
mation of the  pelvic viscera,  the prostate gland or the urethra, in
pregnancy,  and during the menstrual discharge.   From its mode
of operation, it is also  evidently not adapted for cases in which we
wish to  produce increased secretion from  the intestinal canal, or
where a speedy operation is  required.  The  employment of aloes
as  a purgative is, nevertheless, very general, and  perhaps there are
few vegetable cathartics  more extensively used.   In torpor of the
intestines, especially when accompanied with  deficient secretion of
bile, it is the most useful of this class of remedies ; indeed, by many
it is said  to  be the best substitute for that secretion, and is therefore
exhibited in jaundice when unaccompanied with hepatic inflamma-
tion, mechanical obstruction of the ducts, &c.  In habitual costive-
ness, so  common in females, aloes is  also administered with much
benefit, due attention  being paid to the circumstances which  con-
tra-indicate its employment.   Christison  states,  that the cathartic
property of aloes is much increased by its  combination with sul-
phate of iron, and  that its irritating  action on the  rectum is coun-
teracted by combining it with extract of hyoscyamus.
   D. &  M.  of Adm.—Alo'i Socotrina, D. L. E. Aloi Indica, E., gr.
iij. to xv.—Aloe hepatica, D.  Aloi Barbadensis, E., gr. ij. to gr. v.  It
is  best administered in the form of pill, made with honey, muci-
lag •, &c.—Extractum Aloes hepatica, D. Extractum Aloispurifica-
tum,  L.   (" Prepared as the  simpler extracts," D.—" Aloes, pow-
dered, 3xv.; boiling water, cong. j.;  macerate for  three days with
a gentle  heat; strain, allow the faeces to subside ; pour off the clear
liquor, and  evaporate to a proper  consistence,"  L.)  Dose, gr. v.
to gr. xv.;  this is a useless preparation, when we can obtain good 
88
CATHARTICS.
aloes.—Pulvis Alois cum Canella, D.  (Hepatic aloes, fbj.; canella
alba, §iij.; rub together to powder, and mix.)  Hiera picra ; for-
merly  much used as an emmenagogue, but little  employed now.
Dose, gr. vi. to gr. xviij.—Pulvis Alois comp., D.  L.  (Hepatic
(Socotrine,  L.) aloes, §iss.; guaiacum resin, §i.; aromatic powder
(compound  cinnamon  powder, L.), 3ss. ; rub the aloes and  guaia-
cum separately to powder, and mix in the aromatic (cinnamon, L.)
powder.) A stimulating cathartic, not much used.  Dose, gr. x. to
3i.—Pilula Alois, E.  (Socotrine aloes and Castile soap, of each,
equal parts; conserve of red roses, q. s.;  beat  into a proper pill
mass.)—P.   (Aloes, 3iv.;  soap, 3vi.;  oil of anise, gtt.  viij.; sirup,
q. s.; mix.)   Dose, gr. x. to 3ss.—Pilula Alois comp., D. L.  (He-
patic (Socotrine, L.) aloes (powdered, L.),  §i.; extract of gentian,
§ss.; oil of caraway, min. xl.;  simple sirup, a sufficiency ; mix.)
An excellent habitual  purgative.   Dose, gr. v. to  gr. xv.—Pilula
Alois cum Myrrha, D. L. E.  (Hepatic (Socotrine, L.; Socotrine or
East Indian, E.) aloes (powdered, L.), §ij. (4 parts, E.) ; saffron.  ?j.
(1 part, E.); myrrh, §i. (2 parts, E.) ; sirup (conserve of red roses,
E), q. s.; beat to  a proper mass.)  Rufus's Pills.  An excellent
stimulating cathartic and emmenagogue.   Dose, gr. x. to gr. xx.—
Pilula Alois et Assafatida, E.   (Socotrine or East Indian aloes,
assafcetida,  and Castile soap, equal parts;  conserve of red roses,
q. s.; beat to a proper mass.)  Cathartic and antispasmodic.  Dose,
gr.  x. to gr. xv.—Pilula Aloes et Ferri, E.  (Sulphate of iron, 3
parts;  Barbadoes aloes, 2 parts;  aromatic powder, 6  parts; con-
serve of red roses, 8 parts ;  pulverize the aloes and sulphate of iron
separately, and beat into a proper mass, which is to be divided into
five-grain pills.)   Tonic and cathartic, well adapted for chlorosis.
Dose, one to three  daily.—Pilula ante cibum, P.   (Aloes, 6  parts;
extract of cinchona, 3 parts; canella,  1 part; sirup of wormwood,
q. s.; divide into four-grain pills.)  One or two  before dinner.—
Decoctum Alois comp., D. L.  Decoctum Alois, E.   (Extract of li-
quorice,  §ss. (3vij., L.); carbonate of potash, 3ij.  (3i., L.) ; hepatic
(Socotrine, L., or hepatic, E.) aloes, bruised (powdered, L.) ; mvrrh,
bruised (powdered, L.) ;  and saffron, of each, 3i.  (5iss., L.) ;  water,
by measure,  fbj. (Oiss., L.);  boil  together down to fgxij. (Oi., L.),
strain, and add of the compound tincture of cardamoms, fziv. (frvifj.,
L.)  A mild cathartic, with tonic properties ; acids, acidulous^ and
most metallic salts are incompatible in prescription with it.  Dose,
fgss. to fl-jij.— Vinum Alois, D.  L.   (Socotrine aloes  (rubbed  to
powder, L.), giv. (§ij., L.); canella bark  (powdered, L.), gj. (siv.,
L.) ; sherry  wine, by measure, ibiij. (Oij., L.) ; (proof spirit, by meas-
ure, fbj., D.) ; macerate for 14 days, with  frequent agitation, and
strain.)—E.  (Socotrine or East Indian aloes, jiss.; cardamom seeds,
ground, and ginger, in coarse powder, of each, 3iss.; sherry, O.j. ■
digest for seven days, and  filter.)  A warm purgative.   Dose, fz'ss'.
to fgij.—Tinctura Alois, D. L. E.   (Socotrine  (or  East  Indian, E.)
aloes, powdered, §ss. (=i., L. E.) ; extract of liquorice (dissolved in
Sviij. of boiling  water, D.), §iss.  (~iij., L. E.) ; proof (rectified.  L.
E.) spirit, by measure,  gviij. (Oss., L.; fgxij., E.) ; (water, Oiss., L.; 
CATHARTICS.
89
tfxxviij., E.); digest for seven  (fourteen, L.) days, and filter.)   Ca-
thartic and  tonic.   Dose, min. xxx. to f^sjs.—Tinctura Alois comp.,
D.  L.   Tinctura Alois et Myrrha, E.   (Socotrine (or  East  In-
dian, E.) aloes, powdered, giij.  (^iv.,  L. E.) ;  tincture of myrrh, by
measure, fbij. (Oij.; and saffron, §ij., L. E.); macerate for fourteen
(seven,  E.)  days, and  filter.)   Stomachic and  cathartic.   Dose,
i'3ss. to f3ij.—Enema Alois, L.   (Aloes,  3ij.; carbonate of potash,
gr. xv.; decoction  of barley, Oss.;  mix, and rub them together).
A useful stimulating cathartic in the  constipation of amenorrhoea;
also employed for dislodging ascarides from the rectum.

   Calomelas,  E.  Calomelas  sublimatum, D.   Hydrargyri chlo-
ridum, L.   [Hydrargyri  Chloridum Mite,  U. S. P.]   Calomel;
Sublimed Calomel; Chloride of Mercury.   (Sub-chloride of , Mer-
cury, Graham.)
   Calomelas  praecipitatum, D.  Calomel by precipitation.
   P. P.—Calomel,  as obtained by sublimation,  is sometimes in the
form of a semitransparent, white, crystalline cake, the crystals be-
ing four-sided prisms ; as usually met with, however, it is  a heavy,
snow-white, soft  powder, inodorous  and tasteless.   Its  sp. gr.  is
6*5 (Graham).
   C. P.—Calomel is a subchloride of mercury,  being composed of
1 eq. of chlorine  and 2 of mercury (Hg2CL).   It is  completely in-
soluble in cold or  boiling distilled water, in alcohol, or in ether.
It acquires a yellow tinge by exposure to the  air or  by rubbing;
exposed to heat, it becomes yellow, and volatilizes at a heat below
redness; if under pressure, it fuses ; with lime-water it gives a black-
ish precipitate, sub-oxyde of mercury.
  Prep.—Calomelas sublimatum, D.  " Persulphate of mercury, 25 parts ; purified
mercury,  17 parts; muriate of soda, dried, 10 parts; triturate together in an iron
mortar the persulphate and the purified mercury, till the metallic globules shall have
completely disappeared, then add the dried muriate of soda; mix well, and in a
suitable vessel, with a gradually-increased heat, sublime into a receiver ;  reduce the
sublimed mass to powder, and wash it with water, as long as the decanted liquor
precipitates with solution of caustic potash ;  finally, dry the sublimed calomel."—
Hydrargyri chloridum, L.  Mercury, ibiv.;  sulphuric acid, ibiij.; chloride of so-
dium, ibiss. ; distilled water, a sufficiency.  Boil Ibij. of the mercury with the sul-
phuric acid in a proper vessel, until the bipersulphate of mercury remains dry ; rub
this, when it is cold, with ibij. of mercury in an earthen mortar, that they may be
perfectly mixed.  Afterward add the  chloride of sodium, and rub them together
until globules are no longer visible ; then sublime.  Rub the sublimate to very fine
powder, and wash it carefully with boiling distilled water, and dry it."—Calomelas,
E.  "Mercury, ?viij.; sulphuric acid, f?ij., ftiij. ; nitric acid, fjss.; muriate of soda,
fiij.; mix the acids,  add to them fiv.  of the  mercury, and dissolve it with the aid
of a moderate  heat;  raise the heat so as to obtain a dry salt.  Triturate this with
the muriate of soda and the rest of the  mercury, till the globules entirely disappear ;
heat the mixture by means of a sand-bath in a proper subliming apparatus. Reduce
the sublimate  to fine powder; wash the powder with boiling distilled water until
the water ceases to precipitate with solution of hydriodate of potash ;  and then dry
it.'V-CALOMELAs pr.<ecipitatum, D.   "Purified mercury,  17 parts;  diluted nitric
acid, 15 parts ; pour the acid upon the  mercury, put into a glass vessel, and as soon
as the mixture ceases to effervesce, digest with a gentle heat for 6 hours, frequently
agitating; then increase the heat, that the liquor may boil for a short time, pour
off from the residual mercury, and mix the liquid immediately with a solution of 7
parts of muriate of soda in 400 parts of boiling water; wash the precipitated pow-
der with warm distilled water, as long as the poured-off liquor is affected by solu-
tion of caustic  potash ; finally, dry the powder."
                                  M 
90
CATHARTICS.
  Adulterations.—Calomel sometimes contains corrosive sublimate,
which may be detected by agitation with sulphuric ether, pouring
off the clear liquid and evaporating; if any sublimate be present, a
crystalline powder is left, which becomes yellow with solution of
caustic potash; this  adulteration I have repeatedly detected m cal-
omel, my attention having been always first directed to it by the
irritation which it produced when  administered to patients.  One
patient, to whom  calomel, thus adulterated, was given in the form
of powder, complained of a burning sensation in the back of the
mouth and pharynx.  The presence of any fixed white powder may
be detected by applying a sufficient heat to sublime the calomel.
  Th. E.—Calomel is  seldom employed alone as a cathartic, but
combined with other remedies of this class  it is very nvquently
used, chiefly in consequence of its  action on the secreting organs,
stimulating the liver and intestinal glands to increased action.  It
is therefore  peculiarly adapted for all diseases attended with func-
tional derangement of the hepatic system, as well as for those cases
in which there is determination of blood to the vessels of the brain,
as in some forms of chronic headache, in threatened apoplexy, and
paralysis, &c.  Calomel  is well  suited as  a cathartic for children,
being tasteless, and in general producing copious alvine evacuations
without pain; here, also, its combination with other purgatives, as
jalap or  scammony, will be attended with benefit.   (See Special
Stimulants.)
  D. & M. of Adm.—In powder or pill, from gr. ij. to gr. vj.  Pi-
lula cathartica comp., U.  S.  (Calomel, 3 ij.; compound extract of
colocynth, §ss.; extract of jalap, in powder, 3iij.; gamboge, in pow-
der, gr. xl.; divide  into 180 pills.)   An excellent purgative, com-
bining efficiency of action and comparative mildness with smallness
of bulk.  Each pill  contains one grain  of calomel.  Dose, one or
two pills.—Pilula purgantes cum mercurio, Den.   (Calomel, four
parts ;  extract of rhubarb, eight parts ; resin of jalap, one part; oil
of orange peel, q. s.; mix.)   Dose, gr. ij. to gr. viij.
  ,Incomp.—The alkalies, and their carbonates ; chloride of sodium,
lime-water; nitric and muriatic acids; iodide of  potassium ; sul-
phuretted hydrogen, and its combinations.

  Cambogia (Siamensis), E.  Cambogia, L.  Gambogia, D.  Siam
gamboge; Gamboge.  Gum resin of Stalagmitis Cambogia, D.—S.
Cambogioides, L.—From an unascertained plant inhabiting Siam,
probably a species of Hebradendron, E.
  Cambogia  (Zeylanica), E.  Ceylon gamboge ; Gummy-resinous
exudation of Hebradendron gambogioides.—The plant which vields
commercial or Siam gamboge is not yet ascertained, but, from the
similarity of the two substances, is justly conjectured by the Edin-
burgh College to  be a species of Hebradendron nearly allied to the
Hebradendron gambogioides, from which plant Ceylon gamboge is
procured.   It belongs to the natural family Guttifera, and to the
Linnsean class and  order Mona-cia Monadelphia.
  B. C.—A handsome tree, of moderate size, with opposite, stalked leaves; um- 
CATHARTICS.                        91
sexual flowers, sessile and axillary; and a pleasant, saccharine fruit, about the size
cf a cherry, four-celled, each cell one-seeded.
  P. U. & M. of Prep.—In Ceylon, gamboge is procured by making incisions into
the  bark of the tree or removing a piece of it, whence a viscid, bright-yellow juice
exudes, which, when dried by exposure to the sun in shallow bowls, concretes into
a hardened mass.  In Siam, it is said to be obtained by breaking across the young
branches and leaves, and collecting the juice that drops from them; be this as it
may, the finer qualities are allowed to dry in the hollow stems of the bamboo-cane,
or probably the juice is collected in them; and  of late it has been more than once
imported in the reeds.
  P.  P.—Commercial  or Siam gamboge is generally met  with  in
two forms: that of cylinders,  sometimes hollow, more frequently
solid, Pipe gamboge;  and in irregularly-shaped masses, Cake  or
Lump gamboge.  Pipe gamboge is of a rich, reddish-yellow colour,
generally greenish and dusty externally;  inodorous,  tasteless  at
first, but soon causing a sense of acridity in the throat; brittle, with
a smooth, glistening, conchoidal fracture.   Lump gamboge is  of a
duller colour ; its fracture is splintery, with scarcely any lustre, and
it contains small fragments of wood, and  many air-vesicles.  Cey-
lon gamboge (for a specimen of which I am indebted to my friend
Professor Christison) is not an article of English commerce;  it is
a coarse-looking substance, with many air-vesicles, of a dull,  red-
dish-yellow colour, with many dark-brown spots.
  C.  P.—Gamboge is  composed of resin  (Gambogic acid), soluble
gum, and a trace of woody fibre ; the proportion of the resin, which
is the active principle,  varies, according  to several of Christison's
analyses, from 68  to 75 per cent.   Gamboge, although not soluble
in water, forms  a perfect emulsion with it; it is almost entirely sol-
uble in rectified spirit, and sulphuric ether completely dissolves out
the resin, leaving the gum.
  Adulterations.—The inferior varieties of gamboge are adultera-
ted with some amylaceous matter;  they also generally contain lig-
nin :  the former is detected by a cooled decoction becoming green-
ish  on the addition of tincture of iodine ; and the  presence of the
latter may be known by the fracture not being smooth and con-
choidal.
  Th. E.—Gamboge  is a  drastic  cathartic,  producing,  even  in
small doses, frequent and copious watery evacuations, accompanied
with  much irritation of the stomach and bowels; in somewhat lar-
ger doses it occasions  vomiting, and even sometimes inflammation
of the intestinal canal, followed by death ;  one drachm has proved a
fatal dose in more than one instance, the post-mortem appearances
being ulceration and mortification of the intestines.  In consequence
of the distress caused  even by  medicinal doses of gamboge,  it  is
seldom employed  singly as a purgative, but is frequently added  to
other remedies of this class, either to  augment their power, or  to
produce increased secretion from the alimentary canal.   The com-
bination of gamboge with an alkali, as with carbonate  of  potash,
acts .\s a diuretic of much power, and such  a preparation, under
the  name of tincture of gamboge, is highly praised by many Conti-
nental authors.  The resin of gamboge, in somewhat smaller doses.
acts precisely similar to the drug itself. 
92
CATHARTICS.
  D. & M. of Adm.—In powder, pill, or emulsion, gr. ij. to gr. v., •
which may be repeated every five or six hours until it operates ; it
should be always finely powdered, and combined with some com-
paratively inert  substance, as sugar,  sulphate of potash, or cream
of tartar.—Pilula Cambogia comp., D. L.   (Gamboge (powdered,
L.), 3i. ;  aloes (hepatic, D.), 3iss.; ginger, powdered, 3ss.; soap,
3ij.;  mix the powders together, add the soap, and (with  the aid of
treacle, D.), beat them into  a mass.)   A useful cathartic combina-
tion, operating effectually in doses of from gr. x. to gr. xx.—Pi-
lula Cambogia, E.   (Gamboge, East Indian or Barbadoes aloes,
and aromatic powder, of each, one part; Castile  soap, two parts;
pulverize  the aloes and gamboge separately, mix all the powders,
add the soap, and, with the aid of sirup, beat into a proper pill mass.)
Properties and dose same as last.—Pilula Gambogia et Scammonia,
U. S.   (Gamboge, §i.; scammony, §ss.; nitre, 3i.;  Castile soap, 3ij.;
to be divided into 400 pills.)   Dose, 1 to 3 pills.   Useful in dropsical
affections.—Cathartic pills, Dr. Paris.  (Compound gamboge pill,
and compound extract of colocynth, of each, gr. xv.; calomel, gr.
x.;  ginger sirup, q. s.; for 12 pills.)   Dose, two  daily, in habitual
constipation,  with a sluggish  condition of  the  biliary  organs.—
Tinctura  Gambogia,Voigtel.   (Gamboge,powdered,5SS.; carbon-
ate of potash, gi.; brandy, fgxij.; mix the  powders intimate1), add
the  spirit, and digest  for four days with  a gentle heat.)  An excel-
lent diuretic.  Dose,  f3ss. to f3i.
  In cases of poisoning  with gamboge, emollient and  demulcent
drinks  should be given, and similar enemata administered; to be
followed by small but repeated doses of opium,  bloodletting, and
the  warm bath.

  Cassl-e pulpa, E.   Cassia, L.  Cassia fistula, pulpa  leguminis,
D.   Cassia pulp.   Pulp of the pods of  Cassia fistula.—This tree,
originally a native of Africa, is now generally  diffused over the
East and West  Indies; it belongs  to the  natural family Legumi-
nosa, and to the Linnsean class and order Decandria Monogynia.
  B, C.—A handsome tree, about thirty feet  in height, with  alternate, pinnate
leaves; bright-yellow papilionaceous flowers in racemes ; and cylindrical legumes
or pods, about one or two feet long, of a blackish-brown colour.
  P. U. & M. of Prep.—The pulp of the pods is the part employed in medicine.  It
is usually prepared by pouring boiling water on the bruised pods  so as to wash out
the pulp, pressing through a sieve, and evaporating  the solution thus obtained to
the consistence of a thick extract.
  P. P.—Cassia pulp is of a reddish-black  colour, and has a sweet-
ish, mucilaginous taste, but no odour.
  C. P.—It  consists of sugar, gum, mucilaginous extractive, and
colouring matter; no principle possessing purgative properties has
as yet been discovered in it.  It is  almost  entirely soluble  in both
alcohol and water.
  Adulterations. — The pulp is not liable to adulteration; those
pods only should be  chosen which  are  heavy, and in which the
seeds do not rattle.
  Th. E.—Cassia pulp  is a  mild laxative, at present but  seldom 
                           CATHARTICS.                        93

employed;  it is only adapted for febrile or inflammatory affec-
tions occurring in persons of delicate habits, or in children.  Com-
bined with manna, its cathartic properties are said to be much in-
creased.
   D. & M. of Adm.—Of the pulp, §ss. to §iij.—Electuarium Cas-
sia, D.  Confectio Cassia, L.   (Cassia pulp (recently expressed, D.),
ibss.; manna, §ij.;  tamarind pulp, §i.;  sirup of orange (of rose, L.),
fbss. ;  bruise the manna, and dissolve it (with a gentle heat, D.) in
the sirup; then  add the  pulp, and evaporate (slowly,  D.) to a prop-
er consistence.)  Dose,  3ij. to s-i.

   Colchici  cormus et semina, E. L.   Colchicum autumnale, bul-
bus  et semina, D.  The cormus (bulb, D.) and seeds  of Colchicum
autumnale.   Meadow saffron.—A  common  indigenous plant, be-
longing to  the  natural  family Melanthacea, and to  the  Linnaean
class and order Hexandria Trigynia.
  B.  C.—Cormus (improperly called bulb) fleshy, covered with a loose, brown
membrane ; giving origin in the middle of summer to a young cormus, which re-
mains attached to the parent,  grows rapidly, and sends up in autumn a naked white
tube or flowering stem, terminating in a pale purple, crocus-like flower;  the flower
soon  dies, and the  seed-vessel which remains under ground springs up with the
erect, broadly-lanceolate leaves, in the ensuing February or March.
  P.  U. & M. of Prep.—The  cormus should be gathered about the end of July or
beginning of August, before it has sent up the flowering stem;  for medical pur-
poses, it is cut transversely into thin slices, the dry coats having been previously
removed.  The slices are  dried in a dark place, exposed to the air, with a heat not
exceeding 170°.  The seeds are gathered when ripe.

   P. P.—Colchicum cormus is ovoid, about the size of a large wal-
nut,  compressed on one side, convex on the other; it may be dis-
tinguished from bulbous roots by being solid, and not composed of
laminas or scales.  The dry slices are of a grayish-white colour,
and  firm.   The seeds are small, rough, nearly round,  and of a
blackish-brown  colour.  Both seeds and cormus are odourless, but
have a  bitter, acrid taste.
   C. P.—The  cormus consists of fatty  matter,  a  volatile acid, a
peculiar uncrystallizable alkaloid, named veratria  (which will be
described under the  head of General  Stimulants), combined with
gallic acid, starch, gum,  inulin, and lignin (Pelletier and Caventou).
The composition of the seeds is probably nearly the same.  The
active  principles  are extracted by water,  alcohol,  vinegar,  and
wine.
   Not liable to adulteration; the  dried slices should be  firm, and
notched only on one  side ; a fresh-scraped surface, moistened with
vinegar, and tincture of guaiacum dropped on it, should be turned
blue.
   Th. E.—The most constant effect, indeed, in  general, the only
manifest one, of colchicum is purging, its  cathartic operation being
accompanied with great depression of the  circulation and much
debility.  In large or frequently repeated doses, it produces nausea,
vomiting, and hypercatharsis; and in small doses it is  held by many
to be diuretic, but this effect  is uncertain.   The  principal diseases 
94                      ■  CATHARTICS.
in which colchicum has been employed arc gout and rheumatism,
for the former  of which it has acquired the character of being a
specific.   Administered during a paroxysm of gout, it seldom fails
to alleviate the pain and cut short the fit;  but, so far from prevent-
ing a return of the attack, most practitioners agree; that the em-
ployment of colchicum renders the  system more predisposed to the
disease, indeed, frequently gives rise  to irregular or atonic gout.
In acute rheumatism, the employment of colchicum should never
be ventured on;  but in some of the chronic forms of the disease,
especially gouty rheumatism, it is often used in robust constitutions
with benefit.   Colchicum has also  been employed  as a cathartic
and diuretic in  dropsy, and as  an antiphlogistic in  febrile  and in-
flammatory diseases; but in the present  day its use is almost en-
tirely confined  to gout and rheumatism.
  D. & M. of  Adm.—In  the  administration of colchicum or any
of its preparations, we should always begin with small doses, and
increase  them  very gradually, as no medicine varies more in its
action on different persons, and, besides, the pharmaceutical prep-
arations differ much in activity.  It is seldom  used in the form of
powder: the dose is from gr. ij. to gr. viij.;  the  powder of the
seeds should be preferred to that of the cormus, as being more uni-
form.—Acetum Colchici, D. L. E.  (Fresh colchicum cormus, sliced,
§i.; distilled vinegar, fjxvj.; proof spirit, f^i.; macerate the col-
chicum  in  the  vinegar for three  days in  a covered glass vessel;
press, strain, and set  aside, that the dregs may subside; add  the
spirit to the clear liquor.)
  [U. S. P.—Colchicum root, bruised, 2  oz.; distilled  vinegar, 2
pints; alcohol,  a fluid oz.  Macerate the colchicum root with  the
vinegar in a close glass vessel seven days;  express the liquor and
set it aside, that the dregs may subside; lastly,  pour off the clear
liquor, and add the alcohol.   Dilute acetic acid may be substituted
for the distilled vinegar.]
  This preparation is preferred  by Scudamore to any  other  for
gout; he  recommends it to  be combined with magnesia, to sat-
urate the acid.   It is,  however, of very uncertain strength, in con-
sequence of being frequently prepared with the dry bulb.  Dose,
f3ss. to f3ij„ frequently repeated.— Extractum  Colchici (cormi), L.
(Fresh colchicum cormus, ibj.; bruise, with  a little  water, in a
stone mortar;  press out the juice and evaporate it, unstrained, to a
proper consistence.)   Dose, gr. j., every three or four hours ; not
much used.—Extractum Colchici (cormi)  aceticum, L. E.  (Fresh
colchicum cormus, fbj.; acetic (pyrolignenus, E.) acid.ftjiij.: bruise
the  cormus, gradually adding the  acid;  express  ihVjuice, and
evaporate it in  a  porcelain vessc-1 not glazed with  lead  (over the
vapour bath, E.)  to a due consistence.)   Dose, gr. i. to or. iij., two
or three  times  a  day.  Made into  pill with an°equal quantity of
extract of colchicum, it forms an  excellent cathartic in gouty"and
rheumatic affections.—Oxymel Colchici  (cormi), D.   (Fresh colchi-
cum bulb, cut  into thin slices, §i.;  distilled vinegar, f^xvj.; clari-
fied honey, by weight, ibij.; macerate the  colchicum with the vin- 
CATHARTICS.
95
egar in a glass vessel for  two days ;  express strongly, strain, and
add the honey ;  and boil down the mixture to the consistence of
a  sirup, frequently stirring with  a  wooden spatula.)   Dose, 3i.,
gradually increased  to 3ij., twice  a day ; not much  used.—Tinc-
tura Colchici (seminum), D. L. E.  (Colchicum seeds (bruised, L.;
ground finely in a  coffee-mill,  E.), §ij. (§\\, L. E.); proof spirit,
f§xvi.  (Oij., L. E.); macerate for  14  days, and  strain, D. L.: '* to
be prepared  like tincture  of cinchona,  and percolation is  much
more convenient and speedy than digestion," E.)  Dqse, f3i., grad-
ually increased toi3ij., twice  daily.—Tinctura  Colchici comp., L.
(Colchicum  seeds, bruised, §v.; aromatic spirit of ammonia, Oij.;
macerate for 14 days, and strain.)   Dose, min. xx. to min. xxx.,
three  times  a day;  seldom used.— Vinum  Colchici,  L.  E.   (Col-
chicum cormus, dried and  sliced, §viij. ; sherry wine, Oij. ; digest
for 14 (7, E.) days (express strongly the residuum, E.), and strain.)
It may be prepared with the seeds  (Vinum seminum colchici), using
the  same proportion: a preferable preparation, as being more uni-
form.   Dose, loss., gradually increased to fsij., three  or four times
a  day.—Succus Colchici is prepared  by expressing the juice from
the fresh cormi, allowing it to stand 48 hours, to deposite the  fecula,
and adding to the clear liquor a fifth  of rectified spirit.  This is a
most active preparation, and keeps well.  Dose, min. v. to min. xx.
   In cases of poisoning with colchicum, emetics, followed  by de-
mulcent drinks, should be immediately administered; and if coma
be present, brandy,  ammonia, coffee, and other powerful stimulants
should be given.   The vegetable astringents have  been recom-
mended as antidotes, tannic acid forming an insoluble  precipitate
with veratria.

   Colocynthis,  D.  L. E.  Colocynth.  Pulp  (dried,  L.)  of the
 fruit of Cucumis colocynthis.—This  plant, the bitter cucumber, is
a  native of several  parts of Asia and Africa, and is  cultivated in
Greece and Spain ; it belongs to the  natural family Cucurbitacea-,
and to the Linnaean class and order Moncecia Syngenesia.
   B. C.—A creeping, procumbent annual; leaves ovato-cordate ; flowers yellow,
axillary, solitary; fruit  (pepo) globose, about the size  of an orange, yellow when
, ripe, with a thin, solid rind.
   P. U. & M. of Prep.—The fruit;  it is gathered when ripe, peeled and dried  In
some countries it is dried without being peeled.
   P. P.—The pulp of the dried fruit,  which  is the officinal  part, is
of a pale yellowish-white colour ; it is  without odour, but has an in-
tensely bitter, nauseous taste;  it  is light, spongy, porous,  and so
tough as to be with difficulty reduced to powder.  The unpeeled
fruit (Mogadore Colocynth) is  imported  in  small quantities into
 England, but is only used by druggists in show-bottles.
   C. P.—Colocynth pulp  contains a  peculiar bitter matter, which
has  been named Colocynthin, and  on  which its purgative property
is supposed  to  depend, resin, pectin,  gummy matter, and various
salts.  It yields its active  properties to both  water and alcohol.
   Adulterations.—Colocynth pulp is' not liable to adulteration : but
if it have a grayish or brownish colour, it is  of inferior quality 
96
CATHARTICS.
  Th. E.—Colocynth operates as a stimulant to the intestinal canal,
its influence  being specially directed to the large intestines, pro-
moting both  their secretion and exhalation, as well as increasing
their vermicular motion; in large doses, it  is a dangerous poison,
producing  intestinal inflammation.  In consequence of the drastic
properties  it  possesses when administered alone, it is always com-
bined with other cathartics, in  order to mitigate its action, as in
the  several pharmacopceial preparations, and is thus exhibited with
much advantage in habitual  constipation,  in passive dropsies, in
alvine obstruction, and as a revulsant in determination of  blood to
the  brain.  It is also said to possess diuretic properties.
  D. & M. of Adm.—In powder (now seldom used), gr. ij. to gr.
viij., mixed with some inert  powder.—Extractum Colocynthidis
(simplex, D.), D. L. E.   (Colocynth  pulp, tbj.;  water (distilled,
L.), cong. j. (cong. ij., L. E.);  boil down to Ibiv., by measure (for
six  hours gently, replacing the water  occasionally, L. E.), strain
while hot, and evaporate to a proper consistence.) A bad prepar-
ation, as  it does not keep well; but seldom used ;  dose,  gr. v. to
3i.—Extractum Colocynthidis comp., D. L.  (Colocynth pulp, cut
small, §vj.  ;  hepatic  aloes (purified extract  of aloes, L.), §xij.;
scammony, powdered, §iv.; cardamom seeds, powrdered, ~i.; (hard,
D.)  soap, giij-; proof spirit, cong. j. ; macerate the colocynth in the
spirit for four days with a gentle heat; add the aloes, scammony,
and soap to the (expressed, D.)  and strained liquor; then evapor-
ate  to  a  proper consistence  (for making pills, D.), the cardamom
seeds being mixed in towards the end.)  One of the most generally
employed,  and safest cathartics in the whole Materia Medica, and
if the various substances of which it consists be pure, equally effi-
cacious as  safe.   Dose, gr. v. to gr. xv.—Pilula Colocynthidis, E.
(Socotrine or Indian aloes, and  scammony, of each, 8 parts; colo-
cynth, 4  parts;  sulphate of potash and oil of cloves, of each, 1
part; rectified spirit, a sufficiency ; pulverize the aloes, scammony,
and sulphate  together, mix the colocynth in fine  powder, add the
oil,  and, with the  aid of a little spirit, beat into a proper pill  mass.)
Pilula Colocynthidis comp., D.   (Hepatic aloes and scammony,
of each, §i. ;  colocynth pulp, §ss.; Castile  soap,  3ij.; sulphate of
potash and oil of cloves, of each, 3i.;  process the same as  in the
Ed. Ph., the  soap, with a little treacle,  being employed instead of
the  spirit.)   Both these  preparations resemble in their operation
the  compound extract, to which  I think they are to be preferred  ;
the  dose  is  the  same.—Pilula Colocynthidis et Hyosciami, E.
(Colocynth pill mass, 2 parts ; extract of hyosciamus, 1 part; beat
well together, and divide into five-grain pills.)  An excellent prep-
aration, peculiarly adapted for persons with irritable bowels.  Dose,
1 to 3 pills.—Enema Colocynthidis, L.   (Compound  extract of
colocynth,  3ij.; soft soap, §i.;  water, Oj.;  mix and rub together.)
An  efficient enema in obstinate constipation and  colic.__Tinctura
Colocynthidis, Pr. Pol. F. B.  (Colocynth, ji.; star anise, 3i.; rec-
tified spirit, §xiv.; digest for three days, and filter.)  Dose, min. x.
to min. xv., in a mixture.—Decoctum  Colocynthidis,  B.   (Colo- 
cathartics.
97
cynth, 3i.; boiling water, gvj.;  boil for ten minutes, strain, and add
sulphuric ether, 3i.;  sirup of orange peel, §i.)  Both these prepar-
ations are diuretic; dose, f§ss., two or three  times daily.

  Crotonis Tiglii, oleum, D.   Tiglii  oleum, L.  Crotonis ole-
um, E.   Croton oil.   Expressed oil of the seeds of Croton tiglium.
—A native of the continent of India, the Molucca Islands, and Cey-
lon ; belonging to the natural family Euphorbiacea,  and to the Lin-
naean class and order Moncecia Monadelphia.
  B. C.—A moderate-sized tree, with a smooth bark; leaves oblongo-ovate, acumi-
nate, with two flat, round glands at the base ; flowers white, in terminal racemes ,
fruit ovate and triangular, somewhat bigger than a hazelnut, three-celled, each cell
one-seeded.
  P. P.—Croton seeds (Grana tiglii)  are of  an  irregularly-oval
shape, about 6 lines  long, 2\ lines thick, and 3 lines broad ; they
are of a grayish-brown colour, and marked  with the ramifications
of the raphe :  they contain, internally, a pale yellowish-white albu-
men,  which envelops the embryo with its large, leafy  cotyledons.
From the kernels croton oil is obtained by pressure; it is thicker
than castor  oil, of a  pale amber colour, has a feeble,  sickly odour,
and an intensely acrid taste.   The kernels yield about half their
weight of oil.
  C. P.—Croton oil  consists of a peculiar  acid named Crotonic
acid, dissolved in a bland fixed oil; it is to the acid that the prop-
erties of the oil  are due.  Croton  oil is insoluble in  alcohol, even
with the aid of heat,  but is very soluble in sulphuric ether, and in
the fixed and volatile oils.
  Adulterations.—Castor oil is the only substance  employed to
adulterate croton oil; it may readily be  detected by its  solubility
in  alcohol,  the test  adopted by the  Edinburgh College: " when
agitated with  its own volume of  pure  alcohol and gently heated,
croton oil separates,  on  standing, without having  undergone any
apparent diminution."
  Th. E.—Croton oil is an acrid cathartic, operating speedily, and
producing frequent watery evacuations ; it does not in general give
rise to nausea or griping, and is,  consequently, to  be preferred in
most  cases to other cathartics of  equal power.   It is used chiefly
in obstinate constipation, in comatose affections, and in dropsy; in
the various  forms of convulsive and neuralgic diseases, it is a most
valuable cathartic;  given in frequently-repeated small doses in such
affections, I have in  several cases found it a  complete  specific.
Croton oil should not be employed in extreme debility, or where
there is any tendency to inflammation in the digestive organs.
  D.  & M. of Adm.—Min. j. or min. ij.  In cases where the pa-
tient is unable or unwilling to swallow, it may be dropped on the
tongue; or dissolved in ether, it may be  rubbed on the abdomen.
If it can be  avoided, however, it should never be administered in a
fluid form, as it causes a most disagreeable acrid impression in the
back of the  throat;  it may be made into pill with conserve of roses
or liquorice  powder, or one or two  minims may be added to any 
98                         cathartics.
of the common  purgative pill masses, and thus given in divided
doses until it operates.—Sapo  Crotonis.  (Croton oil, 2 parts ; liquid
caustic soda, one part.)   Dose, gr. i. to gr. iij.

  Elaterium, D. L. E.  Elaterium.  The fruit, fecula, and lea.ves,
D.;  the fresh fruit, L.; the feculence of the juice  of the fruit, E.,
of Momordica  Elaterium.—-The wild or squirting cucumber  is a
native of Greece and other parts  of the South of Europe, and is
cultivated in the British Isles; it belongs to the natural family Cu-
curbitacea,  and to the Linnaean class  and order Monaecia Mona-
delphia.
  B. C.—An annual, trailing plant, with a thick branching stem about  two feet in
length; grayish, rugose leaves, and  yellow, axillary flowers; fruit (pepo) is  about
an inch and a half long, elliptical, green, covered with soft prickles;  on quitting
the foot-stalk  when ripe, it suddenly, in consequence of the elastic structure of
its parietes, discharges with considerable force many brown seeds and a  slimy
juice through  the aperture at its base.
  P. U. &  M. of Prep.—The juice of the cut fruit, when ripe (not quite ripe, Edin.),
is expressed gently through a fine hair-sieve, allowed to rest  till it becomes pretty
clear, the  supernatant liquid rejected, and the feculence dried with a gentle  heat;
this constitutes the Extractum Elaterii,  D. L.; Elaterium, E.

  P.  P.—Elaterium is in thin, flat, or slightly-curled pieces or frag-
ments, light and  friable; of  a  pale, greenish-gray colour, with a
very faint odour, but an  intensely acrid and. bitter taste; the pie-
ces  generally  bear on the surface an impression of the linen on
which they have been dried.   An inferior quality, sometimes met
with, is  of a brownish or dark-green colour, very hard, and broken
with difficulty.
  C. P.—According to Hennell's  analysis, elaterium  consists of a
crystallizable substance (Elaterin), green resin, starch, woody fibre,
and  saline matters.  Elaterin, the active principle of the drug, may
be obtained by exhausting elaterium thoroughly  with boiling rec-
tified  spirit, concentrating this  solution  so long as no separation
takes place, and then pouring it, while hot, into a weak boiling so-
lution of potash ; on cooling, the elaterin crystallizes in minute, col-
ourless,  satiny crystals :  the quantity obtained varies, in proportion
to the quality of the drug employed, from 5 to 26 per  cent.
  Adulterations.—-Elaterium  is  seldom expressly adulterated, but
it varies  much in strength, owing, probably, to the  different degrees
of care bestowed on its preparation; the best test for ascertaining
its goodness is the process given above for  obtaining  its active
principle: the quantity of elaterin thus  procured "should weigh
from a seventh to a fourth of the elaterium," Ed.  Ph.
   Th. E.—Elaterium  is  a most powerful drastic cathartic,  even
in minute doses, TV of a grain  sometimes producing  considerable
purging, and ^ of a grain, in dropsical cases, generally  causing a
discharge of several pints of fluid by  the bowels; its operation is
characterized by nausea, sometimes vomiting, and considerable de-
pression of the circulatory and nervous systems.  The chief use of
elaterium is in passive dropsies, especially ascites and  hydrotho-
rax, when it is deemed advisable to attempt the removal  of the ef- 
cathartics.
99
fused fluid by the bowels.  It will also be generally found that diu-
resis is more freely established after  the operation  of elaterium.
The administration  of elaterium requires the greatest caution in de-
bilitated habits.
   D. & M. of Adm.—T'? to ^ of a grain in pill (it should be  al-
ways, given at first in small  doses), in combination  with some
tonic extract, as of gentian or chamomile.  Pulvis Elaterii comp.,
Guy's II.  (Elaterium, gr. iv. ;  bitartrate of potassa,  3 v.; ginger,
 3ij.; mix;  thirty grains contain one gr. of elaterium.)  Dose, gr. v.
to gr. x.—Tinctura  Elaterii.  (Elaterium, gr. viij.; rectified  spirit,
fgviij.; dissolve.)   Dose, f3ss. to f3ij.—Solutio  Elaterina, morries
Stirling.   (Elaterin, gr.  j.; rectified  spirit, fgi.; nitric acid, min.
iv.; dissolve.)   Dose, min. xxx. or min. xl.
   In poisoning with elaterium,  the  same treatment should be  fol-
lowed -as  in poisoning with gamboge.

   Euphorbia Lathyris.   Caper spurge.—An indigenous biennial,
belonging to the natural family  Euphorbiacea, and to  the Linnasan
class and order Monacia Monandria.   It is not officinal in any of
the British Pharmacopoeias, but an oil obtained from the seeds has
been introduced into the Paris Codex, as a cheap and efficient sub-
stitute for croton oil; it  is obtained by  simple pressure from  the
ripe seeds;  it resembles castor  oil in  appearance, but is not quite
so dense ; it  has no  odour, is not acrid, nor has it an unpleasant fla-
vour.   Calderini, an Italian physician, has used it  extensively;  he
says that  its  effect  is certain  and prompt, and that it  may be con-
sidered as a mild cathartic, not producing either vomiting, colic, or
tenesmus.  It is  adapted for  all cases in which it is desirable to
purge gently but effectually, and with a small dose  of medicine.
This oil is worthy of more observation than has been hitherto be-
stowed on it. as being likely to afford  us an  excellent  indigenous
cathartic.  The dose is from min. iv. to min. viij.; it may be  ad-
ministered in sirup.

   Helleborus, L. E. [and U. S. P.]  Helleborus  niger, radix, D.
Root of Helleborus  niger ;  Black Hellebore, or  Christmas rose,  D.
E.   Root of Helleborus officinalis, Oriental or  Officinal Hellebore,
L.—The  black hellebore, the Melampodium of the ancients, a na-
tive of the middle  and southern  parts of Europe, belongs  to  the
natural family Ranunculacea, and to the Linnasan class and  order
Polyandria Polygynia.
  B. C.—Herbaceous ;  leaves all radical, pedatisect; scape leafless, one to two
flowered ; flowers large,  white.
  P. U. & M. of Prep.—The radicles ; they should be dug up in February, after the
plant is done flowering, and dried quickly.

  P. P.—As met with in  the shops, the root consists of two  parts,
a olack root-stock, and numerous undivided fibres or radicals which
arise from it; the latter  are  cylindrical, about the thickness of a
crow-quill, brownish-bl-ack externally, whitish within,  brittle ; they
have a faint,  unpleasant odour, and a somewhat acrid, bitter  taste,
but the acridity is much lost by drying. 
100
CATHARTICS.
  C. P.—Black hellebore root contains a volatile oil, an acrid, vol-
atile acid, and other unimportant substances.  Both water and al-
cohol extract its active properties, which probably depend  on the
volatile acid.
  Adulterations.—Various other roots are substituted for, or inter-
mixed with, black  hellebore  root  on the Continent, but, in  conse-
quence of the limited  employment  of the drug, the  fraud is  not
practised in this country.   The root should be constantly renewed,
as it loses its medicinal properties  by keeping.
  Th. E.—This substance is classed among the vegetable irritant
poisons,  but  in medicinal doses  it  operates as a drastic cathartic;
and although little esteemed in modern practice, it Was highly pri-
zed by the ancients, as a purgative in cerebral  and nervous disor-
ders, and in dropsy; it was also said to possess  emmenagogue and
anthelmintic properties.
  D. & M. of Adm.—In powder, gr. iij. to gr. xij.   Tinctura Helle-
bori, D.  L.   (Black hellebore root, in coarse powder (bruised, L.),
giv. (§v., L.) ; proof spirit, by measure, Ibij. (Oij., L.); macerate
for 7  (14, L.) days, and strain.)   Dose, f3i. to f3ij.

  Hydrargyrum cum creta, D. L. E. [and U. S. P.]—Mercury
with chalk.
  P. P.—A grayish, heavy, insoluble  powder;  void of odour, but
having an astringent, metallic taste.
  C. P.—According to the recent investigations of many celebra-
ted chemists, this preparation  appears to consist of metallic mercury
in a state of minute division,  suboxyde of mercury, and carbonate
of lime, combined mechanically; but in what proportion the metal
and oxyde exist has not yet been ascertained.   On the addition of
the stronger acids to the powder, effervescence takes place;  and
by exposure to heat, the mercury  is volatilized.
  Prep.—Dub. " Take of purified mercury and manna, of each, two parts ; prepa-
red chalk,  one part;  triturate the mercury and manna  in an earthenware mortar,
adding a few drops of water, to give the mass the consistence of sirup ; as soon as
the globules disappear, add an eighth of the chalk; all being well mixed, add 16 parts
of water, agitate, and after resting, when the sediment  falls, pour off the liquor ; let
the washing be repeated again, and a third time", so  as to remove all the manna;
mix with the moist powder the rest of the chalk, and dry on  blotting paper." Lond.,
Edin. "Triturate together mercury, fiij.,  and prepared chalk, fv., till the globules
disappear." In the Dublin formula,  the manna is employed to effect the minute di-
vision and oxydation of the mercury.
  Th. E.—A gentle cathartic and alterative, peculiarly adapted for
infancy and childhood, promoting  and improving the secretions of
the liver, pancreas, and intestines.   In combination with rhubarb,
it is employed with much benefit in the diarrhoea of children when
the stools  are  clay-coloured, and  when  there is acidity  of the
prima? viae.  Prescribed with dry carbonate of soda, it is our most
useful alterative in  the cutaneous affections of infancy and child-
hood.
  D.  &  M.  of Adm.—In powder, gr. ij. to gr. v., for children ;  it is
seldom prescribed  for adults  ; the dose would be from  gr. x. to 3ss.
   Incomp.—The mineral  acids; acetic acid ;  alum :  and  all sul-
phates. 
CATHARTICS.
101
   Hydrargyrum  cum magnesia, D.  Mercury with Magnesia.—
Prepared in a similar manner to the last, carbonate  of magnesia
being employed instead of prepared chalk.   Its properties  would
appear to be nearly similar, but at present it is scarcely ever used.

   Hydrargyri pilule, D. L. E.   Pills of Mercury.  Blue pill.
   P. P.—A soft pill mass, of a dark-blue colour.
   C. P.—This preparation, like the last two, probably consists of
metallic  mercury in a state  of minute division combined with  the
suboxyde of mercury.   Three grains of the pill contain one grain
of mercury.
  Prep.—"By triturating in a mortar until the globules disappear, two parts of pu-
rified mercury, and three parts of conserve of red roses, and then adding one  part
of extract of liquorice  (of liquorice root, L. E.), reduced to fine powder, and beating
together until  they are all incorporated."
   Adulterations.—If the pill mass be  prepared with  conserve of
roses to which sulphuric acid had been added, as is sometimes done
to brighten  its colour, it will contain subsulphate of mercury, which
possesses very irritating properties. It may  be detected by tritu-
rating  the mass with boiling water, and adding to the filtered liquor
solution  of  nitrate of baryta ; if any sulphate be  present, a white
precipitate,  insoluble in nitric acid, will be produced.
   Th.  E.—Although blue pill is most  generally employed to pro-
duce the specific effect of the  mercurial preparations,  in full doses
it operates as a cathartic.   In consequence of its general alterative
powers, and the peculiar property it possesses of improving and
stimulating  the biliary  secretions, it is  commonly prescribed in
combination with the different  cathartic  pill masses, particularly
the compound  extract  of colocynth.   Thus  combined, taken at
night, and followed by an active purgative draught in  the morning,
it is found especially useful in the milder forms of derangement of
the biliary organs.
   D. & M.  of Adm.—Given alone, as a cathartic, gr. xij. to gr. xx.
combined with other purgatives, gr. v. to  gr.  viij.

   Jalapa, D. L. E.  Root of Convolvulus jalapa, D.—of Ipomoea
jalapa, L.—of Ipomoea purga, E.  Jalap.—The officinal jala p root
is  now well known to be obtained from the  plant  indicated by  the
London  and Edinburgh Colleges under  different specific names,
and not  from that adopted by the Dublin College.  It is a  native
of Mexico and Vera Cruz, and belongs to the natural family Con-
volvulacea,  and to the Linnsean class and  order Pentandria Mono-
gynia.
  B. C.—Roots tuberous, incrassated; stems herbaceous, climbing; leaves green-
ish, alternate,  petioled, cordiform;  flowers large, one  to three, on  axillary pedun-
cles ; corolla large, campanulate, white, with a reddish-purple centre.
  P. U. &  M.  of Prep.—The root; it is dug up at the  time the young shoots begin
to appear, and dried by exposure to the air, or suspended in net bags over a fire.
   P. P.—Jalap root  is met with in commerce in  pieces, varying
much both  in size and form.   The entire tubers are  ovoid, from
the size of  a nut  to that of an  orange, generally  incised more or 
102
CATHARTICS.
less deeply, and in different directions ; externally rugose, compact,
dark brown; whitish or yellowish within, marked with concentric
zones.   The  flat  pieces  are merely transverse slices of the entire
tubers.   The fracture of jalap root is marbled and compact, pre-
senting many brilliant points (resin);  the odour is  faint, but very
nauseating; the taste  nauseous and  acrid.   It is pulverized with
difficulty.
  C. P.—Jalap is composed of hard  and soft  resin, bitter extract-
ive, gummy extractive, albumen, uncrystallizable sugar, gum, mu-
cilage, starch, and colouring matter.   The  resin, its active princi-
ple, exists in  the proportion of  from ten to fourteen  per cent.; it is
soluble in  alcohol, while water only dissolves  the non-cathartic
components of  the root.   The starch is often eaten by insects ; such
pieces are said  to be worm-eaten ; they are the most active, as they
contain, in proportion to their weight, more resin.
  Adulterations.—Jalap  root,  as  met with in English commerce,
can scarcely be said to be adulterated;  at one time slices of white
Bryony root were mixed with it, but the white colour and intense
bitterness of the spurious root rendered the  fraud easy of detection.
On the Continent many forms  of spurious or counterfeit jalaps are
met with, mixed  with the true root; they may, for the most part,
be distinguished by  being very rugose, of a reddish or rose colour
internally, not  compact, with a faint odour, and  almost insipid.
   Th.  E.—Jalap is a  powerful  cathartic, operating principally
upon the small intestines ; administered in too  large a dose, it caus-
es violent hypercatharsis and inflammation.  In medicinal doses
it is certain in  its operation, increasing the peristaltic action, and
promoting the  secretions and  exhalations of the alimentary canal
without causing  any irritation ; consequently, it is frequently and
beneficially prescribed for children.   Its chief use as a cathartic is
in simple constipation, without inflammation,  in ascites, in  scrofu-
lous affections, and  in verminous diseases ; in the  two latter, it is
beneficially combined with calomel; in dropsy,  with cream of tar-
tar.  It sometimes produces salivation, if its use be long persisted in.
   D. & M. of Adm.—In powder, gr. x. to  gr. xxx., for an  adult;
gr. ij. to gr.  viij., for children ;  it may be given made into a bolus,
or  suspended in  water, or  any simple decoction.—Pulvis Jalapa
comp., D. L. E.  (Jalap powder, fbss. (jhj., L.;  §i., E.) ; bitartrate
of potash, fbj. (§vi., L. ;  §ij., E.) ;  (ginger, 3ij.,  L.);,  rub to very fine
powder, and mix.)  Hydragogue cathartic ; dose, 3ss. to 3iss.—An-
thelmintic powder, Paris, H.   (Jalap, gr.  xxx.  ; rhubarb, gr. vi.;
calomel, gr. ij.; mix.)   Dose, gr. xij. to 3i.—Extractum Jalapa, D.
L.  (Jalap root, bruised (powdered, L.), fbi. (Ibfiss., L.);  rectified
spirit, by measure, ibiv. (cong.  j., L.) ; water (distilled, L.), cong. j.
 (cong. ij.,  L.); macerate in the spirit for  four  days, and  pour off
 the tincture; boil down tin? residue in the  water to Ibij. (cong. ss.,
 L.) ; then strain the tincture and the decoction separately, evapo-
 rate  the latter, and distil  the  former until each thickens ; lastly,
 mix the extract with the resin, and evaporate with  a water-bath  to
 a proper  consistence:  " this extract should be kept soft to form 
CATHARTICS.
103 .
pills, and hard for powdering," L.)   Dose, gr. x. to 3'i.—Extrac-
tum sive Resina Jalapa, E.   (Take any convenient quantity of jal-
ap in moderately fine powder, mix it thoroughly with enough of
rectified spirit to  moisten  it well, put it, in 12 hours, into a perco-
lator, and exhaust the powder with rectified spirit; distil off the
greater part of the spirit, and concentrate the residuum over the
vapour-bath to a  due consistence.)   This  is the impure resin ; the
dose  is from gr.  iij. to gr. x.; it should be given in a state of mi-
nute  division, for which purpose  it may be rubbed with sugar or
some mild powder, or made into an emulsion with milk, sugar, and
almonds. — Sapo Jalapinus, Pr.   (Castile soap  and  jalap  resin,
equal parts; rectified spirit,  q. s.; dissolve, and evaporate with a
gentle heat to  the consistence of a conserve.)   Dose, gr. xij. to 3i.,
for adults; gr. iij. to gr. vj., for children.—Tinctura Jalapa, D. L.
E.   (Jalap, in coarse powder (bruised,  L.), ^viij. (§x., L. ; gvij.,
E.) ;  proof spirit, by measure, tbij. (Oij., L. E.) ; macerate for 7 (14,
D. L.) days, and  strain ;  " or may be prepared by percolation," E.)
Dose, foj. to f3iv.—Sirup of Jalap, P.  (Jalap, 20 parts ; corian-
der and fennel seeds, of each 1 part; water, 200 parts ; sugar, 400
parts ; mix.  Dose, f3ij. to f3iv.

   [Juglans cinerea, U. S. P.  (Butternut.  Moncecia Polyandria.
Indigenous.)
   P.  & C.  P. — The inner  bark  fibrous; bitter and slightly acrid
taste, but little odour ; yields all its virtues to boiling water.
   Th. E.—Cathartic, analogous in its action to rhubarb, and often
useful in habitual constipation.
   D. & M. of Adm.—The powder made of the inner bark of the
root is given in doses of 10 to 30 grs., as  a cathartic, or 5 grs., re-
peated, as  a laxative.  It is usual to combine it with calomel for
purgative  purposes. — Extractum Juglandis, U. S. P.   Take  a
pound  of the   inner bark of the  root, reduced to coarse powder,
pour upon it a pint of water, let it stand for  24 hours, and treat  it
by displacement, pouring more water upon it, until it .passes but
slightly impregnated with the root.   Then heat the filtered liquid
to the boiling point, strain, and evaporate  to the proper consistence.
Dose, 5 grs. to a scruple.]

   Linum catharticum, E.   Purging flax.—A slender indigenous
annual from two to six inches high, with small white flowers, droop-
ing  before  expansion.  It belongs to the natural family Linacea,
and to  the Linnaean class and order Pentandria Monogynia.   The
wdiole herb is  officinal; it is  void of odour, but has an intensely bit-
ter taste.  It  was formerly held  in high  esteem as a cathartic and
diuretic; at present  it is never used in  regular practice, and has
only been retained in the  Edinburgh Pharmacopoei-a on the author-
ity of Dr. Christison, as a useful indigenous cathartic, in doses of a
drachm of the powder, or an infusion of two or three drachms of
the herb. 
104
cathartics.
   Magnesia.   Magnesia (described in the division Antacids), given
in full doses,  operates as  a gentle cathartic ;  its effect, however,
being by no means uniform or certain, depending, probably, on the
quantity of free acid in the stomach, by union with which it forms
soluble magnesian salts.  It does not increase the secretions of the
intestines, but, by stimulating their muscular fibres, causes the evac-
uation of their contents.  Magnesia is very generally employed as
a purgative in  infantile diseases, and  by females and persons of a
delicate habit of body; it is most usually combined with rhubarb, a
combination  frequently employed, and  with much  benefit in the
early stages of diarrhoea, particularly  when dependant on irritation
or acidity  of the primas viae.   Magnesia,  when taken for a long
period, has in some instances  accumulated to a great  extent, and
even formed concretions in the bowels.   When it is thought ad-
visable, therefore, to continue its use for any time, it will be neces-
sary occasionally to administer an active  cathartic.  Dose, 9i. to
3i., for adults; gr. ij. to gr.  x., for children.

   Magnesle carbonas, Carbonate of Magnesia (described in the
division  Antacids), is  a still  milder cathartic; it is employed in
the same cases, but  is  less  frequently used than magnesia, in con-
sequence of its producing flatulence from the disengagement of car-
bonic acid  in the stomach.  Dose, 3i. to 3ij., for adults ;  gr. x. to 3i.,
for children.   A mildly laxative, effervescing draught may be pre-
pared with a  drachm  of carbonate of magnesia, the juice of one
lemon, and a wine-glassful of water.

   Magnesia sulphas, D. L. E.   Sulphate of Magnesia.   Epsom
Salts.—Magnesia sulphas purum, D.  Pure Sulphate of Magnesia.
   P. P.—Usually met with in small acicular  crystals,  transparent
and  colourless;  inodorous; with an extremely bitter, disagreeable
taste.  By slow crystallization, tolerably large crystals  are readily
obtained; their form is the four-sided  rhombic prism with reversed
dihedral summits, or four-sided pyramids.  Sp. gr.,  1*66.
   C. P.—It is composed of 1 eq. of magnesia, 1 of acid, and 7 of
water (Mg O, SO3, HO+b*  HO).   It  is  permanent  in  the air, but
in a slightly-increased  temperature effloresces, losing 6 eq. of water
at a temperature considerably under  300°, first fusing  in its water
of crystallization; if the temperature be  raised  still higher it be-
comes anhydrous, and undergoes the  igneous fusion, but is not de-
composed.   It dissolves in its own weight of water at 60°, and in
three fourths of its weight of boiling water.   It is insoluble in alcohol.
  Prep.—An article of the Materia Medica ; it was formerly prepared by evapora-
ting the waters of the Epsom springs ; at present a variety of processes are follow-
ed by different manufacturers, which it would be out of place here to  enter into any  '
account of.  The process of the Dub. Ph. for preparing the pure salt, as it is there
termed, is as  follows : " Take of commercial sulphuric acid, 25 parts ; water, 100
parts ; carbonate of magnesia, 24 parts, or a sufficiency ; to the acid and water mix-
ed, add gradually the carbonate of magnesia; lastly, evaporate the  filtered liquor,
that crystals may form on cooling."
   Adulterations.—At  present  this salt is  met with in a  state of
great purity;  sometimes, however, when  prepared from bittern, it 
                            CATHARTICS.                      105

contains chloride of magnesium, which, being very deliquescent, is
readly recognised.   On  the Continent in the present day,  and
formerly  also in Ireland, crystals of sulphate  of soda, which  is  a
much  cheaper salt, are fraudulently mixed with those of sulphate
of magnes.a;  the sophistication is best detected by the test of the
Ed. Ph.,  which is intended to show that the full proportion of mag-
nesia is present: "ten grs. dissolved in f§i. of water, and treated
with solution of carbonate of ammonia, are not entirely precipitated
by 280 minims of solution  of phosphate  of soda  (1  of salt  to 20
water)."
   Th. E.—Sulphate of magnesia  is a refrigerant cathartic, opera-
ting mildly, but effectually,  augmenting the secretions, and promo-
ting the peristaltic action of the intestinal canal; the evacuations
are watery, and are not accompanied with either nausea or griping.
It is, consequently, more generally employed at present than, per-
haps, any other medicine of this class; it has also the advantage
of great cheapness.   This salt is  peculiarly adapted for all  forms
of febrile and'inflammatory affections, especially when accompanied
by constipation.  In  short, there  are  but  few diseases in which
cathartics are indicated that it  may not be employed with benefit.
Sulphate  of magnesia forms the active ingredient in many mineral
waters.
   D. & M. of Adm.—3ij. to §j., dissolved in seven or eight times its
weight of water.   Its cathartic properties are promoted by dilution,
therefore  a  smaller dose  than  usual will  suffice, if dissolved in  a
large quantity of water; tincture of some aromatic bitter, as of cas-
carilla, columbo, orange peel, &c, is added with advantage  to the
solution, to conceal its nauseous taste;  this is best  done, however,
by the addition often or twelve minims of dilute sulphuric acid, or
by administering the  salt  in the acid infusion of roses; an elegant
and beneficial form in febrile diseases.—Pulvis Salinus comp., D.
E.   (Pure muriate of soda and sulphate of magnesia, of each, siv,;
sulphate of potash, giij.;  dry the salts with a gentle heat, and  pul-
verize them  separately; then triturate them well together, and keep
in a well-closed vessel.)   Dose, 3ij. to §ss. dissolved in Oss. of  wa-
ter.   In the preparation of  this powrder, instead of the sulphate of
potash, I have employed §iv. of sulphate of soda, and found the re-
sulting compound a  more  effectual cathartic in smaller doses, 3i.
dissolved  in a half pint of water,  and taken in the  morning before
breakfast, operating freely,  and with perfect safety.—Enema Ca-
tharticum, D.   (Manna, §i.; dissolve in ten fluid ounces of decoc-
tion of chamomile, and add  olive oil, §i.; and sulphate of magnesia,
gss.)—E.   (Olive oil, §i.;  sulphate of magnesia, §ss.; sugar,  §i.;
senna, gss.;  boiling water, fgxvi.;  infuse the senna in the water for
an hour; then dissolve the salt and the sugar, and add  the oil.)  A
useful cathartic enema for general purposes.
  Incomp.—The alkalies, and their carbonates; lime-water;  chlo-
ride of calcium ; the acetates of lead ; and nitrate of silver.  The
bicarbonates of the alkalies  are not incompatible with sulphate of
magnesia, unless at the temperature of boiling water. 
106                        CATHARTICS.

  Manna, D. L. E.  Concrete juice of Fraxinus ornus, D.   Of Or-
nus Europaa, L.  Sweet concrete exudation, probably from several
species of Fraxinus and Ornus, E.—The precise species  of the
genera Fraxinus and Ornus from  whicii  manna  is obtained are
not yet well established; that indicated by the  Dub. and^Lond.
Colleges under different  names is a native of the South of Europe,
chiefly of Sicily and the south  of Italy.   It be longs to the natural
family Oleacea, and to the Linnsean class and order Diandria Mo
nogynia.
  B. C—A small tree ; leaves opposite, pinnate ; panicles large, many flowered,
flowers small, polygamous, white; the whole tree resembles much in appearance
the common ash of our climate.
  P. U. & M. of Prep.—The juice of  the stem, which either exudes spontaneous
ly from fissures in the bark, through punctures made by insects, or more usually from
incisions made expressly with a hooked knife. It rapidly concretes on.the tree, and
is then removed by the hand.
  P. P.—Two sorts  are commonly met  with in  the shops: 1st.
Flake manna, Manna cannellata; it occurs in stalaGtiform pieces,
from one to six inches in length, and one  or two  inches in width,
uneven, rugged, porous,  and triable;  of a dull yellowish-white col-
our ; presenting a furrow on the surface by which they adhered to
the tree, on  which side they are  usually  somewhat soiled ; it has a
faint, somewhat nauseous odour, and a sweetish, insipid taste. 2d.
Fatty manna, Manna Pinguis;  it is in  soft, viscid fragments of a
brownish-yellow colour, much soiled, and mixed with impurities;
its odour is  very.nauseous, and its taste viscid and disagreeable.
  C. P.—Manna consists of a  peculiar saccharine principle named
Mannite, uncrystaliizuble sugar, gummy matter, nitrogenous mat-
ter, and moisture.  It softens with the heat of the hand, and melts
at a temperature a little higher; it is soluble in three parts of wa-
ter at 60°, and  in eight parts of rectified spirit.  Mannite, its active
principle, may  be obtained  by  boiling manna in alcohol, and pour-
ing off the spirit, from which,  as it cools,  the mannite is deposited
in crystals ;  it exists in manna in the proportion of about 60 per cent.
  Flake manna, which is alone employed  in medicine, is not liable
to adulteration.
  Th. E.—Manna is a very mild laxative, employed only  in the
diseases of  children and delicate females ; in the present day it is
seldom  administered  alone, being  generally used for sweetening
cathartic mixtures.  When first  gathered, manna does not possess
any  laxative properties,  and is employed  as a nutritive article of
diet  in the countries where  it is produced.
  D. &  M. of Adm.—For  children, 3i.  to §ss.;  for adults, §i. to
gij-—Mannite,  for children, r,ss. to 3ij.;  for adults, 3ss. to s-i—
Aqua Laxativa Viennensis, A.   (Manna,  8 parts ; senna, 6 parts;
bitartrate of potash,  1   part;  water, 48  parts ;  dissolve.)   Dose,
f§ij. to f§iv.

  Mel, D. L. E.  Juice extracted from flowers, and prepared by the
Bee, L.  Saccharine secretion of Apis Melt/flea. E.  Honey.__Honey
is secreted by the nectaries of'must flowers, from whence ii is col- 
CATHARTICS.
107
lected by the bee, an insect belonging to the order Hymenoptera;
in the honey-bag of the insect, which is a dilatation of the oesopha-
gus, it probably undergoes some  alteration previous  to its  deposi-
tion in the cells of the honeycomb.   Honey is too well known to
require any description ; it is composed of grape-sugar, cane-sugar,
mannite. acetic acid, aromatic principle, wax, &c.  It is sometimes
adulterated with sand, with starch, or with wheaten  or pea flour;
the first adulteration may  be detected by dissolving in water; the
others by the action of tincture of iodine on the  cooled decoction,
which is rendered blue if any fecula be present.  Dissolved in a
large quantity  of water,  honey possesses  demulcent  and  cooling
properties ; in  a small portion of  water it operates as a mild laxa-
tive.   It is now but little used in  medicine ; nevertheless, eaten at
breakfast, it  is  found very beneficial  by persons  liable to habitual
constipation.    Honey has in  some instances proved  poisonous, in
consequence of having been collected by the bees from poisonous
flowers.   By melting honey in a vapour-bath and removing the
scum, clarified  honey, Mel Despumatum, D., is prepared.  Both the
flavour and odour of honey are injured by  this process.

   Oliv^e oleum, D.  L. E. Oil expressed from the fruit (of the pe-
ricarp, E.) of  Olea Europaa.—This tree, originally a native  of
Asia  Minor,  now grows  freely on the borders  of the Mediterra-
nean, and is  cultivated all over the South of Europe, especially in
Provence.   It  belongs to the natural family Oleacea, and to the Lin-
nsean class and order Diandria Monogynia.
  B. C.—A moderately-sized tree with hard, veined  wood; leaves in pairs, acute,
hoary beneath,  giving a whitish character to the foliage; flowers small, white
drupe elliptical,  dark-bluish green, with a  hard nut, generally one-seeded.
  P. U. & M. of Prep.—The finer sorts of the oil are obtained by simply pressing
the fresh, ripe fruit in a mill; a second sort, by moistening the marc, left after the
first expression, with boiling water and repressing it;  and a third  and very inferioi
sort, by boiling  this cake in water, and submitting it to very strong pressure.
   P.  P.—Olive oil is a transparent, unctuous fluid, of a yellow col-
our, pale or greenish according to quality  (the finer sorts being of
a  lighter shade) ;  when good, odourless, with a  bland, oily taste ■
bv keeping it acquires both a rancid odour  and taste, more  slowly
however, than  the other fixed oils.   Sp. gr., '911 at 77° F.
   C. P.—It  is  composed of 72 parts of elaine and 28 of margarin.
Olive oil readily  saponifies, but  exposed to the air,  even  in thin
layers, it thickens, but does not dry.   It congeals at 36° F.. is in-
soluble in  water or  in alcohol, but at 59° it dissolves in 1^ times its
weight of ether.
   Adulterations.—Cheaper vegetable oils are commonly employed
to adulterate olive oil, as  poppy oil  and rape-seed oil.   The best
test for ascertaining its pur.ty is that of Pontet, adopted in  the fast
ed.tion of the  Edin. Phar.: ** Mix with a twelfth of  its vdlume of
nitrate of mercury,  prepared by dissolving  with a gentle heat, 3-iv.
of mercury in  f^ix.ss. of nitric acid (density 13S0  to 1390) ;  if pure,
it becom; s in three  or four hours like a firm ft, w fiout any sep-
aration of liquid oil."  For ordinary purposes, the presence of other 
108
CATHARTICS.
fixed oils may be more readily ascertained by shaking the oil in a
bottle half filled, when, if it be pure, the surface of the oil  soon be-
comes smooth by repose ; but if it be adulterated, a number  of air-
bubbles, beads, remain.
  Th. E.—It is seldom  given by  the mouth  as a cathartic, but
forms an admirable addition to laxative enemata, in inflammation
or spasm of the intestines, in dysentery, or in irritation of the urino-
genital  organs.
  D. & M. of Adm.—f§i. to fjij. by the mouth;  f§ij. to fgiv. in an
enema  with decoction of barley.

  [Podophyllum peltatum.   May apple, Mandrake, U. S. P.—
Indigenous.   Polyandria Monogynia.
  P. & C. P.—The fruit is of a sweetish, subacid taste ; the leaves
poisonous; the root, when powdered,  has a sickly  smell, and the
taste, at  first  sweetish,  becomes bitter, acrid, and  nauseous, and
contains a bitter principle called podophyllin.
  Th. E.—It is analogous to jalap, for which  it is sometimes sub-
stituted, an active hydragogue  cathartic, and has repute in dropsy.-
  D. & M. of  Adm.—Dose of the powder for  an adult, x. to xxx.
grs.,  either  alone or in combination  with bitartrate of potassa.
Extractum.—Prepared as jalap, which  see.   Dose,  v. to  x. grs.
Tinctura.—Ibid.  Dose, ii. to vi. drachms.]

   Potassa acetas, D. L. E.   Acetate of Potash.
   P.  P.—Masses of white, needle-shaped, satiny crystals,  odour-
less when dry, but emitting a faint acetous odour when moistened;
they  have a pungent, somewhat acrid, but cooling taste, and are
soapy to the touch.   Sp. gr., 2*10.
   C.  P.—It  is  composed of 1 eq.  of potassa, and 1 of anhydrous
acetic  acid (KO, C4H303); it  deliquesces  on exposure to the air,
and is very soluble both  in water and in alcohol;  by heat it is
fused  and then decomposed, pyroacetic  spirit  is driven off, and
carbonate of potash left.
  Prep.—Dub. "Add gradually to any quantity of carbonate of potash  prepared
from crystals of tartar, about five times its weight of distilled vinegar of a medium
heat;  when the effervescence shall have ceased, and the liquor have given off va-
pours for some time, add by degrees distilled vinegar, until all effervescence shall
cease ; the dry salt produced by evaporation is to be liquefied by cautiously raising
the heat; dissolve the cooled salt in water, filter and evaporate, until it becomes,
on  cooling, a white crystalline mass ; keep in well-closed bottles." The London
and Edinburgh Colleges direct it to be prepared by dissolving, the former, Ibj. of
carbonate of potash in acetic acid, fixxvi., and distilled  water, fjxij. ; the latter,
 gvij., or a sufficiency of dry carbonate of potash in Oiss. of pyroligneous acid, so as
to neutralize it, straining and evaporating with a cautious heat the liquor, so as to
 obtain, on cooling, a crystalline mass.
    This salt is not liable to adulteration ; it should be snow-white.
    Th. E.—Scarcely ever used as a cathartic ; nevertheless, in suf-
 ficient doses it operates effectually, producing  watery evacuations,
 and is, therefore, independent  of its diuretic properties, well adapt-
 ed for dropsical diseases.
    D. & M. of Adm.—As a  cathartic, 3ij. to  3iij., dissolved in a
 large quantity of water. 
CATHARTICS.
109
   Incomp.—The mineral acids and their soluble salts, and tartaric
 acid.

   Potass^ bisulphas, D. L. E.  Bisulphate of Potash.
   P. P.—In minute, transparent crystals, which belong to the right
 prismatic system;  odourless, with a  very  acid  and bitter taste.
 Sp. gr., 2*163.
   C. P.—It is  composed of 2 eq. of sulphuric acid, 1 of potassa,
 and  1  of water  (HO, S03+KO, SO3); the  excess of acid acting
 upon metals and alkaline bases very much as if it were free.  The
 crystals are permanent  in the air, and are soluble  in about twice
 their weight of water at 60° ; the solution has  a  strongly acid re-
 action.   By a red  heat, the water of crystallization and  half the
 acid are  expelled, and sulphate of potash remains.
  pREp.—Dub. " Commercial sulphuric acid, one part; carbonate of potash from
 potashes, a sufficiency; water, six parts; saturate the carbonate of potash with
 one part of the sulphuric acid mixed with the water ; then add the other part of the
 sulphuric acid, and evaporate the liquor, so that crystals may form  by cooling."
 Lond., Edin.  "Take of the salt which remains after the distillation of nitric acid,
 fcij.; sulphuric acid (of commerce, E.), Ibj. (fjvij., fsi., E.);  boiling  water, Ovj. ;
 dissolve the salt in the water, add the acid, and mix.   Then  concentrate the solu-
 tion, and set it aside, that crystals may be formed."
   Not liable to adulteration.
   Th. E.—Rarely  employed  in  medicine;  it  operates  as a mild
 cathartic, and as its after effects are tonic, it may be used with ad-
 vantage in  debilitated habits; combined with rhubarb, it conceals
 much of  its nauseous taste, and  promotes  its cathartic properties.
 Dr. Barker proposed  a solution of 73 grs. of this salt mixed with a
 solution of  72 grs. of carbonate of soda as a  cheap effervescing
 purgative draught,  but it forms an extremely nauseous compound.
   D. & M. of Adm.—3ss. to 3iss., dissolved  in from fgiij.-to fgvj. of
 water.
   Incomp.—Alkalies ; earths, and their carbonates ; metallic salts;
 and tartaric acid.

   Potass/e  bitartras, D. L. E.  Tartari Crystalli, D.   Bitar-
 trate of Potash; Crystals of Tartar ;  Crude Tartar;  Cream of
 Tartar.
   P. P.—This salt  is met with in the  form  either of a fine white
 powder or  a semitransparent  crystalline  mass, the crystals being
 oblique rhombic prisms; it is without odour, but  has an  agreeable
 acid taste.   Sp. gr., 1*953.
  C. P.—It is composed  of 1 eq. of potassa, 2 of tartaric acid, com-
 bined in the crystalline state with 1 of water (HO,  KO,  IPC6010);
 it is unalterable in  the air, is soluble in 184  parts of water at 68°,
 and in 18  parts  of boiling water, the solution  having a strongly
 acid reaction.   By heat the salt is decomposed,  and converted into
 a compound of charcoal and carbonate of potash.  (Black Flux).
  pREP__Bitartrate of potash  is an article of the Materia Medica; it is obtained by
dissolving and recrystallizing argol, an obscurely crystalline substance, which con-
cretes on the inside of casks in which new wine has been kept; this constitutes the
crystalli tartari of the Dub. Phar.   A purer salt is procured'by redissolving those 
110
CATHARTICS.
crystals, evaporating the solution slowly, and removing the crust as it forms on the
surface, whence the name cream of tartar.
  Adulterations.—This  salt in the state of  powder is  very much
adulterated;  the  substances commonly employed for this purpose
are finely-powdered marble, alum, bisulphate of potash, and wheat-
en flour or starch.  The tests of the Ed. Ph. will  detect any of
these impurities: " Entirely soluble in 40 parts  of  boiling water.
Grs. xl. in solution are neutralized with gr. xxx. of crystallized car-
bonate of soda ; and when then precipitated with gr. Ixx. of nitrate
of lead, the liquid remains precipitable by more of the test."
  Th. E.—In full doses, cream of tartar operates as an active ca-
thartic, producing many watery evacuations without much irrita-
tion.   It is  seldom prescribed  singly, but, in general, with some of
the milder vegetable  cathartics.  Thus, combined with sulphur in
the form of electuary, it  is an exceedingly useful purgative in hocm-
orrhoidal affections and in  skin diseases;  and with  jalap, it forms
an excellent cathartic in dropsies.
  D. & M. of Adm.—3iij. to 3vi., made into an electuary  with
honey or treacle.  Its solubility in water may be much increased,
without impairing its medicinal activity, by adding to it a fourth of
its weight of boracic acid.—Effervescing aperient  with cream of
tartar.  (Cream of tartar, 3iij.; carbonate of soda, in crystals, 3iiss.;
water, f^viij.)   For one dose.
  Incomp.—Lime-water ; ammonia ; the carbonates of potash and
of soda ; acetate of lead ; magnesia, and its sulphate.

  Potass^e sulphas,  D.  L. E.  Sulphate of Potash.
  P. P.—A solid white salt, crystallizing usually in single or double
six-sided prisms, terminated by six-sided pyramids ; inodorous, with
a slightly bitter, saline taste.   The crystals  are very hard, and are
therefore employed in pharmacy  for triturating and dividing vege-
table powders.   Sp.  gr., 2*400.
  C. P.—It is composed of 1 eq. of potassa,  and 1 of sulphuric acid
(KO, SO3);  is unalterable in the air; heated it decrepitates, and at
a strong  red heat fuses, but  is not decomposed ;  it requires 16
parts of temperate and 5 of boiling water for its solution, but is in-
soluble in alcohol.
  Prep.—Dub. " Dissolve the salt which  remains after the distillation of nitric
acid in a-sufficiency of water ; add of carbonate of potash from potashes, sufficient
to saturate the superabundant acid ; evaporate the filtered liquor, that crystals may
be formed."  Lond. " Take of the salt which remains after the distillation of nitric
acid, Ibij.; boiling water, cong. ij.; ignite the salt in a crucible until the excess of
sulphuric acid is entirely expelled, then boil it in the water until a pellicle floats and
the liquor being strained, set it aside,  that crystals'may be formed   The liquo'r be-
ing poured  off, dry them." Edin. "Take of the residuum  of the preparation of
pure nitric acid, foil.; boiling water, cong. ij.; white marble in powder a sufficiency
Dissolve the salt in the water; add the marble gradually till effervescence ceases
and the solution is completely neutralized ; filter the liquid, and evaporate it till a
pellicle forms on its surface; then set it aside to cool and form crystals."
  Not liable to adulteration.
  Th. E.—A mild cathartic,  operating effectually  with  scarcely
any disturbance of the system, but, on account of its  little solubility, 
CATHARTICS.
Ill
not much employed.  It is not adapted for children, as it is apt to
produce vomiting in them if given in a sufficient dose.  Sulphate
of potash is an excellent purgative for females after delivery, when
we wish to diminish the secretion of milk.
   D. & M. of Adm.—3i. to  3vj. dissolved  in warm water, or in
powder combined with rhubarb.—Potassa sulphas cum sulphure,
E.   (Nitrate of potash  and sulphur, equal parts; mix  thoroughly,
and project in small  successive portions into a red-hot crucible ;
when the deflagration is over and the salt has cooled,  reduce  it to
powder, and preserve in well-closed bottles.)   A mild cathartic,
much more soluble  than the plain sulphate.  Dose, 3ss. to 3i.
   Incomp.—Nitric and muriatic acids; tartaric  acid ;  chloride  of
calcium ; chloride  of  barium;  the acetate  and diacetate of lead ;
nitrate  of silver; and  sulphate of magnesia.

   Potassas tartras, D.  L. E.   Tartrate of Potash.
   P. P-—A solid, white salt, crystalline, but generally  met with in
the form of a granular powder; the crystals are small  right rhom-
bic prisms ; inodorous, with a cooling, saline taste.  Sp. gr., 1*556.
   C. P.—It is composed of 1 eq. of potassa, and 1 of tartaric  acid
(KO, C8H4010) ; it attracts moisture in a damp atmosphere, but  does
not  deliquesce; exposed to heat it is decomposed, and converted
into a compound of carbonate of potash and charcoal.   It is solu-
ble in an equal weight of cold water, whence the name soluble tar-
tar is applied to it; it is likewise soluble in alcohol.
  Prep.—Dub. " Carbonate of potash from potashes, 5 parts ; bitartrate of potash,
14 parts,; boiling water, 45 parts; to the carbonate of potash dissolved in water
add gradually the bitartrate of potash in very fine powder; evaporate the liquor,
previously filtered through paper, and set it aside, that crystals may be formed by
cooling."  Lond., Edin.  "Bitartrate of potash, in powder, Ibiij. ; carbonate of pot-
ash, jxvi. (or a sufficiency, L.); boiling water, Ovi.; dissolve the carbonate in the
boiling water, then add the bitartrate (till the liquor is neutralized, E.), and boil.
Filter the liquor, and concentrate by boiling till a pellicle floats on the surface, and
set it aside, that crystals may be formed.  The liquor being poured off, dry these,
and again evaporate the liquor, that crystals may be produced."
   Adulterations.—This  salt  is  sometimes  adulterated with the  bi-
tartrate, which may be  known by its  not being  soluble in its  own
weight of water at  50°.
   Th. E.—A mild  but'efficient purgative, not  much employed in
the  present day.   By accelerating the  operation of the resinous
purgatives, it corrects their griping properties.
   D. & M. of Adm.—3ij. to  3x., in solution.
   I,\comp.—All acids, and most acidulous salts;  lime-water; chlo-
ride of calcium;  nitrate of silver; and acetate of lead.

   Pruna, D. L. E.  Prunes.  The dried fruit  of Prunus domes-
tica.—The plum-tree, originally a native of Syria, is now cultiva-
ted extensively in the temperate regions of Europe, and in the  Brit-
ish Isles; it belongs to the natural family Rosacea, and  to the  Lin-
nsean class and order Icosandria Mouogynia.   The fruits dried in
the sun, prunes, are imported from Bourdeaux.  They are mildly
laxative, and are sometimes  added to infusion of sennatfto conceal 
112
CATHARTICS.
its nauseous taste.  They enter into the composition of the electu-
ary of senna of the Pharmacopoeias.

  Rhamni bacce, E.   Rhamnus, L.  Rhamnus catharticus, bac-
cje, D.  Buckthorn berries.   Fruit of Rhamnus catharticus.—An
indigenous shrub, belonging to the  natural family Rhamnacea, and
to the Linneean class and order Pentandria Monogynia.
  B. C—Stems about ten feet high,  branching, spiny ; leaves,ovate, sharply serra
ted; flowers small, yellowish-green,  dioecious ;  fruit, a berry.
  P. U.—The fresh berries and their expressed juice.
  P. P.—The berries  are about the size of pease, black, shining,
four-seeded, with a green, juicy parenchyma ; they have an acrid,
nauseous taste, and when bruised,  a faint, unpleasant odour.  The
juice is preserved in the form of sirup.
  C. P.—The juice consists of a peculiar colouring matter, acetic
acid, mucilage, sugar, and nitrogenous matter.  The nature of its
purgative principle is  unknown.   By evaporating  to dryness, the
juice mixed with lime, or with alum, the pigment, sapgreen, is ob-
tained.
  Adulterations.—The berries of the Rhamnus frangula are often
substituted  for, or mixed with buckthorn berries; they may be de-
tected by being only two-seeded.
  Th. E.—The fresh  berries or their expressed juice operate as
powerful cathartics, producing many watery evacuations, but, in
consequence of the severity  of their operation, frequently  accom-
panied by severe tormina, thirst, and distressing nausea ; although
in former days much vaunted in the treatment of dropsy, they are
at present scarcely ever used.
  D. &  M. of Adm.—Of the fresh berries, 10 to 20.—Sirupus
Rhamni, D. L. E.  (Fresh juice of the berries, by  measure, fbiiss.
(Oiv., L. E.); ginger, sliced, and pimento, bruised  (powdered, L.),
of each, 3iij. (3vj., L. E.); let the juice rest (for 3 days, L. E.). that
the dregs may subside, and  strain.  Macerate for 24 (4, L. E.)
hours the pimento  and ginger in §x. (Oi., L. E.)  of the strained
juice, and filter;  boil  down the rest of the juice to fbj., by measure
(Oiss., L. E.), and with sugar (rbiv., L. E.) form the whole into a
sirup.)   Dose, fgss. to fgi.

  Rheum, D.  L.  E.  Rhubarb; Root of Rheum  palmatum, and
Rheum undulatum, D.  Root of Rheum palmatum, L.   Root of an
undetermined species of Rheum, E.—The exact species of the genus
rheum, from which the different varieties of rhubarb  met with in
commerce are obtained, is  as yet unknown.  They  inhabit the
northern regions  of Asia, from the  shores of the Caspian Sea to the
Chinese wall, and are cultivated in most of the countries of Europe.
The genus is  placed in the natural family Polygonacea;, and in the
Linnsean class and order Enneandria Monogynia.   Besides the
species mentioned in the Pharmacopoeias, the following have been
referred to  by different authorities as yielding rhubarb of one kind
or  another: viz., R. rhaponticum; R. compactum;  R. Emodi;  R. 
                           CATHARTICS.                       113

 Webbianum ; 'R. Spiciforme; R. Moorcroftianum;  R. crassiner-
 vium ; R. leucorrhizum, &c.
  B. C.—All the species are characterized by having a perennial root, which sends
 up annual root-leaves, usually very large, deeply incised and wavy at the edges,
 generally cordate; an herbaceous, flowering stem, from two to four feet high;
 flowers small;  calyx petaloid, six-parted, withering.
  P. U. & M. of Prep.—The root; it is dug up when the plant is five or six years
 old, washed, scraped, and cut into various-sized pieces to facilitate the drying; they
 are then pierced, strung  upon cords, and dried differently in various localities;
 sometimes  on  stone tables heated beneath by a fire, sometimes in the sunshine,
 sometimes  slowly under sheds by a current of air, while in Tartary the Moguls are
 said to hang them about their tents or on the horns  of their sheep.
   P. P.—Three varieties of rhubarb are met with in British trade,
 each of which we shall  consider separately, viz., Russian, Chinese
 or East Indian, and English rhubarb.
   1. Russian Rhubarb ; Turkey Rhubarb; it is met with in irregu-
 larly-shaped pieces, from an inch to three  inches  in breadth, round-
 ish,  sometimes  flattened on one side, angular, heavy, of a brio-ht-
 yellow colour, without  any traces of epidermis  ; generally perfo-
 rated  with conical, not  cylindrical holes,  in some pieces extending
 completely, in others only partially through their substance ;  inter-
 nally, they are compact, beautifully marbled with yellow, red, and
 white streaks or points ; the odour is strong and peculiar; the taste
 is bitter, and faintly  astringent; chewed, it feels gritty under the
 teeth, owing to the presence of crystals of the oxalate of lime, and
 it tinges  the saliva yellow ; it may  be pulverized  readily.  The
 powder is of a bright-yellow colour.  This description of rhubarb
 is collected  by the   Buchanans on the   mountains  of Tartary,
 brought by them to the Russian town of Kiachta for barter, whence
 it is conveyed  to St. Petersburg, where  it is  sorted, packed into
 boxes or  cases  which are covered on the outside with a hide, and
 then exported to the  different countries  of Europe and to the Brit-
 ish Isles.

  2.  Chinese, or East  Indian Rhubarb, is  met with in globular
 or flat pieces, rounded, not angular on the surface, of a brownish-
 yellow colour, usually presenting some traces of epidermis ; some-
 what heavier than Russian  rhubarb ; perforated with cylindrical
 holes, in many  of which are found  pieces of cord, by which the
 roots were suspended while being dried ;  internally they are close
 and  compact, marbled and spotted  yellowish-brown and whitish ;
the odour  is  somewhat stronger than that of Russian rhubarb, the
taste  similar; the powder is not  of  so  bright a  colour.   This de-
scription is the product of the northern provinces of China ; it  is
imported in chests directly from  Canton or by way of Singapore.
  3. English Rhubarb.—Two kinds are commonly met with: 1st.
Stick Rhubarb, which occurs, in pieces about five or six inches long,
and half an inch in diameter, round, striated, of a dirty yellowish-
brown colour externally, blackish internally, with reddish streaks;
its odour is faint, and its taste astringent, not gritty.  2d. Trimmed
Rhubarb;  this sort is often sold for Turkey rhubarb, which it is
prepared  to  represent;  its  texture,  however, is  always soft and 
114                       CATHARTICS.
                                                     »
spongy;  it has  a  pinkish hue, is mucilaginous, and  is pulverized
with difficulty; its taste is astringent, its odour faint, and it is not
gritty under  the teeth, containing but  few crystals of oxalate of
lime.
  C. P.—According to the most recent analysis, that of Brandes,
in 1836,  rhubarb consists of a  peculiar principle,  named  by him
Rhabarberic acid (Rhein, Rheumin, Rhabarberin, Caphopicrite, of
other chemists), gallic  and tannic  acids, uncrystallizable sugar,
starch, gummy extractive, colouring  extractive, pectic acid, malate
and gallate of lime, oxalate of lime, inorganic salts, silica, iron, and   »
woody fibre.  Rhabarberic acid, the active principle of rhubarb,
was  obtained by its discoverer in the proportion of 2 per cent, in  a
pure, and 10 per cent, in an impure  form.   Rhubarb yields its ac-
tive  principles to  both cold and boiling water, to proof spirit, to
alcohol, and to ether.
  Adulterations.—The  inferior sorts, especially British rhubarb,
are frequently mixed with, or substituted for, the finer kinds; the
fraud may be detected by the  characters given above for the dif-
ferent descriptions.  Powdered Turkey, or East Indian rhubarb,  is
very generally adulterated with British rhubarb; the fraud is diffi-
cult  of detection, but the fresh  powder of the finer sorts is always
of a  bright-yeWovt colour.
   Th. E.—Rhubarb acts upon the whole tract  of the digestive
canal as a mild  tonic, cathartic, and astringent.  In small  doses,  it
alone manifests  its tonic properties, promoting the digestive process
as indicated by increased  appetite, and an  improvement in the
quality of the  alvine secretions.  In full doses, it operates as a mild
cathartic, stimulating to increased activity the muscular coat of the
whole of the  intestinal canal, more especially that of the duodenum,
but  scarcely,  if at all, augmenting  the secretions.   Its astringent
property is manifested after the cathartic action has ceased, consti-
pation usually following its purgative effects.  The combination of
these properties, as well as the safety and mildness of its operation,
renders rhubarb a remedy of much value in many diseases.  Thus,
in the treatment of the early stages of the diarrhoea of irritation,
it is the  most efficacious purgative we can employ; it is also pecu-
liarly adapted as  a cathartic for infancy and childhood, and as  a
general  laxative for persons with  enfeebled digestion, and in all
cases of debility of the digestive organs.   For the same  reasons,
rhubarb  is inadmissible in the treatment of febrile and inflammatory
affections.  Rhubarb is  absorbed in  the  course  of its operation,
and  its peculiar odour and yellow colouring matter may be recog-
nised in the urine, in the  sweat, in the serum of the blood, and  in
the  milk of  nurses, to the latter of which it imparts  a purgative
property.
   D. &  M. of Adm.—In powder, as a stomachic tonic, gr. v. to gr.
x.;  as a cathartic, 3i. to  3ij.—Pulvis Rhei comp., E.  (Magnesia,
 rbi.; ginger,  in fine powrder, §ij.;  rhubarb, in fine  powder, §iv.;
mix thoroughly, and preserve  in well-closed bottles.)  A  useful
antacid purgative, commonly known as Gregory's powder.  Dcsc,. 
CATHARTICS.
115
lor children, gr. v. to gr. xij.;  for adults, 3ss. to 3i.—Pulvis Rhei
comp., Guy's H.   (Rhubarb and carbonate  of soda, of each, 3j. ;
calumba,  3ij.;  mix.)   Dose, gr. x.  to  gr. xx.—Pulvis  Rhei cum
Hydrargyro, Guy's H.   (Rhubarb,  3iv.; calomel  and  finger, of
each, 5i.; mix.)  Dose, gr. x. to gr. xx.—Extractum Rhei, D. L.
(Rhubarb, bruised (powdered,  L.),  ibi.  (§xv., L.);  proof spirit, by
measure, ibj. (Oj., L.) ;  distilled water, by measure, thvij. (Ovij., L);
macerate for four days (with a gentle heat, L.), filter, and allow
the dregs to subside ; pour off the clear liquor and evaporate (when
strained, L.) to a proper consistence.)—E.  (Rhubarb, ibj.;  water,
Ov.; cut  the rhubarb into small fragments ; macerate for 24 hours
in Oiij. of the water ;  filter through a cloth, express moderately :
macerate  the residuum with the rest of the water for 12 hours, filter
with the same cloth as before,  and express the residuum strongly.
The liquors, again filtered if necessary, are then to be evaporated
to a proper consistence in the vapour-bath.)  Dose, gr. x. to 3ss.—
Pilula Rhei, E.   (Rhubarb, in fine powder, 9 parts ;  acetate of
potash, 1  part; conserve of red roses, 5 parts ; beat into a  proper
mass.)  Dose, gr. v., gr. xv.—Pilula Rhei comp., L. E.  (Rhubarb,
in fine powder, ly (12  parts, E.);  aloes, powdered, 3vj. (9 parts,
E.) ; myrrh, powdered, ^ss. (6 parts, E.) ; soap, 3i. (6 parts, E.) ;
(oil of caraway, f3ss., L.; oil  of peppermint,  1 part,  E.);  (sirup,
q. s., L.; conserve of red roses, 5 parts, E.); mix, and beat together
till  incorporated.)  Mildly tonic and  purgative.   Dose, gr. v. to
3i.—Pilula Rhei et Ferri, E.   (Dried sulphate of iron, 4  parts :
extract of rhubarb, 10 parts ; conserve of red roses, 5 parts ; mix.)
Tonic and laxative, useful in chlorosis.   Dose, gr. x. to gr. xv.—
Infusum Rhei, D. L. E.   (Rhubarb, sliced (in coarse powder, E.),
3i. (3iij., L.; ^i., E.);  boiling (distilled,  L.) water, by measure, fbss.
(Oi., L.; f^xviij.,E.); macerate (digest, D.) for 2 hours in a vessel
lightly covered (12 hours, and add fgij. of spirit of cinnamon, E.),
and strain.)  Stomachic, and very mildly laxative  ; a useful vehi-
cle for more active purgatives.   Dose, f§i. to  f§iv.—Tinctura Rhei,
E.   (Rhubarb, in moderately fine powder, giiiss.; cardamom seeds,
bruised, §ss.; proof spirit, Oij.; mix the rhubarb and cardamoms,
and proceed by the process of percolation as directed for tincture
of cinchona ; or it may be prepared by digestion.)   A cordial pur-
gative, employed as an addition to cathartic mixtures, in doses of
f'3i. to  f3iij.— Tinctura  Rhei  comp., D. L.   (Rhubarb,  sliced, §ij.
(§iiss., L.) ; liquorice, bruised, §ss. (3vi., L.) ; saffron, 3rj. (3iij., L.);
(cardamom seeds, freed  from  their capsules  and bruised, jss., D.;
ginger, sliced, 3iij., L.;) proof spirit, by measure, fbjj. (Oij., L.); ma-
cerate for 7 (14,  L.) days, and filter.)   Uses and dose same as last
preparation.—Tinctura Rhei et Aloes, E.  (Rhubarb, in moderately
fine  powder, giss.; Socotrine or East  Indian aloes, in moderately
fine powder, 3vi.; cardamom seeds,  bruised,  3v.; proof spirit, Oij.;
mix the powders, and proceed  as for tincture of cinchona.)  A cor-
dial purgative.    Dose, fgss. to f§i.—Vinum Rhei, E.  (Rhubarb, in
coarse powder, §v.; canella, in coarse powder, 3ij.; proof spirit,
f^v.; sherry, Oi.  f§xv.; digest  for 7  days, strain, express strongly, 
116
CATHARTICS.
and filter.)   Stomachic and purgative.  Dose, f3ij. to fgi.—Sirup-
us Rhei, P.  (Rhubarb, 90 parts ;  boiling water, 500 parts ; sugar,
q. s.; make  a sirup.)  Dose, f^ss.  to f§i.
   [U. S. P.—Tinctura Rhei et Senna.   Warner's Gout Cordial.—
Take of rhubarb, bruised, 1 oz.; senna, 2 drachms;  coriander and
fennel seed, bruised,  each, 1 drachm;  red  saunders,  rasped,  2
drachms;  saffron and liquorice, each, ^ a drachm ;  raisins, depri-
ved of their  seeds, half a pound ;  diluted alcohol, 3 pounds.   Ma-
cerate for 14 days, express, and filter through paper.   Aromatic,
stomachic, and laxative.  Dose, a  wine-glassful.]
   [U. S.  P.—Aromatic Sirup  of Rhubarb.—Take of  rhubarb,
bruised, 2^ oz.; cloves  and  cinnamon,  bruised,  each, \ oz.; nut-
meg,  bruised, 2  drachms;  diluted alcohol, 2 pints; sirup, 6  pints.
Macerate the rhubarb and aromatics in  the diluted alcohol for 14
days, and strain ; then, by a water-bath, evaporate the liquor to  a
pint,  and while it  is  still  hot, mix  it  with  the  sirup,  previously
heated.]                                  •
   [ Vinum Rhei Compositum.  Tinctura Darelii.—Rhubarb root, 1
oz.; cort.  aurant. amar., 2  drachms; sem. cardamom, 1  drachm ;
elecampane  root, \ oz ; vinum, fbj.  Macerate for a few days, and
filter.  Dose, \ oz.  to  1 oz.]
   Incomp.—With  the infusion—ammonia ;  carbonate of potash ;
lime-water;  the mineral acids; acetate  of lead; corrosive  subli-
mate ; tincture of the muriate of iron.

   Ricini  oleum, D. L. E.   Castor oil;  Oil expressed from the seeds
of Ricinus communis.—The castor-oil tree  is a  native  of Africa
and the East Indies ; it is cultivated at present very  extensively in
the West Indies, and in North and South America; it also grows
in the South of Europe and in the British Isles.   It belongs to the
natural family Euphorbiacea, and to the Linnaean class and order
Monazcia Monadelphia.
  B. C.—In northern countries, an herbaceous annual, seldom exceeding 3 or 4 feet
in height; in warm climates it becomes an arborescent perennial, attaining a height
of 20 to 30 feet; leaves large, of a  dull-green colour, shining, palmate, deeply eut
into acute lobes, serrated ; flowers, in terminal panicles, glaucous-green, monoeci-
ous ; fruit, a three-celled capsule covered with spines, each cell containing one seed ;
the seeds are oval, about three lines broad, four lines  long, and a line and a half
thick ; the seed-coat is pale gray, marbled  with blackish and yellowish-brown spots
and stripes ; it encloses a thick, fleshy, oily nucleus, within which is a krge, dico-
tyledonous, leafy embryo.
  P. U. & M. of Prep.—The fixed oil of the seeds; it is obtained by expression
with or without the aid  of heat, the seed-coats being usually first removed ; that ob-
tained without  heat is called cold-drawn castor oil, and bears  the highest character.
This is the process followed in the West Indies, and for the  finer qualities of oil in
the East; more generally, however, in the East Indies, the seeds are boiled in water,
dried and bruised, and again boiled with water till the  oil separates and floats  on
the surface.  In North America, the seeds are heated and pressed, and the oil thus
obtained is boiled with water, to free it from impurities.  The seeds yield about 30
per cent, of oil.
   P. P.—Castor oil is a viscid, oily liquor, of a very  pale  straw
colour (inferior sorts are deep yellow), having a very faint, slightly
nauseous odour, and a mild, greasy taste.   Sp. gr., 0*969.
   C. P.—According to the analysis of Bussy and Lecanu, it  is a 
CATHARTIC-?.
117
compound of three fatty acids, ricinic, elaiodic, and margaritic.   Its
ultimate constituents, according to Ure, are 74 per cent, of carbon,
10*29 of hydrogen, and  15*71  of oxygen.  Exposed to a cold a
little below 32°, it becomes thick and turbid; at 0 it congeals  into
a transparent yellow mass ; by exposure to the air it thickens and
dries without becoming opaque, and hence is called a drying oil;
it is decomposed by a heat above  500°.   Castor oil is soluble in
ether and in cold alcohol; the latter property is not possessed by
any other fixed oil with which we are acquainted except concrete
palm oil.  East Indian castor oil is the kind principally employed
at present in the British Isles ; West Indian castor oil is  not import-
ed ; and American castor oil  is but little esteemed by the drug-
gists (although equally efficacious as a medicine and free  from
any unpleasant flavour), in consequence of its becoming turbid in
cold weather, and throwing down a copious deposite of white fatty
crystals.
  Adulterations.—The adulteration of castor oil with  other fixed
oils, a fraud more frequently practised in former days than at pres-
ent, may be readily detected by its solubility in alcohol, pure  cas-
tor oil being entirely dissolved  by its own volume of alcohol.  It
should be also free from any rancid odour or acrid taste.
  Th. E.—Castor oil  is  a mild but effectual  cathartic, operating
soon after it has been taken, without pain or uneasiness, producing
three or four thin, feculent, not watery evacuations; these proper-
ties adapt it for all cases in which we desire to evacuate the con-
tents of the intestinal canal without producing abdominal irritation
or general disturbance of the system.  The only objection to its
employment is its disagreeable greasy taste, in consequence of
which it frequently occasions nausea and vomiting.   The following
are a few of the cases in which its use as a cathartic is particularly
indicated:  inflammatory or  spasmodic diseases  of the  intestinal
canal or of the urino-genital  apparatus ; hoemorrhoidal affections ;
stricture of the rectum;  during pregnancy and  after delivery; in
diseases of infancy and childhood; after surgical operations about
the pelvis or abdomen, &c.   If castor oil be at all rancid, it becomes
very acrimonious, causing much  irritation, and sometimes  even
troublesome diarrhoea.
  D. &c M. of  Adm.—f^ss. to f§ij., by the  mouth or in the form of
enema; it is best taken floating on the surface of water to which
some aromatic tincture, as of cascarilla or of orange peel, has been
added;  or it may be  made into an emulsion with yolk of egg or
with mucilage.—Castor oil purgative emulsion, P.  (Castor oil, f§i.;
yolk of egg, 1 ; orange-flower water, f^ss.; water, f^ij.;  mix.)   Suf-
ficient for one dose.

  Sambucus nigra, D. L. E.   The Common Elder.—Elder flow-
ers are officinal in the three pharmacopoeias ; the berries and inner
bark of the stem  are also officinal in the Dub. Phar.  It is a small,
indigenous tree, belonging to the natural family Caprifoliacea, and
to the Linnasan class and order Pentandria Digynia.   The inner 
118
CATHARTICS.
bark alone possesses cathartic properties, but it is at present never
employed.   It was used by Sydenham and Bocrhaave as a hydra-
gogue  in passive dropsies.   It is given  in decoction, prepared by
boiling gj. of the bark in Oij. of water down to Oj.   The dose of
this decoction is from fgij. to fgiv.

  Scammonium,  D. L. E.  Scammony ;  Gum-resin  obtained from
Convolvulus Scammonia.—A native  of  Greece and  various parts
of the Levant, where it is found growing in hedges and bushy pla-
ces.   It is placed in the natural family Convolvulacea', and  in the
Linnaean class and order Pentandria Monogynia.
  B. C—Root very thick, fusiform, fleshy, abounding in a milky juice; stems
smooth, herbaceous, climbing; leaves pointed, hastate; flowers  on long,  solitarj
peduncles, yellowish, with purple stripes.
  P. U. & M. of Prep.—The inspissated juice of the root.  The earth having been
cleared away, the top of the root is sliced off obliquely about two inches below where
the stems spring from it; as the juice flows out it is received in shells, and exposed
to the air until it thickens; each root, although generally four feet in length and
three or four inches in diameter, yields only about tyo drachms of scammony.
  P. P.—Fine scammony,  Virgin scammony, is in amorphous mass-
es, weighing from two ounces to half a pound each, very porous,
friable, and of an ash-gray colour  externally; its fracture is con-
choidal, very resinous, and of  a dark greenish-black colour;  the
odour is strong,  peculiar, resembling  somewhat that of old cheese,
heightened by being breathed on, and the taste is acrid and nause-
ous ;  sp. gr.,  1*210.   This  variety  of  scammony is scarce,  and
when met with  bears a very high  price.  Scammony, as it com-
monly occurs, is an impure  article, usually imported in boxes or
drums, seldom in cakes ; it is heavier than virgin scammony, more
compact, and of a pale ash-gray colour :  its fracture is earthy, dull,
not porous, and  of  a grayish-black colour, in some specimens  pre-
senting numerous white specks (chalk);  its  odour and taste are the
same as of pure scammony.   Sp. gr., from  1*276 to  1*543.
  C. P.—According to Christison's analysis, fine specimens of vir-
gin scammony consist of 81 to 83 per cent, of resin, 6 to 8 per cent.
of gum, and  some  woody fibre, sand, moisture,  and sometimes a
trace of starch.   In the best specimens which I have had an oppor-
tunity of examining, I have found but 68 per cent, of resin.   The
resin is the active principle of the  drug; it may be readily obtain-
ed by the process  of the Ed. Ph.  (see below);  in mass it is  of a
reddish-yellow colour,  clear and  semitransparent; its  powder  is
pale straw colour; it is void of odour and taste when  quite pure.
It is soluble in alcohol and ether, and forms with  unskimmed  milk
a fine uniform emulsion.
  Adulterations.—No drug is more generally  and more uniformly
adulterated than scammony ;  it is, indeed, very difficult to meet
with it in a perfectly pure  state.   And to so great an extent is the
adulteration practised, that in many specimens which I have  exam-
ined, I have frequently found not more than  from 28 to 35 per cent.
of resin present.  The substances  used  to adulterate the drug are
chalk  and flour, either  separately or conjointly.   Both may be 
CATHARTICS.
119
readily detected ; the former, by the effervescence produced when
muriatic acid is dropped on a small fragment;  the latter, by a
cooled and filtered decoction of the powder being rendered blue
by tincture of iodine.
  Th. E.—Scammony, when pure, is a powerful cathartic, opera ■
ting as a direct irritant to the intestinal mucous membrane, and pro-
ducing  copious watery  evacuations.  It is well adapted for cases
of habitual constipation arising from a torpid state of the intestinal
canal, in passive dropsies, in apoplectic affections, and as an active
purgative for children,  for whom it  is beneficially combined with
calomel. If there be any tendency to inflammation of the digestive
organs, scammony is contra-indicated as a cathartic.  From the
difficulty of procuring the drug in  a pure state, scammony has of
late years fallen into much disrepute.
   D.  &  M. of Adm.—In powder, if the scammony be pure, for an
adult, gr. viij. to gr. xij., but, as usually met with, double that quan-
tity;  it should be prescribed in combination with some bland pow-
der, or made into an emulsion with milk.—Pulvis Scammonii comp.,
D. L. (Scammony, hard extract of jalap, of each, § ij-; ginger, §ss.;
rub separately to very  fine powder, and mix.)  Dose, for an adult,
gr. x. to gr.  xx.; for a child, gr. iij. to  gr. v.—Pulvis Scammonii
cum Hydrargyro, H.  (Scammony, 3ij.; calomel and white sugar,
of each, 3i. ;  mix.)   Dose, same as last preparation ; an excellent
purgative for children.—Extractum, sive  Resina, Scammonii, E.
(Take any convenient  quantity of scammony in fine powder, boil
it in  successive  portions of proof spirit  till the spirit ceases to dis-
solve anything, filter, distil the liquid till little but water  passes
over, then pour away  the watery solution from  the resin  at the
bottom, agitate  the resin  with successive portions of boiling water
till it is well washed, and, lastly, dry it at a temperature not above
240°.)   Dose, gr. ij. to gr. v.;  best  administered according to the
following formula: Mistura Scammonii, E.  (Resin of scammony,
gr. vij.; unskimmed  milk, fgiij. ; triturate the resin with a little of
the milk, and gradually with the rest of it till a uniform emulsion
be obtained.)  Intended  for one dose for an adult, but much too
powerful ; I have always found gr. v., triturated with the same
quantity of milk,  sufficient for the  most  obstinate bowels.  This
mixture cannot be distinguished either  by smell or taste from rich
new  milk, and, consequently, forms a very convenient purgative
for children, in doses of f§ss. to fgiss.—Electuarium (Confectio, L.)
Scammonii, D. L.   (Scammony, powdered, giss.; cloves, bruised,
ginger,  powdered, of each, 3vj. ; oil of caraway, f3ss. ; sirup of
roses, q. s.;  " pour the sirup on the powders;  then, having added
the oil  of caraway, mix all thoroughly," D.  " Rub the dry ingre-
dients  together to  very  fine powder,  and preserve them; then,
whenever the confection is to be  used, the sirup being gradually
poured in, rub again;  lastly, the oil of caraway being  added, mix
them all," L.)  A  stimulating cathartic, but seldom  used.  Dose,
for an  adult, 3ss. to 3i.; for  children,  gr. v. to  gr. xij.—Sirupus
Scammonii,  P.   (Scammony,  §ss. ; sugar and sirup of violets, of 
120
CATHARTICS.
each, §iv.; rectified spirit, fgviij.)   An ounce contains gr. xviij. oi
scammony.  Dose, f3i. to fsiv.

   Senna, D. L.  Leaves of Cassia senna, D.—Of Cassia lanceola-
ta and Cassia obovata, L.—Senna Leaves.
   Senna  Alexandrina, E.  Leaves of various species of Cassia,
probably of Cassia lanceolata, of C. acutifolia, and of C. obovata ;
Alexandrian  senna.   As imported, it  also contains an abundant
admixture of leaves of Cynanchum Argel, which ought to be remo-
ved as far as possible by picking.
   Senna  Indica, E.   Leaves  of Cassia  elongata; East  Indian
Senna, var. Tinnivelly.         ■>
   Some confusion still exists as to the species of the genus cassia
which yield the senna leaves of commerce.   The Dublin College,
in referring them to one species, has perpetuated the error of Lin-
naeus, who confounded several together; upon the whole, the ref-
erences of the Edinburgh College  appear  to  be the  most correct.
The various species are inhabitants of the north of Africa, particu-
larly Egypt, of Arabia, and of the Indian  Peninsula, where, prob-
ably, it has been introduced, and is now naturalized ; they are also
cultivated in the south of Europe, and in some of the West Indian
Islands.   The genus belongs to the natural family Leguminosa,
and to the Linnsean class and order Decandria Monogynia.
  B. C.—Shrubs or herbs, frequently annual; leaves simply and abruptly pinnate;
petioles frequently glanduliferous ; leaflets opposite ; sepals five, more or less un-
equal ; petals five, unequal; stamens ten, free, unequal; ovary stalked, frequently
arched ; legumes various.
  P. U. & M. of Prep.—The leaves;  they are gathered in Upper Egypt twice a
year, after the rains in August and September, and a second time about the middle
of March; the branches are cut off, spread out on the rocks, and dried in the sun,
when the leaves readily separate.
   P. P.—Three sorts  of senna  are commonly known in the Eng-
lish market:  Alexandrian senna,  Tripoli senna, and East Indian
senna.  1st.  Alexandrian senna, the produce of Nubia and Upper
Egypt, is  imported in large bales and  barrels from Alexandria;  it
consists of grayish-green leaflets, usually much broken, mixed with
the flowers and fruits of the various species from which  it is ob-
tained ; there are also a large quantity, generally about a tenth of
the weight, of the leaves, flowers,  and fruit of the Cynanchum Ar-
gel; and  sometimes a considerable number  of pods, with a few
leaves of the  Tephrosia  apollinea.   The  odour of Alexandrian
senna is nauseous, but resembling in some respects that of tea ; the
taste  is viscid and nauseous.   2d. Tripoli  senna.  It scarcelv
differs from  that just described, for which it  is indiscriminately
sold; the  leaflets are  perhaps more broken down, smaller, and of
a  greener colour;  it  seldom contains either Cynanchum  or Te-
phrosia leaflets. 3d. East Indian senna, Tinnivelly senna : this oc-
curs in large unbroken leaflets,  from one to two inches long, and
half an inch broad, thin  and flexible, and of a  fine  green colour;
many of the leaflets, however, are  blackish, probably from imper- 
CATHARTICS.                      121
feet drying ;  both odour and taste are similar to, but a little weak-
er than Alexandrian senna.
  C. P.—According to MM. Lassaigne and Feneulle, Alexandrian
senna  is composed  of cathartin,  chlorophylle, yellow  colouring
matter, mucus, albumen, malic acid,  and some salts.   Cathartin,
supposed to be the purgative principle, is an  uncrystallizable, deli-
quescent substance, with a peculiar odour, and a  bitter, nauseous
taste.   Senna leaves yield their active properties to both cold and
warm  water, to ether,  to proof spirit, and to alcohol ;  warm water
extracts about a third  of the weight of the  leaves.
   Adulterations.—In Egyptian senna, as met with in British com-
merce, the only adulteration is that before  indicated, namely, with
Argel, and sometimes with Tephrosia leaflets.  The former are
readily distinguished by their paler yellowish colour, their coriace-
ous texture, their under surface being reticulated with veins, their
upper  surface somewhat rugose, and by their being equal-sided ;
the leaflets of all the true sennas  being  unequal at the base.  Te-
phrosia leaflets are easily known by their silky surface, and by the
lateral veins proceeding parallel to each other to the very edge of
the leaf without ramifying.  Two other  adulterations are common
on the  Continent, but  have  never  been  met with, as far as I am
aware, in  the British market; one is with the leaflets of the Colu-
tea arborescens, or  bladder  senna,  which may be at once distin-
guished by their regularity at the base;  the  other, a more  serious
fraud, in consequence  of the poisonous property of the  substance
employed, is with the leaflets  of the  Coriaria Myrtifolia ; they
are known by presenting three very prominent longitudinal nerves,
and  chemically by  their infusion producing, with solution  of sul-
phate  of iron,  a  blackish precipitate  (ta /mate of iron), and with
gelatin a heavy whitish precipitate  (tannate of gelatin).
   Th.  E.—Senna is an active cathartic, holding  a middle place
between the  milder and more active  medicines of this  class; op-
erating effectually, yet safely,  though  often producing nausea, gri-
ping, and flatulence ; its action is somewhat stimulating, increasing
the secretions, and exciting  the peristaltic action  chiefly, but not
alone, of the small intestines.  It is adapted for all cases requiring
an effectual purgative; but it should  be  combined with the active
saline cathartics,  for which  the infusion is a good vehicle, if it  is
necessary to diminish  arterial  action, or to produce general anti-
phlogistic effects.   The only  circumstance  contra-indicating its
employment is an inflammatory condition of the mucous membrane
of the  alimentary canal.  The cathartic principle of senna  is ab-
sorbed before its  operation is  produced,  as is proved by its action
on the intestines  when the infusion is injected into the veins, and
also  by its imparting a purgative property  to the milk of nurses.
  D. & M. of Adm.—Senna  is not administered  in  the form of
powder: 3ij. to §ss. infused in f§ij.  of  boiling water  for  half an
hour, and the clear infusion poured  off, will  be sufficient for  a dose ;
its taste is much concealed by the addition of some black tea, and
it may be  sweetened with sugar, and milk  added ; in this way it is 
122
CATHARTICS.
readily  taken by children.—Infusum  Senna, comp., D. L.  Infu-
sum Senna, E.  (Senna, §j. (3xv., L.; §iss. E.) ; ginger, sliced, 3iss.
(3iv., L. E.) ; boiling (distilled, L.)  water, by measure, Ibj. (Oj., L.
E.) ; macerate for an hour in a close vessel,  and strain.)   Dose,
fgij. to fjiv.  The common  cathartic mixture, black draughty of
hospitals is prepared by adding §j. of sulphate of magnesia to f'giv.
of this infusion.—Infusum Senna cum Tamarindis, D.  Infusum
Senna,  comp.,  E.   (Senna, 3i. ;  tamarinds,  §i. ;  coriander  seeds,
bruised, 3i.;  brown sugar, §ss.; boiling water, f^viij.;  digest in a
close earthen vessel, not glazed inside with lead, for four hours, and
strain;  it may  be  made with twice  (or thrice, E.) the  quantity of
senna.)   An excellent cathartic infusion.  Dose,  f^ij. to f=iv.—Si-
rupus Sennce, h.  (Senna, giiss.; fennel, bruised, 3x.; manna, "j-iij.;
sugar, §xv. ; boiling water, Oi.; macerate the senna and fennel in
the water with a gentle heat for an hour; strain  ; add the manna
and sugar, and boil down to a proper consistence.)—E.  (Senna,
§iv.;  boiling water, ffxxiv.;  treacle,  |xlviij.; infuse the senna in
the water for twelve hours,  strain, and express strongly; concen-
trate  the treacle in the vapour-bath as far  as  possible, and while
still hot add  the infusion, stirring carefully.)  An agreeable cathar-
tic for children, in doses of from f3i. to fsiv.; or as  an addition to
cathartic mixtures for adults, in doses  of fgss. to f^j.—Potio cathar-
tica, P.   (Senna, 3ij.; rhubarb, 3ss.; sulphate of soda, 3ij.; manna,
giss.; infuse  the senna and rhubarb for a quarter of an hour in fgiv.
of water with a gentle heat;  add the salt and the manna, and when
they are dissolved, strain with expression, and add  sufficient pep-
permint water.)  An excellent  cathartic draught.—Electuarium
Senna;  D.   (Senna, in  fine powder, jjiv.; pulp of prunes, Ibj.; pulp
of tamarinds, *§ij-; sirup of brown sugar, by measure, Ibiss.; oil of
caraway, 3ij.;  boil the  pulps in the  sirup  to  the consistence of
honey,  then  add the powder, and,  when  the  mixture  has cooled,
the oil;  mix all well together.)—Electuarium Senna, E.   Confec-
tio Senna, L.  (Senna, 5viij.; figs, fbi. ; (tamarind pulp and cassia
pulp,  of each,  Ibss. L.); prunes, fbss. (ibj., E.) ; coriander, giv.;
liquorice root (bruised, E.), z'lij.; sugar, fbfiss. ; water, Oiij.; pow-
der together the senna and the coriander, and  sift out §x.;  boil the
figs and the liquorice (the residue, E.)  in the water to half; squeeze
and strain ; evaporate in a water-bath down to f§xxiv.; form a sir-
up by adding the sugar; add the  sirup  to  the prunes (and other
pulps, L.), throw in the sifted powder, and  mix  all.)  Commonly
known  as lenitive electuary, a mild but efficacious compound  in
doses of from 3ij.  to §ss.; generally badly prepared, and very lia-
ble to adulteration, the true preparation being both troublesome
and expensive.—Electuarium Senna, F.  (Senna, in fine powder,
gvnj.; pulp of  tamarinds, jxxiv.;  coriander, in powder, gi.;  sirup,
fgxvi.;  mix.)  Dose, sij. to  $ss.—Tinctura Senna comp., D. L.
(Senna  leaves, fbj. (jiiiss., L.); caraway, bruised, §iss. (siiiss., L.);
cardamom seeds, bruised (and deprived of their capsules, D.), §ss.
(3i., L.); (raisins, 5v., L.);  proof spirit, cong. j. (Oij.,  L.); macerate
for 14 days, and strain.)—E.   (Sugar, =iiss.;  coriander, bruised, §i.; 
CATHARTICS.
123
jalap, in moderately-fine powder, 3vi.; caraway, bruised, and car-
damom seeds, bruis'ed, of each. 3v.; raisins, bruised, and senna, of
each, jiv. ; proof spirit,  Oij.; digest for seven days, strain, express,
and  filter;  may be more conveniently and  expeditiously made by
percolation, as directed  for compound tincture of  cardamoms; if
Alexandrian senna be used, it must be freed from cynanchum leaves
by picking.)   A stimulating and cordial cathartic,  in doses of fgss.
to fjy., only fit  for cold leuco-phlegmatic habits; more generally pre-
scribed as an adjunct to  infusion of senna, or other cathartic mix
tures, in doses of t'3i.  or  fbij., to correct their griping qualities.

   Soda: phosphas, D. L. E.  Phosphate of Soda.
   P. P.—Transparent, colourless crystals, the form of which is the
oblique rhombic prism;  inodorous, with  a cooling, saline, not  dis-
agreeable taste.  Sp. gr., 1*333.
   C. P.—It is  composed of 2 eq. of soda, 1 of phosphoric acid, 1 of
basic water, and 24 of water of crystallization (HO, 2 Na O,  P05+
24 HO);  it effloresces and becomes opaque by exposure to the  air;
moderately heated, it fuses in its water of crystallization,  which, if
the heat be increased, is driven off.   Phosphate of soda  dissolves
in four times  its weight of cold water, and in twice its weight of
boiling water; the solution  has a  feebly  alkaline reaction; it is
nearly insoluble in alcohol.
  pREP.—Phosphate of soda  is an  article  of the Materia Medica in the London
Pharmacopoeia; the processes of the Dublin and Edinburgh Colleges are as folows :
"Take of bone ashes, in powder, 10 parts (ftix., E.);  sulphuric acid, seven parts
(Oij. ffiv., E.); mix the powder in an earthen vessel with the acid, and add gradual-
ly seven parts (Ovj., E.) of water;  agitate ; digest for 3 days, adding  water, that
the materials may not become dry (and agitate continually, D.);  then add sever
parts (Ovj., Ei) of boiling water, and strain through linen, washing with warm wa-
ter, so as to remove all the acid ; let the impurities subside, and evaporate the clear
liquor to one half (to Ovj., E.); (let the  impurities again settle, and the clear
liquor poured off and heated to ebullition, E.); then add eight parts (sufficient to neu-
tralize the  acid, E.) of carbonate of soda, previously dissolved in boiling water;
strain, and, by alternate evaporation and cooling, obtain crystals, which are to be
kept  in a close vessel (which, if requisite, may be purified by recrystallization, D.).
(More crystals will be obtained by successively evaporating, adding  a little carbo-
nate of soda till the liquid  exerts a feeble alkaline reaction on htmus paper, and then
allowing it to cool, E.)"
   Adulterations.—This   salt  is  in  general  tolerably pure ;  if the
precipitate occasioned in a solution by muriate of baryta be not
entirely dissolved by nitric acid, a sulphate is present;  and if  that
caused by nitrate of silver be not dissolved by nitric acid, a muriate
is present.
   Th. E.—A  mild saline cathartic, resembling in its operation the
sulphates of magnesia and  soda, to both of which it should be pre-
ferred for children and delicate persons, in consequence of the mild-
ness of its taste.
   D. & M. of Adm.—3iv. to 3xij.; it may  be given dissolved in
water or in any of the cathartic vegetable infusions; or it is  readi-
ly taken by children  dissolved  in broth or  soup, to which it only
imparts a saline taste.
   Ixcomp.—The  mineral acids ; lime-water; magnesia; chloride
of barium ; nitrate of silver, and the acetates of lead. 
124
CATHARTICS.
  Sod.e et Potass^ tartras, D. E.   Sod^e Potassio-tartras, L.
Tartrate of Soda and Potash ; Rochelle salt.
  p. p._This salt occurs in large, beautiful, transparent crystals,
which are right rhombic prisms, generally produced in halves; in-
odorous, with a saline, somewhat bitter taste.   Sp. gr., l'J57.
  C. P.—It is composed of 1 eq. of soda, 1 of potassa, 2 of tartaric
acid, and 10 of water (KO, Na O, CsH4O10+10 HO).   In very dry
air it effloresces  slightly ; exposed to a moderate heat, it fuses in its
water  of crystallization ; by a strong heat it is decomposed, and
converted into a  mixture of charcoal and the carbonates of soda
and potash.  It dissolves in  five parts of cold, and one  of boiling
water.
  Peep.—D. L. E.  " Carbonate of soda, five parts (jxij., L. E.); bitrartrate of pot-
ash, in fine powder, seven parts (;xvj., L. E.); boiling water, fifty parts (Oiv., L.
E.); to the carbonate of soda dissolved in the water, add by degrees (to neutraliza-
tion, E.) the bitartrate of potash; evaporate the filtered liquor (till a pellicle forms
on its surface, L. E.), and set it aside, that, as it cools, crystals may be formed.
(Evaporate the liquor again, that it may yield crystals, L. E.)"
  As this salt is generally sold in  crystals, it is not liable to adul-
teration.
  Th. E.—A mild, cooling laxative, not so  active as most of the
other saline cathartics, than which also its taste  is less disagreea-
able; it is seldom prescribed  alone, but is in very general use, as
the active ingredient in the commonly-called Seidlitz (Seignettes ?)
powders.
  D.  & M. of Adm.—3ij. to  3vj. or 3i. dissolved in a large quantity
of water.   Seidlitz powders consist of 3ij. of tartrate of soda and
potash, and  3ij.  of bicarbonate of soda, reduced to powder and
mixed, contained in a blue paper, and 3ss. of powdered tartaric acid
in a white paper; they are  taken, dissolved in from half a pint to
a pint of water, while the liquid is in a state of effervescence.  They
form an agreeable and  mild  aperient.
   Incomp.—Most acids ; lime-water; the salts of lime; and the
acetates of lead.

   Sod^e sulphas, D. L. E.   Sulphate of Soda.  Glauber's salts.
   P. P.—A solid, white salt, crystallized either in small, acicular
crystals, or in long prisms, of wh.ch the sides  are often channelled ;
inodorous ; with  a cooling, saline, very bitter taste.  Sp. gr., 2*"216.
   C. P.—It is composed of  1  eq. of soda, 1  of acid, and 10 of wa-
ter (Na O, SO3+10 Ho).  By exposure to the air  it effloresces rap-
idly, loses all its water of crystallization, and a white  powder is
left.   Heated, it fuses, and at the  temperature of 210° it becomes
a white solid, which liquefies at  a red heat, but is not decomposed.
Sulphate of soda  is soluble in three parts of water at 00°, and in all
proportions in boiling water.  It is insoluble  in alcohol.
  Prep.—Dub. "Dissolve the  salt which remains after the distillation of muriatic
acid in  a sufficiency of boiling water; set  aside the filtered liquor after due evapo-
ration, that, as it cools, crystals may form."  Lond. "Take  of the salt which re-
mains after the distillation of hydrochloric acid, Ibij. ; boiling water, Oij. ; carbonate
of soda, a sufficiency ; dissolve the salt in the water; then add, gradually, sufficient
carbonate of soda to neutralize the acid ; boil down till a pellicle appears, and set 
CATHARTICS.
125
aside the strained solut on, tnat crystals may be formed; pour off the liquor and dry
them."  Edin.  "Take of the salt which remains after making pure muriatic acid,
Ibij.; boiling water, Oiij.; white marble, in powder, a sufficiency; dissolve the salt
in the water, add the marble so long as  effervescence  takes place, boil the liquid,
and, when neutral, filter it; wash the insoluble matter with boiling water, adding
the water to the original liquid ; concentrate till a pellicle begins to form, and then
let the liquid cool  and crystallize."
   Not subject  to adulteration.
   Th. E.—An active saline cathartic, increasing  remarkably the
intestinal  secretions; in its mode  of operation it resembles sulphate
of magnesia, and may be used in the same cases;  in consequence,
however, of its more  disagreeable taste, and its tendency, in some
habits, to produce griping, it is not so frequently employed as that
salt.
   D. & M. of Adm.—3v. to 3x., dissolved in as many  ounces of
water ; ten or twelve drops of dilute sulphuric  acid added to the
solution conceal much its disagreeable taste.  The effloresced salt
is about twice  as  active as the crystals.
   Incomp.—Carbonate and bicarbonate of potash;  the salts of lime
and of baryta  ; the acetate  and diacetate  of lead ; acetate of pot-
ash ; and nitrate of silver, if the solution be strong.

   Sulphur sublimatum, D.  L.   Sulphur, E.  Sublimed Sulphur.
Sulphur or Brimstone.—An elementary substance, found in  large
quantities, in an impure state, in the  neighbourhood of volcanoes;
it is also found combined with metals in many parts of the earth;
and with hydrogen in  many mineral  waters.   Crude  sulphur is
imported  into Britain  from Italy and  Sicily.
   P. P.—Two kinds  of sulphur are commonly met with : roll sul-
phur, or brimstone ; and flowers of sulphur, or  sublimed sulphur..,
Roll sulphur is in cylindrical pieces from two to three inches Jong,
and  nearly an  inch in  diameter, obscurely crystallized in the centre,
crackling when held in the warm hand, very friable, and breaking
with a shining  crystalline fracture. Sublimed sulphur is in the form
of a fine powder, which, when examined by the microscope, is seen
to be composed  of crystalline grains:  both  kinds  are of a bright,
yellowish-green colour, with an  almost imperceptible taste, and a
faint, peculiar  odour when rubbed.  Sp. gr., 1*98.  Atomic weight,
16*119.
   C. P.—Sulphur  is a simple  substance, insoluble  in water and in
alcohol.   It  fuses at 226°, and between that temperature and 280°
it forms a clear liquid  of an amber colour; at 320° it thickens,
assumes a reddish tint, and if the heat be  continued, becomes a
thick, tenacious mass; from 482° to its boiling  point, 601°, it  be-
comes again more fluid, and  finally rises in vapour before it is com-
pletely  fused.   Sulphur, if ignited,  burns with a lambent blue
flame, and is converted  into sulphurous acid gas.
  Pkep.—Sublimed sulphur is an article of the Materia Medica in the Dublin and
London Pharmacopoeias ; in the Edinburgh it is directed to be prepared " by subli-
ming sulphur in a  proper vessel, washing the powder  thus obtained by boiling water
in successive portions till the water ceases to have  an acid taste, then drying the
sulphur with a gentle heat." 
126
CATHARTICS.
  Adulterations.—Flowers of sulphur seldom contain any impuri-
ties ; those of a fixed nature may be detected by subliming;  if any
adhering sulphuric acid be present, distilled water, agitated with
the sulphur, reddens litmus paper.  Roll  sulphur  usually contains
a large quantity of orpiment (sesquisulphuret  of  arsenicum), and
therefore should not be used in medicine.
  Th.  E.—In large  doses, sulphur operates as a mild cathartic,
producing its effects by stimulating the muscular coat of the intes-
tines, the evacuations caused  by it being  usually solid.  In conse-
quence of the mildness, but certainty of its operation, it is generally
employed in hcemorrhoidal diseases, and in stricture or other pain-
ful affections of the rectum.  From being  converted into sulphuret-
ted hydrogen in the intestines, the evacuations, and the insensible
perspiration of the  individual, during  and for  some time after its
operation, are insupportably fetid.
  D. & M. of Adm.—As a cathartic, 3iij. to 3iv., made into an elec-
tuary with honey or treacle ; it is usually given  in combination
with jalap and bitartrate of potash.—Sulphur lotum, D.  •* The sub-
limed sulphur of the shops washed with  hot water to free it from
any adhering acid, as indicated by litmus  paper, and then dried on
bibulous paper."

  Tamarindus,  D. L. E.   Tamarinds;  Pulp of the legumes oj
Tamarindus Indica.—A native of the  East Indies, from whence it
has been carried  into Africa, where  it now grows  plentifully in
Upper Egypt; it  is also cultivated in the  West Indian Islands, and
in South America.   It belongs to  the  natural family Leguminosa;,
and to the Linnsean class and order Diadelphia Triandria.
  B. C.—A beautiful tree, about thirty feet in height, branching superiorly; leaves
abruptly pinnate, alternate ; flowers in terminal, pendant racemes, of a lemon-yel-
low colour.  Fruit, a legume stalked, from  three to  four inches long, and nearly an
inch broad, slightly compressed, 3-12 seeded ; it is composed of a dry, brittle, brown
shell, filled with a reddish acidulous pulp, in which are imbedded the smooth, qua-
drangular seeds.
  P. U.  & M. of Prep.—The pulp of the fruit; it is freed from the husk, and with
the contained seeds is packed in layers in barrels, and boiling sirup poured over it;
the drier and dark-coloured East Indian tamarinds  are said to be preserved with-
out sugar (Pcrcira).
  P. P.—Tamarinds, as imported, are of a reddish-yellow colour
(West  Indian), or reddish-brown (East Indian), of the consistence
of candied honey, being composed of  the pulp, the seeds, and nu-
merous vegetable fibres;  they have a slightly vinous odour, and a
sweet, very acid taste, somewhat astringent.
  C P.—tamarind pulp is composed  of citric, tartaric, and malic
acids, bitartrate of potash, sugar, vegetable jelly, and parenchyma.
It yields its properties to water, affording  an acid solution.
  Adulterations.—Tamarinds, as imported, frequently contain an
appreciable quantity of copper; sulphuric acid is  also  sometimes
added  to tamarinds which  have not  been well preserved or  too
long kept, to give them an acid taste.   The  contamination with
copper may be detected by plunging a plate of polished iron, as a
knife, into the tamarinds, when, should any copper be present, it will 
CATHARTICS.
127
receive a coating of that metal.  .Sulphuric acid is readily detected
by a strained decoction giving a white precipitate, insoluble in ni-
tric acid, with solution  of muriate or nitrate of baryta.
  Th. E.—Tamarind pulp is refrigerant and  mildly laxative, but,
although adapted for mild  febrile or inflammatory affections occur-
ring in children, it is seldom employed  alone.  Its combinations
with senna have been before mentioned.
  D. & M. of Adm.—§ss. to ^iss.—Tamarind whey is prepared by
boiling §i. of tamarinds with Oj. of new milk, and straining; it is an
excellent cooling, gently laxative drink in febrile diseases.
  Incomp.—The salts of potash ; alkaline carbonates ; lime-water;
tartar  emetic; and the acetates of lead.

  Terebinthina oleum.—Oil of turpentine (described in the di-
vision  Anthelmintics), given in large doses, acts as an active  ca-
thartic ; when administered alone, however, its action is uncertain,
and, consequently, it is  usually prescribed in combination with cas-
tor oil; in this form  it  proves a most effectual purgative in obsti-
nate constipation, especially when dependant on affections of the
brain;  in spasmodic  diseases, as in  chorea, hysteria, epilepsy, and
tetanus ; in sciatica and other  neuralgic affections ; in passive haem-
orrhages ;  and in purpura hoemorrhagica; over the latter disease,
independent  of its cathartic action, it appears to possess some spe-
cific effect, when administered in large doses.   The dose of oil of
turpentine, as a cathartic, is from f3ij. to  f^ij., either given by the
mouth, or in the form of enema.   (See Anthelmintics.)

  Viola, D. E.  Flowers of Viola odorata.—An  indigenous plant,
belonging to the natural family Violacea, and to the Linnsean class
and order Pentandria  Monogynia.
  B. c.—An humble, perennial creeper; leaves very numerous, cordate, nearly
glabrous ; runners flagelliform ;  flowers appearing in March and April, blue (after
expansion turning deep purple), often white.
  P. U. & M. of Prep.—The flowers ; they are gathered as soon as they expand,
and dried with a stove heat  between folds of bibulous paper ; their properties are
best preserved in the form of the sirup of violets of the pharmacopoeias.
  P. P.—" Violet flowers are so remarkable for their odour  and
colour, that they have  given a name to both"  (Duncan).
  C. P.—They are composed of odorous principle, blue colouring
matter, sugar, gum, albumen, and some salts.  Violets yield their
active principles to water, but not to alcohol.  The  infusion is  a
delicate test for both acids and alkalies, and, as such, is much em-
ployed by the chemist.
  Th. E.—Violet flowers possess mild laxative properties, and in
the form of sirup are sometimes administered to new-born infants,
and to young children.
  D. & M. of Adm.—Sirupus Viola, D.   (Fresh petals of the vio-
let, fbij.; boiling water, by measure, fbv.;  macerate for 24 hours,
then strain through fine linen  without expression, and add sugar, so
as to make a sirup.)—E.  (Fresh violets, fbj.; boiling water, Oiiss.;
pure sugar, tbviiss. ;  infuse the flowers for 24 hours in a  covered 
128
CAUSTICS.
glass  or  earthenware vessel; strain without  squeezing, and  dis-
solve  the sugar in the filtered liquor.)  Dose, fsi. to f3iv.—Mel Vio-
la.   (Fresh violet flowers, one part; honey, five  parts.)  A mild
laxative,  readily taken by children ; dose, 3i. to gss.
                       CHAPTER  VI.

                          CAUSTICS.
               (Escharotics.—Cauterants.—Catheretics.)

  Caustics are substances which, applied to the human body, dis-
organize and destroy the  parts with which they come in contact.
Their action is chemical, as  they destroy the life of the part, either
by combining with the animal matter so as to form a new com-
pound with it, or by causing the elements of the animal tissues to
enter into new combinations, by which their cohesion is subverted
and their composition changed.  The effects produced by caustics
are more or less rapid, according to  the energy of  the substance
that  is used; if it  be very powerful, the change of structure pro-
duced is so immediate, that  surrounding inflammation takes place
only after the death of the part;  but, on  the contrary, inflammation
is the direct consequence of  the  less energetic caustics.   The ac-
tion of this class of remedies is generally local, but some of them
(as arsenious acid) may become absorbed, and thus  produce con-
stitutional symptoms.  The  various purposes for which  caustics
are employed will be considered under  the individual remedies of
this class.
  Acidum aceticum, D. L. E.   Acetic acid.
  P. P.—A limpid, colourless liquid, with a very pungent, refresh-
ing smell, and a caustic, highly acrid taste.   The specific gravity
differs  in the three British Pharmacopoeias:  that  of Edinburgh,
which  is the strongest, is 1*063 to 1*065, but  not above 1*0685;
that of London, 1*048 ; and that of Dublin, 1*074.
  C- P.—Acetic acid (Edin.), Glacial acetic acid, consists of one
eq.  of anhydrous acetic acid (C4H303), and one of water; it crys-
tallizes at 60°, and is vaporizable at  260° ;  when of the density
1*063, one hundred minims (97 grains) neutralize nearly 242 grains
of crystallized carbonate of soda.   Acetic acid (Dub.) consists of
one eq. of anhydrous acetic acid  and three of water; 100 grains
neutralize nearly 184 grains  of carbonate of soda.  Acetic acid
(Lond.) consists of one eq. of anhydrous acid  and  thirteen of wa-
ter; 100 grains neutralize 87 grains of crystallized carbonate of
soda.   Acetic acid reddens litmus paper, and its vapour fumes with
ammonia;  it combines with many of the metallic oxydes, forming
crystalhzable salts; it  dissolves the vegetable alkaloids, and  also
the active principles of many of the vegetable  medicines,  both
which  properties are taken advantage of in pharmacy. 
CAUSTICS.
129
  Prep.—Dub. " Acetate of potash, 100 parts ; sulphuric acid, 52 parts ; to the acid,
poured into a tubulated retort, add gradually the acetate of potash, waiting after
each addition until the mixture cools ; then with a moderate heat distil the acid to
dryness."  Lond. "Acetate of soda, ibij. ; sulphuric acid, fix. ; water, ffix. ; add
the sulphuric acid, first mixed with the water, to the acetate of soda put into a glass
retort; then let the acid distil from a sand-bath ; care is to be  taken that the heat
be not too great towards the end."  Edin. " Take of acetate of lead any convenient
quantity, heat it gradually in a porcelain basin, by means of a bath of oil or fusible
metal (8  tin, 4 lead, 3 bismuth), to 320° F., and stir till the  fused mass  concretes
again ; pulverize this when cold, and heat the powder again  to  320°,  with frequent
stirring, till the particles cease to accrete ; add jvi. of the powder to fsixss. of pure
sulphuric acid, contained  in a glass matrass ; attach a proper tube and refrigerato-
ry, and distil from a fusible metal bath with a heat of 320°, to complete dryness.
Agitate the distilled liquid with a few grains of red oxyde of  lead to remove a little
sulphurous acid, allow the vessel to rest for a few minutes, pour off the clear liquid,
and redistil it."
  [U. S. P.—Acetate of soda, Ibj.; sulphuric acid, Ibss.; red oxyde of lead, a drachm ;
pour the  sulphuric acid into a glass retort, and gradually add the acetate of soda ;
then, by means of a sand-bath, distil with a moderate heat into  a glass receiver, till
the residuum becomes dry.  Mix the resulting liquid with the red oxyde of lead,
and again distil with a moderate heat to dryness.]
  [Acidum aceticum dilutum is prepared by mixing one part of acetic acid to 10 parts
of distilled water, U. S. P.]
   Adulterations.—It should be of the prescribed density ; if lighter,
it probably does not contain sufficient of the anhydrous acid, but, as
before  remarked with respect  to vinegar,  this test cannot be de-
pended  on ; the strength can  be more  accurately ascertained  by
its neutralizing  power over carbonate of  soda.   It is  sometimes
adulterated  with sulphuric or muriatic acid ;  the  former  may be
detected by the production of a white precipitate insoluble in nitric
acid, on  the addition of solution  of  muriate or nitrate  of  baryta ;
the latter, by a similar precipitate being produced  on the addition
of solution of nitrate of silver.   The occasional impregnation with
lead or copper is readily detected by sulphuretted  hydrogen caus-
ing  a black precipitate.
   Th. E.—Acetic  acid undiluted has  been used, it is stated, with
much success, as a local application  in the advanced stages of por-
rigo, impetigo, or eczema of the scalp;  a piece of lint rolled round
a stick  is moistened with the acid and applied to the diseased sur-
face for  a few seconds ; the pain caused  is very  acute, but tem-
porary ;  one or two applications are  said  to  be usually sufficient
to effect  a cure.   It is also employed as a caustic to destroy corns
and warts, the latter especially, when of a  syphilitic origin.

   Acidum  muriaticum,  D. E.  [and  U. S. P.]    Acidum  hydro-
chloricum, L.   Muriatic acid;  Hydrochloric acid.
   P. P.—A limpid, colourless liquid, with a yellowish tinge  when
not quite pure, having a suffocating odour, and  an intensely acid,
disagreeable taste.   The specific gravity of the  liquid acid of the
Dublin  and  London Pharmacopoeias is 1*160;  that of Edinburgh,
1*170.
   C. P.—It is a solution of muriatic acid gas (HC1.) in water; the
Dublin  and  London preparation contains about 32 per cent, of real
acid, the Edinburgh  about 34 per cent.  Exposed to the air, muri-
atic acid emits suffocating lumes. which become white in  contact
                                 R 
130
CAUSTICS.
 with the vapour of ammonia ; it possesses the usual characteristics
 nf a strong acid.
  pREP._ Dub. " Dried muriate of soda, 100 parts; commercial sulphuric acid, 87
 parts ; water, 124 parts ; mix the acid with half the water, and when cold pour it
 on the muriate of soda in a glass retort, put the rest of the water into the receiver,
 annex the retort, so that the gas may be absorbed by the water, and distil to dry-
 ness."  Lond. "Chloride of sodium, dried, Ibij.; sulphuric  acid, gxx. ;  distilled
 water, ffxxiv.; add the sulphuric acid,  first mixed with fjxij. of the water, to the
 chloride of sodium put into  a glass retort, pour what  remains of the water into a
 receiver, and, the retort being fitted to  it, let the acid, distilled from a sand-bath,
 pass over into this water, the heat being gradually increased."  Edin.  "Purify
 muriate of soda by dissolving it in  boiling water, concentrating the solution, skim-
 ming off the crystals as they form on the surface,  draining from the adhering solu-
 tion, and washing the crystals slightly with cold water ; take of this salt, previous-
 ly well dried, of pure sulphuric acid and of water, equal weights ; put the salt into
 a glass retort, and add the acid, previously diluted with a third part of the water,
 and allowed to cool; fit on a receiver which contains  the rest of the water, distil
 with a gentle  heat by means of a sand-bath, or a naked coal-gas flame, so long as
 any liquid passes over, preserving the receiver cool by snow or a stream of cold
 water."
  Adulterations.—It should be  of the prescribed density, that be-
 ing a perfect test of its strength ;  it is frequently contaminated with
 iron and with chlorine, to the presence of either, or both of which,
 is due the  yellowr colour of the impure acid;  the former may be
 detected by solution of ferrocyanate of potash producing a blue pre-
 cipitate with the neutralized acid ; the latter, by the acid dissolving
 leaf gold.   The presence of sulphuric acid, an occasional impurity,
 is indicated by the solution of nitrate or muriate of baryta occasion-
 ing a white precipitate in the acid previously  diluted.
   Th. E.—As a  caustic, muriatic  acid  has been used with  much
 success to destroy the false  membranes  which are formed in diph-
 theritis, to check the spreading of the mortification in cancrum oris,
 to obstinate ulcers of the tongue, and in phagedenic ulceration of
 the tonsils.   It has been also  employed  as an external application
 in hospital  gangrene.   It may be applied by means of a piece of
 sponge attached to a bit of whalebone.
   In cases  of poisoning with this acid, the antidotes are chalk, and
 magnesia or its carbonate, combined with demulcent and emollient
 drinks.

   Acidum nitricum, D. L. E.  Nitric acid.
   P.  P-—A dense,  colourless  liquid (when  not quite  pure having
an  orange  hue), with a powerful, disagreeable odour, and an  in-
tensely acid, caustic taste.   The specific gravity of the acid of the
Dublin  Pharmacopoeia  is  1*490: that of London and  Edinburgh,
 1*500.
  C.  P.—It is composed of anhydrous nitric acid (NO6) and water;
the Dublin  preparation  contains about 77 per cent, of real acid, the
 London and  Edinburgh about  80 per  cent.   Nitric acid  emits
 white fumes in the air, which become much  denser when mixed
 with the vapour of ammonia.   It stains the cuticle orange or  yel-
 low, and destroys whatever animal tissues it comes in contact with;
 it possesses the usual characteristics of a strong acid.   The best
 test for distinguishing nitric acid from the other  mineral acids is 
CAUSTICS.
131
its action on morphia or its salts, which it immediately turns deep
orange.
  Prep.—Dub. "Nitric acid, 100 parts ;  commercial sulphuric acid, 97 parts ; mix
in a glass retort, and distil into a receiver fitted with an apparatus for receiving the
elastic gas, until the residuum in the retort concretes and again liquefies."  Lond.
"Nitrate of potash, dried, and sulphuric acid, of each, Ibij.; mix in a glass retort,
then let the acid distil in a sand-bath." Edin.  " Purify nitrate of potash, if neces-
sary, by two or more crystallizations, till nitrate of silver does not precipitate its
solution in distilled water; put into a glass retort equal weights of this  purified
salt and of sulphuric acid, distil into a cooled receiver with a moderate heat from a
sand-bath or naked gas-flame, so long as  the fused material gives off vapour ;  the
pale yellow acid thus obtained may be rendered colourless, should this be desired,
by heating it gently in a retort."
  Any slight adulterations  which  are  met with in nitric acid are
unimportant with reference to its medicinal use.
  Th. E.—As a caustic, strong nitric acid  is employed  to destroy
corns and warts, as an application to parts bitten by rabid animals,
to poisoned wounds, and  to phagedenic ulcers; more recently its
application  to certain forms of haemorrhoids has been very favour-
ably mentioned by Dr. Houston, of Dublin.   (See Dublin Journal
of Medical  Science, vol. xxiii., p.  102.)   In its application for any
of the above  purposes, the neighbouring  parts should  be smeared
with olive oil or some resinous ointment,  so as to confine the action
of the acid.
  In cases of poisoning with  this acid, the antidotes are the same
as for muriatic acid.

  Acidum sulphuricum.  Sulphuric acid (described in the division
Astringents) also possesses  powerfully caustic properties, destroy-
ing the animal tissues wherever it is brought in contact with them.
It is used as a caustic to the integument of the eyelid in entropium,
or inversion of the lid ; and to the conjunctiva reflected on the eye-
lid in ectropium, or eversion of the lid.  It is also employed to de-
stroy warts, and as an application  to poisoned wounds.

  Ammonite aqua fortior, E.   Ammonite  liouor fortior, L.   Con-
centrated aqueous  solution  of ammonia; Strong ammonia.—This
preparation  resembles  in its  physical  properties that already de-
scribed in the division Antacids; in its chemical properties, it only
differs in containing more ammonia, its density being 880°.   In the
London  Pharmacopoeia, it is an article of the Materia Medica ;  in
the Edinburgh, the same process is followed for both  solutions; it
is not contained in the Dublin Pharmacopoeia, but is commonly kept
in the  shops.  It has been  only used  as a caustic in  the bites  of
rabid animals, as a local application.

  Antimonii murias  ;  Antimonii  sesouichloridum.   Muriate or
Sesquichloride of Antimony; Butter of Antimony.—The muriate of
antimony is a deliquescent white salt, but, as it is not employed in
medicine, the following description refers to the article commonly
met with in the shops under that name.
  P. P.—A transparent liquid, of a  deep reddish-vellow  coloui, 
132
CAUSTICS.
having the odour  of muriatic acid,  and a  strongly acid,  caustic
taste.   Sp. gr., 1*2 to 1-5.
  C. P.—It is composed of muriate of antimony, free muriatic acid,
a little nitrous  acid, muriate  of iron, and water.  It  emits white
fumes  in the air; left exposed, it evaporates spontaneously, leaving
as a residuum a white, semi-crystalline mass ;  mixed with water, it
throws down a yellowish-white powder, formerly called Powder of
Algaroth (oxychloride of antimony).   Solution of muriate of anti-
mony  has a powerfully acid reaction.
  Prep.—Either by dissolving sesquisulphuret of antimony (Cinis antimonii) in mu-
riatic acid, and adding pernitrate of iron as colouring matter ;  or by dissolving crude
antimony in muriatic acid with the aid of a little nitric acid.
  Th.  E.—It is employed as a caustic to parts bitten by rabid ani-
mals,  its  liquidity  enabling it to penetrate into all parts  of the
wound ; the parts  should be  first dried  as well as possible w.th
pieces  of lint, as all  liquids immediately decompose this prepara-
tion.   Pure  muriate of antimony has been used as an application
to staphyloma  by some German surgeons ; a camel's-hair pencil or
a point of lint is dipped in the deliquescent salt and applied to the
tumour until a whitish  crust is perceived, when the whole is wash-
ed away by means of a large pencil  dipped first into  milk  and af-
terward into milk and  water.
  In cases of poisoning with this solution, the same treatment should
be employed as in  poisoning with muriatic acid.

  Argenti nitras, L.  E.   Argenti  nitras fusum, D.  Argenti
nitratis crystalli, D.  Nitrate of Silver ;  Lunar Caustic.
  P. P.—A solid salt in the  form of rods or  pencils, smooth and
polished on the surface, of the  thickness of a  writing pen.   They
have a crystalline  fracture, and are  of a grayish-slate colour, in-
odorous, with a bitter, caustic, and metallic taste.
  C. P.—Nitrate of silver is composed of one eq. of nitric acid, and
one of oxyde of silver (Ag O, NO5).  It is not deliquescent; it is sol-
uble in its own weight of  water at 60°, and in four parts of recti-
fied  spirit; heated, it fuses, and by a  red heat is decomposed, and
metallic silver is obtained.   Exposed to  light in contact with the
smallest trace of organic matter, it becomes brown or blackish.  It
stains  the cuticle black. The best test for nitrate of silver in solu-
tion is  the addition of any of the soluble muriates (as muriate of
soda); a white curdy precipitate is  formed, which becomes black
by exposure to strong light, and is soluble in  ammonia, but not in
either  cold or boiling nitric acid.
  Prep.—" Take of silver (flattened into plates and cut, D.), 37 parts (fiss , L E );
nitric acid (dilute, D.), 60 parts (ffj.,  L. E.); (distilled water, fjij., L. E. ;)  dissolve
the silver in the diluted acid, in a glass vessel, with the  aid of a gentle heat, and
evaporate to dryness;  liquefy this in  a crucible with a slow fire, and pour  into
proper moulds (into iron moulds  previously heated and greased slightly with tallow,
E.); preserve in glass  vessels." The crystallized nitiate, D., now never used, is
prepared as the fused salt, but crystallized by  evaporation and cooling.
  Adulterations.—Nitrate of silver,  as met with in commerce is
frequently adulterated  with  nitrates of potash, lead, zinc, and cop- 
CAUSTICS.
133
per, and with black oxyde of manganese.  The latter is detected by
dissolving the salt in water, when it is  left in the  form of a black
powder :  the nitrates of lead, zinc, and copper are detected by pre-
cipitating a solution of the salt with excess of muriate of soda ; the
precipitate is not entirely soluble in ammonia if lead be present, and
the  liquid  part gives with sulphuretted hydrogen a white precip-
itate if-any .zinc was present, but a black one if the impurity was
copper.  Nitre  is detected by precipitating the silver with muriat-
ic acid, filtering and evaporating, when, if  any be present, it  will
be obtained in the crystalline state.
   Th. E.—Asa caustic, nitrate of silver possesses many advantages
over the  other  remedies  of this  class,  and, consequently, is much
more frequently employed ; applied to the skin or to the mucous
membranes, it produces first a whitish stain, rapidly becoming gray-
ish,  and, if exposed to light, finally black;  and, at the same time,
the  part to which  it is applied is deprived of vitality.   Its chief
value as a caustic depends  on its great manageableness in conse-
quence of its solid form, on  its property of not deliquescing, and on
its  mild,  but effectual action, the pain produced by it, although
sometimes acute, being but of short duration ; its uses are very nu-
merous.  It is applied to destroy warts, corns, and many small tu-
mours ; to check haemorrhage  occurring from small vessels, as in
the  bleeding from  leech-bites  in  children;  to  repress  exuberant
granulations; applied to the sound skin above the inflamed part, to
stop the spread  of erysipelas and erythema, to effect which it must
be applied, freely, so as to destroy the rete-muoosum as well as the
cuticle.   In the first stage of  chancre,  when the ulcer  is very mi-
nute, nitrate of  silver applied freely  generally checks the disease,
and prevents it from spreading farther; indeed, in all sores about
the prepuce or glans, whether of syphilitic  origin or not, its appli-
cation is for the most part beneficial.    In large indolent ulcers, ap-
plied over the whole surface, it acts with excellent effect; in many
instances, as soon as the eschar which it produces peels off, the sore
is found to be healed.  As  a topical application, in  the solid state
or in the form of a strong solution, it is most  valuable in ulcerations
of the  cornea, in purulent and in gonorrhoeal  ophthalmia ; a weaker
solution (gr. ij. to gr. v. to f^i. of water) may be employed in both
acute and chronic  conjunctivitis;  it is, however, liable to produce
specks on the cornea or dark stains on  the conjunctiva, as first ob-
served  by Professor Jacob, of Dublin.   Nitrate  of silver has also
been used in the solid state  to remove strictures of the urethra  and
oesophagus, applied  by means of a bougie, into the point of which
it is  inserted (armed or caustic bougie) ; but the practice is danger-
ous.   In gonorrhoea occurring in females, a pencil of nitrate of sil-
ver is applied freely to the  mucous membrane of the vagina,  it is
sad  with much benefit; and in the same disease in males, an injec-
tion, varying in  strength  from gr. ij.  to gr. xx. dissolved in igj. of
water, is injected into the urethra; such treatment, however, is not
un ittended with danger.  Nitrate of silver is also employed with
benefit, as a topical application, in many forms of ulcerations of the 
134
CAUSTICS.
gums, the tongue, and the fauces; in excoriations of the nipples, in
the chronic stages of eczema, impetigo, and porrigo of the scalp;
and in the  acute stage of herpes preputialis and herpes labfalis.

   Arsenici oxydum album, D.   Acidum arseniosum, L.   Arseni-
cu.m album,  E.   White oxyde  of  Arsenicum;  Arsenious  acid;
Arsenic.
   P.  P.—In  large, vitreous  cakes or masses, whitish, sometimes
having  a yellow tinge;  transparent,  but, on  exposure to the air,
soon  becoming opaque like  enamel, the opacity gradually extend-
ing to the  centre of the masses; the cakes are moderately hard,
and brittle.  Arsenic is inodorous; it has a faintly sweetish taste,
not acrid or corrosive, as it has been described by many.   The spe-
cific gravity, when transparent, is 3*738 ; and when opaque, 3*699.
   C.  P.—It is composed of 1 eq. of the metal arsenic, and three eq.
of oxygen  (As O3).  Exposed to a heat of 380° F., it sublimes un-
changed, and  as it cools condenses  into small transparent crystals
of adamantine lustre, which are regular octohedrons.   At ordinary
temperatures, water dissolves from an 800th to a 400th of its weight
of powdered arsenious acid ;  boiling water dissolves nearly a ninth
of its weight, and  on cooling to 60°, retains a 35th (Christison).
The solution reddens litmus paper slightly.  The chemical charac-
teristics of arsenious acid are as follows:  thrown on red-hot char-
coal  or cinders, it evolves a scarcely visible vapour, metallic ar-
senic, which has a strong alliaceous odour,  and which, at the dis-
tance of a few inches from the charcoal, is converted into a dense
white, odourless smoke, arsenious acid ; heated with carbonaceous
matter in a glass tube, it  is reduced and the metal sublimed, forming
a grayish-black ring in a cooler part of the tube, and which, by the
application of heat to the outside of the glass, is resublimed in the
form  of arsenious acid;  its solution  precipitates lemon-yellow with
ammoniacal  nitrate  of  silver, grass-green with ammoniacal sul-
phate of copper, and sulphur-yellow with sulphuretted hydrogen;
put into a proper apparatus, as Marsh's test  tube, or a Dobereiners
lamp, with zinc and sulphuric acid, arseniuretted hydrogen will be
evolved, which, being ignited as it passes through the fine aperture
of the exit tube, deposites metallic  arsenic  on a plate of glass or
porcelain held in the flame, and arsenious acid if held a little above
the flame.
  Prep.—Arsenious  acid is an article of the  Materia Medica ; it is prepared by
roasting metallic ores in which the metal is contained, especially the arseniuret of
cobalt, in a reverberatory furnace to which is attached a long chimney in a horizon-
tal direction ; it is deposited on the floor of the chimney, in the form of a gray pow-
der, which is refined by sublimation. The Dublin College directs a second sublima-
tion for medical purposes, which, however, is not required, in consequence of the
good quality of what is met with in commerce in the present day.
   Adulterations.—Arsenious acid seldom contains  any impurity;
as sold in  the form of  powder, it is  sometimes adulterated with
chalk or sulphate of lime, or may accidentally  contain a little oxyde
of iron;  any of them may be detected  by the application of heat,
which sublimes the acid and leaves the impurity. 
CAUSTICS.
115
  Th. E.—Arsenious acid is a powerful caustic, producing dcmh.
of the part to which it is applied, which subsequently separates by
sloughing; in consequence, however,  of the  danger  which may
occur from its  absorption, it is but seldom employed at present.
The cases in which it has  been  found of use are, malignant or can-
cerous ulcerations, especially of the skin of the face, in lupus, in
onychia  maligna, and in hospital gangrene.  It may be applied in
the  form of ointment made with axunge or spermaceti, powdered
opium being added to allay the pain  it causes.   It is stated that
dangerous symptoms are  less likely to arise in consequence of its
absorption, if an ointment containing a tenth or a sixth of its weight
of the acid be employed, than if a weaker preparation  be used.

  Cupri  subacetas, D. [and U. S. P.]  ^Erugo,  L.  E.  Subace
tate of Copper; Verdigris; Impure diacetate of Copper.
  P.  P.—In  coarse masses or  in  powder, of a beautiful bluish-
green colour, with a disagreeable, acetous odour, and a  styptic,
metallic  taste.
  C.  P.—It is a mixture of the  sesqui and tribasic  acetates of cop-
per, sometimes also containing a proportion of the bibasic acetate.
It is permanent in the air; heated, it  first loses water, then acetic
acid,  and the  residue contains metallic copper;  water resolves it
into a soluble acetate, and  an insoluble trisacetate.  It is dissolved
entirely by both sulphuric  and muriatic acids.
  Prep.—An article of the Materia Medica, obtained by placing plates of copper in
contact with the fermenting marc of the grape, or with  cloths dipped in vinegar.
The Dublin College directs this article  to be prepared for medical use (Cupri suba-
cetas prceparatum) by a process similar to that for prepared chalk.
  Adulterations.—The slight impurities, metallic copper or earthy
matters,  present in comnfercial verdigris,  are of  no  importance;
they may be detected by its solubility in sulphuric or muriatic acid.
  Tn. E.—As a caustic, it is applied to indolent  ulcers, to vene-
real warts, and to fungous growths; it is also a  useful application
in ophthalmia tarsi; and in chronic diseases of the scalp, when they
are of an indolent and obstinate  character.  It may be  used in
powder, or in either of the  following forms : Unguentum cupri suba-
cetatis, D.  Unguentum aruginis, E.   (Subacetate of copper, in
fine powder (prepared, D.), §ss. (§i., E.); ointment of white resin,
fbj. (^xv., E.); (olive oil, 31., D.);  melt the ointment,  and add  the
verdigris, '* previously mixed with  the oil," D.)—Linimentum aru-
ginis, L.  Oxymel cupri  subacetatis, D.  (Verdigris, in  powder,
§i. ; vinegar, igvij.; honey (despumated), §xiv.; dissolve the ver-
digris in  the vinegar, strain through a linen cloth;  add the honey,
and boil  to a proper  consistence.)   A mild caustic, used for vene-
real ulcers of the mouth and tonsils.
  In cases of poisoning with verdigris, the best antidote is albumen.

  Cupri  carbonas.   Carbonate of Copper.—This preparation, ob-
tained by precipitating a solution of sulphate of copper with carbon-
ate  of soda, though not contained in any of the  British pharmaco- 
136
CAUSTICS.
poeias, deserves a short notice, in consequence of the success ob-
tained from its use in the chronic forms of impetigo and eczema of
the scalp, by M. Devergie, in the Hopital Saint Louis at Paris; he
employs it in the form of ointment, prepared  by mixing intimately
3ij. of the powder with §i. of axunge.

  Cupri sulphas.—Sulphate of Copper (described in the division
Astringents) is used in the sohd state as a caustic, to repress ex-
cessive granulations, to destroy venereal warts, and to excite a new
action in indolent,  ill-conditioned ulcers; it  is also  applied  with
much benefit to chancres  in their early stage.

  Hydrargyri oxydum nitricum,.D  Hydrargyri nitrico-oxydum,
L.   Hydrargyri oxydum  rubrum, E.   Nitric oxyde  of Mercury;
Red. oxyde of Mercury ; Red precipitate.
  P. P.—In brilliant, micaceous masses, varying in colour  from
orange-yellow  to  bright  scarlet;  inodorous,  with a  taste  at first
faintly, then strongly,  caustic and metallic.   Sp. gr., 11*074.  In
fine powder, its colour is yellow.
  C. P.—It is  composed  of 1 eq. of mercury, and  1  of oxygen
(Graham), generally containing a little undecomposed nitrate of
mercury; exposed to a red  heat, the oxyde of mercury is entirely
volatilized in the form of oxygen and metallic mercury.   It is very
sparingly soluble in water, boiling water dissolving about a 7000th
of its' weight.  It is very  soluble in  muriatic, acetic, and  hydrocy-
anic acids ;  but is insoluble in alcohol.
  Prep.—Dub. " Purified mercury, two parts ; dilute nitric acid, three parts; dis-
solve the mercury, and increase the heat until the dry material is converted into
red scales."  Lond. "Mercury,  Ibiij.; nitric  acid, Ibiss.; distilled water, Oij.; mix
in a proper vessel, and with a  gentle heat  dissolve the mercury; boil away the
liquor, and pulverize the residuum; put this into a shallow vessel, and apply a
gentle heat, gradually increasing until red vapour ceases to arise."  Edin. "Mer-
cury, ?viij. ; dilute nitric acid (D., 1280), ffv.; dissolve half the mercury in the acid
with the aid of a  gentle heat, and continue the heat until a dry white salt be left;
triturate the rest of the mercury with the salt till a fine uniform powder be obtain-
ed ; heat the  powder in a porcelain vessel, and constantly stir it, till acid fumes
cease to be disengaged."
  Adulterations.—The nitric oxyde  of mercury sometimes contains
nitric  acid,  which is looked  upon by the London and Edinburgh
Colleges  as an impurity ; its presence is indicated  by the rr.ddy
fumes evolved  when the salt is heated ; it is often  adulterated with
red oxyde of iron, red oxyde of lead, or brick-dust; they may be
all detected by  exposing the  salt to a red heat;  if pure, it is ent.'rely
sublimed.
   Th. E.—As a mild  caustic, this preparation is  applied to  indo-
lent "ulcers,  to spongy granulations, to venereal warts, to the evelids
in chronic  inflammation  of  their edges, &c.  It mav be  used  in
powder, or  in ointment, as follows :  Unguentum hydrargyri oxi/di-
nitrici.D. L.   (Nitric oxyde of mercury, ji.; white wax, zn.; pre-
pared lard, §vj.; add  the  oxyde in  very fine pnvdc r to the wax
and the lard melted together, and mix intimately.)—Unguent, oxy- 
CAUSTICS.
137
 di  hydrargyri, E.   (Red  oxyde  of mercury, 31.;  axunge, §viij.;
 triturate them into a uniform mass.)

   Potassa caustica, D.  Potass^ hydras, L.  Potassa, E.  Caus-
 tic Potash ; Hydrate of Potash ;  Potash.
   P. P.—In flat, irregular pieces,  or, more generally, in pencils  or
 sticks of various lengths, and about  the thickness of a writing pen;
 gr.iy.sh  or bluish ;  inodorous,  having a very acrid, alkahne^taste.
 Sp.gr.,  1*8.
   C. P.—It is composed of 1 eq. of potassium, 1 of oxvgen, and 1
 of  water (KO+HO) ; exposed to the  air, it deliquesces rapidly,
 soon becom.ng liqu.d, and attracting carbonic acid ; at the  same
 time it is converted into the carbonate.  It is soluble both in water
 and alcohol, water dissolving nearly an equal weight  of it; during
 its  solution heat is evolved.   It possesses in  an eminent degree the
 properties of an alkali.
  Prep.—••' Evaporate any quantity of solution of potash in a clean iron or silver
 vessel, until the heat being increased,  an oily-looking fluid is left, a drop of which,
 when removed on a glass rod, becomes hard  on cooling. Pour the  liquid on an iron
 or silver plate, and as soon as it solidifies, cut it into  pieces (pour the liquid into
 proper moulds, L.), and preserve in well-closed bottles."
   Adulterations.—It generally  contains various impurities, such  as
 oxyde of iron, silica, and sulphates and carbonates of potash ; their
 presence, however, are of little consequence in reference to its  med-
 ical uses.   The iron  and  silica may be detected by  dissolving  in
 water or in alcohol ;  the sulphates  and carbonates by the appro-
 priate tests for sulphuric and carbonic acids.
   Th. E.—Caustic potash is a  powerful caustic, but so unmanage-
 able, in consequence of its deliquescent property, that it is not  often
 employed.   Its chief use is for making an issue, which is effected
 by  covering the part  with two or three layers of adhesive plaster,
 in the centre of which an aperture is cut of the size  of the intended
 issue ; the caustic potash is rubbed  on  the part until the surface is
 destroyed ; a linseed  meal poultice  is then applied, and when the
 slough separates a pea is inserted. For producing issues, however,
 the following preparation is preferred by many, as being more  man-
 ageable, in  consequence of its not being so deliquescent: Potassa
 cum  cake, D. E.   (Evaporate  any  convenient quantity of Aqua
 Potassae  in a clean, covered, iron  vessel, to one  fourth (one third,
 E.) its volume ; and add slacked lime, till the fluid has the consist-
 ence  of a firm pulp ;  preserve  in  well-closed vessels.)—L.   (Hy-
 drate of potash and lime, of each, §i.; rub together and keep in a
 well-stopped  vessel.)   The  preparation of the London College  is
 made into a paste with rectified spirit before it is used.
  In  cases  of poisoning with caustic potash,  the best antidotes are
 vinegar, lemon-juice, or the fixed  oils.

  Zinci chloridum.    Chloride of Zinc ; Butter of Zinc.
  P.  P.—In solid pieces, snow-white ; inodorous, having a strongly
styptic, metallic taste.
  C. P.—It is composed of 1 eq. of chlorine, and  1 of metallic zinc
                               S 
138
diaphoretics.
(Zn CI); exposed to the air, it deliquesces  rapidly, being said by
many chemists to be the most deliquescent of salts.   It is fusible at
212°, and is volatilized at a red heat.  It is soluble in water, alco-
hol, and ether.
  pREP.—By dissolving metallic zinc in muriatic acid, with the aid of a little nitric
acid, evaporating to dryness in a porcelain capsule, dissolving the chloride thus ob-
tained in water, adding a small quantity of prepared chalk, filtering after 24 hours'
rest, and evaporating to dryness; the product must be preserved in well-stopped
bottles.
  Th. E.—Chloride of zinc  is a  powerful caustic, destroying  the
vitality of the part with which it  is  placed in contact;  the process
being  attended  with violent  burning pain, which lasts for five or
six hours.   It has not been much employed in this country, but on
the Continent it is  in very general use, for the formation of issues,
to destroy  fungous growths,  nasvi materni,  &c. ;  and as an appli-
cation to open cancer, in which disease  it is said to  be productive
of the best  effects, by inducing a new action in the  neighbouring
parts ; it has also been applied to fungous haematodes, and to various
forms  of malignant ulcerations.   It may be used in  the form  of lo-
tion, prepared by dissolving  the salt in  distilled water in different
proportions, according to the effect  required to be produced;  or in
the form of paste, made by mixing  the  chloride with from two to
five  parts of flour.
                        CHAPTER VII.

                          DIAPHORETICS.
                       (Sudorifics—Diapno'ics.)

  Medicines which augment the cutaneous exhalation are called
Diaphoretics; when they increase it to such a degree as to pro-
duce sweating, they are called Sudorifics; but as the  same reme-
dies are capable of producing both effects, which differ only in de-
gree, we have included them under  the one title.   Obstructed per-
spiration, or  diseases in which  diaphoresis will prove  useful, may
be  associated with fever and  inflammation, or may occur with a
slow, languid circulation; the former is indicated "by  the morbid
heat of the surface of the body and the increased vascular action;
the latter, by the coldness of the surface and the general depression
of the circulation.  It is evident, therefore, that very different rem-
edies will act as diaphoretics in those opposite state's of the system.
In the former case, those medicines are to be selected for use which
appear to act by relaxing  the morbid constriction of the cutaneous
capillaries, and, at the same time, have a direct tendency  to lower
the action  of the heart and arteries  ; such as antimonials, and the
alkaline and saline diaphoretics.  In the latter, those remedies are
to be employed which  act as  stimulants to  the cutaneous capilla- 
diaphoretics.
139
ries, and,  at the same time, increase the general action of the vas-
cular system.   In addition to the medicines described in this divis-
ion, other means are  resorted to for the production of diaphoresis;
the more  important of these are increased muscular action, warm
water and warm vapour or air baths, the  cold affusion, and the use
of tepid, diluent drinks, as  simple water, gruel, whey, &c.  During
the administration of diaphoretics, it is essential that the surface of
the body should be kept warm, and for this purpose a bad conduct-
or of heat, such as flannel, should be employed ;  care must also be
taken to avoid the application of cold, either by exposing the sur-
face of the body to cold  air, or by the use of cold drinks while the
perspiration continues, or for some time after it has ceased; lastly,
where it is wished to  check the diaphoresis, this must be done grad-
ually, by  drying the  surface  of the body with  dry, warm towels,
bv diminishing the covering, and by cautiously exposing the hands
and arms to the air.
   [This class of remedies, when successfully employed, act by pro-
moting  the watery exhalation from  the lungs as well as the skin,
the former  being as perpetual a source of this exhalation as the
latter.  Pathologists,  however, seldom appear to recognise the pul-
monary transpiration when considering the  cutaneous exhalation,
though  both are governed by the  same laws  and connected  by
common sympathies, being simultaneously augmented or diminish-
ed.  And yet physiologists have  demonstrated  that more than a
third  part of the aggregate exhalation  from the human body  is
thrown  off by the pulmonary surface, the extent of which is incal-
culably greater.   There are numerous diseases in which the only
curative indication consists in restoring exhalation from these two
sources, which is often suspended,  as in diabetes, and other exam-
ples of inordinate secretion of fluid  from the  other emunctories.]

   Ammonle acetatis aqua, D. E.   Ammonle acetatis  liquor, L.
Solution of acetate of Ammonia;  Mindererus Spirit.
   P. P.—A transparent,  colourless liquid, with a very faint odour,
and a cooling, saline taste.  The specific gravity varies with the
strength of the solution; that of Dublin  and Edinburgh is 1*011:
that of London somewhat  higher.
   C. P.—It consists of acetate of ammonia dissolved in water ; the
proportion of the acetate present varies exceedingly, depending on
the strength of the distilled vinegar employed  in the preparation.
The solution should be perfectly neutral,  but is usually faintly acid,
which is an advantage in relation  to its  employment in medicine.
By careful evaporation, crystals of the salt may be obtained ; they
are very deliquescent.   By adding  a  few drops of sulphuric acid
to the solution, an acetous odour is evolved ; caustic potash disen-
gages an ammoniacal odour.
  pREP. — Dub. "Carbonate  of ammonia,  one part;  add by degrees, frequently
agitating, sufficient warm  distilled vinegar to saturate the ammonia, that is, about
30 parts ;  this may be determined by means of litmus." Lond.  " Sesquicarbonate
of ammonia, fivss., or a sufficiency ;  distilled vinegar, Oiv. ; add the salt to the vin-
egar to saturation."  Edin. " Distilled vinegar, from  French vinegar in prefer- 
1 40
DIAPHORETICS.
ence, fcxxiv. ; carbonate of ammonia, fi. ; mix, and dissolve the salt;  if the solu-
tion has any bitterness, add by degrees a little distilled vinegar, till that taste be re-
moved ; the density of the distilled vinegar should be 1005, and that  of the aqua
acetatis ammoniae, 1011."
  Adulterations.—This solution seldom if ever contains any impu-
rity ; the London and Edinburgh Colleges, nevertheless, have given
tests for detecting the presence of metallic  matter, and sulphuric or
muriatic  acids: the  metals,  by sulphuretted hydrogen; and  the
acids, the former by muriate  of baryta, the latter by nitrate of sil-
ver.  The  solution should be perfectly colourless, and of the pre-
scribed density.
  Th. E.—Aqua  acetatis ammoniae  operates  as a diaphoretic with
much certainty, and is very generally employed with that intention
in febrile and inflammatory affections.   Its operation should be pro-
moted by the use of warm drinks and by  the surface of the body
being kept warm, as otherwise it is  apt to pass off by the kidneys.
TIls solution possesses the advantage of not  exciting the circula-
tion in any considerable degree, a property which renders it pecu-
liarly adapted for febrile diseases.
  D. & M. of  Adm.—f^ss. to i'^i., or  f^ij., repeated every five or
six hours.—Diaphoretic mixture.  (Solution of acetate of ammoniae,
fgij.; simple sirup, fy.; orange-flower water, fji.;  camphor, mix-
ture, f§iv.; mix.)   Dose, fy., every four  hours.
  Incomp.—Acids; potash and soda,  and their carbonates ;  lime-
water ; nitrate of silver; and acetate  of  lead.

  Antimonii oxydum, E.   Antimonii oxydum  nitromuriaticum,
D.   Sesquioxyde of Antimony; N itromuriatic oxyde of Antimony.
  P. P-—A heavy white powder, sometimes semi-crystalline: in-
odorous,  having a disagreeable metallic  taste as prepared accord-
ing to the Dublin Pharmacopoeia, in consequence of adhering chlo-
ride of antimony, but perfectly tasteless when freed from chlorine.
  C P.—It is composed of 1  eq. of antimony and 3 of oxygen (Sb
O3), Graham ; with some adhering chloride of antimony in the Dub-
lin  preparation.   It is permanent in  the air;  exposed to heat,it be-
comes  yellow,  and fuses  at   a  red  heat,  concreting slowly, a.s it
cools, into a crystalline mass; by a stronger heat it is sublimed in
white vapours,  which condense in the form of crystalline needles.
Oxyde of antimony is insoluble in water ; the greater part, but not
all, of the adhering chloride may be removed from  the nitromuriat-
ic oxyde by  repeated washing with water;  washed with a  weak
solution of carbonate of soda, it may  be  completely freed from it.
It is soluble in muriatic, tartaric, and  acetic ac.ds.
  Prep.—Dai. "Prepared sulphuret of antimony, 20  parts; muriatic acid, 100
parts ; nitric acid, 1 part; add the sulphuret gradually to the acids, previously mix-
ed in a glass vessel;  digest with a gradually-increased heat, till the mixture ceases
to effervesce, then boil lor an hour ;  pour the cooled and filtered liquor into a gallon
of water; when the oxyde shall have subsided, wash with a large quantity of wa-
ter, till the washings cease to redden litmus paper ;  finally, dry the oxyde on bibu-
lous paper."  Edin. '• Sulphunt  of antimony,  in fine powder, ^iv. ; muriatic acid
(commercial), Oj. ;  water, Ov. ; the process  is the  same, but the precipitated oxvde
is washed with a weak solution of carbonate of soda." 
DIAPHORETICS.
141
   Adulterations.—Not liable  to  any; that it  has been  properly
 prepared is shown by the tests of the Edinburgh Pharmacopoeia.
 " Entirely soluble in muriatic acid, and in a boiling mixture of bi-
 tartrate of potash and water ;  fusible at a red heat."
   Th.  E.—Originally introduced  into the Dublin  Pharmacopoeia
 only for the preparation of tartar emetic ;  but of late years it has
 been used as a  diaphoretic in  the  same cases as James's powder,
 which it appears to resemble much in its action on the system, and
 which is explained in the next article.
   D. & M. of Adm.—Gr. iij. to gr. x. ; in some instances so large
 a  dose as 3ss. has proved inert;  this, however, may  be owing to
 faulty preparation.  It may be given in the form of pill made with
 conserve of roses.

   Antimonii pulvis compositus,  L.   Pulvis antimonialis, D. E.
 Antimonial powder.
   P- P-—A dull white powder, tasteless  and odourless ; the pow-
 der feels gritty under the teeth, in consequence of its being in gen-
 eral rather coarsely powdered.  The empirical preparation "James's
 powder," as a succedaneum, for which this preparation was origi-
 nally  introduced  into the pharmacopoeias, resembles  it both in
 physical and chemical  properties, except in being in a state of much
 more minute division.
   C P.—According to the recent and accurate experiments of Dr.
 Douglas Maclagan, of Edinburgh, the composition of both prepar-
 ations  appears to be similar, but the proportions  of the  different
 ingredients present vary remarkably  in different specimens.   They
 consist of from J t0 2| per cent, of antimonite of lime, and from 4
 to 10 per cent, of sesquioxyde of antimony, to the presence of both
 of which, chiefly the latter, the activity of the preparation is due ;
 the remainder being inert antmronious acid and phosphate of lime.
 Boiling water dissolves the antimonite of lime, which is deposited
 as the solution  cools; muriatic acid dissolves the sesquioxyde of
 antimony and the phosphate of lime.
  Prep.—The process for preparing James's  powder is a secret with the  proprie-
 tors of the nostrum; that for antimonial powder is nearly similar in the three Brit-
 ish Pharmacopoeias, and is as follows :  " Sulphuret of antimony, in powder, one part;
 horn-shavings, two parts ; mix and throw them into a wide iron pot (into a crucible,
 L.) heated to redness, and stir constantly till  vapours cease to arise, and the mix-
 ture shall have become ash-coloured; rub to  powder, and expose for two hours to
 a heat gradually increased to whiteness, in a  crucible covered with another cruci-
 ble, having a perforated bottom (in a proper crucible, L.); when cool, reduce to a
 most subtile powder."

   Not  liable to  adulteration;  but, as before  remarked, it  varies
 much in activity, the empirical preparation being more uniform in
 character,  and,  consequently,  more  generally preferred, notwith- n
 standing its high price.
   Th.  E.—Antimonial powder and  James's powder,  though  fre-
quently, even in very large doses, not producing the least apparent
effect on the system, more generally operate as powerful diaphoret-
ics, causing copious sweating Without much excitement or disturb- 
142
diaphoretics.
ance of the circulation.   They are generally employed in the early-
stages of febrile diseases and in inflammatory affections ; they have
also been given in chronic skin diseases, and, combined with calo-
mel and opium, in acute rheumatism.  In consequence of the un-
certainty  of their operation, and the very high price at which the
patent nostrum is sold, most practitioners at present prefer employ-
ing tartar emetic, from which, when administered with proper reg-
ulation of the doses, we can obtain similar effects with much great-
er certainty.
  D.  & M. of Adm.—In powder, from gr. iij. to gr. x., repeated
every four or five hours; or it may be made into pill with conserve
of roses or any of the vegetable extracts.—Diaphoretic pill.  (An-
timonial or James's powder, gr. ij. ;  extract of conium or of aco-
nite, gr. i.; to be made into one pill.)  It should be repeated every
six hours.

  Antimonii sulphuretum, D. E.   Antimonii sesquisulphuretum,
L.  Sulphuret of Antimony.
  P. P.—In conical masses or loaves, of a bluish-gray colour, stain-
ing the  fingers or paper black, with a brilliant, metallic, crystalline
fracture;  it is inodorous and tasteless, is easily pulverized, and
yields a black powder.  Sp. gr., 4*6.
  C.  P.—It is  composed of 1 eq. of antimony,  and  3  of  sulphui
(Sb S3), Graham.  It is permanent in the air; exposed to a moder-
ate heat, it fuses, and at a red heat it volatilizes.  It is insoluble in
water;  with the  aid of heat it is completely dissolved by muriatic
acid,  with the disengagement of sulphuretted hydrogen gas.
  Peep.—An article  of the Materia Medica in the three British Pharmacopoeias;
prepared  by fusing the ore in a perforated crucible placed over another destined to
receive the melted mass ; the Dublin College direct it to be farther purified by the
process of levigation and elutriation as for prepared chalk (Antimonii sulphuretum
prceparatum.)

  Adulterations.—Although not liable to adulteration, as met with
in commerce it contains many impurities;  most of these are detect-
ed  by dissolving in  muriatic acid ;  but there is  one of much im-
portance which this test will not detect, and which is seldom want-
ing, namely, arsenic: its presence may be shown by  the reduction
test as before described for arsenic, the sulphuret being previously
mixed with charcoal and carbonate of soda.
  Th. E.—This  preparation is at present not used in medicine;  it
was formerly administered as a diaphoretic, in doses of fromgr.x.
to 3ij., in cutaneous and  scrofulous diseases, and in gout and rheu-
matism.   It is employed in pharmacy for preparing the other anti-
monial compounds.

  Antimonii sulphuretum aureum, E.   Sulphur  antimoniatum
fuscum, D.  Antimonii oxysulphuretum.  Golden sulphuret of An-
timony; Oxysulphuret of Antimony.
  P-  P.—A light powder of a bright orange colour, odourless and
tasteless when pure. 
diaphoretics.
143
  C. P.—Its chemical composition  has not been accurately ascer-
tained ; in the Edinburgh Pharmacopoeia it is stated to be a mix-
ture or compound of sesquisulphuret of antimony, sesquioxyde of
antimony, and sulphur.   It is permanent in the air ; heated in close
vessels, sulphur is sublimed ; but if heated  in  contact with air, it
burns  with a greenish-blue flame,  evolving sulphurous acid, and
leaving a grayish residuum.   It is insoluble in water, and only par-
tially soluble in dilute acids; with the  aid of heat it  is nearly all
dissolved by solutions of the alkalies.
  pREP.—Dub.  " Prepared sulphuret of antimony, 1 part; water of caustic potash,
18 parts ; dilute sulphuric acid, 11 parts, or a sufficiency ; add the sulphuret to the
caustic potash, and boil for an hour; filter the warm liquor through doubled linen,
and drop into it the dilute sulphuric acid; wash away the sulphate of potash with
warm water; dry the golden sulphuret, and reduce to a fine powder."  Lond.  "Ses-
quisulphuret of antimony, powdered, §vij. ; solution of potash, Oiv.;  distilled water,
cong. ij. ; dilute sulphuric acid, a sufficiency ; the steps of the process are the same."
Edin. " Sulphuret of antimony, in fine powder, §i. ; solution of potash, ffxj.;  water,
Oij.; dilute sulphuric acid, a sufficiency; the same process is followed."
  Adulterations.—This preparation often contains  oxyde of iron
and sulphur, and is frequently coloured with Brazil wood or red
saunders  wood; all these impurities are readily detected by the
tests of the Edinburgh College:  " twelve times  its weight of pure
muriatic acid, aided by heat, dissolves most of it, forming a colour-
less solution, and leaving a little sulphur."
  Th. E.—The golden sulphuret of antimony possesses diaphoretic
properties, in large doses  producing  nausea and vomiting; it is
seldom employed alone, but, in the following preparation, is in very
general use  as a diaphoretic and alterative: Pilula  Calomelanos
comp., D. E.   (Calomel  and golden sulphuret of antimony, of each,
one part; guaiacum resin, in fine powder, two  parts;  make into a
pill mass with a sufficiency (two parts, E.) of  treacle ; "to be di-
vided  into six-grain pills," E.)—PH. Hydrargyri Chloridi comp.,
L.   (Chloride of mercury, oxysulphuret of antimony, of each, 3ij.;
guaiacum resin, powdered, §ss.; treacle, 3ij.; rub the chloride of
mercury  with the  oxysulphuret of antimony, afterwrard with the
guaiacum resin and the treacle, until  incorporated.)    This  com-
pound is  commonly known as Plummers Pill; it is  an excellent
diaphoretic and  alterative, well adapted for cutaneous eruptions,
especially those of a syphilitic origin.  Dose, gr. v. to gr. x. or gr. xv.

  Antimonii et potass^e  tartras sive  tartarum emeticum, D.
Antimonii potassio-tartras, L.   Antimonium tartarizatum, E.
Tartrate of antimony and potash ;  Tartar emetic.
  P. P.—Tartar emetic is met with in the shops either in the form
of a white powder, or  in  transparent, colourless crystals, which
are octahedrons  with a rhombic base.  It is inodorous, but  has a
styptic, nauseous taste.
  C. P.—It is composed of one eq. of tartrate of potash, one eq. of
tartrate of antimony, and two eq.  of water  (KO, Sb O3 (C16H4010)
2 HO).   The crystals  effloresce in the air, soon becoming  white
and opaque, and losing their water of crystallization.  Stronglv 
144
diaphoretics.
heated, the salt is decomposed, and an alloy of antimony and potash
is obtained.  It is soluble in 14 times its weight of cold water, and
in less than twice  its weight of boiling  water; it is  insoluble  in
alcohol.   The  solution gives  white  precipitates with oxalic  and
sulphuric  acids,  caustic potash,  and lime-water ;  straw-coloured,
with infusion of nutgalls; and  bright orange red, with sulphuretted
hydrogen  or  the soluble  hydrosulphates; the  latter  is the most
characteristic test.
  Prep'.—Dub., Edin.  " Nitro-muriatic  oxyde (oxyde, E.) of antimony, 4 part9
(5iij., E.); bitartrate of potash, in fine powder, 5 parts (?ivi, E.); distilled water,
34 parts (ffxxvij., E.); mix the powders, and add  them  by degrees to the watei
(boiling. D.); boil for half an hour (an hour, E.); filter and crystallize by slow cool-
ing.  (More crystals may be obtained from the mother-liquor by a second crystal-
lization, E.)"  Lond. " Sesquisulphuret of antimony, in powder ; nitrate of potash,
powdered, of each, Ibij. ;  bitartrate of potash, powdered,  §xiv. ; hydrochloric acid,
ffiv.; distilled water, cong. j.; mix accurately the sesquisulphuret of antimony with
the nitrate of potash ; the hydrochloric acid being then added, and the powder spread
upon an iron plate, ignite it; rub the residue to very fine powder when it is cold,
and wash it frequently t with  boiling water  until it is free from taste;  mix the
powder thus prepared with the bitartrate of potash, and boil for half an hour in the
distilled water; strain the liquor while  hot, and set it aside, that crystals may  be
formed  ; these being removed and dried, let the liquor again evaporate, that it may
yield crystals."
  [U. S. P.—Sulphuret of antimony, in fine  powder, 4 oz. ; muriatic acid, 25 oz.;
nitric acid, 2 drachms ; water, a gallon.
  Mix the acids together in a glass vessel, add by degrees the sulph. ant., and di-
gest the mixture with a gradually-increasing heat till effervescence ceases, then
boil for an  hour.  Filter the liquor when it has become  cold,  and pour it into the
water.  Wash the precipitated powder frequently with water till it is entirely freed
from acid, and then dry it.
  Take of this powder, 2 oz. ;  bitartrate of potash, in very fine powder, 2£ oz.; dis-
tilled water, 18 fluid ounces.  Boil the water in a glass vessel; then add the pow-
ders previously mixed together, and boil for an hour ; lastly, filter the liquor while
hot, and set  it aside to crystallize.  By farther evaporation, the liquor maybe made
to yield an additional quantity of crystals, which  should be purified by a second
crystallization.]

  Adulterations.—In the crystalline state, this salt is seldom adul-
terated ; in a few instances I have  found crystals of sulphate of
potash mixed with those of  tartar emetic, evidently an intentional
fraud, but one easy of detection,  as crystals of tartar emetic, when
dropped into a solution of sulphuretted  hydrogen, have an orange-
coloured deposite formed on them.   The powder is very commonly
adulterated with cream of tartar, and, from being  badly prepared,
frequently contains a large quantity  of the oxyde of iron; both im-
purities are readily detected by  the tests of the Edinburgh Phar-
macopoeia : " Entirely soluble in 20 parts of water ;  solution  colour-
less, and  not affected  by solution of ferrocyanide  of potassium;  a
solution in 40 parts of water is not  affected  by  its  own volume of
a solution of 8 parts  of  acetate  of  lead in 32 parts of water, and
15 parts of acetic acid."

  Th.  E.—In properly-regulated  doses,  tartar emetic produces
diaphoresis more uniformly and  more certainly than  any other of
the antimonial  preparations;  nausea  sometimes accompanies  its
diaphoretic action, but this is  attended  with the advantage of pla-
cing the  system in a  condition in  which  sweating is more freely
produced.   In all the  varieties of febrile  diseases, especiallv when 
diaphoretics.
145
a determination of blood to the head  forbids the use of the more
stimulating diaphoretics, tartar emetic is employed with great bene-
fit.   It has also been used with much  advantage in obstinate cu-
taneous diseases, administered in decoction of sarsaparilla, or in de-
coction of elm bark, if much debility be present.  The employment
of the antimonial preparations generally is  contra-indicated in dis-
eases where gastric irritation is present.  (See Emetics and Seda-
tives.)
  D. & M. of Adm.—T\ to } of a grain, frequently repeated ;  it is
seldom given in substance, and  is best admin.stered dissolved  in a
large quantity  of  distilled water without anv  flavouring adjunct;
thus, gr.  ij. may be dissolved in Oj. of water, and fgi. of this taken
every hour until sweating is produced.   The following is used as a
substitute for James's powder:  Tartar emetic, gr. i.;  sulphate of
potash, in fine powder, gr. xx. ;  mix.  Dose, gr. ij to gr. iij., every
hour— Liquor Tartari Emetici, D.  Vinum Antimonii Potassio-
tartratis, L.   Vinum Antimoniale, E.  " Tartar emetic, S\.; boil-
ing  distilled water, by  measure, gviij.; rectified spirit of wine, by
measure, §ij.;  dissolve in the water, filter, and add the spirit," D.
(" Dissolve gr.  xl.  of tartar emetic in Oj. of sherry," L. E.)   Everv
fluid ounce contains gr.  ij. of tartar emetic.  Dose, as a diaphoret-
ic, min. xx. to min. xxx., every hour.
  Incomp.—The acids;  the  alkalies, and their carbonates; lime-
water ; chloride of calcium; the earths; some of the metallic oxydes;
hydrosulphurets;  the acetates of lead : corrosive sublimate ; de-
coctions  and infusions of most of the bitter and astringent  vegeta-
bles, as those of cinchona, rhubarb, galls, catechu, &c.  The solu-
tion in water spoils by keeping.

  Arctium  lappa, semina,  radix, D.  Common Burdock;  The
seeds and root of Arctium lappa.—This is an indigenous plant,
growing commonly in waste places and by roadsides.   It belongs
to the natural  family Composita,  and to the Linnasan class  and
order Syngenesia  JEqualis.
  This plant, though still retained in the Dublin Pharmacopoeia, in
the present day is never employed in regular  practice.   A  decoc-
tion of the root is a  popular diet drink in  chronic  cutaneous dis-
eases and in rheumatism.  It produces gentle diaphoresis, and also
increases the flow of urine.   Guibourt has found Inulin in the root
of burdock.

  Dulcamara, D. L. E.  The stems (twigs, E.) of Solanum dulca-
mara; Woody nightshade; Bitter-sweet.—-Indigenous, growino- in
hedges and thickets.   It belongs to the natural family Solanacea,
and  to the Linnaean class and order Pentandria Monogynia.
  B. C—Stems shrubby, twining and branching; leaves cordate, upper ones has-
tate ; flowers elegant, purple, in drooping  clusters; anthers large, yellow united
into a pyramidal or cone-shaped figure ; berries scarlet, juicy.
  P. U. &  M. of Prep.—The  stems or twigs ;  they are gathered in autumn when
the leaves  have fallen off, and dried with the heat of a stove.  Those stems of the
thickness of a goose-quill are usually selected.
                               T 
146                     diaphoretics.
  P. p.__The twigs, as met with in the shops, are dark-brown ex-
ternally, white within, light and spongy in the centre; when fresh
they have a  faintly nauseous odour, which is lost by drying; the
taste is at first bitter, afterward sweetish, whence the name bitter-
sweet is applied to the plant.
  C. P.—According to the analysis of Desfosses, dulcamara con-
tains, besides some salts of lime and potash, and other unimportant
substances, a peculiar alkaline principle, insoluble in water, soluble
in alcohol  and ether, pulverulent, inodorous, white, permanent in
the air, which he  has  called  Solania, the medical  properties of
which have not been yet fully examined.   Bitter-sweet yields its
active properties to both water and alcohol.
  Th. E.—A  decoction  has been  employed as a  diaphoretic in
rheumatic  and venereal affections, and in chronic diseases of the
skin.   Its medical  properties  are, however, very feeble,  and in the
present day it is scarcely ever employed.
  D. & M. of Adm. — Decoctum Dulcamara, D. L. E.  (Dulca-
mara twigs, chopped, §i. ; water, fgxxiv.; boil down to  f^xvj., and
strain.)  Dose, f§i. to f§ij., two or three times a day.

  Guaiaci lignum, D. L. E.   Wood of Guaiacum officinale.

  Guaiaci resina, D. L.  Guaiacum, E.  Resin (obtained by heat
from the wood, E.) of Guaiacum officinale.—This tree is a native
of Jamaica, of St. Domingo, and of many other West India islands;
it belongs to the natural family Zygophyllacem, and to the Linnasan
class and order Decandria Monogynia.
  B. C.—A tree attaining a height of 30 or 40 feet, with a crooked stem, and a
hard, heavy wood ; leaves evergreen, bijugate ;  flowers pale blue, in clusters in the
axilla of the upper leaves ; fruit yellow, obovate, coriaceous.
  P. U. & M. of Prep.—The wood, which is divided into logs or billets; and the
resin, which is obtained as a spontaneous exudation from cracks or fissures in the
stem, or by incisions made into it; or artificially procured, by heating one end of
billets of the wood which have been previously bored lengthwise, until the resin
flows out of the opposite extremity; or by boiling the chips and raspings of the
wood in a strong solution of common salt, when the resin swims on the surface of
the liquid.
  P.  P.—Guaiacum wood, commonly  termed Lignum-vitre, is im-
ported  in logs or billets about nine inches in diameter,  and  of va-
rious lengths ; it is extremely hard, consisting of an  outer circle of
young wood  (alburnum)  of a  pale-yellow colour, and a centre of
old wood (duramen or heart-wood) of a dark-green colour ; its den-
sity  is 1*333, so that it sinks when  thrown into water.   For med-
ical  uses, the  wood is rasped or shaved into coarse powder (scobs
vel rasura guaiaci); they have an acrid, resinous taste, and  a pe-
culiar, aromatic odour.  Guaiacum resin is a semi-transparent sol-
id, breaking with  a vitreous fracture;  the fractured surface varies
much in colour, being partly brownish, partly reddish,  and  partly
greenish, but it always becomes green when exposed to the light
and air.   The odour and taste  are similar to, but stronger than
those of the wood.   The  sp. gr. is 1 *29.
   C. P.—Guaiacum wood consists of a peculiar acrid principle, and 
diaphoretics.
147
its proper resin, besides gummy matter, mucous extractive, lignin,
&c.   Its active properties are probably due to the acrid matter as
well as to the resin.   The latter, the physical properties of which
have been  described above, is insoluble in water and  in the fixed
oils,  but is  soluble in alcohol and in solutions of the alkalies.   The
alcoholic solution is precipitated by water and by  muriatic acid,
but not by acetic acid ; nitric acid occasions no change at first, but
after some hours the liquid becomes green, then blue, and at last a
brown precipitate falls down; dropped on flour or on a transverse
slice of a potato,  a blue colour is produced on exposure to the air.
Guaiacum  resin is fused by heat.
  Adulterations.—Various resinous substances are frequently mix-
ed with, or substituted for, guaiacum ;  these may readily be detect-
ed by applying the tests  of the  Edinburgh Pharmacopoeia for the
true resin:  " Fresh fracture red, slowly passing  to green.   The
tincture slowly strikes a  lively blue  colour on the  inner surface of
a thin paring of a raw potato."  The shavings may be readily dis-
tinguished from those of any other wood by the action of nitric acid,
which communicates to them a temporary bluish-green colour.
  Th. E.—Guaiacum wood and  its resin are stimulating diaphoret-
ics, and are, consequently, inadmissible in all states of excitement
or acute inflammation of the system.   They are well adapted for
chronic rheumatism of the old or debilitated; for the atonic stages
of gout; for chronic diseases of the skin, especially those of a syph-
ilitic origin, or occurring in scrofulous habits ; and for all the forms
of secondary  syphilis, provided  there is no irritation or inflam-
matory tendency in the alimentary canal. When first introduced
into  the practice of medicine, they were believed to possess anti-
venereal virtues,  little, if at all, inferior to mercury.
  D. & M. of Adm.—The resin may be given in powder, in doses
of from gr. x. to 3ss.; it  may be  administered in the form of bolus
made with treacle or conserve of roses, or suspended  in water  by
means of mucilage.   The wood is not administered in powder.—
Decoctum Guaiaci, E.—compositum, D.   (Guaiac turnings, §iij. ;
sassafras root, cut (rasped, E.), 3x. (§j., E.) ; liquorice root,  bruis-
ed, §iiss. (§j., E.); (raisins, §ij., E.) ;  water, by measure, fbx. (Oviij.,
E.);  boil the guaiac (and raisins, E.) in the water down to one half
(Ov., E.), adding the liquorice and sassafras towards the close, and
strain.)   The old decoction of the woods, a sudorific,  in  doses  of
fgiv., two or three times  a day.—Aqua Calcis comp., D.  (Guaiac
shavings, ibss.; liquorice root, cut and bruised. §j.; sassafras bark,
bruised, §ss.;  coriander  seeds, 3iij.; lime-water, by  measure, fbx.;
macerate  without heat for two  days  in a close vessel, frequently
shaking, then strain.)   Seldom used at present.  Dose, f^ij. to f^i.v.
—Mistura Guaiaci, L.  E.  (Guaiacum  resin, §iij.  ;  sugar, ^ss. ;
mucilage,  f^ss.; cinnamon-water, fgxix.; rub the guiac with  the
sugar and mucilage, adding gradually the cinnamon-water.)   Dose,
f§ss.  to f§ij., two or three  times a day.—Tinctura Guaiaci, D. L. E.
(Guaiacum  resin (bruised, L.;  in coarse  powder, E.),  giv.  (§vij.,
L. E.) ; rectified spirit, by measure, ibij. (Oij.,  L. E.); macerate 
148                      diaphoretics.
for 7 (14, L.) days, and filter.)  Dose, f3i. to f=ss. ;  it is decompo-
sed bv water; it should, therefore, be suspended in aqueous vehi-
cles by means of sugar or mucilage.—Tinctura Guaiaci  ammoni-
ata, I). E.  Tinct. Guaiaci comp., L.  (Guaiacum resin (bruised, L.;
in coarse powder, E.), §iv. (§ vij., L. E.) ;  aromatic spirit of ammo-
nia (spirit of ammonia, E.), rbiss. (Oij., L.  E.);  macerate for 7 (14,
L.) days, and filter.)  The best of its  officinal preparations. Dose,
f3j. to f'3ij., exhibited as the preceding.—Sirupus Guaiaci, augustin.
(Ammoniated tincture of guaiacum, f3ij.; mucilage and  sirup of
almonds, of each, fgi.; mix.)  An elegant formula. Dose, f3i. to f3ij.

  'Ipecacuanha pulvis compositus, D. L.  E.  Compound powder of
Ipecacuanha; Dover's powder.
   P. P.—A brownish-yellow powder, with an opiate odour, and a
bitter, saline, slightly acrid taste.
   C. P.—It is composed of one part each  of powdered ipecacuanha
and opium, and eight parts  of powdered  sulphate of potash.   It is
insoluble in water or in alcohol.
  Prep.—" Ipecacuanha, in powder ;  and opium (Turkey, D. ; hard, L.), in powder,
of each, ji. (fi., E.); sulphate of potash, ji. (jviij.,  E.); mix (first the sulphate of
potash with the opium, then the ipecacuanha, D.) intimately."
   Th. E.—One of the most powerful  and most generally employed
sudorifics,  possessing properties which do not belong to any of its
ingredients separately.  Its employment is contra-indicated in cases
attended with irritability of the digestive  organs, or where there is
cerebral disturbance.  It is especially  adapted  for the milder forms
of catarrh, coryza, acute rheumatism, and general  dropsy accom-
panied  with  suppressed or  diminished  perspiration,  particularly
when the urine is albuminous.
   D. & M, of Adm.—Gr. v.  to gr. xx.,  in pill  or  in  bolus  made
with conserve of roses.  The surface of the body  should be kept
warm, and the patient not permitted  to  drink for some time after
taking the  medicine, as a precaution against vomiting.  Every ten
grains of Dover's powder contain one grain each of opium and ip-
ecacuanha.—Pilula Ipecacuanha et Opii, E.   (Compound ipecac-
uanha powder, 3iij.; conserve of red  roses, 3i.;  divide  into gr. iv.
pills.)   Dose, gr. iv. to gr. viij.

   Mezereon, D. E.  Mezerium, L.   Bark (of the root, L. E.) of
Daphne Mezercum ; Mezereon.—An indigenous shrub, belonging to
the natural family Thymelacea, and to  the Linnaean class and order
Octandria Monogynia.
  B. 0.—Stem woody, branching,  covered with a smooth  greenish-gray cuticle;
leaves scattered, smooth, lanceolate ; flowers pale-rose colour, highly fragrant, ap-
pearing before the leaves, in little tufts on the naked branches ;  berries  scarlet.
  P. U. & M. of Prep.—Although the London and Edinburgh Colleges direct the
bark of the root to be employed, as met with in the shops it appears to have been
removed as well from the branches.  The Dublin druggists and  apothecaries gen-
erally employ the whole root.  The bark is collected in spring, being then most ac-
tive, and dried with stove heat.
   P. P.—The root is generally entire,  of various  lengths,  some-
times branching; externally it is  covered with the  bark, which ia 
DIAPHORETICS.
149
ot a brown colour, smooth, wrinkled; in the centre is  the white,
hard, tasteless wood ; between it and the outer bark the inner bark
is white and cottony; the thickness of the root varies from that of
a quill to  that of the little finger.   The bark (cortex mezerei) is in
pieces of various lengths, quilled, tough, and pliable ; it is covered
with the  olive-brown, tasteless epidermis ;  the  true bark is of a
greenish-white colour, and fibrous.  It has a slight nauseous odour;
the taste  is at first faint, but leaves a hot, acrid impression  upon
the tongue and fauces ;  in the fresh state, the bark has a very acrid
taste.
  C. P.—The inner bark of the mezereon  contains a neutral crys-
talline principle, which has been named daphnin, and an acrid res-
in, in combination with wax, sugar, colouring matter, woody fibre,
&c.  It yields its active principles to water  and to alcohol.
  Adulterations.—Various similar barks and roots are either mixed
with, or  substituted for, mezereon ;  they may be distinguished by
not having the same acrid taste.   The woody part, which consti-
tutes the great portion  of the  root, is perfectly inert, and, conse-
quently,  should not be employed.
   Th. E.—Mezereon is a stimulating diaphoretic, but its properties
as such are very feeble in comparison to its acridity, in consequence
of which  it  is not much  employed at present.   It was formerly in
high repute  as an  efficacious remedy for venereal nodes, and in
other forms of secondary syphilis.
  D. & M. of Adm.—In decoction, in doses of f§iv. or  f§v., three
or four times a day.—Decoctum Mezerei, D.  (Mezereon bark, 3ij;
liquorice  root, bruised, §ss.; water,  fbiij.; boil down to fbij., and
strain.)   It  also enters  into the composition of the compound de-
coction of sarsaparilla.

  Sarza, L. E.  Sarsaparilla, D.   Root of Smilax sarsaparilla,
D.—of Smilax officinalis, L.—and probably also of other species,
E.   Sarsaparilla.—The various species of the genus sarsaparilla,
from which the medicinal root is obtained,  are  inhabitants of the
warmest  regions of South America, especially Peru and Mexico.
They are placed in the  natural family Smilacea-, and in  the  Lin-
nsean class and order Dicecia Hexandria.
  B. C.—Dioecious creepers ; perianth six-parted ; male flowers, with six stamens;
female, with a three-celled ovary, each cell one-seeded; berry three-celled, con-
taining one to three roundish seeds.
  P. U. &. M. of Prep.—The  roots; they are dug up the whole year round, and
dried in the sun.
  P. P.—Several varieties of sarsaparilla  are  met with in English
commerce ; the most important of  these are, Jamaica, Honduras,
Brazil, and Lima  Sarsaparilla.   They  are met with  in bundles
formed of the folded roots ; in  the Brazilian variety, the roots are
unfolded; the bundles are generally from twenty inches to three
feet in length; the  roots consist of  a rhizome, the chump of drug-
gists (which, however, is frequently absent),  and of numerous root-
lets several  feet in length, about the thickness of a writing pen, cy-
lindrical, flexible, wrinkled  longitudinaliy,  with more or  less  root- 
150
DIAPHORETICS.
fibres attached to them; of a reddish-yellow or brown colour ex-
ternally, the inner bark being rose-coloured and more or less mealy,
and the centre (meditullium) woody, whitish, and  shining.  Sarsa-
parilla has scarcely any odour; the taste is  mucilaginous, slightly
nauseous, leaving an acrid sensation on the back part of the tongue
and fauces.  Jamaica Sarsaparilla has a lively red tint, and more
attached  root-fibres than the other sorts, whence it is sometimes
called red-bearded sarsaparilla; it is the most esteemed.   Hondu-
ras Sarsaparilla is of a grayish-brown colour, and has but few
rootlets attached; the inner bark is so amylaceous, that  when the
root is rubbed or broken, a white mealy powder is driven out of it;
this is the sort generally used in the shops  for cutting into chips.
Brazilian Sarsaparilla resembles the  last in colour and mealiness,
but is almost  free from  rootlets, and  the chump is not  attached.
Lima Sarsaparilla resembles in appearance Jamaica, for which it
is often sold ;  its colour, however, is grayish-brown, and the chump
is invariably attached, being folded into the centre of the bundle.
  C.  P.—Various analyses have been made of sarsaparilla ; it ap-
pears to consist of volatile oil, nearly all of which is lost by drying,
of a peculiar white, crystallizable principle, which has been named
smilacin  (paraglin, salseparine, parallinic  acid,  of various chem-
ists),  acrid, bitter resin, lignin, starch, and mucilage.  It yields its
active properties to boiling water  by  simple maceration; and the
continued boiling to which it is submitted, by the directions of the
colleges,  for preparing the decoctions, the sirup,  and the extracts,
is not only perfectly useless, but highly injurious, and to this fact
We may ascribe the great discrepancy of opinion which exists as to
the medicinal properties of the drug.
   Adulterations.—The roots of various allied species wdiich do not
possess any medicinal property whatsoever, are mixed in America
with the true  sarsaparillas;  and in this country the inferior sorts
are sold for the finer qualities.  The former  fraud may be detected
by the  taste, which is the surest criterion;  the latter, by attending
to the characters of the  different species as given above.
   Th. E.—Nothwithstanding the  little esteem that sarsaparilla is
held  in by many practitioners, a medicine possessing the great ac-
tivity that it does in the recent state, as described by Dr. Hancock,
can  scarcely be inert;  unless, as  before observed, we destroy its
medicinal properties by the pharmaceutical processes to which it
is submitted.   Under its use, undoubtedly, diaphoresis is frequently
produced, and secondary syphilitic affections, especially nocturnal
pains, ulcerations of the throat, and cutaneous eruptions" have been
speedily  cured; these effects, however, have been ascribed   by
many, and I must  say with much reason, to the restricted diet to
which  patients are submitted while undergoing what is caljed an
alterative course.  Thfe question of the  powers  of sarsaparilla in
secondary syphilis is worthy of still farther investigation, particu-
larly if we consider the high  price of the drug, and the great ex-
 penditure which its use in  hospitals and public charities entails on
 these institutions;  and in any future trials, it would be well to use 
DIAPHORETICS.
151
a simple infusion prepared with boiling water, in the same manner
and of the same strength  as  the compound infusion of the Dublin
Pharmacopoeia, substituting boiling distilled water for the lime-wa-
ter ordered in that formula.
   D. &c M. of Adm.—In  powder, the  dose is from 3j. to 3ij.; it is
very seldom administered in  this form  ; but if the powder be good,
as may  be ascertained  by  the taste, it  ought to prove the best
mode of giving  the  medicine; it may be  made into a bolus with
honey.—Infusum Sarsaparilla comp.,  D.    (Sarsaparilla root, pre-
viously  cleansed with cold water  and sliced, §i. ; lime-water, by
measure, ibj.;  macerate for  12  hours  in a close vessel, shaking it
occasionally, and strain.)   Although lime-water is here ordered, it
is  not so good a solvent for the constituents of sarsaparilla as dis-
tilled  water.   Dose, f§iv.  to  fgvj.. two or three  times a day.—De-
coctum  Sarsaparilla;, D.   Decoctum Sarza, L. E.  (Sarsaparilla,
sliced (and cleaned with cold water, D.),  §iv. (^v., L. E.) ;  boiling
(d.stilled, L.) water, Ibiv. (Oiv., L. E.) ; macerate with a  medium
heat  (near the fire,  L.) for 4 (2, E.) hours  in a vessel lightly cov-
ered ; take out  the  root,  bruise and replace it (macerate for two
hours farther,  L.);  boil down to Ibij. by measure (Oij., L. E.), and
strain.)   Dose, fgiv. to \\ viij., three or four times a day.—Decoctum
Sarsaparilla (Sarza, L. E.)  comp., D. L. E.  (Decoction of sarsa-
parilla, boiling, by measure, Ibiv. (Oiv., L. E.) ; sassafras chips, gua-
iac turnings, bruised liquorice root, of each, §i. (3x., L. E.) ;  mez-
ereon root bark, 3iij. (5iv., E.); boil for a quarter of an hour, and
strain.)   The  old decoction  of  sweet-woods.  Dose, f^iv.  to  f^vj.,
three or four times a day.—Extractum Sarsaparilla, D.   Extrac-
tum Sarza, L.  (Sarsaparilla, sliced, fbj.  (fbiiss., L.);  boiling (dis-
tilled, L.) water, cong. j.  (cong. ij., L.);  macerate  for  24 hours,
then boil down to tbiv. (cong. j., L.), and strain the liquor while yet
hot; lastly, evaporate to a proper consistence.)   Dose, 3ss. to 5ij.—
Extractum Sarsaparilla  fluidum,  D.   (Sarsaparilla,  sliced, fbj.  ;
water, by measure,  lbxij.;  boil together for an hour, and pour off
the liquor; then add fbij., by measure, of water, repeat the boiling
and pouring off; express strongly  the liquor from the residue, set
aside the mixed liquors, that the faeces may subside ; then evaporate
the mixture by continual boilng down to §xxx., and add §ij. of rec-
tified spirit.)—Ext. Sarza fluidum, E.   (Sarsaparilla  chips, fbj.;
boiling water, Ovj.; digest the root for two hours in 4 pints of the
water, take it out, bruise  and replace it,  and boil  for two hours;
filter and  squeeze out the  liquor; boil  the residue in the remaining
2 pints of water, and filter, and squeeze out this liquor also ; evap-
orate the  united liquors to the consistence of sirup; add, when the
product is cool, as  much  rectified spirit as will make in  all f§xvj.
This fluid  extract may be aromatized with volatile oils or warm
aromatics.)  Notwithstanding the introduction of the above formula
into the last edition  of the Edinburgh Pharmacopoeia, it is a very
generally received opinion that the extracts are perfectly inert;  by
those who prescribe them, they are used  as adjuncts to the decoctions.
Dose, f|ss. to fjjj.—Sirupus Sarsaparilla, D.  Sirupus Sarza,  L. 
152
DIAPHORETICS.
E.  (Sarsaparilla, sliced, ibj. (jxv., L. E.); boiling water, cong. y
macerate the sarsaparilla in the water for 24 hours ; then boil down
to Ibiv. (Oiv., L. E.), and strain  the  liquor while  hot;  and  add
sugar (gxv., L.), so as to make a sirup.)  Dose, f3iv. to f'3vi., diluted
with water, or as an adjunct to the decoction.
  [U. S. P.—Sirupus Sarsaparilla compositus.  Take  of sarsa-
parilla, bruised, 2 lbs.; guaiacum wood, rasped, 3  oz.;  hundred-
leaved roses, senna, liquorice root, each, in coarse powder, 2  oz.;
oil of sassafras, oil of anise, each, 5 minims ;  oil of partridge berry,
3 minims;  diluted alcohol, 10 pints; sugar, 8 lbs.
  Macerate  the  sarsaparilla, guaiacum  wood,  roses, senna,  and
liquorice root in the diluted alcohol for 14 days ; then express  and
filter.  Evaporate the tincture by the water-bath to 4 pints, filter,
and add  the sugar, and this being dissolved with the aid of heat,
remove any scum which may form, and strain while hot.   Lastly,
having rubbed  the oils with a small quantity of the sirup, mix them
thoroughly with the remainder.
  Another method of preparing the compound sirup of sarsaparil-
la is by substituting water, q. s., for  the  alcohol, the other ingre-
dients being used in the same proportions, thus: mix the sarsapa-
rilla, guaiacum wood, roses, senna, and liquorice root w*th 3 pints
of water, and  let it  stand twenty-four hours ; then transfer ihe
whole to an apparatus for displacement, and pour on water grad-
ually until  1 gallon of filtered liquor is obtained.   Evaporate this
to 4 pints,  then add the sugar, and proceed in  the manner directed
for sirup.   Lastly, rub the oils with  a small portion of  the sirup,
and  mix them thoroughly  with the remainder.
  A tablespoonful 3 or 4 times a day, increasing it to a small wine-
glassful, is the ordinary dose; and it  is much employed  in Ameri-
ca in secondary syphilis, as well  as  other  analogous constitution-
al diseases, although its powers  are  much overrated, being  only
valuable as an auxiliary to more potent remedies.   Th.s article,
variously modified, constitutes the basis of all the quack nostrums
under the  name of Panaceas, Catholicons, Indian and vegetable sir-
ups, &c, by the  sale  of  which as universal  remedies the public
have been fleeced by the  tribe of impostors, who revel in  their ill-
gotten gains.]
   \Hydro- alcoholic fluid Extract of Sarsaparilla.—This is an offici-
nal preparation, in which  the virtues of the root are so concentra-
ted that one part represents 3 parts of sarsaparilla ;  and ,n this  form
it is much used in the United States.  Messrs.  Deluc and Dnmiv,
of New-York,  prepare it thus: $ Rad. Sarsaparilla?, 60 parts, w  11
bruised.   Proof Spirit, 120 parts.  By displacement, mike a  t'nc-
ture, and then  distil it in a water-bath, till there remains beh nd  20
 parts in the still.  This portion being filtered, one part of rectified
 spirit is to be added.
   Salsaparine, Fr. Sarsaparilline.—This is the alkaloid of this ar-
 ticle, and is prepared by J. Milhau, of New-York, thi-.s:  To a con-
 centrated  tincture of the root add a solution of the  acetate of 1. ad,
 so long as  a precipitate takes place.   Should there then be an ex-
                               U 
DIAPHORETICS.
153
cess of lead, add a few drops of sulphuric acid, then filter and dis-
til.   It crvstalhzes  in  radiated groups.   When  dry, it  is slightly
pungent;  in solution, acrid, and somewhat bitter.   It is to the pres-
ence of this article that the various preparations of sarsaparilla owe
their remarkable property of frothing, and there can be little doubt
but it  is  the  most  active constituent of this remedy.   See the
French Universal Pharmacopaia, and Soubein's Mat. Med.~\

  Sassafras,  D. L  E.  The root  (wood and volatile  oil, D.) of
Laurus sassafras,!). L.;  of Sassafras officinale,  E.   Sassafras.—
The same tree is indicated  by all the colleges, but the Edinburgh
has adopted the nomenclature of Nees von Esenbeck.   It is  a na-
tive of North  America, and belongs to  the  natural family  Lau-
rinea,  and to the Linnsean class and order Enneandria Monogynia.
  B. C.—A  tall, straight  tree, with alternate, caducous leaves, of a lucid-green col-
our ; flowers dioecious, yellow, appearing before the leaves ; berry succulent, of a
rich blue colour.
  P. U.  & M. of Prep.—The root, and the volatile oil which is obtained from it by
distillation.
  P. P.—Sassafras root is imported in various-sized, branched pie-
ces or logs, covered with a reddish-brown  bark, which is  often
partially stripped off; the wood is of a reddish-yellow colour, light,
and very  porous; it has an  aromatic, agreeable odour, somewhat
resembling fennel, and a  warm,  aromatic taste.   The odour and
taste of the bark are stronger than of the wood.   The volatile oil
is of a pale-yellow colour, has an analogous  odour  and taste, and
is heavier than water.
  C. P.—Sassafras root has not been analyzed;  its active proper-
ties depend on the volatile oil, of which the wood contains about
two per cent.   The medicinal virtues are extracted both by water
and alcohol.
  Th.  E.—A  stimulating diaphoretic, but its powers as such are so
uncertain  that it is never prescribed alone.  The wood forms a con-          '
stituent of the compound decoction of sarsaparilla, and of the com-
pound decoction of guaiacum ; but the continued boiling to which
those preparations are submitted must completely dissipate the vol-
atile oil, the active principle of the sassafras.
  D. & M. of Adm.—It may be given in  the  form of infusion, pre-
pared  by  infusing §i. of the  chips  in  Oi.  of boiling water for an
hour, of which x\\\. may be  taken three or four times a day.—Ole-
um Sassafras, D. E.  But seldom  used;  it is an aromatic stimu-
lant, in doses of min. ij. to min. x. 
154
DIURETICS.
                       CHAPTER VIII.

                           DIURETICS.

   Diuretics are medicines which augment the  secretion and pro-
mote the discharge of urine.   These effects are produced in a very
different manner by different substances;  some acting as direct
stimulants to the secreting vessels of the kidney, being taken into
the current of the circulation, and carried, without undergoing any
decomposition, in transitu to the urinary organs; others are par-
tially acted on by the digestive  organs, and some of their compo-
nent parts thus eliminated are carried by the circulation to the kid-
neys, which  are thereby stimulated to increased  actfon;  while a
third class of substances acts primarily on the stomach, the action
they excite being secondarily communicated  by sympathy to the
urinary organs.  In whatever manner the action of diuretics is pro-
duced, their general effect is to diminish the watery part of the
blood, and by this means promote the absorption of fluid effused
into any of  the cavities or into  the cellular  membrane.   Hence,
dropsy is the disease in which they arc principally employed, and
when the discharge of urine can be excited by their administration,
the effused fluid is in general removed more speedily from the sys-
tem, and with less injury to the patient than by any  other method.
But they are most  uncertain in their  operation, and it often hap-
pens that, although  the discharge of urine is much augmented, the
dropsical swellings  are not removed.   The action  of diuretics is
much modified by the state of the skin, and therefore it frequently
occurs that if the surface of the body be excited by external warmth
after  the administration of a diuretic, its action will be diverted
from the kidneys to the vessels of the skin, and diaphoresis will be
occasioned.   A cathartic action seems also to be incompatible with
diuresis, and, consequently, some remedies, as cream of tartar, oil
of turpentine, &c, which, if given in  small doses properly regula-
ted, increase remarkably the  urinary discharge, when administered
in larger doses, so as to  act on the bowels, will scarcely occasion
any apparent influence on the functions of the kidneys.  ' The most
important rules to be attended to in the administration of the rem-
edies of this class are to keep the surface of the body cool, and to
promote the operation of the  substance by the use of diluent drinks.
  [Much obscurity rests upon this whole" subject, and, indeed, from
the researches  of Woehler, M iller, and  others, it is proved that
some of the articles enumerated  under this class  possess no diuretic
property, nor any power to act upon the  secretion of the kidneys.
This is  shown with reference to digitalis especially, the supposed
diuretic properties of which in dropsy are ascribablcto its influence
in correcting the morbid state of the animal functions upon which 
DIURETICS.
155
 dropsy depends, the ordinary office of the kidneys being afterward
 called into requisition under the laws of vitality to an extent  ade-
 quate to  the removal of the disease.   So, also, quinine in the same
 way often cures the dropsy, which is  among the  sequela of inter-
 mittent  fever, by improving the condition of the digestive organs,
 not by any diuretic power, although the effused  fluid passes off by
 the urine and other emunctories often with great rapidity.
   While  it must be  admitted that catharsis is often incompatible
 with diuresis, as stated by the author, yet it is equally certain that
 the hydragogue  cathartics often succeed in curing dropsical  effu-
 sions, especially  ascites   and hydrothorax, when  all  the diuretic
 agents have  been employed in vain.   It will be  found,  however,
 that whenever they produce large fluid discharges from the bowels,
 the  kidneys  are  simultaneously  stimulated to  inordinate  action;
 and, indeed, dropsy is seldom cured until all the emunctories ©f the
 body are employed in draining  off the effused fluid, the skin being
 opened  as well  as the urinary and alvine discharges.   This ex-
 plains why it  is  that diuretics  are  said  to  be " most  uncertain  in
 their operation,  and that  the dropsical  swellings are not  removed,
 even though the urinary discharge  is augmented."  They are too
 often prescribed  without  reference to the  pathological state upon
 which the dropsy depends.]

   iETHEREUS  NITROSUS  SPIRITUS, D.   SpIRITUS  jETHERIS NITRICI,
 L.  E.  Nitrous ethereal  spirit; Hyponitrous ether with (four vol-
 umes of, E.) rectified spirit;  Spirit of nitric ether;  Sweet spirits of
 nitre.
   P. P.—A transparent,  colourless liquid, with a peculiar fragrant,
 ethereal  odour, and a pungent, sweetish, acidulous taste.   The sp.
 gr., as prepared by the  process of the three British Pharmacopoe'as,
 varies ; that of Dublin being *850 ; of London, *834 ; and of Edin-
 burgh, *847.
  C. P.—This preparation  is a  mixture of hyponitrous  ether and
 alcohol in variable proportions.   It is very volatile,  producing much
 cold during its evaporation; is  very inflammable, and burns with
 a whitish flame.   It mixes with alcohol  and water in all propor-
 tions.  By keeping, it gradually becomes acid.
  pREP.—Dub. " Add to the residuum of the distillation of nitrous ether the recti-
 fied spirit employed in that operation for condensing4he elastic vapour, and di.-til to
dryness with a greater heat of a water-bath ; mix the distilled liquor with the alkali
liquor remaining  after the separation of the nitrous ether, mix and add sufficient
dry carbonate of potash to saturate the free acid, as indicated by litmus paper ; last-
ly, distil with the medium heat of a water-bath as long as any drops come over."
The Dublin Pharmacopoeia contains also a second process, nearly similar to that of
 London, and which is more usually followed.—Dub., Lond. " Add gradually *fij.  (;iv.,
 L.) of nitric acid to Ibj. (Ibiij., L.) of rectified spirit; mix and (.with a gentle heat, D.)
distil ^xij. (fjxxxij., L.)"—Edin.  "Rectified spirit, Oij., ffyj.';  pure nitric acid (D.,
 1500), f;vij. ; put fixv. of the spirit with a little clean sand into a two-pint matrass,
fitted with a cork, through which are passed a safety tube terminating an inch above
the spirit, and another tube leading to a refrigeratory ; the safety tube being' filled
 with pure nitric acid, add through it gradually ftiiiss. of the acid.  When the  ebul-
lition which slowly arises is nearly over, aid the rest of the acid gradually, f?ss. at
 a time, waiting till the ebi.llition caused  by each po-tion is nearly over before add.ng 
156
DIURETICS.
 more, and cooling the refrigeratory with a stream of water, iced in summer.  The
 ether thus distilled over being received into a bottle, it is to be agitated, fir.st with
 a little milk of lime till it ceases to redden litmus paper, and then with half its vol-
 ume of a concentrated solution of mui ate of lime.  The pure hyponitrou.s etlier thus
 obtained, which should have a density of 899, is then to be mixed with the remain-
 der of the spirit, or exactly four times its volume."
   Adulterations.—Spirit of nitric  ether often contains  free nitrous
 acid, probably from  being too long  kept.   It is  adulterated with
 water and with alcohol; the tests of the Edin. Phar.  readily detect
 those impurities: "Density, *847  (*850,  D.; *834,  L.).   It effer-
 vesces feebly or not at all with solution  of  bicarbonate of potash;
 when  agitated with twice its volume of concentrated solution of
 muriate of lime, twelve p..ir cent, of ether slowly separate."
   Th. E.—It operates as  a  mildly stimulating diuretic, and with
 such intention is  administered in dropsical affections, especially
 when occurring  in children.   It is most  generally employed as an
 addition to other remedies of this class, as digitalis, squill, &c, the
 diuretic operation of which it  renders more certain.   Spirit of ni-
 tric ether sometimes fails  to act on the kidneys, when  it generally
 promotes the cuticular secretion, and, consequently, it is frequently
 employed with benefit in combination with the water of acetate of
 ammonia in  the  early stages of febrile diseases.   Christison states
 that, as  a diuretic, he has  found  sweet spirits of nitre  "least ser-
 viceable in dropsy connected with diseased  kidney, and  most use-
 ful in the form associated  with diseased heart."
   D. &  M. of Adm.—foss.  to  f3ij. or 3iij.  every second or third
 hour;  it is best given in  water or in camphor mixture.—Diuretic
potion, Swediaur.  (Spirit of nitric ether and vinegar of squills, of
 each, fgi.; juniper water, f^iij. ; compound spirit of horse-radish and
 simp of ginger, of each, fgij.; mix.)   Dose,  f=i., two or three times
 a day.

   Bccku, E.  Diosma, L.  Diosma crenata, folia, D.   Buchu or
 Bucku; Leaves of various species of Barosma, E.  Leaves of Dios-
 ma crenata, D. L.—The  various species of the genus  Diosma, or,
 as it has been recently named, Barosma, from which the buchu of
 commerce is obtained, are natives  of the Cape  of Good Hope; and
 are placed in the natural  family Rutacea, and in the Linnaean class
 and order Pentandria Monogi/nia.
  B. C—Small shrubs, with opposite, smooth, dotted leaves, and stalked, axillary
 flowers.
   P- P.—As met with in the shops, buchu consists of the leaves of
 various  species,  two in particular:  B. crenata, and  B. crenulata,
 intermixed with  broken stalks and seed-vessels.   The leaves are
 smooth and  shin ng,  dotted with  glands containing  essential  oil ;
 they are of a pale yellowish-green colour, have a heavy aromatic
 odour  resembling a mixture of rue  and peppermint, and  an aromatic
 taste, leaving a s nse of cohdness on the mouth.  One specimen of
 buchu,  which I had an opportt n ty of examining,  consisted  entire-
 ly of the leaves of B. serratifoli; unm xed ; its  odour was much
 stronger than what is come,only met with. and. from the absence 
diuretics.
157
of any seed-vessels, was probably gathered before  the plant flow-
ered.
  C. P.—Buchu leaves  consist  of  volatile oil  (upon which their
medicinal properties chiefly depend), gum, resin, extractive, &c.
They yield their virtues to water and to alcohol.   The volatile oil
is of a yellowish-brown colour, lighter than water, and of the same
odour as the leaves; the extractive has been named Diosmin.
  Th. E.—Buchu  is a stimulating diuretic ; the volatile oil is taken
into the  circulation,  and it communicates  its odour to  the urine
soon after it has been taken.   Independently of its stimulating the
kidneys to increased action, it seems to  act as a direct: tonic to the
mucous membrane of the urino-genital organs; thus, it is  found
most  useful in  chronic mucous  discharges from  the bladder and
urethra, in  diseased  prostate, in  irritability of the bladder, and  in
some  forms of incontinence of urine..  At the Cape  of Good  Hope,
the powdered leaves are used as a vulnerary, and a spirit distilled
from them  is employed in dyspeptic affections.
  D.  & M. of  Adm.—In powder (a  bad  form), gj. to 3ss.—Infu-
sum Buchu, D.—Bucku, E.—Diosma, L.   (Buchu leaves, gss. (§i.,
L. E.) ; boiling (d.stilled, L.) water, by measure, fbss. (Oj., L. E.) ;
infuse  for four  (two, E.) hours, and strain.)   Dose, f§i. to  fgij.—
Tinctura Buchu, D.  E.  (Buchu leaves, §ij. (§v.,  E.) ; proof spirit,
by measure, fbi. (Oij., E.); macerate for 7 days, and filter.   " May
be also made quickly and conveniently by percolation," E.)  Dose,
f3i. to  f3iij., in any convenient vehicle.

  Cambogia.—The diuretic properties of gamboge have been be-
fore noticed, and a formula given for its  administration  with that
intention.  (See page 01.)

  Cantharis,  L. E.  Cantharis vesicatoria, D.   Cantharis ve-
sicatoria;  The whole fly;  Cantharides.—This, the Meloi  vesica-
torius of Linnaeus, belongs to the class Insecta, and  to  the order
Coleoptora.  It is  a native of the middle and southern parts  of Eu-
rope, and has also been  met with, but rarely, in  England.  It fre-
quents the  ash,  the privet, the lilac, and the honeysuckle, and is also
found on the elder, the rose, the  plum, the elm, and the poplar, upon
the leaves of which  trees the insect feeds.  In the  month of June,
cantharides are collected in the  South of Europe.   In the morning
before the rising of the sun, while the insects are still torpid from
the moisture of the night, men, whose faces and hands are covered
with masks and gloves,  having  spread  a cloth upon the ground,
shake the trees  violently; the insects fall into  the cloth,are immedi-
ately gathered  in sieves, and are killed by exposure to the vapour
of vinegar; they are then dried in stoves.   When perfectly dry,
cantharides are immediately put into air-tight boxes, containing a
little sulphate of lime or camphor, the former to keep them dry,
and the latter to preserve them from the attacks of mites and other
insects, by  which they are devoured.
  P. P.—Each cantharis is from six to ten lines long, and about a
4 
158
DIURETICS.
grain and a half in weight; it has two wing-covers or elytrae, long
flexible, of a  golden-green colour;  two membranous, transparent
wings, inferior,  folded; antenna;, black, filiform, longer than the
head; and a  longitudinal  furrow along the head and neck.  Can-
tharides have a faint, disagreeable odour, and a resinous, very acrid
taste.  They are readily  reduced  to powder, which in (the  finest
state presents numberless  glistening  green particles of the elytrae ;
this is their most distinguishing characteristic, Orfila having recog-
nised them in the human stomach nine months after interment.
  C. P.—Cantharides  consist  of  a  white  crystalline substance
named cantharidine, of a yellow fat oil, a  concrete green  oil, a
yellow viscid substance, a black substance, osmazome, uric, acetic,
and phosphoric acids, and  some salts.  Its active properties  are due
to cantharidine,  which  may be  obtained by acting on  the powder
with rectified spirit, distilling  off the spirit, and crystallizing; it is a
neutral substance, insoluble in water, but soluble in  boiling alcohol,
ether, the fixed and volatile oils, and in the alkalies.
  Adulterations.—By the  characters given above, cantharides may
be distinguished from  other  insects  which  resemble them, and on
the Continent  are said to be frequently mixed with them.   They
are best protected from the  attacks of mites, which destroy their
activity, by keeping in well-stoppered bottles  and adding  a few
drops of strong acetic  acid (Pereira), or a few grains of camphor,
wh.ch I have found very effectual.   In powder they are said to be
adulterated with euphorbium, a fraud not easily detected.
   Th. E.—The most important medicinal property of the Spanish
fly is its  vesicating power,  which  will  be considered hereafter.
(See Epispastics.)  In large doses, it is a powerful irritant poison;
in small or medicinal doses, it acts as a stimulant to the urino-gen-
ital organs, producing  diuresis, and exciting the venereal appetite;
but according to Christison,  the latter effect is not produced unless
it be taken in poisonous doses.   As  a diuretic, cantharides are not
much used,  in  consequence of the dangerous symptoms which
sometimes arise even from small doses; those who have employed
them state that they prove beneficial in incontinence of urine caused
by paralysis of the neck of the bladder, and when it occurs in young
persons during sleep.   They have also been highly praised by many
as a remedy for gleet,  leucorrhoea, and chronic mucous discharges
from the  urinary organs.
   D. & M. of Adm.—Cantharides are seldom employed internally
in the form of powder;  the  dose is gr. ss. to  gr. ij., made into pill
with extract of liquorice  or conserve of roses.— Tinctura  Cantha-
rides, D. L. E.   (Cantharides (in  powder, D.;  bruised, L.), 3ij.
(§ss., L. E.);  proof spirit, by measure, ibiss. (Oij., L. E.);  digest
for 7 (14, L.) days, and filter.  "It  may be obtained  more conve-
niently and expeditiously  by percolation, provided  the cantharides
be reduced to coarse powder,  and left with a little of the spirit in
the  state of pulp for 12 hours  before the process of percolation is
 commenced," E.)  Dose, min. x.. gradually increased to min. xl.;
it should be given in at least an ounce of some emulsion, or of de-
 coction of linseed or barley. 
DIURETICS.
150
  In cases of poisoning with cantharides, we are not acquainted
with any antidote; but emetics, emollient and mucilaginous drinks,
bloodletting, general  and local, opiates by the mouth and rectum,
and general antiphlogistic treatment, should be resorted to.

  Digitalis  purpurea, folia, D.   Digitalis folia  et  semina, L.
Digitalis,  E.  The leaves (and seeds, L.) of Digitalis purpurea.
Foxglove.—An indigenous, biennial herb ; belonging to the natural
family Scrophulariacea, and to the Linnasan class and order Dyd-
ynamia A ngicspermia.
  B. C.—Stem erect, three to four feet high ;  leaves large, veiny, ovato-lanceolate,
crenate, downy ; flowers numerous, purple, spotted within, drooping, in very long
spikes.
  P. U.  & M. of Prep.—The leaves are gathered in the months of June and July,
just before the plant comes into flower, and the mid-rib and stalk removed ;  they
are dried with stove heat in a dark place.   The seeds are very seldom employed.
  P. P.—The  dried leaves of digitalis, when properly preserved,
are of a bright-green  colour;  they  have scarcely any odour, but
the taste is nauseous  and acrid.
  C. P.—They consist of volatile oil, a concrete flocculent volatile
matter, fatty matter,  extractive,  tannin, &c.;  and, according to
some analyzers, a peculiar alkaloid which has been  named digita-
lin.   The  leaves  yield their active properties to water, alcohol,
ether,  and  the weak  acids.   The sesqui-salts  of iron  produce a
dark, and solution of gelatin  a white  flaky precipitate with infusion
of digitalis, indicating the presence of tannin.
  Digitalis is not liable to adulteration.   The powder should be of
a fine green  colour, and possess the acrid taste of the fresh plant.
   Th. E.—Digitalis, in small doses gradually augmented, operates
as a special stimulant to the kidneys, increasing the secretion of
urine ;  in somewhat larger doses, or when its use is continued for
a longer period, it acts as a sedative to the vascular  system.   (See
Sedatives.)   As a diuretic in the various forms of dropsy, digitalis
has acquired a high  reputation ; but later  experience  has  shown
that it proves most serviceable  in those symptomatic dropsical ef-
fusions which take place in the cellular membrane of the extremi-
ties and of the face, and which  depend on diseases of the  heart, of
the kidneys, or of the  liver.  It is also better adapted as a diuretic
for persons of a weak or enfeebled habit of body, than for the strong
or the  robust;  and should any inflammatory symptoms be present,
antiphlogistic treatment, should  be  had recourse to before employ-
ing digitalis.  The diuretic  action of foxglove is much  promoted
by combining it with  small doses of calomel, or with other reme-
dies of this class, as squill, juniper, the diuretic salts of potash, &c.;
when there is much  debility present, preparations of iron are ad-
vantageously combined with it.
  D. & M. of Adm.—Of the powder, gr. ss. every six hours, its op-
eration being aided by the use  of diluents, and the  surface of the
body should  be kept cool; administered thus, it generally produces
a copious flow of urine after the fifthor sixth dose.—Infusum Digi-
talis, D. L. E.  (Digitalis, dried, 3i. (3ij., E.); spirit of cinnamon, *ss. 
160
DIURETICS.
(f§i., L.;  fjij., E.) ;  boiling (distilled, L.) water, by measure,  Ibss.
(Oi., L..;  fgxviij., E.) ;  digest for 4 hours in a covered vessel, strain
(through linen or calico, £.), and add the spirit.)   This is the best
preparation of digitalis ; the dose is f3ij. to fgss., every six hours.—
Tinctura  Digitalis,  D.  L. E.   (Digitalis, dried (and coarsely pow-
dered, D. ; in moderately fine powder, E.), §ij. (§iv., L. E.); proof
spirit, by measure, fbj. (Oij., L. E.);  macerate  for 7 (14, L.) days,
and  strain.   " Best  prepared by percolation, as directed for tine*
ture of capsicum ; if f§xl. of spirit be passed  through, the  density
is *944, and the solid contents of a fluid ounce amount to gr. xxiv.,"
E.)  This tincture,  if well  prepared, has a greenish colour when
viewed by transmitted light.  Dose, min. xx.,  three times  a day;
it may be given in ffi. of decoction  of broom-tops, combined with
sweet spirits of nitre and compound spirit of juniper.—Pilula Di-
gitalis et  Scilla, E.   (Digitalis and squill, of each, one part;  aro-
matic electuary, two parts ;  beat into a proper mass with conserve
of red roses, and divide into four-grain pills.)   An excellent  diuretic
pill.   Dose, one pill  every five or six hours.
  Incomp.—Sulphate, and  tincture  of the muriate, of iron ; the
preparations of cinchona bark;  and the  acetates of lead.

  JUNIPERUS COMMUNIS, CACUMINA, FRUCTUS (bACC^E, D.), ET OLEUM,
D. L. E.  The tops, the fruit, and the volatile oil of the fruit of Ju-
niperus communis ;  Common Juniper.-—Indigenous ;  belonging to
the natural family Conifera, and to the  Linnsean class and order
Diazcia Polyandria.
  B. C.—A bushy shrub  from two to eight feet high, evergreen ; leaves linear, mu-
cronatc ; flowers appearing in May, axillary, small; fruit, a berry (galbulus), three-
seeded, requiring two seasons to arrive at maturity.
  P. U.  & M. of Prep.—The tops are cut in spring before the plant flowers, and
the berries are gathered when ripe ; both are dried with stove heat; the oil is ob-
tained from the berries by simple distillation.
  P. P.—Tuniper berries are spherical, somewhat larger  than a
pea, of a bluish-black colour ; they have a strong aromatic,  terebin-
thinate odour, and a sweetish, pungent, terebinthinate taste.  They
are imported from Hamburg and from several of the Mediterrane-
an ports.   Juniper tops have a similar odour and  taste, but much
weaker.  Juniper oil is limpid, transparent, lighter than water, and
of a very  pale-greenish colour.   It has the peculiar odour and taste
of the  berries in a marked  degree.  Its  composition is C10H8, and
its sp.  gr. *911.
  C. P.—The medical properties of the juniper are due to  the vol-
atile oil;  the berries contain, besides, resm, sugar, gum, wax, and
some salts of lime.   The tops and berries yield their active princi-
ples  to boiling water and to alcohol.
  Th.  E.—Juniper  is a stimulating  diuretic, promoting the secre-
tion  of urine, to which it communicates  its peculiar odour.   It is
chiefly used as an adjunct to other diuretics in dropsical affections;
its use is  contra-indicated if the kidney  be diseased, or if any in-
flammatory symptoms be present.
  D. & M. of Adm.—The berries may be given in the form of in 
DIURETICS.
161
fusion, prepared by infusing for an hour in a covered vessel §j. of
the bruised  berries in f§xx. of boiling water.  Dose, f§iv. three or
four times a day ;  the tops are at present scarcely ever employed;
the oil may be given rubbed  up with sugar or in some- spirituous
vehicle, in doses of min. v. to min.  x.   It is to  the presence of this
oil that the  spirit  called Geneva or Hollands owes its peculiar fla-
vour and the diuretic  properties  it possesses.—Spiritus Juniperi
comp., D. L. E.  (Juniper berries, bruised, fbj. (§xv., L.);  caraway,
bruised,  and fennel, bruised, of each, giss. (§ij.,  L.);  proof spirit,
cong. j. (Ovij., E.);  water  sufficient  to prevent empyreuma (Oij.,
L. E.);  macerate for 24 (48, E.) hours, add the water, and distil a
gallon (Ovij.,  E.) ; "mix, and distil a gallon with a slow fire," L.)
A powerful diuretic, introduced, into the pharmacopoeias as a sub-
stitute for Geneva.  Dose, f3ij. to f3iv.  Generally used as an ad-
junct to stimulating diuretic mixtures.

   Pareira, L. E.  Root of Cissampelos Pareira;  Pareira brava.—■
This plant is an inhabitant  of the  West Indian isles and of the
South American Main; it belongs to the natural family Menisper-
macea, and to the Linnaean class and order Dicecia Monadelphia.
  B. C.—A climbing  shrub, with a woody, branching root; leaves smooth, silky
beneath ; flowers small, yellow; berry scarlet, roundish, hispid.
   P. P.—Pareira root  is imported in cylindrical pieces,  from half
an inch  to three inches in  diameter, and from five or six  inches to
three or four feet in length.  It is  covered externally with a dark-
brown cortex, which is thin, and  firmly  adhering;  internally  the
wood is very porous, of a  pale reddish-yellow colour.  It is odour-
less, but has a sweetish, aromatic,  intensely bitter taste.
   C. P.—It consists of a soft resin, bitter extractive (cissampelin),
on which  its activity depends, fecula, nitrate  of potash  and other
salts, colouring matter, &c.  It yields its virtues to both cold and
boiling water.
   Th. E.—Pareira is  a tonic diuretic, acting specifically  on  the
urinary organs, increasing their secretion, and, at the same time,
checking discharges from the mucous membrane of the bladder and
urethra.  It is with the latter intention only that it is ever employ-
ed at present; and according to Sir Benjamin Brodie, it has a great
influence over the ropy mucous discharge of chronic inflammation
of the bladder.
   D. & M. of Adm.—In powder,  a  bad form, 3ss. to 3i.—Extrac-
tum Pareira, L. E.  (Prepared as extract of Gentian.)   Dose, gr.
x. to 3ss., generally given as an adjunct to the infusion.—-Infusum
Pareira, L. E.   (Pareira, 3vi.; boiling (distilled, L.) water, Oj.;
macerate for  two  hours  in  a lightly-covered  vessel and strain,
" through linen or calico," E.)  Much too weak  a preparation ; the
quantity of root employed might be doubled with advantage.  Dose,
f§j. to f§iv., three  or four times a day.   Christison recommends the
infusion to be prepared with cold water and by the process of per-
colation, but boiling water  more completely extracts  the  bitter
principle.—Decoctum Pareira,  Brodih.   (Pareira,  §ss.;  boiling 
162
DIURETICS.
 water, Oiij.;  boil down to Oj., with a gentle  heat.)   Dose. fjj. to
 fgiij., three or four  times a day.   This is the  preparation in most
 general  use.
   Incomp.—The  sesqui-salts of iron; the acetates of  lead; and
 tincture of iodine.

   Potassa acetas.—Acetate  of Potash  (described in the division
 Cathartics), dissolved in water and given in small doses frequently
 repeated, operates  as a mild but certain diuretic.  It is most gen-
 erally employed  as an adjunct to other  remedies of this class, in
 ascites and hydrothorax.  Dose, as a diuretic, gr. x. to  gr. xx.; it
 is best administered in  decoction of broom tops, or of Pyrola.

   Potass^e bitartras.—Bitartrate of Potash  (described in the di-
 vision Cathartics),  in small  doses  diluted with water, or combined
 with other diuretics, increases the secretion of urine  remarkably,
 and, consequently, is  very generally employed  in all forms of drop-
 sy.   Dose, a sa  diuretic, gr.  xx. to 3j., frequently repeated.—Im-
perial, an excellent  diuretic and refrigerant -drink in febrile diseases,
 is prepared by dissolving 3i. or 3ij. of bitartrate of potash in Oj. of
 boiling water, and  flavouring  with lemon peel and sugar.—Cream
 of tartar whey, used  for the  same  purposes, is  prepared  by boiling
 3iss. of the bitartrate in Oj. of new milk, and  straining,  to remove
 the curd.  Either of these drinks mayr be taken ad libitum.

   Potassa nitras, D. L. E.  Nitrate  of Potash;  Nitre;  Salt-
petre ; Sal-prunelle.
   P. P.—A solid, colourless salt, in striated, prismatic crystals, gen-
 erally six-sided, with dihedral  summits, semitransparent, inodorous,
 having a cooling, saline, slightly bitter taste.   Sp. gr., 1*933.
   C. P.—It is  composed  of one eq.  of potassa, and  one of nitric
 acid (K.O, NO5),  is anhydrous, permanent in  the air, fusible by a
 heat below redness into a limpid liquid,  in which state,  when cast
 in moulds, it forms  sal-prunelle; by a strong heat it is  decomposed
 into oxygen,  and hyponitrite  of potash.   Nitre is soluble  in four
 parts of water at  60°, and in about half its weight of boiling water;
 during the solution cold is  generated;  it is insoluble in absolute
 alcohol.
  Prep.—Nitrate of potash is an article of the Materia Medica ; it is imported into
 Britain chiefly from the East Indies, where it is obtained by lixiviating the surface
 of the soil of certain districts, dissolving out with water the saline  matters con-
 tained therein, filtering  and  crystallizing ;  after importation, the salt  is purified by
 solution and reerystallization. The Dublin College directs the commercial salt to be
 farther purified " by dissolving in two parts of boiling water, filtering and crystal-
 lizing," when it constitutes the Potassce nitras purificatum.
   Adulterations.—-Nitrate of  potash, as met with in  commerce, is
 often  contaminated with sulphate  or muriate  of potash; the pres-
 ence of  the former is detected by  solution of muriate or'nitrate of
 baryta; that  of the latter, by  solution of nitrate of silver, causing
 white precipitates,  in a solution of the salt in distilled  water.
   Th. E.—In large doses, from  §ss.  to §ij., nitre acts as  an irritant 
DIURETICS.
163
to the gastro-intestinal mucous membrane,  producing sometimes
nausea, vomiting,  purging, and even death.  In  small doses, gr.
xxx. to gr. xl., it increases the flow of  urine, in which secretion  it
can be  detected soon after it has been swallowed.   It is generally
employed as an adjunct to the vegetable diuretics in anasarca and
ascites, but it is inadmissible in cases where there is  any tendency
to irritation or inflammation of the  digestive tube.  Nitrate of pot-
ash is greatly inferior as a diuretic to the acetate or bitartrate, and
consequently, in the present day, is more employed for its refriger-
ant properties.  (See Refrigerants.)

   Pyrola, D. E.   Chimaphila, L.   Herb of Chimaphila umbella-
ta, E.; of Chimaphila  corymbosa,  L. ;  of Pyrola  umbellala, D.
Winter-green ;  Pyrola;  Pipsissewa.—This plant is a native of
North America, but found also in the woods of Europe and Asia.
It belongs to the natural family Pyrolacea, and to the  Linnsean
class and order Decandria Monogynia.
   B. C. — A small perennial under-shrub ; with evergreen, cuneato-lanceolate
leaves, coriaceous, smooth, and shining ; flowers in a small corymb, reddish-white,
fragrant.
  p. tj.—Although the entire herb is indicated by the colleges, the leaves only are
generally employed.
   P. P.—The fresh leaves, when bruised, have a strong, unpleasant
smell, but in the dry state they are odourless;  they have a bitter,
astringent, slightly aromatic taste.
   C. P.—They contain  bitter extractive, resin, tannin,  &c.; the
medicinal  virtues  probably  depend  on the  combination of these
three substances;  they are communicated to boiling water by infu-
sion, but more completely by decoction.
   Th.  E.—Pyrola leaves operate  as a  tonic diuretic, exerting  a
specific influence  on the urinary organs, increasing the secretion of
urine, and, according to many observers, diminishing the secretion
of lithates.  It has been  chiefly used in dropsies  occurring in the
old and debilitated, and in  chronic mucous discharges from the
bladder and urethra.  In the advanced stages of albuminuria, where
diuretics are sometimes called for, I have administered the decoc-
tion of this herb with the best effects.
   D. & M. of Adm.—Never given  in powder.—Decoctum Pyro-
la, D.; Chimaphila, L.  (Pyrola,  gi.;  water (distilled,  L.), by
measure, fbij. (Oiss., L.); " macerate for six hours, take out the
pyrola, bruise, and replace it; boil  down to fbij. by measure, and
strain," D.:  " boil down to a pint, and  strain," L.)   Dose,  f§i. to
fgij., three  or four times a day.  An extract may be prepared by
evaporating the decoction to  a proper consistence; it is not used
in Britain, but is much employed in  America, in doses of gr. v. to
gr. xv.
   Incomp.—The sesqui-salts of iron.

   Scilla,  D. L. E.   The bulb of Scilla Marilima, D. L.; of Squil-
la Maritima, E.   Squill.—A native of the shores of the Mediter-
ranean, of France, and of Portugal; belonging to the natural fam- 
164
DIURETICS.
 ily Liliacea, and to the Linnsean class and order Hexandria Mo-
 nogynia.
  B. C.—Bulb very large, sending up annually a scape or flowering-stem from two
 to three feet high, terminated by a dense, long raceme of white flowers ;  the leaves,
 which appear after the flowers, are broadly lanceolate, 12 to 18 inches long.
  P. U. & M. of Prep.—The bulb, which is the officinal part of the plant, is dug
 up in autumn, divided into four parts, the centre cut out and rejected as being inert,
 and the remainder cut into thin slices, which are dried quickly with a gentle heat.
 Sometimes, however, the bulb  is imported entire. Squill is brought from Malta,
 and other Mediterranean ports ; also from St. Petersburg and Copenhagen.
   P. P.—The entire bulb varies in size from that of the fist to that
 of a  child's head, ovoid, covered externally  with layers of thin,
 membranous, reddish  (squilla  rubra), or whitish  (squilla  alba)
 scales ; internally, it is composed of thick, fleshy, concentric scales,
 of a pale rose colour.  Dried squill is in yellowish, somewhat trans-
 lucent slices, brittle, but  readily attracting  moisture, when they
 become  flexible;  it is  odourless, but has an acrid, very nauseous
 taste.
  C.  P.—Squill consists  of a  crystallizable  alkaloid,  Scillitina,
 probably the active principle of the  drug, of tannin, gum, uncrys-
 tallizable sugar, acrid volatile matter, and some salts.  It yields'its
 virtues to water, alcohol, vinegar, and the dilute acids.   The ses-
 qui-salts of iron communicate a deep blue colour to  the  infusion,
 but it is not  affected by  gelatin or by tincture  of  iodine.
  Th. E.—In large doses, squill acts  as  a narcotico-acrid poison,
 twenty-four  grains of the powder having proved fatal.   In medici-
nal doses it  operates as an emetic, expectorant,  and diuretic; for
the latter purpose it is  usually given in combination with  digitalis
 and  calomel, when  it seldom fails to  produce increased  flow of
 urine, and, at the same time, promote the absorption of the effused
fluid in  dropsies.  Squill is better adapted for local than for gen-
eral  dropsy ;  it  is generally held to be inadmissible when inflamma-
tory symptoms  are present.
  D.  & M. of Adm.—As a diuretic—Pulvis Scilla, D.   (Having
removed the  membranous  integuments, cut the bulb of squill into
slices, dry with an inferior heat, reduce to powder, and keep in glass
 bottles with  ground stoppers.)   Dose, gr. j. to  gr. i.j., usually given
in the form of pill made with  conserve  of roses  or some  soft ex-
tract.— Tinctura Scilla, D. L. E.  (Squill (in  coarse powder, E.),
§iv. (jv., L. E.); proof spirit, by measure, fbij. (Oij., L. E.); macer-
ate for 7  (14. L.)  days; let the  sediment settle,  and pour off the
clear liquor  (strain, L.); " prepare by percolation  as for  tincture
of cinchona, but without packing the pulp firmly in the percolator"
E)   Dose, min. x. to min. xxx.   An excellent addition to infusion
of digitalis or decoction of broom tops.—Acetum Scilla D  L  E
 (Squill, fresh dried,  fbss. (jxv  L.; 5v.f E.) ; distilled vinegar," by
measure, Hrnj. (Ovj., L.; On,, E.) ; rectified  (proof, L.  E.)  spirit.
by measure, 5iv  (Oss., L.;  fjiij.,  E.);  macerate the squill (with a
gentle heat, L.) with  the  vinegar for 7  days  (24 hours, L) in  a
 covered glass vessel: express the liquor, and as soon as the fasces
 have subsided, pour  off and add the spirit.)  Dose, f3ss to  fsiss  in 
DIURETICS.
165
 some aromatic or distilled water.—Vinum Scilla, P.   (Squill, one
 part; white wine,  16 parts;  macerate  for  12 hours, and strain.)
 Dose, f3j. to f3iij.

   Scoparium, E.  Scoparius, L.  Spartium scoparium, caI%mina,
 D.  The (fresh, L.) tops of Cytisus scoparius, L. E.—of Spartium
 scoparium, D.  Broom tops.—The common broom is an indigenous
 shrub, belonging to the natural family Leguminosa-, and  to the
 Linnsean class and order Diadelphia Decandria.
   B. C—A bushy shrub from three to six feet high; with  long, straight,  reen
 branches ; and large, bright yellow, papilionaceous flowers.

   P. P.—The fresh green tops, the only officinal part, have a pe-
 culiar odour when bruised, and a bitter, somewhat nauseous taste.
   C. P.—Broom tops have not been analyzed ; their medicinal vir-
 tues appear to depend on bitter extractive and carbonate of potash,
 which are extracted by boiling water.
   Th. E.—In the form of infusion or decoction, broom tops  are an
 excellent and certain  diuretic, seldom failing to produce a copious
 secretion of urine.  The officinal preparations of broom tops are
 most generally employed as vehicles  for the more active remedies
 of this class in dropsical  effusions.
   D. & M. of  Adm.—Infusum  Scoparii, L.   (Broom  tops. Ii.;
 boiling distilled  water, Oj.;  macerate for four hours in a  vessel
 lightly covered, and strain.)  Dose, f§i. to f§ij.  A bad preparation,
 much inferior to the decoction.—Decoctum  Scoparii,  E.   (Broom
 tops and juniper tops, of each, §ss.; bitartrate of potash, 3iij.;  wa-
 ter, Oiss.;  boil down  to a pint, and  strain.)—Decoctum Scoparii
 comp., L.   (Broom tops, juniper berries, and  dandelion, of each,
 §ss.; distilled water, Oiss.;  boil down to a pint, and strain.)   Ex-
 cellent diuretics, particularly^ the former, which scarcely ever  fails
 to act on the kidneys.   Dose, f^i. to fjiv., three or four times  a  day.
 —Extractum Spartii Scoparii, D.   Prepared as  the simpler ex-
 tracts ; seldom used.  Dose, gr. x. to 3ss., two or three  times  a  day.

   Sod^e  acetas, D. L.   Acetate of Soda.
   P. P.—In white, striated, prismatic  crystals, of the oblique  rhom-
 bic series.   It has a  faint  acetous  odour  when moistened,  and a
 sharp, cobling, saline,  taste.
   C.  P.—It consists of one eq. of soda, one of acetic acid, and six
 of water of crystallization.  It is unalterable in ordinary states of
 the air, but in dry, warm air effloresces slightly; it  is soluble in
 three parts of water  at  60°, and in  somewhat less than its own
 weight of boiling water; it is also soluble in five times its weight
 of alcohol.   Exposed  to heat, it undergoes the watery  fusion, loses
 all its water of crystallization at the heat of 550°,  and  at a heat of
 600° it is decomposed.
  Prep.— Dub. " Carbonate of soda, any quantity; distilled vinegar, sufficient to
saturate the alkali; evaporate the filtered liquor to the density of 1276 ; crystallize
by cooling, dry cautiously, and keep the crystals in a close vessel."  An article of
the Materia Medica of the London Pharmacopoeia. 
16G
DIURETICS.
     Th. E.—A mild diuretic, similar in operation to acetate of pot
   ash, for which it may be substituted.   It  is now very rarely used.
     D. & M. of Adm.  and Incomp.—Same  as acetate of potash.

     Terebinthina oleum.—Oil of turpentine  (described in the di-
   vision Anthelmintics), given in small doses frequently repeated, acts
   as a stimulant to the renal vessels, causing an increased flow of
   urine, to which it communicates a violet odour.   It also  possesses
   a specific action over  the  mucous membrane of the bladder and
   urethra, checking excessive discharges, and giving increased toni-
   city to the vessels which pour out the mucus.  If the use of oil of
   turpentine be too long continued, it  is apt to produce strangury,
   bloody urine, and even sometimes total suppression of the secre-
   tion.   The dose of oil  of turpentine as a diuretic is from min. x. to
   min xxx.  It has occasionally proved serviceable  in dropsical effu-
   sions, but its stimulating property forbids its  employment if there
   be any tendency to inflammatory action.   It is frequently employ-
   ed with much benefit in gleet, in leucorrhoea, and in chronic  cystir-
   rhrjea.   Under the use of  oil  of turpentine, the  quantity of lithic
   acid  in  the  urine is much  increased,  owing to which  it frequently
   proves very beneficial  in chronic rheumatism occurring in the old
   and debilitated.

     Terebinthina Chia, D. L. E.   Liquid resin of Pistacia tere-
   binthus.  Chian turpentine.—This tree is a native of parts of the
   South of Europe, of the Grecian Archipelago,  and of Syria ; it be-
   longs to the  natural family  Anacardiacea', and to the Linnsean class
   and order Diazcia Pentandria.
    B. C.—Stem 30 to 35 feet high; leaves pinnate, young leaves reddish; flowers
   in compound racemes ; fruit globular, purplish, enclosing an osseous, one-seeded nut.
    P. U. & M.  of Prep.—The liquid, resinous exudation, which  constitutes the
   Chian turpentine of commerce;  it is obtained chiefly in the island  of Scio, by
   making incisions into the trunk of the tree, and allowing the juice which flows out
   to harden on large flat stones placed under the trees ; each tree yields from 8 to 10
   ounces only.
     P. P.—It  is of the  consistence of very thick  honey, nearly solid;
   of a  pale greenish-yellow  colour;  has a weak terebinthinate, fra-
   grant odour, and a slightly bitter taste.
     C. P.—Chian turpentine  consists of volatile oil and resin; it res-
   inifies by keeping, or by exposure to the air,  when it  loses its fra-
   grance.  This turpentine is very scarce,  Strasburg or Venice tur-
   pentine being usually substituted for it.
     Th. E.—It resembles, in its action  on  the urinary organs, oil of
   turpentine; but by many it is  supposed to act more effectually in
   checking chronic mucous discharges.
t    D. & M. of Adm.—Gr. x. to gr. xxx., three or four times a day:
   it may be made into pills  with powdered liquorice root or gum-
   arabic, or it may be given in emulsion with yolk of egg or mucilage.

     Terebinthina Canadensis, L.   Balsamum C  nadense,  D. E.
   Canada balsam; Liquid resin of Pinus balsamet, D. L.__of Abies
   balsamea, E.—A native of the coldest regions of North  America, 
diuretics.
167
belonging to the natural family Conifera-, and to the Linnsean class
and  order Monaecia Monadelphia.
  B.  0.—An elegant tree ;  stem about 40 feet high ; leaves solitary, flat, sub-erect
above ; cones erect on the branches, large, nearly cylindrical, of a beautiful, deep,
glossy, purple colour, fragrant as well as the leaves.
  P.  U. & M. of Prep.—The resinous exudation, improperly termed balsam ; it is
obtained either from little vesicles which form on the bark, or by making incisions
quite through the bark into the wood, and collecting the juice as it exudes.
  P. P.—When fresh it is of the consistence of honey, but it grad-
ually concretes  into a  yellow, translucent, resinous-looking mass,
of a peculiar  agreeable, terebinthinate odour, and an  acrid, rather
nauseous taste.
  C. P.—It consists of volatile oil, two resins, one soluble, the other
insoluble in alcohol, extractive, and some salts.   It is insoluble in
water, but forms an emulsion with it by means of mucilage or yolk
of egg.
  Th. E.—The action of  Canada turpentine on  the urinary organs
is similar to that of the other turpentines ; it is more generally pre-
ferred for the treatment of the advanced stages of gonorrhoea, of
gleet, of leucorrhoea, and  of cystirrhcea, in which diseases it proves
highly beneficial.
  D. & M. of  Adm.—Similar to the last.

   Urea.  A peculiar principle  contained in the urine of many ani-
mals.
  P. P.—In  colourless, transparent crystals, long, flattened, four-
sided prisms; heavier  than water.   They are inodorous, but have
a cooling, sharp  taste.
  C. P.—It consists of C202H4N2.  It is soluble in its own weight
of water at 60°,  in 4 or 5 parts  of cold  alcohol, and in 2 parts of
boiling alcohol.   It is unalterable  in  dry  air, but  deliquesces in
damp air; it  fuses at 248°, and  is decomposed at a higher temper-
ature.   It is a feeble base, combining with most acids without neu-
tralizing them.
  Prep.—By evaporating fresh human urine to the consistence of a sirup, treating
with nitric acid, washing well with distilled water the nitrate of urea, decomposing
with carbonate of potassa, dissolving the precipitated urea in alcohol, and crystal-
lizing.  By the following elegant process of Liebig, f iv. of perfectly colourless, crys-
tallized urea may be procured from Ibj. of ferrocyanate  of potash : " Mix together
2S parts of perfectly dry ferrocyanate of potash with 14 of oxyde of manganese, both
in fine powder; place the mixture upon a smooth iron plate, and expose it to a dull
red heat over a charcoal fire.  By-and-by it will begin to burn of itself, when it is to
be frequently stirred about.   After it cools, it is to be  lixiviated with cold water.
The solution is to be treated with 20i parts of dry sulphate of ammonia, whereupon
a copious  deposite of sulphate  of potash will ensue.  It is then to be allowed to
stand for some time  in a warm place (under 212° F.), so as to concentrate the su-
pernatant liquor, which is afterward to  be decanted, treated with alcohol of a den-
sity of 835 to 865, and crystallized."
  Tn. E.—Urea is at present scarcely ever employed as a diuretic,
although,  from the reports  of several French  practitioners, it ap-
pears to promote remarkably the secretion of urine, without pro-
ducing any general disturbance of the animal economy.
  D. & M. of  Adm.—Gr. x. to gr. xx., dissolved in  sweetened dis-
tilled water.   It may also be given made  into  pill or bolus, with
any soft extract, or with honey,  or treacle. 
168
emetics.
                       CHAPTER  IX.

                           EMETICS.

                           (Vomits.)

  Emetics are substances which are used for the purpose ol pro-
ducing vomiting.   The number of medicines employed with this
intention are but few, and they act either specifically, that is, they
excite vomiting when injected into the veins, as well as when in-
troduced into the  stomach ; or their operation is topical, producing
vomiting only when taken into the stomach.   Tartar emetic is an
example of a specific, mustard of a topical emetic.   It would be out
of place here to enter into any consideration of the phenomena and
pathology of vomiting;  it must suffice to say, that independent of
the  mere evacuation  of the contents of the stomach, emetics in
general  influence sympathetically  the entire system.  In  prescri-
bing emetics, attention must be paid to the differences which exist
in their mode of operation ; some medicines of this class, as sulphate
of zinc and sulphate of copper, produce their effects very  rapidly,
exciting  vomiting almost immediately after  they are swallowed,
without  occasioning much nausea or depression.   Tartar  emetic
operates more  slowly, and  produces great nausea, accompanied
with a feeling of feebleness and exhaustion;  while the vegetable
emetics, as ipecacuanha and squill, require a much longer time for
their operation.   In selecting a particular  remedy of this class,
therefore, we should be always guided by the nature of the indica-
tion which  is to be  fulfilled.  Emetics  should be  employed with
great caution where there are symptoms of determination of blood
to the cerebral organs, in consequence  of the obstruction of the
circulation  which is occasioned during the  act of vomiting; for
the  same reason, also, they ought  not to be administered in dis-
eases of the larger arteries, as in aneurism.   From the violent ac-
tion of the abdominal muscles which is caused, the act of vomiting
is attended with great risk in the  advanced stages of pregnancy,
in hernia, and in prolapsus uteri.
  [The  act of vomiting, under the influence  of what the author
calls a specific or a topical emetic, does not differ in its pathologv,
when thus  artificially excited, from the  same act performed spon-
taneously under various morbid conditions of the vital organs, or
when produced by irritation of individual nerves transmitted to the
brain, as in tickling the fauces by a feather, or irritating the  same
part by  the finger.  In this latter mode of producing vo°miting, the
irritant  is supposed to act through  the naso-palatine branch of the
fifth  pair, and  this with  much  plausibility.   Those who concur in
ascribing the act of vomiting to nervous "irritation thus transmitted,
in all cases explain the effect of emetics, and the vomiting occasion- 
EMETICS.
169
ed by the passage of calculi through the ducts of the ureter or gall-
bladder, by the connexions of the pneumogastric  nerve; and that
produced by  the irritation in the uterus attendant  upon early preg-
nancy, or by intest.nal obstruction, is traced to the spinal nerves,
and thus reaches the sensorium.  In the cases dependant on cephal-
ic irritation, it is supposed that the communication is  made to the
diaphragm  and abdominal muscles partly through the vagus nerve
and partly  through the splan'hnic and sympathetic nerves, while
the sp.nal cord and spinal nerves are simultaneously  employed in
conducting the impression so  as to produce the mechanical actions
of the process.  The vomiting attendant upon  sea-sickness, and
other similar  agitations  of the  body, is  supposed to fortify the
opinion of the nervous transmissions of irritation to the brain, and
thence back to the  muscles concerned;  and this theory is deemed
not inconsistent with the vomiting excited by injecting specific agents
into the veins, which are supposed to act through the circulation in
the same way.]

   Ammonle  carbonas.—Sesquicarbonate  of ammonia (described
in the division Antacids), given in doses of gr. xxx. or upward, acts
as a stimulating emetic, without producing much nausea or depres-
sion.   It is, consequently, employed  in cases of great debility, when
the use of  an emetic  is indicated ; as in chronic bronchitis occur-
ring in broken-down  constitutions, and  in the suffocative catarrh
of typhus.  But, in  consequence of the uncertainty of its operation,
mustard is generally preferred in those cases.

   Antimonii et potassje tartras.—Tartar emetic  (described in
the division  Diaphoretics), administered in doses of one or two
grains d.ssolved in  water, operates as a powerful emetic, producing
at the same  time general depression and much nausea.  The act
of vomiting does not occur for from twenty minutes to half an hour
after  it has been taken,  but it is then usually energetic, and fre-
quently repeated.   The emetic action of tartar emetic is specific, as
it operates, not only when  introduced into the stomach or rectum,
but when injected into the veins, or  otherwise introduced into the
vascular  system.   It is employed as  an emetic in all cases in which
we wish  to produce a powerful impression on the system, and, at
the same time, lower  the circulation ; as in the  early  stages of fe-
brile  or  inflammatory diseases, when, if given at the very  com-
mencement of the  symptoms, the disease is frequently cut short;
with this view it is employed in common continued fever, in acute
ophthalmia, in croup,  in hoopingcough, in hernia humoralis, in bubo,
&c.   In  cases of threatened suffocation from the lodgment of solid
bodies in the oesophagus,  tartar emetic has been successfully in-
jected into the veins to produce vomiting, and the expulsion of the
substance.   In cases  of poisoning, it is inferior to other remedies
of this class, in consequence of the slowness of its operation and its
depressing effects.  It is best administered  in distilled water;  gr.
ij. may be  dissolved  in  f^viij. of water, and of this f§ij. should be 
170
EMETICS.
administered every ten minutes until vomiting is produced.  It is
sometimes given in the form of enema;  for this purpose, gr. vj. are
to be dissolved in Oj. of tepid water;  in this form, however, its op-
eration is uncertain.   For injecting into the veins, gr. ij. or gr. iij.
are dissolved in fs-ij. of tepid distilled water.

   Cupri  sulphas.—Sulphate  of Copper (described in the  division
Astringents), in doses of from gr. xij. to gr. xv., operates as a speedy
and  effectual  emetic,  producing generally a single but complete
evacuation of the contents of the stomach,  without causing  any
depression of the system.   It is alone applicable  to  cases of  poi-
soning, but as it is apt to act as a powerful irritant, if it do  not
speedily  produce vomiting, sulphate of zinc should be preferred to
it for that purpose ;  for the same reason, it should be given in the
full doses above mentioned.

   Ipecacuanha,  L. E.  Cephaklis ipecacuanha, radix, D.   Ipe-
cacuanha.   Root of Cephailis Ipecacuanha.—A  native of Brazil,
belonging to the natural family  Cinchonacea, and to the Linnasan
class and order Pentandria Monogynia.
  B. C.—Root perennial, generally simple; stem shrubby, ascending, 2 to 3 feet
long; leaves opposite, ovato-lanceolate, 4 to 8 placed at the end  of the  stem and
branches ;  flowers white, in terminal, pendulous heads ; fruit, a fleshy, black berry.
  P. U. & M. of Prep.—The roots ; they are  gathered at all seasons of the year,
cut from the stems, dried in the sun, and packed in bundles of various sizes.
   P. P.—Ipecacuanha root is in pieces from three to six inches long,
about the thickness of a writing pen,  irregularly  twisted and bent,
presenting many circular depressions  at short intervals, which give
the root an annulated appearance, resembling a number  of rings
placed side by  side on a  common axis.   It breaks  with  a short,
clean fracture, presenting an outer cortical portion of a grayish, or
grayish-brown colour, and a white  woody  centre  (meditullium).
It is  readily reduced  to powder, which is of a pale brownish-yel-
low  colour, has a faint, nauseous, peculiar odour, and a bitter, some-
what acrid taste.
   C.  P.—The cortical portion of the root is the most  active;  ac-
cording to the analysis of Pelletier, it consists of  16  per cent,  of a
peculiar  principle named emetina, and in which the active proper-
ties of the drug reside, 2 of a fat oily matter, 6 of wax, 10 of gum,
42 of starch, and 20 of lignin.  Emetina is prepared by dissolving
1 part of an alcoholic extract of ipecacuanha in 10 parts of water,
filtering to remove  the fatty matter, and adding 1 part of  calcined
magnesia; evaporating with  a gentle heat to dryness, pulverizing,
washing with cold  water, drying and pulverizing again :  exhaust-
ing the powder with  boiling alcohol, distilling off the spirit, treat-
ing the dry residue with weak sulphuric acid and animal coal;  and,
finally, precipitating the emetina with ammonia.   Emetina, as com-
monly met with, is a dark, pasty-looking substance; but wln-n pure,
is white and  pulverulent,  inodorous, w,th a faint, bitter taste, alka-
line, very soluble in alcohol, sparingly soluble in water, and less so
in ether; it is composed  of  C'ff VO(.   Ipecacuanha yields its
active principles to water and to alcohol. 
EMETICS.
171
  Adulterations.—Spurious ipecacuanha roots are frequently substi-
tuted, especially on the Continent, for the true root, but as none of
them present the precise characters of the latter, as given above,
the fraud is readily detected.  The powder is generally supposed
to be adulterated, but of this we can only judge by its medicinal
activity^
  Th. E.—In full  medicinal doses, ipecacuanha operates  as a cer-
tain but  mild emetic, at the same time increasing remarkably the
secretions.  It resembles tartar emetic in  the time  which elapses
after it has been taken before its  effects are  produced, and  also in
the act of vomiting being  repeated several times ; and  it differs
from that substance in not causing so much  nausea or general de-
pression ; it has less tendency to act on the bowels.   As an emetic,
ipecacuanha is adapted for children, for the old and debilitated, or
for delicate females, where  we wish to produce vomiting without
depressing the vital powers; and also for  cases where the indica-
tion is to increase the secretions of the pulmonary organs.  Thus,
it is used with benefit in the gastric febrile  disorders of children, to
evacuate the contents of the stomach;  at the approach of the par-
oxysm in ague, hysteria, or hoopingcough, when it frequently checks
the development of the fit; and it is generally given in conjunction
with tartar emetic, in the  febrile and  inflammatory disorders in
winch that substance is employed.  As an emetic, ipecacuanha is
to be preferred  to  tartar emetic, where there is any tendency to
irritation or inflammation of the  digestive  organs ;  it is inferior to
the metallic sulphates in cases of poisoning, on account of the slow-
ness of its operation.
  D. &  M. of Adm.—In powder, as an emetic, the  usual dose is
from gr. xij. to gr. xx.; but gr.  v. or gr.  vj. frequently are suffi-
cient;  it is best given  mixed with warm water, and  its action pro-
moted by tepid drinks ; gr. j. is usually sufficient to act as an emetic
for an infant.  In comb.nation with tartar emetic, gr. xij. are mixed
with gr. j. of that substance.— Vinum Ipecacuanha, D. L. E.  (Ipe-
cacuanha root, bruised (in  moderately fine powder, E.), §ij. (jiiss.,
L. E.); sherry, by measure, fbij. (O.j., L. E.); macerate for  14 (7, E.)
days, and filter.)  As an emetic, very generally employed for chil-
dren, in  doses of from min. xx.  to foi.; seldom for  adults ; dose,
fjij. to  fsiv.—Sirupus  Ipecacuanha, E.   (Ipecacuanha, in  coarse
powder,  giv.; rectified spirit, Oj.; proof spir.t and water, of each,
fjxiv.; sirup, Ovij.; digest the ipecacuanha in f§xv. of the rectified
spirit at a gentle heat for 24 hours ; strain,  squeeze the residue, and
filter.   Repeat this process with the residue and proof spirit, and
again with the water, unite the fluids and distil off the spirit till the
residuum amount to f*xij.   Add to the residuum f§v. of the recti
fied spirit, and then the sirup.)   This  sirup is as  effectually and
much more simply prepared by  dissolving an alcoholic extract of
the root in distilled  water, and  adding sirup.  It is an  excelknt
preparation for children; about  min. xl. of the Edin. preparation
are equal in strength  to one grain of ipecacuanha ;  the dose, as an
emetic for adults, is f^ij.;  for children, min. xx.  to f5i. 
172
EMETICS.
   Incomp.—The salts of lead and of mercury, and astringent vege-
 table infusions.

   [Sanguinaria Canadensis.   Bloodroot, U. S.—The root, indige-
 nous, belonging to the  natural family Papavaracea-, and the Lin-
 nsean class and order Polyandria Monogynia.
   P. P.—Powder of the root brownish-red ; has a faint narcotic
 odour; called bloodroot from the reddish colour of its juice.
   C. P.—It yields its virtues to water and alcohol, and contains a
 peculiar alkaloid called Sanguinaria.
   Th. E.—It is an acrid, narcotic, and stimulant emetic, uncertain,
 however, in its effects, though favourably estimated by many Ameri-
 can  physicians.  As  an alterative  and expectorant,  it is given in
 small doses, in  catarrhal and bronchial affections, and in pertussis.
 It is commonly combined with ipecacuanha or antimony.
   D. & M. of Adm.—As an emetic, the dose is 10 to 20 grs.   The
 preferable form is that of tincture.—Tinctura Sanguinaria, U. S.
 P.   Take  of bloodroot, bruised, 4 oz.;  diluted alcohol, 2 pints;
 macerate for 14 days, express, and  filter through paper.  Dose, as
 an alterative or expectorant, 20 or 30 drops; as an emetic, 1 to 2
 drachms.]

   Scilla.—Squill (described in the division Diuretics), in full medi-
 cinal doses, generally produces nausea and  vomiting ; its action,
 however, is uncertain,  and therefore  it is  not much used as an
 emetic.  It is sometimes given to  children  with this intention in
 hoopingcough, and in the advanced  stages of bronchitis or of croup.
 In consequence of its stimulating effects, it is inadmissible  where
 there is any tendency to inflammation.   The preparation of squill
 usually employed as an  emetic  is the following: Oxymel Scilla, D.
 L.   Sirupus Scilla, E.  (" Honey, despumated, by weight,  fbiij.;
 vinegar of squill, by measure,  ibij.  (Oiss., L.) ; boil  with  a  gentle
 heat, in a glass vessel, to the consistence of sirup," D. L.  "Squill
 vinegar,  Oiij.;  pure sugar,  in powder,  ibvij.; dissolve with the aid
 of a gentle heat, and  agitation," E.)  Dose, as an emetic, for chil-
 dren. f3i. every quarter of an hour until vomiting is produced.
   [U.  S. P.—Sirup Scilla compositus (Hive Sirup).  Take of
 squill and seneka, each, 4  oz.,  bruised; tartrate  of antimony and
 potassa, 48 grs.; water, 4 pints ;  sugar, 3£ pounds.
   Pour the water upon the squill  and seneka, and, having boiled to
one half, strain, and add  the sugar; then evaporate to 3 pints, and
while the sirup  is still hot, dissolve in it the tartrate of antimony
and potassa.

   Another method:
   Take of squill and seneka, both  in coarse powder, each, 4 oz.;
tartrate of antimony  and potassa,  48  grs.;  alcohol,  half a pint;
water, q. s.;  sugar, 3^ pounds.
   Mix the alcohol with  •>$  pints of  water, and macerate the squill
and seneka in the mixture for 24 hours. . Put the whole into an ap- 
emetics.
173
 paratus for displacement, and add as much water as may be neces-
 sary to make the  filtered liquor amount  to  three pints.  Boil the
 liquor  for a few minutes, evaporate to one half, and strain;  then
 add the sugar, and evaporate until the resulting sirup measures 3
 pints.  Lastly, dissolve the tartrate of antimony and potassa in the
 sirup while it is still hot.]

   Sinapis, L.  Sinapi, E.   Sinapis  nigra, seminum pulvis, D.
 Flour  of the seeds  of Sinapis  nigra,  D.  L. E.—generally mixed
, with those of Sinapis alba, and deprived of fixed oil by expression,
 E.  Flour of mustard; Mustard.—Indigenous plants, belonging to
 the natural family  Crucifera, and to the Linnsean class and order
 Tetradynamia Siliquosa.
   B. C.—Annual; stem 3 to 4 feet hign ; lower leaves large, lyrate, rough ;  flow-
 ers yellow; pod with a very short beak, quadrangular; seeds dark brown.  The
 white mustard is distinguished by the pod having a long beak, and by the seeds be-
 ing yellow.
   P. P.—Although the Dublin and London Pharmacopoeias direct
 flour of mustard to be procured from the black variety only, table
 mustard* as met  with in the  shops, and which is  always used  in
 medical practice, is prepared from  both varieties mixed  in nearly
 equal proportions, and ground.  Mustard is a greenish yellow pow-
 der, having an oily aspect, an acrid, burning taste, and in the dry
 state, a faint, nauseous smell; but when moistened it emits a strong,
 penetrating odour,  very irritating to the eyes and nostrils.   Black
 mustard is much more pungent  than white.
   C. P.—Black mustard seeds consist of a bland fixed oil, of a pe-
 culiar acid, bitter, odourless, uncrystallizable, which  has been named
myronic acid; of another  peculiar principle resembling vegetable
albumen and  emulsion, which has been named myrosyne; and  of a
third peculiar principle, crystallizable  and very volatile,  named
sinapisin; with other unimportant matters.  When water is added
to mustard, by the mutual action of those principles, a pungent  vol-
atile oil is formed, and may be obtained by distillation, but this oil
does not pre-exist  in the seeds; and it is to its formation that the
active properties  of mustard are due.
   Adulterations.—Flour of mustard is always more or less adul-
terated  with a variety of substances.   Wheaten flour, which is
generally (always,  according to Christison) mixed with it, may be
detected by tincture of iodine turning a cooled decoction blue..  Of
any other sophistications, we can only judge by the physical prop-
erties of the specimen.
   Th. E.—Mustard is a powerful stimulating emetic, and should
be preferred to any other remedy of this class, when the sensibility
of the stomach is  greatly reduced, or vital  power is low.   Thus, it
is employed with much advantage in narcotic poisoning, in intox-
ication  threatening  apoplexy, in malignant  cholera, in some forms
of apoplexy and of paralysis, and in suffocative catarrh occurring in
the aged or debilitated.
  D. & M. of Adm.—As an emetic, mustard is given in doses o/ 
174
emmenagogues.
§ss. to §i.; it is best administered mixed with fgvj. or fgviij. of tepid
water.

  Viola odorata.—The  root  of  this plant (which has  been de-
scribed in the division Cathartics), though not officinal in  the Brit-
ish Pharmacopoeias, possesses well-marked emetic properties, which
depend on the presence of an alkaloid named violina; this princi-
ple  operates precisely similar to emetina, and has been found to ex-
ist in the roots of all the species of the genus viola.  In their action
on the system, violet roots resemble ipecacuanha, for  which they
would form  an excellent substitute : and as many of the species are
indigenous, the subject is worthy of more attention than has hither-
to been bestowed on it.   The dose of the powdered root is from
3ss. to 3i.

  Zinci sulphas.—Sulphate of Zinc (described in the division As-
tringents), in full medicinal doses from gr. xv. to gr. xxx., operates
as a speedy, safe, and efficacious emetic, not producing much nau-
sea or depression.   It is therefore  preferred  to all other medicines
of this class  in cases of poisoning.   It is also applicable to  any case
in which we wish to produce a single  but complete evacuation of
the contents of the stomach.  As an emetic, sulphate of zinc  is best
administered in the full doses above stated, dissolved in  three  or
four ounces  of tepid water.
                       CHAPTER  X.

                     EMMENAGOGUES.
  Emmenagogues are medicines which are supposed to be capable
of promoting the menstrual discharge.   That any substances have
a direct or specific power over the uterine organs has been doubt-
ed by many, in consequence of the uncertainty of the operation of
the  so-called specific emmenagogues, and also  as the uterus is not
an organ intended for the elimination of foreign matter.  But there
are  a few medicines which are employed to promote the menstrual
secretion, and which appear to act solely as stimulants to the uterus,
and these alone will be considered in this chapter.  Suppression or
absence of the menstrual discharge generally is the effect of some
morbid state of the system, and therefore the remedies which are
to be employed must  have reference to this morbid state.  Thus,
when amenorrhoca is the consequence  of general debility, we must
have recourse to tonics and stimulants; and when it occurs with a
state of plethora, venesection and other debilitating plans of  treat-
ment must be employed.  Substances  which stimulate powerfully
the  neighbouring  organs act  relatively on  the  uterine vessels, and
therefore are often effectual in restoring the menstrual discharge. 
EMMENAGOGUES.
175
Thus, some of the more acrid cathartics, as aloes, black hellebore,
gamboge, &c.; and the stimulating diuretics, as the  turpentines,
cantharides, &c, are frequently the most certain emmenagogues.

  Crocus,  L.  E.   Crocus sativus, stigmata, D.  The  stigmata of
Crocus  sativus ; Saffron.—A native of Asia Minor, now natural-
ized  in  England, belonging to the natural family Iridacea,  and to
the Linnasan class and order Triandria Monogynia.
  B. C.—Root, a round cormus ; leaves linear, with a white central stripe ; flowers
appearing in September and October, light purple, with red veins ; style single, stig-
ma protruded, drooping, in three deep linear divisions, fragrant.
  P. U. & M. of  Prep.—The stigmata ; early in the morning the flowers are gath-
ered, just as they are about to blow, and the stigmata, with part of the style, picked
out, and the rest of the flower thrown away ; the stigmata are then spread loosely
on white paper, and dried on a small kiln of a peculiar construction.   Formerly the
over ripe or  injured stigmata were dried under pressure between  folds of paper,
when they constituted what was called Cake saffron, now no longer met with.

  P. P.—Saffron, Hay saffron, consists of  the dried  stigmata in
loosely aggregated masses;  the colour is deep orange, the odour
powerful, and agreeably aromatic, in large quantities  stupifying;
the taste is pungent, aromatic, and  somewhat bitter.  It is import-
ed from Spain and France, English saffron  being never met  with
in the  market at present.  According to Pereira,  " one grain of
good commercial saffron contains the stigmata and styles of nine
flowers; hence, 4320 flowers are required  to  yield one ounce of
saffron."
  C. P.—Saffron consists of albumen, mucilage, a colouring ex
tractive matter named polychroite, and which constitutes 2-3ds of
its weight, volatile oil, &c.   It  readily yields its  properties  to wa
ter and to alcohol, its  solution in  either being of  a deep orange
colour.
  Adulterations.—In consequence of the high price of saffron, it is
very much adulterated ; the  petals of the Carthamus tinctorius, of
the Calendula arvensis, pomegranate blossoms, and fibres of  smo-
ked beef are used for this purpose.  The flowers may  be detected
by the difference of their structure, when a  specimen  is soaked in
water;  the fibres  of beef, by the odour which  they emit on being
burned.  What is at present sometimes sold  in  England for cake
saffron, consists of the petals of the Carthamus tinctorius made
into  a paste with gum-water.  Of the qualities  of saffron we judge
by its sensible properties.
  Th. E.—Saffron is a  stimulant of weak power, exerting a spe-
cific influence, by no means well marked, over  the uterine organs ;
hence it is  generally said to be emmenagogue.  In the present day
it is scarcely ever employed  in medicine, except to give odour and
colour to mixtures.  On the  Continent  it bears  a  high character as
a remedy for  the severe lumbar pains which so frequently precede
or accompany menstruation.
  D. & M. of Adm.—In substance, gr. xij.  to 3j.—Sirupus Croci,
L. E.  (Saffron, 3x.; boiling water, Oj. ;  sugar, Ibiij.; infuse the saf-
fron  in  the water for 12 hours  in a lightly-covered vessel; strain 
176
emmenagogues.
the liquid,  and add the  sugar to  it.)   Dose, f3ij. to  f^ss. ; chiefly
used for its fine  colour.—Tinctura Croci, E.   (Saffron, chopped
fine, §ij.; proof spirit, Oij.;   prepared like  tincture of cinchona,
either  by percolation or digestion, the former method being more
convenient and expeditious.)   Dose, f3i. to l3ij.

  Ergota, L. E. [and U. S. P.].   Acinula clavus, L.  An undeter-
mined fungus with degenerated seed of Secale cereale, E.  Ergot
0f rye,—Much difference of opinion exists as to what this substance
really is ; the latest and best  authorities agree that it is a peculiar
species of  fungus (Spermoidia Clavus of Fries and Lindley;  Er-
gotcetia abortifaciens of Quekett and  Pereira), which is produced
under certain circumstances, as yet not fully ascertained, on plants
belonging to the natural families  Graminea, Cyperacea, and Pal-
macea, but on none so frequently as on the Secale Cereale, or com-
mon rye.
  P. P.—Ergot, or  spurred  rye, consists  of angular, sometimes
round  bodies, from the third  of an inch  to an inch  and a half in
length, retaining the longitudinal depression of the sound grain, ob-
tuse at the  extremities, curved like the spur of a cock, whence the
name.   It  is" of a  violet-brown colour externally, sometimes whi-
tish ; yellowish internally.   In the entire state, the odour  is very
faint, but when powdered  it has a heavy, mawkish, somewhat an-
imal smell; the taste is acrid and disagreeable; it is firm and fra-
gile, breaking with a clear transverse fracture.  It attracts moist-
ure if  exposed to  the  air,  swells,  and becomes mouldy, and is at-
tacked  by a small insect, a species of acarus, which devours the
interior and leaves the grain a mere husk, no  longer fit for medical
purposes;  ergot of rye should therefore be kept in well-stopped
bottles.
  C. P.—According  to  the  latest and  best  analysis, that of Dr.
Wright, ergot consists of 31 per cent, of a thick white oil,  5*50 of
osmazome, 9 of mucilage,  7 of gluten, 11*40 of fungin, 3*50 of col-
ouring  matter, 26 of fecula, and 3*10 of salts.  The fixed oil, on
which  the  active  properties of the drug depend, is of a reddish-
brown colour, lighter than water, and soluble  in alcohol and in so-
lutions  of the caustic alkalies; it  is readily procured by evapora-
ting with a gentle heat an ethereal tincture of the ergot prepared
by  percolation.  Ergot of rye yields  its virtues to water,  alcohol,
ether,  and  the volatile oils; of these,  water is .the worst, and ether
the best menstruum.
   Adulterations.—Plaster  of Paris, and common paste artfully col-
oured, are  substituted for, or mixed  with, ergot of rye;  they are
difficult of detection.   We should, therefore, attend to the charac-
terises of good  ergot as  given by Wright.  " It should be clear
and smooth on the surface, not powdery, of a deep purple colour,
neither totally black nor light brown, having a  full, strong odour,
breaking clearly, exhibiting a pink blush interiorly, unpunctured by
insects, burning with a clear, jetting  flame, and being  of less spe-
cific gravity than water." 
emmenagogues.
177
  Th. E.—Ergot of rye in single large doses, from 3ij. to 3viij., pro-
duces nausea, pain in the head, and vertigo, generally followed in
from twelve to twenty-four hours by delirium and stupor, with dil-
atation of the pupil and great depression of the  pulse.  In medici-
nal doses, from gr. xv. to gr. xl., it exerts a specific influence on
the uterine organs, chiefly manifested  by a stimulant effect on the
muscular  fibres of the uterus, exciting them to increased contrac-
tion.  Ergot of rye is chiefly used in medicine to accelerate deliv-
ery in cases where the childbirth is delayed, in consequence of fee-
ble or languid contractions of the uterus ; to cause the expulsion of
the placenta retained from a similar cause;  to stimulate the uterus
to expel sanguineous clots, hydatids, or polypi;  to promote the lo-
chial discharge, and to check leucorrhoea or hcemorrhage from the
womb;  all of which actions are the result of augmented contrac-
tility of the uterus.   The power of ergot to produce the catame-
nial discharge  in amenorrhcea is doubted by many;  nevertheless,
in chlorotic amenorrhcea, after the administration of ferruginous
preparations for some  days, I have in several cases employed the
ethereal tincture with most beneficial results.  The circumstances
which contra-indicate  the employment of ergot in parturition are
want  of dilatation of the os uteri, great rigidity of the soft parts,
deformity of the pelvis, and mal-presentation.  Most practitioners
also agree in advising that it should not be administered in the ear-
lier stages of labour, or in first pregnancies.   The effects produced
by the continued use of ergot as an article of food are very singu-
lar, and have  been fully described  by different writers; any de-
tailed account  of them,  however, would be quite foreign  to the
scope of this  work;   I  must,  therefore, refer the reader  to  Dr.
Wright's excellent  treatise in the  52d and 53d  vols, of the Edin-
burgh Medical and Surgical Journal.
  D. & M. of Adm.—In powder, which should be always prepared
for use,  for a woman in labour, the dose is 9j. repeated every half
hour until 3i. has been taken, unless its  effects are sooner produced.
For other cases, gr. v. to gr. x. three  times a day;  it may be ad-
ministered diffused through peppermint or cinnamon water.  There
are no officinal preparations of ergot, but the following are in  gen-
eral use: Infusum Ergota.  (Ergot, bruised, 3j.; boiling  water,
fyv.;  macerate till cold in  a lightly-covered vessel, and strain.)
Dose, during parturition, ~ of this, repeated at intervals of half an
hour,  unless its effects be  sooner produced; for other  cases, the
dose is f3ss. to  f3i.; some aromatic tincture should be added to this
preparation, and to the next, to conceal their nauseous taste.—De-
coctum Ergota.  (Ergot, bruised,  3i.  ; water, fgvj.; boil for ten
minutes, and strain.)   Dose, same as infusion.—Tinctura Ergota,
Apothecaries'  Hall, London.  (Ergot, bruised, "^ij.; proof spirit,
Oj.; digest for 4 days, and strain.)   This tincture might be more
conveniently prepared by percolation.   Dose, in slow parturition,
f3ss. to f3j.; in  other cases, min. x. to  min. xx.—Tinctura Ergota
etherea.   (Similarly prepared, substituting sulphuric ether for proot*
spirit.)  The dose is the  same. 
178
emmenagogues.
  Rubia tinctorum, radix, D.  Root of Rubia tinctorum ; Madder.
__A native of the South of Europe, belonging to the natural family
Stellata, and to  the Linnasan class and order Tetrandria Mono-
gynia.
  B. c.—Root perennial, long, succulent, horizontal; stems several, quadrangular,
jointed, procumbent; leaves membranaceous ; flowers small, yellow.
  P. P.—Madder root is imported from  the  Levant;  it is in long
cylindrical pieces, about the  thickness of a goose-quill, deep red-
dish-brown externally, reddish-yellow internally.   It has a feeble,
unpleasant odour, and a bitter, austere taste.
  C. P.—There  are no less than five colouring matters in madder,
namely, purple, yellow, red, orange, and brown;  consequently, it
is much employed in the arts for dyeing.   Any medical virtue it
possesses must depend on a  small quantity of bitter extractive it
contains.   It imparts its odour and taste to water, alcohol, and ether.
  Th. E.—Madder has fallen into complete disuse,  so  much so
that it has  been expunged from the last editions of the Lond. and
Edin. Pharmacopoeias.  Taken  internally for any length of time,
the various secretions, and even the  substance of the bones, are
coloured red. It was highly esteemed by Dr. Home as an emmen-
agogue ; the dose of it is from 3ss. to 3ij., three or four times a day.

  Ruta graveolens.—Rue (described in the division Antispasmod-
ics) was formerly  highly esteemed  as an  emmenagogue, and at
present is a popular remedy  as such ; it is sometimes resorted to
for  the  purpose  of procuring abortion.   Although it  undoubtedly
possesses a direct stimulating influence on the uterine  organs, it is
scarcely ever employed in regular practice in the present day for
any of the  purposes for which this class  of remedies are  adminis-
tered.

  Sabina,  L. E.   Juniperus  sabina,  folia,  D.  Leaves  (tops, E.
—tops both fresh and dried, L.)  of Juniperus sabina.   Savin.—A
native of the South of Europe, cultivated in England ; belonging
to the natural family Conifera, and to the Linmean  class and order
Dioecia Monadelphia.
  B. C.—An  evergreen, small, bushy shrub; leaves very small,  ovate, pointed,
densely imbricated ; it flowers in April and May, and ripens its fruit, a dark purple
galbulus or berry about the size of a currant, in autumn.
  P. P-—As met with  in  the shops, savin consists of the young
tops and their attached leaves; in  the fresh state they are of a
bright green colour, have  a heavy, peculiar,  terebinthinate odour,
and a bitter, nauseous  taste.   When dry their colour is yellowish-
green, and  their odour  much  weaker.
  C. P.—Savin  tops consist  of resin, volatile oil,  gallic  acid,  ex-
tractive, &c.  The medicinal properties are due to the volatile oil,
Oleum Sabina, D.  E., and which may be  obtained by distillation
with water, fbij. of the tops  yielding  5v. of  oil; it is limpid and
nearly colourless, having the  odour of the plant,  and a hot, acrid
taste ; its composition is C'TP, and its density 0-915.  Savin com 
EMOLLIENTS.
179
municates its odour and taste to Water and to alcohol; the alcoholic
tincture is of a bright-green colour.
  Th. E.—Savin is a powerful stimulant to the uterine organs, and
is employed as  an emmenagogue with much benefit in amenor-
rhcea and  chlorosis, depending on torpor or deficient action of the
uterine system.   In consequence, however, of its poisonous proper-
ties, it should be used with caution; its employment is  contra-in-
dicated  where there is  the least tendency to irritation or inflam-
mation of the uterus, or any of the pelvic viscera.  Savin is the
drug usually resorted to by the vulgar for  the purpose  of produ-
cing abortion, but it cannot effect this, except at the risk of the life
of the mother.
  D. & M. of Adm.—In powder, a  bad form, the  dose is from gr.
v. to gr. xv.  The dose  of the oil is from min. ij. to min. vj.—Infu-
sum Sabina.  (Fresh savin tops, 3i.; boiling water, fgviij.; macer-
ate for one hour in a covered vessel.)  Dose, f§ss. to f*,j.
  In cases of poisoning with savin, emetics  should be first employ-
ed to remove the poison from the stomach; and afterward opiates
and demulcents, to be followed by general antiphlogistic treatment.
                        CHAPTER XI.

                       EMOLLIENTS.

                     (Demulcents—Relaxants..)

  Emollients may be defined substances  which diminish the vital
tone or cohesion of the solid tissues of the body, and thereby ren-
der them more lax and flexible;  or which, by diminishing acrimo-
ny, protect the sensible surface of the body from the action of acrid
matter.  This division of medicinal  agents  has been  stated by
many to act merely mechanically, by  lubricating and softening the
parts to which they are applied, or by sheathing them from the ac-
tion of matters which are capable of irritating them.   But this ex-
planation  cannot possibly apply to  those  substances which, when
introduced into the stomach, operate on remote parts of the body.
Emollients, therefore, seem to act  either  directly on the part to
which  they are  applied,  or indirectly through the medium of the
circulation.  They are principally employed in  the treatment of
inflammations, either general or local, in painful ulcerations, in dis-
eases of the  urinary organs, and in poisoning with acrid substan-
ces ; but in all those  cases they are only  used to alleviate symp-
toms.  Of the non-medicinal substances employed as emollients,
warm water is the most important, and the higher the temperature
at which it can be applied without the actual production of  pain,
the  greater will be its emollient power; for this reason, in the  form
of vapour  it will be found productive of most advantage. 
180
EMOLLIENTS.
  Adeps suillus, D.  Adeps, L.  Axungia, E.  Fat of Sus scrofa,
Hog's lard;  Axunge.—Sus scrofa, the common  hog, belongs  to
the class Mammalia, order Pachydermata.   The  fat is usually ta-
ken from about the loins, from the omentum and from the mesen-
tery, melted and strained, to separate  the membranes.
  Prep.—Lard, as sold for general use, usually contains salt, which has been add-
ed to prevent it from becoming rancid; consequently, to prepare it for medical pur-
poses, the following formula is given in the Dublin Pharmacopoeia: Adeps suiltua
prap.  " Melt fresh lard, cut into small pieces, with a gentle heat, and strain it by
pressure  througb linen ; the lard, prepared by those who sell it, and which is pre-
served with salt, is to  be. melted with twice its weight of water, frequently stirring
the mixture, then set aside, and the lard separated when cold."
  P. P.—Axunge is a white, solid, fatty matter, with a very faint
odour, and a mild, sweetish taste.
  C. P.—It is composed of 38 per cent, of stearin and margarvn,
and 62  of olein or eldine.   It melts at about 85° F. into a clear,
transparent liquid, which, if water be present, is whitish or  milky;
exposed to the air, axunge undergoes a process of decay, becoming
rancid, when it acquires a peculiar unpleasant odour and acid prop-
erties ;  in this state it is unfit  for medical purposes.
  Th. E.—Axunge is not  used in medicine internally;  its action
on the body is nutritive and emollient.  As an external agent, it is
employed as a basis for ointments, cerates, and liniments.

  Adeps ovillus,  D.  Sevum, L. E.   Fat of  Ovis  aries;  Suet;
Mutton suet.—Ovis aries,  the sheep, belongs to  the class Mam-
malia, and order Ruminantia.  The fat is selected from the neigh-
bourhood of the kidneys, melted and strained, to separate the mem-
branes.  Mutton  suet is nearly  similar  in  physical and  chemical
properties to axunge, and is employed for the same purposes; it is
sometimes preferred to axunge, in consequence  of its greater con-
sistence and higher melting point.—Adeps ovillus prap., D., is pre-
pared in the same way as prepared hog's lard.

  Althaea officinalis, folia et  radix, D. L. E.   The leaves and
root of Althaa officinalis; Common Marshmallow.—An indigenous
plant, belonging to the natural family Malvacea, and to the Ln*
nsean class and order Monadelphia  Polyandria.
  B. C—Stem two to three feet high, downy; leaves heart-shaped, exquisitely
soft and pubescent; flowers on axillary stalks, large, pale rose colour.
  P. P-—The roots are fusiform, from 12 to 18 inches along, about
the thickness of the finger,  yellowish  externally, white and fibrous
within; the odour  is faintly nauseous, the  taste sweet, and very
mucilaginous.   The leaves have a weaker odour, and a less muci-
laginous taste.
  C. P.—The roots consist of gum, uncrystallizable  sugar, starch,
yellow colouring  matter,  asparigin,  albumen,  &c.  It  yields  its
mucilaginous  properties to  water.
   Th. E.—Marshmallow root is one of the most commonly em-
ployed emollients  on the Continent, but is not much used in'Eng-
land.   As an internal remedy, it is given in inflammation of the mu- 
emollients.
181
cous membranes, as in gonorrhoea, cystitis, nephritis,  bronchitis,
&c, either alone or as  a vehicle for other medicines.  Externally,
the leaves are generally employed in the acute phlegmasia?, in the
form of decoction or cataplasm.
   D. &, M. of Adm.—Decoctum Althaa, D.  Mistura Althaa, E.
(Dried  root (and herb, D.) of Althaea officinalis, §iv.; raisins, freed
of the seeds, ^ij.; boiling water, by measure, tbvij. (Ov., E.); boil
down to fby. (Oiij., E.); strain through linen  or calico;  and when
the sediment has subsided, pour off the clear liquor for use.)  Dose,
f§l. to fjjij. frequently repeated.—Sirupus Althaa, D. L. E.  (Fresh
althaea root, bruised (sliced, E.), fbss. (gviij., L. E.);  pure  sugar, tbjj.
(tbiiss.,L.E.); water, by measure, fbiv. (Oiv., L. E.); boil the wa-
ter with the root down to one half (strain through calico, E.), and
express the  cooled liquor ; set aside for 24 hours, that the dregs
may  subside ; pour off the  clear liquor, add the  sugar, and boil
down to a proper consistence.)   This  sirup does not  keep well.
The dose is from fj^ss. to f^i.
   Incomp.—Iodine, and tincture of the muriate of iron.

   Amygdalae amar.<e ; Amygdalae dulces, D.  L. E. [and U. S. P.].
Kernels of the two varieties  of Amygdalus communis;  Bitter al-
monds ; and Sweet almonds.—The almond-tree is a native of Syria
and Barbary, but grows freely throughout the  South of Europe ;
it belongs to the natural family Rosacea, and  to the Linnaean class
and order Icosandria Monogynia.
  B. C.—A small tree, with acuminate, serrulate leaves, petiolate ; glands, on the
petioles of the bitter almond variety, on the leaves of the sweet almond;  flowers
sessile, appearing before the leaves, white or rose-coloured ; fruit, an ovoid drupe,
leathery, marked with a longitudinal furrow, where it opens when ripe, containing a
hard, rough shell (putamen), marked with pits or furrows, within which is the seed
or kernel.
   P. P.—Sweet almonds vary in size, from half an inch to  above
an inch in length, and are about three eighths of an inch in breadth;
they are oblong, compressed, and pointed at one end ; the episperm
or outer covering is reddish brown, covered with a yellowish dust;
the parenchyma or episperm  is white, hard, and oleaginous, inodor-
ous, having a sweet, bland  taste.   Bitter almonds are generally
smaller; they are characterized  by their bitter taste and peculiar
odour when rubbed with water.   Several sorts of sweet almonds
are met with in  commerce;  the principal of these  are Jordan and
Valentia almonds;  the former come  from Malaga, and are the
most esteemed ; they are longer and more pointed than the latter,
which are brought from Valentia.  Bitter almonds are imported
from Mogadore.
  C. P.—Sweet almonds consist of fixed oil, emulsin, liquid sugar,
gum, &c.  In addition to these, the  bitter almond contains a pecu-
liar principle  named amygdalin, which, when brought  in contact
with  water, from  a  mutual reaction between it and the emulsin,
generates an essential oil, which will be more particularly described
hereafter.  (See Sedatives.)  The  fixed oil, Oleum Amygdalarum,
D. L., is an article of the Materia Medica in  the latter pharmaco- 
182
EMOLLIENTS.
pceia; the former directs  it to be prepared " by bruising fresh al-
monds in a mortar,  and expressing without heat."   For this pur-
pose, either sweet or bitter almonds may be employed ; the latter,
as being cheaper, are generally  used ; 1  cwt. of almonds  yields
from 48 to 52 lbs. of oil.  It is a bland, pale yellow, inodorous, very
liquid oil; lighter than water, its density being about *J)20; it con-
sists of 76 per cent, of oliine, and 24 of margarine; it  requires  six
parts  of boiling, or 25 of cold  alcohol for  its solution; but is very
soluble in ether.
  Th. E.—Sweet almonds are nutritive and emollient;  they should
be blanched, deprived of the husk or pellicle, before being used, as,
from its acridity, it  has been known to produce nausea and irrita-
tion of the stomach  and bowels, in some  instances followed by an
eruption on  the skin.  In medicine, the preparations of the sweet
almond are used as emollients, chiefly in inflammation  of the geni-
to-urinary mucous membrane, to  lessen the acrimony of the urine,
and with the same intention in calculous affections.  The oil is sel-
dom given internally; according  to some, it possesses  mildly laxa-
tive properties; externally it is used for frictions, and  as an ingre-
dient in some soaps.
  D. & M. of Adm.—Confectio (Conserva, E.).   Amygdalarum, D.
L.  E.   (Sweet almonds,  §viij.;  powdered gum-arabic, §i.; pure
sugar, giv.;  blanch  the almonds,  and beat them with the gum and
sugar into a uniform pulpy mass.  " This confection may be longer
kept unchanged if the almonds, acacia, and sugar, separately pow-
dered, arc afterward mixed;  then, whenever the confection is to
be  used, beat all the ingredients together until they are thoroughly
incorporated," L.)   This  confection is only used for the prepara-
tion of the emulsion.—Mistura Amygdalarum, D.  (Blanched sweet
almonds, ^iss.; bitter almonds, 3ij. ; pure sugar, §ss.;  water, by
measure, fbiiss.; rub the almonds with the  sugar, adding the water
gradually, and strain.)—L. E.   (Almond confection, giiss. (§ij., E.);
water (distilled, L.), Oj. (Oij., E.); add the water to the confection
gradually, triturating until they are mixed, and strain through linen.
Or  it may be prepared as follows, E.: " Sweet almonds, §j. or sij.;
pure sugar, 3v.; mucilage, fgss.;  water, Oij.; blanch the  almonds,
beat them to a smooth pulp in an earthenware  mortar, first with
the sugar, then with the mucilage; add the water  gradually, con-
stantly  stirring, and strain through  linen or calico.")  Generally
employed as a vehicle for other medicines, in doses of fgi. or f§ij.;
the few bitter almonds in  the Dublin  preparation give  it an  agree-
able flavour.  Acids  and  alcohol, and, of course, tinctures, are in-
compatible with almond emulsion.

  Amylum, D.  L. E.   Fecula of the seeds of Triticum hybernum,
D.  L.—of Triticum vulgare, E.   Starch; Wheaten starch.—The
common wheat, Triticum hybernum, is a native of the country of
the Baschkirs, and is cultivated throughout all Europe.   It belongs
to the natural  family Graminacea, and to the Linnsean class  and
order Triandria Digynia. 
EMOLLIENTS.
183
   B. C.—Culms simple, glaucous, jointed; leaves alternate, linear, smooth, of a
 glaucous-green colour;  flowers glumaceous, at the extremity of the culm; seed
 (grain) ovoid, yellowish, with a longitudinal furrow.
   P. U. & M. of Prep.—The fecula or starch forms nearly 70 per cent, of wheaten
 flour.  It is procured by steeping the flour in water for one or two weeks until it
 becomes sour, drawing  off the supernatant liquor;  washing the residuum with re-
 peated portions of water on sieves, allowing the liquor which passes through to  de-
 posite the starch in large vats ; and, finally, draining the deposited starch, and dry-
 ing it in a stove.
   P. P.—Starch usually occurs in the  form of small, irregular, hex-
 agonal prisms ; it is white, pulverulent, unalterable in the air, crack-
 ling under the fingers when lightly pressed, inodorous  and insipid.
 Viewed under the microscope, it is found to consist of various-s zed
 transparent particles, rounded or angular, uneven on the surface.
   C. P.—Starch is  composed of an external tegument termed Amy-
 lin, and a contained mucilage named Amidin.   Its ultimate analy-
 sis is C7Hfi06.   Starch is insoluble  in  cold water, but may be sus-
 pended in it by trituration ; it is also insoluble in alcohol and ether.
 In water near the boiling point it d.ssolves almost completely, and
 if sufficiently concentrated, forms with it an opaque jelly, which
 becomes more consistent as it cools.   By roasting starch, it is ren-
 dered somewhat analogous to gum, and is then soluble  in cold wa-
 ter.   With a cooled decoction of starch, iodine forms a rich blue
 compound  (iodide  of starch), which varies, in  the  intensity of the
 colour, as the iodine or starch predominates.   It is only on the
 amidin that iodine  acts, not altering the colour of the amylin, con-
 sequently it produces no effect on starch when  merely moistened
 with water, requiring either  trituration or heat to burst the  tegu-
 mentary  membrane.  Amidin constitutes  995 or 996 thousands of
 starch, amylin only  4  or 5 parts in a thousand.
   Adulterations.—Starch is often adulterated with sulphate of lime;
 it may be detected  by incineration, the starch burning away and
 leaving the fixed sulphate.   Its weight is often increased by the
 presence  of superabundant  moisture, which may be discovered  by
 drying starch in a vapour-bath, and ascertaining the loss of weight,
 which should not be more than ten or  twelve per cent.
   Th. E.—Wheaten starch is employed in medicine, chiefly in the
 form of decoction, as an  emollient enema in dysentery, diarrhoea,
 or other  inflammatory affections  of the abdominal viscera; it  is
 also used as a vehicle for more active remedies, and for suspend-
 ing drugs which are administered in the state of powder.  Exter-
 nally, starch in fine  powder is applied  to  excoriated parts, and for
 preventing the formation of bed sores.
   D & M. of  Adm.—Mucilago (Decoctum, L.) Amyli, D. L.  E.
 (Starch, 3vj. (3iv., L.  E.) ; water,  by measure,  fbj. (Oj.,  L. E.) ;
 triturate the starch  with the water gradually added, and  boil for a
 short time.)

   Avena, L. E.  Avena sativa, farina ex seminibus, D.  The
seeds (freedfrom the husks, L.) of Avena sativa, L. E.   Oatmeal,
D.—Avena sativa, the common  oat, is generally cultivated through-
out the whole of Europe; it belongs  to the natural family Grami-
nacea. and to the Lajinnan  class and order Triandria Digynia. 
184
emollients.
  B. C.—Root annual; culm from two to three feet high ; leaves linear, acute ;
 flowers glumaceous, disposed in loose, terminal, somewhat pendent panicles ; seeds
 more or less elongated, pointed at both extremities, convex at one side, marked
 with a longitudinal furrow on the other, white, in some varieties black.
  P. U. & M. of Peep.—Oats deprived of their husk are called groats, which, when
 coarsely ground, constitute oatmeal; the husks, with some adhering starch from the
 seeds, are sold under the name of seeds.  Those different preparations are too well
 known to need description.
   C. P.—Oats consist of 66  per  cent, of meal, and 34 per cent, of
 husk or Bran.   The dried meal  consists of starch, mucilage, sugar,
 albumen, and lignin ; but no gluten.   Oatmeal or groats boiled with
 water, in the proportion of about §iij. to Oiij. of water, down to one
 half, constitutes gruel,  a light article of diet for the sick or conva-
 lescent.   If a larger  proportion of the coarsely-ground meal be
 used, and unstrained, it is called porridge, a principal  article in the
 dietaries  of hospitals and charitable institutions, and forming a  sta-
 ple article of food in Scotland and  the north of Ireland.
   Th. E.—Oatmeal  is nutritive and emollient; it is only employed
 in medicine internally, in the  form oi* gruel, above referred to.  Ex-
 ternally it is sometimes used in  the form  of poultice, prepared as
porridge, but with less boiling;  it enters into the composition of
 the  Cataplasma simplex, D.   (See page 192.)

  Cera,  L.  Cera  flava, D. E.   A concrete prepared by Apis
 Mellifica, L.   Waxy secretion of Apis Mellifica, E.   Bees' wax.
  Cera  alba, D. L. E.   White  wax; Bleached bees' wax.—Wax
 is a product of many vegetables; but the wax  employed in medi-
 cine is  a secretion of  certain glands, wax  pockets, situated on the
 abdomen of the common bee ; it is  used by the insect for construct-
 ing the cells of the honeycomb.
  Prep.—ft is obtained from the comb, after the honey has been removed by drip-
ping and expression, by melting it in water and straining so as to free it from im-
purities ; in this state it constitutes yellow wax.  White wax is procured from this
by melting  and agitating with water, and, finally, bleaching in thin ribands in the
open air, the process being repeated until it loses all colour and odour.
  P. P.—Yellow wax is in large cakes, of the shape  of the  mould
in which it  has been  allowed to cool; it has a gamboge-yellow col-
our, a dull lustre, a peculiar sweet odour, and a  faint, greasy taste;
sp.  gr.,  *960 to  *965.   White wax  is  in white cakes, with a faint
yellow tinge; it is feebly translucent, inodorous,  and insipid ; sp.
gr., about *966.
  C. P.—White wax consists of two substances, cerine and myri-
cine (John); its ultimate analysis is C20H20O (Hess).   It is insolu-
ble in water, and in alcohol and ether when cold ; but is soluble in
boiling alcohol and ether, in the fixed oils, and in oil of turpentine.
It fuses at 155°, and  is inflammable, burning without any residuum
when pure.  It combines  with fats and resins  when  heated  with
them.
  Adulterations.—Wax is adulterated:  with  starch, which  may
be detected by the action of  tincture of iodine  on cooled water in
which it has been boiled;  with resin, which may be dissolved  out
by  alcohol;  with fat or grease, which emit a peculiar odour when 
EMOLLIENTS.
185
burned ;  and with flour of sulphur and other earthy or metallic sub-
stances, which are left when wax is dissolved by oil of turpentine.
   Th. E.—Wax  acts as an emollient, and was formerly employed
as such  in  ulcerations of the intestines, but at present it is not  used
as an internal remedy.   As an  external agent, it  forms the basis
of all cerates, and is an  important  constituent of many ointments
and plasters.
  Pharm. Prep.— Unguentum Cera alba, D.  (White wax, ibj. ; prepared  hog's
lard, ?iv. ; make into  an ointment.)—Ceratum, L.   Ceratum simplex, E.  (Olive oil.
fs-iv. (6 parts, E.); white wax, fiv. (3 parts, E.);  (spermaceti,  1 part, E.);  " add
the oil to the melted wax and  mix them," L.; " heat the oil gently, add the wax
and spermaceti, stir the whole  briskly when it is fluid, and continue the agitation
as it cools," E.)  Those preparations commonly known as simple cerate are used as
mild and  cooling dressings.— Unguentum Cera:, flava, D.  (Prepared  in the  same
manner as white wax ointment, substituting yellow wax.)—Emplastrum Cera, L.
Emplastrum simplex, E.  (Wax, Ibiij. (f iv., E.); suet, Ibiij. (f ij., E.); resin, Ibj. (fij.,
E.); " melt together,  and strain," L.; " melt with a gentle heat, and stir briskly till
it concretes on cooling," E.)  Chiefly used for preparing cantharides plaster.—Lin
imentum simplex, E.   (Olive oil, 4 parts ; white wax, 1 part; dissolve the wax in
the oil with a gentle heat, and stir well, as the  fused mass cools and concretes.)
An emollient liniment.


   Cetaceum, D. L. E.  Spermaceti.   A concrete found in peculiar
cells  of the head of P/iyseter Macrocephalus, L.   Cetin  of Physe-
ter Macrocephalus, nearly  pure,  E.—Physeter Macrocephalus, the
great-headed cachalot, is  a gregarious whale, inhabiting the Pacific
Ocean  and the  Indian  and Chinese  Seas;  it belongs to  the class
Mammalia, order Cetacea.
  Prep.—Although spermaceti is found in various parts of the body of the animal
mixed with the common fat, it is chiefly obtained  from a large, triangular-shaped
reservoir, existing in the head over the surface  of the upper jaws, in which it is
contained dissolved in oil, forming a milky-looking, oleaginous fluid.   It is separa-
ted from the oil by boiling in water, from which the  spermaceti crystallizes as it
cools ; it is then purified by being remelted in a weak solution  of potash,  and the
impurities  skimmed off*, and, finally, melted a third time by the agency of steam,
and cooled slowly in tin moulds.
   P. P.—Spermaceti occurs  in  various-sized crystalline masses,
beautifully white, which are formed of an infinite number of small
brilliant scales; it is soft and unctuous to  the touch, inodorous, and
insipid.   Sp. gr.,  *943.
   C. P.—It is composed of 2  atoms of  margaric  acid, 1 of  oleic
acid, 3 of cetene, and 3 of water.   It may be readily pulverized by
the addition of a  few drops of alcohol, or of almond oil; it is  fusi-
ble at 112°, combustible,  insoluble in water, and only slightly solu-
ble  in alcohol, even at a  boiling temperature; it  combines with
fixed or volatile oils, and  with melted fats.
   Th. E.—Spermaceti is an  emollient and  demulcent, but at pres-
ent is not used internally.  Externally,  it is employed as an  ingre-
dient in  various cerates and ointments.
  Pharm. Prep.— Unguentum Cetacei, D.—Ceratum Cetacei, L.   (White wax, ibss.
(fviij., L.); spermaceti, Ibj. (?ij., L.);  (prepared hog's lard, ibiij., D.; olive oil, Oj.,
L.); melt with a gentle heat, and stir them with a spatula until cool.)  An emoll-
ient and cooling dressing for  raw or blistered surfaces.— Unguentum Cetacei, L.
(Spermaceti,  3vi. ; white wax,  3ij.; olive oil, fjiij.; being melted together with a
slow fire,  stir constantly till  they become cold.)  Similar to the last, but  a  softer
preparation.                          . 
186
EMOLLIENTS.
  Cydonia, L.   Quince seeds;  the seeds of Cydonia vulgaris.—
The quince-tree  is a native of the South of Europe, bel aiging to
the natural family Rosacea, and to the  Linnaean class  and order
Icosandria Pentagynia.
  B. C.—A small, much-branched tree ; leaves ovate, obtuse, their under surface
tomentose ; flowers large, solitary or few, pale rose colour; fruit, a variously-sha-
ped pome, yellow, austere, but very fragrant, containing many seeds.
  P. P.—Quince seeds are ovate, pointed, plano-convex, of a red-
dish-brown colour, inodorous, leaving a bitter  impression on the
palate when chewed  for some  time.
  C. P.—The episperm of the seed contains a large quantity of
mucilage, named by Pereira Cydonin.  The substance of the seed
contains, besides other  matters, emulsin and fixed oil, consequently
emitting,  when moistened, the  bitter almond odour.  The mucila-
ginous principle is dissolved out by boiling water.
  Th. E.—Quince seeds  are  only employed in medicine for the
mucilage which they contain ;  the decoction  has  been recommend-
ed  as an  emollient application to erysipelatous surfaces, and to
aphthous  ulcerations  of the mouth.
  Pharm. Prep.—Decoctum Cudonia, L.  (Quince seeds, 31J. ; distilled water, Oj.;
boil for ten minutes over a slow fire, and strain.)  Never used internally.  It does
not keep well.
  Imcomp.—Alcohol; acids ; most metallic solutions ;  and tincture
of galls.

   Farina, D. L. E.  Flour of the seeds of Triticum hybernum, D.
L.—of Triticum vulgare, E.   Wheaten flour (sec Amylum).—Flour
is employed in medicine for dusting  excoriated or burned  parts;
in the form of bread, it is used  as a basis for making  pills;  but as
it always contains salt, it should not be employed for that purpose
with substances which are decomposed by muriate of soda, as the
salts of silver, &c.

   Fici, L. E.  Ficus carica,  fructus siccatus, D.  Figs.  The
dried fruit of Ficus  Carica.—A native of Asia and the South of
Europe,  belonging  to  the natural family  Urticacea,  and  to  the
Linnasan class and order Polygamia  Dicecia.
  B. C.—A small tree, with large, cordate, palmate leaves; flowers numerous,
pedicellated, enclosed within a fleshy receptacle, which is umbilicated and nearly
closed at the apex, hollow within ; drupe or utricle one-seeded, sunk into the pulpy
receptacle.
   P. P-—Figs consist of the fleshy, pyriform receptacle, containing
within numerous small, crustaceous seeds.  When fully ripe  they
are  dried in  the sun, and packed  in  drums or baskets, in which
forms they are imported; those in drums from Smyrna (Turkey
figs), those in baskets  from Spain  and Portugal (Portuguese figs).
Dried figs are too well known to require description.
   C. P.—Dried  figs consist of 62 per cent, of sugar of figs, with
gum, fatty matter, extractive, and salts.  They yield  their sugar
and gum to boiling water.
   Th. E.—Figs are  nutritive  and emollient, and in large quantity 
EMOLLIENTS.
187
gently laxative ;  they are more employed as an article of the table
than  in  medic ne.   They enter into the composition of the  com-
pound decoction of barley, and the confection or electuary of senna.
Roasted figs are applied  to gum boils, to promote suppuration.

   Glycirrhiza  glabra, D. L. E.   The  (fresh, L.) root (and ex-
tract, E.)  of Glycirrhiza glabra.   Liquorice.—A native of the
South of Europe, now cultivated extensively in England; belong-
ing to the natural  family Leguminosa, and to the Linnasan  class
and order Diadelphia Decandria.
  B. C.—Root long, creeping, succulent;  stem erect, smooth, 4 to 5 feet  high;
leaflets ovate, retuse, yellowish ; flowers axillary, racemose, papilionaceous,  bluish
or purplish.
  P. U. & M. of Prep.—The root;  it is dug up in November, when the plant is
three years old, washed, and the small fibres cut off; it is imported in  large quan-
tities from Spain and Portugal, but  that grown in England is most esteemed.  It
may be kept fresh for many months  by covering it with sand in a damp cellar.
   P.  P.—Liquorice root is in cylindrical pieces, from one to  two
or three feet long, smooth and plump when fresh, wrinkled in the
dry state, about  the thickness of the  little finger, externally of an
umber-brown colour, internally yellow ; it has a faint earthy odour,
and  a sweet, mucilaginous, subacrid taste.
   C.  P.—It consists of a peculiar saccharine principle named gly-
cirrhizine, albumen, fecula, asparigin, or a principle  analogous to
it, some  salts, and  a thick, acrid, resinous oil.   It yields  its active
principles to boiling water, but as  the acrid oil is dissolved out by
the aid  of heat, the Edinburgh College directs cold water to be
used  for preparing  the extract.
   Th. E.—Liquorice root is  emollient and demulcent; it is chiefly
employed in  the form of extract  or decoction in catarrhal affec-
tions ; it is also  use d to give flavour to other medicines.   Liquorice
powder  is employed in pharmacy as a covering for pills, or to give
them consistence.
   D. &  M. of Adm.—Extractum  Glycirrhiza, D. L. E.  ("Pre-
pared as  the simple  extracts,"  D.—"As extract of gentian," L.
"Cut liquorice root into small chips, dry  it thoroughly with a gen-
tle heat, reduce  it to a moderately fine powder, and proceed as
for extract of gentian," E.)   Extract df liquorice is imparted  in
large quantities from Italy and Spain in the form of flattened  rolls,
about five or six inches long, an inch in  breadth, and half an inch
in thickness, enveloped  in bay leaves;  in this state it  generally
contains a large quantity of copper, acquired from the  boilers  in
which it is prepared ;  it is  therefore generally purified by d ssolv-
ing in boil.hg water and  inspissating ; it  then forms stick or refined
liquorice.  It is used as an emollient in coughs and bronchial affec-
tions, being  allowed  to  dissolve slowly  in the  mouth.—Decoctum
Glycirrhiza, D.   (Liquorice root,  bruised, giss. ;  water,  by  meas-
ure, fbj.;  boil for  ten  minutes, and strain.)  Chiefly  used as  a ve-
hicle for more active medicines.—Trochisci Glycirrhiza, E.  (Ex-
tract of liquorice  and gum-arabic, of each, §vj.;  pure  sugar,  fbj.;
dissolve them in a sufficiency of  boiling water, and then concen- 
188
emollients.
 trate the solution over the vapour-bath to a proper consistence for
 making lozenges.)  For allaying tickling  cough caused by irrita-
 tion of the fauces.

   Gossypium, E.  Raw  Cotton.  Hairs attached to  the seeds of
 Gossypium herbaceum.—A native of Asia, cultivated  in America;
 belonging to the natural family Malvacea, and to  the Linnaean
 class and order Monadelphia Polyandria.
  B. C.—Stem 2 to 3 feet high ;  leaves hoary, palmate, acutely lobed; flowers
 yellow, with a large purple spot at the base of each petal; capsules ovate, pointed,
 about the size of a walnut; seeds numerous, imbedded in down, which constitutes
 the cotton.
   P. P.—Cotton is in filamentous  masses; each filament, exam-
 ined by the  microscope, is a flattened tube twisted on itself; it is
 of a pale yellowish-white colour, tasteless,  and destitute of smell.
   C. P.—Cotton  is a  modification of lignin;  it is highly combus-
 tible, and is  completely insoluble in water, alcohol, ether, the fixed
 and volatile  oils, and all the  vegetable acids.
   Th. E.—The only medicinal use made of cotton is in the treat-
 ment of burns;  it is applied in all stages, but the earlier the  better;
 if any blisters be present, they should  be first  opened.  The most
 convenient  form  for  its application  is that which is technically
 known  as French wadding, and which is  prepared for milliners;
 this should be  applied  in successive  layers,  the unstarched  side
 next the burn, so as  completely to  exclude the air; it should not
 be  removed for five or six days, if possible, and then only the outer
 layers.   Some surgeons, in extensive burns, use a spirituous or tur-
 pentine wash before applying  the cotton.

  Gummi acacia, E.   Acacia, L. [and  U.  S. P.].  Acacia Arabi-
 ca  et Acacia vera, gummi, D.   Gum of various species of Acacia,
 E.—of Acacia vera,  L.—of Acacia Arabica, and Acacia vera, D.
 Gum-arabic; Gum acacia.—The  species of  the genus  Acacia
 which yield  gum are  inhabitants of Arabia, Egypt, and Senegal;
 they belong to the natural family Leguminosa,  and to the Linnasan
 class and order Polygamia Moncecia.
  B. C—Small thorny trees ; leaves pinnated ;  leaflets linear, 8 to  20 pairs ; flow-
ers capitate, small, yellow.
  P. U. & M. of Prep.—Gum exudes from the trees either through natural fis-
sures in the bark, or through artificial incisions made into it in the hot season of
July and August; it flows in the form of a thick, viscid fluid, which concretes on
the tree without losing its transparency; that which flows early in the season is
gathered in December, and that which flows later, in March ; the first gathering is
considered the best.
  P. P.—Several varieties of gum  acacia are met with in  com-
merce; the most commonly known are, Turkey, or true Gum-ara-
bic, Barbary Gum, Senegal Gum, East India Gum, and Cape Gum.
Gum-arabic occurs in  tears or irregularly-shaped pieces, varing in
size from a pea to that of a chestnut;  it"is  transparent and brittle,
but not readily  reducible to fine powder; it  has a vitreous  frac-
tuie, and a pale redd.sh-ydlow or pure white colour.   It is  inodor-
ous, and has a weak  muc.lai: 0" s  t-stc.  Its  sp. gr.  vanes  from 
EMOLLIENTS.
189
1*316 to 1*525.  The most transparent and whitest tears are pick-
ed out, and sold as picked gum, or gum of first quality.  The other
varieties  of gum  do not differ essentially  from  gum-arabic; they
are usually in larger-sized pieces, and of a  darker colour; they are
inferior in quality to gum-arabic, and should not be used for medi-
cal purposes.
  C. P.—Gum-arabic consists of 79*4 per  cent, of soluble gum
(arabin), 17*6  of water, and 3 of ashes.  Some of the inferior sorts
of gum contain a  large quantity of insoluble gum (bassorin).  Its
ultimate analysis  is C12HI1On.   Gum is  soluble in its own weight
of cold or boiling  water, forming a viscid solution (mucilage); it is
also soluble in vegetable acids,  but is insoluble in alcohol,  ether
and the fixed or volatile oils.  By exposure to heat, the water it
contains is driven off; but it cannot be fused. Its solution in water
reddens litmus paper faintly.
  Adulterations.—The finer qualities of gum-arabic are adulterated
with the inferior, and these, again, with the other sorts; but the
picked gum ought alone to be used in medicine.
   Tn. E.— Gum is nutritive, emollient, and demulcent.  It is em-
ployed in  inflammation of the mucous membranes, in gastric irrita-
tion, in acrid poisoning, &c.  Its chief  uses are as  a vehicle for
more active medicines,  for suspending insoluble substances in wa-
ter, and as a basis for pills  in extemporaneous prescriptions.   A
strong solution has been recently proposed by Mr. Rhind, of Edin-
burgh, as  an application to burns.  (See Edinburgh Medical and
Surgical Journal, vol. lviii., p. 428.)
   D. & M. of Adm.—In substance or powder,  3ss. to 3i., allowed
to dissolve slowly in the mouth, in irritation of the fauces  and in
tickling cough.—Mucilago Gummi Arabici, D.  (Gum-arabic, in
coarse powder, §iv.; hot water, f^iv.; digest, shaking frequently,
that the gum may be dissolved ; then strain through  linen.)—Mis-
tura Acacia, L.  (Acacia, powdered, §x.; boiling water, Oj.;  rub
the gum with the water gradually poured in, and dissolve it.)—
Mucilago, E.   (Gum-arabic,  §ix.; cold  water,  Oj.;  mix, dissolve
without heat, but  with occasional stirring,  and strain  through linen
or calico.)   Mucilage made with cold water keeps best; the quan-
tity of gum employed in the Dublin formula is too  much by  one
half.   The following proportions of mucilage are required  to ren-
der different substances miscible with aqueous vehicles, according
to the observations of Dr. Montgomery : " Oils require about three
fourths of their weight, balsams and spermaceti equal parts, resin
two parts, and musk five times its weight."—Emulsio Arabica, D.
(Gum-arabic,  in  powder, 3ij.:  sweet almonds, blanched ;  white
sugar,  of each, §ss.; water, by measure, ibj.; dissolve the gum in
the water made  hot, and as  soon as the  mixture is cold, pour it
gradually on the almonds, previously pounded with the sugar;  rub
them together till the liquor assumes the appearance of milk, and
strain.)—Mistura  Acacia, E.   (Mucilage, fgiij.; sweet almonds,
3x.; pure sugar, 3v.; water, Oij. ; blanch  the almonds, beat them
to a smooth pulp  in  an  earthenware or marble mortar, first with 
190
EMOLLIENTS.
the sugar, and then with the  mucilage; add the water gradually,
stirring constantly ; strain through linen or calico.)   Used for the
same purposes as almond mixture (which see).—Trochisci Acacia,
E.   (Gum-arabic, liv.; starch, gi.; pure sugar, ibj.;  mix, and pul-
verize them; and make into a proper mass with rose-water, for form-
ing lozenges.)  For cough, hoarseness, and irritation of the fauces.
  [Sirup  Acacia, Sirop  de Gomme (Sirup of Gum-arabic).—Gum-
arabic,  1 part; water, 1 part; simple sirup, 8 parts; dissolve the
gum in the water without heat, strain, and add the solution to the
sirup, boiling  it to  29°.   This officinal preparation  is much em-
ployed  in the  United States.]
  Incomp.—Alcohol, and, consequently, all tinctures ; and the min-
eral acids.

  Hemidesmus Indicus.  Scented or Indian sarsaparilla.—The root
of this plant has, within the last ten or twelve years, been employ-
ed, in medicine in the British Isles, under the name oi Smilax aspe-
ra.  It is a native of the Indian Peninsula, and belongs to the natu-
ral family Asclepiadacea.
  B. C.—Roots long, cylindrical; stems twining, woody, slender  ; leaves opposite,
entire, glaucous,  on short footstalks ; flowers small,  greenish-purple, in axillary ra-
cemes.
  P. & C. P.—As  usually met with, the roots are from 10 to 12
inches  in length, and vary in thickness from that  of a goose-quill
to that  of the little  finger.  They consist  of a reddish-brown cor-
rugated epidermis,  a yellow inner bark  from a line to a line and a
half thick, and a paler-coloured woody centre or meditullium ; the
bark splits transversely into rings, between which the meditullium
is seen.  Indian sarsaparilla has a very  agreeable  odour,  resem-
bling that of the Tonquin  bean, and a sweetish, mucilaginous taste.
It has not been accurately analyzed, but  Mr. Garden, of London,
obtained from it a volatile, crystallizable acid, which he has  named
smilasperic (hemidesmic ? Pereira) acid, and on which its fragrant
odour depends.  It imparts both odour and taste to  boiling water.
   Th. E.—Although this root is hfghly esteemed in  India as  a di-
aphoretic and tonic, and is used there extensively as a substitute for
sarsaparilla, it has  been  only employed in  England for preparing a
demulcent sirup, which,  chiefly in consequence of its agreeable fla-
vour, is employed  as  a  vehicle for more active medicines.  The
sirup is prepared by infusing Ibss. of the bruised root in Oj. of boil-
ing water for 4 hours, straining, and adding ibiij. of sugar.   It may
be given in doses of fji.  or f§ij.

   HoRDEUM, L. E.   HoRDEUM, DISTICHON, SEMINA  DECORTICATA, D.
The seeds of Horoleum distichon freed from the husks.   Pearl bar-
ley.—A native of Tartary, now cultivated extensively in Europe;
belonging to  the natural family Graminacea, and to the Linnasan
class and order Triandria Digynia.
  B. C—Stem 3 to 4 feet high, glaucous, furrowed; leaves alternate, lanceolate,
acute ; flowers terminal, in close spikes, with long serrated awns. 
EMOLLIENTS.
191
  Prep.—Pearl barley is prepared in a mill of a peculiar construction, by which,
after it has been deprived of its husk, it is rounded and polished.
  P. P.—It is in small, spherical grains, white, smooth, still  retain-
ing a trace of the longitudinal furrow of the seed ; it is odourless,
but has a mild, sweetish, mucilaginous taste.
  C. P.—Pearl barley is composed of fecula, uncrystallizable sugar,
gum, gluten, albumen, lignin, &c.  Proust has indicated the pres-
ence of a peculiar principle in  barley-meal, which he has  named
hordein,  but Dr. Thomas Thompson states that it is merely  a vari-
ety of amylin.   Pearl  barley yields  its mucilaginous  principles to
boiling water; the decoction contains much  starch, as shown by
the action of iodine on it when cool.
  Th. E.—Pearl barley is employed in medicine in the form of de-
coction, as an emollient and demulcent drink in febrile and inflam-
matory affections, as a vehicle for other remedies, and to give bulk
to enemata.
  D. & M.  of Adm.—Decoctum Hordei,  D. L.   (Pearl barley, §ij.
(jiiss., L.);  water, by measure,  fbvss. (Oivss., L.) ;  first  clean the
barley with cold water ;  then boil for a short time with fbss. (Oss.,
L.) of the water; throw away  the liquor;  pour the remainder of
the water boiling on the barley ; and, finally, boil down to one half,
and strain.)—Decoctum Hordei comp., D. L.  (Decoction  of bar-
ley, by measure, fbiv. (Oij., L.);.  raisins (stoned, D.); figs, sliced, of
each, §ij. (|i:ss., L.) ;  liquorice root, sliced  and  bruised,  §ss. (3iv.,
L.) ; " during the boiling, add  the raisins first, then the figs, and,
lastly, the liquorice, a little  before the conclusion of the boiling ;
which is completed when there remains only what will afford fbij.
by  measure of strained  liquor," D.   " Add  a pint of water, bod
down to Oij., and strain," L.)—Mistura Hordei, E.  (Pearl bailey ;
figs, sliced ; and raisins, stoned, of each, |iiss.; liquorice root, sliced
and bruised, 3v.; water, Ovss.;  clean the barley, if necessary, by
washing it with cold water;  boil it with  Oivss. of the water down
to Oij. ; add  the figs, raisins, and liquorice root with the rest of the
water ;  boil down again  to Oij.; then strain.)   These decoctions
may be employed indiscriminately for the purposes above stated.

  Linum usitatissimum, semina et oleum. D. L. E.  Linseed.  Oil
expressed from the seeds ;  Linseed Oil.—The common flax,  Linum
usitatissimum, is an indigenous plant, belonging to the natural fam-
ily  Linacea, and to the Linnaean class and order Pentandria Pen-
tagynia.
  B. C—-Stem  a foot to a foot and a half high, slender, branched above  ; leaves
distant; flowers large, purplish blue; capsule globular, ten-seeded.
  P. U. & M. of Prep.—The seeds are threshed out of the  plant when fully ripe ;
and  the oil is obtained from them by pressure, without heat.
  P. P.—The  seeds are  ovate, pointed, about  a line in   length,
smooth, and  shining ;  they  are reddish-brown extcrnallv, whitish
within ;  they have an oily taste, but are inodorous,  the oil is
thick, of a wine-yellow colour, with a  faint, dsagreeable odour, and
a mild, somewhat nauseous taste.  Sp. gr., -932.   As  met with in 
192
EMOLLIENTS.
 commerce, it is expressed with the aid of heat, when the colour is
 rather deeper.   The seeds yield about 20 per cent, of oil.
   C. P.—The seeds consist of  vegetable mucus, containing free
 acetic acid and some salts, extractive, starch, wax, soft resin, gum,
 albumen,  yellow  colouring matter,  and fixed oil (Meyer).   The
 mucilage exists in the tegument, the fixed oil in the nucleus.   Lin-
 seed oil is composed of oleic and margaric acids, and glycerin; it
 dissolves in  5  times its weight of boiling alcohol, in 40  times its
 weight of cold alcohol, and in about one part and a half of ether.
 At a temperature of—17° it congeals into a solid  yellow mass;
 exposed to the air, it concretes into a transparent varnish, and, con-
 sequently, is  called in the arts a drying oil.
   Th. E.—Linseed  and its oil are emollient and demulcent.   An
 infusion of the seeds is sometimes employed internally in dysentery
 and diarrhoea, and  in bronchial affections; it is also used as an
 emollient enema.  Externally, the seeds reduced to powder, linseed-
 meal, are employed  to prepare poultices  and cataplasms; the oil
 mixed with lime-water is used as an application to recent burns.
   D. & M. of Adm.—Infusum Lini comp., D. L.   Infusum  Lini,
 E.  (Linseed (bruised, D. L.), §i. (3vj., L. E.);  liquorice root, sli-
 ced, §ss. (3ij., L. E.);  boiling water, by measure, fbij. (Oj., L. E.);
 digest for four  hours (near the fire, L. E.) in a covered vessel, and
 strain  " through linen  or  calico," E.)   Linseed Tea, the best form
 for internal use ; it may be sweetened with honey, which increases
 its emollient  properties.  Dose, fgij. to f§iv. — Linimentum Calcis,
 D. E.   (Lime-water and linseed oJ, of each, f§iij.;  mix, with brisk
 agit tion.)  Carron oil, an excellent  application to recent scalds
 and  burns.—Pulvis pro Cataplasmate,D.   (Linseed, which remains
 after the expression  of the oil, one part; oatmeal, two parts;  mix.)
 Both the Dublin and  Edinburgh Colleges erroneously direct lin-
 seed meal for poultices to be deprived of its oil by expression, as
 the powder of unprcssed linseed is much more mucilaginous.—-
 Cataplasma simplex, D.  (Powder for a  cataplasm, any quantity;
 boiling water,.sufficient to form a tepid cataplasm, to be  smeared
 over with olive oil.)—Cataplasma Lini, L.   (Boiling water, Oj.;
 bruised fnseed, sufficient  to make it of a proper consistence.)
   Incomp.—Preparations  of lead and iron, and probably most me-
 tallic salts, are  incompatible with infusion of linseed.

   Malva, L. E.   Herb of Malva Sylveslris ;  Common Mallow.—
Indigenous, belonging  to  the natural family Malvacea, and to  the
 Linnasan class and order  Monadelphia Polyandria.
  B. C—Root perennial, tapering; stem two to five feet high, branched ■  leaves
on long petioles, five to seven lobed ; flowers large, three or four together, axillary,
of a purplish rose colour.
  P. U. & M. of Prep.—The entire herb ; it should be gathered when in full flower.
   P. &. C. P.—It  is odourless and insipid ; every part of the plant
 abounds in mucilage, which it yields  to  boiling water.   An infu-
 sion of the fresh flowers is an excellent chemical test for acids and
alkahes, being changed to red by the former, and to green by the
latter. 
EMOLLIENTS.
19'<
  Th. E.—A simple emollient:  it is employed in  the same cases
as the other remedies of this class, but at present is not much used.
  D.  & M. of Adm.—Decoctum Malva comp., L.   (Mallow, dried,
§i.; chamomile, dried, §ss.;  water, Oi.;  boil for a quarter of an
hour, and strain.)  Dose, f§iv. to f§vj.; chiefly used for fomenta-
tions, and in  enemas.

  Maranta, L. E.   Fecula  of the root stalk (of the tubers, E.) of
Maranta arundinacea, L. E.;  and  of Maranta Indica, E.   Ar-   •
row-root.—Maranta arundinacea is a native of the West Indies ; it
is extensively cultivated in Jamaica;  M. Indica is  a native of the
East Indies, and  has been introduced into the Ed. Ph., as it is  sup-
posed to yield some of the East Indian arrow-root.  They belong
to the natural family Marantacea, and to the  Linnasan class  and
oi'der Monandria Monogynia.
  B. C.—The rhizome is white, tuberous, and jointed, running horizontally in the
ground, sending down many tuberous rootlets (stoles), about the  thickness of a quill,
covered with scales; stem 2 to 3 feet high; leaves ovate, lanceolate, alternate,
with long, leafy, hairy sheaths; flowers small, white.
  P. U. & M. of Prep.—Arrow-root is the fecula of the stoles ; it is procured from
them when they are twelve months old ; they are  then dug up, cleansed, and re-
duced to a state of pulp in wooden mortars; the pulp is  agitated with water, the
fibres removed with the hand, the milky liquor passed through a fine hair-sieve, and
allowed to settle, when it deposites  the arrow-root, which is again washed with cold
water, and finally dried in the sun.
  P. P.—West Indian Arrow-root, which is the most  prized, and
which alone is  officinal, is  in the form  of a very white  powder,
often aggregated into  small, irregular masses, crackling between
the fingers, inodorous  and  tasteless.  Examined  by the  miscro-
scope, it is seen, like the other varieties of fecula, to cons;st of small
elliptical grains, varying in size from a 2000th to a 750th of an  inch
in their longest diameter.
  C.  P.—Its composition is C6H50B.  In all other respects it re-
sembles  wheaten starch, already described, but the jelly which it
forms with boiling water is  much more consistent; according to
the observations  of Hayne, with equal quantities of boiling water,
the jelly formed  by 9 parts of arrow-root is as  firm as that formed
by 14 of wheaten starch.
  Adulterations.—A great many varieties of fecula, known in com-
merce as Brazilian arrow-root,  East  Indian arrow-root, &c, but
especially that obtained from the potato,potato starch, are common-
ly sold for the true West Indian arrow-root.  The  fraud is best de-
tected by the microscope;  the grains of which the true  arrow-
root is composed being much more minute than those of any of the
other varieties.
  Th. E.—Arrow-root is rather an article of mild nutritious  diet
for the invalid than a medicine.   It is particularly  valuable in  con-
sequence of its emollient properties in diseases of the digestive or-
gans ; it is also an excellent nutriment for infants and young children.
  D.  & M. of Adm.—A tablespoonful is  sufficient  to form a  stiff
jelly  with a  pint of boiling  water or  milk; to prepare  it for  use,
the arrow-root should be first blended with a small quantitv of the
                              Bb 
194
EMOLLIENTS.
fluid, the remainder then added, care being taken that it is boiling,
and the whole then gently heated for  a few minutes; it is usually
flavoured with lemon-peel, sugar, &c.   Arrow-root milk and ar-
row-root gruel are  made like the corresponding  preparations of
sago (which see).  A fecula obtained from the root  of the  Canna
coccinea, a native of the island of St.  Kitts, has been recently in-
troduced into Britain  under the name  of Tous-les-mois ;  it is fully
equal to arrow-root as an article of diet, and is much cheaper.

   Ohi\M oleum.—Olive Oil (described in the  division Cathartics)
acts also as an emollient; internally, it is only  employed as such in
cases of irritant poisoning; as an external agent, it enters into the
composition  of emollient  ointments, liniments,  &c.— Unguentum
simplex,  E.    (Olive oil, f§vss.; white  wax,  §ij.; melt the wax in
the  oil, and  stir the  mixture briskly while  it  concretes in  cooling.)
A mild dressing.

   Ovum, L. E.   The egg of Phasianus  Gallus,the domestic fowl.—
Phasianus Gallus (Gallus domesticus, Temminck)  belongs to the
class Aves, order Gallina.  Eggs are  a mild and nutritious article
of diet, and as such are frequently used  in the sick-room.   The
white, or albumen, is  employed as an  antidote  in poisoning  with
corrosive sublimate, or with the salts of copper; it is also useful in
all cases  of irritant poisoning.   The yolk  is employed in pharmacy
for suspending camphor, oils,  resins, &c.,  in aqueous vehicles.

   Saccharum commune, E.  Saccharum officinarum, Succus con-
cretus non purificatus, D.   Raw sugar; Muscovado.
   SUCCUS CONCRETUS  PURIFICATUS,  D.   SACCHARUM,  L.  SaCCHA-
rum purum. E.  Pure sugar ;  White or refined sugar.
   Sirupus empyreumaticus, D.   Sacchari fjex, L. E.  Molasses;
Treacle.—The sugar-cane, Saccharum officinarum,  is extensively
cultivated in  both  the  East  and  West Indies; it  belongs to the
natural family Graminacea, and to  the Linnaean class and order
Triandria Digynia.
  B.  C—Stem solid, juicy, from 6 to 12  feet high,  coloured; leaves flat, in two
rows, sheathing at the base ; flowers triandrous, in a terminal panicle from  2 to 4
feet long, of a silver-gray colour, from the long, soft hairs that surround the flower.
  Prep.—The canes, when ripe, are cut off close to the ground, and the juice ex-
pressed from them by pressure between rollers ; milk of lime is immediately  added
to the liquor, and the mixture gently heated, to saturate any acid present, and to re-
move the herbaceous matter.   The clear liquor is then drawn off, evaporated to a
proper consistence in copper boilers, and allowed to cool in large wooden vessels,
in which the impure sugar is deposited in coarse, brown grains ; this  constitutes
raw sugar, or muscovado.  The sirupy liquor, which does not crystallize, constitutes
molasses or treacle.  Raw sugar is refined in England ; it is first dissolved in a small
quantity of water by the aid of steam, heated for a short time with bullocks'  blood,
or with hydrate of alumina, which clarifies the sirup; it is then strained to remove
the impurities, and filtered through a thick layer of animal  charcoal; the clear liquor
is next evaporated by steam heat in copper vessels placed in a partial vacuum, to a
proper consistence, and poured into conical moulds;  as soon as it becomes solid in
the moulds, they are put to drain, and a solution of pure sirup, or a mixture of clay
and water, poured over the. base of each loaf,  which, as it gradually percolates
through the sugar, removes any impurities.  These loaves constitute loaf-sugar, re-
fine d sugar, or pure sugar. 
EMOLLIENTS.
195
   P. & C. P.—The physical properties of the different varieties of
 sugar are too well known to need description.  The specific grav-
 ity of crystallized white  sugar is 1*6065.  It is permanent in  the
 air; exposed to heat,  it melts, becomes brown, and  emits  a pecu-
 liar odour;  it is inflammable, burning with  a white flame; it is
 soluble in two parts of water  at 60°, and to  any extent in  boiling
 water; it is soluble in 80 parts of absolute alcohol  at the  boiling
 temperature, very slightly in the same when cold, and in  about five
 parts of rectified spirit; it is much more soluble in proof spirit; it
 is wholly insoluble in ether, which precipitates it from its solutions.
 In the crystalline state, cane sugar is composed of C'TP'O11.  Trea-
 cle consists principally of uncrystallizable sugar, gummy extractive,
 and a small quantity of water, which it retains with great tenacity.
   Adulterations.—The inferior raw sugars frequently contain sand,
 which is left when the sugar is dissolved in water; white sugar is
 said to be adulterated with lime and gum ; the former is detected
 by oxalic acid, the latter by diacetate of lead, producing white pre-
 cipitates in a solution.
   Th. E.—Sugar is highly* nutritious, but as  an article of diet it is
 rather employed for its agreeable sweetness.  As a medicine it is
 emollient and demulcent, and as such is used in  coughs, and in ir-
 ritant  poisoning.   In pharmacy it is in very general use as a fla-
 vouring ingredient, and to give bulk  and consistence to powders,
 pills, conserves, electuaries, lozenges, sirups, &c.—Sirupus, L.   Si-
 rupus simplex, D. E.   (Pure sugar (in fine powder, D.), §xxix. (tbx.,
 L. E.); water, by measure,  fbj. (Oiij., L. E.) ; "add the sugar to
 the water gradually, and  digest with a  medium heat in a close ves-
 sel, frequently agitating until it is  dissolved ;  then pour it off from
 the dregs, if there be any,"  D.: " dissolve  the sugar in  the water
 with the aid  of a gentle heat," L.  E.)  As  a  flavouring adjunct to
 mixtures, and to suspend  insoluble substances in aqueous  vehicles.

   Sago, L. E.   Fecula of the pith of Sagus Rumphii, L.  Farina
 from the interior of the trunk of various Palmacea and species of
 Cycas,  E.   Sago.—Three species of the palm tribe have been  as-
 certained  as sources  of  the sago of  commerce, namely,  Sagus
 Rumphii, Sagus lasvis, and  Saguerus  Rumphii; the first inhabits
 Malacca and the Malay Islands; the second, Sumatra, Borneo, and
 the neighbouring islands ; and the third, the islands eastward to
 the Bay of Bengal.  They are  all lofty trees,  belonging to the nat-
 ural family Palmacea, and to  the  Linnaean  class and order Mo-
 ncecia Hexandria.
  Prep.—The tree being cut down, the pith is removed, reduced to powder, and
the fecula separated from the woody fibre by repeated washings with water over a
hair-sieve ; when the milky liquor which passes through  is allowed to settle, it de-
posites the sago in the form of a fine powder, which is  afterward granulated by a
process with which we are not acquainted.
   P. P.—Sago occurs in the form of a fine powder (Sago  meal),
or in pearly grains (Pearl Sago);  both sorts have a pinkish-yellow
tint, a faint musty odour, but no taste.  The  grains of pearl sago 
196
EMOLLIENTS.
vary in size from  a pin's head to that of a pea; the small variety
is most esteemed; the larger sort is known as common or brown sago.
  C. P.—In its chemical properties, sago resembles the other va-
rieties of starch;  as seen  under the microscope, its  globules  are
larger than those  of arrow-root, but smaller than those of potato
starch.
  Th. E.—As an  article of diet for  the sick-room, sago is much in-
ferior to arrow-root or tapioca, consequently it is not much used
in the present day.  The jelly may be prepared with it in the same
manner  as with arrow-root.—Sago milk, Thomson.   (Sago, §i.;
cold water, Oj.; soak  the  sago in the water for an hour, pour off
the water,  and add of new milk, Oiss.; and boil slowly until it is
well incorporated.)   It may  be flavoured with sugar, nutmeg, or
cinnamon,  or white wine, according to circumstances.—Sago pud-
ding, Thomson.  (Beat the yolks of two eggs and half an ounce of
sugar together, and stir the mixture into a pint of sago milk.)

  Salep.—This fecula is  prepared from  the roots of several spe-
cies of the genus  Orchis;  among others, it  may be procured from
the Orchis mascula and  O. latifolia, both of which are indigenous;
the process for obtaining it is similar to that for  obtaining arrow-
root, and it is used as  a substitute for that substance.

  Sambucus nigra.—The  flowers or the leaves of the common el-
der (described in  the  division Cathartics) are  used to prepare an
emollient cooling ointment.— Unguentum Sambuci, D.   (Fresh elder
leaves, ibiij.; prepared hog's lard, fbiv.; prepared mutton suet, ibij.;
make an ointment in the same manner  as the  savine ointment.)—
L.   (Elder flowers  and lard, of each, ibij.; boil the  elder flowers
in the lard till they become crisp, and press through a linen cloth.)
The latter  ointment, as having an agreeable  perfume, should be pre-
ferred.

  Tapioca, E. Fecula of the root of Janipha Manihot.  Tapioca.—
A native of Brazil, belonging to the natural family Euphorbiacea,
and to the Linnasan class  and order Moncecia  Monadelphia.
  B. C—Root large, thick,  juicy ; stem about 6 feet high, shrubby; leaves palmate,
5 to 7 parted ; flowers axillary, racemose.
  Prep.—The root, which consists  of woody fibre, a bland fecula, and a highly
acrid, poisonous, milky juice, is  reduced to  a pulpy mass, washed and pressed on
mat-sieves ; the  milky liquor, with the fecula suspended in it, passes through, and
on settling deposites the fecula, which is repeatedly washed with water to free it
from the poisonous juice ; and, finally, dried on hot plates.
  P. P-—Tapioca occurs  in irregularly-shaped, rugged fragments,
about the size of a small nut;  white, with a pinkish hue, inodorous
and tasteless.  Like the  other feculas, as seen under the micro-
scope, it consists of small  globules very uniform in size, and being
nearly as small as the smallest globules of arrow-root.
  C.  P.—It is similar  to the other varieties  of fecula, and is a very
fine form of starch.
   Th. E.—Precisely similar to those of arrow-root; a jelly may be 
emollients.
197
 prepared m the same  manner.   Tapioca milk and Tapioca pud-
 ding are made in the same way as sago milk and sago pudding.

   Tragacantha, L. E.   Tragacantha gummi, D.   Gummy exuda-
 tion from Astragalus verus, L.; and other species, E.; Gum of As-
 tragalus  creticus, D.— Several species of  the  genus Astragalus
 yield gum-tragacanth ;  they are natives of Asia Minor, Persia, and
 of the island of Crete.  They are placed in  the natural family Le-
 guminosa, and in the Linnaean class and order Diadelphia Decan-
 dria.
  B. C.—The Astragalus verus, which yields the finest gum-tragacanth of English
 commerce, is a small shrub,  from 3 to 4 feet high, with spiny branches, pinnatifid
 leaves, and yellow papilionaceous flowers.
  Peep.—Tragacanth flows from  natural fissures in the bark, and concretes rapid-
 ly when exposed to the air ; it flows only during the hot season and in the night time.
   P. P.—Gum-tragacanth occurs in broad,  thin plates, of a white
 or  citron-yellow colour, semitransparent, marked with concentric
 elevations.   It  is inodorous and  tasteless, is hard  and brittle, but
 with difficulty reduced  to powder, unless heated to 100° or  120° F.
   C. P.—It is composed of 57 per cent, of soluble gum  (adragan-
 tine or arabin), and 43 per cent! of gum insoluble in cold, but solu-
 ble in boiling water (bassorin),  (Bucholz).    Its ultimate analysis is
 C10H10O10.   Gum-tragacanth forms a thicker mucilage with water
 than gum-arabic, " one  part giving more viscosity to water than 25
 parts of gum-arabic" (Bucholz).
   Th. E.—Similar to those of gum-arabic, but not so generally em-
 ployed.
   D. &  M. of Adm.— Powder, 3ss.  to 3ij.—Pulvis Tragacantha
 comp.,h. E.  (Tragacanth, bruised; gum-arabic,bruised; and starch,
 of each, jiss.; pure sugar,  §iij. ; reduce the starch and  sugar  to-
 gether to powder, add the tragacanth  and gum-arabic, and pul-
 verize the mixture thoroughly.)   Generally used for administering
 calomel and other active and heavy powders to children ; the dose,
 as an emollient for adults, is 3i.  to 5ij.—Mucilago Gummi  Traga-
 cantha, D. E.   (Tragacanth, powdered, 3ij.;  (boiling, E.) water,
 fgviij. (f^ix., E.): ntacerate in a close vessel until the gum is  dis-
 solved (for  24 hours, and triturate to  dissolve the gum, E.), and
 strain through linen.)   Used for the same purpose as mucilage  of
 gum-arabic.

  Tussilago  farfara,  D. L.  The flowers  and leaves, D. ; whole
 herb, L., of Tussilago farfara ;  Coltsfoot.— Indigenous,-belonging
 to the natural family Composita, and to the Linnasan class and or-
 der Syngenesia  Superfiua.
  B. C.—Root creeping ; leaves large, cordate, downy beneath; flowers astera-
ceous, yellow, appearing before the leaves.
  P. & C. P.—The dried herb is odourless, but has a mucilaginous,
slightly bitter taste.   It is chiefly  composed of mucilage and bitter
extractive.  It yields its properties to boiling water.
  Th. E.—Although coltsfoot was formerly highlv esteemed as an
emollient and demulcent in  chronic bronchitis and in consumption, 
198
epispastics.
m the present day it is scarcely ever employed except in domestic
practice.   A decoction, prepared by boiling §iss. of the dried plant
in Oiss. of water down to Oj., may be given in doses of fgij. or fgiij.
repeatedly7.

   UVA, L.  Uv^E PASS.E,  E.  VlTIS VINIFERA, FRUCTUS SICCATUS, D.
The dried fruit  of Vitis  vinifera (with  the  stones taken  out, L.).
Raisins.—The grape-vine  is  generally  cultivated throughout the
greater part of the globe  ; it belongs to the natural family Vitacece,
and to the Linnsean class and order Pentandria Monogynia.
  B. C—A hardy, climbing shrub ; leaves alternate, smooth, lobed ;  flowers very
small, greenish, in pendent racemes opposite to the leaves ;  fruit, a succulent, glo-
bose berry, usually 4-seeded.
  pREP.—To prepare raisins, grapes are generally merely dried in the sun ; some-
times artificial heat is employed ;  and in many places the fruit is dipped in alkaline
ley before being dried.
   p. p.—Raisins are  too well known  to require description; two
sorts, widely different in appearance  and flavour, are  commonly
met with: the common raisin (Passula Majores), which alone is
officinal; and dried currants (Passula Minores), which are the prod-
uct of a small variety of vine, an inhabitant of Greece, especially
the neighbourhood of Corinth, and of the  islands of Zante and Ceph-
alonia.
   C. P.—Raisins consist of uncrystallizable sugar (grape sugar),
ii.acilage, extractive, bitartrate of potash, malic and citric acids, &c.
   Th. E.—Raisins are emollient, nutritive, and demulcent; they
are only employed in medicine  as flavouring adjuncts, for which
purpose they form ingredients in many officinal  preparations.

   Verbascum thapsus, folia, D.   The  leaves of Verbascum thap
sus.  Great Mullein.—An indigenous  plant, belonging to the natu
ral family Solanacea, and to the Linnsean class and order Pentan-
dria Monogynia.
   Mullein leaves, though  still retained in  the Dublin Pharmacopoeia,
are never used in the present day ;  they were formerly employed
in the form of decoction as an emollient  in chronic coughs.   They
are held by some to be feebly narcotic.
                       CHAPTER XII.

                          EPISPASTICS.
   (Vesicants—Rubefacients—Counter-irritants—Derivatives—Revulsives.)

  Epispastics are  substances which produce  redness, imflamma-
tion, or vesication, when applied to the skin.  They are employed
in the practice of medicine principally with the intention of reliev-
ing or removing the diseased condition of some internal organ, by 
epispastics.
199
producing a new irritation or determination  to the surface of the
body, or to  some remote part.  Independently of this effect, how-
ever, blisters, which are the most  important medicinal agents in
this division, act also as general stimulants to the system, and as
such, are frequently used with much benefit in the advanced stages
of typhoid fevers, and in spasmodic affections arising from debility.
This stimulant effect of blisters should be borne in mind, and, con-
sequently, their application  should  be avoided in the very  acute
stages of inflammatory diseases, until the  general excitement  be
previously subdued by antiphlogistic means.  Epispastics are gen-
erally employed as near the seat of the disease as possible, unless
when the intention is  to  produce a  determination to some remote
part of the  body, as  in the application of sinapisms  to the feet in
affections of the head.
   [A single  sentence in the foregoing paragraph has been italicised,
for the purpose of expressing dissent.   It is true that the author
immediately qualifies it,  by  referring to the exception in the  case
of sinapisms to the feet  in affections of the head.   But in most ex-
amples of disease in which epispastics arc  applied, whatever other
objects may be contemplated, one  of the indications to be fulfilled
by these agents is  that  of counter-irritation, derivative, revulsive,
and hence they should be applied remote from the seat of  disease.
In the United States, most practical men concur in the opinion that
blisters to the  extremities are more serviceable in inflammations of
the viscera  of either  of the great cavities of the body than when
applied over the part affected.  Especially is this  the fact in phreni-
tis ;  for though  in bad  cases shaving the head for the  application
of ice is often resorted to, yet blisters, instead  of being applied to
the scalp, thus aggravating the disease, are judiciously placed upon
the thighs, or upon the spine.
  Blisters should be  applied to children with great caution, never
being suffered to remain upon infants  longer  than two or three
hours.  For want of this precaution, not only strangury may prove
mischievous, but deep ulceration, and sloughing of the integument
has often been fatal.   A few grains of opium with camphor may
be blended with the ointment before spreading it, when strangury
is deprecated, as in certain inflammations of the bladder and adja-
cent structures.]

  Ammonite causticjE  aqua, D.   Ammonite liquor  fortior,  L.
Ammonite aqua  fortior, E.   Stronger solution of  Ammonia.—
(Those preparations have been described in the divisions Antacids
and Caustics.)  Applied to  the surface of  the body, the strong so-
lution of ammonia produces redness and irritation, and if the appli-
cation be long enough continued, it vesicates.  Its only advantage
as a blistering agent is that  it operates speedily, on which  account
it is  employed  in inflammation suddenly attacking any of the ab-
dominal viscera, as in retrocedent gout.   In diseases of the urinary
organs, it should  be  preferred  as a blistering agent to cantharides,
in consequence of the irritant  action of that substance on  the kid- 
200
EPI.-rASTICS.
neys.  As a counter-irritant, it is frequently used to relieve internal
inflammations ; and as a rubefacient, it is employed in muscular or
neuralgic pains.—Linimentum  Ammonia, D. L. E.—Hartshorn
and oil.   (Solution of ammonia (dens. 960,  E.), f3ij. (f§j., L. E.);
olive oil, fs"ij.; mix, with agitation.)  An excellent counter-irritant,
much employed in inflammatory sore throat, applied on a piece of
flannel.  By increasing the quantity of ammonia, it produces more
powerful  effects.—Linimentum  Camphora  comp., D.  L.  (Cam-
phor, §ij. (giiss.. L.); solution of ammonia,  fgvj. (t'gviiss., L.) ; spirit
of lavender, by measure, fbj. (Oj., L.) ; mix  the solution of ammonia
with the spirit, then let a pint distil from  a  glass retort with a slow
fire; lastly,dissolve  the camphor  in it.)—Linimentum Ammonia
comp., E.  (Stronger aqua ammonia, dens. *880, fjv. ;  tincture of
camphor, f§ij.;  spirit of rosemary, fgi. ;  mix well together ; it may
be made weaker with f§iij. of tincture of camphor and f§ij. of spirit
of rosemary.)  Those preparations are used  for the same purposes
as the liniment of ammonia ;  they are cleaner, more agreeable,
and equally efficacious.—Linimentum Ammonia sesquicarbonatis,
L.   (Solution of sesquicarbonate of ammonia, fgi.; olive oil, f^iij.;
shake together  until they are Well mixed.)  Its effects and  uses are
similar to those of Linimentum Ammonia.—Ammoniacal caustic,
Gondret.   (Mutton  suet and olive oil,  of each, 1 part;  melt to-
gether with a gentle heat, and incorporate with two parts of strong
solution of ammonia.)   An excellent and prompt blister.

   Antimonii et potass^e  tartras.—Tartar emetic  (described in
the division Diaphoretics), applied by friction to the skin, produces
a crop of pustules, which ulcerate  and discharge purulent  matter,
causing thereby counter-irritant effects.   With this intention, it is
very frequently employed  in various affections of the thoracic and
abdominal viscera ; in subacute inflammations of the brain or spinal
cord and their membranes; in diseases of  the  joints;  in  muscular
and neuralgic pains,  &c.   It is usually applied in the form  of oint-
ment or saturated  solution ; or from gr. v. to gr. x. may  be sprinkled
over the surface of any simple plaster,  and left on  until it produ-
ces the desired effect.— Unguentum Tartari Emetici, D.  Unguen-
tum Antimonii Potassio-tartratis, L.   Unguentum Antimoniale, E.
(Tartar emetic, in very fine powder, si. (§L, L. E.); prepared hog's
lard, i\. (jiv., L. E.).)   The Dublin preparation is too weak, and,
consequently, often fails to produce any effect.  This  ointment is
employed by rubbing about half a drachm on the skin nieht and
morning; in two or three days pustules  begin to appear, when the
application of the  ointment should be discontinued, as it might give
rise to troublesome  ulceration.   The  concentrated solution is ap-
plied by means of pledgets of linen soaked  in it; its operation is
more speedy than that of the ointment.

   Aqua fervens.—Boiling water has been  used to produce rapid
and extensive vesication, as a means of rousing the system in nar-
cotic poisoning ; the difficulty of confining its action, the great pain 
EPISPASTICS.
201
 caused by it, and the troublesome ulceration which it is apt to oc-
 casion, forbid its use except in extreme cases.

    Artemisia Chinensis et A.  Indica, I).—At the time of the publi-
 cation of the Dublin Pharmacopoeia, it was generally believed that
 the Chinese prepared moxas from the leaves of the above  plants ;
 but, according  to Lindley, it is the leaves of another species, the
 A. moxa, that they  employ for this purpose.   The  latter is  a small
 shrub, a native of China, belonging to the natural family Composita,
 and to the Linnaean class and order Syngenesia Superfiua.
   Prep.—Moxas are prepared in China and Japan, from whence we have derived
 the use of  them, by pounding the downy covering of the leaves until it resembles
 fine cotton, and rolling into small conical masses.  In England they are  prepared
 either from the pith of the stem of the Hclianthus annuus, the common sunflower,
 or by soaking cotton-wool in a concentrated solution of nitre, and forming into small
 masses of  the same shape as the Chinese moxas.  More  recently, Professor Os-
 borne, of Dublin, has proposed the use of fresh-burned quicklime as a substitute for
 the common moxa (Dublin Journal, vol. xx., p. 409).

   Effects and  Uses.—The first sensation felt, on the application
 of a moxa is rather agreeable, but it  soon causes intolerable pain,
 which, however, does not last long.  Redness and inflammation of
 the part  to which it is applied  are produced, and an eschar  formed
 immediately under the  spot on which it has been placed,  which ex-
 tends  to a considerable depth  if the moxa be kept  long  in contact
 with the  skin.   The eschar separates in from eight to ten days, the
 process of inflammation set up for its discharge being attended with
 more or  less suppuration, according to circumstances ; and a dis-
 charge of purulent matter may be established after the separation
 of the eschar by the application of irritating unguents or  by the in-
 sertion of issue peas.  Moxas differ from the actual cautery, in that
 their effects are  produced more slowly, and that the inflammation
 caused by them  penetrates more deeply.  The principal diseases
 in which  the application of moxas has been found beneficial  are, in
 Pott's  curvature of the  spine, in inveterate sciatica,  in neuralgia, in
 paraplegia, in chronic inflammation of the joints, in  amaurosis, &c.
 The good effects produced by moxas depend on the  principle of
 counter-irritation.  Their use is contra-indicated in all acute  inflam-
 matory diseases.
   Mode  of Employment.—The  apex is set on fire, and the base
 kept firmly applied  to the skin by means of a  piece of wire or  a
 pair of forceps;  the neighbouring parts  should be covered  with
 wet pieces of linen,  to protect  them from  the sparks ; the combus-
 tion may  be quickened  by the blowpipe or with the breath.   Pro-
 fessor  Osborne  applies the quicklime moxa as follows: "Some
 quicklime in powder, to the depth of about half an inch, is  placed
 on the  skin inside a porte moxa, or a strip of card bent together and
 tied so as to form a circle; some water is dropped on and  mixed
 with it.  The ordinary lime from a limekiln answers well if fresh."
 Moxas should be applied as close to the seat of the  disease as pos-
sible ; Baron Larrey considers that their application to the follow-
ing parts of the body is improper: to the head  where  the scull is
          '                   Cc 
202
EPISPASTICS.
covered with skin and pericranium only ; to the eyelids, nose, ears,
larynx, trachea, sternum, glandular parts of the  breast, linea alba,
over the course of superficial tendons, articular prominences, where
there is danger of injuring the articular capsules,  and projecting
points of bone.   To  these  we  may add, immediately over the
course of large arteries, veins, or nerves.

   Cantharides  (described in the division Diuretics) are employed
externally to produce rubefaction, vesication, or suppuration.  The
first of these  effects is caused by the application  of cantharides
mixed with other substances to blunt  their activity, as in  the Em-
plast. calefaciens, D.,  or by  applying the active preparations for
only a short space of  time.  To produce rubefaction, we employ
cantharides in the treatment of rheumatic and other local pains, in
chronic catarrh, and in the habitual cough of the old  and debilitated.
When  cantharides are left  for some time closely  applied to the
surface of the  skin, the  cuticle is  raised, and serous  fluid effused
between it  and  the true skin, a blister being thus  produced in a
period varying with the preparation of the flies which we employ.
No agent is so generally used to produce vesication  as cantharides,
in consequence of the certainty of their operation, the comparatively
little  pain which  they occasion, and the facility with which they
may be applied.   Blisters are  employed in a great variety of dis-
eases, generally with the intention of relieving pain, inflammation,
and congestion of internal organs, which they effect by derivation
to the surface of the  body, or, as it is usually termed, by counter-
irritation.   With this  view, they are applied in both the acute and
chronic forms of inflammation of the brain and  spinal cord, to the
scalp, or  along  the track of the spinal  marrow; in inflammatory
affections of the thoracic and  abdominal viscera, to the surface of
the chest or abdomen ;  and in the local congestions of fevers, as
near the affected part as possible.   Blisters are  also used  to stimu-
late to increased action, as in indolent buboes, in chronic enlarge-
ment of the testicle, over chronic abscesses, to indolent ulcers, and
in effusion  into the joints.   To excite the system  generally, they
are applied in the comatose stages of typhoid fever or pestilential
cholera, and in  apoplectic  affections.  To  produce   suppuration,
cantharides are used in the form of ointment, as  a dressing to parts
from which the cuticle has been previously removed ;  and as pow-
erful  counter-irritants, are thus employed with much  advantage in
chronip. inflammatory diseases, forming  what is termed a perpetual
blister.   Cantharides should not be employed to  produce vesication
where any irritation or inflammation of the urinary organs is pres-
ent, in consequence of their peculiar tendency to produce strangury.
In infants and young children, blisters  should be used with great
caution, as they are liable to  produce troublesome sloughing, which
in  many  instances  has  caused  death.   As  a general rule, they
should only be left on until redness of the surface is produced, when
the application of a warm poultice to the part will cause vesication.
  Pharm. Prep.—Emplastrum Cantharidis, Dub. " Cantharides, in very fine pow- 
epispastics.
203
der, yellow wax, of each, ibj.; yellow resin, fiv. ; mutton suet, hog's lard, of each,
Ibss. ; melt  the  wax, fats, and resin together; and when they are  just becoming
stiff by cooling, sprinkle in the cantharides, and mix  so as to form a plaster."  Lond.
" Cantharides, in very fine powder, Ibj.;  wax  plaster, Ibiss. ; lard,  Ibss.; sprinkle
the cantharides  in the plaster and lard melted together, and removed from the fire,
a little before they concrete,  and mix them all."  Edin. " Cantharides, in very fine
powder, wax, resin,  and suet, of each,  5ij. ; liquefy  the fats, remove  from the heat,
sprinkle in the cantharides, and stir briskly, as the  mixture concretes on cooling."
This is the preparation most generally employed to produce a blister ; it is spread
on  leather with  a cold (not heated) spatula, and the margin covered  with adhesive
plaster, lo prevent its moving or falling off.   In order to prevent the irritant action
of the cantharides on the urinary organs, in persons liable  to such an effect, a piece
of tissue paper oiled should be placed  between the plaster and the skin.  Blisters
are usually left on from eight to twelve hours  to produce their action; the raised
cuticle should be then cut to  allow the  escape of the serum, and a dressing of sper-
maceti or some simple ointment applied.—i?m^ks*rttm Calefaciens, D.  (Plaster of
cantharides,  1 part; Burgundy pitch, 7 parts ; melt with a medium heat; and mix
so as to make a  plaster.)  Rubefacient; its uses have been described above.—Ace-
tum Cantharidis, L. E.  (" Cantharides, in powder, fij. ; acetic acid,  Oj.; macerate
for eight days, frequently shaking ;  press, and strain," L.  " Cantharides, in powder,
?iij. :  acetic acid, fjv.;  pyroligneous acid (dens. 1034), ffxv.;  euphorbium, in coarse
powder, fss.; mix the acids, add the powders, macerate for 7 days,  strain and  ex-
press strongly, and fitter the liquor," E.)   Employed as an extemporaneous blister;
it may be conveniently applied with a piece of sponge;  it produces a  blister in from
5 to 10 minutes  ; complaints are frequently made of the inefficiency  of this prcpar
ation ; this  arises either from its being prepared with weak  acid, or from its  not
being rubbed into the skin with sufficient care, as its application should be continued
until it produces intense redness of the part, and much pain.—Ceratum  Cantharidis,
L.  Umsuentum  Cantharidis, E.  (Cantharides,  in very fine powder, ji.; spermaceti
cerate (resinous ointment, E.), jvj, (ij.vij., E.); add the cantharides to the cerate
(or ointment) softened by heat, and mix.)  Used to  promote suppuration  from blis-
tered  surfaces, but it is very apt to cause strangury.— Unguentum Cantharidis, D.
L.  (Cantharides,  in very fine powder, jij. (ji., L. );  distilled water,  by measure,
?viij. (f^iv.,  L.); ointment of white  resin (cerate of  resin,  L.), 3 viij.' (fiv., L.); boil
down the  water  vvith the cantharides to  half, and straw-;  mix'the cerate with  the
strained liquor, then evaporate to a proper consistence.)—Unguentum lnfusi Can-
tharidis, E.   (Cantharides, in moderately fine powder,"resin, and wax, of each, 'fi.;
Venice turpentine a*tid  axunge, of  each, fij.  ; boiling water, fjv. ; infuse the c"an-
tharides in the watfr for a night, squeeze  strongly, filter the liquid, add  the axunge,
^nd boil till the wafer is dispersed ; add the wax and resin ;  and when these have
melted, remove  the'vessel rfrom the fire,  add the  turpentine, and mix the whole
thoroughly.) "Used for  thersame purposes as the cerate, than which  these prepara-
tions are somewhat mildefj—Emplastrum Cantharidis comp., E.   (Venice turpentine,
fivss. ; Burgundy  pitch and cantharides,'  of each, 5iij.; wax, fi. ; verdigris, 5SS.;
White, mustard  seed and black pepper, of each, ?ij.;  melt the wax  and  Burgundy
pMfch, add the turpentine, and while the mixture is hot sprinkle into  it  the remain-
ing articles, previously in fine powder,  and mixed together ; stir the  whole briskly,
as it concretes in cooling.)  A more certain blister than the simple emplastrum can-
tharidis ;  according to Dyrican, it is infallible.—Blistering c^ih, P.  (Oil of canthar-
des obtained by ether, 4 parfs ; yellow'wax, 8 parts"; melf with a gentle he'at, and
spread on waxted linen or dalico.)   A more elegant-preparation than blisterihg plasj
ter, and equally;  if not mora efficacious.*— Tela rcsicatoria,  Charta vesicatoria, &c, so.
generally employed in the. present day/or  blistering, are prepared in the same man-
ner, paper being used instead of linen or calico.—Papier d''Albespeyrrcs,  now so gen-
erally used for keeping up& fliscfraJge  from blisterett surfaces, are prepared as  fol--
lows .• No. 1, which  is the weakest;-" White waxj h parts..;  olive oil,  3  parts;  oil
of chocolate, 4 parts ; spermaceti, 3 parts ; turpentine, 1 part; cantharides, 1 part;
water, 8 parts ;  all melted together."'  No. 2 :  "White wax, 3f; olive oil', 2^ ;' oil
of chocolate, 3;  spermaceti, 2} ; turpentine, | ; cantharides, .1 ; water,  8."  No. 3,
the strongest, contains  the same quantities of cantharides and water, and half the
proportions of the other ingredients contained  in No. 1.   The compound is spread
on paper, or on fine linen or calico.

   Capsicum annuum, capsule cum seminibus, D.   Capsicum,  L.  E.
The fruit  of Capsicum  annuum, and of other species of Capsicum 
201                        epispastics.
E.   Capsicum, or Chillies.  Cayenne pepper.—The Capsicum an-
nuum is a native of the East and West Indies, and of South America;
it belongs to the natural family Solanacea, and to the Linnaean class
and order Pentandria  Monogynia.
  B. C.—An herbaceous annual, 1 to 2 feet high; leaves ovate, smooth, placed on long
footstalks in irregular order ; flowers white, axillary, solitary; fruit, a long conical,
juiceless, scarlel or yellow berry, pendulous.
  P. U. & M.  of Prep.—Cayenne pepper is prepared by reducing to a moderately
fine powder the dried fruit  of this and of other species.   It  is often imported in
powder, chiefly from the West  Indies,  in small gourds ; but the greater part is
ground at home, a fourth part of common salt being generally mixed with it.
  P. P.—A moderately fine powder, of  a  reddish-yellow colour,
with a faint aromatic odour, and a bitter,  acrid, burning taste.
  C. P.—The  active principles  of Cayenne pepper depend on a
very acrid oil, which has been named Capsicin.  It yields its vir-
tues to  water, alcohol,  ether, acetic acid, and the fixed and volatile
oils.
  Th. E.—Cayenne  pepper applied to the  skin produces redness
and inflammation, which  is followed by vesication, if the applica-
tion be continued for some time.   As  a rubefacient, and even vesi-
cant, it  is much employed in the  West Indies, but is scarcely ever
used with either of those intentions in Great Britain; nevertheless,
applied in the  form of  cataplasm, it  is a  convenient and  effectual
counter-irritant.   Its use  as a  stimulant will be considered under
that head.

  Crotonis tiglii oleum,  Croton Oil (described in  the division
Cathartics), rubbed on  the skin, produces redness  and  inflamma-
tion of the part to which it is applied, which is followed by a copi-
ous pustular eruption.   It is applicable  to  all  cases  in which we
wish to produce speedy and active counter-irritation ;  but  it should
not be applied  to  the face or scalp, as in  more than one instance I
have  seen  it produce  erysipelatous  inflammation of those parts.
To prepare a liniment of croton oil, one part  may be rubbed up
with seven  of olive oil,  a combination sufficiently powerful for gen-
eral employment; in hospital  or dispensary practice, linseed oil
may be used instead of olive oil.

  Euphorbia,  L. E.   Euphorbia Canariensis, gummi resini, D.
Gum-resin of Euphorbia officinarum,!,.—of Euphorbia Canarien-
sis, D.—Concrete resinous juice of undetermined species of Euphor-
bia, E.   Euphorbium.—The spJcies of the genus  Euphorbia, from
which  the gum-resin has  been obtained, is not yet accurately as-
certained ; it is a native of the north of Africa.   The  genus be-
longs to the natural family Euphorbiacea, and  to the  Linnasan
class and order Moncecia Monandria.
  B. C—The  pieces of the branches which we find mixed with the gum are 4 to 5
angled, with dark, shining spines, double.  The genus is characterized by its mo-
noecious heads of flowers, surrounded by an involucrum of one leaf with five divis-
ions, including several barren flowers, with one fertile ; capsule 3-seeded
  Prep.—It is obtained in the neighbourhood of Mogadon  (from whence it is
brought  to Great Britain), by making incisions into the stem and branches  from 
epispastics.                      205
which a milky juice exudes ; this juice concretes on the tree into a yellow gum,
and is gathered when quite dry. So intensely acrid is the gum, that those who
gather it are obliged to tie a cloth over their mouth and nostrils.
   P. P.—Euphorbium is in tears or small irregular masses, round-
ish and angular, somewhat friable ;  they  are of a dull yellow col-
our, and pierced with small holes,  formed by  the  spines of the
branch on which they concrete.  They have a weak odour,  but a
very acrid  and burning taste; the powder snuffed into the nostrils
produces much irritation, with incessant sneezing.
   C. P.—It consists principally of resin, the active ingredient, with
wax, some  caoutchouc, and salts of lime and potash.  The resin is
soluble in alcohol, but  water has no  action on it.   Euphorbium
melts when exposed to heat, is inflammable, and burns with a bright
flame, and  a rather agreeable odour.
   Th. E.—Applied to the surface  of the  skin, it causes much irri-
tation, but  does not vesicate or produce any eruption; if the  cuti-
cle, however,  has been previously removed, its  application causes
a purulent  discharge.  It may, therefore,  be employed with  much
advantage  mixed with lard as an issue ointment, or for keeping up
a discharge from blistered surfaces, being cheap and  certain  in its
effects.   For an issue ointment,  25 to 30 grains  may be rubbed up
with an ounce of lard, and the strength may be increased or dimin-
ished according to circumstances.  It possesses the advantage over
the preparations of cantharides, that it does not irritate the  urinary
organs ; and over savine ointment, that it does not spoil by  keep-
ing. The facility with which we can increase or reduce its strength
is  also of great importance.

   Ipecacuanha (described in the division Emetics) is an excellent
counter-irritant;  applied in the form of l.niment, prepared as di-
rected below, it produces an eruption of  minute vesicles on an in-
flamed base in from 36 to 48 hours, which fade away in 3 or 4 clays.
It  possesses the advantage of not causing  much pain or constitu-
tional irritation.—Linimentum Ipecacuanha.  (Ipecacuanha, in very
fine  powder, §ss.; axunge, 3ij. ; olive oil, fgiss.;  mix.)  A fourth
part of this should be well rubbed into the part we desire to irritate
three or four times a day.

   Mezereum.  Mezereon (described in the division Diaphoretics).
—The inner  bark of the stem and branches is much employed on
the Continent as a vesicatory, but as in the dry state its effects arc
uncertain, and slowly  produced, it is not used in  Croat Britain as
such.  In France, in order to produce a blister with  this substance,
a piece  of  the bark is softened  in warm  water or in vinegar, and
applied to the part with a compress and roller : at first the bark is
renewed night and morning, but when the blister is produced it is
only changed  once daily.  An issue  ointment is also prepared with
it,  by digesting for 12 hours the sliced bark in  axunge and  white
wax liquefied  together, and straining. 
206
epispastics.
   Ranunculus  acris, folia,  D.  Ranunculus flammula, hf.rba
 recens, D.   The leaves of Ranunculus acris, and the fresh herb of
 Ranunculus flammula.—Indigenous, belonging to the natural fam-
 ily Ranunculacea, and to the Linnaean class and order Polyandria
 Polygynia.
   Several species of the genus Ranunculus possess vesicating prop-
 erties  in  the recent state, but wdien dried they are completely in-
 ert.  They were formerly used as epispastics, and although the
 two species above mentioned  are still retained in the Dublin Phar-
 macopoeia, they are never employed in the present day in regular
 practice.

   Ruta graveolens (described in the division Antispasmodics).—
 The fresh leaves may be employed as a local stimulant and rube-
 facient.

   Sabina.—Savin (described  in the division Emmenagogues) acts
 as a powerful local irritant.  It  is very generally employed in the
 form of ointment or cerate for keeping up  the discharge from  a
 blistered  surface, producing what is  termed  a perpetual blister.
 Owing, however, to the difficulty in preparing the ointment well,
 and to its losing its properties  by long keeping, an ointment prepa-
 red with  euphorbium (see page  204) should  be preferred for that
 purpose.—Unguentum Sabina,!).  Ceratum  Sabina, L.Hi. (Savin
 (fresh, E.; fresh leaves stripped from their stalks, 1).), bruised, Ibss.
 (ibi., L. ;  2 parts, E.) ; prepared lard, fbij. (4  parts, E.); bees' wax,
 Ibss. (1 part, *Ei.); " boil  the leaves in  the fat until they become
 crisp;  strain with expression; then add the  wax, and liquefy to-
 gether," D.   " Boil the savin in  the lard and wax melted together
 (until the  leaves become crisp, E.), and press-through  a linen (or
 calico, E.) cloth," L. E.)  When  well  prepared, this  ointment is
 of a fine  green  colour, and has the peculiar odour of savin  well
 marked.

  Setons and Issues are employed to produce derivation from
 some internal organ, by causing a discharge  of pus from the sur-
 face of the body, as in deep-seated local inflammations; and to es-
 tablish a drain from the system  in  many diseases.   With the for-
 mer intention, they are employed in ophthalmia, in chronic inflam-
mation of the ear, in diseases of the brain and spinal marrow, in
caries of the vertebrae, in chronic articular inflammation, in white
swelling, in  hip-joint disease, &c.   With the latter, in  apoplexy,
epilepsy, chorea, spasmodic asthma, phthisis, hepatitis, &c.  When
setons or issues are employed in  local affections, they should be ap-
plied as near the seat of the disease as practicable; but when used
in  general diseases, they may  be inserted in  whatever part of the
body is most  convenient; thus, setons  may  be inserted into the
nape of the neck, and issues in the inside of the leg or arm.   The
introduction of a seton is easily effected with  a seton needle, an in-
strument  shaped  like a lancet, about 3 inches long, ? 0f an  incn 
epispastics.
207
broao, slightly curved, and having an eye in the handle ; a fold of
the integuments being held up, the  needle  is forced through, and
by its means a skein of silk, or a piece  of India-rubber tape  suffi-
cient to fill the aperture, introduced through the wound ;  a fresh
portion of the silk or India-rubber is drawn through the aperture
daily, and  if it does not produce sufficient irritation, it is smeared
with  some irritating ointment.  Issues are more employed at pres-
ent than setons;  the manner in which  they are inserted has been
explained before (see page 137).

   Sinapis.—Mustard (described  in  the division Emetics) applied
to the surface of the body acts as a local irritant, producing inflam-
mation  attended with  much pain, and  if the  application  be long
continued, vesication, with even  ulceration and gangrene.   It is
very generally employed, in the form of cataplasm, or, as it is tech-
nically'  called, sinapism, to  produce  counter-irritation; applied to
the soles of the feet or calves of the legs, in the low stage of typhus
fever, especially  when stupor or delirium is  present, in apoplexy
and coma, in narcotic  poisoning, and in other cases in which  there
is determination to the head.   It has  also been applied to the  chest
ih some pulmonary and cardiac diseases.—Cataplasma Sinapis,
D. L.  (Mustard seed and  linseed,  each powdered, fbss.;  boiling
vinegar, sufficient  to  make  a cataplasm.  " Which may be made
more stimulating by adding gij. of scrapings of horse-radish root,"
D.)   This is  a bad form for preparing sinapisms,  as vinegar les-
sens  the activity of the mustard; a better  plan is  simpl\r to mix
common table mustard with lukewarm water, and spread  on a
piece of linen. Sinapisms produce inflammation in from fifteen to
twenty  minutes after they are applied ; the length of time which
they  should be left on  may be regulated by the feelings of the pa-
tient ; but  if he be insensible, they should be  removed as soon as
the skin is reddened.

   Terebinthina oleum.—Oil of Turpentine (described in  the di-
vision Anthelmintics) is a speedy  and effectual  rubefacient;  when
applied to the surface of the body, producing active inflammation,
succeeded by  a crop of small pimples, and  sometimes minute blis-
ters.  If it be  applied warm, it acts more quickly and more power-
fully.   As  a counter-irritant, it is very generally and very benefi-
cially employed in inflammatory attacks of the thoracic or abdomi-
nal viscera, in colic and peritonitis, in sore throat, in chronic rheu-
matism, in  neuralgia, &c.—Linimentum  Terebinthina, !). L. E.
('•Ointment of white resin, fbj.;  oil of turpentine, ibss. ; gradually
mix the turpentine with the melted ointment," D.  " Soft soap, §ij.;
camphor, §i.;  oil  of turpentine, f§xvj.: shake them  together  until
they are  mixed," L.  "Oil of turpentine, fgv.; resinous ointment,
§iv. ;  camphor, §ss.; melt the ointment, and gradually mix  with
the oil and camphor till a uniform liniment be formed." E.)   This
liniment is powerfully stimulating ; it  was first proposed by Kentish
as an immediate dressing for extensive burns, particularly  when 
208
ERRHINES.
the vital powers were sinking, and for this purpose it is employed
with much advantage; the parts are first smeared with oil of turpen-
tine, and pledgets of lint covered with this liniment are then applied.
It  is also used  as a counter-irritant, applied with friction in rheu-
matic and neuralgic pains.—St. John Long's Liniment.   (The yolk
of one egg; oil of  turpentine, fgiss.; strong acetic  acid, fgi.;  pure
water, fgiij.;  first rub the  yolk  of  egg,  the water, and  the acetic
acid together, then  add  the oil of turpentine, and agitate the whole
until they are  well mixed.)   This  excellent counter-irritant lini-
ment is applied by means of a sponge  ; its effects vary with the
force which is used in rubbing, and with the  length of time the ap-
plication is continued.
                       CHAPTER XIII.

                           ERRHINES.
                      (Sternutatories—Ptarmics.)                   •

   Errhines are substances which, when applied to the lining mem-
 brane of the nostrils, cause an increased discharge of their natural
 secretion.   Their medicinal employment is very limited, and in the
 present day they are seldom resorted to in regular practice.  Their
 remediate powers depend  on the derivation which they occasion
 from the surrounding or neighbouring parts, by the increased se-
 cretion  from, and consequent afflux of  blood to, the  nasal mem-
 brane.   Snuffed into  the nostrils so as to occasion sneezing, they
 may be employed to excite respiration when this function is suspend-
 ed, or to promote the expulsion of foreign bodies lodged in the air
 passages ; their use for these purposes, however, is not unattended
 with danger.

   Asarum EuROPiEUM, folia, D;  Asarum, L.   Leaves of Asarum
 Europaum.  Asarabacca.—An indigenous plant, belonging to the
 natural family Aristolochiacea, and  to the Linnasan  class and order
 Dodecandria Monogynia.
  B. C—Stem very short; leaves, 2, reniform, petioled, shining ; flowers solitary,
 from the axil of the two leaves, large, drooping, of a greenish-brown colour and co-
 riaceous substance, upon a short footstalk.

   P. P.—Although the leaves only are officinal, the whole plant is
.kept in  the  shops; it has  a  faint, spicy  odour, and a bitter, very
 acrid taste.  The root is the most active part of the plant.
   C. P.—The only important constituent of the leaves  is a peculiar
 principle which has been named asarin ;  the root contains also an
 odorous volatile oil, and a very acrid fixed oil.
   Th. E.—Asarabacca was formerly employed as  a cathartic and
 emetic ; in the present day it is only used as "an errhine, to produce 
ERRHINES.
209
a discharge of mucus from the pituitary membrane in headache, in
chronic ophthalmia, in coryza, &c.
  M. of Adm.—Three or four grains of the powdered leaves may
be sunffed up into the nostrils night and morning, or the same
quantity of the following preparation may be used :  Pulvis Asari
comp., D.  (Asarabacca leaves, dried, §i.; lavender flowers, dried,
3i.;  reduce them together to powder.)

  Euphorbium (described in the division  Epispastics) operates as
a powerful errhine, but its action is so violent, even when diluted
with any bland powder, that in the present day it is  scarcely ever
employed as such.

  Hydrargyri oxydum sulphuricum, D.  Subsulphate of mercury;
Turbith mineral.
  P. P.—A dense, lemon-yellow powder; void of odour, but hav-
ing a somewhat acrid, metallic taste.
  C. P.—It is composed of one eq. of sulphate of mercury, and two
of oxyde of mercury (Kane).   It is permanent in the air;  exposed
to heat  it  acquires a reddish-brown colour, but on  cooling it re-
sumes its former  yellow  hue.   It requires  2000  parts of cold or
600  of boiling water  for its solution.
  Prep.—"Persulphate of mercury, 1 part; warm water, 20 parts; triturate to-
gether in an earthenware mortar, and pour off the supernatant liquor ; wash the
yellow powder with warm distilled water, till the decanted fluid  is no longer pre-
cipitated on the addition of a few drops of solution of caustic potash ; lastly, dry the
sulphuric oxyde of mercury which remains."                  ,
  Th. E.—This preparation was formerly employed as an emetic,
but  is now only used as  an errhine, to produce a discharge from
the nostrils in chronic ophthalmia, incipient hydrocephalus, cepha-
lalgia, &c.  One  grain  mixed with four or five of some bland pow-
der,  as liquorice or starch, is snuffed up the nostrils  at bedtime or
in the  morning.

  Veratrum album, radix, D.   Veratrum, L. E.  Root (Rhizome,
E.) of Veratrum album.   White hellebore.—A native of the mount-
ainous regions of Central  and Southern Europe, belonging to  the
natural family Melanthacea, and to the Linnaean class and order
Polygamia Monozcia.
  B.  C.—Rhizome fleshy, cylindrical, giving origin to numerous undivided radi-
cles ; stem 1 to 4 feet high; leaves sheathing, plaited, ovato-oblong; flowers green-
ish-yellow, in a large spreading panicle.
  P. P.—As usually met with in the shops, white hellebore  root
consists  of the rhizome with  the  radicles attached;  it is in pieces
of from two to three inches long, about the thickness of the little
finger, covered with arough, dark-brown bark, grayish-white in-
ternally.   In the  fresh state, it has  a strong, disagreeable smell,
which is nearly lost by drying; but it retains the acrid, intensely
bitter taste.
  C. P.—It is composed of a fatty matter, yellow colouring matter,
starch, gum, lignin, and an alkaloid, on which its acridity depends,
                              Dd 
210
EXPECTORANTS.
and which has been named  veratria (see Stimulants), combined
with gallic acid (Pelletier and Caventou).  More recently Simon
has announced the discovery of two new vegetable alkaloids in
white hellebore  root, one of  which he has called Jervin, and the
other Barytin.   The acridity of the root is extracted both by wa-
ter and by alcohol.
   Th. E.—The  local action of white hellebore root is powerfully
irritant.  Snuffed up the nostrils, it produces a copious flow of mu-
cus, with  much  sneezing.  It may be used as an  errhine in the
same cases as the other remedies of this class.   Two or three
grains of  the root finely powdered, and mixed with ten or twelve
grains of powdered liquorice root, orris root, or starch, may be em-
ployed every evening.   It enters into the composition of most ce-
phalic snuffs.
   [Some  of them contain also a proportion of the powder of San-
guinaria  Canadensis, and are said to be useful in polypus nasi.]
                      CHAPTER XIV.

                       EXPECTORANTS.
                          (Pectorals.)

  Expectorants may be defined medicines which promote the se-
cretion from the bronchial tubes and air-passages, and facilitate its
discharge.   There are no substances which, by a direct, or specific
action on the lungs, produce expectoration ; those medicines which
are employed with this intention act relatively, that is to say, they
operate through the medium of the system generally, relieving or
removing that state of disease which demands the use  of expecto-
rants.  Consequently, most agents which are used under this name
are derived from other divisions of medicinal substances ; and there
are none more uncertain in their effects.  There are two modes in
which the medicines employed to promote expectoration appear to
act: first, by removing constriction of the pulmonary exhalant ves-
sels, on which principle the nauseating expectorants appear to pro-
duce their effects; or, secondly, by stimulating these vessels,  they
either increase  the natural exhalation where it is deficient, or  alter
its character where it is in an unhealthy state.   To these we  may
add all emetic substances which, by their mechanical action, dis-
lodge accumulated  secretions  from the respiratory organs, and
thus frequently become most valuable agents in the treatment of
many diseases which demand the use of expectorants.
  [The author admits that there are no expectorants which act di-
rectly  or specifically, and  concedes that no medicinal agents are
more uncertain in their effects than those arranged under this class;
and in defining the indirect manner in which they act, he ascribes 
EXPECTORANTS.
211
 their effects, when they produce or promote expectoration, to three
 several agencies, which are strictly either alterative, antispasmodic,
 or emetic, and hence most of the articles of this class will be found
 enumerated in the alphabetical catalogue of those three divisions.
 He retains this class, therefore, as he does some others, out of def-
 erence to the prescriptive right of tradition, from periods so remote
 in antiquity, that beyond " the memory of man runneth not."
   If there be  any form of medication worthy of confidence as di-
 rectly expectorant, it is not to be found in the introduction of any
 drug into the  stomach.  The inhalation of medicated vapour by
 the lungs, from a suitable vessel at a proper temperature, can  alone
 be strictly expectorant in the sense  this name implies ; and yet this
 is not even hinted at by the authors who still retain  this fallacious
 term, which ousht to  be obsolete,  as  it  serves only  to perpetuate
 error.]

   Acidum benzoicum,  D. L.  E.  Benzoic acid.  Flowers of Ben-
 jamin.
   P.  P.—Soft, elastic, pearl-white, satiny crystals or scales, having
 a faint, aromatic odour,  and an  acid, penetrating  taste.  Sp. gr.,

   C.  P.—Its composition is C14H5Os, combined in the crystalline
 state  with one eq. of water.  It is permanent in the air;  at a tem-
 perature of 248° it fuses, and at 293° sublimes ; heated in the open
 air, it produces a white vapour, which irritates the fauces.  Benzoic
 acid requires 200 parts of cold  water or 12 of boiling water for its
 solution; it dissolves in 2 parts of  cold  alcohol or ether, and in  a
 less quantity of acetic  acid or  oil of turpentine.   It  possesses the
 usual characteristics of a weak acid.
  Prep.—Dub. " Benzoin, 5 parts ; recently-burned lime and muriatic acid, of each,
 1 part; water, 200 parts ; rub the benzoin with the lime, boil for half an hour in 130
 parts of water, constantly stirring; let the vessel rest, and pour off the liquor when
 cold; boil the remainder in 70 parts of water, and again pour off the liquor when
 cold;  boil the mixed liquors to one half, filter through paper, and add gradually the
 muriatic acid to the liquor when cold ;  lastly, the liquor being poured off, wash the
 powder with a small quantity of cold water, dry with a gentle heat, and sublime the
 benzoic acid in a proper vessel with a slow fire."  Lond., Edin.  " Benzoin, ibj. (any
 convenient quantity, E.); put it into a proper vessel placed on sand (a glass mat-
 rass, E.), and, with a gradually-raised heat, sublime as long as anything rises ; press
 that which is sublimed between folds of blotting paper to remove the oil from it, and
 sublime it again."
  [U. S. P.—Mix the benzoin  thoroughly with an equal weight of fine sand, and
 sublime, &c]
   Adulterations.—It is not liable  to adulteration, but is often badly
 prepared ; when good it is colourless, entirely sublimed by a gentle
heat, and completely soluble in solution of potash or lime-water.
   Th. E.—Although formerly  highly esteemed  as a  stimulating
expectorant in  chronic bronchitis, in the  present day it is scarcely
ever employed, except in the  Tinctura opii camphorata, D. E.,
 Tinctura camphora, comp., L., and the  Tinctura opii ammoniata,
E., of both of which preparations it is  an ingredient.*
  * Dr. Ure, of London, has recently called the attention of the profession to the chemical
 change which takes place in the composition of the urine when benzoic acid is taken into 
212
EXPECTORANTS.
  D. & M. of Adm.—Gr. v. to gr. xxx.; it  should be dissolved in
a laro-e quantity of water, as otherwise it is apt to irritate the fau-
ces : Its solubility is much increased by giving it with phosphate or
biborate  of soda.
  Incomp.—Alkalies  and their carbonates, metallic salts, &c.

  Antimonii  et potass^e  tartras.—Tartar emetic  (described in
the division Diaphoretics), administered in small doses from T\ to
f'g of a grain frequently repeated, operates as an expectorant; but
its effects as such  are more certainly manifested if it be given so as
to produce nausea.   It is best adapted  for acute attacks of inflam-
mation of the lungs or bronchial membrane.

   Balsamum Peruvianum, L. E.   Myroxylum Peruvianum, bal-
samum, D.   Balsam  of Peru; Liquid balsam of Myroxylon Peru-
iferum, L.—of Myroxylum Peruvianum, D.  Fluid balsamic exu-
dation of  Myrospermum  Peruiferum,  E.—A native  of the  forests
of Peru^ New Granada, and Columbia; belonging  to the natural
family Amyridacea, and to the Linnaean class and order Decandria
Monogynia.
  R c.—A  lofty, handsome, branching tree, with a smooth, thick, very resinous
bark ;  leaves alternate, pinnated, consisting of eleven leaflets, which are ovate,
blunt, and downy on their midrib and petiole ; flowers white, in axillary racemes;
fruit a legume.
  Prep.—It  is procured in two ways : the finest, which is not met with in British
commerce, by incisions made into the bark of the tree ; the second, by boiling the
young branches and the  bark of the trunk in water;  many pharmacologists, how-
ever, doubt that any of it  is procured by the latter method.
   P.  P.—Balsam of Peru, as it occurs in  English commerce, is a
thick, semitransparent, heavy liquid, of a dark  reddish-brown  col-
our.   It has  an agreeable, aromatic odour, and a warm, bitterish
taste.   Sp. gr., about 1*160.
   C.  P.—According to  the analysis of Frenw, it is composed of an
oily matter, which he has  named cinnameine of cinnamomic acid
(Benzoic acid of previous chemists), and one or more resins.   Ex-
posed to the  air it becomes more dense, but does not dry up;  it is
inflammable, burning with a bright flame  and much smoke,  and
diffusing a very agreeable odour.   It is insoluble in cold water, but
water boiled with it acquires its agreeable odour;  it is soluble in
alcohol  in all proportions, but is  only  partially  dissolved  by ether.
   Adulterations.—It is  said to  be adulterated with alcohol; this
fraud  is known by its low density, and by its losing volume when
mixed with water.
   Th. E.—Balsam of Peru is a mildly  stimulating expectorant, and
as such  was  at one  time  much employed in chronic bronchitis, in
the advanced stages of phthisis, and in old asthmatic cases; it has,
however,  completely fallen into disuse as an internal remedy.
the stomach; the insoluble  uric acid and its salts are converted into the soluble hippvric acid
and hippurates.  He has therefore proposed its employment in all cases accompanied with
increased secretion of uric acid, as in gout, rheumatism, and calculous disorders.  In a case
of uric acid  gravel, in  which I employed benzoic acid, the deposite in the urine ceased,
 while the use of the acid was continued ; but returned to a greater extent than before when
 its administration was stopped. 
expectorants.
213
   D. & M. of Adm.—Min. xx. to min. xl., suspended in aqueous
 vehicles by means of mucilage or yolk of egg.

   Balsamum Tolutanum, L. E.  Toluifera balsamum, resina, D.
 Balsam of Tolu; Concrete balsamic  exudation of Toluifera balsa-
 mum, D.—of Myroxylon Peruiferum, L.—of Myrospermum Tolu-
 iferum, E.—Although the London College, on the authority of Ruiz,
 refers the balsams of Tolu and of Peru to the same tree, more re-
 cent observation has shown that  they are from distinct species.
 The Myrospermum Toluiferum is a native of the  mountainous dis-
 tricts of Tolu, Turbaco, and the neighbourhood of the River Mag-
 dalena; it belongs to the  natural family Amyridacea, and to the
 Linnaean  class and order Decandria Monogynia.
  B. C.—Precisely similar to M. Peruiferum, except the leaves,  which are oblong,
 acuminated, and smooth upon the petiole and midrib.
  Prep.—It exudes in the liquid state from incisions made into the bark of the tree,
 but it soon concretes on exposure to the air.
   P. P.—In solid masses of  a  resinous appearance,  and a reddish-
 yellow colour.  It has a peculiar, fragrant  odour, more agreeable
 than the balsam of Peru, and a sweet, aromatic taste.
   C. P.—lis composition is the same as that of the balsam of Peru
 It becomes more solid by exposure to the air ; it melts  byr heat, and
 is inflammable, burning with a fuliginous flame, and a very agree-
 able odour.  It is soluble in alcohol and ether, and water dissolves
 out its fragrant acid.
   Th. E.—It is a stimulating expectorant, and, in consequence of
 its agreeable flavour, is very much used as an adjunct to  pectoral
 mixtures; but it should not be employed when there is any inflam-
 matory action  present.
   D. & M. of Adm.—Gr. x. to  gr. xxx. ; it is best administered
 suspended in  aqueous vehicles by means of mucilage or  yolk of •
 egg.—Tinctura Balsami Tolutani, D. L.   Tinctura  Tolutani, E.
 (Tolu balsam,  §i. (§ij., L. ; giiiss., E.); rectified spirit, by measure,
 rbj. (Oij., L. E.); digest (in a close vessel. D.) until  the  balsam is
 dissolved, and  filter.)   Dose, f3i. to f3ij.: it  is precipitated  when
 added to water, but it may be suspended in water by means of mu-
 cilage or  sirup.—Sirupus Balsami Tolutani, D.   Sirupus Toluta-
 nus, L. E.  (" Tincture of balsam of Tolu, §i.; simple sirup, fbiss.
 (rbij., E.); to  the  sirup recently made, and not altogether cooled,
 add the tincture by degrees, agitating briskly," D. E.   " Balsam of
 Tolu, 3x.;  boiling water, Oj.; sugar, fbuss.; boil the balsam in the
 water for  half  an hour in a vessel lightly covered, frequently stir-
 ring, and strain the cooled liquor; then  add the sugar, and dissolve
 it," L.)  Dose, f3ii. to f§ss., merely  as a flavouring adjunct.  Tolu
lozenges, prepared with  the simple sirup and  sufficient gum, are a
 popular and useful remedy in chronic coughs.

  Benzoinum, L. E.   Styrax Benzoin, resina, D.   Benzoin.  The
balsam,  L.—the resin, D.—Concrete  balsamic exudation,  E.—of
Styrax benzoin.—A native  of Sumatra, Borneo, and Java ;  belong- 
  214                     expectorants.

  in«- to the natural family Ebenacea, and to the Linnasan class and
  order Decandria Monogynia.
    B. C.—A tall tree with rounded branches, and a whitish bark; leaves entire-,
  pointed, tomentose beneath ; flowers in compound axillary racemes.
    pRKP.—The balsamic exudation is procured by making incisions into the bark oi
  the tree, and allowing the liquid which exudes to concrete on the stem ; when it is
  quite hard it is removed, and fresh incisions made, by which an inferior quality i*
  obtained.
     P. P.—Benzoin  occurs in large masses of a reddish-brown  col
  our  externally, with a waxy, somewhat shining fracture, presenting
  many whitish amygdaloid  tears, cemented together by a reddish
  substance; the inferior qualities contain but few tears, and are of
  a  more uniform  reddish-brown colour all through.   The French
  pharmaceutists describe  another variety in tears of a pale yellow
  colour, but it is not met with in the English market.   Benzoin has
  an agreeable, aromatic odour, and a sweet, balsamic taste ; the odoui
  and taste of the inferior qualities are much  less agreeable.  Sp. gr.
  about 1*065.
     C. P.—It  is composed of about 28  per  cent, of resin soluble in
  ether, 50 of  resin insoluble in ether, and about 20 of benzoic acid
  with a trace of volatile oil, aromatic extract, &c. (Stoltze).   It is
  permanent in the air; heated it fuses, and benzoic acid is sublimed
  it  is inflammable, burning with  a fuliginous flame and an agreeable
  odour.  . It is  soluble in alcohol, ether, and acetic  acid ;  boiling  wa-
  ter dissolves out the benzoic acid.
     Th. E.—Benzoin is a stimulating expectorant, formerly much
  used in chronic  cough, in  old  cases of bronchitis, and in the ad-
  vanced stages of phthisis; in  the present  day it is not much  em
  ployed.  Like the  other stimulating expectorants, it is inadmissible
  in inflammatory cases.
     D. & M. of Adm.—It  is not used in the solid state.—Tinctura
' Benzoini (Benzois, D.) comp., D. L. E.  (Benzoin, §iij. (^iiiss., L.;
  §iv., E.) ; balsam of Tolu  (of  Peru, E.),  §i.  (3x., L.; giiss., E.);
  (storax, strained, fij.  (giiss., L.), D. L.); aloes (socotrine, D.;  East
  Indian, E.), §ss. (3\\,  L.) ; rectified spirit, by measure,  fbij. (Oij., L.
  E.); digest  for 7 (14, L.) days (pour off the clear liquor, E.), and
  strain.)  A stimulating expectorant.   Dose, f3ss. to fsij., as an ad-
   junct to pectoral mixtures ;  it is precipitated by water, but may be
  mixed with  water by means  of mucilage, yolk of eg'y, or sirup.
  This tincture was formerly much employed as an application to
  wounds and  contusions, under the name of Friar's Balsam.

     Ipecacuanha (described in the division Emetics), administered in
  small but frequently repeated  doses, a fourth of a grain to half a
  grain, acts as an expectorant, but its effects as such are much more
^  surely manifested  if nausea be at the same time  produced.  In
  some cases of chronic  inflammation of the  bronchial mucous mem
  brane accompanied with profuse secretion, it operates beneficially
   not by promoting expectoration, but by diminishing the discharge
   and by some specific action restoring "the  parts  to a healthy state
   In acute or inflammatory diseases of the lungs or bronchial tubes 
expectorants.
215
ipecacuanha, to prove beneficial, must be given in doses sufficient
to produce nausea, or even vomiting; but in chronic affections of
the same parts, more advantage will be derived from smaller doses.
As an expectorant, the doses  of ipecacuanha and its  preparations
are  as follows: In powder, gr. \ to gr. ij.— Vinum Ipecacuanha,
D. L. E.  Min. x. to min. xl.  Sirupus Ipecacuanha, E., foi. to fsij.—■
Pilula Ipecacuanha comp., L.  (Compound powder of ipecacuan-
ha, 3iij.; squill, fresh dried, and ammoniacum, of each, 3i.; mixture
of acacia, q. s.; beat together till they are incorporated.)  A use-
ful stimulating expectorant in habitual cough affecting the old and
debilitated.   Dose, gr. v., three or four times a  day.   Every five
grains contain about a fourth of a  grain each of ipecacuanha and
opium.

  Lobelia, L. E.  Lobelia.  Indian tobacco.   The herb  of Lobelia
inflata.—A native of North America, belonging to the natural fam-
ily  Lobeliacea, and to the  Linnaean class and order Pentandria
Monogynia.
  B. C.—Annual, 1 to 2 feet high, with a branching stem; leaves  scattered, alter-
nate, oblong ; flowers pale blue, in terminal racemes ; capsules ovoid, inflated.
  P. U. & M. of Prep.—The entire herb is collected in the end of August, as soon
as the capsules are formed, and carefully dried.  It is imported from America com-
pressed into rectangular masses, being prepared for exportation by  the Shaking
Quakers of New Lebanon, in the State of New-York.
  P. P.—Its odour is faint, but disagreeable, and the  taste  at first
insipid, but when chewed, very acrid, and resembling that  of  to-
bacco.
  C. P.—According to Pereira, lobelia consists of an acrid volatile
oil, a peculiar acid, resin, chlorophylle, gum, extractive,  &c.  Col-
houn has announced the discovery of a new principle in the plant,
which has been named Lobelina.   It yields its active  principles to
water, alcohol, and ether.
  Th. E.—Lobelia was  employed by the  native Indians of North
America as an emetic, but its action as such is highly irritating and
attended with much danger, for if it fails to vomit soon after having
been taken, it  produces all the symptoms  of a powerful  narcotico-
acrid poison, and so small a quantity as a teaspoonful of the pow-
dered  leaves has proved in some  instances fatal.  In less doses it
is, however, a most valuable sedative  expectorant, apparently pos-
sessing a specific power in allaying spasm of the bronchial tubes.
It is therefore employed with most benefit in paroxysmal diseases
of the lungs, as in  asthma and hoopingcough; it has also proved
serviceable in the obstinate cough of chronic bronchitis,  and in the
latter stages of croup.
  D. & M. of Adm.—Lobelia  is seldom given in the form of pow-
der; the dose, as an expectorant, is from  gr. j. to  gr. v.—Tinctura
Lobelia, E.   (Dried lobelia, in moderately fine powder,  §v.; proof
spirit, Oij.; this tincture is best prepared  by  the process of perco-
lation as directed for tincture  of capsicum, buHt may be also made
in the usual way  b\r digestion.)  Dose, fiss. to fsi.;  larger doses
are apt to prove emetic.—Tinctura Lobelia JEtherea, E.  (Dried 
216
expectorants.
lobelia, in moderately fine powder, §v.; spirit of sulphuric  ether,
Oij.;  best prepared by percolation as directed for tincture of cap-
sicum ; but  it may be also obtained by digestion, in a well-closed
vessel, for 7 days.)   Dose, min. xx. to min. xl.   The latter prepar-
ation is usually preferred in asthmatic  cases, in consequence  of the
sedative  properties of the sulphuric  ether. — M hit law's  Ethereal
Tincture of Lobelia.   (Dried  lobelia,  fbj.;  rectified  spirit,  Oiv.;
spirit of nitric ether, Oiv.;  spirit of sulphuric ether, §iv.; macerate
for 14 days  in a dark place, and filter.)   This is the preparation of'
lobelia most generally employed in  Great Britain.  Dose, min. v.
to min. xx.

   Marrubium vulgare, D. L.  White Horehound.—An indigenous
plant, growing in waste places and by roadsides, belonging  to the
natural family Labiata, and to  the Linnsean class and order  Didy-
namia Gymnospermia.
  B. C.—About afoot and a half high, everywhere hoary with a white, thick pu-
bescence or woolliness ; flowers small, white, in crowded whorls.
   P. &  C. P.—The whole plant  has  a peculiar, aromatic odour,
and a very  bitter, balsamic taste.   Its  properties  depend on vola-
tile oil and extractive; it also contains tannic acid ; it yields its vir-
tues to boiling water and to  alcohol.
   Th. E.—White horehound was  long held in high estimation as a
tonic  expectorant.   In the present day it  is  commonly employed
as a domestic remedy in chronic  coughs;  but  it is scarcely ever
used in regular practice.   It is generally given in the form of infu-
sion, Horehound tea, prepared  byr  infusing §i. of the herb in  Oj. of
boiling water for an hour, of which the dose is f§iij. or f§iv., sweet-
ened with sugar ; or in the form of confection, Candied Horehound,
prepared by evaporating a strong sirup of the herb to dryness, a
small  bit of which is allowed to dissolve in  the mouth frequently.

   Scilla.—Squill  (described in the division Diuretics), in small
doses frequently repeated, promotes the secretion of the  bronchial
mucous membrane; it is not, however, a stimulating expectorant,
as is  generally stated, and  may  therefore be prescribed  in the
acute and subacute stages  of pulmonary affections  as well as in the
chronic.   It proves more  serviceable in the bronchitis  and pneu-
monia of children than in the same diseases in adults.  From the
property which squill possesses of promoting the  secretion of mu-
cus, it facilitates expectoration in some  forms of asthma and chronic
bronchitis in which  the sputa are viscid; in those cases it is advan-
tageously combined with  the  more  stimulating remedies of this
class.  The dose of powdered squill as an  expectorant should not
exceed gr. j., frequently repeated.   The oxymel or sirup is one of
the most useful expectorants we possess for the pulmonary affec-
tions of children, in doses of min.  x. to min. xxx.   The  tincture is
employed as an adjunct to pectoral mixtures in chronic  bronchial
affections.   Dose, min. x. to min. xxx.—Pilula Scilla comp., D. L.
(Squill, fresh dried  and powdered, 3ij.; ginger, powdered, 3iij. (3ij., 
expectorants.
217
 L.);  ammoniacum, powdered, 3ij.;  hard soap, 3iij.;  mix the pow-
 ders  together, add the soap, and, with sufficient treacle (sirup, L.),
 beat  to a proper consistence.)—Pilula Scilla, E.   (Squill, in fine
 powder, 5 parts; ammoniac, ginger, in fine powder, and Spanish
 soap, of each, 4 parts;  conserve of red roses, 2  parts ;  mix the
 powders, add the other articles, beat them into a uniform mass, and
 divide it into five-grain pills.)   Dose, gr. v. to gr. xv., in chronic
 catarrh and asthma.  It spoils by iteeping.

   Senega, L. E.  Polygala senega, radix, D.  Seneka.   Virgin-
 ian snakeroot.  Root of Polygala Senega.—A native of the Uni-
 ted States, belonging to the natural family Polygalacea, and to the
 Linnaean class and order Diadelphia Octandria.
  B. C.—Root perennial; stems numerous, annual, from nine inches to a foot high ;
 leaves sessile, ovato-lanceolate ; flowers small, white, in spiked racemes ; capsule
 small,  elliptical, containing two small black seeds.
   P.  P.—Root  about the thickness  of a writing pen,  contorted,
 knotty, marked with slight eminences on one side ;  cortical portion
 resinous, grayish or yellowish externally, whitish internally; cen-
 tral portion (meditullium) whitish, woody, inert.   The root has a
 faint, peculiar odour, and  a  taste at  first mucilaginous, afterward
 nauseous and acrid.
   C.  P.—It is composed of tannic and pectic acids, wax, fixed oil,
 gum,  albumen, colouring matter, lignin, some salts, and a peculiar
 acrid principle, which, according to Quevenne, consists of two vol-
 atile acids, named by him Polygalic and Virgineic acids.  It yields
 its active principles to both water  and to alcohol;  according to
 some recent observations, it appears that, by  the action of boiling
 water on the root, the active principle is formed  into an insoluble
 compound with the  colouring matter and albumen;  therefore the
 Edinburgh College has substituted an infusion for the decoction of
 the other pharmacopoeias.
   Th. E.—Seneka root is a stimulating expectorant of much pow-
 er, peculiarly fitted for the advanced stages of chronic  bronchitis
 and of pneumonia, especially when occurring in the  aged and de-
 bilitated.  It is also a very valuable remedy in protracted hooping-
 cough, and in the latter stages of croup and of bronchitis in infants
 and children.
  D.  &. M. of Adm.—In powder, gr. x.  to  3ss.;  this is the best
 form  for the  administration of seneka in  the  pulmonary affections
 of children.—Decoctum  Senega,  D.  L.  (Seneka, 3iij.  (3x., L.) •
 water (distilled, L.), fbiss. (Oij., L.);  boil down to gviij.  (Oj., L.),
 and strain.)   A bad form, for the reasons stated above.—Infusum
 Senega, E.   (Seneka, 3x.; boiling water, Oj.; infuse for four hours
 in a covered vessel, and  strain.)  An excellent vehicle for other
 remedies in old cases of catarrh and  bronchitis.  Dose, f^ij. to fgiij
  [U. S. P.—Sirup of Seneka.  Take of  seneka, bruised, 4 oz. •
water, a pint; sugar, a pound.  Boil the water with  the seneka to
one half and  strain, then add the sugar, and  proceed in the manner
directed for sirup.]
                              Ee 
218
NARCOTICS.
   Styrax, L. E.  Styrax officinale, resina, D.  Storax.  Resin,
D.—Balsamic exudation, L. E.—of Styrax officinale.—A native of
the Levant, Palestine, Arabia, and  cultivated in the South of Eu-
rope;  it belongs to the natural family Ebenacea, and to the Lin-
naean class and order Decandria Monogynia.
  B. C.—Stem 15 to 25 feet high, branching at the top; leaves alternate, ovate,
villous beneath; flowers white, in small racemes ; fruit a coriaceous capsule, downy,
one-seeded.
  Prep.—The process followed for obtaining storax from the tree is not accurately
known, but it is supposed to be procured from incisions made into the tree, or from
the punctures of insects.
   P. P.—A great many varieties of storax have been described by
pharmacologists ; two are  most generally met with : 1. Liquid sto-
rax ;  of this I have met with two sorts;  one,  a  grayish  substance
of the consistence of bird-lime,  with a strong naphtha odour; it ac-
quires a dirty brown  colour on exposure  to the air ; the other, a
shining black, very viscid liquid, becoming more  fluid when heated,
with a very agreeable, aromatic odour; both sorts have a pungent,
balsamic taste.   2.  Common storax; this is in very friable, reddish-
brown  masses, with an agreeable,  aromatic odour, and a warm,
somewhat acrid taste; it appears to be sawdust cemented together
by some liquid resin.
   C. P.—The medicinal virtues of storax depend on the presence
of volatile  oil, benzoic  acid, and resinous extractive.   It yields its
properties  to alcohol,  but merely its fragrancy to boiling water.
   Adulterations.—No accurate account could be given of the adul-
terations of storax, so many different substances are sold under that
name.   The gray liquid storax is  manifestly  some compound of
impure naphtha.
   Th. E.—Formerly  employed as  an  expectorant in the same ca-
ses as benzoin; in the present day it is only used as an ingredient
in the Pilula Styracis, to  conceal the odour and taste of opium.
  Pharm. Prep.—Styrax cqlatus, L.  Extractum Styracis, E.  (Dissolve storax in
(by boiling in successive quantities of, E.) rectified spirit, and strain ; distil off the
spirit, and evaporate with a gentle heat (over the vapour-bath, E.) to a proper con-
sistence, L.;  the consistence of a thin extract, E.)   Only used in the above-men-
tioned preparation.
                        CHAPTER XV.

                           NARCOTICS.

                  (Anodynes—Hypnotics—Soporifics.)
  Narcotics may be defined medicines which produce a primary
stimulating effect on the nervous  and vascular systems, but which
is rapidly followed by a depression of the vital powers and sleep,
or, if a large quantity of the substance be swallowed, coma.   The
primary stage, that of excitement, varies much both  as to the de- 
NARCOTICS.
219
gree in which it is produced and as to its duration, depending chief-
ly on the-manner in which the narcotic is administered, on idiosyn-
cracy, and on habit.   In large doses, the siage of excitement is so
short, and the depression of vital  power so immediate, that it has
led many to deny the stimulant property of narcotics altogether,
and to regard them as producing direct sedative effects on the sys-
tem.  An attentive consideration, however, of the modus operandi
of the medicinal agents described in this chapter, and a comparison
of them  with those which are  contained in the chapter on Seda-
tives, will, I think, satisfactorily prove that their operation is  per-
fectly different.  Indeed, some narcotics, as opium, are frequently
administered with the intention of producing  a stimulant action
only.   When given with  this intention, the doses should be small,
but frequently repeated, in order to sustain the state of excitement;
but when administered with the view of producing sleep, the doses
should be larger, and repeated at more distant intervals.   Idiosyn-
cracy influences much the effects of narcotics ;  we meet with some
individuals almost insensible  to their action; while in others, small
doses produce  a dangerous  stupifying effect, or in some instances
give rise to  a degree of excitement amounting  to furious delirium.
But habit influences the action  of narcotics on the system more
than any other  circumstance, their power being diminished in a re-
markable degree by  repetition; it  will therefore be necessary,
where their continued administration is required, gradually to aug
ment the dose,  in order  to produce their usual effects.
   [In the introduction to this chapter, the author  exhibits a dis-
criminating  mind, and has here condensed within a brief paragraph
all that  is known upon this intricate subject.   And yet it must be
obvious that the modus operandi of narcotics, even as explained by
the enlightened theory here presented, is far from being satisfactory.
The fault is not in the author, nor in his therapeutical philosophy,
but depends on the stubbornness of the facts we have to deal with,
and the unfathomed  mysteries  which encompass them.  And yet
the student will be perplexed as he peruses the chapters which suc-
ceed the present still more, nor can he extricate himself but by re-
taining in his  mind the rational and  truthful definition here given
of Narcotics, as well  as the  numerous modifications  in the effects
produced by this class of agents  upon the human system  under dif-
ferent circumstances and in varied doses.
   With this key he  may  unlock  the mysteries which otherwise
envelop the subsequent divisions of  the Materia Medica into gen-
eral and special stimulants, sedatives, contra-stimulants, and  even
refrigerants, in their several  therapeutical effects.   He cannot fail
to perceive that narcotics are directly stimulants, either general^
special, or  both; while that  they are indirectly sedative and  con-
tra-stimulant is equally obvious.  Hence he will  be prepared to
doubt whether any sedative, is so without being a stimulant prima-
rily ;  and especially when he is  here taught that the depression of
the vital  power by narcotics  is often so immediate as to lead many
to the denial of their being stimulants altogether.  Moreover, as th 
220
NARCOTICS.
dose of any narcotic may be so regulated as to be a stimulant only,
and, on the contrary, the dose of a stimulant may be so augmented
as to become a narcotic, sedative, contra-stimulantr or refrigerant,
the philosophic student will strongly incline to the opinion that all
these separate divisions  are only modifications of a single class of
therapeutic agents ;  and that, however they may be conventionally
recognised by those who have a passion for minute and systematic
distinctions, they are wholly theoretical.  Like the artificial division
of the body into regions or systems, for the convenience of study
and the facility of memorizing, they are not to be mistaken for sci-
entific accuracy  or  truth.  Still, however, he must be a bold ad-
venturer in this department who will hazard his reputation by pro-
posing the reform so much needed, and reducing the number of
classes in the Meteria Medica within  the narrow limits prescribed
by facts, as contra-distinguished from theory.  As the author of
this  work  has wisely ventured  to think for himself,  and deviated
from the beaten tsack on some peculiarities of his classification, it is
much to be regretted that he did not go a step farther, and reduce
the number of his divisions, by rejecting  both the name and the
thing, when he felt, as he appears in some cases to have done, that
there are distinctions without differences, and which have no claim
to respect  other than that of antiquity.]

  Belladonna, L. E.   Atropa  belladonna,  folia et radix, D.
Leaves (and root, D.) of Atropa  belladonna.  Deadly nightshade.—
An indigenous plant, belonging  to the natural family Solanacea,
and to the Linnaean class and order Pentandria Monogynia.
  B. C.—Root fleshy, creeping ; stems 3 to 4 feet high, herbaceous ; leaves ovate,
acute, entire, smooth, some very large, but placed in pairs of unequal sizes ; flowers
axillary, on short peduncles,  drooping,  lurid purple, about an inch long; berries
shining, black, about the size of a black cherry, filled with a sweetish pulp, in which
are imbedded many kidney-shaped seeds.
  P. U. & M. of Prep.—The root, which is contained only in  the Dublin Pharma-
copoeia, is scarcely ever used at present; it should be dug up in the month of March,
and dried quickly.  The leaves are gathered in June and July, before the flowers
expand, and dried with a stove heat.

  P. P.—Belladonna root  is from one to two inches in  diameter,
and a foot or more in length ; it is of a grayish-white colour inter-
nally, grayish-yellow externally ; it has a faint, nauseous odour, and
a slightly astringent, bitter taste.  The leaves, when fresh,  are of
a sombre-green colour, which becomes yellowish-green in drying;
they have  a feeble odour, and an herbaceous,  somewhat nauseous
taste.
  C- P-—The medicinal properties of belladonna depend on a pe-
culiar principle which  has been named atropia;  it was first dis-
covered  by M. Brandos in  the leaves,  in which he  found it to exist
in combination with malic acid, two nitrogenous extractive matters
called by him pseudotoxin  and phytocolla, gum, wax, chlorophvlle,
starch, albumen, lignin,  salts, &e.  Atr >pia,  when obtained quite
pure, is in white, transparent, prismatic  cristals. of a silkv  lustre.
It is without odour: it  rcqu'ivs for its solution  500 pirts of old 
NARCOTICS.
221
 water, the solution having a bitter taste  and an alkaline reaction;
 but is very soluble in alcohol and ether;  it combines with acids to
 form salts.  The  composition of atropia, according to Liebig,  is
 C34H2306N.  Belladonna leaves  and root yield their active princi-
 ples to both water and alcohol.
   Adulterations.—The  leaves of the Solanum nigrum are some-
 times sold for those of the Atropa belladonna; the former are small-
 er, obtuse angled, not acuminated, and they are bluntly toothed, by
 which characters they may be readily distinguished.
   Th.  E.—Belladonna acts on the  system as a powerful narcotic,
 in large doses proving an active poison, causing constriction of the
 throat with ineffectual efforts to vomit, delirium usually of a gay
 or mirthful character, with excessive  dilatation of the  pupils, then
 coma, which  is followed by death unless active treatment be imme-
 diately employed.   In medicinal doses it operates as an anodyne
 and calmative, diminishing pain and  over-excitement of the nervous
 system;  with this intention it has been employed in most neuralgic
 and  convulsive diseases, but for  some years back it is not so much
 used as it formerly was.   It  has been generally stated that bella-
 donna should not be employed in acute inflammation or febrile af-
 fections,  but more recent  observations have shown that a state of
 inflammation in the system does not contra-indicate  its use.  The
 diseases in the treatment of which belladonna is found most bene-
 ficial are the  varieties of neuralgia, and spasmodic and painful af-
 fections ; thus, it has been found  most useful in tic doloureux, in all
 forms of external neuralgic pains, in nervous palpitations, in hoop-
 ingcough, in spasmodic stricture of the urethra, in painful spasm of
 the sphincter ani when there is no fissure of the part, in painful
 glandular enlargements, in chronic arthritis, and in the  flying pains
 of rheumatism.  In all those cases, the external employment of the
 drug is advantageously combined with its  internal administration.
 In some instances  belladonna produces a rash  on  the  skin resem-
 bling scarlatina, on which account it has been proposed as a  pro-
 phylactic of that disease when it rages as an epidemic,  and several
 instances of its apparent success as such were narrated in Germany,
 but later experience has not confirmed the anticipations which were
 so confidently put  forward at first.  Belladonna applied externally
 in the neighbourhood of the eye, causes, after  the lapse of a few
 hours, dilatation of the  pupil unattended with  any disturbance of
 vision; to  produce this effect, it is  employed in the operation for
 cataract; in iritis, to prevent adhesions from forming ; and in other
 ophthalmic affections, to enable the posterior chamber of the eye to
 be examined  with greater facility.  Atropia has not been employed
 in medicine in Great Britain; on the Continent a solution of it has
 been used to  dilate the pupil.
  D. & M. of  Adm.—Dose of the  powdered leaves, gr. j., which
 should be increased  very gradually until dryness  of the throat is
produced.—Extractum Belladonna, L. E.  Succus spissatus Bella-
donna, D.  (" Fresh  belladonna leaves,  fbj.; bruise  them, sprink-
led with a  little water, in  a stone mortar  ; then press out the juice, 
222
NARCOTICS.
and evaporate it unstrained to a proper consistence," D. L.  " Fresh
belladonna, any quantity;  bruise it in a  marble mortar into a uni-
form vpulp; express the juice; moisten the residuum with water,
and express again.   Unite the expressed liquids, filter  them, and
evaporate the filtered liquid in the vapour-bath to the consistence
of firm extract, stirring constantly towards the  close," E.)   Dose,
gr. ss., gradually increased to gr. iij. or gr. iv.   This is the  prepar-
ation  generally employed to dilate the pupil, for which purpose it
is  applied around the  eye; in spasm of the urethra, preventing the
introduction of an instrument, the catheter has been smeared with
extract of belladonna.  It has been applied to the os uteri in  pro-
tracted labour caused by rigidity.—Emplastrum Belladonna, D. L.
E.  (" Inspissated juice of belladonna, §j.; soap plaster, §ij.; make
a  plaster," D.   " Resin  plaster, §iij.;  extract  of belladonna, §iss.;
add the extract to the plaster, melted by the heat of a vapour-bath
(with  a gentle heat, E.), and mix them,"  L. E.)   An excellent lo-
cal application over  the sacrum in dysmenorrhoea, and for the re-
lief of neuralgic and  other pains.— Unguentum Belladonna.  (Ex-
tract  of belladonna,  3ij.;  axunge, §j.;  mix.)   In  painful  hemor-
rhoidal affections, in chordee, and in neuralgia.—Succus Belladon-
na.   (Prepared  by expressing the fresh leaves collected in the be-
ginning of July,  setting  aside the expressed juice for 48 hours, and
adding to the clear decanted liquor a fifth part of rectified spirit.)
Dose,  min. xx. to min. xl., gradually increased.—Tinctura Bella-
donna, Blacket.  (Extract of belladonna, 3x.; proof spirit, f^xvj.;
macerate for 14 days, and strain.)  Dose, min. ij. to min.  iij.; l-3i.
added to  fgviij. of liquid has  been used as a lotion.
   In  poisoning with  belladonna, stimulating emetics followed by
active cathartics should be employed, with cold applications to the
head; and  if coma be  present, ammonia should be  administered,
and the usual external stimulants applied.

   Cannabis Indica.   Indian Hemp.   \Apocynum Cannabinum, U.
S. P.]—According to the  most recent  observations, it  would ap-
pear that the Indian hemp is precisely identical in botanical  charac-
ters with the common hemp of Great Britain, the Cannabis sativa;
differing only in the secretion of a resin with which it abounds, and
which is  totally  absent  in  the European kind.  It grows in India
and Persia, and belongs to the natural family Urticacea, and to the
Linnaean class and order Diazcia Pentandria.   [Indigenous in the
United States.]
  B. C.—Annual, about 3  feet high; stem branching, pubescent, angular; leaves
alternate or opposite, digitate, scabrous, on long, weak petioles ; leaflets linear, lan-
ceolate, sharply serrated ;  flowers dioecious, in axillary clusters ; achenium ovate,
one-seeded.
  P. U. & M. of Prep.—The dried plant and  resin; the former is cut  when the
plant is in flower, and allowed to dry in the sun for three days, care being taken not
to remove the resin ;  it is called in India Gunjah.  The resin, which is called Chur-
ns, is collected in Central India and in Nipal in the following manner: " Men clad
in leathern dresses run through the hemp-fields, brushing through the plant with all
possible violence ; the soft resin adheres to the leather, and is subsequently scraped
off, and kneaded into balls; a finer kind is collected with the hand ;  in some in- 
NARCOTICS.
223
stances the leathern attire is dispensed with, and the resin is gathered on the skins
of naked coolies."—(O'Shaughnessy.)
  P. P.—Gunjah is sold in bundles about two feet long and three
inches in  diameter; it consists of the stems with the leaves and
flowers accreted together  by the resinous  exudation; it is of a
dusky-green colour, and  has an agreeable, narcotic odour (as met
with in Great Britain,  however, the odour is feeble), and a  bitter
taste, resembling that of tobacco.  Churrus is a hard  resin, of a
blackish-gray colour, a fragrant, narcotic odour, and a bitterish,
acrid, slightly warm taste;  it is not generally met with in  Great
Britain.  The leaves and capsules without  the  stalks are sold in
India under the name of Bang, Subjee, or Sidhee;  they have been
also imported into Britain, but their medicinal property is very fee-
ble ; they should not, therefore, be employed in the preparation of
the extract or tincture.
  C. P.—The medicinal virtues of the Indian hemp are due  to the
resin which it contains, and which has been named cannabin;  it
also contains a small quantity of volatile  oil, which has not been
examined.  The dried  plant yields to  alcohol about 20 per cent, of
resinous extract, which is of a dark reddish-brown colour;   has a
rather fragrant, narcotic odour, resembling that of Canaster  tobac-
co ; and a bitter, somewhat acrid taste.
  Adulterations.—Several  specimens of the extract of Indian hemp
which I have met with did not possess the peculiar odour or taste
of the extract as prepared by myself; whether this arose  from
faulty preparation, or the substitution of  some other substance, I
cannot  say.  The true extract is readily known by its  peculiar
odour and taste.
  Th. E.—Although the Indian hemp has been used in Persia, and
throughout India, for many hundred years, for producing inebria-
tion, and also as a medicinal agent, it has been only very recently
introduced into  British medicine, through  the  exertions of Dr.
O'Shaughnessy,  late of Calcutta; consequently, the  observations
made on its medicinal virtues have been as yet very limited.  In
its action on the system it  is decidedly narcotic, producing at first
the effects of a powerful stimulant, which, if the dose taken be suf-
ficiently large, are  soon followed by those of a  direct sedative.
The preparations of the Indian hemp have been chiefly employed
in the treatment of neuralgic and painful affections, in most of which
they have proved very beneficial.  Thus they have been given in
tetanus, hydrophobia, infantile convulsions, sciatica, chorea, neural-
gic pains, and chronic rheumatism ; they have also been used to
subdue  sleeplessness or disturbed rest, provided it  does not arise
from inflammation  in the head.   All  who have tried the effects of
this remedy in the  British  Isles, have come to the conclusion that
the Indian hemp must be given in much larger doses in Great Brit-
ain than in the East, and since his return home, this  has been ac-
knowledged by Dr. O'Shaughnessy himself.  The trials  made with
it in the diseases above enumerated would seem to show that the
Cannabis Indica may be used with benefit  as a substitute for opium, 
224
NARCOTICS.
in cases for which that drug is unsuited from idiosyncrasy or any
other cause; and also that it will occasionally succeed in abating,
sometimes in completely removing pain, where  this agent totally
fails us.   In consequence of its stimulating properties, the use of the
Indian hemp is contra-indicated in acute inflammatory diseases.
   D. & M. of Adm.—The preparations of this drug which are at
present in use  are the resinous  extract and a tincture; they are
prepared as follows:  Extractum Cannabis.   (Take of the dried
flowering  tops, rejecting the stems, any quantity;  rectified spirit,
a  sufficiency;  boil the tops in the spirit until  all the resin is dis-
solved out; distil off the spirit with  the heat of a vapour-bath, so
as to obtain an extract of a proper  consistence.)  Dose, gr. x. to
gr. xij., gradually increased until a tendency to coma is produced ;
gr. ss. to gr. iss.  is the dose usually given  in the East, and this
quantity frequently produces marked effects there.  It is best given
in the form of pill.—Tinctura Cannabis, O'Shaughnessy.   (Extract
of Indian hemp, gr. iij.;  proof spirit, f3i.;  dissolve.)  Dose, f3j. to
f3ij., frequently repeated until the desired effect is produced.   This
tincture is decomposed  by water, the resin  being precipitated in
the form of a  pale yellow powder.   It  should, therefore, be sus-
pended in aqueous vehicles, by means of mucilage, sirup, or yolk
of egg.

   Hyoscyamus, E.  Hyoscyamus niger, folia (et semina, L.), D.
L.  [Hyoscyami folia, U. S. P.]  Henbane; the leaves (andseeds,
L.) of Hyoscyamus niger.—An indigenous plant, belonging to the
natural family Solanacea, and to the Linnasan class and order Pen-
tandria Monogynia.
  B.  C.—Annual  or biennial; stem much branched, rounded; leaves subovate,
amplexicaul, sinuated; flowers nearly sessile, dingy yellow, with purplish veins;
capsules  2-celled, many-seeded, when the seeds are ripe the upper part falling off
like a lid ; the whole plant is covered with unctuous,  fetid hairs.
  P. U. & M. of Prep.—The leaves of the biennial plant should be preferred; they
are to be gathered when the plant is in full flower, and dried quickly at a tempera-
ture not above 120°.  The seeds are only contained  in the London Pharm.; they
should be collected when fully ripe.
   P. P.—Hyoscyamus leaves, when carefully dried, are of a green-
ish-yellow colour, have a clammy feel, a fetid, narcotic odour, and
a bitter, nauseous  taste; in the fresh  state,  the odour  and taste are
both more powerful, and the colour is dull green.  The seeds are
ovoid, compressed, rough, of a brownish-yellow colour ;  they have
a feeble narcotic odour, and a bitter, somewhat acrid taste.
   C. P.—Hyoscyamus leaves contain a narcotic extractive soluble
in water and alcohol, bitter extractive, gummy extractive, and salts
of magnesia (Lindbergson).   M. Brandes announced the  discovery
of a vegetable alkaloid, which he named hyoscyamia, in the leaves
and seeds of the Hyoscyamus niger, but his statements  have not
been confirmed by more recent experiments.  Runge has, how-
ever, showed that this was owing to the employment of a  caustic
alkali to separate  it; and by using  magnesia for this purpose  he
has obtained vegetable alkalies from belladonna, henbane, and stra- 
NARCOTICS.
225
 monium, the  three of which resemble each other so closely, that
 there is reason for believing that they are identical.   According to
 the analysis of Kirshoff, the seeds consist of 28*3 per cent, of vola-
 tile and narcotic matter, 15*6 per cent, of fixed oil with some resin,
 2*3 per cent, of extractive', with sugar, gum, lignin, albumen, and
 some salts.  The leaves and seeds of the henbane impart their vir-
 tues to water, alcohol, ether, and the fixed and volatile oils.
   Adulterations.—The admixture  of any other  leaves with those
 of the Hyoscyamus niger may be readily detected by their physical
 properties.  The leaves  lose much  of their activity by keeping;
 they should, therefore, be gathered  every year.  When henbane
 is badly preserved, the odour and taste are very feeble.
   Th. E.—Taken in large quantity, every part  of  this plant acts
 as a powerful narcotico-acrid poison, producing delirium, followed
 by sopor with marked dilatation of the pupil, which, if active treat-
 ment be not immediately employed, is the precursor of death.   In
 medicinal doses,  its operation is narcotic; but it is distinguished
 from  most other medicines of this class  by several peculiarities.
 Thus, the preliminary or stimulant stage of its operation, even when
 taken in small doses frequently repeated, is very slight, often not
 at all discernible ;  and in the second stage of its operation, it causes
 sleep, rather by lessening excitability and allaying  pain than by
 any direct action on the nervous system ; under its  continued use,
 also, the bowels are gently acted on, and do not become constipated,
 as occurs when opium is taken.  In  consequence of these proper-
 ties, hyoscyamus is employed with much  advantage in many pain-
 ful diseases in which the use of opium is objectionable from any
 circumstance.   It is especially  found beneficial in sleeplessness or
 irritability, when  the symptoms of pyrexia, as hot skin, thirst, de-
 lirium, &c, are present; in all  forms of neuralgic and spasmodic
 affections where there is great excitability of the  nervous system,
 and in which  the  stimulating effects of opium would prove injuri-
 ous ; in irritation of the bronchial mucous membrane causing cough;
 and in diseases of the urinary organs.  There are, however, many
 persons in whom hyoscyamus will produce great excitement, head-
 ache, and even  delirium ; and  in such its use should be carefully
 avoided.  Externally, fomentations or cataplasms of hyoscyamus
 are employed to diminish pain in glandular enlargements, painful
 ulcerations',  hemorrhoidal affections,  &c.  Given in combination
 with  active cathartics,  it corrects  their  griping  qualities without
 diminishing their activity.
  D. & M. of Adm.—In powder, the leaves may be given in doses
 of gr. v. to gr. x.; or the seeds in doses of gr. iij. to gr. viij.; the
 following preparations, however, are generally employed : Extrac-
tum  Hyoscyami, L. E.  Succus spissatus Hyoscyami, D.  (" Pre-
pared in the same manner as the similar preparation of belladonna,"
D. L.  " To be prepared by any of the processes  directed for ex-
tract of conium," E.)  The continued evaporation by  heat to which
this extract is subjected, when prepared according to the formula
of the Dublin and London Colleges, impairs its activity ;  prepared
                              Ff 
226
NARCOTICS.
 according to the Edinburgh Pharmacopoeia, it is much more pow-
 erful.   Dose, gr. v. to gr. xv., given in the form of pill.—Tinctura
 Hyoscyami, D. L. E.   (Hyoscyamus leaves, dried (and in moder-
 ately fine powder, E.), *v. ; proof spirit, fbij.  (Oij., L. E.); digest
 (macerate, L.) for 7 (14, L.) days, and strain.   "It is best prepa-
 red by the process of percolation, as directed for tincture of capsi-
 cum," E.)   Dose, f5ss.  to f3ij.—Succus Hyoscyami.   (Fresh hyos-
 cyamus leaves, any quantity; express  the juice with a powerful
 press, set aside for 48 hours, pour off the clear supernatant liquor,
 and add to it a fifth  part of rectified spirit.)  This is the best prep-
 aration of henbane.   Dose, min. xx. to  min. xl.
   In poisoning with hyoscyamus, stimulating emetics and the stom-
 ach pump should be immediately  employed, to be followed by ex-
 ternal and internal stimulants, and afterward bloodletting.   Sever-
 al cases of poisoning with henbane have been recently published in
 one of the Italian journals, in which lemon juice in large quantity
 proved a complete antidote.

   Lactucarium,  L. E.    Lactuca sativa, herba, D.    Lactuca
 virosa, folia, D.  Lactucarium.   Lettuce opium.  The inspissated
juice of Lactuca sativa, L.—of Lactuca sativa and Lactuca virosa,
 E.  The herb of Lactuca sativa, and the leaves  of Lactuca virosa,
 D.—Both those species of Lactuca belong to the natural family
 Composita, and to the Linnasan class and order Syngenesia Mqua-
 lis.   The  former, though extensively cultivated in the British Isles,
 was originally introduced probably from the East; the latter is in-
 digenous.
  B. C—L. sativa is an annual; stem erect, smooth, cylindrical, branching above,
 1 to 2 feet high ; leaves rounded or ovate, more or less wrinkled, generally sheath-
 ing at the base, of a pale green colour; flowers pale yellow, small, in  terminal co
 rymbs.   L. virosa  is a biennial; stem erect, prickly,  3 to 4 feet high; leaves dis-
 tant, patent, oblong, toothed, two-eared and amplexicaul at the base, their keel
 prickly ;  flowers small, yellow,  in panicles.
  P. U. & M. of Prep.—As soon as the flowering  stem of  either of  those plants
 shoots up, it abounds in a white milky juice, which did not before exist; this juice,
 when dried spontaneously, constitutes lactucarium or  lettuce opium  It'is obtained
 by slicing off the flowering head before  the flowers expand, collecting the milky
juice which exudes, and removing a fresh slice of the stem as long as  it yields any
white juice.  The recent investigations of Mr. Duncan, of Edinburgh  have shown
that the L. virosa yields three times as much lactucarium as the garden lettuce and
that its quality also is superior.

   P. P.—It is met with in large, roundish, rough  masses,  of an um-
ber  brown  colour; it has a narcofc  odour, which closely resem-
bles that of opium, and  a  disagreeable, bitter taste.
   C. P.—Lactucarium consists of a peculiar neutral bitter principle
which has  been named  Lactucin, a volatile  oil, a yellowish red,
tasteless resin, a greenish-yellow, acrid resin, crystallizable and un-
crystalhzable sugar, gum, pectic  acid, a brown basic substance, a
 principle like humus extractive, a concrete  oil or wax, and numer-
 ous salts (Walz).  Of these, the Lactucin appears  to be  the active
 principle.   By heat  lactucarium softens, and is partially fused;  it
 is inflammable, and burns with a white flame.  It yields  its virtues 
NARCOTICS.
227
partially to cold or boiling water, more completely to alcohol  or
ether.
   Th. E.—Lactucarium, in its operation on the system, resembles
opium in many respects, but  it produces scarcely any excitement,
consequently  it may be employed as a substitute for'that drug  in
cases in which a stimulant effect is objectionable.   It is. however,
uncertain in its operation, and in many persons, even when given
in very large doses, does not produce any effect.  It has been prin-
cipally  employed  as  an anodyne in phthisis, but when  its use lias
been continued for even a comparatively short period, I have found
it to lose its powers of producing rest, although  the quantitv given
was much increased.  Lactucarium has also been employed as a
narcotic in febrile and inflammatory affections, in  rheumatism, in
arthritis, and in nervous disorders, where opium is contra-indicated
from any cause.
   D. & M. of Adm.—Gr. v. to gr. xx., in the form of pill.—Tinc-
tura Lactucarii, E.  (Lactucarium, in fine powder, ^ij.; proof spirit,
Oj.; this tincture  is best made by percolation as directed for tinc-
ture of myrrh, but may also be prepared by digestion with coarse
powder of lactucarium.)  Dose, f3i. to f3ij.   Every fluid drachm
of this  tincture contains  gr. vj. of lactucarium.—Trochisci Lactu-
carii, E.   (To be prepared with lactucarium, in the same propor-
tion, and in the same way as opium lozenges.)  Dose, 9i. to 3ij.,
daily.   Each  lozenge often grains contains nearly one seventh of
a grain of lactucarium.—Extractum Lactuca, L.   (Fresh lettuce
leaves,  fbj.; bruise them, sprinkled with a little water, in a stone
mortar ; then press out the juice, and evoporate it, unstrained, to a
proper  consistence.)  A bad preparation, sometimes substituted for
lactucarium, from which it may be known by its greater compact-
ness and very feeble odour.   Dose, 3i. to 3i.

   LuPUI.US, L. E.   HUMI'LUS LUrULUS, STROBILI SICCATI, D.  Hops.
The dried Strobiles (Catkins, E.) of Hamulus lupulus.—Scarcely
indigenous, probably introduced from  Holland ; it belongs to the
natural  family  Urticacea, and to the Linnasan class and order Di-
azcia Pentandria.
  B. C.—Stems long, weak, and climbing, scabrous ; leaves petiolate, 3 to 5 lobed,
serrated, veiny, rough ; flowers greenish-yellow.
  P. U. & M. of  Prep.—The aggregated fruits, catkins  or strobiles, when dried,
constitute the hops of commerce ; they are gathered and picked in September, and
dried in kilns.
   P. P.—Hops occur in the form of thin, papery, greenish-yellow
scales, variously veined, and sprinkled with a  golden-yellow pow-
der ; they have a  peculiar aromatic odour, and  an aromatic, very
bitter taste.
   C. P.—The  principal virtue of hops  is due to the yellow powder,
which has been called lupulin;  it constitutes about a sixth  part of
good hops, and may be readily obtained in a separate state by rub-
bing and sifting.   The scales are composed of astringent matter,
inert colouring matter, chlorophylle, gum, lignin, and salts of potash 
228
NARCOTICS.
and  lime,  with some  adhering  lupuline (Payen and Chevallier).
Lupulin is in the form of a coarse yellow powder, <>f a cellular tex-
ture ; it consists of 2 per cent, of volatile oil, 10*3 of bitter princi-
ple (lupulite), 50 to 55 of resin, 32 of lignin, &c.  Hops and lupu-
lin yield their active properties to both water and alcohol.
  Th. E.—Much difference of opinion exists as to the therapeuti-
cal properties of hops;  they are generally stated  to be  narcotic,
but,  from the experiments made with  them by Magendie and others
on animals, it would appear that this effect is not manifested when
they are given internally, no matter  how large  the  dose.   Never-
theless, the inhalation of the aroma of hops  acts  decidedly  narcotic,
frequently producing sleep in the restlessness and watchfulness of
mania and other nervous affections, when opium and other narcot-
ics have completely failed.   To produce  this effect, a pillow stuffed
with hops is generally employed.   The solution of the bitter prin-
ciple of the hop in malt liquors serves to make them keep better,
and  also confers on them aromatic and tonic properties.
  D. & M. of Adm.—Lupulin, gr. vj. to  gr. xij., in powder or pill;
if the hop possess any narcotic  property, it must be concentrated
in this substance, as in it alone is centred all the aroma.—Extrac-
tum  Humuli, D.   Extractum Lupuli,  L.  E.    (" Prepared as the
simpler extracts," D.  " As the  extract of logwood," E.    " Hops,
fbss.;  boiling distilled water, cong. ij.; macerate for 24 hours; then
boil  down to a gallon, and  strain the liquor while yet hot; lastly,
evaporate to a proper consistence," L.)  Dose, gr.  v. to gr. xx.—
Infusum  Lupuli,  L.   (Hops, 3vj.; boiling distilled water, Oj.;
macerate for 4 hours  in  a  vessel lightly covered, and strain.)  A
mild bitter, very  feebly, if at all narcotic.   Dose, f§j.  to ftij —
Tinctura Humuli, D.   Tinctura Lupuli, L. E.   (*' Hops,  5v. (§vi.,
L.) ; proof spirit, fbij.  (Oij.,  L.);  macerate for  14 days (frequently
shaking, D.), and  strain," D. L.  "Take any convenient  quantity
of hops recently dried, separate by friction, and sifting the yellowish-
brown  powder attached  to  their scales; then take°of this powder
l\., and of rectified spirit fgviij., and prepare the tincture by per-
colation or digestion,  as directed for  tincture  of  capsicum," E.)
Dose, f3ss.  to f'3ij.

  Morphia, L.   Morphia.   A peculiar principle, on which the me-
dicinal activity of opium chiefly  depends.
  Prep.—Lond.  " Hydrochlorate  of morphia, §i. ; solution of ammonia, f3V ; dis-
tilled water, Oj.; add the hydrochlorate of morphia,  first  dissolved in  the pint of
water, to the solution of ammonia with an ounce of water,  shaking them together;
wash what is thrown down with distilled water, and dry it  with a gentle heat "
  [U. S. P.—Take of opium, sliced, a pound; distilled water, alcohol, each, q. s.;
solution of ammonia, 6 fluid ounces.  Macerate the opium with 4 pints of distilled
water for 24 hours, and having worked it with the hand,  digest for 24 hours, and
strain.  In like manner macerate the residue twice successively with distilled water,
and strain.  Mix the infusions, evaporate to 6 pints, and filter; then add  first 5 pints
of alcohol, and afterward 3 fluid ounces of the solution  of ammonia, previously mixed
with  half a pint of alcohol.  After  24 hours, pour in the remainder of the solution
of ammonia, mixed as before with i a pint of alcohol, and set the liquor aside for 24
hours, that crystals may form.  To purify these, boil them with 2 pints of alcohol
till they are dissolved filter the solution while hot through animal charcoal, and set
it aside to crystallize.! 
NARCOTICS.
229
    P. P.—Thus obtained, morphia is in the form of a white crystal-
  line powder, the crystals being  very minute ; but, by solution in
  boiling alcohol  and slow  evaporation, they may be obtained  much
  larger; their primary form is the right rhombic prism.   They are
  inodorous, but have a sensibly bitter taste.
    C. P.—It  consists of CsbH""0,!jV.   It is permanent in the air, it is
  fused by heat, and by a  high temperature it  is decomposed.   It is
  inflammable, burning with a bright flame and a peculiar odour, and
  leaving a carbonaceous residuum.  It requires  1000 parts of water
  to dissolve  it,  the solution possessing an  alkaline  action;  it is
  scarcely soluble in ether, but dissolves in 40  times  its weight of
  cold and in 30 times its weight of boiling alcohol;  it is very soluble
  in solution of caustic potash, lime-water, or  ammonia.   The best
  characteristic of morphia and its salts is the property which  they
  possess of striking a deep blue colour with the solution of a per-salt
  of iron made as nearly neutral as possible.
     Th. E.—Morphia, on account of its insolubility, is not used in
  medicine; its therapeutical  effects, therefore, will be  more conve-
  niently considered when treating of  the muriate of  morphia, the
  most frequently employed of its salts.    The  dose  of the pure  alka-
■  loid would be from one fourth to one half of a grain, in the form of
  pill.

     Morphine acetas, L. E.   Acetate of Morphia.
    Prep.—Lond. "Morphia, 3VJ.; acetic acid, fjiij.; distilled water, ffiv.; mix the
  acid with water, and pour them upon the morphia to  saturation.  Let the liquor
  evaporate with a gentle heat, that crystals may be formed."   Edin. " Muriate of
  morphia, any convenient quantity. Dissolve it in 14 times its weight of warm
  water;  and when the  solution is cool, add aqua ammoniae gradually, and with con-
  stant agitation, until there is  a permanent but faint odour of ammonia in the fluid.
  Collect the precipitate on a calico filter, wash it moderately with cold water, and
  dissolve it by means of a slight excess of pyroligneous acid in 12 parts of. warm
  water for every part of muriate of morphia that was used.  Concentrate the solu-
  tion over the vapour-bath, and set it aside to crystallize.  Drain and  squeeze the
  crystals, and dry them with a gentle heat.  More aceate of morphia may be obtained
  on concentrating the mother-liquor."
    [U. S. P.—Morphia,  in powder, freed from  narcotina by boiling with sulphuric
  ether, 1 oz.; distilled water, half a pint;  acetic acid, a sufficient quantity.  Mix the
  morphia with the water, then carefully drop in the acid, constantly stirring, until
  the morphia is saturated and dissolved.  Evaporate the solution by the water-bath
  to the consistence  of a sirup.   Lastly, dry the  acetate with a gentle heat, and rub
  it into powder.]
     P. P.—As usually met with,  acetate of  morphia  is a grayish-
  white  powder,  sometimes obscurely crystalline;  when  pure, how-
  ever, it is snow-white, and in distinct crystals.   It is inodorous, but
  when  moistened emits a feeble odour of acetic acid ; its taste is in-
  tensely bitter.
     ('. p.—It is composed of one  eq. of  acetic acid and one of mor-
  phia.  Exposed to the air, it loses a portion  of its acid, and then is
  partially insoluble  in water; by heat it is decoi  posed,  and  dissi-
  pated  without  any residuum.   Acetate of morphia is very soluble
  in water  and in alcohol.  When the base is not completely satu-
  rated  with acid, its s lution in water may be read.ly accomplished
  by adding a f w drops of acetic ac;d. 
230
NARCOTICS.
   Adulterations.—When  the salt is properly prepared, it  is of a
snow-white  colour, and readily soluble in water.   The following
test of the Edin.  Phar. guards  against the adulteration with any
other white  powder, as it indicates the exact quantity  of morphia
which ought to be present: " One hundred measures of a solution
of gr. x. in f§ss. of  water, and  min. v. of acetic acid, heated near
to 212°, and decomposed by a faint excess of  ammonia, yield by
agitation a precipitate  which in  24 hours occupies  15*5 measures
of the liquid."
   Th. E.—The uses and dose of this preparation are precisely sim-
ilar to those of the muriate  next  to be  described;  the latter salt
should be always preferred,  as it  is  more  easily prepared, keeps
better, and is generally more pure.
   Incomp.—The stronger acids ; the alkalies, and alkaline  earths;
and most earthy and metallic salts.


   Morphia murias, E.   Morphle hydrochloras, L.   Muriate of
Morphia; Hydrochlorate of Morphia.

  Prep.—Lond. " Take of opium, sliced, Ibj.; crystals of chloride of lead, fij., or
a sufficiency ;  purified animal charcoal, fiiiss. ; hydrochloric acid, distilled water,
solution of ammonia,  each, as much as may be sufficient; macerate the opium in
Oiv. of distilled water for 30 hours, and bruise it; afterward digest it for 20 hours
more and press it.  Macerate what remains again and a third time in water, that it
may become free from taste, and as often bruise and press it.  Evaporate the mix-
ed liquors, with a heat of 140°, to the consistence of a sirup.   Then add Oiij. of
distilled water, and when the impurities have subsided, pour off the supernatant li-
quor.  Gradually add  to this jij. of chloride of lead, or as much as maybe suffi-
cient, first dissolved in Oiv. of boiling distilled water, till nothing farther is precipi-
tated.  Pour off the liquor, and wash what remains frequently with distilled water.
Then evaporate the mixed liquors as before, with a gentle heat, that crystals may
be formed.   Press these in a cloth, then dissolve them in a pint of distilled water,
and digest with fiss. of  animal charcoal,  in a heat of 120°, and strain.  Lastly, the
charcoal being thoroughly washed, evaporate the liquors cautiously, that pure crys-
tals may be produced.   To the  liquor poured ofT from the crystals first separated,
previously mixed with a pint of water, gradually drop in as much solution of ammo-
nia, frequently shaking it, as may  be sufficient to precipitate all  the  morphia.  To
this, washed with distilled water,  add hydrochloric acid, that it may be saturated;
afterward digest it with fij. of animal charcoal, and strain.   Lastly, the  animal
charcoal being thoroughly washed, evaporate the liquors cautiously, that pure crys-
tals  maybe produced."   Edin.  "Take of opium, 5XX. ; water, Oviij. ; muriate of
lime, §i., or a slight excess ; macerate the opium in fragments for 24 hours in Oij.
of the water ;  and separate  the infusion, squeezing well the residue.  Repeat the
maceration successively with Oij. more of the water, till the whole is made use of.
Concentrate the whole infusions over the vapour-bath.  Decant the clear liquid, and
add the muriate of lime  dissolved  in f?iv. of water.  Set the whole aside to settle;
pour off the liquid ; wash the sediment with a little water, adding the washings to
the liquid.  Evaporate the liquid sufficiently in the vapour-bath for it to solidify on
cooling.  Subject the cooled mass to very strong pressure in a cloth; redissolve
the cake in a sufficiency of warm distilled water; add a little fine powder of marble,
and filter ;  acidulate the filtered fluid with a veiy little muriatic  acid; and concen-
trate a second time in  the  vapour-bath for crystallization.   Subject the crystals
again to very strong pressure in a cloth.  Repeat the process  of solution, clarifica-
tion by marble and muriatic acid, concentration and crystallization, until a snow-
white mass be obtained.  On the small  scale trouble and loss are saved by decol-
orizing the solution of muriate of morphia by means of a little purified animal char-
coal after crystallization.   But on the large scale it is better to purify the salt by
repeated crystallizations alone, and to treat all the expressed fluids, except the first,
in the same way with the original solution of impure muriate  of mornhia.  An ad-
ditional quantity of salt may often be  got from the first dark and resinous fluid ob- 
narcotics.
231
tamed by expression, on merely allowing it to remain at rest for a few months, when
a little muriate of morphia may be deposited in an impure condition.  The opium
which yields the largest precipitate by carbonate of soda, according to the formula
for testing opium, will yield muriate of morphia, not only in the greatest proportion,
but likewise with the fewest crystallizations."
  P- P-—Muriate of morphia is usually met with in the form of a
fine, soft, snow-white powder, but  it may be readily  obtained in
feathery, acicular crystals.   It is without odour, but has an intense-
ly bitter, peculiar taste.
  C. P.—It is composed of one  eq. of muriatic acid, one of mor-
phia, and (in the crystalline state)  six of water of crystallization.
It is permanent in the  air, is fusible by heat, and by a. red heat is
decomposed and totally dissipated.   Muriate of morphia requires
for its solution from 14 to 20 parts of cold water, but is  soluble in
less than its  own weight of boiling water ; it is also readily dissolv-
ed by alcohol.
  Adulterations.—The only impurities which are at present com-
monly met with in this salt are colouring matter and moisture, both
of which arise  from faulty preparation.   The tests of the Edin.
Phar. guard against these contaminations, as well as against  the
adulteration  with any  similar white powder.   " Snow-white;  en-
tirely soluble ;  solution colourless ; loss of weight at 212°  not above
13 per cent.; one hundred measures of a  solution of gr.  x. in f^ss.
of water, heated near  to 212°, and decomposed with agitation by
a faint excess  of ammonia, yield a precipitate which in 24 hours
occupies  12*5 measures of the liquid."
  Th. E.—Notwithstanding  the  observations of many,  that mor-
phia is free from the stimulating effects of opium, and that it acts
purely7 as an anodyne sedative, it would appear that it possesses es-
sentially, though perhaps not quite identically, the actions  of  the
drug itself.   Thus, given in small doses, its first effect is to cause
a feeling of excitement of the  circulation, and in some persons, also,
of the nervous  system ; this stage of excitement, however, is never
so distinctly  marked as when opium has been taken, and sedative
effects are more immediately consequent  on it.  Morphia and its
salts will, in some persons, but not so frequently as opium, produce
the disagreeable subsequent feelings of nausea and headache caused
by that drug; but constipation, sweating, or dryness of the tongue
very rarely follow their employment.  There are two effects pro-
duced by morphia or its salts, when taken in medicinal doses, which
do not seem to be caused by opium, namely, a peculiar sensation
of itchiness over the whole surface of the body, in some cases even
attended with a cutaneous eruption, and irritability of the bladder,
accompanied with a  difficulty in voiding the urine; the latter symp-
tom  is most distinctly  marked when  any  of the  salts  of morphia
have been taken in  full doses.   The salts  of morphia may be em-
ployed in most instances to fulfil the same  intentions  as opium and
its preparations, and which will be fully considered in the next  ar-
ticle.   We prefer their use to that of opium where, from any cause,
we wish to employ that drug without the knowledge of our patient;
or where  our intentions will be best answered by applying the rem- 
232
NARCOTICS.
edy to the denuded dermis, as in certain local affections, especially
those of a nervous character.   Like opium, the salts  of morphia
lose their effect by repetition, and, consequently, the dose must be
gradually increased.
  D.  &. M. of Adm.—The  dose of the muriate or acetate of mor-
phia is from gr. \ to gr. ss.; after they  have been employed  for
any length  of time, so large a dose as gr. viij. to gr. x. will be re-
quired to act as a narcotic.   When appliedendermicaily, the cuti-
cle is to be removed by means of a blister, and gr. j.to gr. ij. sprink-
led over the denuded dermis.—Morphia muriatis solatia, E.  (Mu-
riate  of morphia, 3iss.; rectified spirit, f§v.;  d.stilled water, if.xv.;
mix the spirit  and the water, and  dissolve the muriate of morphia
in the mixture with the aid of a gentle heat.)   The strength of this
preparation is intended to be equivalent  to tincture of opium;  fzj.
contains gr. ivss.  of  muriate of morphia.  Dose, min. xx. to mm.
xl.—Trochisci Morphia, E.  (Muriate of morphia, 9j.; tincture of
tolu,  §ss.; pure sugar, "^xxv.; dissolve the muriate of morphia in a
little  hot water, mix it and  the tincture of tolu with the sugar, and
with  a sufficiency of mucilage form a proper mass for  making  loz-
enges, each of which should weigh about  fifteen grains.)   Each
lozenge contains  a little more than a fortieth of a  grain of muriate
of  morphia.   Principally used to  allay  tickling cough in chronic
pectoral affections.  Dose, No. x. to xij., daily.— Trochisci Morphias
et Ipecacuanha, E.  (Muriate of morphia, 3j.; ipecacuanha, in  finu
powder, 3i.; tincture of tolu, f^ss.;  pure sugar, §xxv.; proced as
for morphia lozenges.)  Dose and uses the same.   In addition to
the morphia, each lozenge  contains about a  fourteenth of a  grain
of  ipecacuanha.—Sulphate of-morphia is sometimes used in medi-
cine,  but  possesses no advantage over the muriate.
   Incomp.—Alkalies  and alkaline  earths, and most earthy and  me-
tallic salts.

   Opium, D. L. E.  Opium.   Concrete juice from the unripe cap-
sules of Papavcr somniferum.—Probably originally a  native  of
Asia, Figypt. and  the Smith of Europe, but now growing wild  and
extensively cultivated in  most parts of the world ; it belongs to the
natural family Papaveracea, and  to the  Linnasan class and  order
Polyandria Monogynia.
  B. C—-Annual; stem erect, cylindrical, branched, glaucous green, 2 to 6 feet
high;  leaves amplexicaul, alternate, undulated, incised, ovato-oblong, gliucous be-
neath ; flowers large, terminal, pendulous before expansion, with two de ;:duous se-
pals, and four petals, generally white with a purple eye, some varieties red or dark
purple ; capsules obovate or globose, smooth, many-seeded ; seeds small, roundish
or reniform, oily.
  Prf.v.—Opium is obtained from the capsules of the poppy by a nearly s:mi!ar pro-
cess in all parts of the world in whicli it is prepared : A h w days after the petals
fall off", incisions are made horizontally and obliquely with some sharp instrument
through the epicarp and sarcocarp of the  capsule, ialong care not to penetrate the
cavity. A white milky juice exudes in drops, which is a lowed to re nam on the
poppy head for 24 hours.   It is then scraped off and depose ed in earthen or wooden
vessels, in which it is assiduously stirred until the different collections made are
thoroughly inspissated, water being sometimes added to kef p up the mn ,-ture.  The
opium is finally dried without heat, first in small cakes, aferward in large masses
and in most places wrapped in poppy leaves, to orevent them from ad.iennu". 
NARCOTICS.
233
  P. P.—The opium met with most commonly, at present almost
entirely, in British commerce, is called Turkey Opium, and is prin-
cipally brought from Smyrna, a small quantity occasionaliy coming
direct from Constantinople.  Smyrna Opium occurs in irregularly-
rounded  lumps, varying in weight from a  few ounces to two or
even three pounds, the most general size being from  a pound and
a half to two pounds.   When first imported it is usually so soft as
to be readily  imprinted with the fingers, but  it quickly  becomes
hard by keeping.   Each lump is covered externally With the red-
dish w.nged seeds of some species  of Rumex, and sometimes also
with poppy leaves;  it is of a brownish colour, and  has a waxy lus-
tre  when cut; its odour is strong and narcotic, and its taste  bitter,
acrid, and nauseous.   Constantinople Opium occurs in small flat-
tened cakes covered w.th  a poppy leaf, but without  any Rumex
seeds.  It is hard, and of a hair-brown colour; its odour and taste
are more feeble than the preceding  sort.  Egyptian Opium is also
sometimes met With in the British market, but within these last few
years it has been very scarce.  It occurs in flattened round  cakes,
from 3 to 8 ounces in  weight, each  cake be.ng wrapped up  ,n a
poppy leaf, with the midrib of which  it is indented ; it varies much
in consistency, some pieces being  very soft and others tolerably
hard ;  but most of it attracts moisture from the air, so  as to become
soft by keeping.  It has a reddish-brown  colour; its (dour and
taste are  comparatively  feeble.  East Indian Opium is not an  arti-
cle  of British commerce, being prepared chiefly for  the Chinese
market.   For specimens of the different sorts usually prepared, I
am indebted to the kindness of Professor Christison, of Edinburgh,
and to my friend Mr. Johnson, late  assistant opium inspector at the
great factory of  Behar.  Three kinds  are commonly met with :
Bengal Opium, which  includes that prepared, at the  factories of
Behar and Benares, Garden Patna and Malwah Opium.  Bengal
Opium is met with in large round balls from three to four pounds'
weight, surrounded  with a thick envelope of leaves firmly agglu-
tinated together.   The contained opium is quite soft, and of a black-
ish  colour; its odour and  taste are purely opiate.   Garden Patna
Opium occurs in flat, square cakes from three to four inches square,
and about half an inch thick ; while still soft, it is closely enveloped
in thin plates of mica, which firmly adhere to it.  It has a reddish-
brown colour, homogeneous throughout, and a rather agreeable,
strongly opiate odour.  Malwah Opium is in flattened, round  cakes,
five or six inches in diameter ; it is hard and brittle, covered exter-
nally with a coarse grayish dust; internally it is of a light-brown
colour, and has a shining fracture;  its  odour is much  more  feeble
than that of Garden Patna  opium.   Opium  was also formerly pre-
pared  in  England of very  fine quality, but owing to the  losses
which were sustained from the uncertainty  of the climate, the cul-
tivation of the poppy with that intention is now quite abandoned.
It is at present prepared in some parts of Fiance and of Germany,
for  the purpose of procuring morphia from it.   A variety of opium,
under the name of Persian Opium, is described as having been lm-
                              G G 
234
NARCOTICS.
ported a few years since  from Trebizon on the Black Sea; it was
in cylindrical  sticks about six  inches long, and half an inch in di-
ameter, wrapped separately in paper;  it was of a pale  brown col-
our, had an opiate, somewhat musty odour, and an intensely bitter
taste ; it appeared to be a very inferior article.   Of the different vari-
eties of opium above described, the finer qualities of Turkey opium
should be preferred for medicinal purposes.
   C. P.—According to the most recent, as well as the most com-
plete analyses that have been made of opium, the substances of
which it is composed appear to be the following:  Morphia, narco-
tina, codeia, thebaina or paramorphia, narcein,meconin, meconic acid,
sulphuric acid, gum, albumen, resin, fixed oil, a trace of volatile oil,
its odorous principle, lignin, caoutchouc, extractive  matter, and nu-
merous salts of inorganic bases.  The first seven are peculiar prin-
ciples  found only  in opium; they may be conveniently classed as
follows,  with respect to  both their chemical and physiological
properties:

                           1. Alkaloids
             Substance.                      Medicinal Property
    Morphia (C35H20O6N)......Narcotic.
    Codeia (C35fP°05N)......Narcotic.
    Narcotina (C»8H24015N).....Bitter; resembling Quinia.
    Thebaina (C25H'*03N).....Stimulant; resembling Strychnia.
                           2. Neutrals.
    Nareein (C2BH20O12N).....Inert.
    Meconin (C10H5O4)......Inert.
                             3. Acid.
    Meconic Acid (Cl4H0u).....Inert.
   The constituents  of opium are partially soluble in water, either
warm or cold, about a third being left  undissolved, which consists
chiefly of a  dark viscid substance, resembling caoutchouc, and nar-
cotin;  it is more soluble in alcohol  and ether, but a small portion
is still left undissolved.   The  watery infusion  is of a dark-brown
colour, and has an acid reaction.   It is precipitated by the alkalies,
and  alkaline earths when not added in excess;  by  the soluble salts
of iron and  of lead, by the salts of lime and magnesia,  by tincture
of galls, and by all  astringent vegetable substances.  Of the differ-
ent substances above enumerated as existing in opium, the only one
of importance in relation to medicine is morphia,  which has been
before described;  it exists in  opium combined with meconic and
sulphuric acids.  Codeia has been used in France by Magendie and
others  as a narcotic; it is about half the  strength of morphia.  Nar-
cotina  was originally generally believed to be the stimulating prin-
ciple of opium ;  but more recent investigations, especially those of
Dr. O'Shaughnessy, of Calcutta, have shown that it is  completely
devoid of any stimulant or narcotic properties, and that, like quinia,
it is  capable of arresting the paroxysms of remittent and  intermit-
tent fevers; more  than 160 cases of ague successfully treated with
narcotina by himself and  others have been recently published by
that physician.  Thebaina, from M.igendie's experiments, appears 
NARCOTICS.
235
to be a powerful poison; one grain injected into the jugular vein
or placed in the pleura,  acts like  strychnia, causing  tetanus and
death in a few minutes.  Meconic acid produces a deep cherry-red
colour with  the persalts of iron ; and this forms the most important
characteristic of opium in medico-legal researches.
   Adulterations.—Opium is very extensively; adulterated, and also
varies exceedingly in quality7, from the mode in which it is prepared.
Many of the impurities which exist in opium may be detected by a
careful physical examination ; such as moisture, sand, stones, leaves,
woody fibre, pieces of metal, seeds, &c.  But, by the external char-
acters, it is very difficult to judge accurately of the quality of opium,
and  the only sure criterion is to ascertain the quantity of morphia
contained in a given specimen of the drug.  This can only be done
accurately by proceeding according to either of the processes given
for the preparation of  the muriate of morphia.   " A pound of good
opium thus treated  should yield  at least ten per cent, of snow-white
salt" (Christison).  The following test for the goodness of opium
given in the Edinburgh Pharmacopoeia is intended to indicate the
quantity of morphia, narcotine,  and resinous extractive contained ;
but  it is difficult of application,  and at best can only be a doubtful
criterion of quality: "A solution from 100 grains of fine opium
macerated 24 hours in f^ij. of water, filtered and strongly  squeezed
in a  cloth, if treated with a cold solution of §ss. of carbonate of soda
in two waters, yields a precipitate which weighs when dry at least
ten grains, and dissolves entirely in solution of oxalic acid."
   Th. E.—In excessive doses,  opium is a  powerful narcotic poi-
son,  producing soon after it is taken  giddiness and stupor, with
scarcely any previous excitement; the stupor increases rapidly,
accompanied with  complete torpor, slowness of breathing, depress-
ed circulation,  general relaxation of the muscles, contracted pupils,
and, unless  active  treatment  be speedily employed, death quickly
ensues.  In medicinal  doses, opium  generally produces at first ex-
citement of the vascular system, which is accompanied with exhil-
aration of the  nervous functions; these effects are marked by an
increase in the force  and frequency of the pulse, with increased
heat of the body, and  by the pleasurable sensations which are ex-
perienced throughout  the whole  system.   Soon after, unless the
dose be  repeated, the  sedative  influence of the drug becomes ob-
vious; the general excitement is calmed, pain is diminished, a dis-
inclination to muscular exertion  produced, and the force of external
impressions  on the senses diminished ; this state is succeeded  by
sleep  more  or less profound, which lasts usually from six to eight
hours.  On  awaking from  the  sleep produc; d by opium, nausea,
headache, loss  of appetite, and indisposition to any active exertion
are  very generally experienced.  The effects of opium are modi-
fied  by a variety of circumstances, but most remarkably  of  all  by
habit.  This is well exemplified by a reference to  the customs  of
some Eastern  countries, as Turkey, Persia, and China, where the
druo- is commonly employed to produce a species of intoxication
or excitement.   In the two former countries the opium is eaten, in 
230
NARCOTICS.
the latter it is smoked, but in either way the quantity used must be
daily increased, or it ceases to produce the desired effect.   Instan-
ces of opium-eating constantly occur also in  the British Islands ;
and a graphic account of the effects  produced by this  pernicious
habit, as experienced by himself, is given by Mr. de Quincy in his
Confessions of an English Opium-eater.  Among the Turks, the
Theriaci (opium-eaters) generally  begin with doses of from one to
two or three grains, and gradually increase  the quantity till it
amounts to two, three, or  in  many instances to six drachms.   In
Great Britain, also, it is taken in immense quantities by opium-eat-
ers, f§iij. of laudanum being  a common daily allowance, and  in
some  instances, where the vice  has been long indulged in, half a
pint to a pint is  the  quantity taken.   These facts should be borne
in mind by the medical practitioner, as opium-eaters, when labour-
ing under disease, require, of course, very large doses of the drug;
and in all individuals where the use of opium has been continued
for any length of time, the dose must be gradually increased.  We
also meet with individuals on whom, although unaccustomed to its
use, opium produces but little effect.   Christison mentions an in-
stance of " a gentleman of his acquaintance who, though not ac-
customed to its use, has taken 450 drops of the best laudanum with-
out any other effect than some  headache and constipation; and,
singularly enough, his son, at the age of six, took 60  minims of so-
lution of muriate of morphia without any apparent effect."   In oth-
ers, we see a very opposite state of sensibility to the  operation of
this drug, the sixth or eighth of a grain being a sufficient dose ; this
extreme sensibility to the action of opium is always  met with in
infants and young children ; we should, therefore, employ opiates
with great caution in the treatment of their diseases, one drop of
laudanum frequently proving a dangerous dose to a child a few
weeks old.  The effects of opium are  also much influenced by dis-
ease, as will  be evident when we come to speak of the special uses
of the drug.   Lastly, by combination  w.th other remedies, the op-
eration  of opium is greatly modified.   Thus, with antimonials  or
ipecacuanha, its  narcotic influence  is much diminished, and the di-
aphoretic powers of  those substances remarkably increased'; with
astringents, as catechu, kino, or chalk, their powers are augmented
without the production of narcotism ;  and with aromatics or cam-
phor,  the stimulant effect of the drug is generally only manifested.
   The special uses of opium  in the  treatment  of disease are  so
very numerous, that  we can only subjoin a concise account of the
most important of them, mentioning the  peculiar circumstances by
which its employment is demanded or  contra-indicated.  In fevers,
opium  is principally used to  procure sleep where  there  is great
watchfulness or d.lirium present, without exc.tement of the vascu-
lar system, or where they continue after that excitement has been
subdued by antiphlogistic treatment.   Its use, however, must be at-
tended with great caution, and  should not be  persisted in if the
tongue and sk n  become dry.  or if  the  pupil of the eve is contract-
ed.  The  combination of lartar emeLc with  opium, as first propo- 
NARCOTICS.
237
sed by Dr. Graves, of Dublin, will be often found particularly use-
ful in fevers  attended with much cerebral disturbance.   In the
eru.  -e fevers, opium, when given with due attention to  the con-
coi.   ait symptoms, is productive of much benefit, nay, is some-
times  iperatively demanded for  the safety of the patient; about
the eighth or ninth day of the eruption in smallpox, great  cerebral
disturbance frequently comes on, at first marked by throbbing of
the carotids;  if opium be not administered immediately on the ap-
pearance of this symptom, it is quickly followed by delirium, coma,
and death.   In intermittent  fever, opium given in a large  dose at
the commencement of the cold stage  frequently arrests the parox-
ysm ; if there be any local inflammation or congestion present, its
use is contra-indicated.   In inflammatory diseases, given  in con-
junction with calomel, it acts  as  a powerful antiphlogistic;  one
grain of opium with two or three of calomel administered every
four or five hours, will be often found a remedy of much power in
the inflammations oi membranous parts ; it does not, however, prove
useful in the inflammation of the parenchymatous structure erf or-
gans.  In diffuse inflammation, particularly  that  fatal  form of it
which is accompanied with periostitis, opium proves more  success-
ful than any other remedy  which has  been  employed ; it is  best
given alone, in doses of from a quarter  of a grain  to half a grain
every hour  or every7 second hour.  Its beneficial influence in this
affection depends upon its  power of lessening " irritability,"  and
thereby enabling the system to bear up against the disease.  Alter
a copious bleeding, at the very commencement of an acute attack
of gastritis, enteritis, peritonitis, cystitis, &c, a full opiate, 60 to 80
drops of the tincture, or  to 2 or 3  grains of solid opium, will often
arrest the farther progress  of the  disease.  In peritonitis, caused
by rupture of the stomach or intestinal canal, life can only be pro-
longed for  even a short period by the use of very large doses of
opium.  In  rupture of the uterus, given  immediately and freely,
opium has in some instances saved the life of the patient.  In acute
rheumatism, when  given as first  proposed by my colleague, Dr.
Corrigan, it is productive of the happiest results; to prove useful
in this disease it must, however, be administered freely, one grain
at first every  second hour, and after  a few doses every hour,  and
this treatment continued  for five or six days, or until the disease is
subdued ; thus given, it does  not cause either dryness of the tongue,
headache, or constipation ; the duration of the attack is shortened,
and the dangerous complications of endocarditis and pericarditis
prevented.  °ln the early stages of acute dysentery, opium, given in
full and frequently-repeated doses, will be found,  in general, to
check the disease ;* the same may be also stated of diarrhaa  and
common cholera.  To allay the pain of gout and chronic rheumatism,
it is given in full doses with much advantage.   In delirium tremens,
opium is the remedy on  which most  reliance is to be placed ; to
prove beneficial, it should be employed  in very  large  doses  fre-
quently repeated : thus, two  or three grains of solid opium  must be
administered evcrv third or  fourth hour.   The comb,nation of  tar- 
/
238                       NARCOTICS.

tar emetic with the opium as proposed by Professor Law. of Dub-
lin, will be generally found  productive of benefit in cases of delir-
ium tremens where opium alone fails to do good.  It is more ben-
eficial in hydrophobia and tetanus  than any other agent which has
yet been employed; in those diseases there is a remarkable insen-
sibility to the action of the  drug, so that it must be given in enor-
mous doses  to procure any good result.  In spasmodic and convul-
sive diseases, opium is also a highly important remedy; as in spasm
of the ureter, or gall-duct from the passage of calculi, in spasmodic
stricture, in colic, &c.   In  all the varieties of neuralgia or  other
painful affections; in the nervous  irritability which  follows  large
losses of blood ;  in senile gangrene; in cancer; in painful ulcera-
tions ; in poisoning with acrid or corrosive substances, &c, opium
is very generally employed  as a palliative and anodyne.   It is also
found a most useful adjunct  to animal diet in the treatment of dia-
betes.   And, lastly, in venereal diseases it is combined with mercu-
rials to prevent them from running off byr the bowels.  Externally,
opium is used in the form of infusion, liniment, or plaster; the uses
of the two latter will be described  among the pharmaceutical prep-
arations of the drug.  The  infusion is applied  to recent burns, or
inflammations of  the skin from other causes; gr. xij. each of pow-
dered opium and  of acetate  of lead, infused separately in f^iv. of
tepid  water  mixed and filtered, form an excellent lotion in those
cases, and also in erythema, and erysipelas.  In chronic ophthalmia,
or where the inflammation is of a subacute character from the com-
mencement, the wine of  opium dropped into the eye  is found an
excellent  remedy.   Suppositories  of opium are introduced  into
the rectum in painful or spasmodic affections of the neighbouring
viscera.
  D.  & M. of Adm.—In  powder, gr. ss. to gr. iij. or gr. iv., usually
given in the form of pill, which may be made with simple muci-
lage,  or, if they are  to  be kept for any time, conserve of roses.—
Extractum  Opii  aquosum,  D.   Ext. Opii purificatum,  L.  Ex-
tractum Opii, E.   (" Opium, sliced, §ij.; boiling water, by measure,
fbj.; triturate the opium  with the water for 10 minutes, and after
a short  interval  pour off the liquor; triturate  the residual  opium
with an equal quantity of boiling water, and for the same time, pour-
ing off the liquor as before ;  repeat  the process a third time ; mix
the liquors, and expose the  mixture to  the air for two days in an
open  vessel.  Lastly, strain  through linen, and  prepare an'extract
with slow evaporation," D.    " Opium, sliced, ^xx.; boiling distilled
water, cong.  j.; add a  little  water to the opium, and macerate for
12 hours, that it may soften; then the remaining water being pour-
ed in  gradually, rub  them until they are very well mixed, and set
by, that the  dregs may subside ; afterward  strain the liquor, and
evaporate to a proper consistence," L.  " Opium, fbj.; water, Ov.;
cut the opium into small fragments, macerate it for  24 hours in a
pint of water, break down  the fragments with the  hand, express
the liquid  with pretty strong pressure;  break down the residuum
again in another  pint of  water, let it macerate for 24 hours, and 
NARCOTICS.
239
express the liquid ; repeat the maceration  and expression in the
same way till the water is all used.   Filter the successive infusions
as they are made, passing them through the same filter; unite and
evaporate them in the vapour-bath to the proper consistence," E.)
A very bad preparation, and one which should be expunged from
the pharmacopoeias; during the prolonged  evaporation, the morphia
forms a very insoluble compound with the resinoid matter of the
opium, which, of course, must tend  to lessen the activity of the
drug.   It  is administered in the same doses as  the powder.—
Pilula Opii sive Thebaica, E.  (Opium, 1  part; sulphate of potash,
3 parts; conserve of red roses, 1 part; beat them  into a proper
mass, and  divide  into five-grain pills.)   Each pill  contains  gr. j.
of opium.  Dose,  one to three  pills.  The sulphate of potash  is
merely  used as  a mechanical  agent, to divide the opium.—Pilula
Saponis cum Opid, D.   Pil. saponis  comp., L.   (Turkey (hard, L.)
opium  (powdered, L.), §ss.; hard soap, §ij.;  beat  them together
until they  are  incorporated.)  Five grains contain  one grain of
opium.   Dose, gr. iij.  to gr. x.—Pilula e Styrace, D.  Pil. Styracis,
E.  Pil. Styracis  comp., L.  (Storax (purified, L.; the extract, E.),
3iij.  (2  parts,  E.); opium  (Turkey, D.; hard, in  powder, L.),
saffron, of  each, 3i. (1 part, E.): beat them into a  uniform  mass,
" and divide into four-grain  pills,"  E.)   Every  five  (four, E.)
grains  contain  one grain of opium.   The storax and saffron com-
pletely  conceal  the odour and  taste of the opium,  and the  name
enables us to  prescribe  that drug without  the knowledge of our
patient.—Confectio Opii, D. L.  Electuarium Opii, E.  ("  Hard
opium,  powdered, 3yj.; long pepper, §i.;  ginger,  §ij.; caraway
seeds, ^iij.: tragacanth, powdered, 3ii.; sirup, fbi. (f^xvi., L.)," D.
L.   " Rub the opium  with the sirup previously heated ; then add
the other ingredients in powder, and mix,"  D.  ** Rub  the dry
ingredients together to a very fine  powder, and keep it in a close
vessel: and whenever the confection is to  be  used, add the sirup
when hot, and  mix," L.  " Aromatic powder, §vj.;   seneka, in fine
powder, 3 iij. ;  opium,  diffused in a little sherry, §ss.; sirup of gin-
ger, fbj.; mix them together, and beat them into an  electuary," E.)
About  25 grains (36 grains, L.;  43 grains, E.) contain gr. j. of opi-
um.  It is an aromatic and anodyne compound, chiefly used  as an
addition to chalk  mixture  in diarrhoea.   Dose, gr.  x. to 3j.—Tro-
chisci Opii, E.  (Opium. 3ij.; tincture of tolu, gss.; sirup, f^viij.;
powder of gum-arabic and extract of liquorice, softened with boil-
ing water, of each, §v.; reduce the opium to a fluid extract by the
formula for Extractum Opii, mix it intimately with the  liquorice,
previously7  reduced to the consistence of treacle; add the tincture,
sprinkle the gum  and sugar into the  mixture, and  beat it into a
proper mass, which is to be divided into lozenges  of ten grains.)
Seven  lozenges  contain about gr. j. of opium ;  they are principally
employed to allay troublesome cough.—Tinctura  Opii, D. L. E.
(** Turkey (hard, L.) opium, powdered (coarsely, D.), 3x. (§iij., L.);
proof spirit, by measure,  fbj. (Oij., L.); macerate for 14 days, and
filter,"  D. L.   " Opium, sliced, giij.; rectified  spirit, Oj. or fgvij.; 
240
NARCOTICS.
water, fgxiiiss.; digest the opium in the water at a temperature near
212° for two hours, break  down the  opium  with  the hand, strain
and express  the infusion, macerate the residuum in the spirit for
about 20 hours, and then strain and express very strongly, mix the
watery  and spirituous infusions, and filter.   This tincture is not so
easily obtained by percolation, but when the opium is of fine qual-
ity, it may be prepared thus:  slice the opium finely, mix the spirit
and water, let the opium macerate  in f|xiv.  of the mixture for 12
hours, and then  break it down thoroughly  with the hand, pour the
whole fluid and pulpy mass into a percolator, and let the fluid part
pass through, add the rest of the spirit without packing the  opium
in the cylinder, and continue the process till  Oij. are obtained," E.)
The tincture of opium, laudanum, of the three pharmacopoeias is
about the same strength; according  to Christison, min. xiiiss., or
about 25 drops, contain the active part of  one grain of opium.  It
is the most  generally employed of the preparations of opium, the
spirituous menstruum dissolving all the active principles of the drug,
and enabling us to apportion our doses with great accuracy.  Dose,
min. x.  to min. xxx.—Tinctura  Opii Camphorata, D.  E.   Tinct.
Camphora comp., L.  Paregoric Elixir.   (" Turkey (hard, L.) opi-
um, powdered ;  benzoic acid, of each, 3j. (gr. lxxij., L.); camphor,
3ij. (9iiss., L.) ; oil  of anise, fsi.;  proof spirit, by measure, ibij.
(Oij., L.); macerate for 14 days, and filter," D. L.  " Opium, sliced,
and benzoic  acid, of each, 3iv.; camphor,  9iiss.; anise oil, f3j.;
proof spirit, Oij.;  digest for seven days, and filter," E.)   The name
adopted by  the London College for  this preparation is the most
convenient, as enabling  us to prescribe opium without  the knowl-
edge of our patient; it also serves to distinguish it better from the
simple tincture, and thus prevent errors in dispensing.   According
to Christison, the active matter of one grain  of opium is contained
in 267 minims or about 500 drops of the preparation of the Dublin
and London Pharmacopoeias, and in 240 minims,or about 450 drops
of that of Edin.  It is very much employed as an anodyne in pec-
toral  affections unaccompanied with inflammation.  Dose, foj. to
f3iij.—Acetum Opii, D. E.   (Opium  (Turkey, D.), §iv.; dis'.illed
vinegar, f§xv.; triturate the  opium (cut  into small fragments, E.)
into a pulp with a little of the vinegar, then add the remainder of
the vinegar, macerate in a close vessel for 7 days, frequently agi-
tating, then pour off the supernatant liquor (strain  and express
strongly, E.), and filter.)  This preparation  of opium is preferred
by many to laudanum, as being less apt to  occasion the disagreea-
ble subsequent effects of the drug.   According to Montgomery,
twenty  drops are equivalent to thirty of the common tincture of
opium.   Dose, min. viij. to min. xxv.—Tinctura Opii Ammoniata,
E.  (Benzoic acid,  and saffron, chopped, of each, 3iij. ;  opium, sli-
ced, 3ij.; anise oil, 3ss.; spirit of ammonia, Oj.;  digest 7 days, and
filter.)   This preparation is called in Scotland Scotch Paregoric;
it is used as an anodyne  and antispasmodic.  The active matter of
one grain of opium is contained in 80 minims or about 150 drops
(Christison).   Dose, foss. to k\\.—Vinum Opii, D. L. E.  (Opium 
NARCOTICS.
241
(purified extract of opium, L.), §j.  (§iiss., L.: §iij., E.); cinnamon,
bruised (in moderately fine  powder, E.), and  cloves, bruisea. of
each, 3j.  (3iiss.,  L. E.);  sherry wine,  fbj. (Oij., L. E.) ; macerate
(digest, E.) for 8 (14, L.; 7, E.) days,  and filter.)   This prepara-
tion is more agreeable both in smell and taste than laudanum : ii
is, however, seldom employed internally, being chiefly used as an
application to the  eye in chronic ophthalmia.   The active matter
of one grain of opium is contained in min. xvij. of the Dublin wine,
in a trifle  more  of the Edinburgh, and in min. x. of the'London.
Dose,  for  internal use, min.  x. to  f3j.—Enema  Opii, D. L.  E.
(" Tincture of opium,  3i.; tepid water, ^vi. ;  mix," D.   " Decoc-
tion of starch, f§iv.; tincture of opium, min. xxx.; mix," L.  "Starch,
3ss. ;  tincture of opium, f3ss. to hi.; water, f-^ij.; boil the starch in
the water, and when it is cool  enough for use add the tincture of
opium," E.)  Used as an  anodyne in irritable states  of the bowels ;
the bulk of the Dublin preparation is too great, as the smaller quan-
tity of fluid is less likely to be expelled; starch is also a'better ve-
hicle than water.   On the Continent it  is generally stated that opi-
um acts much more  energetically  when administered in the form
of enema  than when given by  the mouth ; but the contrary opinion
is held by British practitioners, who generally employ three or four
times the  quantity when administered by the rectum.—Linimentum
Opii,h.Fi. Lin. Saponis cum Opio,!).  (" Soap liniment, by meas-
ure, 4 parts (fjvi., L.); tincture of opium, 3 parts (f§ij., L.); mix,"
D.  L.   *' Castile soap, §vj.;  opium, §iss.;  camphor, § iij-; oil  of
rosemary,  f3vj.;  rectified  spirit, Oij.; macerate  the  soap and opi-
um in the spirit for three days, filter, add the oil and  camphor, and
agitate briskly," E.)   Anodyne liniment, used as an embrocation in
rheumatic pains, neuralgia, &c.—Emplastrum Opii, D. L. E.  (Opi-
um (hard, L.), in  powder, §ss.; Burgundy pitch (resin of the spruce
fir,  L.), §iij. ; litharge (lead, D.) plaster, fbi.;  (water, fgviij.. L.);
"melt  the  plaster, add the pitch and opium by degrees, and mix
them thoroughly,"  D. E.  " Add the resin,  opium,  and water to
the melted plaster, and, with a slow  fire, boil down  until all unite
into a proper consistence," L.)  This plaster contains about a thir-
tieth part  of opium.  It is used as an anodyne application in local
pains.—Black Drop.   (Opium, sliced, Ibss.; expressed juice of the
wild crab, Oiij.;  nutmegs, giss.; saffron, §ss.; boil to a proper con-
sistence, then add,  of pure sugar, §iv. ;  yeast,  two  spoonfuls; set
the whole in a warm place near the fire for six or eight weeks, then
place it in the open  air until it  becomes  a sirup; and, lastly, decant,
filter, and  bottle it, adding a little sugar to each bottle.)  This prep-
aration resembles the officinal Acetum Opii; it is highly prized by
many practitioners, and is said not to produce the disagreeable sub-
sequent effects of most of the other preparations of the drug.   It is
more than twice the  strength of laudanum.   [U. S. P.—Take  of
opium, in coarse  powder,  8 oz.; nutmeg, in like condition, 1^ oz.;
saffron,  \ oz.; sugar, 12  oz.;  distilled  vinegar,  q. s.  Digest  the
opium, nutmeg, and saffron  with \\ pints of distilled vinegar on a
sand-bath,  with gentle heat, for 48 hours, and  strain.  Digest the
                           H H 
242
NARCOTICS.
residue with an equal quantity of distilled vinegar in the same man-
ner for 24 hours.  Then put the whole into an apparatus for dis-
placement, and return the filtered liquor as it passes until it comes
away quite clear.   When the filtration ceases, pour distilled vine-
gar gradually upon the materials remaining in the instrument un-
til the whole quantity of filtered liquor equals 3 pints.  Lastly, add
the sugar, and by a water-bath evaporate  to 3  pints and 4 fluid
ounces.   Diluted acetic acid may be  used  instead of the distilled
vinegar.]—Liquor  Opii  Sedativus.   (Mode of  preparation not
known;  supposed to be a concentrated infusion of opium.)   It is
about the same strength as  laudanum, than which it is  said to be
less stimulating.
   Incomp.—The alkalies and lime-water, unless they are added in
excess;  the  carbonates of the  alkalies; acetate and diacetate of
lead; sulphates of iron and zinc ; arsenite of potash ; and all astrin-
gent vegetable preparations.
   In cases of poisoning with opium, we should immediately have
recourse to the use of the stomach pump and stimulating emetics;
to external stimulants, such as cold  affusion, loud talking, compelled
exertion, as forcing the patient to walk between two assistants, the
application of ammonia or strong acetic  acid to the nostrils, &c.;
to internal stimulants, the best of which are brandy, ammonia and
its carbonate, strong coffee,  camphor, and  musk;  and if all other
remed'es fail, artificial  respiration  and galvanic shocks should  be
had recourse to, the assiduous application of which has in some al-
most hopeless cases restored life;  in  one instance on record, arti-
ficial respiration was kept up for nearly three hours.

   Papaver,  L.  E.   Papaver somniferum, D.  Poppy-heads.  The
ripe  (not quite ripe, E.) capsules  of  Papaver somniferum.—This
plant has been described in the last article ;  the heads are most ac-
tive when gathered before they are ripe, as directed  by the Edin-
 burgh College ; they are dried in the  sun.
   P. P.—They are globular, about the size of an apple, crowned
 with the persistent, many-rayed stigma; their structure is thin and
 fragile ;  they have a feeble,  narcotic odour, and a weak, somewhat
 bitter taste.   They contain  many bland seeds, which yield by ex-
 pression a yellowish fixed oil.
   C. P.—Poppy-heads contain a very minute proportion of the dif-
 ferent substances found in opium, with a large quantity of woody
 fibre.  They yield their virtues to boiling water.
   Th. E.—Any medicinal virtues which poppy-heads possess  de-
 pend on the presence  of a  small quantity of opium,  consequently
 they are apt to vary much  in strength.  They are chiefly used in
 the form of decoction, as a fomentation to inflamed or  painful parts.
 The following  officinal preparations are sometimes used internally
 as substitutes for  opium : Extractum Papaveris, L.  E.  (Poppy-
 heads without seeds  (bruised, L.), §xv.;  boiling water  (distilled,
 L.), cong. j.; macerate for 24 hours, then boil  down to 4  pints,
 strain the liquor (while hot,  L.), and evaporate (in the vapour-bath, 
NARCOTICS.
243
E.) to the  due consistence.)  Its effects are somewhat similar to
those of opium ; it is but rarely used.  Dose, gr. ij. to xx.—Sirupus
Papaveris (somniferi, D.), D. L. E.  (Poppy-heads  (without  the
seeds, E.; and bruised, D.), §xvij. (ftiij., L.;  fbiss., E.); boiling
water, cong. ij. (cong. v., L.; Oxv., E.).  "Macerate for 24 hours
in the water, then boil down to cong. j. in a water-bath and express
strongly, reduce the  strained liquor to  fbij., and  strain  while hot.
Set aside for 12 hours that the  faeces may subside, boil  down the
clear liquor to fbj., and make into a sirup," D.  " Boil  down the
capsules in the water to cong. ij., and press strongly;  boil down
the strained liquor again to Oiv., and strain while hot; set it by for
12 hours that the dregs may subside, then boil down the clear liquor
to Oij.; add ftv. of sugar,  and dissolve  it," L.  " Slice the poppy-
heads and infuse them for 12 hours in the water, boil  down to Ov.,
strain and  express strongly through  calico; boil again to Oiissv,
then  add ftiij. of sugar, and dissolve  it  with the  aid  of heat," E.)
Sirup of poppies is usually employed  as a narcotic in infantile dis-
eases ; it should be administered to infants and children with great
caution, as Dr. Montgomery states that in more than one instance
a teaspoonful has proved fatal to a healthy infant; this care is par-
ticularly requisite, as a preparation made by adding laudanum to
simple sirup is frequently substituted for the true sirup.   Dose, for
infants and children,  f3ss. to f3ij.; for adults, f|ss. to fgj.—Decoctum
Papaveris, D. L. E.   (Poppy-heads, sliced, §iv.; water, by meas-
ure, fbij. (Oiv., L.; Oiij., E.); boil  for a quarter of  an  hour, and
strain.)  For external use only.

   Rhceas,  L.  Rhceados petala,  E.   Papaver rhceas, petala,
D.—The petals of the Red or Corn-poppy.—Indigenous, belong-
ing to the natural  family Papaveracea, and to the Linnaean class
and order Polyandria Monogynia.
   B. C.—A slender annual, 2 to 3 feet high ; stem bristly, many-flowered, its bris-
tles and those of the flower stalks spreading ; leaves pinnatifid ; flowers with broad,
deep scarlet petals ; capsules glabrous, nearly globose.
   P. & C. P.—The petals  should be collected immediately after
their expansion, as they drop off easily; they should be dried quickly,
so as to preserve their colour.   In  the recent state, red poppy pe-
tals are of a rich scarlet colour,  which becomes darker by drying;
they have a feeble odour of opium, and a slightly bitter taste.   They
consist of vegetable albumen, red colouring matter, astringent mat-
ter, soft resin, wax, gum, and some salts (Beetz  and  Ludurg).  It
is probable that they also contain a trace of morphia.  They yield
their colouring matter and  other principles to boiling water.
   Th. E.—The petals of the red  poppy possess, probably, some
feeble narcotic properties, but they are only used in medicine in
the form of sirup, as colouring ingredients, in consequence of their
fine  rich  colours. — Sirupus (Papaveris, D.)  Rha-ados, D. L. E.
(" Fresh  petals of the red   poppy,  tbj.; boiling water, by measure,
 5xx.; add  the petals gradually to the  boiling water, remove the
vessel from the lire, and macerate with a  low heat for  12 hours. 
244
NARCOTICS.
 then express the liquor and set it aside, that the dregs may subside;
 finally, add sugar, and form a sirup," D.  " Red poppy (petals),
 fhj. ;  boiling water, Oj.; pure sugar, tbiiss.; add the petals gradu-
 ally to the water heated in a  water-bath, stirring occasionally; then,
 the vessel being  removed from the bath, macerate for  12 hours;
 then  (strain, E.) press out the liquor, and (when the dregs have
 subsided, L.) add  the sugar and dissolve it," L. E.)  This  sirup
 does not keep well.

   Stramonium, D. E.   Stramonii folia  [U.  S. P.] et semina, L.
 Stramonium.   Thorn-apple.  The herb, E.—the herb and seeds, D.
 —the leaves and seeds, L.—of Datura stramonium.—Indigenous, be-
 longing to the natural family Solanacea, and to the Linnaean class
 and order Pentandria Monogynia.
   B. C.—An herbaceous annual;  stem much branched, forked, spreading, leafy;
 leaves ovate, angulato-sinuate, glabrous ; flowers axillary, large, erect, white ; fruit
 an ovate capsule, erect, clothed with numerous nearly equal spines, 4-ceUed at the
 base,  2-celled at the summit, many-seeded.
   P.  P.—The whole herb should be collected when the plant is in
 flower,  and  carefully dried according to the directions of the Lon-
 don College.  The leaves should  be  removed from the stem and
 branches, which  are to be  rejected.   The seeds, when fully ripe,
 are black, and  should then be gathered.   As  usually met with, the
 dried herb is chopped into small pieces of a greenish-white colour;
 it has a feeble, narcotic odour (which in the  fresh state is strong
 and  heavy), and  a bitter, nauseous taste. The seeds  are  small,
 kidney-shaped, and rough ; when bruised  they have the same odoui
 as the herb  ; their taste is nauseous and bitter.
    C. P.—The seeds contain fixed oil, wax, resin, extractive, gum-
 my matter,  malic acid, some salts, and a peculiar alkaloid, first dis-
' covered by Brandes, and named  by him Daturia, but  which  has
 been since shown by Runge to be identical with Atropia (see pages
 221  and 222).  It is on this principle that the medicinal properties
 of stramonium depend;  it  exists  also in the leaves.  Both herb
 and  seeds yield their virtues to water and to alcohol; but their ac-
 tivity is much impaired by long boiling, as in preparing  the watery
 extract.
    Th. E.—Stramonium leaves and seeds  act as powerful narcotics,
 in large doses  proving fatal, with  all the symptoms of narcotic poi-
 soning.   In medicinal doses, as might be expected from the identi-
 ty of their active principles, they  produce effects nearly similar to
 those of belladonna and henbane, and  have, consequently, been
 used with the same intention in the treatment of disease.   In neu-
 ralgic affections, as tic douloureux and sciatica, in  chronic rheuma-
 tism, and in all forms of chronic disease  attended  with  acute pain,
  administered in  small doses  frequently  repeated until its narcotic
  influence is  manifested, stramonium  is a remedy  of great power,
  lessening almost immediately sensibility and pain.   The inhalation
  of the vapour of the cut herb, when burned, is frequently found of
  much service in  the treatment of spasmodic asthma ; it is used  with 
NARCOTICS.
245
a common pipe in the  same way as tobacco.  The smoking ot
stramonium, however, should be employed with great caution, and
used only in very small quantities at a time, as in many instances
it has produced dangerous symptoms; and it should never be  pre-
scribed for very old persons, or in cases where there is a tendency
to apoplexy or to paralysis.
  D. & M. of Adm.—Of the powder of the herb or leaves, gr. j.
to gr. iv.; of the  seeds, gr. \ to gr. j., gradually increased until
some obvious  effect is produced.   For smoking, gr. x. to gr. xx. of
the chopped herb  may be used.—Extractum  Stramonii, D. L. E.
(" Stramonium seeds, ibj. (§xv., L.); boiling  (distilled,  L.) water,
cong. j.; digest (macerate, L.)  for 4 hours in  a vessel lightly cov-
ered (near the fire, L.), then take out the seeds, bruise them in an
earthen mortar, and, when bruised, return them to the liquor; then
boil down to tbiv.  (Oiv., L.) ; strain  the liquor (while hot, L.), and
evaporate to a proper consistence," D. L.  "  Take of stramonium
seeds any convenient quantity, grind them well in a coffee-mill, rub
the powder into a  thick mass with proof spirit, put the  pulp into a
percolator, and transmit proof spirit till it passes  colourless ; distil
off the spirit, and evaporate what remains in  the  vapour-bath  to a
proper consistence," E.)   Prepared according to the  Edinburgh
Pharmacopoeia, this extract is the best, being more certain as well
as more active.  Dose, gr. \, gradually increased.—Tinctura Stra-
monii, U. S.  (Stramonium seeds, bruised, §iv.; proof spirit, §xxxij.;
macerate for 14 days, and filter through paper.) An excellent prep-
aration.  Dose, min. x. to min. xxx.
  Incomf.—The caustic alkalies ;  acetate of  lead ; and nitrate of
silver.
   In poisoning with stramonium, the same treatment should be em-
ployed as in poisoning with belladonna.

   Toxicodendron, L.   Rhus  toxicodendron, folia, D.  Sumach
or poison-oak  leaves ; the leaves of Rhus toxicodendron.—A native
of North America, belonging to the natural family Anacardiacea,
and to the Linnaean class and order Pentandria Trigynia.
  B. C.—A small shrub; stems numerous, branching ; leaves pinnate, trifoliate ;
flowers greenish-white.
  P. P.—The leaves and branches in the recent state abound in an
acrid milky juice, which becomes black on exposure to  the air; so
acrid is this juice,  that even the  emanations from  the shrub will in
some persons  produce heat, redness, and sometimes erysipelatous
inflammation,  if they are exposed to its influence.   In the dry state
the leaves have no odour ; they have a weak, somewhat acrid taste.
  C. P.—No  chemical  analysis has  been made of this plant; the
milky juice probably contains a volatile  narcotico-aerid principle.
In the dry state, the usual tests indicate the presence of tannin, gal-
lic acid, and resinous extractive.
  Th.  E.__In large doses, toxicodendron acts as a narcotico-acrid
poison.   It has not been much employed in  medicine, as the leaves
are nearly inert in the dry state, owing to the volatility of their ac- 
246
REFRIGERANTS.
tive principle.  They were at one time much vaunted as a remedy
for paralysis, particularly paraplegia, in cases where the disease was
supposed to depend on a torpid condition of the nerves.
  D. & M.  of Adm.—Of the powdered leaves, gr. j. to gr. v., three
or four times a day. — Tinctura Toxicodendri.   (Toxicodendron
leaves, |j.; rectified spirit, fgxij.; distilled water, fgiv.; mix, digest
for six days, and filter.)  Dose, f3ss. to f3j., three times daily.
                       CHAPTER  XVI.

                        REFRIGERANTS.
                          (Temperants.)

   Refrigerants are medicines calculated  to diminish the heat oi
the body when morbidly increased, and to produce a sensation of
coolness.   Actual  experiment  has proved that such  substances
when taken into the stomach, although they cause a sensation of
cold over the  whole body, do not really diminish the temperature;
consequently,  it has been hitherto found impossible to explain satis-
factorily the phenomena which  follow their internal use.  Applied
externally, in the form of cooling or evaporating lotions, to inflamed
parts, their mode of operation is  readily understood, the tempera-
ture of the part to which they are applied being actually lowered.
The principal use of refrigerants in the practice of medicine is in
the treatment  of febrile  and inflammatory affections, in which the
benefit they produce appears to depend on the fact that their direct
action on the stomach occasions sympathetically a  transient reduc-
tion in the force of the  circulation.  During their administration,
also, irritability is allayed, and the morbid sensations of heat, thirst,
and nausea are diminished.
   [In view of what is here said by way of definition of this class
of remedial agents, the student will be embarrassed when he turns
to the next chapter, and  finds it  impossible to discriminate refriger-
ants from sedatives, even with the synonyme contra-stimulants su-
peradded.  He will incline to the opinion that all the refrigerants
are sedatives and contra-stimulants as  there  defined, and candour
will be compelled to honour his judgment, and yet  be compelled to
leave him in his dilemma.]

  Acetosella, L.    Wood-sorrel.   Herb of Oxalis  acetosella.—
An indigenous plant, belonging to the  natural family Oxalidacea,
and to the  Linnaean class and order Decandria Pentagynia.
  B. C—A small herbaceous  plant;  leaves radical, ternate, on long, slender, red-
dish leafstalks; leaflets inversely heart-shaped, hairy; scape single flowered ■ flow-
ers drooping, white, with purplish veins.

   P. & C. P.—Wood-sorrel is odourless, but has an agreeable acid 
refrigerants.
247
 taste.   Its only important constituent is binoxalate of potash, of
 which it contains from  1*06  to 1*23 per  cent.; it yields its proper-
 ties to boiling water.
   Th. E.—This herb, infused in boiling  water, forms an agreeable
 refrigerant drink in febrile disorders; in the present day it is only
 used as a domestic remedy, and might well be spared from the Ma-
 teria Medica.

   Acetum.— Vinegar (described in the  division Astringents) is a
 useful  refrigerant in febrile  or inflammatory affections.   It  is not
 much employed as such internally; nevertheless, f§ss. to fry. diluted
 with fgxx. of water forms a cooling  drink, and  may be  taken  ad
 libitum in cases where  its astringent property is not objectionable.
 As an  external refrigerant, its action is attended with much benefit,
 applied by means of a sponge to the surface of the body; to form
 a solution for this purpose, f§j. is mixed  with fgiij. of water.  For
 internal  use, the simple oxymel  of the Dublin and London Phar-
 macopoeias is well adapted,  or  the following preparation may be
 used:  Sirupus  Aceti,  E.  (Vinegar,  French in preference, fgxj.;
 pure sugar, §xiv.; boil them together.)   Dose,  f3ij. to fgi.,  as  an
 adjunct to other medicines.

   Acidum citriclm, D. L. E.   Citric acid.
   P. P.—Citric acid crystallizes  in transparent, colourless, regular
 rhomboidal prisms,  terminated by four  trapezoidal faces.   They
 are  inodorous, but have an agreeable, purely acid taste.   Sp. gr.,
 1*617.
   C. P. — Crystalline  commercial  citric acid  consists  of 3 HO,
 C12H5On+2 HO, but on  cooling a saturated solution at 212°, it crys-
 tallizes with an eq. less  of water (Graham).   The crystals are per-
 manent in the air; heated to 212°, they lose  the two atoms of wa-
 ter of crystallization, and at a higher temperature are decomposed;
 100 parts of  citric acid are  soluble in 75 parts of cold, or  50  of
 boiling water;  the solution undergoes decomposition  by keeping.
 When  pure,  the  crystals dissolve completely in alcohol.   Citric
 acid is  readily distinguished by the following characteristic:  when
 a few drops of a solution of the acid are added to lime-water, a
 clear liquid results, which  becomes turbid on being heated, from
 the deposition of a white precipitate.
  Prep.—D. L. E. Lemon juice, as much as may be required (Oiv., L. E.); pre-
 pared chalk, a sufficiency (jivss., L. E. ; or a sufficiency, E.); dilute sulphuric acid,
 eight times the weight of the chalk  used (ffxxvijss., L.; fjxxxvi., or in the same
 proportion to the chalk required, E); (distilled water, Oij., L.)  "Add the chalk
 gradually to the lemon juice  made hot, and as  soon as the citrate of lime has sub-
 sided, pour off the supernatant liquor;  wash the citrate frequently with warm wa-
 ter (and dry it, D.); then pour upon it the diluted  sulphuric acid (and the distilled
water, L.), and boil (for a quarter of an hour, L.). Press the liquor strongly through
linen, and strain it;  evaporate the strained liquor  (with a gentle heat, L.), and set
it by that crystals may be formed;  dissolve the crystals, that they may be pure,
again and a third time in water (strained each time,  L), and crystallize," I). L.
'• Boil the lemon juice, let it rest, pour off the clear liquor, boil this again, and add
the chalk to it while hot by dogrers, till there is  no more effervescence, and the
liquid ceases to taste acid.  Collect  the precipitate anil wash it with hot water till 
248
refrigerants.
the water passes colourless, squeeze the residuum in a powerful press ; mix it uni-
formly with Oij. of distilled water, and then add the sulphuric acid by degrees and
with constant stirring.  Try whether a small portion of the liquid, when filtered,
gives with solution of nitrate of baryta a precipitate almost entirely soluble in nitric
acid ; and if the precipitate is not nearly all soluble, add a little citrate of lime to the
whole liquor till it stand this test.  Separate now the clear liquor by subsidence or
filtration, washing the insoluble matter with cold water, and adding the washings to
the liquor; concentrate with a gentle heat till crystals form  on the  surface, set
the liquor aside to cool and crystallize, and purify the crystals by repeated solution
and crystallization till they are colourless," E.
  Adulterations.—Citric  acid is  liable  to be adulterated with sul-
phuric  or tartaric acid, sulphates, tartrates, and  lime.   The pres-
ence  of sulphuric acid or the  sulphates is detected by  adding ace-
tate of lead to a solution of the acid ; if the impurity be present, the
precipitate  occasioned is not dissolved by nitric  acid.   The pres-
ence  of tartaric acid or the tartrates is shown by a crystalline pre-
cipitate  being formed, on  the addition  of carbonate  of potash dis-
solved in water, to a solution of the acid  in excess.  Lime or any
other fixed  impurity is detected  by incinerating  the acid with the
aid of a little red oxyde of mercury ;  if it  be pure, no ash, or a mere
trace, is left.
   Th. E.—Citric acid produces  the refrigerant  effects of lemon
juice, as a substitute for which it may be employed to form cooling
drinks in febrile affections, but fresh lemon juice should be prefer-
red whenever it can be obtained.
   D. & M.  of  Adm.—Dose. 3i. to si.  To  prepare  a solution of
the same strength as lemon  juice. 3viiiss.  of the acid are to be dis-
solved  in f^xvj. of water.   Citric acid is also employed to form ef-
fervescing  draughts with the alkaline carbonates ;  gr. xx. of the
acid are  saturated by about gr.  xxix. of crystalline bicarbonate of
potash, or gr. xij. of crystalline  carbonate of soda, or  gr. xxiv. of
sesquicarbonate of  soda, or gr. xvij. of hydrated  sesquicarbonate
of ammonia.
   Incomp.—The alkalies ; carbonates ; acetates ;  the alkaline  sul-
phurets ; and tartrate of potash.

   Acidum tartaricum, D. L.  E.  Tartaric acid.
   P.  P.—Tartaric acid occurs  in white, semitransparent  crystals
of considerable size, the primary form of which  is the right rhom-
bic prism ;  it is inodorous, but has a  purely acid taste.
   C. P.—In the  crystalline state, it  consists of C1f4010 with two
atoms of water.   The crystals are permanent in the air;  exposed
to heat, they fuse in their water of crystallization, which is  all driv-
en off if the temperature  be raised ; and at a temperature consid-
erably below redness, the acid is decomposed, and a series of new
compounds formed.  Tartaric acid is soluble in 1^ parts of cold wa-
ter, and in  half its weight of boiling water ; it is also soluble  in al-
 cohol.   The aqueous solution becomes mouldy by keeping.   The
 most distinguishing characteristic of this  acid is the crystalline pre-
 cipitate, which is produced when it is added in excess  to a concen-
 trated  solution of a salt of potash.
   Prep.—Dub. " Bitartrate of potash, in powder, 10 parts ; prepared chalk, 4 parts; 
REFRIGERANTS.
249
sulphuric  acid, 7 parts; water, 120 parts; mix the bitartrate of potash with 100
parts of water heated, add gradually the chalk, and as soon as the effervescence
has ceased, pour off the clear liquor ; wash the residual tartrate of lime until it be-
comes tasteless.   Drop into the clear decanted liquor as much of the water of mu-
riate of lime as may be sufficient to throw down the tartrate of lime ;  wash this also
with water till it becomes tasteless, and mix it with the former deposite.  Then
add the sulphuric acid diluted with 20 parts of water, and digest the mixture with
a medium heat for 3 days, frequently agitating.  Pour off the supernatant acid liquor,
and wash  away the acid from the sediment.  Evaporate these liquors, including the
first acid liquor and the washings, with a gentle heat to the point of crystallization ;
preserve the crystals purified by repeated  solutions and crystallization, in a stop-
pered glass vessel."  Lond., Edin. " Bitartrate of potash, Ibiv. ;  boiling distilled wa-
ter, cong. iiss.; prepared chalk, s;xxv., 3\i.; dilute sulphuric acid, Ovij., frxvij. (Ox.,
ffvij., E.); muriatic acid, fjxxviss., or a sufficiency; boil the bitartrate with cong.
ij. of the water, and add gradually half the chalk;  when the effervescence is over,
add the remainder of the chalk, first dissolved in muriatic acid diluted with  Oiv. of
water.  After the  tartrate of lime has subsided, pour off the liquor, and wash the
tartrate frequently with distilled water, till it is tasteless ; then pour oh it the sul-
phuric acid, and boil for a quarter of an hour; evaporate (the  strained liquor, L.)
with a gentle heat, to  obtain crystals.   Purify by repeated solution, filtration, and
crystallization."
   Adulterations.—Tartaric acid is adulterated with bitartrate of
potash, and with lime ;  the former  is detected by its little solubility
in cold  water; the latter, by an ash  being left, on  the acid  being
incinerated with the aid of red oxyde of mercury.
   Th. E.—To  prepare refrigerant drinks in  febrile and inflamma-
tory  diseases, tartaric  acid  is much employed, as  being  cheaper
than citr.c acid.  Its principal use, however, is  for  the  preparation
of effervescing  draughts, when added to the alkaline carbonates.
   D. &  M. of Adm.—Gr. x. to 3ss. ;  its refrigerant effects  are best
manifested when it is dissolved  in a large quantity of cold water.
For the preparation of effervescing compounds, the following are
the proportions required:  ^i. of crystallized tartaric acid is satu-
rated  by  gr.  xxvij. of crystallized bicarbonate of potash, or gr.
xxxviiiss. of  crystallized  carbonate of soda,  or gr. xxij. of sesqui-
carbonate  of soda, or gr. xvss. of hydratcd sesquicarbonate of am-
monia.—Trochisci Acidi Tartarici, E.   (Tartaric  acid, 3ij.; pure
sugar, §viij.;  volatile  oil of lemons, min.  x.: pulverize the  sugar
and acid, add the oil, mix them thoroughly, and  beat them with
mucilage  into a proper  mass for  making  lozenges.)   Commonly
employed  under the  name of acidulated drops< in mild sore  throat
and colds.
   Incomp.—The alkalies ; salts of potash, of lime, and of lead ; and
all carbonates.

   Citrus aurantium, D. L.  E.  Fructus  succus, D.   Fructus, L.
—the juice of the fruit, D.—the fruit, L.—of Citrus aurantium.—
This tree  is indigenous in many parts  of Africa and  Asia, and  is
cultivated  extensively in the South of Europe, the  Azores, and the
West India Islands.  It belongs to the natural family Aurantiacea,
and to the Linnaean class and order Polyadelphia Polyandria.
  B. C.—Stems  smooth, cylindrical, from 12 to 15 feet high ; leaves oval, pointed,
entire, shining, coriaceous, on elongated winged petioles ; flowers large, white, ax-
illary, 2 to 6 on a common peduncle, fragrant;  fruit, the well-known sweet  orange
   The fruit of the orange is too well known to require  description;
                                  11 
250
REFRIGERANTS.
the juice consists of citric and malic acids, citrate of lime, mucilage,
albumen, sugar, and water.
   Th. E.—The juice of the sweet orange is an agreeable refriger-
ant, calculated to allay thirst in febrile and inflammatory affections;
it  is particularly beneficial in  diseases attended with much thirst,
and in which it is  important not to introduce a large quantity of
fluid into the stomach or  intestines, as in strangulated hernia.

   Limones, D. L. E.   Limonum succus, D. L.  Lemons (and Limes,
E.).  Lemon juice.   The fruit of Citrus medica, D. E.—of Citrus
limonum, L. E.—Natives of the same  countries, and belonging to
the same botanical classification as Citrus aurantium.
  B. C.—The lemon-tree attains a height of 10 to 15 feet; leaves oval or oblong,
usually toothed, petiolate ; the petioles simply margined, not winged ; flowers white,
tinged with red ; fruit ovoid, terminated with an elongated knob, containing an acid
pulp.
   P. & C. P.—Lemons are too well known to need description; the
juice  consists of 1*77  per cent, of citric acid, 0*72 of gum, malic
acid,  and bitter extractive, and 97*51 of water.   Lemons decay by
keeping ; Christison states that they are best preserved by packing
them with  newly-slacked lime in bottles or earthenware jars, the
mouths of which are  secured with corks and wax.   The juice  may
be kept unchanged for years by adding to it, expressed  and strain-
ed, a tenth part of spirit of wine, filtering, and preserving in well-
stopped bottles.
   Th. E.—Lemon juice  forms a useful and agreeable refrigerant,
allaying thirst, and diminishing preternatural heat  in febrile and in-
flammatory diseases;  it is also found particularly  useful in hemor-
rhages.
   D. & M. of Adm.—Lemon  juice is  usually administered in the
form  of lemonade, which  is prepared by adding the juice to about
ten or twelve parts of boiling water, and sweetening with sugar to
the taste.   It is  also much employed for the preparation of effer-
vescing draughts with the alkaline carbonates ;  3j. of the bicarbon-
ate of potash requires for its saturation f3iiiss. of lemon juice ; 9i.
of the sesquicarbonate of soda, fsivss.;  and 3j. of the sesquicar-
bonate of ammonia, f3vi.—Sirupus Limonum, D.  L. E.  (** Fresh
lemon juice, by measure, fbij.;  as soon  as the impurities have  sub-
sided, put the juice into a  matrass, and subject it to the heat of  boil-
ing water for a  quarter of an  hour;  when cold, pass it through a
sieve; add, by  degrees, glviij. of white sugar, digest with a  me-
dium heat  in a covered vessel, frequently shaking it, until it is dis-
solved ; then set it aside  for 24 hours,  remove the scum, and  pour
off the sirup from the  sediment," D.  " Lemon juice, strained (freed
of impurities by subsidence, and filtering.  E.), Oj.; sugar, ftiss.;
dissolve the sugar in  the lemon juice with a gentle heat, then set it
aside for 24  hours; remove the scum, and pour  the clear liquor
from  the dregs," L. E.)  An excellent addition to refrigerant drinks;
in febrile affections it  may be given with barley-water.   This sir-
up must be kept in well-stopped bottles, in a very cool place. Dose,
fji. to fjij. 
REFRIGERANTS.
251
  Mora, L.   Morus nigra, bacc/e, D.  Mulberries.   The fruit of
Morus nigra.—A native of Persia, now cultivated  in Great Brit-
ain ; it belongs to the natural family Urticacea, and to the Linnaean
class and order Moncecia Tetrandria.
  B. C.—A small tree with rugged bark ; leaves cordate, lobed ; flowers greenish,
in small roundish catkins ; fruit dark purple, " consisting of the female flowers, lie-
come fleshy and grown together, enclosing a dry membranous pericarp" (Lindiey).
  P. &, C.  P.—The fruit, commonly called mulberries, has a faint,
agreeable odour, and an acidulous, sweetish taste.   It contains tar-
taric acid,  sugar, colouring matter, and  water.  It  yields its vir-
tues to boiling water.
   Th.  E.—Mulberry juice  is an agreeable refrigerant, but taken in
quantity it  is  apt to  produce diarrhoea.   In  the  present day  it is
very seldom used.   The following is the only officinal preparation
of mulberries: Sirupus Mori, L.   (Juice  of mulberries, strained,
Oj.; sugar, fbiiss.; dissolve the  sugar in the  mulberry juice with a
gentle  heat, and proceed  as  for sirup of lemons.)   Used for the
same purposes as the sirup of lemons ; it has a fine purple colour.
Dose, fgi. to f§ij.

   Potass^ chloras, L.  Chlorate of potash.
   P. P.—In flat, pearly crystals, of the oblique prismatic system  ;
inodorous,  but having a cooling, unpleasant taste, like that of nitre.
Sp. gr., 1*989.
   C. P.—It is  composed of one eq. of potassa, and  one  of chloric
acid (KO,  CI O5).  It is permanent in the air; exposed to heat, it
fuses, gives out oxygen below a  red heat; if the heat be  increased,
all the oxygen is driven off, and chloride of potassium  left.   It is
soluble in about  12 parts of cold water, and in twice its  weight of
boiling water.   This salt is readily known by dropping a little sul-
phuric acid on the crystals; they first become yellow, afterward
red, and give  out the greenish-yellow  gas peroxyde of chlorine.
  Peep.—By transmitting chlorine gas  to saturation through a strong solution of
two or three pounds  of carbonate  of potash.
   Adulterations.—The only impurity  met with in this salt is chlo-
ride of potassium, and this arises from  faulty  preparation;  it is
readily detected  by adding nitrate of silver to a solution of the salt
in distilled  water ;  if any chloride be present, a white precipitate is
thrown down.
   Th.  E.—Chlorate  of potash, in its action on the system, resem-
bles nitre ; by some it has been held to be diuretic, but its most
manifest action is  refrigerant.   It was formerly employed in dis-
eases which were supposed to depend on a deficiency of oxygen,
as in phthisis and scurvy.   More recently it has been proposed as
a remedy in diseases attended with a  deficiency  of  the saline  con-
stituents of the blood, as in malignant cholera, typhoid fevers, &c.
But at present it is very little used as  a medicinal agent.
   D. & M. of Adm.—Gr. x. to gr.  xx. dissolved  in water, and
sweetened with sirup. 
252
REFRIGERANTS.
   Potass^ nitras.—Nitrate of Potash (described in  the  division
Diuretics) operates  as a refrigerant, sensibly diminishing preter-
natural heat in febrile and inflammatory affections ; during its op-
eration,  also, the force  and frequency of the pulse are diminish-
ed, and, consequently, it  has been named  a sedative  refrigerant.
The employment of nitre in hemorrhages, particularly hoemoptysis,
is attended with much benefit, which depends undoubtedly on this
combined action.  Nitrate of  potash is contra-indicated in inflam-
matory affections of the stomach, the intestinal canal, the kidneys,
or bladder, in consequence  of its irritant properties,  which have
been alluded to in a previous article.   Externally, nitre is employ-
ed as a means of producing cold during its solution in  water.
   D. & M. of Adm.—In  powder, gr. x. to  gr. xx., mixed with su-
gar, or dissolved  in water.  Nitre whey, prepared by boiling 3ij. of
nitre in Oj. of new milk  and straining, is an excellent refrigerant
drink in mild febrile diseases.   Dose, fgij. to f§iv.   Where nitre is
to be administered as a refrigerant dissolved in water,  the effect is
much increased, if the solution is not  made until  just  before  it is
swallowed.

   Rosa canina, fructus, D.   Fructus pulpa, L.  Ros^e fructus,
E.  The fruit, D.—the pulp of the fruit, L.—the hip, deprived of the
carpels, E.—of Rosa canina, and of several allied species, E.—The
dog rose  is a common ind.genous shrub, belonging to  the natural
family Rosacea,  and to the  Linnaean  class and order Icosandria
Polygynia.
  B. C.—Stem with  scattered, hooked  prickles, which are dilated at the base;
leaves naked or slightly hairy ; leaflets with irregular serratures ; flowers rose red;
fruit starlet.
  P. & C. P.—The pulp (hip) of the dog  rose consists of the fleshy
calyx, enclosing numerous small carpels enveloped with hairs; it
is of a bright scarlet  colour, smooth and shining.   The  external
coat is alone used in medicine ;  it should be carefully freed  from
the carpels and hairs ; it has a sweetish, acidulous taste,  and is com-
posed chiefly of uncrystallizable sugar, gum, citric and  malic acids.
  Th. E.—The hip of the d-og rose is an  agreeable refrigerant; it
is only employed in  medicine  in the following preparation:  Con-
fectio Rosa canina, E.   Conserva Rosa fructus, L.   (*' Pulp of
the dog rose,  fbj.; sugar, powdered, Ixx. 'Expose the pulp of the
rose to a gentle heat in an earthen vessel, then add the  sugar grad-
ually, and rub together until they are thoroughly incorporated," L.
'* Take any convenient quantity of hips, carefully deprived of their
carpels, beat them to a fine pulp, adding gradually thrice as much
sugar," E.)   Used only as a basis for  forming more active reme-
dies into pills or electuaries, and,  as it containsno tannin, it may be
employed for this purpose with the salts of iron.

  Rumex, L.  Ri.mex acetosa, folia,  D.  Sorrel.   The leaves of
Rumex  acetosa.—An indigenous plant, belonging to  the  natural
family Polygonacea, and to the  Linnasan class and order Hexandria
Trigynia. 
sedatives or contra-stimulants.
253
  B. C.—1 to 2 feet high; leaves oblong, arrow-shaped; flowers purplish, with
large orbiculari-cordate petals ; nuts triquetrous.

  P. & C. P.—Sorrel leaves have  an agreeable, acidulous taste,
which they owe to binoxalate of potash ; they also contain tartaric
acid.                                    (
  Th. E.—They were at one time employed for preparing acidu-
lous refrigerant drinks in fevers, but are now never  used.

  Rumex  aquaticus, radix, D.—The root of the great water dock
is still retained in the Dub. Phar., but its use is quite obsolete.   It
was formerly employed for preparing alterative diet drinks in sec-
ondary syphilis.

  Sambucus nigra, bacce, D.—The berries of the elder (described
in the division Cathartics) contain a purple juice, which is refriger-
ant, and by some said to be mildly laxative.  The following prep-
aration, in  the  present day scarcely ever employed, was formerly
used diluted with  water, to prepare a cooling drink in febrile and
inflammatory  affections:  Succus  Spissatus  Sambuci, D. (Bruise
fresh  elder-berries in a mortar, express the juice and evaporate it
unstrained, with the  aid of a vapour-bath, to a  proper consistence,
stirring constantly with a spatula towards the end of the evapora-
tion.)
                       CHAPTER XVII.

              SEDATIVES OR CONTRA-STIMULANTS.

                          (Calmatives.)
   Sedatives are medicines which directly and primarily depress
the vital powers, without inducing any previous excitement; from
their  action being the reverse  of stimulants, they have  been also
very  generally termed Contra-stimulants.  This  class of medi-
cinal  agents has been in general  confounded with Narcotics; and
were  we  merely to theorize  on their mode of action, it would be,
perhaps, difficult to draw an exact line of distinction ; but when we
come to consider the  remedial  powers of the medicines classed
under each head, it will, I think, be at once evident how practically
essential it is that we should  recognise  this as an especial class of
remedial agents.   The diseases in which  sedatives  are employed
are those of over excitement  of the nervous and vascular systems ;
some  of the substances contained in this  class, for example, Aconite,
act directly on the nervous system ; while others, as Digitalis, in-
fluence  more immediately the vascular organs.   It will be, there-
fore, necessary, before prescribing for individual cases, to  consider
attentively the peculiar operation  of the  different sedatives.  An 
254
sedatives or contra-stimulants.
important and practical rule to be borne in mind with reference to
the operation of contra-stimulants is, that the doses must be in gen-
eral proportioned to the degree of excitement present; this tolerance
of medicines is  remarkably illustrated by the very large doses of
tartar emetic which are administered  not only with  impunity, but
with advantage, when inflammatory action runs high.
   [The distinction here attempted between sedatives and narcotics,
though alleged  to be of great practical importance, is one very
difficult of recognition; and if we are to judge of it by the expla-
nations here given, equally difficult of demonstration.   Indeed, the
identity  claimed for sedatives with contra-stimulants, by  making
these terms synonymes, is, to say the least,  mystical, and, for all
that appears, transcendentalism  itself.  It is true, reference  is made
to the toleration by  the stomach  of large doses of tartar  emetic
when  employed as a contra-stimulant in acute pneumonia, but the
analogy between the action of this agent and  either prussic acid or
tobacco is forced, there being no parallel in the cases.
   This criticism upon the accuracy of the title given to this class is
only intended to express objections to the classification here made,
while  admitting, at the same time, that  similar and  even  greater
inaccuracies  might be indicated  in every  system  of nomencla-
ture which has ever been adopted in this department.   The author
has done  as  well as may possibly be  expected of any writer, but
we must know more than  has  yet been  ascertained of the thera-
peutical properties of medicines, before  we can  accurately adjust
an arrangement of remediate agents based  upon  their  ultimate
medicinal effects.   A true physiological classification of the Materia
Medica is a  desideratum yet to be  attained, and it is one worthy
of the ambition  of the  present generation of  the  ardent cultivators
of this department of the profession.]

   Acidum hydrocyanicum, E.  Acidum hydrocyanicum dilutum, L.
Acidum prussicum, D.   Medicinal Hydrocyanic or  Prussic acid.
Hydrocyanic acid diluted with about fifty (thirty, E.) parts of water.
   Prep.—Dub.  " Cyanuret of mercury, fi.; muriatic acid,  f;vij.; water, ffviij.;
from a glass retort distil into a refrigerated receiver, ffviij.; preserve  in a well-
closed bottle in a cool, dark  place.  The specific gravity of this acid is to that of
distilled water as 998 to 1000."  Lond. " Ferrocyanide of potassium, fij.;  sulphuric
acid, §iss. ; distilled water, Oiss. ;  mix the acid with f^iv. of the water, and to these,
when cooled and put into a glass retort, add the ferrocyanide of potassium, first dis-
solved in Oss. of water ; pour f^viij. of the water into a cooled receiver, then, the
retort being fitted on, let  f^vj. of acid pass into this water distilled with a gentle
heat in a sand-bath.   Lastly, add  f==vi. more of distilled water, or as much as may
be sufficient, that 127 grains of nitrate of silver dissolved in  distilled water may be
accurately saturated by 100 grains of this  acid.  Diluted hydrocyanic acid may be
also prepared, when it is more immediately wanted, from gr. xlviiiss. of cyanide of
silver, added to f?i. of distilled water, mixed with gr. xxxixss. of hydrochloric acid.
Shake all these  in a well-stopped vial, and after a short interval pour off" the clear
liquor into another vessel.   Keep this for use, the access of light being prevented."
Edin.  "Ferrocyanide of potassium, §iij.; sulphuric acid, f§ij.; water, ffxvj. ; dis-
solve the salt in f§xj. of the  water, and put the  solution into  a matrass with a little
sand; add the acid, previously diluted with f?v. of the water and cooled ; connect
the matrass with a refrigeratory ;  distil with a gentle heat, by means of a sand-bath
or naked gas flame, till ffxiv. pass over, or till the residuum begins to froth up; di-
lute the product with distilled water till it measures fjxyj." 
sedatives or  contra-stimulants.
255
   P. P.—Medicinal hydrocyanic acid is a colourless liquid, with a
 peculiar penetrating odour, and a bitter taste, leaving a warm sen-
 sation on the tongue and palate.  The odour is generally stated to
 resemble that of the volatile oil or distilled water of bitter almonds,
 but it is  decidedly different, and should not be confounded with it.
 The specific gravity varies with the quantity of real or anhydrous
 acid contained in it.
   C. P.—The  medicinal acid is a mixture of anhydrous hydrocyr-
 anic acid and water.   Prepared according to the directions of the
 Dublin College, it contains, according to Barker's observations, 1*6
 per  cent, of real acid ;  but according to Mr. Donovan, 2*82 per
 cent.  The London preparation contains 2 per cent., and the Ed-
 inburgh  3*3 per cent.   Anhydrous hydrocyanic acid is composed
 of 1 eq.  of cyanogen, and 1 of hydrogen (H+Cy).   The quantity
 of pure acid contained in the medicinal preparation may be readily
 ascertained," by accurately weighing a portion of it, amounting to
 about 100 grains, adding to this portion nitrate of silver in excess,
 collecting the white insoluble precipitate of cyanide of silver which
 falls on a weighed filter, drying and weighing together, precipitate,
 and  filter; five  parts of the precipitate correspond to one part of
 pure acid"  (Graham).   Hydrocyanic  acid  reddens  litmus paper
 feebly, and the red tint disappears by heat;  it is very volatile, and
 soon decomposes by keeping, a black precipitate  being  formed in
 it.   For medicinal purposes, the dilute acid  may be kept  for a long
 time unchanged by the  addition of a few drops of sulphuric acid.
 The best test for the presence of this acid is its action on sulphate
 of iron;  if a few drops of a solution of caustic potash be added to
 a fluid suspected to contain hydrocyanic  acid, and then a  solution
 of some  proto and sesqui-salt of iron, as the common sulphate or
 tincture of the  muriate of the shops, a  greenish precipitate is  pro-
 duced, which becomes  bright Prussian blue on the  addition of a
 little sulphuric acid.   Its presence is also indicated by adding a few
 drops of sulphuric acid to the liquid containing it, and covering the
 vessel with  a glass plate, having its lower surface moistened with
 a solution of nitrate of silver;  owing to the volatility of the acid,
 the surface of the plate will be covered with the white cyanide of
 silver.
   Adulterations.—Medicinal prussic acid, as met with in the shops,
 varies much in strength, is often  much  contaminated with  impuri-
 ties, and  frequently is unfit for use, from having been too long kept.
 The  strength is most conveniently ascertained  by Professor Gra-
 ham's test given above, of course bearing  in mind the difference of
 the preparations of the three British Pharmacopoeias.   The pres-
 ence of  any fixed  impurity is indicated  by the preparation  not
 being entirely vaporizable by heat.  The most common impurity
 met with is sulphuric or muriatic acid ;  their presence may be sus-
 pected if the medicinal preparation acts strongly on litmus paper;
they  may be easily detected by the test first proposed by my friend
Professor Geoghegan.  " Drop one or two crystals of the hydrar- 
25G
sedatives or  contra-stimulants.
gyro-iodo-cyanide of potassium* into the suspected acid ; should
any foreign acid be present, a red  precipitate will immediately be
formed on them."  When unfit for use from being kept too long,
it is generally, though not always, discoloured.
  Th. E.—Hydrocyanic acid is the most  powerful poison with
which we are acquainted; " death  has been  occasioned in man by
a mixture  containing  scarcely one  grain of the  anhydrous acid"
(Christison).   The usual symptoms produced by  a poisonous dose
are convulsions, difficult and spasmodic breathing, and insensibility,
followed by death in a few minutes; in some instances, however,
life has been prolonged for half an  hour or more; but if the quan-
tity taken  be very large, death occurs so  rapidly  that the only
symptoms that can be observed are two or three deep, hurried in-
spirations.   In medicinal doses, hydrocyanic acid acts as a direct
sedative, producing immediately after it has  been  taken a sensation
of quiet and calmness throughout the whole system, diminishing the
force and frequency of the  pulse,  lowering the sensibility of the
nervous system, and allaying irritation when it exists; in addition
to the above, wbich may be  said to be its more immediate effects,
hydrocyanic acid promotes the digestive powers, and in many in-
stances acts gently on the bowels.   As a remedial agent, this acid
has been principally used to allay irritability, to diminish  pain, and
to lessen spasm.  Thus it has been  used with much benefit in spas-
modic and painful affections of the  stomach and bowels, as in gas-
trodynia and enterodynia, in pyrosis, particularly when accompa-
nied with much pain;  in chronic vomiting, and in colica pictonum.
It has also  been found  very serviceable in allaying irritable or
spasmodic cough in various pulmonary affections, as in simple hoop-
ingcough unaccompanied with inflammation, in  pure spasmodic
asthma, in  the advanced  stages of phthisis,  and  in the spasmodic
cough of nervous and hysterical females.  It  has also  been success-
fully employed to allay vomiting and purging in severe cases of
common cholera, and to check the colliquative diarrhoea, and sweat-
ing of hectic.  Lastly, it has been administered as a calmative and
anodyne in neuralgia, tic douloureux, chronic rheumatism, cancer-
ous affections, and  nervous palpitations, but its  success  has been
very equivocal.   Externally, in the form of lotion, it  will be found
very serviceable in allaying the violent itching which  attends many
forms of skin disease.
  D. & M. of Adm.—The medicinal acid should be at first admin-
istered in doses of one or two drops,  which should be  repeated
every second or third hour according to circumstances, as its effects
are  very transitory.  It is best given in distilled water, to which
simple sirup may be added; it should always be prescribed in the
form of draught, as, when given in mixture, it is apt to float on the
top  of the liquid, and thus a single  dose may produce dangerous
effects.   The  quantity given should be increased very gradually,

   This salt maybe readily prepared by adding a concentrated solution of bicy an id e of mer-
cury to a solution of iodide uf potassium, when it is precipitated in the form of white or
pearly crystalline plates. 
sedatives or  contra-stimulants.
257
and its effects carefully watched.   For external use, a lotion may
be prepared with f3ij. of the acid, and fgviij. of distilled water.
  Incomp.—Nitrate of silver;  red oxyde of mercury ;  sulphate of
copper;  sulphate and muriate of iron if an alkali be present;  and
strychnia.
  In cases of poisoning with prussic acid, if the person be seen im-
mediately, he should be made to inhale ammonia or chlorine dilu-
ted with  atmospheric air, or the solutions of either of those gases in
water  should  be  administered  in small but frequently-repeated
doses; but if some time has elapsed, and  insensibility be present,
the most powerful external stimulants, with the cold affusion and
artificial  respiration, should be employed.

  [Acidum pyrolignosum.   Pyroligneous acid.
  P. & C. P.—This remedy was anciently  known as cedria, or the
oil of tar, and was used by the Egyptians  as an embalming agent,
it being powerfully antiseptic.  That it contains creosote is possi-
bly the secret of its potency.  It is procured by the dry distillation
of hard wood, in  an iron retort heated to redness, and its chief in-
gredient  is found  to be vinegar having empyreumatic oil and resin
in solution, and in its strongest form is acetic acid.
  Th. E.—It is chiefly applied externally, although its internal use is
occasionally advised in sphacelus, gangrene, putrid ulcers, and ca-
chexy; in phthisis, scrofulous eruptions, and discharges, particularly
in cacrum oris, and diseases of the internal ear.  Creosote has, how-
ever, almost supplanted its use.   Though alleged to be narcotic, yet
this property  is equivocal.
  D. & M. of Adm.—The differences in the strength  of the acid
requires caution in its internal use.  In  ordinary cases, the dose is
from 5 to 20 drops in some aromatic water, 3 or 4 times  a day.
As a caustic,  it may be applied externally with a pencil; and  di-
luted with 8 parts of water, it is used as a wash or injection ;  and
for a collyrium and gargle, 12 parts of water to 1 of the acid.  In
purulent  discharges from the ear, 2 drachms to 6 oz. of water will
form a useful injection ; and in cases of deficient cerumen, 2 drops
of the following may be dropped into the ear night and  morning:
$ acid pyroligneous, oil of turpentine, sulphuric ether, equal parts.]

  Aconitum, E.   Aconiti folia et radix, L.  Aconitum panicu-
latum, folia, D.   Monkshood.  The leaves (and root, L.) of Aco-
nitum paniculatum, D. L.    The leaves of Aconitum Napellus, E.—
It  has  not been yet accurately ascertained which species  of the
genus Aconitum was employed by Storck, who was the first to use
it as a  medicine; the reference of the Edinburgh College appears
to me to  be the more correct.  This  species is said to grow wild
in some parts of England, but it was probably introduced from the
Continent of Europe, where it grows abundantly in woods.  It be-
longs to the natural family Ranunculacea, and to the Linnaean class
and"order Polyandria  Trigynia.
  B q__Root tapering ; stem simple, 3 to 5 feet high ; leaves palmate, cuneate,
                             K  K 
258
sedatives  or contra-stimulants.
pinnatisect; flowers on a long spike, deep blue, with an irregular petaloid calyx, the
upper leaflet of which is helmet-shaped.
  M. of Prep.—The root should be dug up in spring before the leaves appear, and
the leaves should be gathered just before the flowers expand ; both should be dried
carefully with a stove heat.
  P. P.—Aconite root has a faint, earthy odour, and a bitter, acrid
taste, leaving a benumbing impression on the lips and tongue.   The
leaves have a very feeble, narcotic odour; their taste is similar to
that  of the root.   When  carefully dried, they retain their virtues
for many years, if  kept in  close vessels, in a dry place, excluded
from  the light.
  C.  P.—No very  accurate chemical analysis  has been made of
this plant.   It contains an acrid volatile principle, green colouring
matter, vegetable albumen, some salts, and a peculiar alkaloid, first
discovered by Brandes, and named by him aconitina;  as this sub-
stance  has been introduced into the last edition  of the London
Pharmacopoeia, the  process for preparing it and its properties will
be described among the pharmaceutical  preparations of the plant.
Aconite leaves or  root yield their active principles completely to
alcohol, but very imperfectly to water.
  Th. E.—In large doses, the leaves or root of aconite are highly
poisonous,  appearing to produce death  by a  direct  depression of
the vital powers : thus, the most manifest symptoms are stupor, gen-
eral  muscular debility, and failure of the circulation ; in addition to
which, a feeling of numbness and tingling is experienced over the en-
tire surface of the body; vomiting also occurs, and frequently loss of
sight, the pupil of the eye  being contracted ; convulsions or coma
are rarely produced by poisonous doses of aconite.  As a medi-
cine, it has been used with the  most  marked benefit in all forms of
painful diseases, even when accompanied with inflammation; this
is well illustrated by its employment in the treatment of acute rheu-
matism, and of neuralgia.   In  the former of those  diseases it has
proved, in the hands of Dr. Lombard, of Geneva, a complete spe-
cific, the alcoholic  extract, given in  doses of from half a grain to
eight grains frequently repeated, curing  the severest attacks of feb-
rile rheumatism in from two to six days.   It has not, however, pro-
ved  so successful in the practice of British physicians, which is prob-
ably  owing  to the inertness of the officinal" extract of the Dublin
and  London Pharmacopoeias; in a few  cases in which I employed
the powdered leaves, the beneficial results were most marked. In
neuralgic  pains, particularly tic douloureux,  applied externally in
the form of tincture, it seldom fails to ameliorate the suffering,"and
in many instances will cure the disease.  It is  not so useful in sci-
atica or lumbago.   It has also been  employed in the treatment of
many other  diseases, but in none of them has its efficacy been well
established.
   D. & M.  of Adm.—The powder  of  the root or  leaves may be
given in doses of from gr. iij. to gr. xij., gradually  increased until
some effects are produced. — Extractum Aconiti, L. E.   Succus
 Spissatus  Aconiti,  D.  (" Fresh aconite leaves, fbj.; bruise them,
 sprinkled with a little water, in a stone  mortar; then press out the 
SEDATIVES  OR CONTRA-STIMULANTS.
259
 juice, and evaporate it, unstrained, to a proper consistence," D. L.
 "Take of fresh leaves of monkshood any convenient quantity, beat
 them into a pulp, express the juice, subject the residue to percola-
 tion  with rectified spirit, so long as the spirit passes materially col-
 oured ; unite the  expressed juice and the spirituous infusion ;  filter.
 distil off the spirit, evaporate the residue in the vapour-bath, taking
 care to remove the vessel from the heat so soon as the due degree
 of consistence shall be attained," E.)   As aconite leaves vield their
 active principles  almost  entirely to alcohol, and but very partially
 to water, the Edinburgh preparation must alone be active.  The
 dose of it is gr. ij.  to gr. viij., repeatedly.—Tinctura Aconiti.  (Aco-
 nite root, recently dried  and  coarsely powdered, fbj. (or fresh aco-
 nite leaves, fbss.); rectified spirit, Oiss.; macerate for 14 days, ex-
 press, and strain.)  Dose, min. v. to min. viij.; it  should be used
 with caution ; the best form for external use.—Extractum Alcohol-
 icum Aconiti.  (Prepared by distilling off the spirit from the tinc-
 ture.)  Dose, gr.} to gr. j.—Unguentum Aconiti.   (The alcoholic
 extract, 1 part; prepared lard, 2 parts ; mix.)   An excellent appli-
 cation rubbed over the  painful part in neuralgia.—Aconitina, L.
 (Aconite root, dried and bruised, fbij.;  rectified spirit, cong. iij.;
 dilute sulphuric acid, solution of ammonia, purified animal charcoal,
 of each, a sufficiency.   Boil  the aconite with a gallon of the  spirit
 for an hour in a retort with the receiver adapted to it, pour off the
 liquor, and again  boil the residue with another gallon of spirit and
 with the spirit recently  distilled, and pour off the  liquor;  let the
 same be done a third time.   Then press the aconite, and  all the li-
 quors being mixed and strained, let the spirit distil; evaporate  what
 remains to the proper consistence of an extract.  Dissolve this in
 water, and strain; evaporate  the liquor with a gentle heat, that it
 may thicken like  a sirup.  To  this add of dilute sulphuric  acid
 mixed with water, as much as  may be sufficient to dissolve  the acon-
 itina; then drop in the solution of ammonia, and dissolve the pre-
 cipitated aconitina in dilute sulphuric acid  and water, mixed as be-
 fore ;  afterward mix the  animal charcoal, frequently shaking them
 during a quarter of an hour.    Lastly, strain, and solution of ammo-
 nia being again dropped  in, that  the aconitina may be precipitated,
 wash and dry it.)   Aconitina is in the form of a white, semi-crystal-
 line  powder, odourless, with  a bitter taste.  It  is very soluble in
 sulphuric ether, less so  in alcohol, and very slightly in  water.
 When perfectly pure, this alkaloid is so powerful a  poison, "that a
 fiftieth of a grain  has endangered the life of an individual" (Perei-
 ra).   As usually met with, it is of a grayish-yellow colour, in which
 state  it is very impure.   Aconitina  possesses, but of course much
 more powerfully,  the  same medicinal  virtues as  monkshood ; it
 has been  principally used in  the form of ointment, in  tic doulou-
 reux and other neuralgic pains.  But it does not appear to possess
 sufficient advantages over the alcoholic extract as (considering its
enormous price, 3s. 6d. to 4s. Qd. a grain)  would warrant its em-
ployment as  a medicinal  agent.   It  cannot be administered inter-
nally with safety.—Solutio Aconitina, Turnbull.   (Aconitina, gr. 
260
SEDATIVES  OR CONTRA-STIMULANTS.
viij.; rectified spirit, ftij.; dissolve.)  Applied externally, by means
of a small sponge.— Unguentum Aconitina, Turnbull.   (Aconiti-
na, gr. xvj.;  olive oil, 3ss.; lard, p.; mix.)  Employed by friction
with the finger during several minutes.
   In cases of poisoning with monkshood, emetics should be imme-
diately administered, and the  most active stimulants, both external
and internal, should be employed.  No antidote has  as  yet been
discovered for it.

   Amygdale  amar^e, oleum.   Essence (Volatile oil)  of  bitter al-
monds.—The bitter-almond tree has been described in the division
Emollients.
  Prep.—Oil of bitter almonds is obtained by submitting to distillation with water
bitter-almond cake, left after the separation of the fixed oil by expression.
   P. P.—As usually met with it is  of a golden-yellow colour, but
when obtained from almonds which have been blanched it is col-
ourless when  first drawn.  It is transparent, with an agreeable ra-
tifia odour, and an acrid, warm, bitter taste.   It is heavier than wa-
ter, its specific gravity being  1*083.
   C. P.—Oil of bitter almonds, as  prepared by distillation, consists
of from 8*5 to 14*33  per cent, of pure hydrocyanic acid, mixed with
benzoic acid, benzoin, benzimide, and hydruret of benzoil.   Its poi-
sonous and medicinal properties depend on the hydrocyanic acid,
which may be completely removed from it by repeated distillation
from a solution of caustic potash.   The oil is very soluble in alco-
hol and  ether;  by  agitation  with water, a portion of the hydro-
cyanic acid is dissolved  out, and  the water acquires  the peculiar
odour and taste  of the acid.
   Th. E.—As the  medicinal  properties of this oil depend on the
hydrocyanic acid it  contains, its effects and uses are of course sim-
ilar to those of that  acid, for which it has been proposed  as a sub-
stitute ;  but, as its strength is very variable, it should not be em-
ployed for internal use.   It should be borne in mind that  the oil of
bitter almonds is at  least  four times the strength of officinal  prus-
sic acid.

   Amygdalus Persica, folia, D.  Peach leaves.  Leaves of Amyg-
dolus Persica (Persica Vulgaris, Miller).—The peach-tree, origi-
nally a native of Persia, is now cultivated extensively in our gar-
dens ; it  belongs to the natural  family Rosacea, and to the Linnas-
an class  and order Icosandria Monogynia.
  B. C—A small tree, with lanceolate, serrate, or crenate leaves, and rose colour-
ed flowers  ; fruit a fleshy, tomentose drupe.
   P. & C. V.—Peach leaves, when bruised, emit the  peculiar  bit-
ter-almond odour;  by  distillation  with water they yield a small
quantity  of volatile  oil, which contains hydrocyanic  acid.   Their
active principles are extracted by boiling water.
   Th. E— The  medicinal properties of peach leaves  are  precisely
similar to those of the cherry  laurel, but much weaker.  They are,
consequently, scarcely ever used, and  might be very well spared 
SEDATIVES OR  CONTRA-STIMULANTS.
261
from the Materia Medica.   Both leaves and flowers were formerly
employed in the form of infusion, as anthelmintics for children, but
several fatal accidents having occurred from their incautious ad-
ministration, their use as .such was very properly abandoned.

  Antimonium tartarizatum.—Tartar emetic (described in the
division Diaphoretics), when administered in full doses  frequently
repeated, acts on the human system as a direct sedative or contra-
stimulant, this effect being most manifest when it is given in inflam-
matory diseases.   Under the influence  of doses of one,  two, or
three grains repeated every hour or every second hour, the nausea,
vomiting, or purging which are  produced  by the  first  or second
dose cease entirely, the force and frequency of the heart's  action is
lowered, and local inflammation is arrested.  In Lepelletier's essay,
two cases of pneumonia are mentioned, in  one of which the pulse
was reduced from  120 to 34 beats per minute in nine days, and in
the other from 72 to 44 beats per minute in three days, under the
use of continued doses  of  tartar emetic.  This contra-stimulant
power of tartar emetic is applied with benefit to the treatment of
acute inflammations, either  alone, or as an  adjunct  to bleeding or
other antiphlogistic means.  The diseases in which this plan of
treatment has been found most beneficial are acute pneumonia and
pleuritis.   British practitioners usually employ either local or gen-
eral bleeding in those diseases, in conjunction with  tartar emetic;
but, although in pleuritis the combined abstraction of blood will be
in most instances absolutely requisite, many cases of pneumonia
will be cured  as speedily and as effectually by the use of tartar
emetic alone;  indeed, by many physicians bleeding is considered
singularly injurious to the development of the  sedative influence of
this medicine.  This mode  of administering tartar emetic has been
also employed  in the treatment of bronchitis, of arachnitis, and of
many other  acute inflammations, but in  none are its beneficial effects
so manifest  as in  inflammation of the lungs, and in pleurisy.   As a
contra-stimulant, tartar emetic is given in doses of from half a grain
to two  grains  every hour  or  every second  hour,  dissolved in a
small  quantity of water, one or two ounces at  most;  the best ve-
hicle for its  administration is orange-flower water.   The first dose
or two should not exceed half a grain, and the patient should not
be permitted to drink, so as, if possible, to avoid producing vomit-
ing ; when once a tolerance  of the medicine is produced in the sys-
tem, the quantity taken may be rapidly increased.

  Conium,  E.   Conii  folia [U. S. P.]  et fructus, L.   Conium
maoulati m, folia, I).   Hemlock.   The  leaves  (and fruit, L.) of
Conium  maculatum.—Indigenous, belonging to the natural  fam-
ily  Umbellifera, and to the Linnaean class  and order Pentandria
Digynia.
  B. C—Biennial; root fusiform, whitish, 6 to 12 inches  long; stem 2 to 6 feet
high, striated and spotted with purple, smooth, glaucous, hollow, much branched up-
ward ;  leaves large, tripinnatc ; leaflets lanceolate, pinnatifid, with acute and often
cut segments; flowers white, in umbels of many general as well as partial rays; 
262
SEDATIVES  OR CONTRA-STIMULANTS.
general involucre usually 3 to 7 leaflets;  partial involucre of 3 leaflets on one side;
fruit ovate, compressed laterally, with five primary undulato-crenalc ridges.  Thr
whole plant, when bruised, emits a peculiar fetid odour like that of mice.
  P. U. & M. of Prep.—The leaves are officinal in the three British Pharmaco.
pceias  ; they should be gathered when the plant is in full flower, the stalks carefully
picked out, and the leafy part dried with a stove heat, excluded from the light.  For
medicinal purposes, they should be kept in well-stopped opaque bottles or jars ; but
as they lose much of their virtues by keeping, the druggist's stock should be renew-
ed every year.  The seeds are collected when fully ripe ; they are more active than
the leaves, and preserve their medicinal powers for a much longer period.
   P.  P.—Hemlock leaves,  in the fresh  state, are  of a  glaucous-
green colour, and  possess remarkably the characteristic odour of
the plant; by drying  they acquire a  dull grayish-green colour, and
lose much of their odour.  They have a nauseous, bitter taste. The
fruif*  has a weaker odour; its taste is bitter, and somewhat acrid.
   C.  P.—Hemlock leaves  and  fruit  contain a peculiar alkaloid
which has been named conia (conein or conicin), a volatile odorous
principle, albumen, resin, colouring matter, and some  salts.  The
active principle of the plant is  the alkaloid conia; it is a colourless,
oily liquid, lighter  than water, with a peculiar, penetrating, very
disagreeable odour, and an intensely acrid taste ; it is nearly as ac-
tive a poison  as  pure prussic acid.   Conia is obtained by the dis-
tillation of the leaves or fruit with a caustic alkali; it exists in the
greatest quantity in the full-grown green  fruit, eight pounds yield-
ing half an ounce of hydrated conia (Christison).   The composition
of this  alkaloid is CIJH14NO.   On triturating the leaves or fruit of
hemlock with caustic potash,  the peculiar odour  of conia, which
should not be confounded with that of the plant, is emitted; and as
the medicinal virtues depend  on the presence of this alkaloid, a
ready test is thus afforded us of ascertaining the  goodness of any
of the preparations of hemlock.   The leaves and  fruit yield their
active properties to water, alcohol, oils, and fats.
  Adulterations.—Other umbelliferous plants which bear a gener-
al resemblance to  hemlock  are frequently confounded with it, and
their  leaves often sold for those of the true plant.   The distinguish-
ing botanical characteristics of the plant are, its smooth, purple-spot-
ted stem, and its unilateral, partial involucre; the fruit is readily
known by its undulato-crenate primary  ridges.   Chemically,  all
parts  of the plant are  known by the peculiar odour of conia evolv-
ed  on trituration with caustic  potash ; and this test, as before re-
marked, is also applicable for ascertaining the quality of the offici-
nal preparations of hemlock.
  Th. E.—From the  recent investigations which  have been made
into the actions of hemlock, particularly  those of Professor Chris-
tison  and Mr. Judd, it would appear that its influence is chiefly ex-
erted  on the nerves of motion, and that its medicinal  powers are
those  of a direct sedative.   When taken in  poisonous doses, the
symptoms  preceding  death  are very similar to those produced  by
asphyxia  from any cause:  thus,  "it does not excite convulsive
spasms, or bring on insensibility ; but it exhausts the nervous ener-
gy  of the spinal chord and voluntary muscles, occasioning merelv
convulsive tremours  and slight twitches, and eventually1 general 
SEDATIVES OR  CONTRA-STIMULANTS.
263
paralysis of the muscles, and consequent stoppage of the breathing"
(Christison).   Much difference of opinion exists as to the action of
hemlock when employed as a medicine, and, consequently, as to
the diseases in which it proves beneficial; this arises from the fact
that the  preparations of hemlock which were in general use until
very lately were perfectly inert; for since the discovery of the ac-
tive principle of the plant, it has been satisfactorily shown that the
application of even a moderate degree of heat, when continued for
any time, causes it to undergo decomposition,  and therefore  that
the extract (the preparation most generally employed), when pre-
pared according to the directions of the Dublin and London Phar-
macopoeias, is deprived almost completely of its medicinal virtues ;
and of  this I have  frequently satisfied myself by the potash  test.
In  the present day, but little  faith is placed in the virtues of hem-
lock as  a deobstruent and alterative in the treatment of glandular
or  visceral enlargements, of scrofulous affections, of secondary
syphilis, or  of chronic skin diseases, for which  it was at one  time
highly esteemed.   I have myself derived very beneficial results
from the use of hemlock in many painful affections, some of which
were attended with inflammation; the preparation which I employ-
ed wras  the expressed juice carefully prepared from the fresh leaves
gathered when the plant was in full flower.   The diseases in which
I principally  used  it were  the various rheumatic  affections,  both
acute and chronic, neuralgia,  and senile gangrene; in all of which
I have  found it alleviate pain and diminish nervous excitement.
On the  whole, from the experience which I have had of it, I am in-
clined to think that hemlock will be found an anodyne and sedative
of much power, and that it deserves to be more generally used than
it has been of late.  Hemlock has been employed externally in the
form of cataplasm or ointment to cancerous and painful ulcerations,
and to tender glandular enlargements.  In two cases in which the
use of the expressed juice  of hemlock had been persevered in for
some time,  and the  dose much  increased, the patients complained
of great dryness, with a painful feeling of constriction of the pha-
rynx, so much so  as to compel its use to be suspended.
   D. & M. of Adm.—The dose of the powder of the leaves, a bad
form, is from gr. v. to gr. x., three or four times a day ; of the  pow-
der of the seeds, gr. iij. to gr. vi. may be given ;  the quantity should
be gradually increased.—Extractum Conii, L. E.  Succus  Spis-
satus Conii,D.   (" Fresh hemlock leaves, fbj.;  bruise them,sprink-
led with a little water, in a stone mortar;  then press out the juice,
and evaporate it, unstrained, to a proper consistence," D. L.  " Take
of conium, any convenient quantity; beat it into a  uniform pulp in
 a marble mortar,  express the juice, and filter it.  Let this  juice  be
evaporated to the consistence of firm extract, either in a  vacuum
with the aid of heat, or spontaneously in  shallow vessels  exposed
to  a strong current of air, freed of dust by gauze or screens.  This
extract is of good quality only when a very strong odour of conia
is diseno-aged by degrees on its being carefully triturated with Aqua
pou.ssa?," E.)  Dose, gr. iij.  to gr. v., gradually increased.   This 
264            SEDATIVES OR CONTRA-STIMULANTS.
is always an uncertain preparation, and does not keep well.—Tinc-
tura Conii,  D. L. E.   (" Hemlock leaves, dried, §ij. (3v., L.); car-
damom,  bruised, §i.;  proof spirit, by measure, fhj. (Oij., L.)-; ma-
cerate for  7 (14, L.)  days,  and strain," D. L.  " Fresh conium
leaves, §xij.; tincture of cardamom, Oss. ;  rectified spirit, Oiss.;
bruise the leaves, express the juice strongly; bruise the residuum,
pack it firmly in a percolator; transmit first the tincture of carda-
mom, and then the rectified spirit, allowing the spirituous liquors
to mix with the expressed juice as they pass through ;  add gently
water enough to the  percolator for pushing through the spirit left
in the residuum.  Filter the liquor after agitation," E.)   The tinc-
ture of the Edinburgh College is  a much  superior preparation to
that of either Dublin or London, as being prepared from the fresh
leaves ;  nevertheless, as the process requires some nicety of manip-
ulation, it is apt to vary in strength, which the presence  of the tinc-
ture of cardamoms will prevent us from judging of;  the dose of it
is from  min. xx. to min xl.,  gradually increased.—Succus Conii.
(Fresh hemlock leaves, any quantity; express  the juice strongly;
set aside  for 48 hours, pour off the clear supernatant liquor, and add
to it a fifth part of rectified spirit.)   This is the most certain of the
preparations of hemlock, as it is of a uniform strength, and keeps
well.  Dose, min.  xx., gradually  increased  to  f3i., three or four
times daily, its effects being carefully  watched.—Pilula  Conii
comp., L.  (Extract of hemlock, 3v. ; ipecacuanha, powdered, 3i.;
mixture of acacia, as much as may be sufficient; beat them togeth-
er until  they are incorporated.)  Dose, gr. v., three times a day;
intended for an anodyne and expectorant  in hoopingcough, bron-
chitis, and the incipient stage of phthisis, but, from the observations
made above on the extract, its powers must be very feeble.—Cat-
aplasma  Conii, D.  L.   (" Hemlock leaves, dried, §j.; water,  by
measure, fbiss.; boil down to fbj., and to  the strained liquor add as
much of the same kind of powder as is  sufficient  to make a cata-
plasm," D.   "Extract of hemlock, §ij.; water, Oi.; mix, and add
linseed, bruised, as much as may be sufficient to make it of a prop-
er consistence," L.)   A soothing poultice to painful ulcers or glan-
dular enlargements.   The fresh leaves, bruised, would form a much
better application.— Unguentum Conii, D.   (Fresh hemlock leaves
and prepared  hog's lard, of each,  fbj.; boil the leaves  in the lard
until they become crisp, then express through linen.)   An  excel-
lent sedative and  anodyne ointment.—  Emplastrum Conii, Pol.
(Yellow  wax, 2 parts;  resin and  olive oil, of each, 1  part; melt
together, and add to the mass when it  begins to cool powdered
hemlock, 2 parts ; mix thoroughly.)   For neuralgic and rheumat-
ic pains.
  lNcoMr.—The caustic alkalies and vegetable astringents.
  In cases of poisoning with hemlock, the  same treatment should
be followed  as in poisoning with monkshood.   (See page 259.)

  Creasotum.—Creasote (described in  the division Antacids), in
noisonous doses, appears, from the  observations of Dr. Cormack, of 
SEDATIVES OR  CONTRA-STIMULANTS.
265
Edinburgh, to resemble prussic acid in its sudden depressing action
on the heart, as well as in the temporary nature of its toxicolog:cal
operation.   In medic'nal  doses, it operates as a sedative and cal-
mative ; its principal use has been in nausea and vomiting, in check-
ing which it proves highly beneficial.  It has been found particu-
larly useful  in the morning sickness of pregnancy, and in cases of
hysteric vomiting.   Creasote will be also found very efficacious in
allaying vomiting, when it arises from nervous irritability or func-
tional disorder of the stomach ; but it generally fails when organic
disease is present, or  where  the vomiting  is symptomatic of dis-
eases of other organs.  In the obstinate  vomiting of sea-sickness,
this remedy has been found by some to prove useful, and in all the
nostrums of the present day for preventing sea-sickness creasote is
a principal ingredient.   In neuralgia and in phthisis, this substance
has been highly praised by many as being almost a complete specif-
ic, but its efficacy in those diseases is not yet well established.
  D. & M. of Adm.—Min. j. to min. ij., gradually increased to min.
v. or min. vj., dissolved in an  ounce, or an ounce and a half at least,
of some aromatic water; or  made  into an emulsion with distilled
water by  means of sugar or yolk of egg.   In the administration of
creasote, it  should be  borne  in  mind that its action is temporary,
and, consequently, that the dose should  be frequently repeated.—
Mistura Creasoti, E.  (Creasote and acetic acid, of each, min. xvj.;
compound spirit of juniper and  sirup, of  each, fy.; water, f-xiv.;
mix the creasote with  the acid, add gradually the water, and, last-
ly, the sirup and  spirit.)  An excellent form for the administration
of this medicine, the spirit of juniper concealing its  disagreeable
taste.  Dose,  f§i. to f§ij.; fgj. contains min. j. of creasote.

  Digitalis (described in the division Diuretics), in large doses,
acts as a narcotico-acrid  poison, producing giddiness, great debili-
ty,  stupor, slow,  feeble, and intermittent pulse,  cold sweats, and
death, immediately preceded  by coma and convulsions.  In medi-
cinal doses, when its use has  been continued for some time, it oper-
ates as a  direct sedative, its  influence being chiefly manifested on
the heart and arterial system ;  this is indicated  by the diminished
force and frequency of the pulse, which is also sometimes irregular,
and by the enfeebled action  of the heart itself.   If the use of digi-
talis be continued under these circumstances, although the dose be
not increased, all the  symptoms of poisoning come on; indeed, in
many cases, will  appear some days after its administration has been
stopped ;  hence it is evident  that this medicine accumulates in the
system, and, therefore, in cases where its use has been continued for
any period,  the administration of the remedy should be occasionally
suspended, particularly as soon as its constitutional effects become
obvious.  From  the sedative influence which digitalis exerts on the
heart, it may be  employed in all cases attended  with over-excite-
ment of the vascular system;  but where much inflammation is
present, it is not sufficiently  powerful as an antiphlogistic for us to
rely on, to the exclusion of more active measures.  It is in diseases 
266
SEDATIVES OR  CONTRA-STIMULANTS.
of the heart and large arteries that this medicine is found most ben-
eficial ;  and whenever the curative  indication will be best fulfilled
by diminishing the impulse of the heart, and by lowering the cir-
culation generally, no remedy will  produce  those results so com-
pletely and  so  certainly as digitalis.,,  It thus proves useful in sim-
ple hypertrophy of the  heart, in nervous palpitations, in increased
action of that organ arising from functional derangement, not from
organic disease, in aneurism of  the  aorta, and  in active hemor-
rhages where the pulse is quick, hard, and throbbing; its employ-
ment is  contra-indicated in hypertrophy of the heart with or with-
out dilatation, when that state is produced by obstruction from any
cause to the circulation of the blood, or by regurgitation from in-
sufficiency or other disease of the valves.   Digitalis has been also
used in  cases of insanity  and of epilepsy;  in  the latter  affection,
when not dependant on organic disease, it often proves  singularly
beneficial when given in very large  doses, so as to bring the system
rapidly  under its influence; in  some  cases  which I saw with my
friend Dr, Corrigan, recovery took place very rapidly  under the
following mode of employing this remedy:  f§ij.  of the infusion of
digitalis were given every night at bedtime until its constitutional
effect was  produced, which  was usually after the fourth or fifth
dose; its  use was then  suspended for two or three nights, accord-
ing to circumstances, and then the same quantity given  as before;
as soon as the system became affected,  the number of fits were di-
minished, and under the continuance  of this plan of treatment for a
short time,  their recurrence  soon ceased altogether.   In the em-
ployment of digitalis as  a medicine, its effects require to be carefully
watched,  and whenever its use is continued for any length of time,
the patient  should not be allownd to use any active  exertion, and
should be seen at least once daily by the medical attendant.
  D. & M. of Adm.—As a sedative, the doses of the preparations
of digitalis  are as follows: of the powder, gr. j. to gr. iij. ; of the
infusion, fgi. to fgij.; of the tincture, f3ss.  to fsiss.—Succus  Digi-
talis.  (Prepared in the same manner as Succus Conii, page 264.)
Dose, f3i. to f3ij.—Extractum Digitalis, L. E.   (*• Fresh foxglove
leaves,  Ibj.; bruise them, sprinkled with  a little water, in a stone
mortar; then press out the juice, and evaparate it, unstrained, to a
proper consistence," L.  " Best  prepared by any of the processes
indicated  for extract of Conium," E.)  An uncertain preparation.
Dose, gr.  ss. to gr. j.
  In cases of poisoning with foxglove, the stomach pump or pow-
erful stimulating emetics should be immediately  administered, and
active stimulants, both  external  and internal, be assiduously em-
ployed.

  Lauro-cerasus, E.   Prunus lauro-cerasus, D.   Cherry-laurel
leaves.  Leaves of Prunus lauro-cerasus.—A native  of  the shores
of the Black Sea, whence it was introduced into Europe and the
British  Isles, where it now grows freely ; it belongs to the natural
family  Rosacea, and to the  Linnaean class  and order Icosandria
Monogynia. 
SEDATIVES  OR CONTRA-STIMULANTS.
267
  B. C.—An evergreen, small tree ; stem smooth, much branched, 12 to 18 feet
high ; leaves large, bright glaucous green, coriaceous ; flowers numerous, white,
small, in axillary racemes ;  fruit an ovoid, blackish drupe, about the size of a small
cherry.
  P. P.—Cherry-laurel leaves are employed in the recent state for
medicinal purposes; they emit  an agreeable, bitter-almond odour
when bruised, and have a bitter, rather astringent taste.
  C. P.—These leaves have not been accurately analyzed; their
properties depend on a volatile oil, which they yield by distillation
with water; it resembles in odour and other properties the volatile
oil of bitter almonds, and, like it, contains free prussic acid.  The
leaves differ  much in  the quantity of this oil, which they yield  at
different periods of their growth, and, consequently, in their activity;
according to Christison, the greatest quantity is  obtained from the
buds and unexpanded young leaves in the  months of May and June,
at which time  they yield 6*33 grains of oil in one  thousand ; in July
the proportion sinks to 3*1 grains, and in  the following May to 6*6.
The water, which comes over with the oil in the  process of distilla-
tion  acquires both its  odour and taste, and is the only preparation
of the plant which is employed in medicine.
  Th. E.—Cherry-laurel leaves and their distilled water  owe their
virtues  to the prussic  acid which they contain, and, consequently,
produce the  same effects.   An ounce of the distilled water has
produced death  in an adult.  Cherry-laurel water is much employ-
ed in Great Britain as a  sedative in  spasmodic  cough, in phthisis,
and in painful or spasmodic diseases of children ;  for the latter pur-
pose, its agreeable flavour renders it peculiarly eligible ; it is, how-
ever, very  liable to vary in strength,  and, therefore, should be pre-
scribed  with caution.
  D. & M. of Adm.—Aqua  Lauro-cerasi,  D. E.  (Fresh  cherry-
laurel leaves,  fbj.; water, by measure, fbiij. (Oiiss., E.) ; " distil off
Ibj., and add  §i.  of compound spirit of lavender instead of rectified
spirit," D.  " Chop down  the leaves, mix  them with the water, dis-
til off a  pint, agitate the distilled liquid well, filter it if any milkiness
remains after a fewr seconds of rest, and then add §i. of compound
spirit of lavender," E.)  The compound spirit of lavender is added
as a colouring ingredient, to prevent mistakes from the preparation
being taken for common water; as prepared in  Dublin at present,
it is usually omitted, even  in that which is sold at the Apothecaries'
Hall of Ireland.   The dose, for  adults is from f3ss. to f3i.; for in-
fants or children, min. ij. to min. x.
  Incomp.—Same as for  hydrocyanic acid ; as  is also the treat-
ment  in cases of poisoning.

  [Naphtha  (Naphthe, Fr.).  Naphtha  from wood,  &c.—A bitu-
minous  liquid, transparent, white, but  a little yellowish, slightly unc-
tuous to the touch, specifically much  lighter than water, extremely
combustible, emitting  a strong,  but not unpleasant odour, burning
with a blue flame, and giving out very thick fumes.
  A substance under the name of " Wood Naphtha" has been lately 
268
SEDATIVES OR CONTRA-STIMULANTS.
 recommended by Dr. Hastings, of London, as a valuable remedy in
 phthisis.   We  have  not been able to ascertain with any certainty *
 what  he means by wood naphtha, for chemists have never applied
 that term to the products of the distillation of wood ; but manufac-
 turers of pyroligneous acid have been in the habit for many years
 past to call (improperly) " Naphtha" the spirituous liquid (bihydrate
 of  Methylem) which passes with the first portions  of acetic acid
 while  distilling the acid liquor obtained  by the combustion of wood
 in a close vessel.   In that state it  contains aldehyd, acetom, xilit,
 and mesit, according to Kane.    To obtain it pure, Liebig introdu-
 ces the impure spirit into a retort with an excess of chloride of cal-
 cium,  and distils the  mixture in a water-bath as long as volatile
 matter is disengaged.   A quantity of water equal to the spirit em-
 ployed is then added, and the distillation  continued.   The product
 is now pure  pyroxilic spirit, carrying  along with it a little water,
 which is removed by a second distillation with quicklime.
   Another substance  (methol), also, the product of destructive dis-
 tillation  of wood, having a close analogy to naphtha  when  purified,
 has been given  as the wood naphtha of  Hastings.   According  to
 Kane, it  contains no  oxygen, its formula being  C4H3; it boils  at
 360°, and possesses the general  characteristics of an essential oil.
 It appears to possess expectorant and alterative properties, stimula-
 ting the bronchii to action;  has no specific effect on  the tubercular
 formations in the body of the lungs, as  described by Dr. H.
   Pyroacetic Spirit  has been employed  in  lieu of naphtha in the
 U.  S.  to  considerable extent, though  without any marked benefit
 except in bronchial irritation, in  which  it is extolled.  It has a pe-
 culiar  fragrant odour;  its specific  gravity is 0*7922, and boils  at
 132° ;  it dissolves in water, alcohol, and ether.   It can be obtained
 from perfectly dry acetate of soda, and  redistilled from chlorate  of
 lime.]

  Potassii cvanidum.   Cyanide of Potassium.   (Cyanuret of Po-
 tassium ; Hydrocyanate of Potassa.)
  Peep.—Parisian Codex, 1837.  " Reduce proto-cyanuret of potassium and iron to
coarse powder, half fill a retort with it, place the retort in a good  reverberatory fur-
nace, adapt the tube to collect the gas ; heat moderately, to expel  the water of crys-
tallization, then raise the temperature so as to fuse the mass, which will be announ-
ced by a disengagement of gas; keep up the temperature, so that the disengage-
ment will be regular and moderate ; increase the heat progressively, and maintain
it at a very high degree for a quarter of an hour, close the extremity of the tube,
close also the apertures of the furnace, and leave  the whole to cool; then break the
retort and carefully detach the upper stratum, which forms a kind of  well-fuse'
enamel.  This is the pure cyanide of potassium ;  include in a well-ground stopper
ed bottle, remove afterward the spongy black mass which is found in the lower
part; it is a mixture of cyanide of potassium, iron, and charcoal; include it also in
bottles."  Mr. Donovan, of Dublin, has  added the Yollowing directions to the above
process  : The retort should be of forged iron ; a quicksilver bottle will answer per-
fectly, provided it be sound ;  in its screw plug must be fitted an iron tube, so bent
that its  other extremity may be plunged half an  inch below the surface of a little
water in a cup.  By this means the different steps may be more easily regulated,
as the issue of gas is more conveniently observed.  The iron bottle should be only
half filled with recrystalhzed ferrocyanide of potassium;  and as soon as the process
is completed, when cold, it may be cut in two by a chisel and heavy hammer.  The
black, impure cyanide at the bottom of the retort  is  totally unlit for medicinal uso. 
SEDATIVES OR  CONTRA-STIMULANTS.
269
  ** P*—Cyanide of potassium, thus procured, is a whitish, semi-
transparent, crystalline mass, having an enamelled appearance.  It
is inodorous when quite dry, but if moistened it emits the odour of
hydrocyanic acid.  It has an acrid, alkaline, somewhat bitter taste.
  C. P.—It is  composed of one eq. of potassium, and one of cyano-
gen.  Exposed to the air, it absorbs moisture and deliquesces slow-
ly, being converted into carbonate of potash by the absorption of
carbonic acid from the atmosphere, and the evolution  of hydro-
cyanic acid; it is fusible without change by heat, and unalterable
even by a white heat, provided air be excluded.  This salt is very
soluble in water, but is insoluble in strong alcohol.  By solution in
water it is  converted into the hydrocyanate of potassa.
  Adulterations.—As commonly met with in the shops, this  salt is
seldom fit for  medicinal  use.   When pure  it should be perfectly
white, and  afford a perfectly colourless solution with distilled wa-
ter ; if it be at all yellow, it contains iron, which diminishes  much
its activity.  It should  also be  perfectly free  from odour, as, if it
have any smell of  prussic acid, it contains water, is of uncertain
strength, and is, perhaps, undergoing slow decomposition.
  Th.  E.—Cyanide of potassium possesses  precisely similar prop-
erties to the hydrocyanic acid, as a substitute  for which it is used
in medicine.   Its advantages  over that acid are  its  unvarying
strength, and  its  permanence of constitution,  when  properly pre-
pared and  carefully preserved ;  but its great liability to deliquesce
lias prevented its general introduction into the practice of medicine.
To remedy this defect, Mr. Donovan has  suggested " that consu-
mers should keep the cyanide of potassium in small, wide-mouthed,
well-stoppered bottles, not quite filled with the salt, but completely
filled with  alcohol  of 0*800 ; which, when of this strength, exerts
scarcely any  solvent power on the cyanide, but will  effectually
preserve it from the deteriorating influence of the air.  When a few
grains are  required for use, they may be drawn up by an iron wire
like potassium out of naphtha, and  heated in a  spoon for a moment,
to drive off the adhering alcohol."
  D. & M. of Adm.—The dose of the pure cyanide of potassium is
from one eighth to  one fourth of a grain.  If it be desirable  to ad-
minister the prussic acid  contained in  the salt in a free state, this
may be done by prescribing it in combination  with any weak acid.
as with citric  acid, recent lemon juice, or sirup of lemons.—Sirup
of Cyanide of Potassium, Magendie.   (Cyanide of  potassium, gr.
viij.;  simple sirup,  f§xvj.; mix.)  Dose, f3ij. to f.3vj.  It is always
better to prescribe  this preparation in the form of draughts, in con-
sequence of its liability to  become decomposed.—Calmative Lo-
tion, Trousseau.   (Cyanide of potassium,  gr. viij.;  distilled wa-
ter, alcohol, and sulphuric ether, of each, f§i.;  mix.)   For external
use only.   One eighth of  a grain of pure cyanide of potassium is
equal to about one  minim of the medicinal prussic acid of the Dub-
lin Pharmacopoeia.
  Incomp.—All acids, and acidulous salts. 
270
SEDATIVES  OR CONTRA-STIMULANTS.
   Tabacum, L.  E.   Nicotiana  tabacum,  folia,  D.   Tobacco
Leaves (dried, L.)  of Nicotiana Tabacum.—A native of America,
belonging  to  the natural  family Solanacea,  and to the Linnajan
class and order Pentandria Monogynia.
  B.  C — A viscid, herbaceous annual;  stem 3 to 6 feet high, erect, branching at
the top; leaves sessile, ovato-acuminate, very large, pale green ; flowers in pani-
cles,  rose-coloured ; capsules two-celled, loculicidal; containing many small, some-
what reniform, brown seeds.
  M. of Prep.—In the month of August the plants are cut off above their roots,
and dried under sheds ; when perfectly dry, the leaves are stripped off, twisted, tied
in bundles, and packed with great compression into hogsheads for exportation.  Vir-
ginia tobacco in leaf should be the kind employed for medicinal purposes.
   P. P.—Virginia tobacco leaves are of a dark-brown colour, with
yellowish spots, and  have an unctuous feel.   Their odour is pecu-
liar, heavy, and narcotic ; their taste  bitter and nauseous.
   C. P.—It is composed  of a peculiar, liquid,  colourless, volatile
alkaloid, which has been named nicotina; of a concrete volatile oil,
nicotianin; of bitter extractive,  gum, chlorophylle, vegetable albu-
men, gluten, starch, malic acid, and some salts.   Its properties  de-
pend on the alkaloid  and the volatile oil; the former is heavier than
water, has the odour of tobacco, and  an acrid, burning taste, so in-
tense as to communicate it perceptibly to 10,000 parts of water;
the latter has also the odour of tobacco; its taste is bitter and aro-
matic, leaving an unpleasant sensation in the throat; it does not exist
in recent tobacco leaves, and, therefore, must be developed during
the process of drying.  An empyreumatic oil is produced by burning
tobacco  from the decomposition of some of its constituents; it is
usually found in pipes which have been used some time for smoking;
it is a very active  poison.   Tobacco leaves yield  their properties
readily to "boiling water, alcohol, and  spirituous  liquors.
   The adulterations  of tobacco  are unimportant in relation to its
medical employment.
   Th. E.—Tobacco, taken internally in large doses, acts as a pow-
erful narcotico-acrid  poison; the most marked symptoms  are nau-
sea,  fainting, great exhaustion, general relaxation both of the vol-
untary and involuntary muscles, extreme depression of the circula-
tory powers (marked by the feeble, fluttering pulse, cold extremi-
ties,  paleness of the  face, &c), convulsions, paralysis, and  death.
In very small doses it is said to act as a diuretic, and sometimes as
a laxative.  In full medicinal doses, it operates as a direct sedative
of the vascular system, and  also of the cerebral functions.  It is
principally used in  medicine  to relax the muscular fibres: thus, it
is employed in the  form of enema, in strangulated hernia, in stric-
ture  or obstruction  of the bowels from other causes, in retention of
urine from spasmodic stricture of the urethra,  or from spasm of
the neck of the bladder, in obstinate  constipation, in severe colic,
and  in tetanus ; in all of which diseases its beneficial effects depend
on its relaxing  influence over the muscular system.  Tobacco was
formerly employed as a diuretic in dropsy, and  also  as an anthel-
mintic, but in  the present day it is rarely used for either purpose.
As an external agent, the infusion or decoction may be applied by 
               SEDATIVES OR CONTRA-STIMULANTS.            271

means of compresses in any of the cases above enumerated in which
its sedative action is indicated ; and in America an ointment is used
in chronic cutaneous diseases, especially those of the scalp, but its
use requires  very great caution, as it has in some instances pro-
duced fatal results; for the same reason, although a certain  appli-
cation for the destruction of vermin, the infusion of tobacco  is but
seldom employed for that purpose.
   D. & M. of Adm.—The use  of  tobacco requires great  caution,
as, in order to produce  a sedative influence, its poisonous effects
must be partially induced.   For the preparation  of an enema of to-
bacco, formulas are given in the three British Pharmacopoeias, but
in no instance should a larger quantity  be  used at first than from
gr. xv. to gr. xx. infused  in Oi. of boiling water, for  cases are  on
record where so small a quantity as 3j., and even 3ss., have proved
fatal.—Enema Tabaci, L. E.   Infusum Tabaci, D.   (Tobacco, 3i.
(gr. xv. to 3ss., E.); boiling water, by measure, fbj. (Oj., L.; fgviij.,
E.); macerate (digest in a close vessel, D.) for one hour  (half an
hour, E.), and strain.)—Vinum  Tabaci,  E.   (Tobacco, 3j.; sherry,
f'xij.; digest for seven days ; strain, express strongly the residuum,
and  filter the liquors.)   Sedative  and  diuretic, but rarely  used.
Dose, min. x. to min xl.
   [U. S. P.— Tobacco Ointment.   Fresh tobacco, cut in pieces, 1
oz.;  lard, a pound.  Boil the tobacco in the lard over a gentle fire
till it becomes friable,  then strain through linen.  An excellent ap-
plication in tinea capitis,  and various  obstinate eruptions upon the
skin, but requires caution in its use.]
   In cases of poisoning with tobacco, if the poison have been swal-
lowed, emetics should  be  immediately administered ; and in all ca-
ses the most  powerful  stimulants, both external  and internal, should
be employed.  The vegetable astringents  have been proposed as
antidotes for tobacco, tannin forming an insoluble precipitate with
nicotina.

   Zinci cyanidum.  Cyanide of Zinc.   (Cyanuret of Zinc; Hy-
drocyanate of protoxyde of Zinc.)
  pKEP.—pass the vapour of prussic acid into distilled water in which is suspend-
ed recently-prepared hydrated oxyde of zinc, which is obtained by adding in excess
water of caustic potash to a solution of chloride of zinc.
   P. & C. P.—It  is a solid white salt, inodorous and insipid; is
composed of one eq. of cyanogen, and one of zinc; and is insoluble
in both water and alcohol.
   Th. E.__This preparation has been proposed on  the  Continent
as a  substitute for hydrocyanic acid or the cyanide of potassium.
The  dose is from gr. {- to gr. j., but its insolubility renders it an ob-
jectionable preparation.   In Germany it has been employed as an
anthelmintic  for children.

   [Zinci Ferro-hvdrocyanas (Ferro-hydrocyanate of Zinc).
  pREP__Mix together, for mutual decomposition, solutions in water, at the boiling
temperature, of 83 parts of sulphate of zinc and 60 parts of ferrocyanate of potassa ; 
272
sialogogues.
adding more of the sulphate of zinc if the bluish colour is present, and then digest
until the precipitate is entirely white.
   P. & C. P.—It is a white, insoluble, almost inodorous  powder,
somewhat  soluble in the stronger acids, without exhaling a smell
of hydrocyanic acid in the cold ; but by boiling, that acid is slowly
disengaged.
   Th. E.—Adapted to nervous diseases, cardialgia, epilepsy, paral-
ysis, chorea,  neuralgia, and  spasmodic affections  generally, in
which it is often  an efficient remedy in American practice.
   D. &, M. of Adm.—The dose should begin with 1  grain in ordi-
nary, though  from 2 to 6 grs. have  been given  in  cramp  of the
stomach at a dose.  When the small dose is given, it should be re-
peated 3 or 4  times a day, and gradually increased.   It is best giv-
en in pill or powder, being insoluble.   As this article is often con-
founded with  the more active cyanide of zinc, it should be distin-
guished in  prescriptions by calling the one zincum hydrocyanicum
sine ferro, and the other zincum ferro-hydrocyanicum.
   It has been  recommended as a collyrium in scrofulous opththal-
mia, catarrhal and rheumatic  affections of  the eyes, &c, and for
this purpose is suspended by mucilage of gum-arabic, and modified
by tincture of  opium, in the proportion of 1 to 3 grs. to the oz.]

   [Zinci iodidum (Iodide or loduret of Zinc).
  Prep.—Boil together iodine and zinc in atomic proportions, or, rather, with an
excess of zinc, in a flask of water, down to dryness, and sublime the residue.
   P. &. C. P.—It forms beautiful, colourless, prismatic crystals.  It
is, however, very deliquescent, and cannot easily be retained in the
solid form, and is liable  to undergo  spontaneous decomposition.
By being heated  in open vessels, it is resolved into iodine and ox-
yde of zinc.
   Th.  E.—It  is used externally, for the same  purposes as iodide of
potassium, the unguent being composed of 1 drachm to an oz. of
lard.   As a collyrium  and injection, 1 gr. to  the oz. of  water is a
valuable astringent.]
                      CHAPTER XVIII.

                         SIALOGOGUES.
                         (Masticator ies.)
  Sialogogues are substances which, by a local stimulant action,
augment the secretion of saliva.  By this definition we exclude the
so-called remote or specific sialogogues, as the preparations of mer-
cury, gold, &c, which generally produce an increased flow of sa-
liva, when their internal  use  has been  continued  for some time;
but, as  their  remediate powers do not depend merely on'the in- 
sialogogues.
273
erease of this secretion, it will, I think, be more practical to confine
the term sialogogue to those agents which are emplo*. ed  as direct
stimulants to the salivary glands.  There  are but few substances
used in the present day in the practice of medicine for this purpose,
and their application to the treatment of disease is veiy limited.

  Armoracia, L. E.   Cochlearia armoracia, radix,  D.   Horse-
radish.  The fresh root of Cochlearia armoracia.—Indigenous, be-
longing to the natural family Crucifera, and to the  Linnasan class
and order Tetradynamia Siliculosa.
  B. C.—Roots perennial, fleshy, white, running deep into the ground; stems about
2 feet high ; leaves large, much veined ; flowers white.
  P. P.—When bruised or cut, the fresh root emits a very acrid,
penetrating odour ; it has a  very pungent taste.   The acrimony of
the roots is lost by drying, but they may he preserved fresh for a
long time by keeping them  packed in sand in a damp cellar.
  C P.—Its active principle is a very acrid volatile  oil, which may
be obtained by distillation.   The  root yields its  acrimony to both
boiling water and alcohol; but it is dissipated  by boiling.
   Th.  E.—Horse-radish root is an excellent sialogogue, producing
a copious secretion of saliva.   It has been sometimes employed in
paralysis of the tongue, but, like the other remedies of this class, it
has nearly fallen into disuse.

   Mezereon (described in the division Diaphoretics) has  been oc-
casionally used as a masticatory in toothache and in difficulty of
deglutition from paralysis.   A small piece of the bark should  be
frequently chewed, and the saliva assiduously rejected.

   Pyrethrum, D. L.  E.   Pellitory of Spain.  Root of Anacyclus
Pyrethrum, E.—of Anthemis Pyrethrum, D. L.—A native of Asia
Minor, and of the  central parts of Europe, belonging to the  natu-
ral family Composita, and to the  Linnaean class and order Syn-
genesia Superfiua.
  B. C.—Root fusiform ; stems several, procumbent, somewhat branched, pubes-
cent ; branches one-headed; florets of the ray, white above, purplish beneath ; of
the disc, yellow.
  P. P.—It is in short tapering pieces, from 3 to  4 inches in length,
and about the thickness of the little finger.  The bark is thick, and
of a dark-brown  colour, with  black  shining  spots; the  internal
structure is dirty yellow, with a radiated appearance.   It is inodor-
ous, but  when chewed produces a peculiar pricking sensation on
the tongue and lips.
  C P."—According to Parisel's analysis, the acrimony of this root
depends on an  acrid  resin, Pyrethrin, of which it  contains 3  per
cent.: the other constituents are, inulin, gum, tannin, colouring mat-
ter, lignin, a trace of iron and silica, and some salts.   It yields its
virtues to alcohol and ethor, but not to water.
  Th.  E.—Pellitory root is the most useful of this  class of reme-
dies, actino- as a powerful  local stimulant to the salivary glands, and
                              M  M 
274
GENERAL STIMULANTS.
causing a copious  secretion of saliva.   It is  used for this purpose
in toothache, neuralgia of the face, and paralysis of the tongue.  It
has also been employed in relaxation of the uvula.  From 3ss. to
3i. of the root may be chewed frequently.   A tincture prepared by
macerating for  7 days one part of the powdered root in five parts
of rectified spirit and one  of water, is used by some dentists to ro
Iieve toothache.
                      CHAPTER  XIX.

                    GENERAL STIMULANTS.
                       (Excitants—Incitants.)

  It is difficult to define what is understood in the practice of meu-
icine by the term Stimulant, excitement of the vital energies is pro-
duced by such different means under different circumstances; with
no class of remedies, therefore, is it more necessary to bear in mind
the truth of the maxim, that medicines act merely relatively.  In
their mode of action when administered internally, general stimu-
lants resemble  in some respects tonics;  thus,  immediately  after
their administration, a feeling of tone or increased  power is pro-
duced, which, however, is not permanent, but is almost invariably
followed by a corresponding depression  of vital power;  their  ef-
fects, also, are more immediate and more manifestly perceived  by
the senses than those of tonics.   Many of the remedies contained
in this division are closely related to narcotics, for example, alcohol
and the ethers; the secondary effect of both of which, particularly
if given in large doses, is to produce sleep and coma; this does not,
however, appear  to  be, as with  narcotics,  from any direct action
on the nervous  system, but rather to result  from the previous over-
excitement of the vital energies.   The great number of medicines
contained  in this  class, and the material  difference of their action
in relation to the  particular effects which they produce on the ani-
mal economy, preclude us from laying down any general rule as to
their administration in disease.   The peculiarities in  their mode of
operation will be more conveniently considered when treating of
the therapeutical  effects of each article.
  [The difficulties which  environ the whole subject of nomencla-
ture in the department of the Materia Medica are so obvious, and
confessedly so insurmountable in the  present state of  our science
that a failure to  classify or  designate with accuracy  the precise
modus operandi of any drug  or group of articles employed in  med-
ication, may be ascribed rather  to the inherent difficulties and  in-
tricacies of the  subject, than  to any deficiency of science or skill in
the author.  It  is not intended even to imply the latter in the pres-
ent case, but we cannot withhold the expression of dissent from  the 
GENERAL STIMULANTS.
275
fitness of the title given to the class of agents here to be consider-
ed.  They are not all stimulants, much less are they all general in
their action.  Some of them, indeed, are " special stimulants," as
these are defined in the next chapter, to which they more properly
belong, if the classification here adopted be retained.
   While the student will  see cause, therefore, to admire the inge-
nuity of the author in the divisions he has made in this volume, and
will find facilities for acquiring a knowledge of the subject thereby
furnished, he needs to be on  his guard in implicitly relying on the
significance and  accuracy of the terms here employed to designate
the differences between  the various agents employed in medication.
In the note prefixed to the next chapter, he  will find a few hints
suggested as material for reflection on this  topic]

   Acidum  aceticum  camphoratum,  D. E.   Camphorated  acetic
acid.—An  officinal substitute for aromatic vinegar.
  Prep.—"Camphor, ?ss. ; acetic acid, fjvj. (f^viss., E.); pulverize the camphor
with the aid of a little rectified spirit, and dissolve it in the acetic acid."
   This preparation is only employed  as an external stimulant, the
vapour being snuffed up the nostrils in syncope.  It is exceedingly
pungent and very volatile, and should, therefore, be kept  in well-
stopped  bottles.—Aromatic vinegar of the  shops is a solution of
camphor, and the volatile  oils of cloves, lavender, and rosemary, in
the strongest acetic acid  ; its odour is more agreeable than  that
of the  officinal preparation.

   Acidi nitrici unguentum, D.   Nitric acid ointment.—This oint-
ment is  employed as a local stimulant in  chronic cutaneous dis-
eases,  particularly those which affect  the scalp, and as  an  applica-
tion to ulcers of a syphilitic origin.   It is said to be most efficacious
when recently prepared.
  Peep.—Dub. " Olive oil, Ibj.;  prepared hog's lard, "*iv.; nitric acid, fjvss.; melt
the oil and lard together in a glass vessel, and when they are beginning to concrete,
add the acid,  then stir constantly with a glass rod until they become firm."

   uEther aceticus.   Acetic ether.—Not employed  in Great Brit-
ain, but officinal  in most of the Continental  Pharmacopoeias.
  Pkep.—Parisian Codex. " Rectified spirit, 100 parts ; concentrated acetic acid, 63
parts; strong sulphuric acid,  17 parts ; mix, and distil over with a gentle heat, 125
parts; deprive this of any free acetic acid it may contain by means of carbonate of
potash, set aside until it settles, pour off the clear liquor, and distil 100 parts."
   P. P.—It is a colourless, transparent, very  volatile liquid, with
an agreeable, refreshing odour, and a  warm, ethereal taste, leaving
a cooling impression on the palate.  Sp. gr., 0*860.
   C. P.—According to  the recent chemical theories as to  the  con-
stitution of the ethers, acetic ether is an acetate of oxyde of ethyl;
its composition is C8H804  or C4H50+C4H303; it  boils  at 165°. It
is  soluble in 7 parts of water, and in alcohol and ether in all  pro-
portions.   Acetic ether, when free  from water,  may be  kept un-
changed in stoppered bottles, but if it contain water, it  rapidly de- 
276
GENERAL STIMULANTS.
composes into  acetic acid and alcohol;  the alkalies decompose it
with great facility.
   Th. E.—Acetic ether is an  agreeable but mild general  stimu-
lant, at one time  much used on the Continent in hysteria and ner-
vous  affections;  at  present it is chiefly employed externally as an
ingredient in stimulating liniments.—Camphorated Acetic Liniment,
Pelletier.   (Soap and camphor, of each, 3ij.; acetic  ether, f^ij.;
dissolve in a water-bath, and  add  oil of origanum, min. xx.)   An
excellent stimulating liniment in rheumatic and  arthritic pains, and
in sciatica.


   tEther nitrosus, D.  Nitrous ether.   Hyponitrous  ether; Ni-
tric ether; Nitrite of oxyde of ethyl.

  Prep.—Dub.  " Take of nitrate of potash, purified, dried, and reduced to coarse
powder, fbiss.; sulphuric acid, Ibi. ; rectified spirit, by measure, fxix.; put the nitre
into a tubulated retort placed in a bath of cold water, and pour on it gradually and
at intervals the sulphuric acid and the spirit, previously mixed and cooled.  With
out any heat, or, at most, a very gentle one (as of warm water added to the bath),
an ethereal liquor will begin to distil;  and in a short time the heat in the retort will
spontaneously increase, and  brisk ebullition take  place, which is to be moderated
by adding cold water to the bath ; the receiver must  ke kept cold with water or
snow,  and must be fitted with a proper apparatus for transmitting the very elastic
vapour from the mixture (which sometimes bursts forth with great violence if the
heat be much increased) through Ibj. of rectified spirit contained in a cooled bottle.
The ethereal liquor, thus spontaneously distilled, is to  be received in a bottle with
a glass stopper, and add to it gradually (closing the bottle after each addition) a suf-
ficient quantity of dry carbonate of potash to saturate the excess  of acid, litmus pa-
per being used as a test; this is effected by about a drachm of the salt, and after a
short interval the nitrous ether will float on the top, and is to be removed by means
of a funnel.   If the ether  be required very pure, distil it again to one half from a
water-bath at a temperature of 140°.   Its specific gravity is to that of distilled wa-
ter as  900 to 1000."

   P.  P.—Nitrous ether is a volatile liquid, of a pale-yellow  colour,
with  an  agreeable, very fragrant  odour, and a sweetish, cooling,
somewhat acid  taste.   When  quite pure, its  sp. gr. is *947 at 59° F.
   C.  P.—Its composition is C4H504N or C4H60+N03.   It boils at
70°, and  is very inflammable,  burning with a bright flame.   It re-
quires for its solution 48 parts of water, but is miscible in all pro-
portions  with alcohol  and ether.   It is readily  decomposed by the
alkalies.
   Th. E.—Nitrous ether  is a general  stimulant,  resembling in its
operation sulphuric ether;  but, in consequence of the  difficulty of
preparing, as well as  its tendency to decompose  by keeping, it is
seldom if ever used in the present  day.   The dose of it would be
from min. x. to  min. xxx., frequently repeated.—Spirit of Nitric
Ether (described in the division Diuretics) is sometimes employed
as a  stimulant in flatulent  colic and in  spasmodic vomiting, in do-
ses of from f3ss. to f3j., repeatedly.


   .(Ether sulphuricus, D. L.  E. [and U. S. P.].   Sulphuric ether.
 Ether.   Oxyde of ethyl.

   Prep.—Dub. " First prepare sulphuric ethereal liquor as follows : Take of rectified
spirit  and sulphuric acid, of each, jxxxij. by weight; put the spirit into a glass retort
that will bear the sudden  application  of heat, and pour on it the acid in a steady 
GENERAL STIMULANTS.
277
stream; mix them gradually, and distil with a sudden and sufficiently strong heat,
?xx. by measure of the liquor into a cool receiver.  If *fxvj. of rectified spirit be pour-
ed on the acid remaining in the retort, more sulphuric ethereal liquor will be obtain-
ed by distillation.  Take of this liquor, fjjxx.;  carbonate of potash, dried and pow-
dered, 51J. ;  mix them, and from a very high retort distil with a very gentle heat
into a cooled receiver fjxij.  Tin; specific gravity of the liquor should be to that of
distilled water as 765  to 1000." Lond. "Take of  rectified spirit, Ibiij  ■ sulphuric
acid, fbij.; carbonate of potash, previously ignited, ?i. ;  pour Ibij. of the spirit into
a glass retort, add the  acid to it, and  mix.  Afterward place it on sand, and raise
the heat so that the liquor may quickly boil, and the ether pass into a receiving ves-
sel cooled with ice or water ; let the liquor distil until some heavier portion  begins
to pass over.  To the liquor which remains in the retort  after the heat has subsided
pour the remainder of the spirit, that  ether may distil in the same manner; mix the
distilled liquors, then pour  off the supernatant portion, and add to it the carbonate
of potash, shaking them frequently during an hour.  Lastly, let the ether distil from
a large retort, and be kept in a stopped vessel."  Edin. "Take of sulphuric acid,
fjx.; rectified spirit, f?l.; pour ffxij.  of the spirit gently over the acid in an open
vessel, and then stir them briskly and thoroughly; transfer the mixture immediate-
ly into  a glass matrass connected with a refrigeratory, and raise the heat quickly to
about 280°.   As soon  as the ethereal fluid begins to pass over, supply fresh spirit
through a tube into the matrass in a continuous stream, and in such quantity as to
equal the volume of the fluid which distils over.  This is best done by connecting
one end of the tube with a  graduated  vessel containing the spirit, passing the other
end through a cork fitted into the matrass, and having a stopcock on the tube to
regulate the  discharge.  When the whole spirit has been added, and  ffxlij. have
distilled over, the process may be stopped  ; agitate  the impure ether with f;xvj. of
a saturated solution of muriate of lime, containing also fss. of lime recently slacked.
When all odour of sulphurous acid has disappeared, pour off the supernatant liquid,
and distil it with a gentle heat so long as what passes over has a density not higher
than 735.  More ether of equal strength may be obtained from the muriate of lime ;
and from the residuum of each distillation a weaker ether may be obtained in smali
quantity, which must be rectified by distilling it gently again."

   P. P.—Ether is  a transparent, colourless, very mobile liquid, with
a fragrant, penetrating odour,  and a pungent,  aromatic taste, leav-
ing a  sense of coldness on the  tongue.   The sp. gr. of the London
preparation is *750.
   C. P.—Its composition  is C4H60 or EO.   It  is extremely vola-
tile ;  it boils between  96° and  98° ;  is highly combustible, burning
with a white flame and the formation of carbonic acid and water.
Great  cold is  produced by its evaporation.   When  recently pre-
pared, ether is perfectly neutral, but soon becomes acid by keeping.
One part of ether dissolves in  10  parts of water, while 36 parts of
ether  dissolve 1 of water; it combines in  all proportions with alco-
hol.   It dissolves  most  resins, the  volatile oils, and  many of the
vegetable alkaloids.
   Adulterations.—Ether frequently contains water  and  alcohol;
from  bad keeping, acetic acid is also  often  present.   The  latter
may be detected  by  the effect on litmus  paper, and water by the
density being higher  than that  indicated by  the colleges.   The
presence of alcohol, as well as the quantity, if it be present, is sat-
isfactorily  ascertained by the test  of the Edin.  Phar.   " When
agitated in a minim measure with half  its volume of concentrated
solution of muriate of lime, its volume is  not  lessened."  If the so-
lution  of ether in water  be not perfectly  transparent, the presence
of ethereal oil may be suspected.
   Th. E.—The action of sulphuric  ether, when  taken internally, is
that of a oeneral diflusible stimulant; its effects, which are rapidly 
278
GENERAL STIMULANTS.
produced, are equally transient.  In very large doses it is a nar-
cotic  poison,  producing death, with symptoms similar  to those
caused by alcohol.  Applied  externally,  its  action is refrigerant,
owing to the cold produced by its  immediate evaporation.  As a
stimulant, ether is chiefly employed in spasmodic  and nervous af-
fections unaccompanied with inflammation; thus, it  is employed
with benefit  in cramp of the  stomach, in spasmodic or  flatulent
colic, in  nervous palpitations,  in hiccough, in nervous headache,
during a paroxysm of spasmodic  asthma, &c.  It is also admin-
istered frequently, with good effect, in the advanced stages of fever,
when subsultus tendinum and hiccough are present;  and as an im-
mediate stimulant in fainting and asphyxia.   In the employment of
ether as a stimulant, the transient nature of its operation should be
borne in mind, and, consequently7, that the doses require to be re-
peated at  short intervals.   The influence  of ether  over the system
is much diminished by habit, therefore those who are accustomed
to its use  should  take it in much  larger doses.  Externally, it has
been applied with friction as a local stimulant in rheumatic and
neuralgic  pains.  In pharmacy, ether is  employed to extract the
active  principles of many medicines.
  D. & M. of Adm.—f3ss. to f3ij.;  it  is usually administered in
some aromatic water.   " Ether may be readily incorporated  with
water  or  any aqueous  vehicle by rubbing it up with spermaceti,
employed in  the proportion of  gr. ij. for each fluid drachm of the
ether"  (U. S. Dispensatory).   The  vapour of ether, d.sengaged by
adding it  to  some warm water, is inhaled in spasmodic affections
of the respiratory* organs.—Spiritus JEtheris Sulphurici, E.  (Sul-
phuric ether, Oj.; rectified spirit, Oij.; mix them together.   "Den-
sity, 809; it  does not affect litmus paper  or render water muddy;
when  agitated with twice its volume of  concentrated solution of
muriate of lime, 28  per cent,  of ether  separate by  rest.")  Uses
and properties similar to those of ether.   Dose, f3i. to f3iij.   It is
miscible with water in all proportions.—Liquor  JEthereu9 Oleosus,
D.   Oleum  JEthereum, L.   ('* Take what remains  in the retort
after the distillation of sulphuric ether, and distil down to one half
with a moderate heat,"  D.   " Rectified spirit, fbij.; sulphuric  acid,
ibiv.;  solution of potash and  distilled water,  of  each. f!i., or as
much as may be sufficient; mix the acid cautiously with the spirit.
Let the liquor distil until a black  froth arises, then immediately re-
move the retort from the fire, separate the  lighter supernatant liquor
from the heavier one, and expose the former to the  air for a  day;
add to it the solution of potash first mixed with water, and shake
them  together.   Lastly, when sufficiently washed,  separate the
ethereal oil which  subsides," L.)  This  preparation is only em-
ployed as an ingredient in the  following  compound:  Spiritus
Mthereus Sulphurici comp., L.   (Sulphuric ether, fjviij.; rectified
spirit, f§xvj.; ethereal oil, fsiij.; mix.)   Commonly known as Hoff-
man's  Anodyne Liquor; its uses and properties are similar to  those
of sulphuric  ether;  the dose is f3ss. to  f3ij.   It  is  miscible with
water in all  proportions.   This preparation is often  prescribed in 
GENERAL  STIMULANTS.
279
combination with laudanum, the disagreeable subsequent effects of
which it is said to prevent.
   In  cases of poisoning with  ether, the stomach pump should be
immediately had recourse to ;  cold affusion, and the most  powerful
internal and external stimulants, assiduously employed ; in extreme
cases, artificial respiration should  be effected.

   Alcohol,  D. L. E.   Absolute alcohol of the density 794-6, E.
Alcohol with a small proportion of water, density 810, D.; 815, L.
  Prep.—Dub. " Rectified spirit, cong. j.;  pearlashes, dried and still warm, fhiiiss.;
muriate of lime, dried, Ibj. ; add the  pearlashes in powder to the  spirit, digest the
mixture in a close vessel, frequently agitating, for 7 days ; draw off the supernatant
spirit, and mix it with the muriate of lime.   Lastly, distil with a medium heat until
the mixture in the retort begins to  thicken."  Lond. "Rectified spirit, cong. j.;
chloride of calcium, Ibj.;  put the chloride of calcium into the spirit, and when it is
dissolved, let Ovij. ffv. distil."  Edin. "Rectified spirit, Oj. ; lime, fxviij.; break
down the lime into small fragments, expose the spirit and lime together to a gentle
heat in a glass matrass till the  lime begins to slack; withdraw the heat till the
Blacking be finished, preserving the upper part of the matrass cool with damp cloths;
then attach a proper refrigeratory, and with a gradually increasing heat distil off
tfxvij.  The density of the alcohol should not exceed 796 ; if higher, the distillation
must have been begun before the slacking  of the lime was altogether finished."
   P. P.—Alcohol is a transparent,  colourless liquid, with a pungent,
rather  agreeable odour, and an acrid,  burning taste.   Its density
varies with  the quantity of water it contains; that of the strong
spirit of the  pharmacopoeias  has  been  given above.  Rectified
spirit (Spiritus rectificatus, D. L. E.) is an article of the Materia
Medica;  the Dublin College fixes  its specific gravity at *840 at 60°
F.; the London College at *838  at  62° F.; and the  Edinburgh
College at *»38 at 60° F.—Proof spirit (Spiritus tenuior, D. L. E.)
is also an article of the Materia Medica, but, as met  with in  com-
merce,  it  is unfit for medical use, in consequence of its containing
essential oil.   The three colleges  have, therefore, directed it  to be
prepared " by  mixing together 5% parts, by measure (Ov., L.;  Ovj.,
E.), of rectified spirit, with 3  parts, by measure  (Oiij., L. E.), of
distilled water, at a temperature  of 60°  (62°,  L)."   Its specific
gravity, according to the laws of the kingdom, is 920 at 60° F.;
and it is obtained of this strength  by  the directions of the London
College ;  the Dublin College fixes  it at *919, the Edinburgh at *912.
at 60° F.
  C. P.—Absolute alcohol  is a Hydrated oxyde of ethyl; its  com-
position is C4H50+HO or  EO+HO.   It boils at 173° ;  it is highly
inflammable, and burns with a pale blue flame, free  from smoke,
water and carbonic  acid being the products  of its combustion;  it
has never  been frozen.   It  attracts water  from the air, and there-
fore becomes  weak  if kept in an  imperfectly-closed  vessel; it  is
miscible with water  in all  proportions,  a disengagement of  heat, a
diminution of bulk, and an increase of density accompanying  their
union.  Alcohol dissolves the  caustic alkalies and alkaline sulphu-
rets;  it also dissolves all the  deliquescent inorganic  salts,  except
carbonate of potash, but none of  the salts which are insoluble or
sparingly  soluble in  water, nor efflorescent salts.  It  likewise dis- 
280
general stimulants.
solves  many vegetable substances, as all essential and most fixed
oils, the vegetable alkaloids, sugar, resins, extractive, &c, for many
of which purposes it is employed in pharmacy.   Alcohol  prevents
the putrefaction of animal substances which are immersed  in it, and
hence its employment in the preservation of anatomical  prepara-
tions.  Rectified and  Proof spirit have similar properties to alco-
hol ;  their taste is milder, their boiling point higher according to the
state of dilution, their inflammability less, and the colour  of the
flame with which  they burn deeper yellow  the more water they
contain.  Proof spirit is defined by law to be such that, at the tem-
perature of 51°  F., 13 volumes of it weigh exactly as much as 12
volumes of water;  100 parts of spirit of this  strength consist of 49
parts by weight  of absolute alcohol, and 51 parts by weight of dis-
tilled water at 60° F.
  Adulterations.—The  specific gravity is a sufficient test  of tha
strength of alcohol and the weaker spirits, but, in  ascertaining their
density, the temperature should be at the same time carefully noted,
for the lower the temperature, the greater will be the density of the
spirit.   The rectified spirit of British commerce frequently contains
oil of grain, a contamination derived from the corn during the pro-
cess'of distillation.   Its presence is readdy detected by the  test of
the Edin. Phar.:  " f§iv. treated with 25 minims of solution of ni-
trate of silver (gr. j. to gr. xl. of water), exposed to bright light for
24 hours, and then passed through a filter purified  by weak nitric
acid, so as to separate the  black powder which forms, undergo no
farther change when again exposed to light with more of the test."
The same  test is applicable to  both alcohol and proof spirit.
  Th. E.—Alcohol is the intoxicating principle  of all spirituous
liquors;  in moderate doses,  properly diluted, it acts  as a general
stimulant, exciting particularly the vascular  and nervous  systems;
in somewhat larger doses, it produces the well-known effects of in-
toxication ; and in excessive doses it acts as a powerful narcotic
poison, rapidly causing death, preceded by slow pulse, contracted
pupils, and coma.  This effect is most usually observed when a
large quantity of ardent spirits  has been drank at once. As a stim-
ulant, alcohol is employed in medicine  to support the vital powers
in the advanced stages  of fevers, particularly those  of a typhoid
character; for this purpose brandy or whiskey are usually employ-
ed, but wine is generally preferred.  (See Vinum.)   It is also often
used in flatulent colic, in indigestion, in vomiting, and in fainting.
As an external  stimulant,  it  is a common ingredient in lotions for
sprains and bruises, for  many  forms  of external inflammations, as
erysipelas  and erythema, for various skin  diseases, to prevent ex-
coriations in parts exposed to prolonged pressure, and with  friction
over the region of the heart in syncope and suspended animation.
Diluted with six parts, by measure, of water,  it has been used as an
injection after tapping for  the radical cure of hydrocele.   In conse-
quence of its producing cold  by its evaporation, alcohol is frequent-
ly added to cooling and evaporating lotions.
  * D. & M. of Adm.—In fevers, brandy or whiskey is given in the 
general stimulants.
281
form of punch ; the quantity which should be given depends so
much on the circumstances of each particular  case, that it would
be impossible to lay down any general rule on the subject here.  In
the fever which proved so fatal to the British Legion in Spain in
the year 1835, Dr. Lardner frequently gave so much as 32 ounces
of brandy in the 24 hours.—Mistura spiritus vini gallici, L.  (Bran-
dy, cinnamon-water, each, f=iv.; the yolks  of two eggs; purified
sugar, §ss.;  oil of  cinnamon, min. ij.; mix.)  An agreeable and ex-
cellent stimulant, in doses of f§ss. to f*iss.
   In poisoning with  ardent  spirits, the contents of the stomach
should  be immediately evacuated by means of the stomach-pump,
and external stimuli, especially the  cold affusion, assiduously em-
ployed.   The coma of ordinary intoxication is best treated by the
internal use  of ammonia, or of the solution of the acetate of ammo-
nia ;  if apoplectic symptoms be present, cold lotions to the head, the
application of leeches  to the  temples, and warmth to the extremi-
ties, will be  found  most useful.

   Ammoniacum, L. E.   Ammoniacum gummi, D.   Gum ammoniac.
Gum-resin (Gummy resinous exudation, E.) of Dorema Ammonia-
cum, L. E.—of Heracleum Gummiferum, D.—The plant indicated
by the London and Edinburgh Colleges, which is the true source
of this drug, is a native of Persia, belonging to the natural family
Umbellifera, and  to  the Linnsean class  and  order Pentandria
Digynia.
  B. C.—A glaucous-green plant, 4 to 7 feet high; stem about 4 inches in diameter,
branching; leaves large, 2 feet long, on downy petioles, sheathing at the base ; flow-
ers white, in proliferous, racemose umbels.
  P. U. & M. of Prep.—The gummy juice which pervades the whole plant oozes
forth on the slightest puncture.  During the warm season, the branches and stem
are attacked by innumerable beetles, by which it is pierced in all directions ; through
these punctures the juice exudes, and soon concretes into  a hard gum, when it is
picked off by the country people.

   P. P.—Ammoniac is met with in various-sized, roundish tears,
or in masses composed of the tears agglutinated  together.  They
are of a yellowish or reddish-yellow colour externally ; internally
they are white and shining  like  enamel, hard and brittle, and vary
in size from  that of a small  pea to that  of a walnut.   The odour is
peculiar, faintly nauseous, more powerful when heated; the taste
is bitter and disagreeable.
   C. P.—Ammoniac is a gum-resin containing about 80 per cent.
of resin, and about 18 per cent, of gum, with a trace of volatile oil.
It is  softened by exposure  to  heat, is inflammable, and burns with
a white flame.   It does not dissolve in water, but is  miscible with
it, forming a milky emulsion, the gum, which is soluble, suspending
the resin in the mixture.  It is soluble in both ether and alcohol.
   Th. E.—Ammoniac is a general  stimulant of but little power
its effects were at one time generally believed to be  chiefly mani-
fested on the respiratory organs, and, consequently, it was classed
among expectorants, and employed in chronic bronchitis.  It pos-
sesses some  antispasmodic powers,  but is much inferior as such to 
282
general stimulants.
the other fetid gum-resins.   In the present day it is yery generally
and very properly employed only as an external stimulant, in the
form of plaster, to scrofulous tumours, chronic enlargement of the
joints, indolent  glandular swellings, &c, in which it often proves
useful.
  D. & M. of Adm.—Gr. x. to 3ss., in pills, or made into an emul-
sion with milk or water.—Mistura Ammoniaci, D. L.   ('• Gum-
ammoniac, 3j.; pennyroyal water,  fgviij.; rub the gum with the
pennyroyal water gradually poured in, until the mixture  assumes
the appearance of milk, and strain through linen," D.  " Ammoni-
acum, 3v.; water, Oj.; rub the ammoniacum with the water grad-
ually poured in, until they are perfectly mixed," L.)  Dose, f§ss. to fly.
■—Emplastrum Ammoniaci, D. L. E.  (" Pure gum-ammoniac, §v.;
vinegar of squill,  fbss.," D.   " Ammoniacum, %v.; distilled vinegar,
fgviij. (ftix., E.)," L. E.  Dissolve the ammoniacum in the vim gar;
then evaporate the liquor with a slow fire, constantly stirring, to a
proper consistence.—Emplastrum gummosum, E.  (Litharge plas-
ter, stiv.;  ammoniac, galbanum, and bees' wax, of each, §ss.; melt
the gum-resins together, and strain them, melt also together the
plaster and wax, add the former to the latter mixture, and mix the
whole thoroughly.)   Those  plasters should be  spread on leather
for application ; when left  on for some time, they often produce an
eruption of small pimples.

   Ammonite  caustics aq.ua, D.  Ammonite liquor, L.   Ammomj;
aqua, E,—Diluted aqueous solution of ammonia, (described in the
division Antacids) is a general stimulant,  prompt, but temporary in
its action.  It is principally used in  typhus fever where there is
great deficiency of nervous power; in the advanced stages of con-
tinued fever, when all inflammatory action has subsided, in the cold
stage of intermittents, in the eruptive fevers where the eruption
has receded  from the skin, and in the latter  stages  of pneumonia,
if there is much depression of the vital powers.  Owing to its stim-
ulant operation, ammonia  is also found  useful in  spasmodic affec-
tions which  depend on the increased irritability that accompanies
depression of the nervous system, as in hiccough, subsultus tendi-
num, and some forms of hysteria, and of asthma.  It is the best in-
ternal stimulant that can be employed in  the coma of intoxication,
and in poisoning with sedatives.  As an external stimulant, the va-
pour of ammonia is inhaled in syncope, and in asphyxia.   Solution
of ammonia  may be given as a stimulant, in the same doses as di-
rected in the division Antacids;  but it should be given repeatedly
 and with short intervals.

   Ammonia  carbonas.—Sesquicarbonate  of ammonia (described in
 the division Antacids) is employed as a stimulant in the same cases
 as the aqueous solution of ammonia, to which it is usually preferred.
 The  chief advantage that ammonia and the sesquicarbonate possess
 as stimulants in febrile diseases is,  that they rouse the energies of
 the svstem. without producing that disturbance of the brain which 
general stimulants.
283
is liable to result from the use of vinous liquors.  Dose, gr. v. to gr.
xv., dissolved in camphor mixture, or any simple vehicle, every 4
or 5 hours.   It  should not be administered in the solid state, from
its liability to produce vomiting when thus given.

  Ammonite  hydrosulphuretum, D.  Hydrosulphuret of ammonia.
Hydrosulphate of ammonia.
  P. & C P.—A  greenish-yellow, very  fetid liquid,  emitting an
odour  of sulphuretted hydrogen  gas, having an acrid, very disa-
greeable taste.  It is a solution of the neutral hydrosulphate of am-
monia in water.  Exposed to the air, it  deposites  sulphur, owing
to the  escape of some of the ammonia ; and, on the  addition of any
of the  mineral acids, sulphuretted hydrogen gas is evolved.
  pREP,—» Sulphuret of iron, in coarse powder, 5 parts ; sulphuric acid, 7 parts ;
water, 32 parts ; water of caustic ammonia, 4 parts ; put the sulphuret into a retort,
then gradually pour on it the  acid previously diluted with water, and having fitted
on a proper apparatus, transmit the gas through the water of ammonia.  Towards
the end of the process apply a moderate heat to the  retort."
   Th. E.—This preparation has nearly fallen into  disuse.  It was
formerly  employed with the  idea of deoxygenizing the system in
diabetes, as also* of diminishing the morbid appetite  of that disease.
It possesses  some slight stimulant properties, but  might well be
spared from  the pharmacopoeia.   The dose is from min. iv. to min.
vj. in distilled water.

   Ammonle  murias, D. E.   Ammonia  hydrochloras, L.  Muri-
 ate of ammonia.  Hydrochlorate of ammonia.   Chloride of ammo-
 nium.  Sal ammoniac.
   P. P.—This salt generally occurs in large crystalline cakes, con-
 vex on one side, concave on the other, of a grayish-white colour,
 semi-transparent.   It is tenacious, and difficult to  reduce to pow-
 der; inodorous, with a  pungent, acrid, bitter taste.  Sp. gr., 145.
   C. P.—It  is composed of  1 eq. of chlorine, 2 of hydrogen, and
 1 of amidogene, its formula  being NH2, CI. 2 H (Kane).  It is  per-
 manent in the air;  exposed  to  heat, it sublimes unchanged.  It is
 soluble in 2*72 parts of water at 60°, and  in its own weight of boil-
 ing water:  it is also soluble in alcohol.  During its solution in wa-
 ter, a  great  degree of cold is produced.   This salt is best charac-
 terized by the  evolution of gaseous ammonia, which takes place
 when it is rubbed in a mortar with quicklime.
  pREP _An article of the Materia Medica.  It is procured by the manufacturers,
 on the large scale, by decomposing the sulphate of ammonia which is formed in the
 manufacture of coal gas, or from the carbonate of ammonia obtained by the distilla-
 tion of bones.   In either case, the decomposing agent employed is common salt
 (chloride of sodium).
   Th. E.__Hydrochlorate of ammonia  is not employed in Great
 Britain as an internal remedy;  but on  the Continent, especially in
 France  and  Germany,  it bears a high character as a stimulant in
 mucous fevers, as soon as the acute inflammatory  symptoms have
 subsided, in  the slighter casts of inflammations of the serous mem-
 branes, i'n the milder forms of pneumonia, and of hoopingcough, in 
284                   general stimulants.
mucous diarrhoea, in chronic rheumatism and gout, and in passive
dropsies.   As a topical remedy, this salt is very generally employ-
ed as an ingredient in discutient lotions, and, in consequence of the
cold produced during  its solution  in water, as an external refrig-
erant.
  D. & M. of Adm.—Internally, gr. v. to gr. xxx. combined with
some aromatic powder, in the form of pijl or of bolus.  For external
use, it  may be dissolved in water  or in vinegar, in the proportion
of from 3ij. to §ss. of the salt in a pint  of liquid, to which rectified
spirit is  generally added.  A  refrigeratory mixture may  be  pre-
pared  by dissolving 5 parts each of this salt  and of nitre in 16 parts
of water, which will reduce the temperature forty degrees.
  I.vcomp.—Sulphuric  and  nitric acids;  potash; soda; lime; and
magnesia.
  If an overdose of this salt has  been taken, vomiting should be
promoted by  the use of tepid  mucilaginous and demulcent drinks.

  Ammonite spiritus, D. L. E.  Spirit of ammonia.   Solution of
carbonate of ammonia  (of ammonia, E.) in rectified spirit.
  P. &  C. P.—A transparent, colourless liquid,  with a  pungent,
ammoniacal odour, and an acrid  taste.   It  is very volatile, and
acts as an alkali on vegetable colours.  The Dublin and  London
preparations effervesce with the stronger acids.   Sp. gr., *860, L.;
•845, E.
  Prep.—Dub. " Rectified spirit, by measure, Ibiij.; carbonate of ammonia, in coarse
powder, jiiiss. ; mix, and dissolve with a gentle heat, then filter."  Lond. " Hydro-
chlorate of ammonia, jx. ; carbonate of potash, ^xvi. ;  rectified spirit and water, of
each, Oiij.; mix, and let Oiij. distil." Edin. " Rectified spirit, Oij.; fresh-burned lime,
fxij. ; muriate of ammonia,  in very fine powder, gviij. ; water, ffviss.; let the lime
be slacked with the water in an iron or earthen vessel, and cover the vess-cl till the
powder  be cold ;  mix the lime and jnuriate of ammonia quickly and thoroughly in a
mortar,  and transfer the mixture at once into a glass  retort; adapt to the retort a
tube which passes nearly to the bottom of a bottle containing the rectified spirit;
heat the retort in a sand-bath gradually so long as anything passes over, preserving
the bottle cool.  The bottle  should be large enough to contain one half more than
the spirit used."
  Tn.  E.—Spirit of ammonia is  a stimulant of some power, and
may be used  as such in the same  cases as the aqueous solution of
the gas, or of the sesquicarbonate.   It is generally employed in the
following form : Spiritus Ammonia aromaticus, D. L. E.   (" Spirit
of ammonia,  by measure, ibij.; essential oil  of lemons, 3ij.; nut-
megs,  bruised, jss.;  cinnamon, bruised, 3iij.;  macerate in a close
vessel  for 3 days, shaking occasionally ; then distil fbiss.," D.  " Hy-
drochlorate of ammonia, §v.; carbonate of potash, gviij.; cinnamon,
bruised, and cloves, bruised, of each, 3ij.; lemon peel, giv.; recti-
fied  spirit  and  water, of  each, Oiv.;  mix,  and  distil, Ovi.," L.
"Spirit of ammonia, fgvi.j.; volatile oil of lemons, f3i.; volatile oil
of rosemary,  f'3iss.; d.ssolve the oils in the spirit by  agitation," E.)
An excellent  and  agreeable stimulant in faint.ng,  hysteria, nervous
debility, and flatuh nt colic.  Dose of the simple or'aromatic spirit,
m n. xxx. to f3i., in distill; d water or in-camphor mixture.— Tinc-
tura Ammonia comp..  L.   (Mastich, 3ij.; rectified spirit, I'six.; oil 
general stimulants.
285
ot lavender, min. xiv.;  oil of amber, min. iv.; stronger solution of
ammonia, Oj. ;  macerate the mastich in the spirit, that it  may be
dissolved, and pour off the clear tincture; then add the other ingre-
dients, and shake them all together.)   A powerful stimulant, chiefly
nsed in hysteria.   Dose, min. v. to min. x., in water.

  Anethum, L. E.  Dill.   Fruit of Anethum graveolens.—A na-
tive of the South of Europe, belonging to the natural family Umbel-
lifera, and to the Linnasan class and order Pentandria Digynia.
  B. C.—An annual, 1 to 2 feet high; stem striated; leaves decompound, with fine
capillary segments; flowers yellow.
  P. &  C. P.—The fruit,  commonly called dill-seed, is elliptical,
flat, of a brownish colour, with a lighter-coloured, thin, membranous
margin.   The  odour resembles  caraway; the taste  is  pungent,
somewhat bitter.   It contains about 3  per cent, of a light yellow,
volatile oil, on which its properties depend.
  Th. E.—An aromatic stimulant, sometimes used in the flatulent
colic  of  children, and  in  the form of dill-water as a  vehicle for
other remedies, chiefly purgatives, the griping properties of which
it corrects.
  D.  & M. of  Adm.—Gr. x. to 3i. of the burised fruit for adults.—
Oleum Anethi, E.   (Prepared according to the  general directions
for  the preparation of volatile oils.)   Dose, min. j. to min. v., rub-
bed up  with sugar.—Aqua Anethi, L. E.  (Dill, bruised, Ibiss.
(Ixviij., E.); rectified spirit, fgvij. (fgiij., E.); water, cong. ij.; let
a gallon distil.)   Dose,  f^ss. to fgiij.

  Angelica,  E.   Angelica archangelica, semina,  D.   Fruit
(Root, E.) of Angelica  archangelica.— Indigenous, but very rare ;
belonging to the natural  family  Umbellifera, and  to the  Linnsean
class  and order Pentandria Digynia.
  B. C.—Biennial, 4 to 5 feet high ; stem 1 to 2 inches thick, fistulose ; leaves bi-
pinnate; flowers greenish-white.
  P. & C. P.—The root is imported from  Hamburgh ; it consists
of numerous branches, of the thickness  of the  little  finger, proceed-
ing from  a short spindle-shaped rootstalk, grayish-brown externally,
whitish within.   The odour is aromatic and agreeable;  the taste
warm, aromatic,  and pungent.   The fruit, commonly called angel-
ica seed,  is oval, obtuse, 1 to 2 lines long, of a yellowish-brown  col-
our, flat, longitudinally  striated on one side, convex on the other;
it has the odour  and taste of the root.  The medicinal properties
of both  root and  fruit depend on a volatile oil,  which  may be ob-
tained by distillation.  The root also contains bitter extractive, and
a bitter resin.
  Th. E.—An aromatic stimulant and carminative, not much used.
Dose, of the powdered root, gr. x. to 3ss.; of the bruised fruit, 3ss.
to 3i.

  Anisum, L.  E.   Pimpinella anisum,  semina, D.  Anise.   Fruit
of Pimpinella anisum.—A native of Egypt and  the Levant, exten- 
286
general stimulants.
 sively cultivated in various parts of Europe ;  it belongs to the nat-
 ural family Umbellifera, and to the Linnasan class and order Pen-
 tandria Digynia.
  B. C.—Annual, about a foot high ;  stem smooth, erect, branching ; leaves of the
 stem decompound ; flowers small, white, in terminal umbels.
   P. & C. P.—The fruit, commonly called aniseed, is ovoid, com-
 posed  of two mericarps, with  five primary ridges, slightly hairy, of
 a yellowish-brown colour; it has a peculiar, sweet, aromatic odour,
 and a  warm, sweetish taste.   Its properties depend on the volatile
 oil, of  which it contains 3 per cent.; this oil is transparent and near-
 ly colourless, having a slight greenish-yellow tinge; it congeals at
 50° F., and does not  become fluid again under 62°.   It has the odour
 and taste of the fruit.
   Adulterations.—The oil of star-anise (Illicium anisadum), which
 resembles oil of anise  in odour and appearance, is often sold for it;
 the fraud is one of little consequence, but may be  readily detected,
 as star-anise oil retains its fluidity at 35° F.  The fruit of the  hem-
 lock has been confounded with aniseed, and,  in consequence, fatal
 accidents have occurred ;  they may be distinguished by the odour,
 and by the elevated ridges of anise fruit being smooth at the mar-
 gin, not crenulate.
   Th. E.—Anise  is an  aromatic stimulant and  carminative, and
 as such is employed in flatulent colic, and in the diarrhoea of infants
 and children.  It is  said  to promote the secretion of milk in nurses.
 It is much used on the Continent to flavour liqueurs.
   D. &  M. of Adm.—Of the bruised  fruit, gr. x. to 3ss.—Oleum
 Anisi, D. L. E.  (Prepared according to the general directions for
 distilling volatile oils.)   This  oil is generally imported from Ger-
 many  and the East  Indies.  Dose, min. ij. to min. viij., rubbed up
 with sugar.—Spiritus Anisi, L.   (Anise, bruised, §x.; proof spirit,
 cong. j.;  water, Oij.;  mix, and with a  slow fire distil a gallon.)—
 Spiritus Anisi comp.,  D.   (Aniseeds, bruised, and angelica  seeds,
 bruised, of each, fbss.; proof spirit, cong.  i.; water, sufficient to
 prevent empyreuma;  macerate for 24 hours, and distil a gallon.)
 The dose of either of those preparations is from fess. to. f3i.

   Armoracia. — Horse-radish (described in the  division Sialo-
gogues) is sometimes used as a warm stimulant, chiefly as an adjunct
to other medicines;  it was formerly classed among the Antiscorbu-
tics, but is little employed in the present day.  The following are
the officinal preparations :  Infusum  Armoracia comp., D.  L.
 (Horse-radish root  (fresh, D.), sliced;  mustard, bruised, of each,
 §i. ; compound spirit of  horse-radish, fgL ;  boiling water  (distilled,
L.), fti. (Oj., L.); macerate  the root (and  the seeds, L.) in the
water  for 6  (2, L.)  hours in a vessel lightly  covered, and strain;
then add the compound  spirit of horse-radish.)   Dose, fji. to f§ij.
-Spiritus Armoracia comp., D. L.   (Horse-radish root (fresh,
 D.). sliced, and dried orange peel, of each, fbj. (5xx., L.);  nutmegs,
 bruised,  §ss. (3v.,  L.)  ; proof spirit, cong. j.; water, sufficient to
 prevent empyreuma (Oij., L.); mix (macerate for 24 hours, D.* 
general stimulants.
287
and distil a gallon.)   Dose, frj. to f3iv.   Sliced  horse-radish is a
useful addition to the warm foot-bath, to render it more stimulant.

  Arnica Montana, flores, folia, et  radix, D.   Leopard's bane.
Flowers, leaves, and root of Arnica montana.—A native of the Alps
and of the Pyrennees, belonging to the  natural family  Composita,
and to the Linnsean class and ord5r Syngenesia Superfiua.
  B. C.—Perennial, about a foot high ; stem hairy, simple, and single-flowered, or
compound and many-flowered ; leaves oval, entire ; flowers golden-yellow.
  P. & C. P.—The whole plant has a strong, peculiar odour, and
an herbaceous, acrid, somewhat bitter  taste.   The flowers  and
leaves are collected in  July, and the roots in  September.  The
flowers  only are at present  met with in the Dublin  shops; they
consist of resin, a bitter, acrid principle (cytisin), yellow colouring
matter, gum, and some salts.  Weber has also obtained from them
a small  quantity of a blue volatile oil.   They yield  their active
principles to water and  to alcohol.
  Th. E.—Arnica bears a high character on the Continent, partic-
ularly in Germany, as a stimulant in adynamic  febrile affections,
in chronic  rheumatism, in paralysis, in amaurosis, &c,  but it is
scarcely ever used in  Great Britain.   I have seen a tincture of the
flowers prove useful in nervous headache.
  D. & M. of Adm.—Of the powder of the root, gr.  x.,  three or
four times a day.  The flowers are usually given in  the  form of
infusion or tincture.—Infusum  Arnica, Aust.    (Arnica  flowers,
""ss.; boiling water, fgxij.;  infuse till cold, and  strain.)   Dose, f3ij.
to f§ss.—Tinctura  Arnica,  Pol.  (Arnica flowers,  §iss.;  proof
spirit, f§xij.; digest for 7 days, express, and strain.)   This tincture
may be  readily prepared by percolation, having previously macer-
ated the flowers with  a  little of the spirit for 24 hours.   Dose, f3ss.
to f3ij.

   Balsamum  Tolutanum.—Balsam of Tolu (described in the di-
vision Expectorants)  is  an excellant stimulant in alopecia  or bald-
ness ; it is best applied  in the form of pommade, as follows: Pre-
pared lard, §ij.; white wax, §iij.; melt together; remove  from the
fire, and when they are beginning to thicken,  add, with  constant
stirring, balsam of Tolu, f3ij.; and oil of bergamot,  min. xx.

  Cajuputi, L. E.  Melaleuca leucadendron, oleum volatile,
D.   Oil of Cajeput.  Volatile oil of the leaves of Melaleuca minor,
L.  E.—of Melaleuca leucadendron, D.—The tree, to which this
oil is correctly referred by the  London and Edinburgh Colleges, is
a native of the Molucca Islands; it befbngs to the  natural  family
Myrtacea, and to the Linnaean class and order Polyadelphia Ico-
sandria.
  B. C.__Trunk  about 20 feet high, crooked, with scattered  branches;  leaves
smooth, deep green, 3 to 5 inches long; flowers white, in short terminal spikes.
  P. U.' & M. of Prep.—The volatile oil is procured from the leaves by distillation;
the leaves are gathered in the end of September, macerated for 24 hours with water,
and then put into a copper still with sufficient water.  The oil comes over with the
water into the receiver, and floats on the surface. 
288
general stimulants.
  P. & C. P.—Cajeput oil is limpid, very mobile, transparent, and
of a fine green colour.   It has a strong, agreeable  odour, resem-
bling a mixture of camphor, roses, and peppermint;  the taste  is
warm  and aromatic, leaving a sensation of coldness in the mouth.
Its  sp. gr. is about *925.   It boils  at 343°, and may  be obtained
nearly colourless  by redistillation.   The composition of this oil  is
CI0H9O; it is soluble in alcohol.*
  Adulterations.—In consequence of its high price, and the great
demand for it while the cholera raged in the British Isles, cajeput
oil was often counterfeited with oil  of rosemary', coloured and fla-
voured with camphor and  cardamom seeds.  The fraud was one
difficult of detection, but at present it is met with in a very pure
state.  As imported, it sometimes contains copper, which may be
recognised by its affording a reddish precipitate when agitated with
a solution of ferrocyanide of potassium.
  Th. E.—Cajeput oil is a powerful diffusible stimulant, at present
not much used.   When the Asiatic cholera first appeared,  it was
highly extolled as  a remedy  for that disease, but it  did not retain
its  reputation long.  It  is  much employed on the Continent in
chronic rheumatism, gout, hysteria, and other nervous affections.
Dose, min. v. to min x., rubbed up with sugar.

  Calamus  aromaticus, E.  Acorus, L.  Sweet Flag.  Rhizome
of Acorus calamus.—Indigenous, belonging  to the natural  family
Acoracea, and to the Linnsean  class and order Hexandria  Mono-
gynia.
  B. C.—Rhizome creeping, with many long roots; leaves, 2 to 3 feet high, bright
green ; flowers pale green, arranged upon a spadix.
  P. & C. P.—The rhizome or rootstalk, in the dried state,  as met
with in the shops,  is in flattened pieces from 3 to 5 inches long and
half an inch broad, with a corrugated, yellowish-brown, scaly cuti-
cle ; internally it  is spongy, with a  pinkish-yellow hue.  It  has an
aromatic odour, and a pungent, bitter taste.  Sweet flagroot is com-
posed  of soft resin, extractive,  gum, inulin, a trace  of volatile oil,
some salts, and woody fibre.  It yields its properties to alcohol and
to water.
  Th. E.—An aromatic stimulant, scarcely ever  employed.   It
may be used as an adjunct to tonics in debility of the digestive or-
gans.  Dose, in powder, gr. xx. to 3i.; in infusion (prepared by
digesting %i. of the bruised  rhizome  in fgxij. of boiling water for an
hour), fti. to f§ij.

  Calx chlorinata, L. E.   Chloride of lime.  Chlorinated lime.
Hypochlorite of lime.  Bldkching Powder.
  P. P.—As commonly met with, this is a white or yellowish-white
powder, with  a faint odour of chlorine, and an acrid, disagreeable,
persistent taste.
  C. P.—Hypochlorite of lime is a mixture of 1 eq. of chloride  oi
calcium, 1 of  tribasic hypochlorite  of lime, and 4 of water.  Ex-
posed to the  air,  it deliquesces, evolves chlorine, and attracting 
GENERAL stimulants.
289
carbonic acid, is converted into carbonate of lime and chloride of
calcium.  It is  partially  soluble in water, a little  hydrate of lime
being left undissolved ; the solution has a strong alkaline  reaction,
and  bleaches vegetable  colours, especially if  an acid be added,
which evolves the chlorine.   Its best characteristics are  its  pecu-
liar odour in solution, and the white precipitates it affords with so-
lutions of nitrate of silver, of carbonates,  and of oxalates.
  Prep.—It is an article of the Materia Medica in the Edin. Phar., and is  usually
prepared on the large scale, for commercial purposes, by exposing hydrate of lime,
from  the purest lime, to chlorine gas, the latter being supplied so gradually as to
prevent the heat occasioned by the combination from rising above 62°. The fol-
lowing process is given in the  Land. Ph. for its preparation :  " Take of hydrate of
lime, Ibj.; chlorine, a sufficiency;  pass chlorine to the lime, spread in a proper vessel,
until  it is saturated.  Chlorine is very readily evolved from hydrochloric acid added
to binoxyde of manganese, with a gentle heat."
  Adulterations.—This compound frequently contains a very small
quantity of chlorine, either from being originally badly  prepared
or from careless preservation; various  processes have  been de-
scribed for chlorometry ;  but  for medical  purposes, the tests for the
purity of the powder as given in the Edin. Phar. are amply suffi-
cient: "Pale grayish- white; dry; gr. 1.  are nearly all soluble in
f'tij.  of water, forming a solution of the density 1027 ; and  of  which
 100 measures, treated with an  excess  of oxalic acid, give off much
chlorine, and if then  boiled and allowed  to rest  24 hours, yield a
precipitate which occupies 19 measures of the liquid."
   Th. E.—Hypochlorite of lime  acts  as  a  powerful  stimulant,
whether taken internally or applied locally; it also possesses in a
remarkable degree the property of destroying fetid effluvia, partic-
ularly when arising from the  decay of animal matter, and  of arrest-
ing  or  preventing the putrefactive process.   In  medicine,  it has
been chiefly administered as an internal  remedy in the  advanced
stages of typhoid  fever  and in epidemic dysentery, being  found
particularly useful when  the evacuations are very offensive.   As a
topical  agent, it is employed with benefit in the  form of lotion to
foul or gangrenous ulcers with excessive  discharge, and  extensive
burns or scalds, in purulent ophthalmia, in chronic cutaneous dis-
eases, particularly scabies, which  it seldom fails to cure speedily
and effectually, and  as an  injection in diseases of the rectum, the
uterus, or vagina, when accompanied with fetid discharges.  In ex-
cessive mercurial salivation, a gargle of one part of hypochlorite
of lime dissolved in 100 parts of water will be found very effectual
both in correcting the foetor  and checking the excessive secretion.
This substance has  been also employed as a disinfectant, to prevent
the  spreading of epidemic diseases, and to destroy infection or con-
tagion, but  much doubts have been recently thrown on  its  disin-
fecting properties.
  D. & M.  of  Adm. —Internally, gr. ij. to gr. v., dissolved in wa-
fer and sweetened with  sugar, or in some aromatic distilled water.
For external use, solutions of various strengths are employed; in
purulent ophthalmia, 3ss. to 3ij. in f§i. of water; for cutaneous dis-
eases, |iij. to Oj. of water; for a lotion or injection, gr. xx.  to gr.
                               Oo 
290
GENERAL stimulants.
xxx., in f§i. of water.   Solutions of this substance should be always
filtered, to remove the insoluble hydrate of lime.   When it is de-
sired to disengage the chlorine rapidly from  hypochlorite of lime,
any weak acid may be added to the solution.
   Incomp.—Sulphuric acid and its salts; the alkalies; and all sol-
uble carbonates and oxalates.

   Camphora, D. L. E.  Camphor.  Camphor of Laurus Camphora,
and of Dryobalanops Camphora, D.  A peculiar  concretion puri-
fied by sublimation, from Laurus Camphora, L.  Camphor of Cam-
phora  officinarum, E.—The Edinburgh College have adopted the
botanical nomenclature of Nees von Esenbeck with reference  to
the camphor-tree; it is a native of China and Japan, and belongs
to the  natural family Lauracea, and to the Linnsean class and or-
der Enneandria Monogynia.   The camphor obtained  from  the
Dryobalanops camphora is not brought to Europe.
  B. C.—A handsome tree, with a straight trunk, branching at the top; leaves
oval, pointed, shining, evergreen, emitting a strong odour of camphor when bruised;
flowers  small, whitish, in axillary and terminal panicles; fruit, a small rounded,
fleshy drupe, with an acrid, aromatic taste.
  P. U. & M.  of Prep.—Camphor is procured from the small branches, the leaves,
the wood, and the root of the tree, which are cut into small pieces, and boiled with
water in an iron cucurbit, to which an earthen capital is luted; the camphor sub-
limes, and is condensed on straws placed in the capital.  In this coarse state it is
imported into Europe, when it is purified by being sublimed in glass vessels, quick-
lime having previously been mixed with the crude camphor to retain the impurities.
   P. P.—Refined camphor is met with in  hemispherical masses,
perforated  in the centre;  it is white, translucent, shining, fragile,
with a crystalline  fracture ; nevertheless, tough, and pulverized
with great difficulty, unless with the aid of a little rectified  spirit.
It is lighter  than water, its density  being 0*9857.   It has a peculiar
aromatic  smell,  and  a bitter, cooling taste.
   C. P.—Camphor is a species of solid volatile oil; it is composed
of 1 eq. of camphogen (C20H14) and 2 of water (Dumas).   It evap-
orates at the ordinary temperature  of the air; in close  vessels it
fuses at 347°, and boils  at 399°,  condensing  unchanged.   It re-
quires 1000 parts of water for its solution, to which, however, it
imparts both odour  and  taste;  but it may be  suspended in large
quantity in water by means of mucilage, sugar, yolk of egg, &c.  It
is very soluble  in alcohol, ether,  and the fixed  and volatile oils.
The solution in alcohol is precipitated  by water.  Milk  dissolves
an eighth of its weight of camphor, which  it retains on  the addi-
tion of water.
   Th. E.—Much  difference of opinion exists as to the action  of
camphor  on the animal  economy,  but the most constant  and most
marked effect which it produces is that of a general diffusible stim-
ulant ; and this is borne out by the symptoms which are caused  bv
it when taken in an  over-dose.  In the practice of medicine it ha's
been used in a great  variety of diseases, in consequence of the dis-
crepancy which even still exists as to its effects; but the following
are the principal maladies in which it proves decidedly beneficial.
In the advanced stages of typhoid  fever, when nervous symptoms, 
GENERAL STIMULANTS.
291
as subsultus, tendinum, delirium,  &c,  chiefly predominate.   In
chronic bronchitis occurring in broken-down habits, particularly
when accompanied with profuse secretion; in spasmodic and ner-
vous diseases, provided there is no inflammatory tendency in the
system ; in atonic gout and chronic rheumatism ;  and in irritable
and painful diseases of the urinary organs.  As an external appli-
cation, camphor is very generally  employed, dissolved in spirit or
in oil, as an  embrocation for  muscular and  rheumatic pains, for
bruises, to  glandular  enlargements, and to chilblains.  It  is also
used with much benefit as a stimulant to foul  and  indolent ulcers,
and to gangrenous sores occurring in the old or debilitated.  Cam-
phor has been occasionally used in the form of vapour as a fumiga-
tion in chronic cutaneous diseases, and to promote diaphoresis when
the skin is dry and harsh.
   D. & M. of Adm.—Gr. v. to gr. x., repeated at short intervals ;
it is  usually given in the  form of pill, or made into  an emulsion
with water by means of mucilage, sugar, yolk of egg, &c.; 3ij. of
camphor may  be permanently suspended in  fgviij.  of water  by
means of §i. of thick mucilage, or it may be dissolved in new milk,
as observed above.—Mistura Camphora, D.  L. E.   (" Camphor,
 3i.; rectified spirit, gtt.  x.;  pure sugar,  ^ss. ; warm water, by
measure, fbj. ; first rub the  camphor with the spirit,  then with the
sugar, afterward add  the water with trituration, and filter the mix-
ture through bibulous paper," D.   " Camphor, 3ss.; rectified spirit,
min. x.; water, Oi. ;  first rub the camphor  with  the spirit, then
with the water gradually poured in, and strain through linen," L.
"Camphor,  9j.; sweet almonds and pure sugar, of each,  §ss.;
water, Oj.;  steep the  almonds in  hot water, and peel them ;  rub
the camphor and the sugar well together in a  mortar; add the al-
monds; beat the whole into a smooth pulp; add the  water gradu-
ally, with  constant  stirring, and  strain,"  E.)  This  preparation
contains so  srtiall a quantity of camphor, that it is only used as a
vehicle for more active stimulants.  Dose, fgi. to fijtij.—Mistura
Camphora cum Magnesia, D. E.   ('* Camphor, gr. xij. (gr. x., E.);
carbonate of magnesia, 3ss. (gr. xxv., E.) ; water, f§vj.; rub the
camphor with the magnesia, adding the water  gradually, and mix.)
The  carbonate of magnesia enables the  water to dissolve more of
the camphor, and also gives to the mixture slight  antacid proper-
ties.   Dose, f^ss.  to fp.—Tinctura Camphora, D. L. E.  (Cam-
phor,  §i. (jv., L.; giiss., E.);  rectified  spirit,  fgviij.  (Oij., L. E.);
mix,  that the  camphor may be dissolved.)   Camphorated spirit;
for external use only; an excellent application for muscular  and
rheumatic  pains  applied with friction.   The  camphor is precipi-
tated  by the addition of water.—Oleum Camphoratum, D.  Lini-
mentum Camphora, L. E.  (Camphor, 3j. (p., L. E.); olive  oil,
sj. (ftiv., L. E.) ; dissolve the  camphor in the oil by trituration.)
A stimulating embrocation for deep-seated inflammation, glandular
swellings, &c—Linimentum  Saponis,  D.  L. E.   (" Soap,  giij.;
camphor,  jjj.; spirit of rosemary,  fgxvj. ;  digest the  soap in the
spirit till it is dissolved, then add  the camphor, D.   (Dissolve the 
292
GENERAL STIMULANTS.
camphor in the spirit;  afterward add the soap, and macerate with
a gentle heat till it is dissolved, L),"  D. L.   "Castile  soap, §v.;
camphor, giiss.;  oil of rosemary, f^vj.; rectified spirit, Oij.; digest
the soap in the  spirit for 3 days; add the camphor and oil, and
agitate briskly,"  E.)  Soap Liniment;  Opodeldoc.   A useful stim-
ulating liniment.
  [U. S. P.—Aqua Camphora.  Camphor,  2 drachms ;  alcohol,
40  minims; carbonate of magnesia, 1  drachm; distilled water, 2
pints.  Rub the  camphor first with the alcohol, afterward with the
carbonate of magnesia, and, lastly, with the water gradually added,
and filter through paper.]
  Incomp.—The following observations of M. Planche should  be
borne in mind in prescribing camphor: with benzoin,  balsam  of
Tolu, ammoniac, and mastich, it forms  a soft mass, which does not
retain the pilular form;  camphor is completely deprived of odour
by  being mixed with assafcetida, galbanum,  sagapenum, and bal-
sam of Tolu, and the odour is very much weakened by olibanum,
mastich, ammoniac, opoponax, benzoin, and resin of guaiacum.

  Capsicum.—Cayenne Pepper (described in  the division Epispas-
tics) is  not much employed  in  medicine internally ;  it is a good
stimulant in those forms of dyspepsia which depend on enfeebled
and languid digestion, and in the collapse of cholera and of typhus.
As a topical remedy, it is used  with  much benefit as an adjunct to
stimulating gargles in cynanche maligna, and  in all forms of relaxed
sore throat.   For this  purpose, the tincture, or Chili  vinegar, is
generally employed.  The dose of powdered capsicum  is from  gr.
ij. to gr. viij., made into  pill with crumb of bread.—Tinctura  Cap-
sici, D. L.  E.   (Capsicum (bruised, L. E.), i*i. (3x., L. E.) ; proof
spirit, fbij.  (Oij., L.  E.) ; macerate (digest, E.) for 14 (7, E.) days,
and filter, " squeezing the residuum.   This tincture is best prepared
by  percolation, which may be commenced so soon  as the capsicum
is made into a pulp with a little  spirit," E.)   Dose, internally, min.
xx. to f3i.; as an  adjunct  to gargles,  fsiv. to fsvj., in fgviij. of an
aqueous vehicle.—Chili Vinegar (prepared by infusing §ss. of Cay-
enne pepper in Oij. of white wine vinegar for 10 days,  and strain-
ing) is added to  gargles, in the proportion of f§i. in fjviij. of infusion
of  roses.—Cayenne Lozenges,  allowed to dissolve slowly in  the
mouth, are very useful in the hoarseness and relaxed sore throat
of public speakers and singers.

  Cardamine, L.    Cardamine pratensis,  flores,  D.   Cuckoo
flower.   The  flowers of Cardamine  Pratensis.—Indigenous,  be-
longing to  the natural family Crucifera, and to  the Linnasan class
and order  Tetradynamia Siliquosa.
   The flowers of this plant are blush-coloured ;  they have a slight
aromatic odour, and a  pungent, bitter taste.   Their virtues depend
on a trace of volatile  oil, and  some bitter extractive which they
contain ; though at one time highly spoken of as stimulants in epi-
lepsy and  in  spasmodic asthma, they  have completely fallen into 
general stimulants.
293
disuse.  The dose of the dried flowers was from 3ij. to 3iij. several
times a day.

  Cardamomlm, L. E.  Amomum cardamomum, semina, D.   Car-
damoms.   The seeds of Amomum Cardamomum, D.   Seeds of Al-
pinia Cardamomum,  L.  Fruit of Renealmia Cardamomum,  E.
Fruit of  Elettaria  Cardamomum^ Maton.—The  various  sorts  of
cardamoms  met with  in commerce are  obtained  from the plants
above enumerated, or from nearly allied species ;  but  the true offi-
cinal or lesser cardamom is the  product  of that last named.  It is
a native of Malabar, and belongs to the  natural family Zingiberacea,
and to the Linnaean class and order Monandria Monogynia.
 B. C.—Stem erect, 6 to 9 feet high, perennial; leaves 1 to 2 feet long, envelop-
ing the stem with their spongy sheaths; scapes several, arising from the base of
the stem, 1 to 2 feet long; flowers alternate, on suberect racemes, 2 to 3 inches
long, greenish-white, with violet stripes ; capsule oval, 3-celled.
  P. P.—Cardamoms are the dried fruit; they are gathered in No-
vember ;  as met with in commerce, each fruit is ovato-oblong, ob-
scurely triangular, from three lines to an inch in length, of a pale
brownish-yellow colour, coriaceous.   They contain numerous an-
gular, reddish-brown  seeds.   They  have  an agreeable aromatic
odour, and a grateful, pungent taste.
  ('. P.—Cardamoms  are composed of volatile oil, fixed oil, fecula,
colouring  matter, mucilage, and  nitrogenous matter;  they yield
their active  principles  to water and to alcohol.   A cooled decoc-
tion is rendered blue by tincture of iodine.
  Th. E.—Cardamoms are among the most agreeable of the aro-
matic stimulants, and are commonly employed as adjuvants to more
active medicines  of this class, or to correct the griping properties
of some purgatives.
  D. & M. of Adm.—In powder, gr.  v. to gr. xx.—Tinctura  Car-
damomi, L. E.   (Cardamom seeds, bruised, giiiss. (^ivss., E.); proof
spirit, Oij.; " macerate  for 14 days,  and strain," L.   "Digest  for
7 days, strain, squeeze the residuum,  and filter the liquors.   This
tincture may be better  prepared by the  process of percolation, in
the same way with the tincture  of capsicum, the seeds being first
ground in a  coffee-mill," E.)  An aromatic adjunct to mixtures, in
doses of foi. or fsij.—Tinctura Cardamomi comp., D. L. E.   ("Car-
damom seeds, without  the  capsules,  and bruised; and caraway
seeds, bruised, of each, 3ij.; cinnamon, bruised, §ss.;  proof spirit,
by measure,  fbij.; macerate for 14 days, and filter," D.  " Carda-
mom  seeds, bruised, and  caraway, bruised, of each,  3iiss.; cochi-
neal, powdered (bruised, E.), 3j.; cinnamon, bruised,  3v. ; raisins,
§v.;  proof spirit, Oij.;  macerate for 14 days, and  strain," L.   "Di-
gest for 7 days, strain, express strongly the residuum,  and filter the
liquors.   This tincture may be also prepared by the method of per-
colation, if the solid materials be  first beat together, moistened with
a little spirit, and h'ft thus for 12 hours before being  put  into the
percolator," E.)   Dose, fsj. to f3ij.

  C.uu'i. L. E.  Carum carlt, semiva, D.   Caraway.  The fruit 
294
GENERAL STIMULANTS.
(seeds, D.) of Carum Carui.—Indigenous, belonging to the natural
family Umbellifera, and to the  Linnaean class  and order Pentan-
dria Digynia.
  B. C.—Biennial;  stem 1 to 2 feet; leaves doubly pinnated, cut into linear seg-
ments ; flowers white, or pale flesh-coloured, in dense umbels.
   P. & C. P.—The fruit, commonly called caraway seeds, does not
require description; it has an agreeable, fragrant odour, and a warm,
aromatic taste.  It contains about &\ per cent, of a light yellow vol-
atile oil, upon which its aromatic properties depend.
   Th. E.—Caraway is  an agreeable, aromatic stimulant, much em-
ployed by the cook and confectioner as a seasoning and flavouring
agent.  In medicine, it  is used for giving warmth to other prepar-
ations.
   D. & M. of Adm.—Of the seeds, 3i. to 3ij.—Oleum Carui, D. L.
E.  (Prepared according to the  general directions for distilling vol-
atile oils.)   Frequently added to cathartic pills and boluses.  Dose,
min. j. to  min. x.  This oil is often adulterated  with oil of turpen-
tine, which  may be detected by  the odour when dropped on a heat-
ed spatula.—Aqua Carui, D. L.   (" Caraway, bruised, fbj.; water,
sufficient  to prevent empyreuma ;  distil a gallon," D.  " Caraway,
bruised, fttiss.; proof spirit, fgvij.; water, cong.  ij.; distil a gallon,"
L.)   Used  as an  aromatic vehicle for other medicines, and in the
flatulent colic of children.  Dose, igi. to f^iv.—Spiritus Carui, D.
L. E.   (" Caraway, bruised, Ibj.; proof spirit, cong. j.; water, sul-
ficient to prevent empyreuma;  macerate for 24 hours, and distil a
gallon," D,   " Caraway, bruised, gxxij.; proof spirit, cong. j.; wa-
ter, Oij. ;  mix, and with a slow fire  distil a gallon," L.  "Caraway,
bruised, fbss.; proof spirit, Ovij.; macerate for  two days in a cov-
ered vessel, add Oiss. of water, and distil  off Ovij." E.)  Aromatic
and stimulant.   Dose, f3i. to f3iv.

   Caryophyllus ; Caryophylli oleum, L. E.   Eugenia caryoph-
YLLATA, FLORES NONDUM EXPLICITI ET  OLEUM VOLATILE, D.   Cloves,
and  their  volatile  oil.   Dried undeveloped flower (dried buds, L.),
and the volatile  oil distilled from them (distilled from the flowers,
L.), of Caryophyllus aromaticus, L. E.—of Eugenia Caryophylla-
ta, D.—The same  tree is indicated by all the colleges, but the Dub-
lin has adopted  the  nomenclature of Thunberg.  It is a native of
the Molucca Islands, and grows freely in various parts of the East
and West Indies.  It belongs to  t!  > natural  family Myrtacea, and
to the  Linnaean class and  order  Polyandria Monogi/nia.
  B. C.—Stem 15 to 30 feet high; leaves opposite, coriaceous, dotted, obovato ob-
long ; flowers whitish,  numerous, in terminal or axillary cymes.
   P. & C. P.—Cloves are the undeveloped flowers, consisting of the
tubular calyx with the  unexpanded corolla, forming a small round
ball between lis  four teeth.   Their odour is peculiar, agreeably ar-
omatic, and  their  taste pungent, somewhat acrid.   They consist
of 18 per  cent, of volatile oil, 6 of an almost tasteless resin (Cary-
ophyllin), 13 of tannin.  4 of extractive, 13 of gum, 28 of lignin. and
18 of moisture (Tromsdorff).  The volatile oil  is an article of the 
GENERAL STIMULANTS.
295
Materia Medica in the  British Pharmacopoeias.   As obtained by
distillation, it consists of two  volatile  oils, one heavier, the other
lighter  than  water, a mixture of the two forming oil of cloves of
commerce.   It is at first pale yellow, but gradually acquires a  red-
dish tint; it  has the odour and taste of cloves in a marked degree ;
it is very soluble in alcohol, ether, strong acetic acid, and the fixed
oils ;  and but very sparingly soluble in water, in  which it sinks, its
density being about 1*060.   Cloves yield their properties to water
and to alcohol.
  Adulterations.—Cloves from which the pil has been procured
by distillation are sometimes mixed with good cloves ; they may be
distinguished by their lightness, and by their not  becoming greasy
when bruised with the nail.
  Th. E.—Cloves and their oil  are aromatic stimulants, and  are
employed in  medicine as flavouring or corrective  adjuncts to other
substances; they are extensively used by the cook  and confectioner.
The oil dropped into the hollow of a carious tooth will often relieve
toothache.
  D. & M. of Adm.—In substance, gr. x. to 3ss.—Oleum  Cary-
ophylli, min. ij. to min.  viij.—Infusum Caryophyllorum, D.   Inf.
Caryophylli, L. E.   (Cloves, bruised, 3i. (3iij., L. E.); boiling  wa-
ter  (distilled,  L.), by measure, fbss. (Oj., L. E.);  digest  (macerate.
L.; infuse, E.) for two hours in a  covered vessel,  and strain.)  An*
aromatic vehicle for more active medicines.  Dose, f§i. to f§ij.
  Incomp.— With the infusion.   The mineral acids; sesqui-salts of
iron; sulphate  of copper; nitrate of silver; acetate of lead;  and
gelatine.

  Cassia cortex et oleum, E.  Laurus cassia, cortex, I). Cas-
sia  bark.   Oil of Cassia.   Bark (and volatile oil of the bark, E.)
of Cinnamomum  Cassia, E.—of Laurus  Cassia, D.—The bark
met with in English commerce is procured from the  tree indicated
by the Edinburgh College.   It is a native of China, and is cultiva-
ted  in Java ;  it belongs to the natural family Lauracea, and to the
Linnaean class and order Enneandria Monogynia.
  B. C.—Stem arborescent, about 50  feet high; leaves oblongo-lanceolate, triple-
nerved, the nerves vanishing at the point of the leaf; petioles and younger branches
silky-tomentose  ; flowers white, in panicles.
  P. P.—No account has  been given  of how cassia is  prepared,
but  it is more than probable that it is by a similar  process with  cin-
namon.  It is imported  from Singapore in bundles tied with slips
of the bamboo cane; it  resembles cinnamon in appearance, and is
often sold for it, but it is  darker coloured, much thicker, and in sim-
ple quills.  The odour is not so fragrant as that of cinnamon,  and
the  taste is more pungent, and  somewhat bitter.
  C. P.__Cassia bark consists  of  0*8 per cent, of volatile oil, 4 of
resin, 14*6 of extractive, with woody fibre, &c.;  the volatile oil is
always imported ; it is of a wine-yellow colour, and  has the odour
and flavour of the bark ; it  is heavier than water, its density being
1*095.   Cassia bark yields its active properties to alcohol, but onl\ 
296
GENERAL STIMULANTS.
 partially to  water.   The  undeveloped  flowers  of Cinnamomum
 Cassia are imported under the name of Cassia buds (Clave/li Cin-
 namomi).  They have the same properties as the bark, but are not
 employed in medicine.
   Th. E.—Cassia and its preparations are precisely analogous in
 their operation to cinnamon, for  which, as  being  much cheaper,
 they are usually substituted ; they are not,  perhaps, quite so agree-
 able, and some have hejd them to be more astringent.
   D. & M. of Adm.—Of the  bark, powdered, gr. x. to 3ss.—Oleum
 Cassia, E., min. ij. to min. v.—Aqua Cassia,  E.    (Cassia bark,
 bruised, ^xviij.; water,  cong. ij.; rectified  spirit,  fgiij.; mix to-
 gether, and distil off  one gallon.)  An aromatic vehicle for more
 active medicines.  Dose, f§i. to ftiv.—Spiritus Cassia, E.  (Cassia
 bark, in coarse powder, fbj.; proceed as  for spirit  of caraway.)
 Dose, f3ss. to f3i.—Tinctura Cassia, E.   (Cassia bark, in moder-
 ately fine powder, §iij. and 3iij.; proof spirit, Oij.; digest for 7 days,
 strain, express the residuum strongly, and filter.  This tincture is
 more conveniently made  by percolation, the cassia  being allowed
 to macerate for 12 hours in  a little  of the spirit before being put
 into the percolator.)   Dose, f3i. to f3ij.
   Incomp.—The sesqui-salts of iron, and gelatine.

   Cepa.  Allium cepa, bulbus, D.   The Onion.  Bulb of Allium
 Cepa.—A native of Egypt, belonging to the natural family Liliacece,
 and to the  Linnasan class and order Hexandria  Monogynia.
   Roasted onions were at one time employed in the form of poul-
 tice to stimulate indolent tumours, and to foul ulcers ; but they are
 not used in medicine in the present day.

   Cerevisi^e fermentum,D. L.  Yeast.  Barm.   A vegetable prod-
 uct developed in  vinous liquids during the process of fermenta-
 tion.-—Yeast is employed  as a stimulant  in the advanced  stages
 of typhoid fevers, and  in the form of enema in tympanitis, and
 has  been highly spoken of in cases where wine  is inadmissible
 in consequence of inflammatory symptoms.   Its principal  use  at
 present is for the  preparation of a stimulating cataplasm for foul
 and irritable  sores, the  foetor of which it  corrects, and,  at the
 same time, promotes  the separation of the sloughs.—Cataplasma
 Fermenti, D. L.   (Yeast, fbss. (Oss., L.)  ; wheaten flour, fbj.; mix,
 and apply a gentle heat until they begin  to rise.)  This cataplasm
 should be renewed every six  or eight hours; if it  occasion much
 pain, the quantity of flour ought to be increased.  The dose of yeast
 for internal use is two tablespoonfuls every three hours ; it may  be
given with camphor mixture  or with peppermint water.

   Chlorinii aqua,D.  Chlorinei aq.ua, E.   Chlorine water.   Con-
 centrated watery  solution of  Chlorine (with a  little sulphate  of
 soda, E.).
  Prep.—Dub. "Dried muriate of soda, 100 parts; oxyde of manganese, 30 parts;
 sulphuric acid, 87 parts ; water, 124 parts ; add the acid gradually to the water ; and 
GENERAL STIMULANTS.
297
 when the mixture has grown cold, pour it on the muriate of soda and oxyde of man-
 ganese, both previously reduced to fine  powder, well mixed, and put into a retort;
 then, with a proper apparatus, and a moderate heat gradually increased, transmit
 the gas escaping from the mixture through 200 parts of distilled water, the opera-
 tion being finished as soon as the effervescence in the retort has ceased.  Let the
 chlorine water be kept in well-stopped bottles, in a dark place."  Edm. " Muriate
 of soda, gr. lx.; sulphuric acid (commercial), f3ij. ;  red oxyde of lead, 350 grains ;
 water, f 5 viij. ; triturate the muriate of soda and oxyde together; put them into the
 water contained in a bottle with a glass stopper; add the acid, agitate occasionally,
 till the  red oxyde becomes almost white.  Allow the insoluble matter to subside
 before using the liquid."
   P. & C. P.—Prepared according to the directions of the Dublin
 Pharmacopoeia, th;s is a yellowish-green liquid, with the suffoeatino-
 odour of chlorine, and an  acrid,  styptic taste; its  density is 1*013.
 It contains about twice  its bulk of chlorine gas; it bleaches  all ve-
 getable colours.  By long keeping, particularly if exposed to light,
 it is converted into a weak solution of muriatic acid, and oxygen
 is evolved.   In consequence of these disadvantages, the Edinburgh
 Pharmacopoeia contains a formula, given above, by which an aque-
 ous solution of chlorme may  be  obtained in a few hours.   It con-
 tains a small quantity of sulphate of soda  dissolved  in it, which,
 however, can in nowise interfere with its medicinal employment;
 and a  white sulphate of lead remains as an insoluble precipitate  in
 the bottom of the bottle.  Chlorine water is characterized by its
 bleaching'properties, by its power of dissolving leaf gold, and  by
 its not effervescing with carbonate of lime.
   Th. E.—Taken in large quantity, chlorine water acts as a pow-
 erful irritant poison.   In medicinal doses, it operates as a stimulant,
 and as such is employed with benefit in  the advanced stages of
 typhoid fevers and of epidemic dysentery, in malignant sore throat,
 and in chronic  diseases of the  liver.  Chlorine gas  diluted with
 common air has been inhaled  in chronic bronchitis and in phthisis,
 but, although the symptoms  are often ameliorated under its  em-
 ployment,  the benefit produced  is not  permanent.   Externally,
 chlorine water has been used  largely diluted  as a wash to foul and
 indolent ulcers, and  for chronic cutaneous diseases, in the form of
 gargle in cynanche maligna, and as a local bath in hepatitis.
   L). & M. of Adm.—f3ss. to f3ij. in as  many ounces  of  water
 sweetened with sirup.  For external use,  f3i. may  be  diluted with
 fgj. of water.
   Incomp.—Nitrate of silver.
   In poisoning  with chlorine  water, the best antidote is  albumen,
 as white of egg, or, in its absence, milk or flour.

   Cinnamomum, L. E.  Cinnamomi oleum, L. E.   Laurus cinna-
 momum, cortex et oleum  volatile, D.   Cinnamon.   Oil of cin-
 namon.  Bark, and  volatile oil of Laurus cinnamomum, D. L.—
 of Cinnamomum Zeylanicum, E.—The cinnamon-tree is  a  native
 of Ceylon and Malabar; it belongs t<> the natural family Lauracea,
 and to  the  Linnaean class  and order Enneandria  Monogynia.
  p C.__Stem arborescent,  about 30 feet high; branches obscurely 4-cornered;
leaves tapering into a blunt point, 3-nerved, smooth, and perfectly free from down,
as also are the leafstalks; flowers in terminal and axillary stalked panicles.
                               P P 
298
GENERAL STIMULANTS.
  P. U. & M. of Prep.—The inner bark of the branches, and the volatile oil obtain-
ed from it.  The bark is taken from branches which are three years old ; they are
lopped off the trees in the rainy season, and the bark immediately removed by ma-
king two  opposite longitudinal incisions ; the epidermis and green pulpy matter are
afterward scraped off, the smaller pieces introduced into the larger ones, and dried
in the sun, the pieces contracting, as they dry, into the form of quills.  The oil is
obtained by macerating the coarser pieces of bark and the trimmings in sea-water
for 48 hours, and distilling.
  P. P.—Cinnamon is imported from  Ceylon in bales and in box-
es ; some, also, is brought from Malabar.   Three sorts are usually
distinguished in commerce: the finest is in  splintery rolls, consist-
ing of compound quills, the smaller being enclosed within the lar-
ger, from 30 to 40  inches in length; the pieces are very thin, gen-
erally not much  thicker  than writing  paper, of a light brownish-
yellow  colour, smooth on the surface, with a  splintery  fracture.
The odour is aromatic and fragrant, and the taste warm,  sweetish,
and feebly astringent.   The inferior kinds are in coarser quills, not
so much rolled, of  a darker-brown colour, and with a less agreea-
ble odour and taste.   Oil of cinnamon  is imported from Ceylon; it
is of a pale wine-yellow colour, becoming darker by age, and pos-
sesses intensely the peculiar odour and taste  of the bark ; it is heav-
ier than water, its density varying from 1*038 to 1*041  (Christison).
  C. P.—Cinnamon bark  consists  of volatile  oil, tannin, mucilagi-
nous extractive, an acid, resin, colouring matter, and woody fibre.
It yields its properties partially to water, but more completely to
alcohol.   The volatile oil constitutes about 6 parts in a  thousand
of the fresh  bark;  it consists of a light and heavy oil, which  may
be obtained separate by distillation.   The composition of oil of cin-
namon is  C20HnO2 (Mulder); by exposure to the air, it absorbs ox-
ygen, and is  converted into a mixture of cinnamic acid, two pecu-
liar resins, and water.   Strong nitric acid converts oil  of cinnamon
into a solid crystalline mass.
  Adulterations.—Cinnamon bark may be distinguished by its phys-
ical properties from cassia  bark, which is  often  sold  for  it.   The
oil may be  distinguished from oil of cassia by its more fragrant
odour, and by the taste of the latter being more acrid and burning.
The tests of the Edinburgh Pharmacopoeia  for the purity of oil of
cinnamon apply  equally to oil of cassia:  "  Cherry-red when  old;
wine-yellow  when  recent;  odour purely cinnamomic; nitric  acid
converts it nearly into a uniform crystalline mass."
  Th. E.—Cinnamon  is an excellent warm  stimulant,  and, in  con-
sequence  of its agreeable flavour, is very much employed in medi-
cine, principally  as an aromatic adjunct to other substances.
  D. & M. of Adm.—In  powder, gr. x. to 3ss.—Oleum Cinnamo-
mi, D. L. E.,min. j. to  min. v.—Aqua Cinnamomi,!). L. E.  ("Cin-
namon,  bruised, ibj.; water, sufficient to prevent  empyreuma; ma-
cerate for a day, and distil  a gallon," D.  " Cinnamon, bruised,  Htiss.
(or oil of  cinnamon, 3ij.);  proof spirit,  fgvij.; water, cong. ij.; dis-
til a gallon," L.   " Cinnamon, bruised, f§xviij.:  water, cong. ij.;
rectified spirit, f§iij.; mix, and distil off one  gallon," E.)   [U. S. P.
—Oil of cinnamon, \  a fluid drachm ;  carbonate of magnesia, h a 
GENERAL STIMULANTS.
299
drachm; distilled  water, 2  pints.   Rub  the oil  of cinnamon first
with the carbonate of magnesia, then with the water gradually add-
ed, and filter through paper.  In the same  manner various other
oils may  be  suspended in water.]  An agreeable vehicle for other
medicines.   Dose,  f§i.  to f^iv.—Spiritus  Cinnamomi, D.  L.  E.
(Prepared as  spirit of caraway, D. E.  "Oil  of cinnamon, 3ij.;
proof spirit,  cong. j.; water, Oi. ; mix, and  with  a slow fire distil a
gallon," L.)    Dose, f3i. to f§ss.— Tinctura Cinnamomi, D. L. E.
(" Cinnamon,  bruised,  giiiss. ;  proof spirit, by measure, fbij.  (Oij.,
L.) ;  macerate for  14  days, and  strain," D. L.  "Cinnamon, in
moderately  fine powder, giiiss.;  proof spirit, Oij.; proceed by per-
colation or digestion, as directed for tincture of cassia," E.)  Dose,
f3i. to f^ss.—Tinctura Cinnamomi comp., L.   E.   (" Cinnamon,
bruised, §i.; cardamom, bruised, §ss.;  long pepper, powdered, and
ginger, sliced, of each, 3iiss. ; proof spirit, Oij. ; macerate for 14
davs, and strain," L.   " Cinnamon, in coarse powder (fine, if per-
colation be  followed), and cardamom seeds, bruised, of each, §i.;
long pepper, ground finely, 3iij. ; proof spirit, Oij.  This tincture is
best prepared by percolation, as directed  for the compound tincture
of cardamom ; but it may also  be made by digestion for 7  days,
straining and expressing the liquor, and then filtering it," E.)  Dose,
f3i. to l-3ij.—Confectio Aromatica, D. L.  (Cinnamon and nutmegs,
of each, §ij,; cloves, 3i.; cardamom seeds, §ss.; saffron, §ij.; pre-
pared chaik, j^xvj.; pure sugar, fbij.; "rub the dry ingredients to-
gether to a very  fine powder, add hbi. of water by  degrees, and
beat into a pulp," D.   "Keep in a close  vessel,  and whenever the
confection is to be used, add water gradually, and mix until they
are thoroughly incorporated," L.)  Stimulant, carminative, and ant-
acid, frequently used in mild cases of diarrhoea.  Dose, gr. xx. to
3j.;  substances incompatible with chalk  should  not  be  prescribed
in combination with it.—Pulvis Aromaticus, D.  E.   Pulv. Cinna-
momi comp., L.  (" Cinnamon, §ij.; cardamom seeds, §i. (§iss.. L.);
ginger, §i.;  long pepper, 3i.  (§ss., L.); rub together  to a very fine
powder," D. L.  " Cinnamon, cardamom  seeds, and ginger, of each,
equal parts ; reduce to  a very fine powder, and keep in well-closed
glass vessels." E.)    Dose, gr.  v. to gr. xx.—Electuarium Aromati-
cum, E.   (Aromatic powder, one part;  sirup of orange peel, two
parts ; mix,  and triturate into a uniform pulp.)  Dose, gr. x. to gr. xl.
—Emplastrum Aromaticum, D.   (Frankincense, §iij.; yellow wax,
3-ss.; cinnamon, powdered, 3vj.;  oil of pimento  and  oil of lemons,
of each, 3ij.; melt the frankincense and  wax together, and strain;
and when they are beginning to thicken  by cooing, mix in the cin-
namon powder, rubbed up with the oils, and make a plaster.)   A
stimulating  plaster, applied over the region of the stomach in nau-
sea and flatulence ;  not much used at present.
   Incomp.—The sesqui-salts of iron, and gelatine.

   CoCCULUS, E.  COCCULUS  SUBEROSUS, FRUCTUS, D.   CoCCuluS In-
dicus.  Fruit of Anamirla  Cocculus, E.—of Cocculus  Suherosus,
D__a native of Malabar and the eastern islands of India, belong- 
300
GENERAL STIMULANTS.
ing to the natural family Menispermacea, and to the Linnaean class
and order Diozcia Monadelphia.
  B. C.—A strong, climbing shrub;  bark corky, ash-coloered, cracked; leaves
roundish, leathery, smooth, 6 inches long, and as many broad; flowers in lateral
compound racemes ; drupes 2 to 3, globose.
  P. P.—The fruit commonly known under the name of Cocculus
Indicus is roundish, about the size of a large pea, with a dark-
brown, wrinkled perisperm, within which is the bivalved, one-celled
fruit ;  the kernel is white and oily, and does not completely fill the
shell.  It is void of odour,  but has  an intensely bitter taste.
  C. P.—The nucleus contains a peculiar, white, crystalline  acid,
which  has been  named Picrotoxin, resin, gum, a fatty  acid, and
other unimportant substances.   Picrotoxin is the active principle;
it is soluble in  150 parts of temperate water, 25 of boiling water,
2 of pure ether, and  3 of alcohol; it is insoluble in the fixed and
volatile oils; its  composition is C12H705.  Cocculus Indicus yields
its active properties to alcohol, and  but very imperfectly to either
cold or boiling water.
  Adulterations.—As met with in commerce, either from having
been gathered before it is quite ripe or from long keeping, the ker-
nel often is completely dried up, so as to leave the shell nearly,  if
not quite empty.   The Edinburgh College, therefore, directs " that
the kernels should fill at least two thirds of the fruit."
  Til  E.—Cocculus Indicus is a powerful  stimulant, in  large doses
producing death, with tetanic convulsions  and coma.  It is used  in
India to poison  fish; and in Great Britain is often nefariously em-
ployed by brewers to give an artificial strength to beer.  In  med-
icine it is only  employed  externally to destroy vermin, and  as  a
stimulating application, in the form of ointment, to  furfuraceous
eczema and porrigo of the scalp.   Picrotoxin is highly poisonous;
it may be used as a substitute  for the drug.— Unguentum Cocculi,
E.   (Take any convenient quantity  of Cocculus  Indicus, separate
and  preserve the kernels, beat them well in a mortar, first alone,
and then with a little axunge ;  and then add axunge till it amounts
altogether to five times the weight  of the kernels.)—Unguentum
Picrotoxin,  Jager.   (Picrotoxin,  gr.  x.;  axunge, §i.;  mix inti-
mately.)  Either of those ointments may be applied in small quan-
tities to the scalp night and morning in the cases above mentioned,
and  the head well cleansed with  soap and  warm water at  least
once daily.   They should be  used with  great caution  when the
skin is not entire, as danger may arise from absorption.

  Coriandrum, L. E.  Coriandrum sativum, semina, D.  Corian-
der.   The fruit (seeds, D.) of Coriandrum sativum.—A native  of
the South of Europe, scarcely indigenous; belonging to the  natu-
ral  family Umbellifera, and to the Linnasan  class and order  Pen-
tandria Digynia.
  B. C—Annual; stem erect, leafy, about 18 inches high ; leaves scarcely stalked,
all bipinnate, and cut; flowers white, often with a reddish tint.
  P. & C. P.—The fruit commonly called coriander seeds is round, 
general stimulants.
301
about the size of white pepper, finely ribbed, of a brownish-yellow
colour.  When  ripe it  has an agreeable,  aromatic odour, and a
warm, peculiar taste.  Its properties depend on volatile oil, of which
it contains 4*7 parts in a thousand.
  Th. E.—Coriander is employed in medicine as a flavouring ad-
junct in some officinal preparations.   The dose of the seeds is from
3SS. to 3i.

  Cuminum, E.  Cyminum, L.  Cummin.  The fruit of Cuminum
Cyminum.—A native of Greece and Egypt, belonging to the natu-
ral family Umbellifera, and to  the Linnsean class and order Pen-
tandria Digynia.
  The fruit of this plant, commonly called  cummin seeds, possesses
aromatic, stimulant properties,  which depend on the presence of
volatile oil; but, as the odour and taste  are both strong and disa-
greeable, I cannot imagine on  what grounds  it has been retained
in the London and Edinburgh Pharmacopoeias, when we  have so
many agreeable  medicines with precisely analogous  properties.
Dose, of the fruit, gr. x. to 3ss.

  Dauci fructus, L.   Dauci semina, D.  Dauci radix, D. L. E.
The common carrot.  Fruit (seeds, D.) of Daucus Carota (var. syl-
vestris, D.).   The root of Daucus Carota  (var. sativa, E.).—Indige-
nous,  belonging to the natural family Umbellifera, and to the Lin-
nasan class and order Pentandria Digynia.
  B. C—Root slender, yellowish, becoming thick and succulent  by cultivation (var.
sativa); stem 2 to 3 feet high, hispid ; leaves pinnatisect; flowers in large umbels,
white, except the central neutral one, which is blood-red.
  P. & C. P.—The fruit, commonly called  carrot-seeds,  is obtained
from  the  uncultivated  variety;  it  is small, compressed, ovate,
fringed  with a row of whitish spines, of a brown colour;  it has a
strong aromatic odour and taste, which depend on volatile oil. The
root which is obtained from the cultivated carrot is too well known
to require  description.  It contains  a trace of volatile  with some
fixed  oil, a peculiar, ruby-red, crystalline substance (Carotin), un-
crystallizable sugar, fecula, albumen, malic acid, &c.
  Th. E.—The  fruit of the wild carrot is carminative  and stimu-
lant, and by many is  held to be diuretic;  it is scarcely ever used
at present.  Carrot-root, when boiled, forms one of the most nutri-
tive of our esculent vegetables.  In  medicine, it is only  used as an
externa] application, in the form of poultice, to stimulate foul, indo-
lent, and gangrenous sores ; it corrects the  foetor, and promotes the
separation of the sloughs.
  D.  & M. of  Adm.—Of the  fruit, gr.  xx. to  9ij.—Cataplasma
Dauci, D.   (Take of the  root of the cultivated carrot, any quanti-
ty; boil it  in  water until it becomes soft  enough to form a cata-
plasm.)  Used for the purposes above stated.

  Dianthus caryophyllus, flores, D.  Clove-pink.   Flowers of
Pianthus Caryophyllus.—Indigenous, belonging to the natural fam- 
302
GENERAL STIMULANTS.
ily Caryophyllacea, and to the Linnaean class and order Decandria
Digynia.
 , Those flowers were at one time supposed to possess some stim-
ulant properties, and  were  employed in nervous and spasmodic
diseases;  but they are never used in the present day.

  Electricity.   Galvanism.   Magnetic  Electricity.—Those
powerful agents in the treatment of disease require some short no-
tice here.   Their operation is that either of a general or local stim-
ulant, according to the manner in which they  are applied.  Under
their influence the vascular and nervous systems are excited; the
pulse is increased in frequency, the muscles stimulated to involun-
tary action, and the general secretions augmented.   The diseases,
then,  in which  their use is  indicated are those of debility;  thus,
they  are  employed with benefit in all forms of paralysis of the
nerves, both of sensation and of motion, when uncomplicated with
any lesion of, or determination  of blood  to, the cerebro-spinal sys-
tem ;  as in some forms of nervous deafness and of amaurosis, in old
cases of paraplegia and hemiplegia, in paralysis of the muscles of
the forearm from the  poison of lead or mercury*, and in asphyxia.
In suppression of the menstrual discharge arising from loss of tone
in the  uterine organs, electrical shocks passed through the pelvis
(from the  sacrum to the pubis)  are  frequently productive of great
benefit.  In the loss of muscular power attendant on chronic rheu-
matism, and in chorea and  other  allied convulsive  disorders, the
employment of electricity also  often  proves serviceable.   In the
foregoing  cases  the different forms of electricity are indifferently
applied, but galvanic  and magnetic electricity possess the advan-
tages of being more readily employed, of not being interfered with
by the state of the atmosphere,  of the effects produced being more
under control, and of the facility with which they may be  applied
to the different  parts of the body; consequently, those forms  of
electricity are in the present day most generally  used.  For the ap-
plication of common electricity, Leyden jars charged with  the cy-
lindrical or plate machine are used, and the usual directors employ-
ed for discharging them ;  the patient may or may not be placed on
an insulating stool or chair, according to the effect which it is wish-
ed to produce.    Galvanic electricity* is  applied by  means of the
usual  galvanic troughs and  insulated directors; the apparatus is
objectionable in consequence of its not  being very  portable, and
also from  its requiring the use of acids to bring it into operation.
Magnetic  electricity is the most convenient and simple mode of
employing this agent in the practice of medicine  ; it is most readily
applied by means of the  electro-magnetic machine of  Mr.  Clarke,
of London, and  from its use very beneficial results have been de-
rived  in the treatment of the diseases above mentioned.  The good
effects of  any of the  forms of electricity require a long time for
their development, and, consequently, its use should be persevered
in for some time, and  not despaired of if immediate  relief be not
experienced.  Care must, however, be taken to regulate the force 
GENERAL STIMULANTS.
303
or intensity of the shock, as  over-excitement  from electricity in
general proves  highly injurious in those  very cases  in which its
employment, properly regulated, is attended with the  greatest ser-
vice.   In  fine, it should  be always borne in mind, that electricity
is only to be considered as an auxiliary to other  modes of treat-
ment.

  Elemi, L. E.  Amyris elemifera, resina, D.  Elemi.  Concrete
resinous exudation from one or more unascertained plants, E.  Re-
sin of Amyris elemifera, D. L.—It is quite uncertain from  what
plant this  substance is obtained, and even its commercial route is
involved in  much obscurity;  what is met with in  Great Britain is
brought from Holland.  The term elemi is applied to  three or four
resins of very different appearance, and much of what is sold un-
der this name appears to be  a very composite substance.  It is
only employed in medicine in the  form of ointment, as a  stimula-
ting dressing to old and indolent ulcers.—Unguentum  Elemi, D. L.
(" Elemi, fbj.; white wax, fbss. ; prepared hog's lard, Ibiv.; make
an  ointment, which, while yet hot, should be strained through a
sieve," D.  "Elemi, fbj.; common  turpentine, gx.;  suet, fbij.; olive
oil, ftij.; melt the elemi with the suet; then remove them from the
fire, and immediately mix with  them the turpentine  and  the oil;
afterward press through a linen cloth," L.

  Fceniculum, L. E.  Anethum foeniculum, semina,  D.  Fennel.
Fruit of Foeniculum officinale,  E.   Fruit of Fozniculum vulgare, L.
Seeds of Anethum Foeniculum, D.—F. vulgare  (A.  Fozniculum,
Linnaeus) is an indigenous plant, belonging to the natural family
Umbellifera, and  to  the  Linnasan class and  order  Pentandria
Digynia.
  B. C.—Biennial; stem 3 to 4 feet high, fistulose ; leaves much divided, with very
slender segments ; flowers dark yellow.
  P. & C. P.—The fruit, commonly called  fennel seed, is  Ova],
about two lines long and one broad, of a dark-brown colour; it has
an  agreeable, aromatic odour, and a warm, sweetish, somewhat
acrid  taste.   Those properties depend  on a volatile oil.  The oil
of fennel of the shops is usually obtained from a cultivated variety
of F.  vulgare, which,  in consequence of the  sweeter  taste of the
fruit, is known under the name of F. dulce.
  Th. E.—Fennel is a warm, aromatic stimulant,  but is not much
used in the present day;  it may be employed in the same cases as
anise and  caraway.
  D. & M.  of Adm.—In  substance, 3ss. to  3i.   Oleum Fozniculi,
D. E.  (Prepared from the fruit (seeds of F. dulce, D.), according
to the general instructions for obtaining volatile oils.)   Dose, min.
ij. to min. x.—Aqua Fozniculi, D. L. E.  (Prepared  in the same
way as Aqua carui, D. L.; as  Aqua anethi, E.)  An aromatic ve-
hicle for other medicines.   Dose, f§j. to fitiv.

  Inula,  L.   Inula Helenium, radix, D.  Elecampane.   Root of 
304
GENERAL STIMULANTS.
Inula  Helenium. — Indigenous, belonging to  the natural family
Composita, and to  the  Linnsean class and order Syngenesia Su-
perfiua.
  B. C.—Root thick, branching, perennial; stem 3 to 5 feet high, branched ; leaves
amplexicaul, ovate, wrinkled, downy beneath; flower large, terminal, bright yellow.
   P. &  C. P.—Elecampane  root, when dried,  has  an  aromatic
odour, and a warm, bitter  taste.   It  consists of bitter extractive,
soft resin, elecampane camphor (Helenin), a variety of starch named
Inulin, a trace of volatile oil, &c.  It yields its active properties par-
tially to  water,  but more completely to alcohol.
   Th. E.—Elecampane is an aromatic stimulant, producing vomit-
ing in  large doses.  It is scarcely ever used in medicine, and might
well be spared from the pharmacopoeias.   Dose, 3i. to 3ij.

   Laurus nobilis, folia et  bacce, D.  L.  Sweet bay leaves and
berries.   Leaves and berries  of Laurus Nobilis.—A native of the
South  of Europe, cultivated  in our shrublKiies;  it belongs to the
natural family Lauracea, and to the Linnaean class and order En-
neandria Monogynia.
  B. C.—A small tree ; leaves alternate, lanceolate, coriaceous; flowers in axillary
umbels, yellowish;  fruit a bluish black, oval berry, one-seeded, about the size of a
small nut.
   P. & C. P.—The leaves and fruit have  an aromatic, rather agree-
able odour, and a warm, somewhat bitter taste.  These properties
depend on a volatile  oil, which  may be obtained by distillation.
The berries also contain about  12 per cent, of a butyraceous fixed
oil, which has been recently imported from Trieste.
   Til E.—The leaves, berries, and oils of the sweet bay are aro-
matic stimulants, but are scarcely ever employed in medicine.  The
leaves and berries may be administered in  the form  of infusion,
prepared by infusing §iss. of either, bruised, in f§xij. of boiling wa-
ter.  Dose, f§ss. to fgij.

   Lavandula,  L. E.   Lavandula spica,  flores, D.   Lavender.
Flowers  of Lavandula Spica, D. L.—of Lavandula vera, E.—It is
from L. vera  (De Candolle) that the flowers are procured  for medi-
cal use;  this is  a native of the central parts of Europe, and is cul-
tivated in our gardens; it  belongs to the  natural family Labiata,
and to the Linnaean class and order Didynamia Gymnospermia.
  B. C.—Stem shrubby, 1 to 2 feet high; leaves oblong-linear or lanceolate, quite
entire;  flowers purplish gray, in whorls of 6 to 10 flowers, in interrupted spikes.
It may be readily  distinguished from L.  Spica by its taller stature, its narrower
leaves, and the absence of bracts.
   P. & C. P.—The flowers are gathered when in full bloom, and
dried in  the shade : they have a  peculiar, fragrant odour, and a
warm, somewhat bitter, aromatic  taste.   They contain volatile oil,
tannin, bitter extractive, and woody fibre.  The oil Oleum Lavan-
dula, D. L. E.,  is  obtained by the usual process of distillation; it
is  of a pale-yellow colour, has the peculiar fragrant odour of the
flowers, and a warm, aromatic taste.  One pound  of flowers yields
about two drachms of oil.   Its density is about *900 ; its  composi- 
GENERAL STIMULANTS.
305
tion, according to Kane, is CI5HI402.  Lavender flowers yield their
properties completely to alcohol, but only partially to boiling waler.
   Th. E.—Lavender is a very agreeable, aromatic stimulant, and,
consequently, its officinal preparations are much employed for .(.riv-
ing warmth and flavour to other medicines.
   D. & M. of Adm.—The  flowers, in  powder, are added  to sternu-
tatories,  on account of their agreeable odour.—Oleum Lavandula,
D. L. E. Dose, min. ij. to min. v.—Spiritus Lavandula,!). L. E.
(Fresh lavender, fbij. (tbiiss., L. E.);  proof (rectified, L. E.) spirit,
cong. j.; (water, sufficient to prevent empyreuma, D. ; Oij., L.);
"macerate for 24  hours,  and distil  with  a medium  heat ft v. by
measure," D.   " Mix, and with a slow  fire distil a gallon," L.  ■■ Mix,
and  with the heat of a vapour-bath distil over Ovij.," E.)   Used in
the preparation of the  following: Spirflus (Tinctura. L.) Lavan-
dula comp.   (Spirit of  lavender, by measure, fbiij. (Oiss., L.;  Oij.,
E.);  spirit of rosemary, by measure, fbj. (Oss., L.; fgxij., E.); nut-
megs, bruised, |ss. (3iiss., L.); cinnamon, bruised (in coarse pow-
der, E.), §ss. (3iiss., L.; §j., E.) ; (cloves, bruised, 3ij., D. E.) ; red
sandal-wood  shavings, *§i. (3v., L.;  3iij., E.); macerate (digest, D.)
for 10 (14, L.;  7, E.) days, and strain; "strain through  calico,"
E.)   This preparation, generally known as Lavender Drops, is used
as a cordial and stomachic to  relieve  nausea, flatulence, lownessof
spirits, &c.   Dose, min. xxx. to f3ij. in water, or dropped on white
sugar.

   Limonum cortex et oleum, L. E.   Citrus medica, tunica exte-
rior et ejus  oleum volatile, D.  The  external  rind of the fruit,
and  the volatile oil obtained from the  rind, of Citrus Limonum, L.
E.—of Citrus Medica, D.  Lemon peel, and oil of lemons.—The
lemon-tree has been described in the division Refrigerants.  Oil of
lemons is obtained from  the rind either by distillation or expression ;
the latter is the method usually followed ;  it is imported from Por-
tugal and from France.   It has a pale greenish-yellow colour, the
fragrant  odour of lemons, and a pungent, aromatic taste; density,
0*847.  Its composition is C10H8.   Lemon peel i-s of a yellow col-
our, has  an agreeable, aromatic odour, and a warm, somewhat bit-
ter taste, both of which  are much injured by drying.  Care should
be taken in peeling lemons to  remove only the outer yellow rind;
it  should be dried without  artificial heat, and is best preserved in
well-closed bottles, in alternate  layers, with sugar.  Lemon peel
yields its properties to both alcohol and water.
   Th. E.—Oil of lemons is an aromatic stimulant; it is only used
internally to  give an  agreeable  flavour to  other medicines; as a
topical remedy, it is highly praised by the Germans as a stimulant
in  rheumatic  and scrofulous  ophthalmia, for  which purpose it is
dropped into  the eye.   Lemon peel is employed as a flavouring in-
gredient  in infusions.  The dose of oil of lemons is from min. ij. to
min.  v.

  Mxstiche  D.  L. E.  Mastich.   The resin (Concrete resinous
                             Qa 
306
GENERAL stimulants.
exudation, E.) of Pistacia Lentiscus.—A native  of the  South of
Europe and of the Levant, belonging  to  the natural family Anar-
cadiacea, and to the Linnaean class and order Diopcia Pentandria.
  Mastich exudes from incisions made into the  tree; it is in small,
irregular, yellowish tears, which have  a faint, agreeable odour, and
a warm taste.  It is scarcely ever used at present, but was at one
time much emplloyed  as  an ingredient in dinner pills.   It enters
into  the  composition of the Tinctura Ammonia comp.,  L.  (See
page Zf%.)

  Melissa, E.   Melissa officinalis, herb a, D.   Common Balm.
Herb of Melissa  officinalis.—A native of Central Europe, cultiva-
ted in our gardens;  it belongs to the  natural family Labiata, and
to the Linnaean class and order Didynamia Gymnospermia.
  B. C.—Herbaceous; leaves broadly ovate, crenate, hairy  above, smooth beneath;
flowers white, in one-sided, axillary whorls, shortly pedunculated.
  P. &. C. P.—In the recent state, the  whole herb has an  aromatic,
citron-like odour, much  of  which is lost by drying;  the taste  is
warm  and bitter.   It contains volatile oil, resin, bitter extractive, a
trace of tannin, gum, &c.   It yields its properties to boiling water
by infusion.
  Th. E.—Balm is a mild  aromatic  stimulant,  at present never
used except  as a domestic remedy.   Infusum Melissa;  Balm tea
(prepared by infusing ^j. of the fresh  herb in Oss. of boiling water
lor a quarter of an hour)  is given in doses of from f*ij. to ftiv.

  Mentha piperita, iierba, D. L. E.   Peppermint.   Herb of Men-
tha piperita.—Indigenous, belonging to the natural family Labiata,
and to the Linnaean class and order Didynamia Gymnospermia.
  B.  C.—Root  creeping;  stem smooth, quadrangular;  leaves ovato-lanceolate,
strongly serrated, acute, slightly hairy; flowers violet coloured, in lax, short, inter-
rupted spikes; bracteas lanceolate.
  P. & C. P.—Peppermint has a peculiar, aromatic, to  most per-
sons agreeable odour, and a warm, pungent taste, leaving a pecu-
liar impression of coldness  on the  mouth, which is most marked
during inspiration.   Those properties are due  to a large quanfty
of volatile oil, which exists in small vesicles or glands, chiefly in the
leaves.   This oil, Oleum Mentha  Piperita, D. L.  E., is obtained by
the usual  process of distillation ; the quantity procured varies from
a 200th to a  320th; it is  limpid and colourless, acquiring a green-
ish tint from age, with the odour and taste of the plant in an intense
degree.   It is soluble in alcohol, and agitated with water  it imparts
to it both odour  and taste.   Its density is 0*902; and its composi-
tion C21H20O* (Kane).
  Th. E.—Peppermint is perhaps the  most powerful aromatic stim-
ulant of the  Labiate plants, and, in consequence of its  agreeable
odour  and taste, is  very generally  added to nauseous medicines.
It is also much employed to relieve sickness of the stomach, heart-
burn, and flatulent colic.
   D. & M. of Adm.—Of the volatile oil, min. ij. to min. v. dropped 
general stimulants.
307
on sugar.—Aqua  Mentha piperita, D. L. E.   (" Herb of pepper-
mint, fciss.;  water, sufficient to prevent empyreuma;  distil a gal-
lon,"  D.   " Peppermint, dried, fbij. (or  oil  of peppermint, 3ij.) ;
proof spirit, f^vij.; water, cong. ij.; distil a gallon," L.   " Pepper-
mint, tbiv., if fresh (fbij. if dry) ;  water,  cong. ij.; rectified spirit,
f§nj.; mix, and distil  one gallon," E.)  Employed to relieve flatu-
lent colic, but chiefly as a vehicle  for other  medicines.   Dose, fgj.
to fix].—Spiritus Mentha piperita, D. L.  Sp. Mentha, E.  (" Oii
of peppermint, by  weight, §ss. (3iij., L.); rectified (proof,  L.) spirit,
cong. j.; water, sufficient to prevent empyreuma (Oj.,  L.);  mix,
and with a slow fire distil a gallon," D. L.    " Fresh peppermint,
fbiss.; proceed as for spirit of caraway," E.)   Stimulant and car-
minative.   Dose, f3ss. to f3i.—Essence of peppermint of  the shops
is prepared by dissolving f3i. of the oil in fgi. of rectified spirit; the
dose  is from gtt. xx. to gtt. xxx. on sugar.

  Mentha pulegium,  herba, D. L.  Pulegium, E.  Pennyroyal.
Herb of Mentha  Pulegium.—Indigenous, belonging to the  natural
fumily Labiata, and to the Linnaean class and  order  Didynamia
Gymnospermia.
  B. C—This mint is distinguished by its prostrate stems, and small, frequently
recurved leaves, both of which are thickly covered with short hairs.
  P.  & C.  P.—Pennyroyal has a strong, peculiar, aromatic odour,
and a pungent, somewhat  bitter, cooling taste;  it contains  a vola-
tile oil, on which its properties  depend, and which is obtained by
the usual  process of distillation;  it is of a pale greenish-yellow
colour, with the odour and taste of the plant.   Its density is 0*925,
and its composition C10HeO (Kane).
  Th. E.—Pennyroyal is identical in action  with peppermint, but,
as its odour and taste are not so agreeable, it is much less used.
  D. & M. of Adm.—Oleum Mentha Pulegii, D. L. E.—Spiritus
Mentha Pulegii, L,—Aqua Mentha  Pulegii,  D. L. E.—Essence
of pennyroyal of  the shops, are  all prepared  with pennyroyal in
the same manner as the corresponding preparations of peppermint.
The doses, also, are  the same.

  Mentha viridis, herba, D. L. E.  Spearmint.  Herb of Men-
tha viridis.—Indigenous, belonging to the natural family  Labiata,
and to the Linnasan class and order Didynamia  Gymnospermia.
  B. C—Leaves lanceolate, acute, glabrous, sessile; spikes interrupted, cylindri-
cal, loose ; bracteas setaceous, somewhat hairy, as well as the calyx.
  P. &  C. P.—Spearmint has a strong, peculiar, to  many persons
disagreeable  odour, and a warm, bitter taste, followed  by a sense
of coldness when air is drawn into the mouth; much of those prop-
erties is lost  by drying.  They depend on a volatile oil,  of which
the  fresh herb contains only a 500th  part.   This oil is of a light-
yellow colour, acquiring a reddish-brown tint by age; it  possesses
intensely the odour  and taste of the plant.   Its density  is 0*914,
and its composition C3'H'80 (Kane).
  *TH> E.__Spearmint resembles in its action  peppermint; by some 
308
GENERAL STIMULANTS.
it has been said to repel the secretion of milk, and to act as an em-
menagogue.   As it is neither as powerful nor as agreeable as pep-
permint, it is not so much used.
  D. &  M. of Adm.—Oleum Mentha viridis. D. L. E.—Spiritus
Mentha viridis, D. L.  E.—Aqua Mentha viridis,  D. L. E.—Es-
sence of spearmint of the  shops, are all  prepared with spearmint,
in  the  same  manner  as the corresponding  preparations of pepper-
mint.   The doses, also, are the same.—Infusum Mentha simplex, D.
(Dried spearmint leaves, 3ij.; boiling water, a sufficient quantity to
afford fjvj. of strained liquor.)  Used as a  vehicle for other reme-
dies in an irritable state of the  stomach.  Dose, fjti. to fgij.—Infu-
sum Mentha comp., D.   (Dried spearmint leaves, 3ij.; boiling wa-
ter, a sufficient quantity to afford fgvj. of strained liquor; digest for
half an  hour in a covered vessel, and  strain when cold ; then add,
pure sugar, 3ij.; oil of spearmint, gtt. iij., dissolved  in fgss. of com-
pound  tincture  of cardamoms, and mix.)   Stomachic  and stimu-
lant ;  useful in nausea and flatulent colic, and to conceal the taste
of other medicines.   Dose, f§i. to f^iij.

   Myristica, L. E.   Myristica  oleum, L. E.   Myristica adeps,
E.  Myristica moschata, nucleus, oleum volatile, et  involu-
crum macis dictum. D.   Nutmegs.  Kernel of the fruit and volatile
oil from the kernel, D. L. E.  Involucrum (arillus) of the nut (mace),
D.  And concrete expressed  oil (oil of mace) from the kernel of the
fruit, Vj.—of Myristica moschata, D. L.—of Myristica officinalis,
E.—A native of the Molucca Islands, belonging to the natural fam-
ily Myristicacea and to the Linnaean class and order Diaecia Mo-
nadelphia.
  B. C.—A tree, 20 to 30 feet high; leaves aromatic, oblong, acuminate, smooth,
simply nerved ; flowers pale  yellow, in axillary racemes ; fruit pyriform, about the
size of a peach, smooth, dehiscing by two nearly equal longitudinal valves, and ex-
posing the fleshy, scarlet  arillus {mace), closely embracing the shell, within which
it contained the kernel (the nutmeg).

   P. & C. P.—Nutmegs and mace are too well known to require
description ; they* are imported from the Moluccas.   They have a
peculiar, fragrant, powerful   odour, and a warm, aromatic taste.
Nutmegs consist of 31*0 per cent, of fat butyraceous fixed oil, 6 of
volatile  oil, 2*4 of starch,  1*2 of gum, 0*8 of acid, and 54 of lignin
(Bonastre).   The volatile  oil, Oleum Myristica, D. L. E., is obtain-
ed by distillation ; it  is  usually imported.  It is colourless or  slight-
ly yellow, of a rather  viscid consistence, and  has  the  odour  and
taste  of nutmegs.  Its  density is  0*948.  The fixed oil, Myristica
Aic} s, E., oil of mace,  is procured by exposing bruised nutmegs to
the vapour of boiling water, and  pressing between  heated plates of
fron; it is imported  in large rectangular cakes, covered with the
leaves  of some monocotyledonous  plants.  It is a soft solid, of a
reddish-yellow colour, with  the  odour and taste of nutmegs.   It
consists of an aromatic volatile oil, mixed with three fats, two of
 which  are readily dissolved by alcohol, and the third which is thus
 separated has been named myristicine.   Mace is composed of vol- 
general stimulants.
309
atile oil, red fat oil soluble in alcohol, yellow fat oil insoluble in al-
cohol, alcoholic extractive, amidin, lignin, &c.  Nutmegs and mace
impart both odour and taste to boiling water; but they yield their
active properties more completely to alcohol.
  Adulterations.—Nutmegs from which the volatile oil has been
obtained are sometimes mixed with good nutmegs, the holes which
were  bored in  them  being stopped  up with powdered sassafras.
This fraud  is seldom attempted in the present day ; it may be de-
tected by the lightness of the  nutmeg.  Those nutmegs which are
round, plump, heavy,  and  not worm-eaten, should be chosen.
  Th.  E.—Nutmegs  are  agreeable, aromatic stimulants, chiefly
used as flavouring ingredients.   Taken in large quantity, they
prove narcotic, and, consequently*, their use  should be avoided by
those who  have an apoplectic or paralytic  tendency.   The fixed
oil has been employed externally as a stimulant in chronic rheuma-
tism and paralysis.  Mace is not used in medicine;  its properties
are similar  to those of nutmegs.
  D. & M. of Adm.—In substance, gr. x. to gr. xxx.—Oleum My-
ristica, D.  L. E.   Min. j.  to min. v., dropped on sugar.—Spiritus
nucis Moschata, D.   Sp. Myristica, L. E.    (Nutmegs, bruised, §ij.
(giiss., L. E.) ; proof  spirit, cong. j.; water, sufficient  to  prevent
empyreuma (Oj., L. E.) ; mix  (macerate for 24 hours, D.), and
(with a slow fire, L.) distil a gallon.)   Stimulant and aromatic; an
excellent addition to cathartic mixtures, to prevent griping.  It may
be prepared extemporaneously by dissolving min xx. of the volatile
oil in  fix. of proof spirit.   Dose, f3i. to f3iv.

  Olibanum, D. L.   Gum-resin of Boswellia Serrata.—A  hand-
some, lofty  tree, a native of Coromandel and other parts of the East
Indies, belonging to the natural family Anacardiacea, and to the
Linnaean class and order Decandria Monogynia.
  Olibanum is met with in the form of irregularly-rounded, whitish
or yellowish tears, semi-transparent, powdery on the surface ; they
have  a fragrant odour, and  an aromatic, somewhat bitter  taste.
They consist principally of volatile oil and resin, and are insoluble
in either water or alcohol.   This substance is the true frankincense
of the ancients;  it possesses mildly stimulant properties, but  in the
present day is only employed as a fumigating agent.  The dose for
internal use would be from 3ss. to 3i., made  into an emulsion with
yolk of egg or with mucilage.

  Origanum, L. E. Origanum vulgare, oleum ex herba, D.  Ori-
ganum majorana,  herba, D   Herb (Volatile oil, D.) of Origanum
vulgare, D. L. E.   Herb of Origanum Mojorana, D.—O. vulgare,
the common marjoram, is an indigenous plant, belonging to the
natural family Labiata, and to the Linnaean  class and order Didy-
namia Gymnospermia.  O. Majorana, or sweet marjoram, is a na-
tive of Africa  and of Asia, and is commonly cultivated in  Great
Britain as a pot-herb.
  P. & C.  P.__Both  plants have a peculiar, aromatic odour, that 
•110
GENERAL STIMULANTS.
of the latter being much stronger, and a warm, pungent taste ; these
properties chiefly depend on volatile oil.—Oleum  Origani, D. L.,
Oil of Marjoram, Oil of Thyme, is obtained from Origanum vulgare
by the usual process of distillation.   It is of a reddish colour, be-
coming darker by  age, and has the odour and  taste of the herb
Its  density is 0*867, and  its composition C60H4°O.   A  hundred-
weight of the plant yields, on  an average,  from  8  to 10 ounces
of oil.
  Til E.—The marjorams possess the aromatic, stimulant proper-
ties of the Labiate  plants generally.   In  the present day they are
but seldom used in medicine ; the oil may  be given in doses of from
min. j. to min. iij. dropped on sugar.  It is sometimes employed to
relieve the toothache, dropped on  cotton  and placed in the hollow
of a carious  tooth.   Dissolved in  olive oil, it is used as a stimula-
ting embrocation.

  Pimenta, D. L. E.   Pimento; Allspice; Jamaica pepper.  Fruit
(dried unripe berries, L.) of Myrtus Pimenta, D. L.   Unripe ber-
ries of Eugenia Pimenta, E.—A native of the West Indies, belong-
ing to the natural family Myrtacea,  and to the Linnaean class and
order Icosandria Monogynia.
  B. C.—A handsome tree, about 30 feet high ; leaves oblong, pellucid-dotted, about
4 inches long ; flowers numerous, greenish yellow, in terminal bunches or panicles;
berry succulent, dark purple when ripe,  2-seeded.
  P. & C. P.—Pimento is in the form of round blackish berries,
rough, umbilicated  with the  persistent teeth of the calyx,   The
odour  resembles a  mixture of cloves,  cinnamon, and  nutmegs,
whence the name allspice ; the taste is  pungent and aromatic, like
that of cloves.   Those properties depend  principally on volatile oil,
of which Bonastre obtained  10 per cent, from the husk, and only 5
per cent, from the kernel.   This oil, Oleum  Pimenta, D. L. E., is
obtained from the berries by the usual process of distillation; it is
of a yellowish colour when first  drawn, but soon acquires a reddish
tint; it has the peculiar odour of allspice, and a burning, aromatic
taste.   Oil of allspice of commerce  is heavier than water, its den-
sity being about  1*020.  It is a mixture  of a heavy and light oil,
which  may be obtained separately by distillation with  solution of
potash, as the former forms crystalline compounds with the alkalies.
Pimento  communicates both odour and taste to boiling water, but
it yields its properties more completely to alcohol.
  Th.  E.—Pimento is an aromatic stimulant, not much employed
in medicine.   Its preparations  are  chiefly used to  communicate
warmth and  flavour to other substances.
  D. & M.  of Adm.—In  substance, from 3ss. to  3j.—Oleum  Pi-
menta, D. L. E., min. ij. to min. v.—Spiritus Pimenta, I). L. E.
(Pimento, bruised, "tiij. (§iiss., L.;  fbss., E.); proceed as  for spirit
of nutmeg. D. L. ; as for spirit of caraway,  E.)   Dose, f3j. to foij.
—Aqua  Pimenta,  D. L.  E.   ("  Pimento,  bruised,  fbss.;  water,
sufficient to  prevent empyreuma ;  macerate for 24  hours, and distil
a gallon," D.  " Pimento, bruised, fbi. (or oil of pimento, 3ij., L.); 
general stimulants.
311
proof (rectified, E.) spirit,  f*vij. (fgiij., E.): water, cong. ij. ; mix,
and distil a gallon," L. E.)   Carminative  and stimulant; used in
the flatulent colic of children, and as a vehicle for other medicines.
Dose, f|i. to fgij.

  Piper  lonuum, D. L. E.  Long pepper.  Dried spikes (dried
unripe fruit, L.; seeds, D.) of Piper Longum.—A native of India,
belonging to  the natural  family Piperacea, and to the  Linnaean
class and order Diandria  Trigynia.
  B. C.—A small shrubby climber; leaves alternate, petiolate, ovato-cordate ; flow-
ers small, closely set on the axillary spadices.
  P. & C. P.—Long pepper consists of the spadices, which are
gathered before they are fully ripe, and dried in  the sun.  As met
with in commerce,  they are of a grayish colour, hard, about an inch
and a half in length, cylindrical, striated diagonally on their surface.
They have a somewhat aromatic odour, and a very pungent, spicy
taste.  The composition of long pepper is almost identical with that
of black  pepper.  (See next article.)
  Th. E.—This pepper is somewhat more acrid than Piper nigrum,
but it may be employed in the same cases.  Dose,  gr. v. to  3i.

  Piper  nigrum, D. L. E.   Black pepper.  Dried unripe berries
(berries,  L. ? seeds, D.) of Piper Nigrum.—A native of the conti-
nent of India, cultivated in the East and West India Islands ; it be-
longs to  the  natural family Piperacea, and to the Linnaean  class
and order Diandria Trigynia.
  B. C.—Stem shrubby, climbing, 8 to 12 feet long, jointed, dichotomous; leaves
elliptical, acuminate, 5 to 7 nerved; flowers whitish, small, covering thickly a cy-
lyndrical, pendulous spadix;  fruit distinct, at first green, changing as it ripens to
bright red, and, finally, to black.
  P. P.—Before the berries on each spike  have all changed to red,
tney are collected and dried in the  sun, to  constitute black pepper.
White  pepper is procured by soaking the fully ripe seeds in water,
so as to enable the  outer husk to be  afterward removed by rubbing.
Black pepper consists of small spherical bodies, blackish and rough
externally, whitish within,  consisting of the outer  wrinkled tegu-
ment, surrounding  the  hard, smooth seed.  It  has a strong, pecu-
liar,  aromatic odour, and a very pungent, acrid taste.
  C. P.__Black pepper is composed of a neutral  crystalline princi-
ple, which has been named Piper in, of a very acrid, soft resin, bal-
samic volatile oil, extractive, gum,  bassorin, starch, malic  and tar-
taric acids, &c.  The active principles  are the piperin, resin, and
volatile oil.   Piperin may be readily prepared by Pontet's  process,
as follows:  " Prepare an  alcoholic extract of black pepper, digest
in a  solution of caustic potash, and agitate with  water; filter  and
wash carefully with water what remains on the filter; dissolve it
in warm alcohol, and crystallize by cooling." As usually met with,
piperin is a dark-yellow, resinous-looking substance, but it may be
obtained in transparent, colourless, four-sided prisms ; it is tasteless
and  inodorous, is insoluble in  cold water, dissolves sparingly in 
312
GENERAL STIMULANTS.
 boiling water or cold alcohol, but is very soluble in boiling alcohol;
 it melts at 212° ; it is a neutral principle; its composition is C34H"
 ON.  Black pepper imparts its properties partially to water, but
 more completely to alcohol.
   Th. E.—Pepper is an acrid, aromatic stimulant, in general use
 as a spice. It also possesses remarkable febrifuge properties, which
 reside in the piperin.  This substance  has been employed  with
 much  success in the treatment of ague, and has succeeded in many
 instances in effecting a cure  in cases where quina and other reme-
 dies have failed.   An interesting account of the employment of pi-
 perin in the treatment of intermittent fevers in the Island of Trini-
 dad, by Dr. Hartle, has  been  published in the 55th vol. of the Edin-
 burgh Medical Journal.  As  a stimulant, black pepper will be found
 a useful addition to bitters in atony of the digestive organs; exter-
 nally it is used in the form of ointment to  chronic diseases of the
 scalp,  and as an adjunct to rubefacient cataplasms.
   D. & M. of Adm.—In  substance, gr. v. to gr. xx.—Piperin is
 given  in  doses of gr. iij.  to gr.  v. every hour until  gr. xviij. have
 been taken.  It may be made into pill with mucilage  or conserve
 of roses.—Confectio Piperis Nigri, D. L.  E.   (Black pepper and
 elecampane  root (liquorice root,  E.), of each,  fbi.; fennel seeds,
 ibiij.;  honey  and white sugar, of each, fbij.;  rub the dry ingredients
 together to a very fine  powder; "add water, fbj.; and beat into a
 uniform mass," D.  " Keep in a covered vessel, and whenever the
 confection is to be used, the  honey being added, pound them until
 they are  thoroughly  incorporated," L.   " Beat the  whole  into a
"uniform  mass," E.)   This preparation  was  introduced  into  the
 Pharmacopoeias as a substitute for a quack  medicine  called Wards
paste for piles.   It will be found  useful in hemorrhoids occurring
 in the  weak and debilitated.   Dose, 3i. to 3ij.; to derive any bene-
 fit from its use, it must be persevered in for two or three months.—
 Unguentum Piperis Nigri, D.  (Prepared  hog's lard, fbj.; black
 pepper, in powder, §iv.;  make into an ointment.)  At one time
 highly praised as a remedy for chronic diseases of the  scalp.—Ru-
 befacient  Cataplasm, Paris Codex.   (Barley-meal,  "*iv.;  vinegar
 I'l.; whites of three eggs ;  water, sufficient  to make a cataplasm of
 a proper consistence ; spread  on linen, and sprinkle over it an ounce
 and a half each of black pepper and of fennel in fine powder.)  A
 speedy rubefacient.

  Porrum, L.  The Leek.  Bulb of Allium Porrum.—A native of
 Egypt, cultivated in our gardens; it belongs to the natural family
 Liliacea,  and to the Linnaean class and  order Hexandria Mono-
gynia.  The leek is never used in medicine, although retained ip
 the London Pharmacopoeia.

  Potassii sulphuretum, L. E.  Potassa  sulphuretum, D.   Sul-
phuret of Potassium.   Liver of Sulphur.
  P. P.—This preparation occurs in various-sized pieces, of a liver-
 brown colour, hard and fragile; inodorous when quite free from 
GENERAL STIMULANTS.
313
moisture, but  emitting the  disagreeable odour of sulphuretted hy-
drogen when  moistened.   It has an acrid, bitter, alkaline taste.
  C. P.—It is a mixture of 3 eq. of tersulphuret of potassium, and
1 of sulphate  of potash (3 KS3+KO, SO3).  By exposure  to the
air it deliquesces, attracts oxygen, and is all converted into sulphate
of potash, becoming white  and inodorous.   It is readily soluble in
wnUr;  the solution is of a  yellow colour, and highly alkaline.
  Prep.—D. L. E.  "Carbonate of potash, *fiv. (4 parts, D.); sublimed sulphur, "fj.
(1 part, D.); rub them together; and in a covered crucible place them on a fire
(the heat being gradually increased, D.) until they unite."  (Preserve in well-closed
vessels. D.  Break to pieces, and keep in well-closed bottles, E.)
  Th. E.—In large doses, sulphuret of potassium acts as a power-
ful  narcotico-acr.d poison, a  few drachms  producing death, with
convulsions and tetanic  spasms.   In small  doses it  operates  as a
o-eneral stimulant, and as such is employed on the Continent in the
advanced stages  of hoopingcough, in chronic rheumatism,  in re-
bellious skin diseases, &c.; but in Great  Britain it is rarely used  as
an  internal remedy.   As a topical  remedy, it is applied  dissolved
in water in the form of  lotion or bath, or made into an ointment
with axunge  in chronic  cutaneous diseases, principally those  of a
scaly character, and in  the obstinate eruptions which  affect  the
scalp.
   D. & M. of  Adm.—For internal  use, gr. iij. to gr. x., dissolved
in some aromatic water  and sweetened with sirup.—Potassa sul-
phureti aqua, D.  (Washed sulphur, 1 part; water of caustic pot-
ash, 11 parts; boil for ten  minutes and filter  through paper;  pre-
serve the liquor in well-closed  vessels; its specific gravity is 1*117.)
This preparation is similar to that formed by dissolving  sulphuret
of potash in water.  Dose,  min. x. to l3i., diluted with water.—Bal-
neum Sulphuratum, Rayer.   (Sulphuret of potassium, "tiv.; tepid
 water, cong. xxx.; dissolve in wooden vessels.)  This may be em-
 ployed  as  a local or general  bath in skin  diseases.— Unguentum
 Potassii Sulphureti, Devergie.   (Solution of  sulphuret of potash,
 12  parts;  carbonate of potash, 8  parts ;  axunge, 30  parts ; mix.)
 For scabies and other cutaneous diseases.
   INC()MP.—The acids, and most metallic solutions.
   In cases  of poisoning with  this substance, the best antidotes are
solutions of chlorinated  lime  or chlorinated  soda, with  emollient
drinks.

   Rosmarinus, L.  E.   Rosmarinus officinalis,  cacumina, D.
Rosemary.   The  tops of Rosmarinus officinalis.—A native  of the
South of Europe, belonging to the natural  family Labiata, and to
the LinnEean  class and order Diandria Monogynia.
  B rj___^ s>irub  6 to 8 feet high; leaves evergreen, sessile, lanceolate, revolute
at the edge glabrous on the upper surface, tomentose beneath;  flowers pale blue,
in small spikes at the extremities of the young branches.
  p^Q   p__The dried tops have an aromatic, agreeable odour,
somewhat  resembling peppermint,  and a  warm, pungent, bitter
taste   These properties depend chiefly on  volatile oil, of  which a
pound of the fresh plant yields about one drachm.  This oil, Oleum
'                             R R 
314
GENERAL STIMULANTS.
Rosmarini, D. L. E., is  obtained  by the  usual process of distilla-
tion ; it is limpid  and  colourless, with  the odour  and  taste of the
herb in an intense  degree.   Its density is 0'897, and its composi-
tion C45II"802 (Kane).   Rosemary tops communicate  their odour
to boiling water, but more completely to spirit.
   Adulterations.—Oil  of rosemary is often adulterated with oil of
turpentine ; the fraud may be detected by the odour when dropped
on a heated spatula, or by its not being completely soluble in alcohol.
   Th.  E.—Rosemary possesses the aromatic, stimulant properties
of the  Labiate  plants  before described, and  may be used for the
same purposes.   The oil is frequently  added  to  stimulating lini-
ments,  principally on account of its odour.
   D. & M. of Adm.—Oleum Rosmarini,  D. L. E., min. ij. to min.
v. dropped on  sugar.—Spiritus  Rosmarini, D. L.  E.   (" Fresh
rosemary tops,  ibiss.; proof spirit, cong. j.;  distil with a medium
heat tbv.,"  D.  "Oil of  rosemary,  3ij.;  rectified spirit, cong. j.;
water,  Oj.; mix, and with a slow fire distil a gallon," L.  " Rose-
mary,  fbij.; proceed as for spirit of lavender," E.)   Seldom  used
internally.   Dose, min. x. to min. xx.

   Sabadilla.—Cevadilla (described in the division Anthelmintics)
is a  powerful stimulant,  and as such is used in the form of tincture
as an external application in chronic rheumatism and paralysis, and
over the region of the heart in  hysterical and nervous palpitations.
The powder of the seeds is employed to  destroy  pediculi; but its
application is not unattended with danger, especially if the skin be
broken.  The active principle of cevadilla, as before mentioned, is
veratria, and it  was principally as a means of affording that alka-
loid  that it was introduced into the  London  and Edinburgh Phar-
macopoeias.   The following are  the processes directed to be fol-
lowed :

  Veratria.t—Lond. " Cevadilla, bruised, Ibij.; rectified spirit, cong. iij.; diluted
sulphuric acid, solution of ammonia, purified animal charcoal, and magnesia, of each,
a sufficiency ; boil the cevadilla with a gallon of the spirit for an hour in a retort, to
which a receiver is fitted.   Pour off the liquor, and again boil what remains with
another gallon of spirit, and the spirit recently distilled, and pour off the liquor; and
let it be done a third time.  Press the cevadilla, and let the spirit distil from the
mixed and strained liquors.  Evaporate what remains to the proper consistence of
an extract.  Boil this three or more times in water, to which a little diluted sul-
phuric acid is added, and with a gentle heat evaporate the mixed liquors to the prop-
er consistence of a sirup.  To this, when  cold, put in the magnesia to saturation,
frequently  shaking  them ; then press  and wash.  Let this be done two or three
times ; then dry what remains, and digest with a gentle heat in spirit two or three
times, and strain as often.   Afterward let the spirit distil.  Boil the  residue in wa-
ter to which a little sulphuric acid and animal charcoal are added, for a quarter of
an hour,  and strain.  Lastly, the charcoal  being thoroughly washed, evaporate the
mixed liquors cautiously till they have the consistence of a sirup, and add to them
as much  ammonia as may be sufficient to throw down the Veratria.  Wash and dry
it."  Edin. " Take any convenient quantity of cevadilla ; pour boiling water over it
in a covered vessel, and let it macerate for 24 hours ; remove the cevadilla, squeeze
it, and dry it thoroughly with a gentle heat.  Beat it now in a mortar, and separate
the seeds from the capsules by brisk agitation in a deep, narrow vessel.  Grind the
seeds in  a coffee-mill, and form them into a thick paste with rectified spirit.   Pack
this firmly in a percolator, and pass rectified spirit through it till the spirit ceases to
be coloured.  Concentrate the spirituous solutions by distillation so  long as no de- 
GENERAL STIMULANTS.
315
posite forms, and pour the residuum, while hot, into 12 times its volume of cold
water.  Filter through calico, and wash the residuum  on the filter so long as the
washings precipitate with ammonia.  Collect  this precipitate on a filter, wash it
slightly with cold water, and dry it, first by imbibition with filtering paper, and then in
the vapour-bath.  A small additional quantity may be got by concentrating the filter-
ed ammoniacal fluid and allowing it to cool.  Veratria thus obtained is not pure, but
sufficiently so for medical use.  From this coloured substance it may be obtained
white, but at considerable loss, by solution in very weak muriatic acid, decoloriza-
tion with animal charcoal, and reprecipitation with ammonia."
  P. P.—Veratria is  an uncrystallizable solid, pulverulent, as met
with in commerce of a grayish-white  colour, but it may be obtain-
ed perfectly  white.  It  has an intensely  acrid taste, and is said  to
be inodorous, but the smallest quantity applied to the lining mem-
brane of the nostrils provokes  violent  sneezing.
  C. P.—It is composed of C34H21N06. It is not volatile, nor alter-
ed by exposure to the air ; it fuses at 230°, and  cools into a trans-
Darent, yellowish mass.  It reacts alkaline, is insoluble in cold wa-
ter, requires 1000 parts of boiling water for its solution,  is sparing-
ly soluble in  ether, but very soluble in alcohol.  It  forms salts
with the  acids, of which the  muriate and the sulphate are alone
crystallizable.
   Th. E.—In large doses, veratria operates  as a powerful irritant
poison, causing inflammation of the stomach and intestines when
swallowed, and if applied to  the surface of the body, producing
much  irritation.  Its  action  in small  or  medicinal doses does not
appear to be well  understood, but it would seem  to act as a gen-
eral stimulant, increased action of the intestines, the kidneys, and
the capillaries of the skin often succeeding its administration.   Its
use in  medicine has been hitherto confined to  neuralgic diseases, for
the treatment of which it was  first introduced as an external appli-
cation by Dr. Turnbull.  But the experience of numerous physi-
cians who have tried it on his  recommendation not coinciding with
his extravagant praises of the  remedy, it has fallen into  disrepute.
   D. & M.  of Adm.—Pulvis  Sabadilla, gr. j. to gr. v.—Tinctura
Sabadilla.   (Cevadilla seeds,  freed from their capsules, according
to  the  directions of the Edin. Phar. for preparing veratria, and
bruised, any quantity; rectified spirit, as  much as will cover them;
macerate for ten days, express, and filter.)  For external use as  an
embrocation.—Extractum Sabadilla.   (Evaporate the tincture with
a gentle  heat to a proper consistence.)  Dose, gr. { to gr. \, grad-
ually increased.   This extract may be advantageously  substituted
for  veratria.—Veratria, L. E.  Dose, gr. -??, increased very cau-
tiously.  For an embrocation, 3i. of  the alkaloid may be dissolved
>n fix. of rectified spirit.— Unguentum Veratria, Turnbull.   (Ve-
ratria, 3ss.; olive oil, 3j.; prepared lard, §i.; mix.)—Tinctura Ve-
ratria, Magendie.   (Veratria, gr. iv.;  rectified  spirit, fji.; mix.)
Dose, min. v. to min. xv.
   In poisoning with  veratria, the treatment  is the same as in poi-
soning with colchicum.   (See page 95)

   Scrophularia nodosa, folia. D.  Figwort.   Leaves of Scroph-
ularia  nodosa.—Indigenous, belonging to  the   natural  family 
316
GENERAL stimulants.
Schrophulariacea, and to the Linnaean class and order Didynamia
Angiospermia.
  B. C.—Root large, thick, knotty; stem obscurely four-angled, 2 to 3 feet high;
leaves heart-shaped, acute, glabrous ; flowers greenish-purple, in axillary and ter-
minal panicles.  The leaves of this plant are only used in medicine for preparing
the following ointment: Unguentum Scrophularia, D.   (Fresh leaves of scrophularia
nodosa, prepared hog's lard, of each, Ibij. ; prepared mutton suet, fbj.; boil the leaves
in the fat until they become crisp, and then strain, with expression.)  This ointment
was introduced into the Pharmacopoeia on the authority of Dr. Whitley Stokes, as
a remedy for some of the forms of Pemphigus and other chronic cutaneous diseases,
but it has nearly fallen into disuse

   Serpentaria, L. E. Aristolochia serpentaria, radix, D.  Vir-
ginia snakeroot    Root of Aristolochia  Serpentaria.—A native of
North  America, belonging to the natural family Aristolochiaceoz,
and to the Linmean class and order Gynandria Hexandria.
  B. C.—Stem simple, flexuous, 8 to 10 inches high; leaves alternate, cordiform.
acuminate, slightly pubescent; flowers solitary, reddish-brown.
   P. P.—As imported, serpentaria root consists of a  tufted head,
with numerous attached radicles of a yellowish-brown colour exter-
nally, whitish within, with a short  resinous fracture.  The odoui
is aromatic, like that of valerian, and the taste warm  and camphor
aceous.
   C. P.—It consists of volatile oil, soft resin, bitter extractive, gum,
albumen,  starch, and  some  salts.   It yields its properties to water
and to alcohol.
   Til E.—Virginia snakeroot, although at  one time  in  great  re-
pute, is seldom employed in the present d;iy.   It appears to act as
a general stimulant, and as such was used in typhoid fevers, in  in-
termittents, in gangrenous affections, in amenorrhcea of the debilita-
ted, &c.
   D. & M. of Adm.—In  powder, gr. x. to 3ss.—Infusum Serpen-
taria, L.  E.   (Serpentaria,  gss. ; bo ling (d st lied. L.) water. Oj.;
macerate (infuse, E.) for 4 hours in a (lightly, L.) covered vessel,
and strain.)   Dose, f*i.  to  f^ij.—Tinctura Serpentaria.  D.  L.  E.
(" Serpentaria. bruised (and shced, D.), ** ij. (§;iiss.. L.); proof spirit,
by measure, fbij. (Oij., L.) ; macerate for 7 (14, L.) days, and filter,"
D. L.   " Serpentaria, in moderately fine powdev, giiiss.;  cochineal,
bruised, 3i.;  proof spirit, Oj. ; proceed by percolation  or digestion
as for tincture of Cinchona," E.)  Dose, fsj.  to fsij.

   Sod^e chlorinate  liouor, L.   Solution  of Chloride of Soda.
Chlorinated Soda ; Hypochlorite of Soda ; Disinfecting  liquor.
   P- P.—This solution is of a yellow colour, with a strong odour
of chlorine, and a sharp, astringent taste.
   C. P.—Its precise composition h;;s not been ascertained, but it is
generally supposed to be  a  m.xture of hypochlorite of soda, bicar-
bonate  of soda, and chloride of sodium. * Exposed to the air, chlo-
rine escapes, and  crystals of the carbonate of soda are gradually
deposited.  By evaporation  with  a  gentle heat crvstals are obtain-
ed, which, by solution  in water,  afford a l.quid with the  ame prop-
erties.  It bleaches veg; t;;hle colours, first acting as  an alkali on 
GENERAL  STIMULANTS.                   317
them.   This solution may be distinguished from solution of chlori-
nated lime by its not precipitating with the oxalates or carbonates.
  Prep.—"Carbonate of soda, fbi. ; distilled water, fjxlviij.; chloride of sodium,
?-iv.;  binoxyde of manganese, giij.;  sulphuric acid, jiv.;  dissolve the carbonate of
soda in Oij. of water; then put the chloride of sodium and binoxyde of manganese,
rubbed to powder, into a retort; and add to them the sulphuric acid, previously mix-
ed with f-fiij. of water, and cooled.  Apply heat to the retort, and pass the chlorine
first through fgv of water, and afterward into the solution of carbonate of soda above
iirected," L.
   Th. E.—This solution agrees precisely in its properties with hy-
pochlorite of lime, and is  employed for the same  purposes.   (See
page 289.)   For destroying noxious effluvia, it is to be preferred to
that substance, as the salt, chloride of sodium, which is left does not
deliquesce ; while chloride of calcium is very deliquescent.  The
dose for internal use is min. xx. to min. xxx. in a sufficiency of wa
ter, which may be sweetened with sirup.
   [Labarraque's solution of the chloride of sodium is much employ-
ed in France, and  has recently been  introduced  into  American
practice, in doses of 10 to  20 drops 3 times a day, as a remedy for
gout, and with very encouraging results.  It is  prepared as follows:
Take 2 parts of peroxyde of manganese,  8 parts of chlorohydric
acid, 15 parts of chlor. of soda, and 60 parts  of water.   Dissolve
the salt  in  the  water, filter, and  impregnate  the solution with the
chlorine gas,]

   Sod^e murias, D. E.   Sodii chloridum, L.  Common salt.  Chlo-
ride of sodium.   Muriate  of soda.  (Impure  commercial chloride
of sodium, E.)
   P. P.—Chloride of sodium crystallizes  in transparent, colourless
cubes;  it has an agreeable, saline taste, but no odour.  Its density
is 2*557.
   C. P.—It is composed of 1 eq.  of sodium, and 1 of chlorine (Na
CI).   It contains no water of crystallization, but heated it decrepi-
tates, owing to some being mechanically lodged between the tables
of the crystals.   Exposed to a bright red heat, it fuses, and at a
white heat volatilizes unchanged.  It is permanent in the air when
quite pure;  it is equally soluble  in  cold  and boiling water, requi-
ring 2*7 parts  of water for its solution.   It is  insoluble in absolute
alcohol, but rectified spirit dissolves it slightly.   It is neutral to test
paper.
  pREP.—Chloride of sodium is an article of the Materia Medica in the three Brit-
ish Pharmacopoeias.  On the large scale, it is procured by dissolving and crystal-
lizing rock salt, or by evaporating sea-water or the water of some mineral springs,
in which it is contained in large quantities.  The Edinburgh College has given a
formula for purifying commercial salt: Soda murias purum, E.  " Take any conve-
nient quantity of muriate of soda, dissolve it in boiling water; filter the solution and
boil it down over the fire, skimming off the crystals which form, wash the crystals
quickly with cold water, and dry them."
   Adulterations.—As met with in Great Britain, common salt does
not contain any impurity which can interfere  with its use for gen-
eral  or pharmaceutical purposes.  Owing to the presence of chlo-
ride of magnesium, it is frequently slightly deliquescent.  The tests 
318
GENERAL STIMULANTS.
for its impurity, as given  by the Edinburgh College, are as fol-
lows: "A solution  is not precipitated by solution of carbonate of
ammonia followed by solution of phosphate of soda.  A solution
of gr. ix. in distilled water is not entirely precipitated by a solution
of gr. xxvj. of nitrate of silver."
   Th. E.—Chloride of sodium, taken internally in moderate quan-
tity, acts as a mild stimulant to the digestive organs, promoting the
assimilation of the  food ; on which  account, as well as in conse-
quence  of its  agreeable flavour, it is used generally by man in all
parts of the world as an adjunct to nearly every substance employ-
ed by him as an article of diet.  It is also said to prove servicea-
ble to the alimentary canal, inasmuch as it prevents  the generation
of intestinal worms, to which those  who  use little or no salt with
their  food are very subject.   In somewhat larger doses, it acts as
a  mild  cathartic, forming a principal  ingredient in  many mineral
waters, in which  it augments the operation of the  other  laxative
salts.  It also proves emetic in doses of one or two ounces; and
in one instance, a pound of it taken  at once has occasioned death,
with  all the symptoms of irritant poisoning.   Applied to the sur-
face of  the body, it  acts as a local stimulant, producing rubefaction.
Chloride of sodium  is not much employed in medicine ; as an emet-
ic, it may be administered  in narcotic poisoning, in the absence of
other substances; as a cathartic, it  is not given alone, but is ad-
vantageously combined with the other saline cathartics (see page
105) ; as an anthelmintic, a  strong solution has been injected into
the rectum to  destroy ascarides; as a general stimulant, it is used
in some forms of dyspepsia, and in scrofulous and other glandular
enlargements;  and as a topical agent, it  is added to both hot and
cold baths, when they are intended  to act as local stimulants.   In
America, a saturated solution of common salt is employed  with
much success  as a lotion in  chronic granular ophthalmia.   In chol-
era, and some other diseases in which  the saline constituents of the
blood are deficient, a solution consisting of 3ij. of the muriate, and
3ij. of  carbonate of soda dissolved in fglx. of water, has been  in-
jected into  the veins, but the results were not more successful than
those which followed other methods of treatment.
   D. & M. of Adm.—As a stimulant, gr. x. to 3i.   As an  emetic,
§i. to gij., dissolved  in Oj. of water.  For  baths, fbj.  to fbij. may be
added to from cong. iij. to cong. v. of cither cold or warm  water.
   Incomp.—Nitrate of silver.

   Staphisagria,  L.  E.  Delphinium  Staphisagria,  semina,  D.
Stavesacre.  Seeds  of Delphinium Staphisagria.—A native of the
South of Europe, belonging to the  natural family Ranunculacea,
and to the  Linnaean class and order Polyandria Trigynia.
  B. 0.—-Stem cylindrical, branching, downy, about 2 feet high; leaves  alternate,
broad, palmated, smooth on the upper, downy on the under surface ; flowers purple,
in lax racemes.
   P. & C. P.—Stavesacre  seeds are about the  size  of a small pea,
irregularly triangular, compressed, dark brown ; they have a faint, 
GENERAL STIMULANTS.
319
unpleasant odour, and a very acrid, bitter  taste.   Their acridity
depends upon an uncrystallizable alkaloid, delphinia, which consti-
tutes  more than 8 per cent, of the seed.  They yield their active
properties to boiling water, but  more completely  to alcohol  or  to
vinegar.
  Th. E.—Stavesacre is a powerful irritant, at one time used  in
medicine as an emetic and anthelmintic, but at present only em-
ployed for the destruction of pediculi.  An ointment, prepared by
mixing the powdered seeds with four times their weight of lard,  or
an infusion of the bruised  seeds in vinegar, may be used for this
purpose.   Delphinia has been recently employed by Dr. Turnbull,
of London, in rheumatic and neuralgic affections.   The dose of it
is from T^ to \ of a grain, frequently repeated.
  In  cases of poisoning with  stavesacre or its alkaloid, the  treat-
ment  is the same as in poisoning with colchicum.   (See page 95.)

  Sulphur (described in the division Cathartics), in  small  doses
frequently repeated, acts as a stimulant to the cutaneous vessels, and
is therefore administered with much benefit in chronic diseases of
the skin, particularly scabies, for which, however, it is more gen-
erally employed as an external application.   The curative powers
of sulphur in this disease appear to be specific, but it has been re-
cently stated that it  acts as a poison to a small insect (Sarcoptes
hominis of Raspail) which has been discovered to  exist in the pus-
tules of itch, and by  which it is believed by many that the disease
is produced.   Whatever may be its modus operandi, sulphur  is un-
doubtedly more generally successful in the cure of scabies than any
other  substance which has been hitherto employed.  Sulphur  is
also used as an external application in many other  cutaneous  erup-
tions,  particularly in  lepra  and psoriasis, in  which, in the form of
vapour, sulphur vapour-bath, its use is  productive of the best re-
sults.   The dose of sulphur as a stimulant is from gr. x. to gr.  xxx.;
it may be  given in the form of electuary made with treacle or with
sirup.  For external application, either of the following ointments
may be used : Unguentum  Sulphuris, D. L. E.  (" Prepared lard,
Ibiv. (§iv., E.) ; sulphur,  fbj. (^j., E.); rub the sulphur to fine  pow-
der, and mix well with the lard," D. E.  " Sulphur, §iij.; lard,  fbss.;
oil of  bergamot, min. xx.; mix," L.)—Unguentum Sulphuris comp.,
L.  (Sulphur,  fbss.;  white hellebore, powdered,  **ij. ; nitrate of
potash, 3i.; soft soap, Ibss. ; lard, tbiss.; oil of bergamot, min. xxx.;
mix.)   This latter ointment often proves very irritating.

  Terebinthina oleum.—Oil of turpentine  (described in the di-
vision Anthelmintics), administered in small but frequently-repeated
doses, acts as a general stimulant to the system, and as such has
been employed in the low stages of typhoid and common continued
fevers, in  chronic rheumatism, in  neuralgia, and in hemorrhages
from the mucous surfaces dependant on an atonic state of the ves-
sels.   Its  local stimulant  powers have been already considered
(see page 207);  but made into an ointment with three parts of pre- 
320
GENERAL stimulants.
pared lard, it is one of the most useful applications that can be ap-
plied to the scalp in those forms of impetigo and eczema which ad-
mit of the use of stimulant applications.  The four following sub-
stances, nearly allied  to turpentine, and obtained from the same or
nearly-related coniferous trees, are employed as topical stimulants,
in the forms of ointments, plasters, or cerates.
   Resina,  L. E.  Pinus svlvestris, resina, D.   The residue  of
turpentine after the oil is distilled, L.  Residue of the distillation
of the turpentines from various species of Pinus and Abies,  E
Resin of Pinus sylvestris, D.—Rosin, or Resin, is met with in two
forms, Yellow resin (Resina flava), and Brown resin, or Colophony
(Resina nigra  seu Colophonium).   The  former is obtained when
the application of heat is stopped before  all the volatile oil is  ex-
pelled  from the pine turpentines; the  latter, when the process is
continued until all the oil is distilled.   Resin is a semi-transparent
very brittle solid, varying in  colour from pale yellow to brownish-
black.   It has  a faint turpentine odour, but  is quite  tasteless; it
consists of two resins, which have been named Pinic and Sylvic
acids; the  composition  of both is  the same, viz., C40H3"O4.   In
medicine, yellow resin is alone employed ; it  is used partly as a
local stimulant, but principally  to communicate a certain degree of
consistence  or  adhesiveness  to ointments, plasters, &c.—Unguen-
tum  Resina Alba, D.  (Yellow wax, fbj.;  white resin, fbij.; pre-
pared hog's lard, Ibiv.;  make  an ointment, and strain  through a
sieve while hot.)—Ceratum Resina, L.   (Resin and wax, of each
Ibj.; olive oil, fgxvi.; melt the  resin and wax  together with  a slow
fire,  then add the oil, and press  the cerate while hot through  a linen
cloth.)—Unguentum  Resinosum, E.   (Resin, §v.; axunge,  §viij.;
bees' wax, gij.; melt them together with a gentle heat, and then stir
the mixture briskly  while it cools and concretes.)   Those oint-
ments, commonly known under the name of Basilicon Ointment,
are employed as stimulating applications to foul and indolent ulcers.
   Pix  LiauiDA, D. L. E.   Tar.  From various species of  Pinus
D., and of Abies, E.   Prepared liquid resin of Pinus sylvestris, L.
—Tar is prepared in the countries bordering on the Gulf of Bothnia,
from various trees of the fir tribe, by a species of distillatio jper de-
scensum.  The old wood and roots are closely packed into the  up-
per part of a pit dug  in the earth, in the bottom of which an iron
pan is fixed; the timber is ignited and covered with sods of earth,
to prevent the escape of the volatile  parts.  The tar gradually ex-
udes and flows into the iron  pan, from whence it is conducted by
a pipe into barrels, each of which holds 31^ gallons.  It is a thick,
tenacious, opaque liquid, of a dark-brown, almost black colour, with
a strong, peculiar odour, and a bitter, disagreeable taste.  It is com-
posed of various resins, modified oil  of turpentine, acetic acid, and
water;  it communicates both odour  and taste to water, whicli dis-
solves out its oil and acid; and it is soluble in alcohol, ether, and
the fixed and volatile oils.  Tar was formerly used in medicine in
chronic catarrhal complaints, and in the form of vapour its inhala-
tion  w as highly recommended by Sir Alexander Crichton in phthisis. 
GENERAL STIMULANTS.
321
in the present day, however, it is only used as a local stimulant in
chronic cutaneous diseases, especially those which affect the scalp.
—Aqua picis liquida, D.  (Tar, by measure, fbij.;  water, cong.
j.; mix, stirring with a stick for a quarter of an hour; as soon as
the tar  has subsided, strain the liquor, and keep it in well-closed
jars.)  Tar-water was  first introduced by Bishop  Berkley,  as a
remedy for diseases of the chest  and of the kidneys;  the dose was
from Oj. to Oij., daily.— Unguentum picis liquida, D. L. E.  (Tar
and  mutton suet, of each, ibss. (fbj., L.); melt them  together,  and
" strain through a  sieve," D.; " press  through a linen  cloth," L.
" Tar, §v.;  bees' wax, §ij.; melt the wax with a gentle heat, add
the tar, and stir the mixture briskly, as it concretes on cooling," E.)
Tar ointment  is often  used with much  benefit as a stimulant in
chronic diseases of the scalp in children.
   Pix nigra, L.  Pix arida, E.   The prepared solid resin of Pi-
nus  sylvestris, L.   Pitch from various species of Pinus and Abies,
E.—This is a black, solid matter left after the oil;  the  acid  and
water  are expelled  by  heat from tar.   It is only used externally,
the  ointment being employ*ed for the same purposes as tar  oint-
ment.—Unguentum picis nigra,  L.  (Black pitch, wax, and resin,
of each, **ix.; olive oil, f^xvj.; melt them together, and  press through
 a linen cloth.)
   Pix  Burguxdica, D. E.  Pix abietina, L.  The (prepared, L.)
 resin of Pinus Abies, D. L.  Concrete resinous exudation, probably
 in a great measure from Abies excelsa, E.  Burgundy Pitch.—This
 substance  is supposed  by the London and Dublin Colleges to be
 procured by  fusion and  expression from  common   frankincense,
 Thus, D. (Abietis Resina, !>.), but  as  met with in the shops  it is
 usually a mixture of common turpentine, resin, and palm oil.   It is
 in soft masses of a pale yellow colour, with a terebinthinate odour
 and taste.   It is only used externally, as a topical stimulant.—Em-
 plastrum picis, L. E.  (" Burgundy pitch, ibij.; resin of the spruce
 fir,  ibj.; resin and wax, of each, §iv.; expressed oil of nutmegs, §i.;
 olive oil and water, of each, f§ij.;  add first the resin of the spruce
 fir, then the oil of nutmegs, the olive oil, and the water, to the pitch,
 resin, and wax  melted together.   Lastly, mix them all, and boil
 down to a proper consistence," L.   "Burgundy pitch, ftiss.; resin
 and bees' wax, of  each, *aj.; oil of mace, §ss.; olive oil, fiti.; wa-
 ter, fj-ji.; liquefy the pitch, resin, and wax with a gentle heat, add the
 other articles,  mix  them well together, and boil till the mixture ac-
 quires the proper  consistence," E.   A stimulating plaster, applied
 to the chest, in  chronic catarrhal complaints, and over the seat of
 the  pain in local neuralgia and in chronic rheumatism.

   Veratrum album.—White Hellebore (described in the  division
 F.rrhines) is a  powerful  stimulant,  causing irritation, and even in-
 flammation of the stomach, when taken in not very large doses.  It
 was at one time much used in  nervous affections, and in chronic
 cutaneous diseases, both  externally and internally; its employment
 in o-out has been replaced by colchicum, and its application for the 
322
GENERAL STIMULANTS.
destruction of pediculi by stavesacre; so that at present it is scarce-
ly ever put to any use ;  the dose of the  powder is from gr. ij. to gr.
v., cautiously increased.— Vinum Veratri,  L.   (White  hellebore,
sliced, 3viij.; sherry wine, Oij.;  macerate for 14 days, and strain.)
Dose, min. v. to min. x.—Decoctum Veratri, !). L.  (White helle-
bore, bruised, %]. (3x.,  L.); water  (distilled, L.), by measure, fbij.
(Oij., L.);  rectified spirit, fgij. (fgiij., L.); boil the hellebore in the
water down to  Ibj. by measure (Oj., L.), and when it has cooled add
the spirit;  " then press and strain," L.) Only employed externally
in chronic cutaneous diseases, particularly those of the scalp, and
to destroy pediculi.— Unguentum Veratri, D. L.  (White hellebore,
powdered, giij.  (jij., L.); prepared lard, fbj. (fbss., L.); (oil of lem-
ons, min. xx., L.); make into an ointment.)   Used for the same pur-
poses as  the decoction.  In  poisoning with white hellebore, the
same treatment should be used  as in  poisoning  with colchicum.
(See page 98.)

  Vinum album Hispanum, D.  Vinum xericum, L.  Vinum album,
E.   Spanish white wine.  Sherry.—It would  be  quite foreign to
the  scope  of this  work to enter into  any detailed  account of the
mode of preparation or peculiar properties of the almost innumer-
able varieties of wine  that are met with.   The observations to be
made will, therefore, refer to  wines generally.
   P. & C. P.—Wine is a transparent liquid, of a yellowish, reddish-
yellow, or deep-red colour.  It has a peculiar,  agreeable  odour
(bouquet)  and  taste (both  odour and  taste vary exceedingly).  It
consists of water, alcohol, tartaric and acetic  acids, bitartrate of
potash, tartrate of lime, extractive matter, colouring matter, vegeto-
animal matter, and  a  peculiar volatile oil, or, rather, ether, which
has been named cenanthic ether.  In  the white wines, tannin and
colouring matter are in less proportion than in the red wines.  The
quantity of alcohol which is present in wine varies  exceedingly,
some of the weaker German wines containing only 6*90  per cent.
by weight of alcohol, while strong Port wine  contains 17*10 per
cent. (Christison).
   Adulterations.—The only* adulterations of wine which are of im-
portance  with  reference to its medicinal employment are  the addi-
tions of lead or of lime, which are sometimes used for the purpose
of correcting acescency.   The former is detected by the black pre-
cipitate which  is produced on the addition of sulphuretted hydrogen;
the latter, by the  white precipitate formed with solution of oxalate
of ammonia.
   Th. E.—Wine is an excellant stimulant in the advanced stages
of typhoid fevers, being generally better suited for this purpose than
 any other alcoholic liquid.   Its use is particularly called for where
 delirium is present with much sinking of the vital powers, and when
 the nervous symptoms, as singultus, subsultus tendinum, and sleep-
 lessness, unaccompanied with any local inflammation or congestion,
 predominate.   The use of wine in fever is not contra-indicated, as
 has been stated by mmy, when the tongue is dry,  black, or red, 
GENERAL STIMULANTS.
323
when the eyes are red or suffused, or when there is morbid heat
of the surface, as wine often  proves of great  benefit when one or
even more of these symptoms are present.   Wine is  also given
with much  advantage in convalescence  from acute  diseases, in
chronic debility, especially when it  is caused by excessive dis-
charges, in mortification unaccompanied with  inflammatory symp-
toms, and in tetanus.   When any local congestion or inflammation
is present or  may be  apprehended, the administration of wine in
the treatment of disease is for the most part calculated to do mis-
chief.   Although Sherry is the only wine officinal in the pharma-
copoeias, Port is generally employed in medicine ;  Claret and Ma-
deira are also used.   When its greater strength and its astringency
are not objectionable, Port wine  is always to be  preferred.   Ma-
deira and Claret are often inadmissible, on account of their acidity ;
but when this is not the case,  the former is well adapted for debili-
tated or broken-down habits; the latter when the employment of
stronger wines might prove injurious.  Sherry is  chiefly employed
in pharmacy for the preparation of the medicated  wines, but Cape
wine is  usually substituted by  the druggists, on account of its cheap-
ness ; in a dietetical point of view, Sherry is the wine in most gen-
eral use, and  the one  calculated to agree best with  most constitu-
tions.
   D. & M. of Adm.—The quantity of wine which  should be ad-
ministered in  the treatment of disease varies so exceedingly in dif-
ferent  cases, that it is almost impossible to  lay down any general
rule.   From fgviij. to  f§xx. is the quantity usually given in the 24
hours, and it should be borne in mind that there is a great tolerance
of wine in disease.   As an injection for the radical cure of hydro-
cele, two thirds of Port wine  are  diluted with one third of water.

   Zingiber, D.  L. E.  Ginger.   Root of Amomum Zingiber, D.
Rhizome of Zingiber  officinale, L. E.—Supposed  to be originally
a native of the East Indies, at present cultivated  in most  tropical
countries.   It belongs to the natural family* Zingiberacea, and to
the Linnsean class and order  Monandria Monogynia.
  B. C.—Stem annual, two to three feet high, cylindrical, invested with the smooth
sheaths  of the leaves; leaves linear-lanceolate, smooth; flowers yellowish, with
purple lips, in cone-shaped, radical, or rarely terminal, solitary spikes;  fruit, a 3-
celled capsule.
  P. U. & M. of Prep.—The rhizome or rootstalk, which is biennial, is dug up at
the commencement of the second year of its growth, cleaned, scalded with boiling
water, and dried in the sun, when it  constitutes what is called black ginger; to pre-
pare white ginger, the rhizome is not scalded, but the outer coats are removed by
scraping.
  P. P.—As  met  with in commerce, ginger is  in various-sized,
flattened pieces, knotty, palmated, hard, and compact.  Black gin-
ger is of a dirty gray colour, and rugose externally, yellowish brown
and strinoy within.   White ginger is whitish or pale yellow exter-
nally, pale buff within, with a somewhat starchy  texture.   The
finer qualities of ginger  are  firm, sound, and heavy, and have a
peculiar, rich, aromatic odour, and a  warm, very  pungent taste. 
324
SPECIAL STIMULANTS.
   C. P.—Ginger contains a pale yellow volatile oil, an acrid, soft
resin, a sub-resin, gum,  starch, extractive, nitrogenous matter, &c.
Its properties, which depend  chiefly on  the  volatile  oil  and soft
resin, are extracted by* water and by alcohol.
   Th. E.—Ginger is a powerful aromatic stimulant;  when taken
in moderation, it increases remarkably the tone of the digestive or-
gans, and,  consequently, is much employed as a condiment.  In
medicine it is principally used  to give warmth  and flavour to other
drugs.  Ginger acts as  a special stimulant to the urino-genital mu-
cous membrane ; its use should, therefore, be avoided by persons
who have  any tendency to stricture of the urethra.  As  a local
stimulant, it is chewed in paralysis of the tongue, relaxation of the
uvula, &c.; the powder, made into a paste with boiling water and
spread on linen, is a speedy rubefacient.
   D. & M. of Adm.—In powder, gr. v. to gr. xxx.—Sirupus Zingi-
beris, D. L. E.   (Ginger,  bruised  (sliced, L.), §iv. (jiiss., L. E.);
boiling  water, by measure, fbiij. (Oj., L. E.) ; pure sugar, §lxxxvij.
(ibiiss., L. E.); macerate (infuse, E.) the ginger in the water for
24 (4, L. E.) hours, strain, add the sugar, and make into a sirup.)
Dose, f3i. to f"-ss.  The sirup may be prepared extemporaneously
by  adding  f"ti.  of the tincture to f%x.  of simple sirup.—Tinctura
Zingiberis, D. L. E.   (Ginger, in coarse powder (sliced, L.), jtiiss.;
reet.fied spirit, by measure, fbij. (Oij., L. E.) ;  macerate for 7 (14,
L.) days, and filter.  '* Proceed by percolation or digestion as for
tincture of cinchona," E.)  Dose, f3i. to f3ij.—Essence of Ginger,
commonly kept in the shops,  is  nothing more than a very strong
tincture.
                       CHAPTER XX.
                     SPECIAL STIMULANTS.
  In this division of medicinal agents, I include those substances
which, by a special or peculiar action on individual organs, or on
the system  generally, produce  remediate effects.   Many of them
give rise to  some alteration in the nature or quality of vital  action,
not well understood, when they are  called alteratives; while others
possess a special  influence in  the  treatment of certain  diseases,
when they are denominated specifics.   Both alteratives and  specif-
ics  are found in most of the other classes of medicines, but  the ar-
ticles contained in this  chapter cannot, with a regard  to accuracy
in arrangement, be included  in any of them, inasmuch as the na-
ture of the primary influence which some of them exercise on the
animal economy has not been satisfactorily ascertained, and others
possess a peculiar influence over certain organs or diseases merely.
As examples of the former, we may refer to Mercury, Iodine, and
Gold ;  of the latter, to Nux-vomica, Cubebs, and Copaiba. 
SPECIAL STIMULANTS.
325
  [In this class of special stimulants the author designs to include
all those articles which have  been denominated  alteratives in the
modern technology, and yet it must be obvious  that their special
action  is in most cases hypothetical, and their stimulating nature
often merely supposititious, if not contra-indicated by their effects.
Hence it is not easy to discover the appropriateness of his designa-
tion.  For example, what special or topical effects are produced by
calomel, arsenic, bromine, iodine, and gold ?   Certainly none which
are not the result and proof of their general impression upon the
constitution; and why, then, should they be called  " specifics," in
the sense of "special  stimulants ?"   Indeed, it is  more than doubt-
ful whether " Nux-vomica, Cubebs, and Copaiba," the examples he
cites as specifics, can be shown by any species of medical logic to
"possess any peculiar  influence over  certain organs or diseases
merely," except so far as this  special  influence is consequential
upon  the constitutional impression primarily made by them sever-
ally.
  For these, among other reasons, the  profession will be slow to
relinquish the term alteratives as the characteristic designation of
this class of remedies, and  they will not readily subscribe to the
doctrine of " specifics," which the author's new name " special  stim-
ulants" distinctly recognises.  Indeed, the stimulating nature of some
of them admits of very equivocal proof, if in any  case it can be de-
monstrated.
  But the same objections do not lie to the term alterative, by which
is understood those remedies which very gradually change or alter
the functions, secretions, &c, thus  re-establishing the healthy ac-
tion, primarily of the  digestive system, and secondarily of the vital
functions generally.  The convenience of the nomenclature of the
author is more apparent than its scientific accuracy.]

  Arsenici iodidum.  Iodide of Arsenic.  Teriodide of Arsenic
  P. & C. P.—This is an orange-red powder, odourless and taste-
less.  Exposed to the air, it decomposes rapidly, iodine escaping,
and metallic arsenic being left; it is volatilized by heat.   It is de-
composed by water into free iodine, hydriodic and arsenious acids.
Its composition is As P.
  Prei>.—-Arsenic, 3 parts ; iodine, 10 parts ; water, 100 parts ; digest together so
long as the odour of iodine is perceived, and evaporate quickly to dryness.
  Adulterations.—As met with in  the  shops, this preparation fre-
quently contains uncombined metallic arsenic, which may be dis-
tinguished by the naked eye.
  Th. E.—Iodide of arsenic is employed internally with much ben-
efit in the treatment of chronic  cutaneous diseases, particularly
lepra and psoriasis ; in the latter of which I have used it extensive-
ly, and with great  success, even in very inveterate cases, after
many other remedies had been tried in vain.  Its use must be con-
tinned for some time after the disease is cured, in order  to prevent
a relapse.   In some cases in which  the  medicine had been taken
daily  for  five or six  weeks, the  patients complained of headache 
326
SPECIAL STIMULANTS.
and dryness of the mouth and fauces, which quickly disappeared
on  intermitting the use  of the  remedy for a few days.   On the
Continent it has been also employed as a topical application in the
form of ointment, but its external use is not unattended with danger.
  D. &  M. of Adm.—It should be at first given in  doses of T^ of
a grain,  which may be cautiously increased to \ of  a grain three
times a day.   It is best administered in the form of pill made with
conserve of roses, or with hard manna.
  Incomp.—Acids ; acidulous and metallic salts.

  ARSEN1CI ET HYDRARGYRI HYDRIODATIS LIOUOR, DoNOVAN.   Liquor
of Hydriodate of Arsenic and Mercury.—This solution is of a pale
greenish-yellow colour, odourless, with a rather styptic taste.  Each
f3i.  contains } of a  grain ofoxyde of arsenic, \ of a grain of oxyde
of mercury, and f  of a grain of iodine in chemical combination.
  Prep.—"Triturate 608 grains of finely-levigated metallic arsenic, 1538 grains
of mercury, and  49-62 grains of iodine with f3i. of alcohol, until  the mass has be-
come dry, and, from being deep brown, has become pale red.  Pour on fgviij. of dis-
tilled water, and  after trituration for a few moments, transfer the  whole to a flask;
add  sss. of hydriodic acid, prepared by the acidification of gr. ij. of iodine, and boil
for a few moments.  When  the solution is cold, if there be any deficiency of the
original ffviij., make it up exactly to that measure with distilled water.  Finally,
filter," Donovan.
  Th. E.—This compound has  been found particularly useful in
the treatment of chronic cutaneous diseases, especially those of a
scaly character, or  in which the scalp is the seat of the disease.  It
has  been also employed  with benefit in venerea] eruptions, both
papular and scaly,  in lupus, in impetigo, in pityriasis, &c.  Its effi-
cacy in those  obstinate affections is now well established, and there
are few cases, even of the  most  chronic character, which will re-
sist its steady administration.  For farther information on this sub-
ject, I must refer to Mr. Donovan's excellent memoirs in the Dub-
lin  Journal of Medical Science.
  D. & M. of Adm.—Min. x. to  min. xxx., three times a day.  It
should be administered properly diluted with distilled water.  The
external  use of the  medicine in the form of lotion (fsi. to fti. of dis-
tilled water) is advantageously combined with its internal use.
  Incomp.—Acids; most salts; opium; and the salts of morphia,

  Aurum.   Gold.—This  metal is not contained in any of the Brit-
ish  Pharmacopoeias, nor are  any of its preparations employed in
Great Britain  in the practice of medicine.  They are, however, fre-
quently administered on  the Continent, and their virtues in some
diseases  highly spoken  of.   Although it  has been stated  by many
that metallic gold is perfectly inert, a powder of gold (Pulvis auri)
is officinal in the Parisian Codex.   It is prepared in several  ways:
one of the simplest  and best is to rub any* quantity of  leaf-gold with
7 or 8 times its weight of sulphate of potash in an earthenware
or glass mortar as  long as any fragments of the leaves are visible;
washing well  with  warm water, which dissolves  out the  sulphate
of potash, and leaves the gold in the form of a fine powder.  Pow 
SPECIAL STIMULANTS.
327
   der oi gold is  said to be a  much more  effectual remedy, both in
   primary and secondary syphilis, than mercury; it will in some in-
   stances produce increased flow of saliva, without, however, affect-
   ing the teeth and gums as that  metal does.   It has also  been used
   in chronic cutaneous diseases, in scrofulous affections, and in glan-
   dular enlargements.   Powder  of gold may be given internally in
   doses of gr. | or gr. 1 gradually increased to gr. iij.;  it may be
   made into pill with  conserve of roses.  It is, however, generally
   introduced into the system  by way of  friction on the gums  and
   tongue, or applied on a portion of the skin, deprived of the epidermis.
   For this purpose either of the following preparations may be used:
   Sirup of Gold.  (Powder of gold, gr. xxiv.; simple sirup, fgi.; mix.)
   —Ointment of Gold.  (Powder of gold, gr. j.; axunge, gr. xxxvj.)

      Auri iodidum.   Iodide of Gold.
     Prep.—(Fr. Cod.) "Pour a solution  of chloride  of gold into a solution of hydrio-
   date of potash, as long as any precipitate falls; filter, and wash  the  powder well
   with alcohol, to dissolve out  the excess of iodine."
      P. & C. P.—Iodide of gold is a greenish-yellow powder, insolu-
   ble in cold, and very sparingly soluble in boiling water.   Exposed
   to a heat of about 300° F., the iodine is driven off, and  metallic
   gold  left.  It is composed  of 2 eq. of gold and 1  of iodine, Au2I
    (Graham.)
      Th. E.—This preparation is a very active  poison, more so than
    corrosive sublimate; it is employed in venereal and  scrofulous af-
    fections internally, in doses of  T-T to T'7  of a  grain, in the form of
    powder, or of pill combined with powdered gum-arabic,  as it is de-
    composed by most vegetable substances.

      Auri  perchloridum.  Perchloride of Gold.  Sesquichloride of
    Gold.
     Prep.—(Fr. Cod.) "Dissolve one part of pure laminated gold in four parts of
    nitro-hydrochloric acid ; evaporate with a gentle heat till the solution begins to emit
    chlorine ;  and set it aside to crystallize by cooling."
      P. & C. P.—Sesquichloride  of gold  is  in  the form  of needle-
    shaped, prismatic crystals, of a golden-yellow colour; it is inodo-
    rous, but has a very styptic, disagreeable taste.  In  dry air it re-
    mains unaltered, but deliquesces rapidly in damp air.   Water, alco-
    hol, and ether dissolve this salt;  the solution is of a yellow colour,
    and is acid to  litmus paper; exposed to  the light, although kept in
    stoppered bottles, it is  decomposed, and gold deposited  on its sur-
    face.  Sesquichloride of gold is  composed of 2 eq. of gold and 3
    of chlorine, Au'Cl3 (Graham).
      Th. E.—This salt is the most generally employed of the prep-
«   arations of gold.   It is exceedingly active ; so small a dose as Tlj of
    a grain has  in the  hands of Cullerier at the second dose produced
    gastric irritation, dryness of the tongue, redness of the throat, colic,
    and diarrhoea.   It is employed, it is said with much success, in the
    treatment of syphilitic  diseases, both primary and secondary,  par-
    ticularly in cases where mercurial preparations fail to do good.  It 
328
SPECIAL stimulants.
has also been used in scrofulous and herpetic affections, in cancer,
&c.   As an external application, it has been employed as a caustic
to open cancer, to lupus, and to obstinate syphilitic ulcerations.
  D. & M. of Adm.—It may be  given  in doses of 7V to T'¥ of a
grain, once a day, made into pills with  starch, or dissolved in dis-
tilled water.   The same quantity, intimately mixed with gr. v.  of
starch, may be applied by friction to the gums and tongue.—Caustic
of Recamier.   (Chloride of gold, gr. vj.; dilute nitro-hydrochloric
acid, 3L ; dissolve.)  Applied by means of a piece of lint dipped in
it;  the eschar which it forms tails  off in a few days, and leaves a
clean, healthy surface underneath.—Sodii Auro-terchloridum, Fr.
Cod.   (Chloride  of  gold, 85 parts; chloride of sodium, 16 parts;
dissolve in a small quantity of  distilled water; concentrate with a
gentle  heat, till a pellicle begins to form  on  the  surface ; then set
aside to crystallize.)    Chloride of gold and sodium is employed in
the same manner, and in the same doses, as sesquichloride of gold.
It is less expensive,  and nearly, if not quite as  active.   An oint-
ment of it, prepared  by rubbing y\ of a grain with gr. xxxvj. of ax-
unge, may be  applied  to the skin denuded of the epidermis.
  Incomp.—Most metals, and their salts; sugar; gum; charcoal;
tannin; extractive.
  In poisoning with  chloride of gold, or with chloride of gold and
sodium, the same treatment should be adopted as in poisoning with
corrosive sublimate.    (See page 339.)

  Auri peroxydum.   Peroxyde of Gold.   Sesquioxyde of Gold.
Auric Acid.
  Prep.—(Fr. Cod.) "Chloride  of gold, 1 part; calcined magnesia, 4 parts; wa-
ter, 40 parts; boil gently for a short time; wash the precipitate repeatedly with
water; and then digest in cold diluted nitric acid, to dissolve out the magnesia; dry
the residuum without heat."
  P. & C. P.—Auric acid  is of a chestnut-brown colour, becoming
yellowish when moistened.  It is insoluble in water, is rapidly de-
composed  by exposure to light or heat, and combines with alkalies
to form salts.   It  is  composed of 2 eq. of gold, and 3 of oxygen,
Au203  (Graham).
  Th. E.—It is used in the same cases as the other preparations 0.
this metal.  Dose, f\ of a grain to \ of a grain.—Pills  of oxyde of
Gold, Magendie.  (Oxyde of  gold, gr.  vj.; extract of* mezereon,
3ij.; divide into 60 pills.)  Dose, ij. to x., daily.

  Bromineum, L.   Bromine. — This  elementary  fluid body has
been introduced into the London Pharmacopoeia for preparing  the
Bromide of potassium.  It has  been employed on the Continent in
the same  cases as iodine,  than which it is said to be more active.    •
It has not been hitherto used in Great Britain.  One part of bro-
mine dissolved in 40 parts  of water, and the solution flavoured with
some aromatic sirup, may  be given in doses of five or six drops.

  Copaiba, L. E.  Copaifera officinalis, resina liquida, D.  Co- 
SPECIAL STIMULANTS.
329
paiva.   Balsam of Copaiva.   Fluid resinous exudation flf various
species  of Copaifera, E.—of Copaifera officinalis, J).—of Copaife-
ra Langsdorjii, L.—The  various  species of  the  genus* Copaifera
from  which the balsam is obtained are natives  of South America
and  the West India Islands; they  belong to the natural family
Amyridacea,  and to the Linnaean class and order Decandria Mo-
nogynia.
  B- G-—Trees 20 to 35 feet high; leaves abruptly pinnate; leaflets coriaceous,
somewhat unequal, ovate ;  flowers in panicles.
  P. U. & M. of  Prep.—The liquid resin exists in great abundance in the trees; it
is procured by making deep incisions into the stem in the hot summer months, when
in some  instances 12 pounds of juice will exude in three hours.  Many trees will
yield copaiva twice or three times in the year.
  P.  P-—Copaiva,  or, as it  is  commonly but improperly called,
Balsam of Copaiva, is a  transparent, oily  liquid, of a pale-yellow
colour (inferior  kinds are dark yellow).  It has  a strong, peculiar,
and  to  many  persons  very disagreeable odour, and a bitter, acrid,
very  permanent, and exceedingly  unpleasant  taste.  Sp. gr., from
•950 to  *966, becoming denser by age.
  C.  P.—Fresh copaiva is composed of 41 per cent, of volatile oil,
51*38 per  cent,  of hard  yellow resin  (copahuvic acid), 2*18  of
brown  soft resin, and 5*44 of water and loss (Gerber).  Exposed
to the air, it gradually thickens,  and becomes  darker coloured.  It
is insoluble in water, but completely soluble in alcohol, ether, and
the fixed and volatile oils.  It dissolves magnesia and its carbonate,
and forms with  them, after 4 or 5 hours, a translucent  mass, suffi-
ciently  consistent to form into  pills.   The volatile oil  of  copaiva
(copaiba oleum), which is officinal in the Edin.  Phar., is obtained
by distillation with water.  It is thin  and colourless, has a density
of 0*878, boils at 473°, and  is  soluble  in  alcohol  and ether.  Its
composition is the  same as that of oil of turpentine, C5H4.   Copa-
huvic acid is composed of C40H32O4; it  is left  when the volatile  oil
is distilled ; in  consequence of its retaining a small portion of which,
it possesses a  faint copaiva odour.
  Adulterations.—Copaiva is very mucn aaulterated,  so much  so
that  it is difficult to meet with  a  perfectly pure  specimen.  The
impurities usually found in it are  oil of turpentine, or some fixed
oil, as castor oil, poppy-seed oil, rape oil, &c.   Oil of turpentine is
readily  discovered by the  odour, when it is dropped  on a heated
spatula.  The presence  of any  fixed oil may be detected by the
greasy areola which surrounds the spot of resin left, on gently evap-
orating  over the  flame of  a lamp a drop or two of the suspected
balsam on unsized paper.   The tests of the Edin. Phar. for its pu-
rity are as follows :  ** Transparent; free of turpentine odour when
heated ;  soluble in two parts of alcohol: it dissolves a fourth of its
weight  of carbonate of magnesia with the aid  of a gentle heat, and
continues translucent."  To  these we may  add the most satisfacto-
ry test for the usual adulteration, that with castor oil, as proposed
by Planche :  " Pure balsam agitated with solution of ammonia, of
the density *965, becomes clear and transparent in a few moments,
but remains turbid if castor oil be present."
                              Tt 
330
SPECIAL STIMULANTS.
  Th. E.—Copaiva  is a special  stimulant to  the  mucous mem-
branes, its  action being particularly directed to the bladder and
urethra.  In many instances its administration is followed by a cu-
taneous eruption, which closely  resembles urticaria ; and, when
given in large doses, it produces vomiting and purging.  The prin-
cipal use of copaiva is in the treatment of gonorrhoea, for which it
is undoubtedly the best remedy with which we are acquainted.
The practice is still followed by many of not administering copai-
va in this disease until all inflammatory symptoms are subdued by
antiphlogistic treatment.  But the majority* of surgeons in the pres-
ent  day administer it in the very earliest  stage, and with the best
results; indeed, the^ earlier it is  given, the more  speedy and the
more effectual  will  be the  cure.   In the treatment of gonorrhoea,
the  use of copaiva should be always continued  for 8 or 10 days af-
ter  the discharge has completely ceased.   Copaiva has  been also
employed with benefit in leucorrhoea, in chronic catarrh of the blad-
der, in the chronic bronchitis of the old  or debilitated, especially
when the bronchial secretion is profuse, and in chronic dysentery.
  D. & M. of  Adm.—Min. x. to  f3i.   In  consequence of its very
nauseous taste, a great many ways have been proposed for admin-
istering copaiva; but it appears to me to act with greater  certainty,
and to cause less disgust, when given floating on a wine-glassful of
water, to which a drachm of some aromatic tincture, as tincture of
orange peel, has been added.  It is sometimes given in the form of
pill, prepared by boiling the balsam  with calcined  magnesia or
with hydrate of lime ;  a sufficient degree of consistency will be ob-
tained in 4 or 5 hours with  the  latter, while from  12  to 15 hours
will be required to produce the same result with the former.   The
process of M. Thierry is as follows: Rub together in a marble mor-
tar  15 parts of pure copaiva, and 1 part of hydrate of lime (or 2
parts of calcined magnesia); put the  mixture over a water-bath,
and stir from time to time till the lime has disappeared; keep up
the fire for 4 hours, or for 15 hours if magnesia be used.   The mass
may be divided into gr. vj. pills, of which from 6 to 12 may be ta-
ken two or three times daily.  More recently copaiva has been ad-
ministered enclosed in gelatine  capsules,  for preparing which the
following method is  followed: the polished bulbous extremities of
iron rods  are oiled  with almond  oil, and then dipped into a warm
concentrated  aqueous solution of ordinary  or  bleached gelatine,
which is of the consistence of thick honey ; it is then rotated quick-
ly till the gelatine congeals, when the  capsules are to be removed
gently with three fingers, and laid on a  loose  hair-sieve to  dry;
when perfectly dry, they are filled to the margin by means of a
glass drop  tube with copaiva, and the mouths closed with the warm
solution of gelatine (Steege).   Gelatine capsules of copaiva contain
each about gr. x. of balsam.   The nostrum known as Frank's spe-
cific solution may be very closely imitated as follows: Copaiva, 2
parts; liquor potassae, 3 parts;  distilled water, 7 parts ;  boil  for a
quarter of  an hour, then add spirit of nitric ether, 1 part;  allow it to
stand a few hours, and draw off the clear liquid by means of an 
SPECIAL STIMULANTS.
331
orifice in the lower part of the vessel.   The dose of this mixture ?s
f3ij. three times a day.—Oleum Copaiba, E.  The oii is preferred
by many to any other preparation of copaiva, but I have frequent-
ly seen it fail ;  the  dose is from min. xv. to min. xxx., dropped on
sugar.—Resina Copaiba.   This preparation  is very properly al-
most entirely discarded from practice ;  the dose of it is from gr  x
to 3SS.                                                    °

  Cubeba, D. E.   Piper cubeba, L.  Cubebs.   Fruit of Piper Cu-
beba.—A native of Java and Prince of Wales's Island, belonging to
the  natural family Piperacea, and to the Linnasan class and order
Diandria Trigynia.
  B. C.—Stem sarmentaceous, articulated, terete; leaves petiolated, oval, coria-
ceous ; flowers on an elongated, pendent spadix;  fruit a pedunculated small berry •
the peduncles are nearly equal to the petiole.
  P. P.—Cubebs  are the dried unripe berries; they are about the
size of black pepper, wrinkled on the surface,  brownish externally,
whitish and oily within.   They have a  small portion of the pedun-
cle  attached, whence the name  Piper caudatum has been applied
to them.   Their  odour is strong, peculiarly aromatic; their  taste
warm, pungent, and very spicy.
  C.  P.—Cubebs are composed of 2*5 per cent, of green volatile
oil,  1 per cent, of yellow volatile oil, 4*5 of  a peculiar principle
named Cubebin (which is probably* identical with  Piperin), 1*5 of
balsamic resin, and wax, lignin, &c.   The volatile oil, Oleum Cu-
beba, E., is obtained by the usual process of distillation with water;
it is of a pale greenish-yellow colour, transparent  and limpid, with
the peculiar odour  and  taste  of cubebs.  Its  density is 0*929, and
its composition C15Hia.  Cubebs yield  their properties very par-
tially to boiling water, but completely to alcohol.
  Th. E.—Cubebs  possess the stimulant and  carminative proper-
ties of the other peppers ; but they also exercise a specific influence
on the urinary organs, indicated  by their power in  arresting ure-
thral  discharges.   They are  only employed in  medicine  in the
treatment of gonorrhoea, for which they are  held by many to be
equal, if not superior, to copaiva.  We are perfectly ignorant as to
the  manner in which  cubebs cure gonorrhoea ; but their specific in-
fluence appears to be exercised only in the early stages of the dis-
ease, so that they  usually fail to prove beneficial when the discharge
has existed for any.time; they should,  therefore, be administered
on its first appearance, when, if the running is not checked in from
three to  five days, their continued  use will in most instances do
more harm than  good.  Cubebs have  been also employed in leu-
corrhoea and in catarrh of the bladder with doubtful benefit.
  D. &  M. of Adm.—In powder, which  is the best form, 9j. to 3iij.
three times a day.   The powder should be always prepared fresh
for use, as, owing to the volatility of its oil, it deteriorates rapidly.
The larger the dose in which cubebs are given, the  more certain
will  be their effect; they may be administered suspended in milk
or in  water.—Oleum  Cubeba, E.  Dose, min. x. to min. xxx., drop- 
332
special stimulants.
ped  on sugar; it is not so certain in its effects as the powder.—
Tinctura Cubeba, D. L.   (Cubebs  (bruised, L.), §iv.  (§v.,  L.);
proof (rectified,  L.) spirit, fbij. (Oij., L.);  macerate  for 14  days,
and  filter.)   This tincture is generally added to mixtures contain-
ing copaiva.   Dose. f3i. to f3ij.

  Fucus vesiculosus, herba cum fructu, D.   Bladder  Wrack.—
A very common  sea-weed on  our shores, belonging to the natural
family Algacea, and to the Linnsean class and order Cryptogamia
Alga.   This sea-weed contains iodine, and before the  discovery
of that  substance, the expressed  juice was given internally, and
frictions of the plant applied externally in scrofulous and glandular
enlargements.

  HYdrargyrum, D. L. E.  Mercury.   Quicksilver.—Mercury is
met  with in  the  metallic state in the  quicksilver mines of South
America.  It is principally brought to England from Almaden in
Spain, and from  Idria in Carniola, where it is extracted from the
native sulphuret,  Cinnabar.
  Prep.—It is procured from cinnabar either by distilling with caustic lime or by
roasting the ore.  As met with  in commerce, it is in general sufficiently pure for
medical purposes, but in the Dub. Phar. a process is contained for purifying it: Hy-
drargyrum purificatum, D.  " .Mercury 6 parts ; distil 4 parts with a gentle heat."
  P. & C. P.—At ordinary temperatures, mercury is liquid ; it has
a silver-white colour, with a bluish shade, and is very brilliant.  Its
sp. gr. is 13*5 when liquid, and 14*0 when  solid,   ft boils at 662°,
and  solidifies at 39° or 40° below zero, crystallizing in regular oc-
tahedrons ; exposed to the air  at the  usual  temperature,  it remains
unaltered if pure, but otherwise the surface soon tarnishes.   Agi-
tated for some time in contact with the  air, it  is converted into a
grayish black powder, which was formerly  called JEthiops per se;
this, according to some chemists, is  a suboxyde of mercury, but,
according to  others, it is the metal  in a state  of very minute division.
Mercury combines with most metals to form amalgams;  the small-
est trace of it communicates a  white stain to gold or silver.
  Adulterations.—Tests for the  purity  of metallic  mercury are
given by the London and Edinburgh Colleges.  " Totally 'dissi-
pated in vapour by heat.   Dissolved  by diluted nitric acid ;  when
boiled in hydrochloric  acid, the acid, when cold, is not coloured,
nor is anything precipitated from it by hydro-sulphuric  acid.  Its
sp. gr. is 13*5," L.  " Entirely  sublimed by  heat; a globule moved
along a sheet of paper leaves no trail; pure sulphuric acid agitated
with it  evaporates when  heated, without leaving any residuum,"
E.   By the application of those tests, the usual metallic adultera-
tions with tin, lead, zinc, or bismuth, are  readily detected.
  Th. E.—As long as mercury remains in  the state of metal, it is
now generally agreed that it  does not exercise  any influence on
the human body, and  that, in all cases in which its specific action
is manifested, it must be first converted into oxvdes or salts.   The
inhalation of mercurial vapours (which, as has been recently proved 
special stimulants.
333
 contain some oxyde) for any lengthened period produces a singular
 train of symptoms, which principally affect the nervous system ; the
 most remarkable of these is the shaking palsy, or tremblement metal-
 lique, in which the muscles of the arms become so unsteady as al-
 most to place them completely out of the control of the individual.
 This affection is not uncommon among the workers in quicksilver
 mines, gilders, and others whose trade exposes them to the vapour
 of this metal.   The effects of the mercurial compounds on the hu-
 man body are very complex, and, as they are possessed in common
 by most of the preparations employed in medicine, they  will be
 most conveniently considered here.
   The topical effects of the  preparations of mercury are generally
 somewhat irritant; remotely they act as special stimulants  both to
 secretion and excretion.  The most remarkable effect of mercury
 is its action on the salivary glands, salivation.   When this medicine
 is introduced into the system in such a manner as  to excite  this
 peculiar state, at first it produces increased vascular action, shortly
 followed by a metallic or brassy taste in  the mouth, and  a slight
 mercurial foetor of the breath ; the gums become somewhat swollen
 and spongy at their edges, soon presenting a slight degree of ulcer-
 ation ;  the lining membrane of the cheeks, and sometimes  also of
 the palate, acquires a leaden hue, and is swollen ; and an increased
 flow of saliva takes place, accompanied with pain in the teeth on
 the least pressure.  If those symptoms be allowed to advance, or
 if more mercury be administered, the  cheeks, the  tongue, and the
 throat  swell and ulcerate, and a copious flow of saliva, sometimes
 amounting to  several  pints  in the twenty  four hours, is induced;
 this  excessive salivation is accompanied with slow fever and rapid
 emaciation.   The  quantity of mercurial preparation required, or
 the length of time for which it  must be administered to produce the
 above effects, varies exceedingly in different constitutions and under
 different circumstances.   Individuals  are  sometimes met  with in
 whom  almost the minutest dose of any  preparation of mercury will
 produce most violent salivation; while, on the other hand, some
 persons appear to be totally insensible to the operation of the drug.
   It has been held by many that the production of this specific ef-
 fect  of mercury is  necessary  to  the development of its curative
 powers, and most  unquestionably it occurs that its sanatory influ-
 ence in the treatment of most diseases is contemporaneous with its
 action on the salivary  glands.   Great attention must, however, be
 always paid not to allow salivation  to proceed too far, as a fright-
 ful train of symptoms,  in many instances followed by death itself,
 is the usual result of excessive salivation.  In the early stage, mer-
 curialism is most decidedly checked by the uss of active or nause-
 ating doses of tartar emetic, and by keeping the surface of the body
 warm, and the face and neck cool.  The effects of mercury on the
 system  are  sometimes accompanied  with a peculiarly alarming
 state first described by Mr.  Pearson, under the name of mercurial
erethism ;  " it is characterized by great depression of strength, a
sense of anxiety about the proecordia,  freq lent sighing,  trembling 
334
special stimulants.
partial or universal, a small, quick, and sometimes intermitting pulse,
occasional  vomiting, a pale, contracted  countenance, a sense of
coldness, but the tongue is seldom furred, nor are the vital or nat-
ural functions much disordered."   When these or the greater part
of these symptoms are present, a sudden and violent exertion of the
animal powers, such as  rising suddenly in bed, will often prove
fatal.   These symptoms  are best combated by an immediate dis-
continuance in  the use of mercury, the  exhibition of cordials in
small  but frequent doses, and rest in the horizontal posture, with
free exposure to the open air, both by day and night.   The use of
this mineral is also frequently attended with, or followed by, sev-
eral forms of diseases of  the skin; of these the most important is
mercurial eczema, which often  occurs when  only a very small
quantity of a mercurial preparation has been taken.   In its milder
forms, it resembles the acute stage of eczema rubrum, arising from
other  causes; but  it more frequently assumes a much more severe
character, when it is ushered in by fever, difficult respiration, dry
cough, and tightness across the chest, with a general smarting and
burning feel of the skin over  the whole  body.  These symptoms
are soon followed by* an eruption of minute vesicles, which break
and discharge a very fetid fluid.   As the  disease increases in se-
verity, the eruption  extends over the  face and the whole of the
body, which become covered with incrustations ; the fever assumes
a typhoid type, the difficulty of breathing increases, and  is ac-
companied with bloody expectoration, spots of purpura appear, and
death ensues, preceded by delirium  or convulsions.  On the  first
appearance of this eruption, the  use of mercury ought to be im-
mediately relinquished, and the accompanying symptoms treated
by the means appropriate for the individual case, any account of
which would be quite foreign to the  scope  of this work.
  The therapeutical powers of mercury, and for which it is em-
ployed in the treatment of disease, depend on its properties as an
antiphlogistic, an antisyphilitic, an alterative, and a deobstruent.  An
account of the  most important diseases  for which  mercurials are
administered  is subjoined, but, as they are so numerous, they can
only be very shortly alluded to.   In inflammatory diseases, both
acute  and chronic, mercury is very much  employed; it is peculiarly
adapted for those forms of inflammation which frequently result in
the effusion of coagulable lymph  or of serum ; among which may
be enumerated  croup, laryngitis, bronchitis, pleuritis, pericarditis.
peritonitis (particularly that form  of it which attacks lying-in wom-
en), meningitis, &c.  In all those diseases the previous use of blood-
letting is attended with advantage, and the mercurial (calomel is
the preparation generally used) should be introduced into the sys-
tem as quickly as possible,  so as just to touch the gums, but the
production of free salivation usually proves injurious.  In iritis, mer-
cury is the chief remedy on which  reliance is to be placed.  In
hepatitis, in pneumonia, in metritis, and in  synovitis, its use is pro-
ductive of decided benefit.   In epidemic dysentery,  and in  pesti-
lential cholera, especially when occurring in warm climates, very 
SPECIAL STIMULANTS.
335
large doses of calomel, given at the very onset of the disease, will
frequently cut it short; as this power, however, is possessed  by
calomel alone, we shall again refer to it.   In the fevers prevalen*
in Great Britain, unless when inflammation of some  peculiar organ
is present, the use of mercury is injudicious; but in the fevers of
warm climates it is for the most part found to be serviceable.  The
curative powers of mercury in inflammatory diseases depend much
on the character of the inflammation ; thus, while it generally acts
beneficially in simple acute inflammations, and in those of a syph-
ilitic character, it is  less serviceable in rheumatic, and seldom ad-
missible in scrofulous inflammation.
  The  history of the syphilitic disease is closely connected with
mercury, as for many hundred years it was supposed to be  com-
pletely incurable without the use of that medicine.   Of late,  how-
ever, it has been established, on  very satisfactory evidence, that
most, if not all, cases of syphilis may be cured without mercury,
by simple local  and  general treatment.   Nevertheless, when judi-
ciously employed, so as to produce a moderate ptyalism, mercury-
has been found, by the most experienced surgeons, to cure the disease
more rapidly, and to afford greater security against relapses.
  In chronic enlargements of the abdominal viscera unconnected
with malignant  disease, in glandular  swellings, in  morbid  deposi-
tions, in adhesions of parts consequent on  inflammation, and for the
removal of effusions into any of the shut cavities of the body, mer-
cury, administered so as to  produce its specific action, generally
proves  very efficacious.   In  paralysis, especially when dependant
on derangements of the brain  and nervous sy*stem, its use  is often
attended with decided benefit.   In many other diseases of the ner-
vous system, as in hydrocephalus, in mania, in epilepsy, in chorea, in
tetanus, in hysteria,  in tic douloureux, &c, mercury has also been
employed in many instances with advantage.
  D. & M. of Adm.—To remove  obstruction of the bowels, metal-
lic mercury has been given in  doses of one or two  pounds, follow-
ed by active cathartics, but the absurdity of the principle on which
it was  administered, that of acting as  a  mechanical agent,  is  too
manifest to require any  observation.   As  before  remarked,  the
specific action of mercury is not manifested as long  as it retains the
metallic state ;  but,  as there are  some general rules which  apply
equally to the different mercurial preparations employed to produce
salivation, they will be  most conveniently considered in this  place.
And, first, with respect to preparatory treatment, it will be always
advisable, in  acute  inflammations, to subdue  the  severity of the
symptoms by antiphlogistic measures;  and in  broken-down or en-
feebled constitutions, to strengthen the system by the use of tonics,
previous to the administration of mercury.  Owing to the neglect
of these precautions, it frequently occurs that the physician is baf-
fled in his attempts to produce ptyalism, or, when produced, it is
excessive, and with  great difficulty controlled. " I  am strongly of
opinion," savs Mr. Colles, in his valuable work on  the Venereal Dis-
ease, " that the  want of a due preparatory process has of late years 
336
SPECIAL STIMULANTS.
contributed to bring this  valuable remedy into much disrepute."
With respect to the general treatment during a mercurial course,
the most important points  to be observed are, the necessity of rest
and quietness of both mind and body, the maintaining the temper-
ature of the surface uniform by warm  clothing, and the  use of a
moderate diet, free from all stimulating food and drink.  In the fol-
lowing preparations, a portion of the mercury is converted into the
sub-oxyde, but the greater part of it is  merely mechanically re-
duced to a  finely-divided state.—Pilula Hydrargyri, D.  L.  E.
(See  page 101.)  Dose, gr. iij. to gr. v., night and morning; if it
should occasion irritation,  a fourth of a grain of opium may be add-
ed to each pill.—Hydrargyrum cum Creta, D. L. E.  (See page 100)
This is  the mildest preparation of mercury; as an alterative, the
dose is  from gr. v. to gr.  xxx.  It is seldom given with the inten-
tion of producing salivation, except in very weak or enfeebled hab-
its.—Hydrargyrum cum Magnesia, D.   (See page 101)—Unguen-
tum Hydrargyri, D. E.    Unguent. Hydrargyri fortius,  L.  (" Pu-
rified mercury, prepared  lard, of each, equal  parts;  rub  them to-
gether in a marble or iron mortar until the globules.of mercury dis-
appear," D.   " Mercury, fbij.; lard,  gxxiij.;  suet, §j.; triturate the
mercury* with the suet and a little of the lard  till globules are no
longer visible, then add the rest of  the  lard,  and mix  the  whole
thoroughly," L. E.   " This ointment is  not well prepared so long
as metallic globules may be seen in it  with  a magnifier of four
powers,  E.)—Unguentum Hydrargyri Mitius, D.   "Made with
twice as much lard as the last," D.   " Mix  fbj.  of the  stronger
ointment  of  mercury with  fbij.  of lard," L.    " The  stronger
ointment diluted  with  twice or thrice  its weight of axunge," E.
Mercurial ointment  is very frequently  employed for introducing
mercury into  the  system; and for  this  purpose, 3ss. to 3i. of the
stronger ointment may  be rubbed carefully into the  inside  of the
thighs every morning.  Should it  be desirable to  produce speedy
salivation, it may be used as a dressing  to blistered  surfaces, and
3j. or 3ij. placed in each axilla.  When employed to promote the
dispersion of glandular enlargements, it should be rubbed over the
seat of the disease.  The milder ointment is generally used as a dress-
ing to venereal sores.—Ceratum Hydrargyri comp., L.   (Stronger
ointment of  mercury and  soap cerate, of each, §iv.; camphor, i\.;
rub together until they are incorporated.)  Employed to promote
the dispersion of indolent tumours, and as an application to chronic
enlargements of the joints.—Linimentum Hydrargyri  comp., L.
(Stronger mercurial ointment and lard, of each, 3iv.;  camphor, "a.;
rectified spirit, f3j.;  solution of ammonia, fgiv.; rub  the  camphor
first with the spirit, then with the lard  and ointment of mercury;
lastly, the solution of ammonia being  gradually poured in, mix them
all.)  A stimulating  liniment, applied to indolent tumours, &c.; 3j.
contains nearly  gr.  x. of mercury.   It  produces salivation very
speedily.—Emplastrum Hydrargyri, L. E.  (" Mercury, §iij.; lead
plaster, fbj.; olive  oil, fsj.; sulphur, gr. viij.; add the sulphur grad-
ually to the heated oil, stirring constantly with a spatula till  they 
SPECIAL STIMULANTS.
337
 unite ;  afterward rub the mercury with them until globules are no
 longer  visible; then gradually add the plaster of lead melted with
 a slow  fire, and mix them all," L.  " Mercury, giij.; litharge plaster,
 ivJ- ? ollve oil, f3ix. ; resin, p.; melt the resin and oil, let them cool,
 add the mercury, triturate till the globules disappear, add the plaster,
 previously melted, and mix the whole well," E.)  Applied as a resol-
 vent  in glandular enlargements, and  over the region of the liver in
 chronic induration  of that organ.—Emplastrum  Ammoniaci cum
 Hydrargyro, D. L. E.   ("Gum ammoniac, fbj.; purified mercury,
 5iij.; common  turpentine, 3ij.;  rub the mercury with  the turpen-
 tine till the globules disappear, then add gradually the ammoniac
 melted, and with a medium heat  rub together until they incorpo-
 rate," D.  " Ammoniac, foj.; mercury,  §iij.; olive oil, fsi.'; sulphur,
 gr. viij.;  proceed as for Emplastrum Hydrargyri, L.,  substituting
 the ammoniac  for the  lead plaster," L. E.)  Applied  to indolent
 Duboes, enlarged glands, especially when of a syphilitic origin, and
 to venereal nodes.

   Hydrargyri acetas, D.  Acetate of Mercury.
   P.  P.—This  salt occurs in the form  of thin crystalline scales of
 a pearly lustre.  It is inodorous, but has an acrid, metallic taste.
   C.  P.—It is composed of 1 eq. of suboxyde of mercury, and  1  of
 acetic acid  (Hg20+C4H303).   Exposed to light, it turns black, and
 is decomposed; heat  expels  its acetic acid, and if the tempera-
 ture be increased, the mercury is volatilized.   It  requires for its
 solution 333 parts of cold water, but is much more soluble in boil-
 ing water, which, however, decomposes it into metallic mercury
 and acetate of the oxyde of mercury.  It is insoluble in cold alcohol.

  Prep.—Dub. " Purified mercury and acetate  of potash, of each, 9 parts ;  dilute
 nitric acid, 11  parts ; boiling distilled water, 100 parts ; distilled vinegar, q. s.; add
 the nitric acid to the mercury, and the effervescence having ceased, digest the mix-
 ture until the metal is dissolved ; dissolve the acetate of potash in the water, and
 add distilled vinegar until the acid predominates;  to this, while boiling, add the
 mercury  dissolved  in the acid, and filter quickly through doubled linen; let it cool,
 that crystals may form; wash these with cold distilled water, and dry them on pa-
 per with  a gentle heat.  In the whole of this process, glass vessels must be used."

   Th. E.—This is a mild preparation of mercury, but little used at
 present; it  has, therefore, been omited from the London and Edin-
 burgh Pharmacopoeias.   Externally, dissolved in water, it has been
 used as a lotion in chronic cutaneous diseases.
  D.  & M. of  Adm.—Gr. j. to gr. iij. twice a day, made into pills
 with conserve of roses or with manna.   For a lotion, gr. j. may be
 dissolved in f§i. of distilled water.—Pills of Keyser.  (Acetate of
 mercury, gr. xij.; manna, 3iij.; mix, and divide into  72 pills.)  This
 compound at one time bore a  high character on the Continent as a
 remedy for secondary syphilitic eruptions.   Each pill contains gr.
 i of the salt.

  Hydrargyri  bichloridum, L.  Hydrargyri murias corrosivuM;
D.  Corrosivus sublimatus, E.   Bichloride of Mercury; Corro-
                               Uu 
338
special stimulants.
sive  Sublimate;  Chloride of Mercury.   [Hydrargyri  Chloridum
Corrosivum, U. S. P.  Corrosive  Chloride of Mercury.]
  P. P.—Corrosive  sublimate is met with in the form  of a white,
semi-transparent, crystalline mass, or as a white powder ; by care-
ful sublimation it may be obtained in regular crystals, the primary
form of which is the right rhombic prism.   It is inodorous, but has
an intensely acrid and disagreeable taste.   Its sp. gr. is 5*4 (Kane),
6*5 (Graham).
  C. P.—Although  this salt is called a bichloride in the London
Pharmacopoeia, more recent chemical investigations have shown it
to be a simple chloride, its composition being HgCl.  It is perma-
nent in the air; it fuses at  509°, and boils at about  563°; its va-
pour is colourless, but very acrid.   It is soluble in 16 parts of cold
and in 3 parts of boiling water, in 2£ parts of alcohol, and in 3 parts
of ether.   Its solubility is much increased by the addition of muri-
atic acid Or of the alkaline muriates.   A solution of corrosive sub-
limate gives a yellow precipitate,  with hydrates of potash, soda, or
lime;  a red precipitate with  alkaline carbonates; a scarlet  with
iodide of  potassium;  and  a black  with sulphuretted  hydrogen.
Dropped on gold, it does not tarnish it, but if the moistened surface
be touched with a piece of iron  or  zinc, mercury is immediately
precipitated, and leaves a white stain on the gold, which may be
removed by heat.  Corrosive sublimate may be  removed from its
solution in water by agitation with ether.
  Prep.—Dub. " Persulphate of mercury, 5 parts ; dried muriate of  soda, 2 parts;
rub them well together in an earthenware mortar until a very fine powder is formed;
then, from a proper vessel, sublime the corrosive muriate of mercury into a receiver."
Lond. "Mercury, fbij.; sulphuric acid, ibiij.; chloride of sodium, fbiss.; boil the
mercury with the sulphuric acid in a proper vessel till the bipersulphate of mercury
remains dry; rub this, when it is cold, with the chloride of sodium  in an earthen
mortar, then  sublime with a heat gradually raised."  Edin. "Mercury, ?iv.; sul-
phuric acid, f5ij., f3iij.; nitric acid, ffss.; muriate of soda, §iij.; mix  the acids, dis-
solve the mercury in them with the aid of a moderate heat; raise the heat so as to
obtain a dry salt; triturate this well with  the muriate of soda, sublime in a proper
apparatus."
  Adulterations.—Corrosive sublimate seldoms  contains any im-
purity ; its  subliming without any residuum, and its  complete and
easy solubility in sulphuric ether, the tests given by the Edinburgh
College,  are sufficient to detect any adulteration.
   Th. E.—Corrosive sublimate is a powerful irritant  poison, a few
grains producing death, preceded by rapid and excessive inflamma-
tion of the  digestive tube, with great derangement of the nervous
system and coma.   In small repeated doses, it possesses the usual
action of a mercurial, but salivation is more slowly produced by it,
and its effects are more decidedly alterative than those of any other
preparation of the metal.   It is, consequently, much  employed by
those who believe that  ptyalism is not  essential to the  curative ef-
fects of mercury in the treatment of secondary syphilis.   Corrosive
sublimate is employed with much benefit in chronic cutaneous dis-
eases, in chronic rheumatism, in arthritis, periostitis, &c. in which
cases  it is advantageously combined with a vegetable  diaphoretic
or tonic.   Dissolved in water, it forms a most useful lotion in pso- 
special stimulants.
339
riasis and lepra, and an excellent collyrium in the milder forms of
ophthalmia.
  D. & M. of Adm.—r\ to } of a grain made into pill with crumb
of bread, twice or three times daily.—Pilula Corrosivi Sublimati,
Dzondi.   (Corrosive sublimate, gr. xij.; dissolve in distilled water,
q. s.; and add crumb of bread and white sugar, of each a  suffi-
ciency to make ccxl. pills.  Each of these pills contains a 20th of
a grain of sublimate.  Dose, 4  daily.  For  a lotion or collyrium,
gr. ss. to gr.  j. may be dissolved in fgj. of  distilled water, or the
following  preparation may be employed:  Liquor Hydrargyri
Bichloridi, L.  (Bichloride of mercury and hydrochlorate of am-
monia, of each, gr. x.;  distilled water, Oj.; dissolve together in the
water.)   Dose, for internal use, f'3ss. to f3ij.
   Incomp.—The alkalies and their carbonates ; lime and its carbon-
ate ; tartar emetic;  nitrate of silver; acetate of lead ;  iodide of
potassium , albumen ; soaps ; decoction of bark, &c.
   In cases of poisoning with corrosive sublimate, albumen, as white
of egg, is the best antidote;  in its absence, wheaten flour, milk, or
iron filings may be used.

   Hydrargyri bicyanidum, L.  Hydrargyri cyanuretum, D. [U.
S. P.].   Bicyanide of Mercury  ; Cyanuret of Mercury ;  Cyanide
of Mercury.
  C. P.—This  salt is met with  crystallized in rectangular prisms;
they are transparent or opaque, colourless and inodorous, with a
disagreeable metallic taste.
  C. P.—This  is a cyanide of mercury, its  composition being Hg
Cy.   It is anhydrous ;  is permanent in the air; exposed to heat, it
is resolved into metallic mercury and cyanogen gas.   It is soluble.
in 8 parts of water  at 60°, and in much  less boiling water ;  it  is
very sparingly soluble  in alcohol.
  Prep.—Dub. " Cyanuret of iron, 6 parts ; nitric oxyde of mercury, 5 parts ; dis-
tilled water, 40 parts ; mix the cyanuret of iron and oxyde of mercury, and add the
water, previously heated; boil for half an hour with constant agitation, and filter
through paper ; wash the residuum frequently with warm distilled water.  Lastly,
evaporate the filtered liquors, and crystallize by cooling."  Lond. " Percyamde of
iron, sfviij.;  binoxyde of mercury, *?x.; distilled water, Oiv.; boil them together for
half an hour, and strain.  Evaporate the liquor, that crystals may be formed.   Wash
what remains frequently with boiling distilled water, and again evaporate the  mixed
liquors, that crystals may  be formed.  Bicyanide of mercury may be otherwise pre-
pared by adding as much binoxyde of mercury as will accurately saturate it to hydro-
cyanic acid distiUed from  ferrocyanide of potassium with diluted sulphuric acid."
  Th. E.__This salt resembles in its  effects corrosive sublimate, to
which it is preferred by many,  as being more  soluble, and not so
easily decomposed.   In Great Britain, however, it is  rarely  used
in medicine, and has been introduced into the Pharmacopoeias as a
source of hydrocyanic acid.
  D. & M. of Adm.—Same as for corrosive sublimate.
  Incomp.__Sulphuric and muriatic  acids ; sulphuretted hydrogen,
and hydrosulphates.

  Hydrargyri biniodidum, L. E.  [U. S. P.].   Biniodide of Mer-
cury; Iodide of Mercury;  Red iodide of Mercury. 
340
special stimulants.
   P. P.—It is a  brilliant, red powder, which may be obtained in
 rhomboidal  crystals by  sublimation.  It is  inodorous, but has a
 strong metallic taste.  Its sp. gr. is 6*32.
   C. P.—It is composed of 1 eq. of mercury and 1 of iodine, Hg I.
 It is permanent in the air; heated  moderately, it becomes yellow;
 at  a temperature of 400° it  fuses, and at a higher  temperature it
 sublimes.   Cooled rapidly, it recovers its red  colour, but when
 cooled slowly it remains yellow, in which state, when rubbed, the
 red tint is immediately reproduced.   It requires more than  6000
 times  its weight of water for solution; but it is much  more soluble
 in alcohol and acids, particularly with the aid of heat.   It is soluble
 in a boiling  solution of common salt, but a mere trace only is re-
 tained as it cools.
  Prep.—Lond. " Mercury, fi.; iodine,  zx.; alcohol, a sufficiency ;  rub the mercury
 and iodine together, adding the alcohol gradually until globules are no longer visible.
 Dry the powder with a gentle  heat, and keep it in a well-stopped  vessel."  Edin.
 " Mercury, 5ij. ; iodine, "jiiss.; concentrated solution of muriate of soda, cong. j.;
 triturate the iodine and mercury together, adding occasionally a little rectified spirit
 till a uniform powder be obtained.  Reduce the product to fine powder, and dissolve
 it in the solution of muriate of soda with the aid of brisk ebullition.  Filter, if ne-
 cessary, through calico, keeping the funnel hot; wash and dry the crystals which
 form on cooling."
   Adulterations.—Owing to faulty preparation, iodide of mercury
 is apt  to contain some of the sesqui or sub iodide ; it may also con-
 tain sulphuret of mercury, derived  from impurity in  the metallic
 mercury  employed.   These, as well  as any fixed impurity, are
 guarded against by  the  tests of the Edin. Phar.  '* Entirely va-
 porizable by heat; soluble entirely in 40 parts of a concentrated so-
 lution  of muriate of soda at  212°,  and again deposited in fine red
 crystals on  cooling."
   Th. E.—This is an  exceedingly active preparation, producing
 violent inflammation when placed  in contact with the  skin.  In its
 medicinal properties it appears to resemble much  corrosive subli-
 mate, and may be employed in the  same cases.   In doses of T\ of
 a grain given twice daily, and continued for some time,  I have
 found  it to act as an excellent tonic  in scrofulous habits.  As a top-
 ical  remedy, in the form of ointment, it  is applied with benefit to
 chronic glandular  enlargements.  Its use, however, requires much
 caution, especially  when  applied to raw surfaces.
  D. & M.  of Adm.—Gr. TV  to  gr. \, made  into pill  with  any of
the tonic vegetable extracts.—Unguentum Hydrargyri Biniodidi,
L.   (Biniodide of mercury, §j.;  white wax, §ij; lard, §vj.; add the
salt to the wax and lard melted together,  and mix.)   This ointment
is much too strong for ordinary use, and should be farther diluted
with three or four times its weight of lard.

  Hydrargyri chloridum, L.   Calomelas, D. E.  [Hydrargyri
chloridum mite, U. S. P.  Mild Chloride of Mercury.]—Calomel
 (described in the division Cathartics) is the most generally used, and
one of the mildest  of the preparations of mercury.  It  may  be em-
ployed to produce  the general effects of mercurials, as  before de- 
special stimulants
341
 scribed;  but it is almost exclusively administered in the treatment
 of inflammatory and febrile affections, in which it is usually given
 in combination with small doses of opium, to prevent it from acting
 on the bowels.  As a sedative in dysentery and in epidemic cholera,
 its use has been before alluded to  (see page 334); in those diseases
 it is given in very large doses (a scruple every hour or every sec-
 ond hour until two or three drachms are taken, or in  single doses of
 3ss. to 3ij.) with the very best effects.  As an alterative,  it is very
 generally administered to children, who are not near so susceptible
 to the influence of calomel, or, indeed, of any other mercurial, as
 adults.   To  produce ptyalism, this is perhaps the most convenient
 of all the mercurial compounds,  as  salivation may be  produced
 with it in a very short space of time, and  with very little disturb-
 ance to the  system generally.   Its use as a cathartic has been be-
 fore described (see page 90).  Calomel is also added to other  med-
 icines to  promote  their peculiar effects; thus, it  is combined with
 digitalis  or squill  to produce diuresis;  and  with  Dover's powder
 or antimonials, to increase their diaphoretic properties.
   D. & M.  of  Adm.—As an antiphlogistic, gr. iij. to  gr. v.,  com-
 bined with one fourth or one half a grain of opium.  As an altera-
 tive, gr. j. to gr. iij. twice a day.   To produce ptyalism,  gr. iij. to
 gr. v. are usually given night and morning; but by administering
 calomel in grain doses every hour, a sixth of a grain of opium be-
 ing added to each  dose should it affect the bowels, salivation may
 be produced in from 12 to 24 hours, provided  proper  preparatory
 treatment  has been employed.—Pilula  Calomelanos comp.  (see
 page 143).   Dose  as an alterative, gr. v. to gr. x.—Pilula Calo-
 melanos et Opii, E.  (Calomel,  3  parts ; opium,  1 part;  conserve
 of red roses,  q. s.;  beat into a proper mass ; to be divided  into pills,
 each containing gr. ij. of calomel.)  Dose, one to two pills.— Ungu-
 entum Calomelanos, Pereira.   (Calomel, 3i.; lard, §j.)   A  most
 useful application in chronic diseases of the scalp, and in lepra and
 psoriasis.

   Hydrargyri  iodidum,  L.  Iodide of Mercury;  Sub-iodide of
 Mercury.  [Protiodide of Mercury, U. S. P.]
   P. & C. P.—This is a greenish-yellow powder, insoluble in  both
 water and alcohol; its composition is Hg2I.   Exposed to light, or
 by the application  of heat, it is readily resolved into metallic  mer-
 cury and  the red  iodide.  It is insoluble in solution  of chloride of
 sodium.
  pREP__Lond.  " Mercury, 51. ; iodine, 3V.; aiconoi, q. s.; rub the mercury and
iodine  together, adding the alcohol gradually, till globules are no  longer visible.
Dry the powder immediately with a gentle heat, without the access of light, and
keep it in a well-stopped vessel."
   Th. E.__This is  a milder preparation than the red iodide of  mer-
cury, but  in othor respects its  properties are precisely similar.  It
is  scarcely ever used.
   D. & M. of Adm.—Gr. j. to gr. nj.,  in pill.—Pilula Hydrargyri
Iodidi, L.  (Iodide of mercury, 3i.; confection of dog rose, 3iij.; 
342
SPECIAL stimulants.
ginger, powdered, 3i.;  beat together till they are incorporated.)
Gr. v. contain gr. j. of the iodide.  Dose, gr. v. to gr. xv.— Ungu-
entum Hydrargyri Iodidi, L.   (Iodide of mercury, 5*j.; white wax,
§ij.; lard, §vj.;  add  the iodide of mercury to the wax and lard
melted together, and mix.)

   Hydrargyri nitratis unguentum, D. L.  Tjnguentum citrinum,
D. E.   Ointment of the  Nitrate of Mercury;   Citrine  Ointment.
  Pkep.—DmJ. "Purified mercury, by weight, %}.; nitric acid, 3xiss ; olive oil, by
measure, fbj. ;  prepared lard, fiv. ; dissolve the mercury in the acid, then mix in the
oil and lard melted together, and make an ointment in the same manner as the ni-
tric acid ointment."  Lond. " Mercury, fi.; nitric acid, f3xi.; lard, ;vj.; olive oil,
fjiv.; first dissolve the mercury in the acid ; then mix the solution, while hot, with
the lard and oil melted together."  Edin. " Nitric acid (dens. 1380 to 1390), fjixss.;
mercury, ?iv.; axunge, "fxv.;  olive oil, ffxxxviiiss. ; dissolve the mercury in the
acid with the aid of a gentle  heat.  Melt the axunge in the  oil, with the aid of a
moderate heat, in a vessel capable of holding six times the quantity; and while the
mixture is hot, add the solution of mercury, also hot, and mix them thoroughly.  If
the mixture do not froth up,  raise the heat a little till this take place.  Keep the
ointment in earthenware vessels, or in glass vessels secluded from the light."
   When  recently prepared, this ointment is of a golden-yellow col-
our, and has an  odour of nitrous acid.   But it does not keep well,
as, no  matter  how carefully prepared, after some tinie it acquires
a grayish colour and becomes hard, when it is  no longer fit for use.
Citrine ointment is an excellent application in many forms of chron-
ic ophthalmia, being especially useful when the eyelids are  the seat
of the  disease ;  for this purpose  it is generally diluted with an equal
weight of lard.   It is also an excellent application to herpetic erup-
tions, and to chronic eczema, impetigo or porrigo of the scalp

   Hydrargyri oxydum,  L.   Hydrargyri oxydum nigrum, D.  Ox-
yde of Mercury.  Sub-oxyde of Mercury.   Black Oxyde  of Mer-
cury.
   P. & C.  P.—This is  a black or grayish-black, heavy  powder,
tasteless and odourless.   Its density is 10*69 ;  its  composition, Hg!
0.   Exposed to heat, it  is resolved into metallic  mercury  and the
oxyde, and  this change takes place slowly at ordinary temperatures,
under  the action of strong light; it then  acquires a yellowish tinge.
It is insoluble in water  and in the solutions of the alkalies, but it
dissolves  in nitric and acetic  acids, combining with them  to form
salts.
  Prep.—Dub. " Sublimed calomel, 1 part; water  of caustic potash, heated, * parts;
triturate together until the oxyde acquires a black colour, and wash  frequently with
water ; then, with a medium heat, dry the oxyde on bibulous paper."  Lond. " Chlo-
ride of mercury, fi.; lime-water, cong. j.;  mix, and frequently shake them.  Set
by, and when the oxyde has subsided, pour off the liquor ; lastly, wash it in distill-
ed water until nothing alkaline can be perceived, and dry it in the  air, wrapped in
bibulous paper."
   Adulterations.—This  preparation frequently contains the higher
oxvde, which may be detected by digesting for a short time with
dilute  muriatic acid, and straining ; the acid dissolves  out the  high-
er oxyde only, which is  thrown down in the form of a yellow pre-
cipitate on the  addition of solution of  potash.  If it  contain any 
SPECIAL stimulants.
343
fixed impurity, it will not be entirely dissipated by heat.  Metallic
mercury may be detected by the black oxyde not being complete-
ly soluble in  acetic acid.
   Th.  E.—Black oxyde  of mercury produces the usual effects of
the mercurial preparation,  but, owing to its  varying composition.
and the difficulty of preserving it unchanged,  it is not employed in-
ternally.  It  is applied externally in the form of ointment (consist-
ing of  1 part of oxyde to  5  of lard), and it forms the active part of
black wash, a most excellent application to chancres and other ve-
nereal  sores,  and which is in very general use.—Lotio nigra, Black
wash.   (Calomel, 3i.; lime-water, fgxij.; mix.)  This wash must
be well shaken, so as to suspend  the black oxyde every time it is
used.  It is employed with benefit in most foul and indolent sores,
although not  of a venereal origin.   Black oxyde of mercury is also
employed for mercurial fumigations.  (See Hydrargyri sulphure-
tum rubrum.)

   Hydrargyri oxydum rubrum,  D.  Hydrargyri binoxydum, L.
Red Oxyde of Mercury.   Binoxyde of Mercury.   Oxyde of Mer-
cury.
   P. & C. P.—This oxyde is met with in  the form of small, brill-
iant red scales, when prepared according to the  formula of the
Dublin Pharmacopoeia;  but when obtained by the process of the
London College, it is an orange-red powder,  odourless, with a dis-
agreeable metallic taste.   Its composition is  HgO, being a protox-
yde.   At a heat below redness it is entirely  resolved into metallic
mercury and oxygen, and is therefore frequently employed in chem-
istry for procuring that gas.  It  is very slightly soluble in water,
the solution acting feebly alkaline^on vegetable colours.
  pKEP.__Dub.  " Purified mercury, any quantity ; put it  into a glass matrass with a
long, narrow neck, and expose  it to a heat of about 600°, until it is converted into
red scales."  Lond.  "Bichloride  of mercury, "fiv. ; solution of potash, ffxxviij.;
distilled water,  Ovj. ; dissolve the bichloride in the water ; strain, and add the so-
lution of potash.  The liquor being poured off, wash in distilled water the powder
thrown down until nothing alkaline can be perceived, and dry it with a gentle heat."
   Adulterations.—This preparation seldom contains any impurity.
The best test of its freedom from adulteration is its complete  solu-
bility in muriatic acid.
   Th. E.__Red  oxyde of  mercury is  not employed internally in
medicine in the present day.  It was formerly used to produce sal-
ivation.   The dose is from gr. \ to gr. iss., in pill.   It may be used
externally for the same purposes as the nitric  oxyde (see page 136),
but is  less caustic.  It forms the active part  of yellow wash, which
is preferred  by some to  black  wash, as an application to venereal
sor(.s.__Lotio flava, Yellow wash.   (Corrosive sublimate, 9j.; lime-
water, f^xij.; mix.)

   Hydrargyri persulphas,  D.  Persulphate of  Mercury.   Sul-
phate of Mercury.
  pEEP__a purified  mercury and sulphuric acid, of each, 6 parts ; nitric acid, 1 
344
SPECIAL stimulants.
part; expose them to heat in a glass vessel, and increase the heat until a perfectly
dry, white mass be obtained."
   This  preparation, the composition  of which is Hg O, SO3, has
not been  used in medicine.  It  is introduced into the pharmaco-
poeias as being employed in the preparation of sulphuric oxyde of
mercury (see page 209), of sublimed calomel, and of corrosive sub-
limate.

   Hydrargyri submurias ammoniatum, D.   Hydrargyri ammonio-
chloridum, L.  Hydrargyri precipitatum album, E.   White Pre-
cipitate.   Ammoniated Submuriate of Mercury.  Ammonio-chloride
of Mercury.   White Precipitate of Mercury.
   P. & C. P.—This  preparation  is in the form  of a bulky milk-
white powder, odourless, but having a styptic, metallic taste.  It is
a true chloro-amidide of mercury, its  formula being HgCl+HgAd
(Kane).   It is insoluble in cold water; by boiling water it is de-
composed into sal-ammoniac, which is dissolved,  and into a heavy
yellow powder  (chloro-amidide  and binoxyde of mercury,  Kane),
which is insoluble in water.   White precipitate may be distinguish-
ed from calomel by solution of ammonia, which does not alter the
former, but blackens the latter.   When heated suddenly, it is com-
pletely dissipated.
  Prep.—Dub. " Add to the liquor which is poured off from precipitated calomel
sufficient water of caustic ammonia to throw down the metallic salt, which is to be
washed with cold water, and dried on bibulous paper." Lond., Edin. " Bichloride
of mercury  (corrosive sublimate, E.), fvj.; distilled water, Ovj.; solution of am-
monia, ffviij.; dissolve the corrosive sublimate in the water with the aid of heat;
to this, when cold, add the ammonia, stirring frequently; collect the powder thrown
down (on a calico filter, E.), and wash it thoroughly (with cold water, E.) (until it
is free from taste, then dry it, L.)."
   Adulterations.—I have never met with any impurity in this prep-
aration.   The London College nave given  the following tests for
its purity, which have reference to its adulterations  with  starch,
with white lead, with sulphate or carbonate of lime, or with black
oxyde of mercury: " Totally evaporated by heat.   When digested
with acetic acid,  iodide  of potassium  throws down nothing either
yellow or blue.   The powder rubbed  with lime-water does not be-
come black.   It is totally dissolved by hydrochloric  acid, without
effervescence.  When  heated with solution of potash it becomes
yellow, and emits ammonia."
   Th.  E.—White  precipitate is not used as an  internal remedy.
Externally, in the form of ointment, it  is an excellent application in
many forms of chronic  cutaneous diseases, as herpetic eruptions
sycosis  mentis, impetigo, &c.— Unguentum Hydrargyri submuri-
atis ammoniati, D.   Hydrargyri ammonio-chloridi, L.—precipitati
albi, E.   (White  precipitate, 3i.; prepared lard, giss.; add the
white precipitate to the  lard melted over a slow fire, and mix.)

   Hydrargyri sulphuretum nigrum, D.   Hydrargvri  sulphure-
tum cum  sulphure, L.  Black Sulphuret of Mercury.   JEthiops
Mineral.
   P. & C. P.—This is a heavy, black, insipid, and inodorous pow- 
special stimulants.
345
der, the composition of which is  not well known.  It is insoluble
in water.   By heat it is fused, and completely dissipated.
  Prep.—Dub., Lond: " Mercury (purified, D.), and sulphur (sublimed, D.), of each,
1 part (ibj., L.); rub them together (in a stoneware mortar, D.) until globules are
no longer visible."
  Adulterations.—The complete dissipation by heat will show  the
absence of any fixed impurity, such as charcoal or ivory  black.
  Th. E.—This  preparation was at one time employed as an al-
terative in glandular and cutaneous diseases, but in the present day
it is rarely used.   The dose of it is from gr. v. to 3ss.

  Hydrargyri sulphuretum  rubrum, D.   Hydrargyri bisulphu-
retum, L.   Cinnabaris, E.  Red Sulphuret of Mercury.   Cinna-
bar.
  P. & C. P.—This is the most common ore of mercury.  When
prepared for medical use, it occurs in the form of  dark-red  crys-
talline masses, which, when reduced to  fine powder, are of a brill-
iant  rich red colour, and then constitute the pigment vermilion.
It is without odour  o:  taste, and  is insoluble in water, alcohol, or
ether.   Its sp. gr. is 8*1, and its  composition Hg S.  It is perma-
nent in the air; by exposure to heat it is first blackened, and then
totally dissipated.  It is  inflammable, burning with a blue flame,
and a sulphurous-acid odour.
  Prep.—Dub., Lond., Edin. " Mercury (purified, D.), 21 parts (fbij., L. E.); sulphur
(.sublimed, D), 3 parts (?v., L. E.); mix the mercury with the sulphur melted (and
as soon as the mass swells up, remove the vessel from the fire, L. E.), and cover
the vessel closely, to prevent the mass from taking fire.  Then reduce the material
to powder (as soon as it is cold, E.), and sublime it."
  Adulterations.—Cinnabar is very liable to  be  adulterated with
red-lead, with realgar (sulphuret of arsenicum), with red  oxyde of
iron, and with earthy impurities.   When heat is applied,  oxyde of
iron or any earthy matter will be left; if the impurity be red-lead,
metallic globules  of lead will remain.  Sulphuret of  arsenicum may
be detected by the  usual tests for the preparations of that  metal
(see  page 134).
  Th. E.__Cinnabar is not used  as an internal remedy.   It  is  the
preparation  of the metal most generally employed for mercurial
fumio-ations; for  which purpose it is thrown on a  plate of heated
iron,°and the fumes  thus evolved, either inhaled to produce saliva-
tion, or directed  on ulcerated  parts.  Mercurial  fumigations may,
however,  be conducted in a much more easy manner, as proposed
by Mr. Colics, " by directing the intended dose of cinnabar or gray
oxyde of mercury to be mixed with melted wax, and with a cotton
wick  be moulded into a small candle ; this maybe stuck on a com-
mon plate, and then burned under a curved glass funnel,  which is
to be raised  about an inch from the plate."  Fumigations with  the
mercurial candle may be conveniently directed on any* part of  the
body.   They have been recently highly recommended by Mr. Col-
les for those obstinate  ulcerations which occur about the roots of
the nails.
                              A x 
346
SPECIAL stimulants.
  Indigo.  Indigo.—A peculiar colouring matter obtained from the
leaves of several species of the genus Indigofera, especially Indi-
gofera Tinctoria; which are natives of India, and belong  to the
natural family Leguminosa, and to the Linneean class  and order
Diadelphia Decandria.
  Prep.—The plants are cut down just before the flowers appear, placed in largo
vats, and covered with water, in which they are left for about 12 hours, until fei
mentation takes place, which process is sometimes promoted by using lime-water.
The liquor, which has acquired a vellow colour, is drawn off into another vat, beat-
en with rods, and constantly agitated until it becomes blue, and the indigo precipi-
tatea  It is then drained on calico, pressed, and dried.
  P. & C. P.—Indigo, as met with in commerce, is of a deep-blue
colour, shaded with  violet, smooth and hard:  rubbed, it  acquires a
metallic appearance.  It is  inodorous, but has a somewhat metallic
taste.  It is a compound substance, consisting of a glutinous mat-
ter, indigo blue (indigrotin). indigo brown, and indigo red.  The for-
mula of indigo blue is  C16H5NO\  It is insoluble in water, in cold
alcohol, and in ether;  it is partially soluble in boiling alcohol.
  Th. E.—Indigo has been recently employed on the Continent in
the treatment of nervous  and spasmodic diseases, and it is said with
great success.   The diseases in which it has been found to be pe-
culiarly beneficial are idiopathic epilepsy, chorea, hysteria, and con-
vulsions.   It should be given in as large doses as the stomach will
bear; but, as  it acts with much difference on different individuals,
the dose at first should not  exceed five  grains three times a day,
but it should be rapidly increased until §j., or even more, is taken
daily.   It is best administered in the form of electuary, made with
one part of indigo, and two of sirup  or honey; with which aro-
matics are in general combined.  For  farther information, the read-
er is  referred  to the British and Foreign Medical Review, vol. ii.,
page 214.

  Iodinum, D.  L.   Iodineum, E.   Iodine.
  P. P.—Iodine is generally met with in the  form of small crystal-
line scales, often accreted into masses  of a bluish-black colour, with
a metallic  lustre.  It has a strong, disagreeable  odour, resembling
that of chlorine, and a very acrid  taste.   From  a solution  it may
be obtained in the form of crystals, which are oblique octahedrons,
with a rhombic base.   Its density is 4*948.
  C. P.—Iodine is an  elementary body, existing  in combination in
both kingdoms of nature.  It evaporates slowly at the usual tem-
perature if exposed  to the air, and more rapidly if moistened.  It
fuses at 225°, and boils at 347°.  Exposed to an  increased temper-
ature, it is volatilized in the form of a beautiful violet-coloured va-
pour, from whence  it  has derived its name ('Wd-nc).   It requires
7000 parts of pure water for its solution, to which  it imparts a
brownish colour; it  is much more  soluble in  alcohol, and very sol-
uble in ether.   Solutions of the iodides in water dissolve much io-
dine ; the best characteristic of iodine is its action on starch.  (See
page 183.)
  Prep.—Iodine is an article of the Materia Medica in the three British Pharma- 
special stimulants.
347
copceias.  It is procured by the manufacturers on the large scale from the ashes
obtained by burning various species of sea-weed.  These ashes, technically called
kelp, are lixiviated with water, to which they yield about half their weight of salts.
The mother-liquor  is poured off from these salts, which are deposited by evapora-
tion and crystallization; it is then treated with sulphuric acid, and as soon as all
effervescence has ceased, in almost a day or two, it is put into leaden retorts with
black oxyde of manganese, and heated to 140° F., when the iodine passes over in
the state of vapour, and is condensed in proper receivers.  " As met with in com-
merce, iodine is generally adulterated with variable proportions of water, and being,
consequently, unfit for making pharmaceutic preparations of fixed and  uniform
strength, it must be dried by being placed in a shallow  basin of earthenware in a
small, confined space of air, with ten or twelve times its weight of fresh-burned
lime, till it scarcely adheres to the inside of a dry bottle," Edin.

  Adulterations.—Iodine is frequently  adulterated with fixed sub-
stances,  such as charcoal,  plumbago, black oxyde  of manganese,
&c, all of which may be readily detected by their not being sub-
limed on the application of heat, or by  their being left as an insol-
uble residue when  iodine is  treated with  alcohol.   Attention  has
been recently directed by Professor Christison to an adulteration
of much consequence, that  with water,  of which it frequently con-
tains from 15 to 20 per cent.; that is to say, §j. of iodine may* con-
tain 3iss., or even more,  of  water.  It may be readily detected by
pressing a specimen between folds of filtering paper, or by shaking
it in a very dry bottle.   If  greater accuracy  be required, the  test
of the Edin. Phar.  may be  applied:  " Gr. xxxix. with  gr. ix. of
quicklime, and fitiij. of water, when heated  short of ebullition, slow-
ly form  a perfect solution,  which is  yellowish or  brownish if the
iodine be  pure, but colourless if  there  be  above two per cent, of
water or other  impurity."
   Th. E.—Introduced into the stomach, iodine exerts a local irri-
tant action on  that viscus, causing nausea and vomiting; in large
doses  it  produces the effects of an irritant poison, but in many in-
stances,  even when taken in  enormous quantities, it has produced
scarcely any effect.   In slight or medicinal doses, iodine acts as  a
special stimulant to the  glandular system, generally at the same
time affecting the organs of secretion, increasing the quantity of
fluid secreted.  Under the continued use of small doses of this sub-
stance, the removal  or  palliation of disease  will sometimes take
place  without any perceptible action on the system generally; in
other instances, much  emaciation and derangement of the digestive
functions will be  produced ; while the very reverse effect, namely,
deposition of fat and increased appetite, has been noticed by many
as  the consequence  of a lengthened  administration  of iodine.  A
curious  fact, but which has been rarely if  at all witnessed in Great
Britain,  is, that absorption of the mammas in  females, and wasting
of the testicles  in males, have been produced  by the continued ad-
ministration of iodine.  A  remarkable  train of symptoms, charac-
terizing a peculiar disordered state of  the system which has been
named iodism,  frequently arises  when the use of this substance in
frequent small  doses  has been persisted in  for a long time.   These
symptoms are  nausea, headache, gei  ,*:d  languor, and loss of ap-
petite, followed by vomiting  and purgni0,  extreme depression, ire- 
348
special stimulants.
 quent, small  pulse, great weakness,  fainting, dry cough, occasion-
 ally with inflammation of the mucous membrane lining the air-pas-
 sages, and terminating in death, if the iodine be not abandoned in
 time.  Iodism is, however, in the present day, rarely witnessed, and
 when it  does  occur, it is easily checked  by suspending the use of
 the medicine.
   Iodine is a most valuable remedial  agent in the treatment of glan-
 dular enlargements, and in scrofulous affections;  but  its employ-
 ment is contra-indicated when acute inflammation is present.  In
 bronchocele, it has proved more successful  than any other remedy
 which has ever  been used; indeed, there are few cases, unless
 where the thyroid gland has become completely indurated, that
 will withstand the use  of  iodine when continued steadily for  six
 weeks or two months; and even cases  where the gland is much
 indurated are often remarkably relieved.   In the innumerable va-
 rieties of scrofulous affections, this remedy is most extensively used,
 and with decided advantage.  It is found particularly beneficial in
 glandular swellings,  tumours,  abscesses, ulcers, ophthalmia, and
 diseases  of the bone occurring in scrofulous constitutions.   Iodine
 has also proved  eminently successful in chronic enlargements of
 the abdominal viscera,  particularly the liver, spleen, and, ovaries.
 In fine, it has been  proposed  as a remedy in phthisis, in amenor-
 rhcea,  in leucorrhoea, in gout, in palsy, in chorea,  in  ascites, in
 chronic cutaneous diseases, &c.; but in all these cases, its success
 is  very equivocal.  The inhalation of the vapour of iodine was at
 one time very much used in the treatment of phthisis and of chronic
 bronchitis, but general experience has proved its inutility.  An in-
jection composed of one part of tincture  of iodine, and three parts
 of water, is used  after  tapping  for the radical cure of hydrocele.
 Topically, iodine  is employed in the form of tincture or of ointment
 as a local stimulant in many forms of chronic cutaneous diseases,
 to enlarged  glands, in chronic swellings  of the joints, to inflamed
 bursa?, &c.
   D. & M. of Adm.—fodine is not administered in substance.  The
 following are the simple preparations which  are generally em-
 ployed, but it is usually  given in combination with iodide of potas-
 sium (see page 355): Tinctura Iodinii, D. E.   (Iodine, 3ij. (jiiss.,
 E.) ; rectified spirit, §j. (Oij., E.) ; dissolve the  iodine in the  spirit
with the aid of a gentle heat and agitation; keep the tincture in
 well-closed  bottles.)   One  fluid drachm (Dub.) contains gr. v. of
iodine.   Dose, min. v. to min. xx., two or three times a day; it
 may be given in f^ss. of water, and sweetened with simple sirup.—
 Unguentum  Iodinii, D.   (Iodine, 3j.; prepared lard, *y.;  triturate
together, so as to make an ointment.)  The simple iodine ointment
is seldom used in  the present day.
   In poisoning with iodine, emetics should be administered, and
 their operation aided by the  use of demulcent  and amylaceous
 drinks, as starch, flour, &c, diffused through tepid water or milk.

   MoRRHUiE oleum.   Oleum Jecdims Asr-Li.r.   Cod-liver Oil. 
special stimulants.
349
  Prep.—This oil is obtained from the liver of the Common Cod, Morrhua Vulgaris,
and of other allied species, as the Ling, Gadus Lota, the Dorse, Gadus Collarias, &c.
Much of what is met with is imported from Newfoundland, where it is prepared by
exposing the livers to the sun to putrefy, when the oil runs from them, and is re-
ceived in vessels placed underneath.  What is drawn in great Britain is procured
by simply boiling the fresh livers  (exposing them to a temperature  of 192°, Dono-
van), expressing and filtering.

   P. & C. P.—As generally met with, cod-liver oil  is transparent,
of a golden-brown colour,  with the odour of fresh-boiled cod, and
a  greasy,  bland taste, leaving  a  disagreeable impression  on the
palate.   Some specimens have a very rancid odour, and an exceed-
ingly nauseous taste.   On the Continent, four varieties, of different
colours, are usually met with, but in Great Britain we are only ac-
quainted with that above described.   It  contains two resins, oleic
and margaric acids,  gelatine, glycerine, colouring matter, some
salts of soda and potash, and traces of iodine and bromine.   Upon
the presence of the two latter substances, it has been  supposed by
many, and not without reason, that its medicinal  virtues depend.
   Th. E.—Cod-liver  oil, although at one time much  employed in
England, had fallen completely into disuse, until within the last few
years, when some extensive trials with it as a remedy in Germany
again directed attention to its value as a therapeutic agent.   It has
been employed  in a great number of diseases, but it appears to be
particularly  useful in  chronic rheumatism, in scrofulous abscesses
and caries of the bones, in phthisis, in arthritis, in rickets, in stru-
mous ophthalmia, and  in obstinate cutaneous affections.   In all these
cases, its external application is, it is stated, beneficially combined
with its internal use; and to prove successful,  its  administration
must be persevered in for a very long period, in some instances even
for years.
   D. & M. of Adm.—The dose of this oil is from fj*ss.  to f§i. two or
three times a day, and gradually increased to fjiij. or fjiv.   It may
be given made  into an emulsion witn solution of potasn and  some
aromatic water.  But no matter how it is attempted to De a'isguised.
it leaves a most disagreeable and  permanent impression on the
mouth  and fauces,  which,  together with  the length of time its ad-
ministration must be persisted in. has prevented it from coming into
general use.  Dr. Ure has recently suggested the adoption of cod
livers as  a diet  for patients who are recommended to take the oil;
and in order to prevent the dissipation of the  oil during the cook-
ing, the  livers  should be  suddenly immersed in boiling water, to
which  sufficient salt  has been added to raise the  boiling point to
220° F.   He states that he  has used this diet himself without in-
convenience, employing mashed potato as  a vehicle for the  oil,
which exudes on cutting the liver.  The oil obtained from the liver
of the Skate, Raia Clavata, has been proposed as a substitute  for
cod-liver oil; it is stated  to be less  disagreeable to the taste, and
also more fully efficacious in its therapeutic effects.

   Nux-vomica, D. L. E.   Seeds of Strychnos Nux-vomica.—A na-
 tive of the Indian Continent, of the coasts of Coromandel, and of the 
350
special stimulants.
Island of Ceylon;  belonging to the natural family Apocynacea, and
to the Linnaean class and order Pentandria Monogynia.

  B. C.—A moderate-sized tree ; trumc tnicK, wit'n a grayish, mottled bark, cover-
ed in parts with a reddish-brown efflorescence;  branches opposite, long;  leaves
oval, shining, leathery, 5-nerved; flowers in small terminal corymbs, greenisb-yel-
low; fruit ovoid, about the size of an orange, one-celled, pulpy, containing many   #
seeds

   P. P.—Strychnos seeds,  nux-vomica, are about an inch in diam-
eter and  two lines thick,  round, nearly flat, umbilicated and slight-
ly convex on one side, concave on the other.   Externally they are
of an ash-gray colour, satiny,  covered with short, yellowish hairs;
internally they consist of a horny, whitish or yellowish albumen,
which  separates into two parts, and contains, in a  small cavity in
the  circumference, the embryo, with its two acuminate cotyledons.
Nux-vomica seeds are with difficulty reduced to powder ;  they are
inodorous,  but have  an acrid,  intensely bitter taste.   The bark has
been met with in  British commerce under the name  of false an-
gustura bark (see Cusparia).
   C. P.—Nux-vomica consists of two peculiar alkaloids,  strychnia
and brucia, in combination with a peculiar  acid, igasuric or strych-
nic acid, with other unimportant matters.   Its medicinal properties
depend on  the alkaloids, the  former of which is the  more active,
and is  officinal in the London and Edinburgh Pharmacopoeias.   It
is prepared as follows :
  Lond.—"Nux-vomica, bruisea, fbij.; rectified spirit, cong. iij. ; diluted sulphuric
acid, magnesia, and  solution of ammonia, of each, q. s. ; boil the bruised nux-vomi-
ca with  a gallon of the spirit for an hour in a retort, to which a receiver is fitted.
Pour off the liquor, and again, and a third time, boil what remains with another gal-
lon of spirit, and the spirit recently distilled, and pour off the liquor.  Press the nux-
vomica,  and let the spirit  distil  from the mixed and strained liquors.   Evaporate
what remains to the proper consistence of an extract.  Dissolve this in cold water,
and strain.  Evaporate the liquor with a gentle heat until it has the consistence of
a sirup.  To this, while  yet warm, gradually add the magnesia  to saturation, sha-
king them together.   Set it aside for two days, then pour off the supernatant liquor.
Press what remains, wrapped in cloth.  Boil it in the spirit, then strain, and let the
spirit distil.  Add to the  residue a very little diluted sulphuric acid mixed with wa-
ter, and  macerate with a gentle heat.  Set it aside for 24 hours, that crystals may
form. Press and dissolve them.  Afterward to these, dissolved in water, add am-
monia, frequently shaking them, that the  strychnia may be thrown down.   Lastly,
dissolve this in boiling  spirit, and set it aside, that crystals may be produced."
Edin. "Nux-vomica, ibj.; quicklime, jiss.; rectified spirit, q. s. ; subject the nux-
vomica for 2 hours to the vapour of steam, chop or slice it, dry it thoroughly in the
vapour-bath or hot-air press,  and immediately grind it in a coffee-mill.  Macerate
it for 12 hours in Oij. of water, and boil it; strain through linen or calico, and
squeeze the residuum; repeat the maceration and decoction twice with Oiss. of
water.  Concentrate the decoctions to the consistence of thin sirup ; add the lime,
in the form of milk of lime ; dry the precipitate in the vapour-bath, pulverize it, and
boil it with successive portions of rectified spirit, till the spirit ceases to acquire a
bitter taste.   Distil off the spirit till the residuum be sufficiently concentrated to
crvstallize on cooling.  Purify the crystals by repeated crystallizations."

   Strychnia crystallizes in colourless, minute octahedrons, but,  as
met with in commerce, it  is  usually in the form of a dirty-White,
 granular powder; it is odourless, but has an intensely  bitter  taste.
 It is soluble in 2500 parts of boiling, and in 6667 parts of cold water;
 but this last solution, if still farther diluted with 100  times  its weight
 more of water, tastes strongly bitter.  It dissolves in diluted alcohol, 
SPECIAL STIMULANTS.
351
but is insoluble in absolute alcohol  and in ether.   It is permanent
in the air; it acts as an alkali  on vegetable colours, and combines
with acids to form salts.   The  composition of strychnia is C44H23
N204 (Regnault).  Brucia is not employed in medicine, and there-
fore need not be particularly described here.   In most of its proper-
ties it resembles strychnia, but it is more soluble in water, and pro-
duces a rich red colour with nitric acid, which change does not oc-
cur with perfectly pure strychnia.   Powdered  nux-vomica is of a
grayish-yellow colour;  it yields its active principles to water and
diluted alcohol, but not to ether.
   Adulterations.—According to Christison, powdered nux-vomica
is frequently adulterated with  common salt, but I have never  met
with this  impurity; it may be readily discovered by treating the
powder with cold water, filtering, evaporating, and crystallizing.
Strychnia is very liable to adulteration, and, as met with in com-
merce, is never free from brucia and colouring  matter, and, conse-
quently, among the  characteristics  of  the alkaloid, the Edinburgh
College have stated that it is  strongly reddened by nitric  acid,
which, as above remarked, does not occur unless brucia be present:
that it is sufficiently pure for medical purposes, may be known by
the following test: " A solution  of gr. x. in f3iv. of water by means
of f3i. of pyroligneous  acid, when decomposed by fgi. of concen-
trated solution of carbonate of soda, yields  on brisk agitation an
adhesive mass, weighing when  dry gr. x,, and entirely soluble  in
solution of oxalic acid," Edin. Phar.
   Th. E.—In very  small doses, nux-vomica appears  to act as  a
tonic ; but in somewhat larger doses it operates as a special stimu-
lant to the medulla oblongata  and spinal marrow, without affecting
the sensorium.  Its  effects are principally exerted on the nerves of
motion, as indicated by the spasmodic twitchings of the voluntary
muscles, which, when "the dose is large or the use of small doses
has been continued for some time, amount to violent tetanic spasms.
It is a very active poison, so small  a dose as  3ss.  of the powder, or
gr. j. of pure strychnia, having proved fatal; the  symptoms which
precede death  are  simply  those of tetanus  and  asphyxia.   As  a
medicinal  agent, the principal use  of  nux-vomica has been in the
treatment of chronic paralytic affections; but, as it does not prove
equally serviceable  in all forms of paralysis, and in  some proves
absolutely injurious, it will be necessary to state the circumstances
which demand or contra-indicate its use.  When paralysis is the
consequence of inflammatory action in the brain or spinal marrow,
or is produced by  what is, indeed, the most common cause, the
pressure of effused  blood on  the nervous centres, nux-vomica al-
ways proves injurious, unless the inflammatory action has been pre-
viously subdued, or a length of time has elapsed  since the effusion
took place.   It more frequently proves beneficial in general  than
in partial paralysis, and  in paraplegia than  in hemiplegia.   It  is,
however, often "of service in palsy of certain organs, as in inconti-
nence of urine depending on paralysis of the muscles of the  blad-
der, and in some forms of amaurosis, when  applied by the en der- 
352
SPECIAL stimulants.
mic method.   Nux-vomica or its alkaloid have been also employed
in the treatment of other  affections of the nervous system, as in
chorea, epilepsy, and nervous tremours ;  but in the latter only.does
it appear to  have proved of service.  In  epidemic dysentery, its
beneficial effects have been highly spoken of in Germany and in
Sweden ; and by various practitioners it  has been found successful
occasionally  in the  treatment  of amenorrhcea, of hypochondriasis.
of dyspepsia, of colica pictonum, of prolapsus ani, of impotence,
&c.   It is remarkable that, when administered in paralysis, the ef-
fects of nux-vomica on the  muscular system are principally, though
not, as was one time imagined, entirely confined to the paralyzed
parts.
  D.  &  M. of Adm.—Nux-vomica may be administered  in pow-
der, in doses  of gr. v., gradually increased to gr.  xx.;  but in the
present day it is almost entirely displaced by strychnia.—Extractum
Nucis Vomica, D. E.   (" Nux-vomica, rasped, §viij.;  proof spirit,
by measure,  fbij.; digest in a  closed vessel for 3  days, filter the li-
quor, and express what remains by a press: to  this add  fbiss. of
proof spirit, digest the mixture for three days, and express the re-
siduum.   Distil the mixed liquors to a fourth part, and reduce to a
proper consistence," D.   " Take of nux-vomica, any  convenient
quantity  ; expose it in a proper vessel to  steam until it  is complete-
ly softened ; slice it, dry it thoroughly, and  grind it in a coffee-mill;
exhaust the powder  either by  percolating it with  rectified spirit, or
by boiling it with repeated portions of rectified spirit, till the spirit
comes off free of bitterness.  Distil off the greater part of the spirit,
and evaporate what  remains to a proper  consistence in the vapour-
bath," E.)  Dose, gr. ss., gradually increased  to gr. iij., in the form
of pill.   When carefully prepared, this extract is an excellent prep-
aration, and  might be used  instead of strychnia, which is very diffi-
cult to prepare, and, in general, is so much adulterated.—Tinctura
Nucis Vomica, D.  (Nux-vomica, rasped, "tij.:  rectified spirit, gviij.';
macerate for 7 days, and filter.)  In  consequence of its intense bit-
terness, the tincture  is now seldom used  internally.  Externally it
is sometimes  employed in  the form of embrocation to paralyzed
parts. Dose, min. x. to min. xxx.—Strychnia, L. E.   Dose, T'^ of
a grain,  gradually and slowly increased until its effects are pro-
duced ; always diminishing the dose at first when a different sam-
ple of the drug is employed.  It is usually given made into  pill with
crumb of bread or with conserve of roses; but,  as it is difficult to
divide it with sufficient accuracy into pills, a preferable method is
to dissolve a  grain in f3ij. of rectified spirit, with the aid of min. ij.
of sulphuric  or acetic acid;  so that every min.  x. of this solution
will contain T\ of a  grain of the salt of strychnia.   When applied
by the endermic method, gr. ss. of the  alkaloid  may be sprinkled
over  the surface, previously  denuded of  its  cuticle.   No matter
how  administered, great attention is requisite during the use of
nux-vomica or its alkaloid, in  consequence of their great activity
as poisons, o"ur ignorance of any chemical antidote, and from the
fact of some individuals being much more susceptible of  their ef-
fects than others. 
SPECIAL  STIMULANTS.
353
  Plumbi iodidum, L. E.   Iodide of Lead.
  P. & C. P.—Iodide of lead occurs in the form of a fine golden-
yellow powder, or in brilliant crystalline scales of thesame colour.
It is odourless and tasteless; it is permanent in the air, but, by ex-
posure to light, loses its brilliancy ; by heat it is fused.  It is solu-
ble in  1235 parts of cold, and  194  parts of boiling  water; it is
soluble in solution of potash.  The  composition  of iodide  of lead
is Pb I.
  Prep.—Lond. "Acetate of lead, *fix.;  iodide of potassium, §vij.; distilled water,
cong. j. ; dissolve the acetate of lead in Ovj. of the water, and strain; add to these
the iodide of potassium, first dissolved in Oij. of the water, wash what is precipita-
ted, and dry it."  Edin.  "Iodide of potassium and nitrate of lead, of each, "jss. -,
water, Oiss.; dissolve the salts separately, each in one half of the wlffer, add the
solutions, collect the  precipitate on a filter of linen or calico, and wash it with wa-
ter ; boil the powder  in cong. iij. of water acidulated with fjiij. of pyroligneous acid.
Let any undissolved  matter subside, maintaining the temperature near the boiling
point, and pour off the clear liquor, from which the iodide of lead will crystallize on
cooling."
  Adulterations.—I have not met with any adulteration in iodide
of lead.  The following tests for its purity are given in the Edin-
burgh Pharmacopoeia: " Bright yellow; gr. v. are entirely soluble
with the aid of ebullition  in  f*j. of pyroligneous  acid  diluted with
f**iss. of water;  and golden  crystals are  abundantly deposited on
cooling."
   Th. E.—The effects of this preparation are not well understood;
according to some,  its internal use prod uses  the constitutional  ac-
tion of lead ; according to  others, that of iodine.   In Great Britain.
it is rarely given internally; the dose is from gr. iij. to gr. v.;  ex-
ternally, it is applied in the form of  ointment to chronic glandular
enlargements, indolent  ulcers, and obstinate cutaneous affections
occurring in strumous habits.— Unguentum Plumbi Iodidi, L.  (Io-
dide of lead, i\.;  lard, gviij.; rub together and mix,)
   Incomp.—Sulphuric and carbonic  acids, and their salts,

   Potassii  bromidum, L.  Bromide of Potassium.
   P. & C. P.—This salt crystallizes in colourless, transparent, rec-
tangular  prisms or cubes.   They are inodorous, have an acrid, sa-
line taste, are very  soluble in water, and but slightly soluble in al-
cohol.  They are unalterable in the air;  exposed to heat,  they  de-
crepitate, and fuse  at a red  heat, without undergoing any change.
The composition of bromide of potassium is K Br.
  pREP.—Lond. " Bromine, *"ij. ; carbonate of potash, ?ij., 3J-; iron filings, fj.;  dis-
tilled water, Oiij.; first add the iron, and then the bromine to Oiss. of the distilled
water ; set them by  for half an hour, frequently stirring them with a spatula.  Ap-
ply a gentle heat, and when a greenish colour occurs, pour in the carbonate of pot-
ash dissolved in the  remainder of the water;  strain, and wash what remains in Oij.
of boiling distilled water, and again strain.  Let the mixed liquors be again evapo-
rated, so that crystals may be formed."
   Adulterations.—If  this salt  contain any  sulphate, it will give a
white precipitate with  solution of chloride of barium.   It  is often
adulterated  with  chloride of potassium or chloride of sodium; the
following is the test given by the London  College for the detection
of either  impurity:  " Gr. x.  decompose 14*28 grains of nitrate of 
354
SPECIAL  STIMULANTS.
silver, precipitating a yellow bromide of silver,  which  is  little al-
fected by nitric acid,  but is redissolved by ammonia."   If it de-
compose more nitrate of silver than the quantity above stated, it  is
owing to the presence of a chloride.
   Th. E.—The effects of bromide  of potassium appear to be anal-
ogous to those of iodide of potassium, which will be presently stated.
Dr. Williams, of London, employed  it internally in enlargements
of the spleen, in which he states  that  it possesses unusual, if not
specific  powers.  But it  has not  proved equally successful in the
hands of other practitioners.  Externally, it has  been employed in
the form of ointment to scrofulous and  indolent swellings.
   D. &  M. of Adm.—Gr. iij. to gr. xij.  three times a day, dissolved
in water and  sweetened  with sirup.   For an  ointment, 3j. to 3ij.
of the salt may be combined with §j. of lard ; in France, min. vj.
of bromine are usually added to this  ointment.
   Incomp.—Acids ; acidulous and metallic salts

   Potassii iodidum, L. E.  PotassjE Hydriodas, D.   Iodide of Po-
tassium  ; Hydriodate of Potash.
   P. '■&, C. P.—This salt crystallizes  in white, opaque  cubes or
quadrangular  prisms;  at. present generally met  with in fragments
of well-defined cubes six  to eight lines square, and having  a pearly
lustre.   It  has a pungent, saline  taste, but  is  inodorous.   It  does
not deliquesce when  pure, unless there is much moisture in the at-
mosphere ; exposed to heat, it decrepitates, and fuses at a red heat,
but is not decomposed.   100 parts of water  at  64° dissolve  143
parts of the  salt:  it is soluble in 5  or 6 parts  of alcohol.   The
watery  solution is neutral when  pure: it possesses the property of
dissolving iodine in large quantity, forming a brown liquid, called
ioduretted iodide of potassium.   The composition of iodide of po-
tassium  is K I.

  Prep.—Dub. " Iodine, 1 part; sulphuret of iron, in coarse powder, 5 parts ; sul-
phuric acid, 7 parts ; distilled water, 48 parts ; water of carbonate of potash, q. s.;
rectified spirit, 6 parts ; mix the iodine  by trituration with  16 parts of  the water,
and put the mixture into a glass vessel.   Pour the acid, previously diluted with 32
parts of water, upon the sulphuret in a matrass, and from  a tube fitted to the neck
of the matrass, and reaching to the bottom of the vessel containing the  iodine and
the water, pass the gas through the mixture until the iodine  disappears.  Immedi-
ately evaporate the filtered liquor with a superior heat to  an eighth part, and then
filter it again.  Then add by degrees as much carbonate of potash as will be suffi-
cient to saturate  the acid, which is known by the cessation of the effervescence.
Then expose the mixture to heat till a dry white salt is left ; pour on it the spirit,
and dissolve with heat.  Finally, pour off the liquor from the residual salt, evaporate
to dryness, and preserve in well-stopped bottles."  Lond.  " Iodine, ?vj.; carbonate
of potash, "fiv.; iron .filings, *jij.; distilled water,  Ovj. ; mix the iodine with Oiv. of
the water, and add the iron, stirring them frequently with a spatula for half an hour.
Apply a gentle heat, and when a greenish colour occurs, add the carbonate of potash,
first dissolved in the Oij. of water, and strain.  Wash what remains with Oij. of
boiling distilled water, and again strain.  Let the mixed  liquors be evaporated, so
that crystals maybe formed." Edin. " Iodine (dry), jv. ; fine iron-wire, *fiij.; water,
Oiv.;  carbonate of potash (dry), gij., 3vj. ; with the water, iodine, and iron-wire,
prepare solution of iodide of iron as directed for Ferri Iodidum.   Add immediately,
while it is hot, the carbonate of potash previously dissolved in a few ounces of water,
and stir carefully, filter the product, and wash the powder on the filter with a little
water.  Concentrate the liquor at a temperature short of ebullition, till a dry salt  he 
SPECIAL STIMULANTS.                   355
obtained ; which is to be purified from a little red oxyde of iron and other impurities,
by dissolving it in less than its own weight of boiling water, or, still better, by boil-
ing it in twice its weight of rectified spirit, filtering the  solution, and setting it aside
to crystallize  More crystals will be obtained by concentrating and cooling the resid-
ual liquor."

  Adulterations.—Iodide of potassium, as met with  in the form of
large cubical crystals, seldom contains any impurity.  Formerly,
when it  was  not  so  carefully crystallized,"  it  was very frequentfy
adulterated  with carbonate of potash.   This fraud is  readily detect-
ed by the alkalinity of the specimen, by its being deliquescent, and
by its giving white precipitates with nitrate  of baryta or with lime-
water.   Water is sometimes present as an impurity  ; it may be de-
tected by drying  the salt and ascertaining  the loss  of weight.  If
the  salt  contain  iodate  of potash, it becomes of a pinkish colour,
and  emits an odour of iodine when kept for some time ; its presence
may be  readily detected by adding tartaric acid  to a solution of
the salt;  if any iodate be present, free iodine will be  immediately
developed.   The freedom from chloride of potassium or of sodium,
impurities not unfrequently met with, is best ascertained by the fol-
lowing test: " A  solution of gr. v. in f§i. of  distilled  water, precipi-
tated by an excess of solution of nitrate of silver, and then agitated
in a bottle with a  little aqua ammoniae, yields quickly by subsidence
a clear, supernatant liquid,  which is not altered  by an excess of ni-
tric  acid, or is rendered merely hazy,"  Ed.  Ph.
   Th. E.—Iodide of potassium is in many respects analogous in its
operation to iodine ;  but it  frequently produces very different phys-
iological  and therapeutical effects.  Like iodine, it is taken into the
circulation, and may be detected  in the different secretions and ex-
cretions,  even several days after  it has been swallowed.   In some
individuals, iodide of potassium, when given even in very small do-
ses,  produces swelling  of the face and tongue, followed  by ptya-
lism, and this effect I have seen produced in one  individual who
had not  taken more than ten grains of the salt;  while, on the other
hand, many have continued its use for  months without the produc-
tion of iodism, or any' other physiological effect whatever.  In the
different  varieties of scrofula and in bronchocele, iodide of potassi-
um  is generally* given in combination with iodine, the beneficial ef-
fects of which in  those diseases it seems to increase much.  In sec-
ondary syphilitic affections, few  remedies are so much  employed
in the present day, or with  so much benefit,  as iodide of potassium :
it is peculiarly adapted  for those cases in which mercury has been
administered in large quantity in the  primary stage, or where the
individual is of a scrofulous habit.   The particular forms of second-
ary syphilis in which it is of most service  are, sore throat, nodes,
 caries, and other diseases of the bones,  and the tubercular eruptions
of the skin.   This  salt has been also employed with  much benefit.
in the treatment of articular rheumatism,  in chronic  rheumatism
with alteration  of structure, in lumbago, in sciatica, in periostitis,
 in dropsy, in amenorrhcea,  in leucorrhoea, in chronic induration and
 enlargement of various organs, &c.   The external  use of iodide of 
356                   SPECIAL STIMULANTS.
potassium, in the form of ointment or of bath, is usually combined
with its internal administration.
  D. & M. of Adm.—-Gr. v. to gr. xv. three times a day; to prove
beneficial, it must be given in full doses, increased as far as the in-
dividual can bear.   It is best administered simply dissolved in wa-
ter and  sweetened with sirup; or in some bitter infusion, as in in-
fusion  of quassia.  The power of the solution of dissolving iodine
has  been  before  referred  to.—Liquor Potassii Iodidi comp., L.
Iodinei Liquor comp., E.   (Iodide  of potassium, gr. x. (ix., E.);
iodine, gr. v. (3ij., E.); distilled  water,  Oj. (f§xvj.,  E.); mix  and
(with the aid of gentle heat and agitation, E.) dissolve.)   Dose, L.,
ftj. to  f^ss.;  E., min. v. to min. xv.   It may be farther diluted with
water.—Tinctura Iodinii comp., L.   (Iodine, §i.; iodide of potas-
sium, "jij.; rectified spirit, Oij.; macerate until they are dissolved,
and strain.)   Dose, min. x. to min. xxx.  in §j. of any aromatic wa-
ter, or in white wine.— Unguentum Potassa Hydriodatis, D.  (Hy-
driodate of potash, 3 j.;  prepared lard, §i.; rub together and make
into an ointment.) — Unguentum Iodinii comp., L.   Unguentum
Iodinei, E.  (" Iodine, 3ss.; iodide of potassium, 3i.;  rectified spirit,
f3i.; lard, *fij.; first rub the iodine and iodide of potassium with the
spirit, t>hen mix with the lard," L.   The Edinburgh College omits
the spirit, but  uses  the same proportions of the other ingredients.)
About the size of a nut of this ointment should be rubbed  into the
affected part twice or three times a  day.
   Incomp.—Acids, and acidulous and metallic salts.

  .Spongia officinalis, D.  The officinal Sponge. — Sponge is  of
 very general use in the practice of surgery.  As a medicinal agent,
 burned sponge was used before the discovery of iodine in the treat-
 ment  of bronchocele and of scrofulous affections; but, as its medi-
 cinal virtues depend on the presence of that substance, it has fallen
 completely into disuse.   The following preparation is still retained
 in the Dublin Pharmacopoeia :  Pulvis Spongia usta, D.   (Having
 cut sponge into pieces, beat it. to free it from little  stones ; burn it
 in a closed iron vessel till it becomes black and friable, and reduce
 it to powder.)   Dose, 3j. to 3iij., made into an electuary with cin-
 namon and honey.

    Sulphuris iodidum.   Iodide of Sulphur.
    P. & C. P.—This compound is met with in brownish plates, with
 a radiated crystalline  structure.   It has a strong odour of iodine,
 and an acrid taste.   Its elements  are  easily disunited, the iodine
 entirely escaping when it is left exposed to the air.   Its composi-
 tion is S2I.
   Prep.—Bruise together in a mortar 4 parts of iodine and 1 of sulphur; put the
 mixture into a glass matrass, and expose it to a very gentle heat;  as soon as the
 colour deepens, and union begins to take place, augment the heat gradually until
 the whole is fused ; cool rapidly, and preserve in well-stopped vessels.
    Th. E.—Iodide  of  sulphur  is not  used internally in medicine.
 Eternally, in the form of ointment, it has been employed with much 
TONICS.
357
success in  the treatment  of obstinate cutaneous diseases, particu-
larly lupus, porrigo, acne  indurata, herpes, and lepra.   The oint-
ment is prepared by rubbing together from gr. xxiv. to gr. xxxvj.
of the iodide and §i. of lard.
  Incomp.—Acids, acidulous and metallic salts.
                      CHAPTER XXL

                           TONICS.

                         (Corroborants.)

  Tonics are substances the continued administration of which in
debilitated and relaxed conditions of the body imparts strength and
vigour, without  producing any  sudden excitement.  Tonics to a
certain extent are stimulants, inasmuch as they arouse the vital en-
ergies, but the excitement is slowly produced, and is permanent;
if, however,  they are given when the system is in a healthy state,
their primary action, like that of stimulants, is followed by collapse.
This, then, is another example of how necessary it is to remember
that medicines  are  but relative  agents, their effects being almost
entirely dependant on the state of health or disease in which they
are administered.   There is no class of remedial agents which re-
quires more  discrimination in their administration than tonics ; nor
any the injudicious use of which  more frequently produces evil con-
sequences.   The diseases in which  this  class of remedial agents
are principally employed must  manifestly  be those of diminished
power.   In  no case, however,  should they be prescribed where
there  is tendency to irritation or inflammation of the digestive or-
gans, or where the  secretions  are in a  depraved state, without the
previous use of means calculated to remove the  former or correct
the latter ; to effect which, the employment of mild purgatives will,
in most  instances, be found best adapted.  Independently of their
tonic properties, some  of the remedies contained in this class pos-
sess a specific  power  in ague and other periodical  diseases, and
hence have  been denominated Febrifuges; as examples, we may
refer to Cinchona bark, Arsenic, &c.
  [This last remark suggests that the specific property called Febri-
fuge, justly ascribed to certain  articles of this class, might with more
propriety be denominated antiperiodic; and that it is possessed in
common by all the  tonics, though  in different degrees of potency,
does not admit of doubt among practical men.  It is true that, as
in other examples of classification and nomenclature, the modus op-
erandi of these drugs is inscrutable, or, at least, very little light has
been thrown upon it from any source, notwithstanding the numer-
ous speculations of ingenious  and l-arned  writers in this depart
ment.  Indeed, with reference to that characteristic of certain dis- 
358
TONICS.
 eases  denominated periodicity, by  which term we mean parox
 ysmal, at regularly-recurring intervals, we are almost as much in
 the dark at present as were the ancients, who ascribed them to  the
 influence of the moon (lunatarianism), or to the ebbing and flow of
 the tides, or to the diurnal revolutions  of our globe, or to certain
 indefinable  physical changes which are assumed to take place in
 the human  body at critical periods, having intervals of hours and
 days, corresponding to the periodicity of different diseases.
   Still, however, the facts  are  perennially before us that all those
 fevers and other maladies which recur in their paroxysms at regu-
 lar intervals of hours, days, or weeks, and hence called periodic, are
 more under the control of the class of medicines called tonics than
 by any other treatment. And though they do sometimes terminate
 spontaneously, after a longer or shorter continuance, yet their pe-
 riodic or paroxysmal character may be broken up by the use of
 these agents, even when the morbid state upon which they depend
 may still subsist; and hence may result in relapse,  often of  an in-
 tensity greatly increased, and  even complicated  by the  untimely
 exhibition  of antiperiodics, without reference to  the pathological
 state.  Indeed, it would seem that  these agents, cinchona, arsenic,
 &c, possess no febrifuge or curative power other than as antipe-
 riodics ;  and hence are in no case admissible during the paroxysm,
 but only during the intermission or interval, when the morbid symp-
 toms are suspended.   It is for  this  reason they are  called curative
 remedies, in contradistinction from palliative, and, when judicious-
 ly used, are only taken in the intervals of health, which are usually
 and happily of longer continuance  than the paroxysm in almost
 all periodic diseases.
   The opinion which, in the present state of our knowledge, seems
 best entitled to confidence is, that the action of these agents is  di-
 rectly upon the nervous system, imparting increased vitality to all
 the organic functions, and  thus postponing to a later and  still later
 period the accession  of paroxysmal diseases; and their success in
 overcoming periodicity may be attributed to the fact, that this fea-
 ture of diseases arises from a morbid mobility of the nerves, depend-
 ing on diminished vitality, and which is best relieved by innerva-
 tion, thus artificially and even permanently produced.]

   Absinthium, L. E.   Artemisia  absinthium, summitates flo-
 rentes, D.   Wormwood.  The herb (flowering tops, D.)  of Arte-
 misia  Absinthium.—Indigenous, belonging to the  natural family
 Composita, and to  the Linnaean class  and order Syngenesia Su-
perfiua.
  B. C.—An undershrub,  1 to l£ feet high, erect, covered with silky hoariness;
 leaves bipinnatifid, downy, segments  lanceolate; flowers in erect leafy panicles,
 hemispherical, drooping, large, dingy yellow.
   P.  &  C. P.—The  whole plant is aromatic and  bitter, with a
 strong, disagreeable  odour.  Its most  important constituents are
 bitter  extractive, bitter resin, and a trace of volatile oil; it  yields
 its properties to both water and alcohol.  The herb, when care- 
TONICS.
359
fully dried with a stove heat, retains its aroma and bitterness for a
long time.
  Th. E.—Wormwood  is an  excellent bitter tonic, although not
much employed  at  present.  It is well adapted  for giving tone to
the digestive organs in debilitated habits.
  D. &  M. of Adm.—In powder, 3ss. to 3i.—Infusum  Absinthii.
(Wormwood, dried, giss.;  boiling water, Oij.; infuse for an hour,
and strain.)  Dose, igj- to  f§ij.—Tinctura Absinthii, Amst.  (Dry
wormwood, cut fine, one part; proof spirit, six parts ; macerate for
6 days, express,  and filter.)  Dose, f3ij. to f*ss.—Extractum Arte-
misia Absinthii, D.  (Prepared as the simpler  extracts.)  In the
preparation of this extract, the aroma is completely dissipated, but
it still retains the bitterness of the plant.   Dose,  gr. x. to gr. xx.
  Incomp.—The sesqui-salts of iron.

  Acidum muriaticum dilutum, D. E.  Acidum  hydrochloricum
dilutum, L.  Dilute, Muriatic  (Hydrochloric, L.) acid.
  Prep.—Dub. "Muriatic acid, by measure, 10 parts ; distilled water, by measure, 11
parts ; mix.  Sp. gr., 1080."  Lond., Edin. " Hydrochloric (muriatic, E.) acid, fjiv. ;
distilled water, fjjxij.; mix."
   Muriatic acid (described in the division Caustics), properly dilu-
ted, acts as a tonic, and as such is employed in those forms of fever
which were formerly supposed to  depend on a putrescent  condi-
tion of the fluids of the body, as in petechial fevers, malignant scar-
latina, phagedenic ulceration of the  throat, scurvy, &c.   It is also
an  excellent tonic  in debility of the digestive organs, particularly
when attended with a deposite of phosphates from the  urine, and
in that state of the alimentary canal which favours the  generation
of worms.   Independently of its action as a caustic, dilute muriat-
ic acid is an excellent addition to  gargles in ulcerated sore throat,
when there is  no tendency to inflammation present.
   D. &l  M. of Adm.—Acidum Muriaticum Dilutum, D.  Gtt. xx. to
gtt. xl.;  L. E., f3ss. to f3j.  It should be administered largely dilu-
ted with some bitter infusion,  as  infusion of quassia, or it may  be
substituted for sulphuric acid in preparing the infusion of roses ; f3j.
to  f3ij. may be added to an eight-ounce gargle.
   Incomp.—Alkalies; tartar emetic; nitrate of silver;  acetate  of
lead ; and  all  carbonates.

   Acidum  nitricum  dilutum,  D. L. E.   Dilute Nitric acid.
  pREP.__J)ub. " Nitric acid, by measure, 3 parts; distilled water, by measure, 4
parts-  mix, avoiding the noxious vapours.  Sp. gr., 1280."   Lond.  "Nitric acid,
f?j  • distilled water, f^ix. ; mix." Edin. " Mix together fjix. of distilled water, and
M. 'of pure nitric acid,  or f-fj., fjvss., of commercial nitric acid.  Density, 1077."
   Nitric acid  (described in the division Caustics), properly diluted,
 acts as  a general  tonic, but its powers as such  are  less manifest
 than those of  the other mineral acids.  It is principally used inter-
 nally, in the treatment of chronic hepatitis, and  of secondary syph-
 ilitic affections.   In syphilis it  has been proposed as a substitute  for
 mercury ;  but its beneficial influence appears to be limited to those 
360
TONICS.
cases in which scrofula or very great debility forbid the use of that
medicine, but which, as has been so ably shown by Mr. Colles, of
Dublin, are very few in number, and  frequently depend rather on
its injudicious administration.
  D. & M. of Adm.—Acidum Nitricum Dilutum, D.   Gtt. x. to
gtt. xxx.;  L. E., f3ss.  to f3j.  It may  be administered in the same
form as muriatic acid.
  Incomp*:—Alcohol;  alkalies ; oxydes ; earths ; sulphate of iron ;
acetate of lead; acetate of potash; and all carbonates and sul-
phurets.

  Acidum nitromuriaticum, D.  Nitromuriatic acid; Aquaregia.
  Prep.—" Nitric acid, by measure, 1 part;  muriatic acid,  by measure, 2 parts ; mix
them in a vessel kept cool,  and preserve the mixture in a well-stopped bottle, in a
cold, dark place."
  P. & C. P.—This liquor  has a deep-yellow colour, an intensely
acid taste, and exhales an odour both of chlorine and nitrous acid.
It is a  solution of chlorine and of nitrous acid in water (C1N04H0).
Its most remarkable property is its power of dissolving the metals
gold and platinum, by  which it may be  readily distinguished from
other acids.
  Th.  E.—This preparation was at one time much employed inter-
nally, in the  same cases as nitric  acid; but at present it is only
used externally, in the  form of bath.   Thus employed, it is a  very
useful remedy in chronic induration or abscess of the liver, in chron-
ic cutaneous  diseases, and in syphilitic  or  mercurial  cachexia.
When its  employment has  been continued  for some time, it  fre-
quently causes salivation, which is to  be regarded as evidence of
its sanatory influence.
  D. & M. of Adm.—Internally, gtt. x. to gtt. xx., largely diluted.
—Balneum Acidi Nitromuriatici.   (Nitromuriatic acid, fgivss.;
water, cong. iij.; mix in a wooden vessel.)  This is to be used daily
in the form of a foot-bath; the feet should be kept in  the bath  for
from 15 to 20 minutes, and afterward rubbed well with flannels.
Dr. Scott, of Bombay,  affirms  that this bath operates like a charm,
and produces immediate ease, when employed during the passage
of biliary calculi  through the duct.

  Acidum phosphoricum dilutum, L.   Diluted Phosphoric acid.
  P. P.—This is  a colourless, inodorous, transparent liquid, with an
intensely acid taste.  Its density is 1*064 at 62° F.
  C. P.—It is a solution of phosphoric  acid  (PO5)  in  water, the
London preparation  containing 10*5 per cent,  of acid.   It possess-
es the  usual characteristics of a mineral acid.   " Chloride of bari-
um or nitrate of silver being added, whatever is thrown down is
readily dissolved by nitric acid.   Strips  of copper and silver are
not at  all acted upon by it, nor is it coloured when hydrosulphuric
acid is added ; 42 grains of carbonate  of soda are saturated by 100
grains of this acid, and nothing is thrown down," Lond.  Phar.
  Prep.—Lond. "Phosphorus, "-j.; nitric acid,  fjiv.; distilled water, f*x.; add the 
tonics.                          361
phosphorus to the nitric acid mixed with the water in a glass retort placed in a
sand-bath, then apply heat till ffviij. are distilled.  Put these again into the retort,
that 15viij. may distil, which are to be rejected ; evaporate the remaining liquor in
a platinum capsule, until only §ij. 3yj. remain. Lastly, add to the acid, when it is
cold, as much distilled water as may be sufficient to make it accurately measure
ffXXVllj."
   Th. E.—Diluted  phosphoric acid possesses the tonic properties
of the other mineral acids, and may be employed in cases of debil-
ity of the digestive  organs, and in general cachexia.  It is said to
be particularly  adapted for those cases in which there is a depos-
ite of phosphates from the urine, the earthy phosphates being solu-
ble in an excess of their own acid.   It has also been used, it is sta-
ted, with much  benefit, in cases of unusual depositions of phosphate
of lime,  as in exostosis, or in the formation of bony tumours.  Di-
luted phosphoric acid is, however, not much used.
   D. &, M. of Adm.—Min. xx. to  f3j., properly  diluted.
   Incomp.—Lime-water; calcareous salts ; carbonate of so.da; and
 strychnia.
   In cases of poisoning with this acid, the same  treatment should
 be followed as  in poisoning with muriatic  acid.   (See page  130.)

   Anthemis, L. E.  Anthemis  nobilis  flores, D.   Chamomile.
 The  (single, L. E.) flowers of Anthemis nobilis.—'Indigenous,  be-
 longing to the natural family Composita, and to the Linnaean class
 and order Syngenesia Superfiua.
   B. C.—Stem about a foot long, procumbent; leaves bipinnate, a little  downy;
 branches  numerous, each  branch terminated by a single flower, whose disk is  yel-
 low, at length conical, and ray white.
    P. & C. P.—Chamomile flowers have a strong, peculiar, rather
 agreeable odour, and an aromatic, bitter taste.   Their properties
 depend  on bitter extractive and volatile oil.  The latter, Oleum An-
 themidis, L. E., is obtained by the  usual process of distillation.   It
 is of a  greenish-blue colour, and  has the peculiar odour and  the
 aromatic taste  of the  flowers.  One cwt. of flowers yield from f*iss.
 to f*ij. of the oil.   Its sp. gr. is 0*9083.  It contains a hydrocarbon
 and  an  oxydated oil,  the last of which, treated with  potash infusion,
 gives valerianic acid (Gerhardt and Cahours).  Chamomile flowers
 yield their active properties to both water and alcohol.   The  sin-
 gle variety of  the chamomile flower should be preferred for medi-
 cal purposes.
    Tn. E.—Chamomile is an  aromatic and bitter tonic.   It was
 formerly in high esteem as a remedy for intermittent fever, but its
 employment as an  internal remedy is at present restricted to those
 forms of dyspepsia which depend on debility or want of tone of the
 dio-estive organs, in which cases it  is exceedingly useful.   A strong
 infusion produces  vomiting,  and,  consequently, was at  one time
 much used to  aid  the  action of emetics.   Chamomile flowers  are
 commonly employed for preparing warm  fomentations.  A cold
 strong  infusion is  an excellent application,  applied two or three
 times a day, in simple weakness of the eyes, and in the milder forms
 of hemorrhoidal discharges. 
362
TONICS.
  D. & M. of Adm.—The powder is not administered ; the dose
would be from 3ss. to oij.—Decoctum Chamameli comp., D. (Cham-
omile flowers,  dried, §ss.;  fennel  seeds, 3ij.;  water, by measure,
Ihi.; boil for a short  time, and strain.)   Employed as  a b;isis  for
enemata, or for fomentations.—Infusum  Chamameli, D.  Infusum
Anthemidis, L. E.   (Chamomile,  3ij. (3v., L.  E.) ; boiling  water
(distilled, L.), by  measure, fbss. (Oj., L. E.) ; infuse  for 24  hours
(ten  minutes,  L.  E.)  in a covered vessel, and strain.)  If taken
warm, it produces vomiting.  The dose  of the cold infusion is  i§i.
to f§ij.—Extractum  Chamameli,  D.   Extractum Anthemidis,  E.
(" Prepared as the simpler extracts," D.    " Chamomile, fbj.; boil
it with  cong. j. of water  to Oiv.; filter  hot; evaporate in the  va-
pour-bath to the right consistence," E.)   The volatile oil is dissipa-
ted in  the preparation of this extract, but it is an excellent bitter
tonic.   Dose, gr. x. to 3ss.
  Incomp.—With the infusion: the mineral  acids; sesqui-salts of
iron; sulphate of copper; nitrate of silver; and acetate of lead.

  Argenti  nitras.—Nitrate  of Silver  (described  in  the division
Caustics) may be administered  internally in  much larger doses
than might  a priori  be supposed from its caustic action when  ap-
plied to the surface of the body; from whence it would appear to
be partially decomposed by the free acids of the stomach.  Never-
theless, when taken in large quantity, it acts as  a powerfully corro-
sive poison.  In  small but frequently  repeated  doses, this salt is an
excellent tonic, and  also appears to have a specific influence over
some convulsive disorders.  As a tonic, it is one of the best that
can be employed  in the early stages of tubercular phthisis; in chronic
affections of the  stomach, especially  where  there is morbid sensi-
bility of the gastric and intestinal nerves (for its beneficial  effects
in this frequently intractable disease we have the high  authority of
Dr. James Johnson);  and in angina pectoris.  The principal con-
vulsive disorders in which nitrate of  silver has been used are  epi-
lepsy and chorea, in both of which it proves very  frequently suc-
cessful, perhaps  more so  than  any other remedy.  Its administra-
tion must, however, be persevered in for a very long time;  and
this is attended with  a very serious disadvantage,  and one which
has brought this  remedy into great disrepute, namely, the commu-
nication of an indelible and permanent  leaden or bluish-gray  hue
to the  skin over the whole body.   Various attempts have been
made to account for this  phenomenon, but none are at all satisfac-
tory to my  mind; it is certain that this  consequence has occurred
so frequently (I have myself seen five instances of it), and is of so
disagreeable a nature, as  to more  than counterbalance its remedial
powers.
   D. & M. of Adm.—Gr. }, gradually increased to gr. ij. or gr. iij.,
three times  a day; in some instances so large a dose as gr. xv. have
been taken.   It is best administered  in the form of pill, as the so-
lution blackens the skin wherever it touches it, and also acts more
 energetically on  the stomach.  The pills should be made with some 
TONICS.
363
 vegetable extract, as extract of gentian or of chamomile;  crumb
 of bread is frequently ordered for  this purpose,  but  it contains
 chloride of sodium, which decomposes nitrate of silver.  To pre-
 vent the discoloration of the skin, the surest method is  not to con-
 tinue the use of the  medicine too long.  Dr. James Johnson states
 " that there is no instance on record where the complexion has been
 affected by the medicine when restricted to three months' adminis-
 tration."   Dr. A. T. Thomson has suggested the combined use of
 dilute nitric acid to prevent the decomposition of the nitrate; and
 more recently, Dr. Patterson, of Rathkeale, has  proposed the em-
 ployment of the iodide instead of the  nitrate of silver, which he as-
 serts is  equally  efficacious as a remedy, without  possessing this
 great disadvantage.—Liquor Argenti Nitratis, L. E.   (Nitrate of
 silver, 5i. (gr. xl., E.) ;  distilled water, f§. (gr. 1600, E.); dissolve
 the nitrate of silver in the water (and strain; then the access of
 light being prevented, L.); keep the solution in well-closed bottles.)
 Used only as  a test.
   Ixcomp.—Spring  and river water; the alkalies,  and  their cai
 bonates ;  lime-water; muriatic, sulphuric, phosphoric, tartaric, and
 hydrocyanic acids,  and  their soluble salts ; iodide of  potassium ;
 solution  of arsenite of potash; solution  of  soap;  and  astringent
 vegetable infusions.
   In poisoning with nitrate of silver, the best antidote that can be
 employed is common salt: its administration should be followed by
 demulcent drinks, and, if inflammatory symptoms  arise, the usual
 antiphlogistic means.

   Argenti oxydum.  Oxyde of Silver.—This preparation has been
 within the last few years employed in the same cases as nitrate of
 silver.   It is prepared by adding caustic potash or  lime-water to a
 solution  of nitrate of silver, when it  is thrown down as a brown
 powder, which  becomes of a darker colour when  dried.  It is
 slightly soluble in distilled  water, the solution having an alkaline
 reaction.   Its density is 7*143, and  its  composition  AgO.    The
 dose of this preparation  is from gr. ss. to gr. j., three times  a day,
 in the form of pill.

   Arsenicum Album.—Arsenic (described in the division Caustics)
 is  a powerful irritant poison, a few grains being sufficient to  occa-
 sion death.  Its  effects, when  taken  in  poisonous  doses, vary re-
 markably; in some  instances the most  prominent  symptoms are
 those of inflammation of the gastro-intestinal membrane; while in
 others, coma and extreme depression of the circulation are most
 marked.   When administered in minute doses for  a short period,
 it appears  to act as a general tonic, without producing  any mark-
 ed physiological effect;  but  if its use be long continued, or the
 doses given be too large, it acts as a  slow poison.  In medicine, it
has been  principally used internally in the treatment of ague, and
of other  diseases of  an intermittent type, as in some forms of neu-
ralgia,  chorea, and periodic headache ; and in chronic cutaneous 
364
TONICS.
 diseases, particularly those of a scaly character, and those which
 affect the scalp.  It has been also employed as an internal remedy
 in epilepsy;  in chronic rheumatism, especially when attended with
 change of structure in the joints ;  in passive dropsy ;  in secondary
 syphilis ; in lupus, &c.
   D. & M. of Adm.—The employment of arsenic as a remedy re-
 quires  great  caution, and  its  effects must  be carefully watched ; it
 may be  administered  in  substance in  doses of from r\  to \ of a
 grain,  made  into pill with crumb of bread; but, in consequence of
 the great difficulty of  dividing accurately so small a quantity into
 pills, the following  preparation is generally preferred : Liquor Ar-
 senicalis, D. E.   Liquor Potassa Arsenitis, L.  [and U. S. P.].
 (Arsenic, powdered (broken  into small fragments, L.), and carbon-
 ate of potash (from tartar, D.)> of each, gr. Ix. (gr. lxxx., L. E.);
 compound spirit (tincture L. E.) of lavender, IMv.  (f*3v. L. E.);
 distilled water, by measure, fbss. (Oi., L. E.); boil the arsenic and
 carbonate  of potash with the  water (half the water, L. E.) in a
 glass vessel till they are dissolved  (filter, if necessary, E.); add the
 spirit of lavender to the cooled liquor;  and then, sufficient distilled
 water, till the whole measures fbj. [Oi., L. E.].   [U. S. P.—Take
 of arsenious  acid, in small fragments, pure carbonate of potassa,
 each, sixty-four grs.;  distilled water, q. s.; comp. spts. of" laven-
 der, \ oz.  Boil the arsenious acid and  potassa with 12 fluid oz. of
 the water in  a glass vessel till  the acid is entirely dissolved.   To
 the solution,  when cold, add  the lavender, and afterward sufficient
 distilled water to make it  fill  exactly the measure of a pint.]   One
 fluid drachm contains gr.  ss.  of arsenious acid ; the preparation of
 the Dublin College is a little  weaker.  Dose, min. v. to min. x., two
 or three times a day.   It is incompatible in prescription with  acids,
 lime-water, chloride of calcium, sulphate of magnesia, sulphate of
 iron, alum, iodide of iron, nitrate of silver, infusion and decoction
 of bark, &c.—Pilula Asiatica.   (Arsenious acid, 3j.; black pep-
 per, 3ix.; liquorice root,  powdered, and  mucilage, of each,  q. s.;
 mix, and divide into 800 pills.)  This combination is highly praised
 in the  East Indies  as a remedy for elephantiasis, lepra, psoriasis,
 and  syphilitic eruptions.   Each pill contains about ^ of a  grain
of arsenious acid.   Dose,  one to two daily.
  In poisoning with arsenic, if the stomach pump be at  hand it
should  be immediately used,  and the  stomach  repeatedly  washed
out with tepid water, in which the hydrated sesquioxyde of iron is
suspended.   The mode of preparing this  substance, which  is the
 best antidote  for arsenic, and  the manner in which it is to be used,
will be described hereafter.   In the absence of the stomach-pump,
emetics of sulphate  of zinc or sulphate of copper should be admin-
istered, and vomiting promoted by demulcent drinks.

  Aurantii cortex, L. E.   Citrus Aurantium,  fructus tunica
 exterior  et  folia, D.  Bitter-orange rind (and leaves, D.).   The
 outer rind of the fruit of Citrus Vulgaris (Risso), L. E.  The outer
rind of the fruit, and the leaves of Citrus Aurantium,  D.  The 
TONICS.
365
three British Colleges intend to refer to the bitter orange tree,
which has been only lately separated as a distinct species from the
Citrus Aurantium (described in the division Refrigerants).   It dif-
fers, in being a smaller tree, with more distinctly winged leaf-stalks,
in the bitterness of the pulp, and the greater aroma of the  rind of
the  fruit.
  P. & C. P.—The rind of the Seville or bitter orange is cut into
narrow pieces  and  dried, the inner white part having been  pre-
viously removed.  It is in rugged, uneven slices, of a dark orange-
yellow colour; it has  a peculiar, fragrant odour, and a warm, bit-
ter  taste, both  of which depend on a volatile oil, which exists  in
concave, minute vesicles.  It yields its aroma and  taste to both
water and alcohol.  The leaves are aromatic and bitter; they are
used on the Continent, but at present are not employed in Great
Britain.
  Adulterations.—The nna of tne sweet orange is often substituted
for  that of the bitter orange.  It does not possess the peculiar aro-
ma of the latter;  and the vesicles in which  the volatile oil is con-
tained are convex, not concave.
  Th. E.—Bitter orange peel ana leaves are feebly tonic.   They
are employed in medicine principally for their agreeable flavour.
The following preparations are officinal: Infusum Aurantii comp.,
D.  L.   Infusum Aurantii,  E.  (Orange peel,  dried, 3ij. (§ss., L.
E.) ;  lemon  peel, fresh,  3i.  (3ij., L. E.); cloves,  bruised, 3ss. (3i.,
L. E.); boiling water (distilled, L), by measure,  fbss. (Oj., L. E.).
Digest  for  15  minutes  in a  vessel  lightly  covered,  and strain
["through linen or  calico," E.].)  Dose, f§j. to f"*ij.; chiefly used
as a vehicle for other medicines.—Confectio (Conserva, E.)  Auran-
tii,  L. E.   (" Fresh orange peel, separated by a  rasp,  fbj.;  sugar,
fbiij.; bruise the rind with a wooden pestle in a stone mortar; then,
the sugar being added, again pound them until  they  are thorough-
ly incorporated,"  L.   " Grate off the  outer rind of bitter oranges,
and beat it into a pulp, adding gradually thrice its weight of white
sugar," E.)   An agreeable flavouring adjunct to electuaries, sirups,
&c.; it possesses stomachic  and tonic properties.  Dose, 3ij. to 31.
—Sirupus Aurantii, D. L. E.   (Fresh orange peel, gviij. (§iiss., L.
E.) ;  boiling water, by  measure, tbyj. (Oj., L.  E.)  ;  pure sugar,
fbxivss. (rbifj-, L. E.); macerate the peel in the  water for 12 hours
in a vessel  lightly covered,  and then add the sugar to the liquor
(filtered, D. E.); [" and  dissolve with  the aid of heat,"  D. E.].)  A
mild  stomachic, used  for flavouring.   It may be prepared extem-
poraneously by adding fgi. of the tincture to Oj. of simple sirup.
Dose, f3ij.  to fgss.—Tinctura Aurantii,  D.  L.  E.  (Orange peel,
dried', giij. (giiiss., L. E.); proof spirit, by measure, fbij. (Oij., L. E.) ;
macerate  for 3 (14, L.; 7, E.) days,  and filter.  " This tincture may
be made by percolation, by cutting the peel into  small pieces, ma-
ceratino- it in a little of the spirit for 12 hours, and beating the mass
into a coarse pulp before putting it into the percolator," E.)   Dose,
f3i.  to f3iij.
  Incomp.—The salts of iron. 
366
TONICS.
   Baryta murias,  D. E.   Barii chloridum,  L. [and U.  S. P.].
 Muriate of Baryta.   Chloride of Barium.
   P. & C. P.—This salt crystallizes in flat, four-sided tables, bev-
 elled  at the edges.    It  is  colourless and transparent,  odourless,
 with an acrid, bitter taste.   It is permanent in ordinary states of
 the atmosphere, but in very dry air, effloresces  slightly.  It is fused
 by a strong heat;  is soluble in about twice its weight of temperate,
 and in somewhat  less of boiling  water;  it is said  to  be soluble in
 400 parts  of absolute alcohol.   Its density is 2*82, and its compo-
 sition BaCl+2 HO.   Sulphuric acid and the soluble sulphates pro-
 duce a heavy white precipitate, insoluble in nitric acid with a solu-
 tion of this salt.

   Prep.—Dub. " Sulphate  of baryta, 10 parts; charcoal, in the finest powder, or
 lampblack, i  part; roast the sulphate  of  baryta in  the fire, and throw it while red
 hot into water; then reduce it to very fine powder in the manner directed for pre-
 pared chalk.  Mix the powders intimately,  put them into a crucible, and expose them
 for 4 hours to a strong heat, until they become red  hot. Dissolve  the mass, when
 cold, in a quantity of boiling distilled water, amounting to  ten times the weight of
 the sulphate of baryta, and filter.  To this add sufficient muriatic  acid to saturate
 the baryta, avoiding the vapours ; then filter the liquor, and crystallize by evapora-
 tion and cooling."  Lond. " Carbonate of barytes, broken into small fragments, *fx.;
 hydrochloric acid, Oss.; distilled water, Oij.; mix the acid with the water, and add
 th€ carbonate, gradually.  Then, heat being applied, and the effervescence finished,
 strain, and boil down the liquor that crystals may be formed."  Edin.  "First pro-
 cess, same as directed by the London College.  Or, sulphate of baryta, fbj.; char-
 coal, in fine powder, §ij.; pure muriatic acid, a sufficiency; heat the  sulphate to red-
 ness ; pulverize it finely when cold, and mix it intimately with  the charcoal; sub-
 ject the mixture to a low white heat for three hours in a covered crucible, pulverize
 the product, put it gradually into Ov. of boiling water, and boil  for  a few minutes ;
 let it rest for a little over a vapour-bath ;  pour off the clear  liquor, and filter it if ne-
 cessary, keeping it hot.  Pour Oiij. of boiling water over the residuum, and proceed
 as before.  Unite the two liquors, and while they are still hot, or if cooled, after
 heating them again, add pure muriatic acid gradually so long as effervescence is oc-
 casioned.   In this process the solutions  ought to be as little exposed to the air as
 possible ;  and in the last step, the disengaged gas should be discharged by a proper
 tube into a chimney, or the  ashpit of a furnace.  Strain the liquor, concentrate it,
 and set it aside to crystallize."

   Adulterations.—As  met with in the shops, this salt is very sel-
 dom adulterated.  The Edinburgh College have given the follow-
 ing test, by which  the  freedom from  any impurity may be readily
ascertained: "100 grains in solution are  not entirely  precipitated
by 100 grains of sulphate of magnesia."
   Th. E.—Chloride  of barium was at one time  much employed in
scrofulous diseases, and in chronic glandular enlargements, in con-
sequence of its supposed tonic and deobstruent  properties.   In the
present  day it  has  fallen almost  completely into disuse.   In large
doses (an ounce  or more), it is  a narcotico-acrid poison.
   D. &  M. of Adm.—It is only used in solution.—Aqua (Solutio,
E.) Baryta  muriatis, D.  E.   Liquor Barii chloridi, L.   (Chlo-
ride of barium, 1 part  (3i., L. E.)  ; distilled water, 3 parts (fiti., L.
E.); dissolve the salt  in the water.   " Sp. gr., 1230," D.)  Dose,
min. v. to min.  x., properly diluted.  It is much  employed  as a test
for detecting the presence of sulphuric acid and the sulphates.
   Incomp.—Sulphuric  acid ; sulphates ;  and  carbonates.
   In poisoning with this salt, the best antidotes  are the soluble sul-
 phates, as sulphate of magnesia or sulphate of soda. 
TONICS.
367
  BlSMUTHI  SUBNITRAS, D.   BlSMUTHI  TRISNITRAS, L.   BlSMUTHUM
album. E.  Subnitrate (Trisnitrate) of Bismuth.  White Bismuth.
Magistery of Bismuth.
  P. & C. P.—This salt is met with in the form of a heavy white
powder with a pearly lustre, which appears under the microscope
to be composed of crystalline grains.  It is inodorous and taste-
less;  very insoluble in water, but  readily  dissolved by nitric acid.
It becomes of a grayish  colour when exposed to  the light.  The
composition of this substance has been variously stated ; it  is most
generally believed to be 3 eq. of oxyde of bismuth, and 1 of nitric
acid (3 Bi203 (Kane), +N05).
  pREP _DM,J. " Bismuth, powdered, 7 parts ; dilute nitric acid, 20 parts , distilled
water, 100  parts; add the bismuth gradually to the acid, and dissolve with heat.
Mix the solution with water, and set aside, that the powder may subside, which is
to be washed with distilled water, and dried on bibulous paper with a gentle heat."
Lond.  " Bismuth, *ji. ,  nitric acid, ffiss.; distilled water, Oiij. , mix f"§i. of the wa-
ter with the nitric acid, and dissolve the bismuth in them ; then pour off the solu-
tion ; to this add the remainder of the water, and set by, that the powder  may sub-
side.  Afterward, the supernatant  liquor being poured off, wash the trisnitrate of
bismuth with distilled water, and dry it with a gentle heat."  Edin. " Bismuth, in
fine powder, *fi. ; nitric acid (dens. 1380), ffiss. ; wate^r, Oiij.. add the metal grad-
ually to the acid, favouring the action with a gentle heat, and adding a very little
distilled water so soon as crystals or a white powder begin to form.  When the so-
lution is complete, pour the liquid into the water, collect the precipitate immediately
on a calico filter, wash it quickly with cold water, and dry it in a dark place."
   Adulterations.—As generally met with, this salt is free from im-
 purities.   It is said sometimes to contain carbonates, which  may be
 detected by the effervescence produced when the  powder is dis-
 solved  in nitric acid.
   1*H# E.—In large doses, nitrate of bismuth acts  as  an  irritant
 poison, causing inflammation of the stomach and intestines.   In me-
 dicinal doses, it appears to act specifically in painfol  derangements
 of the stomach; the beneficial results derived from its use  in these
 affections have been generally ascribed  to its tonic  properties.
 More recently, however, they are said to  be owing to a  peculiar
 sedative action which  it exerts on the nerves of the  stomach.  The
 forms of dyspepsia  in which alone it proves serviceable are those
 chronic  affections attended with much  pain, but  unaccompanied
 with organic disease.
   D. &  M. of Adm.—Gr. v. to gr. xx., made into an electuary or
 bolus, with some aromatic  powder and sirup, or honey.
   Ixcomp.—Potash; soda ; and ammonia.

   Calcis murias, D. E.   Calcii  chloridum, L.  Muriate  of Lime.
  Hydrochlorate of Lime.   Chloride of Calcium.
    P. &  C.  P.—This salt is usually met with in colourless, translu-
  cent masses, but it crystallizes from a concentrated solution in long,
  striated, rhombic prisms.   It is inodorous, and has an acrid, bitter,
  saline  taste.   Exposed to the  air, it deliquesces rapidly ; it is very
  soluble in water and in alcohol.  By heat, the water of crystalliza-
  tion is driven off, and at a red heat it fuses.   The  composition of
  crystallized chloride of  calcium is CaCl+6 HO. 
368
TONICS.
  Prep.—Dub. " Take of the liquor which remains after the distillation of the watei
of caustic ammonia, any quantity, filter and expose it in an open vessel to heat until
the muriate of lime becomes perfectly dry.  Preserve it in very close vessels." Loud.
" Chalk,  5 v.; hydrochloric  acid and distilled water,  of each, Oss.; mix the acid
with the water, and to these gradually add the chalk to saturation.  Then, the ef-
fervescence being finished, strain ;  evaporate the liquor until the salt is dried.  Put
this into a crucible, and having liquefied it in the fire, pour it upon a flat, cleanfetone.
Lastly, when it is cold, break it into small pieces, and keep it in a well-closed ves-
sel."  Edin. " White marble, in fragments, jx.; muriatic acid of commerce, and
water, of each, Oj.;  mix the acid and water; add the marble by degrees, and when
the effervescence is over, add a little marble in fine powder till the liquid no longer
reddens litmus  ; filter and concentrate to one half; put the remaining fluid in a cold
place to  crystallize; preserve the  crystals in a well-closed bottle ; more crystals
will be obtained on concentrating the mother-liquor."
   Adulterations.—This salt  should be perfectly colourless, the pres-
ence  of iron, with which  it  is occasionally contaminated,  giving it
a yellowish tinge.  The adulteration with magnesia may be detect-
ed  by ammonia giving a white precipitate with a solution  of the
salt.  In the following test,  the  Edinburgh College  have  guarded
against any  alkaline impurity:  " A solution of 76  grs. in f§j. of dis-
tilled water, precipitated  by  49  grs. of oxalate  of ammonia, remains
precipitable  by more of the  test."
   Th. E.—Chloride of calcium acts as an irritant poison in large
doses.   In medicine, it was at one  time much employed in the treat-
ment of bronchocele and in scrofulous  diseases,  given  internally,
and at the same time used, dissolved in water, in the form  of bath ;
its action was  said by some  to be  tonic and deobstruent, by others
cathartic.   In the present day, however, it has nearly  fallen into
disuse.   It forms a principal ingredient  in many mineral waters.
   D.  & M.  of Adm.—It is  always administered in solution;  the
following is  a  convenient formula :  Calcis  muriatis  aqua, D.   So-
lutio, E.  Liquor calcii  chloridi,  L.  (Chloride of  calcium (crys-
tallized, E.), 2 parts  (jiv., L.;  gviij., E.) ;  distilled  water, 7 parts
(f§xij., L. E.); dissolve the salt  in  the water (and strain, L.).  "Sp.
gr., 1202," D.)  Dose, min.  xxx. to  f3ij., diluted with water.
   Incomp.—Sulphuric acid,  and the soluble sulphates;  potash  and
soda, and their carbonates ;  corbonate of ammonia.

   Calumba, L. E.   Colomba, radix, D.   Calumba; root of Coc-
culus palmatus.—A native of the forests of Mozambique and Oibo
in Africa, belonging to the natural family  Menispermacea,  and to
the Linnaean class and order Dicecia Hexandria.
  B. C.—An annual climber; root perennial, tuberose ;  stem herbaceous; leaves
alternate, cordate  at the base, 5 to 7 lobed, somewhat hairy ; flowers dioecious, small,
green,  in axillary  racemes; fruit, a drupe or berry, one-celled, one-seeded.
  P. U. & M. of Prep.—The roots  , they are dug up in March, cut horizontally into
slices,  and dried in the shade ;  the offsets  from the main root are only used.

  P.  P.—As met with in commerce, calumba root is  in  circular,
flat pieces, from 3 to 10 lines thick, and from  half an inch to three
inches in diameter.   The pieces consist of a brownish-yellow ru-
gous  epidermis,  a thick yellowish inner-bark, and a light, spongy,
woody centre, of a grayish-yellow colour.  The  flat surfaces  are
depressed in the centre, and marked with concentric yellowish lines. 
tonics.                        369
It  has a feeble, somewhat aromatic odour, and  a strong, purely
bitter taste.
  C. P.—Calumba contains a crystalline, very bitter neutral  prin-
ciple, which has been named Calumbin, and on which its medicinal
properties depend, about a third of its weight  of starch, a trace of
volatile oil, gum, wax, &c.  Its bitter principle is dissolved out by
cold and boiling water, by alcohol, and by ether.  As  boiling wa-
ter dissolves out some starch, a warm  infusion becomes cloudv as
it cools ; the Edinburgh College, therefore, employs cold water for
preparing the officinal infusion.
  Adulterations.—Bryony root, and  the  root  of  Frasera  Walten
(American or false calumba), have been  at limes sold  for the true
calumba root.   The former may be at once  detected  by its  disa-
greeable, bitter, somewhat acrid  taste; the latter, by  its  infusion
becoming dark-green on  the addition of a sesqui-salt of iron, an in-
fusion of the true root remaining unchanged by the same test.   An-
other false calumba is met with in the French drug market, which
is known by its containing no starch, a cooled decoction not being
affected by tincture of iodine.
  Th.  E.—Calumba is an excellent bitter tonic, being slightly aro-
matic, but free of all astringency.  It is most usefully employed in
the various forms of dyspepsia, depending on  want of tone in the
digestive organs, and in  irritability of the stomach accompanied
with vomiting, when there is no tendency to inflammation  present.
It is also used with much benefit to allay the sympathetic vomiting
of pregnancy, and that which depends  on diseases of the other ab-
dominal viscera.  In the  advanced stages of diarrhoea  and dysen-
tery, when the use of tonics is indicated, calumba is an excellent
remedy.
  D. & M. of Adm.—In powder, gr. x. to 3ss.—Infusum Colomba,
D.   Infusum Calumba,  L. E.  (" Calumba,  sliced, 3ij. (3v.,  L.) ;
boiling  (distilled, L.) water, by measure, fbss.  (Oj., L.) ; digest
(macerate, L.) for two hours in a covered vessel, and strain," D. L.
" Calumba, in coarse  powder, §ss.; cold  water, about a pint;  trit-
urate the calumba with a little water, so as to  moisten it thorough-
ly, put it into a percolator, and transmit cold water till  f*xvj. of in-
fusion  be obtained," E.)   For the  reasons before  stated, the Edin-
burgh  preparation is to be preferred; it is usually employed  as a
vehicle for the more active tonics,  and is given in doses of from f§i.
to  f?iij.   The.salts of iron, the alkalies, and their carbonates do not
alter the colour of this infusion, and,  consequently, may be advan-
tageously combined with it in prescription.—Tinctura Colomba,
D.   Tinctura Calumba,  L. E.   (" Calumba, sliced, §iiss. (*tiij., L.);
proof spirit, fbij. (Oij., L.); macerate for 14 days, and filter," D. L.
" Calumba, in small fragments (if by percolation, in moderately fine
powder), §iij.;  proof spirit, Oij.; digest for 7  days ; pour  off the
clear liquor, express the  residuum strongly, and  filter  the liquors.
This tincture is  much more conveniently prepared by  the process
of percolation, allowing the powder to be soaked with a little of the
spirit for six hours before  putting it into the percolator,"  E.)  Dose, 
370
TONICS.
f3i. to f3ij.—Extractum Calumba, B.   (Calumba,  sliced,  1  part;
rectified spirit, 6 parts; digest for 2 hours at a temperature of from
86° to 104° F., and then express ; pour upon the residue 2 parts of
rectified spirit, digest and express as before; mix the two liquors,
distil  off the spirit, and evaporate to a due consistence.)   An excel-
lent tonic extract.  Dose, gr. v. to gr. xx.
   Incomp.—Tincture of iodine ; nitrate of silver; and the acetates
of lead.

   Canella,  L.  E.  Canella alba, cortex, D.   Canella bark;
Bark of Canella Alba.—A native of the  West India Islands and
of South America, belonging to the natural family Meliacea, and to
the Linnasan class and order Dodecandria  Monogynia.
  B. C.—A handsome tree, 40 to 50 feet high ; leaves alternate, obovate, shining,
coriaceous; flowers  small, glaucous-blue, in clusters  at the extremities of the
branches ; fruit, a small, bluish-black berry, generally one-celled.
   P.  & C. P.—Canella bark is met with in pieces of from 3 to 12
inches long, generally quilled, and from one to three  lines  thick.
They are of a yellowish or pinkish-white colour, have a faint, aro-
matic odour, and an acrid, very spicy taste.  Its medicinal activity
is  due to volatile oil and bitter extractive ;  it also contains a pecu-
liar crystalline substance resembling mannite in its  properties, and
which has been named Canellin.  This bark is often called false
Winter's bark, as it is frequently sold for the  bark of Dry mis Win-
teri, hereafter to  be described.
   Th. E.—Canella is  an aromatic tonic of some power ; it is sel-
dom employed alone  in Great Britain, but is used as an adjunct to
the bitter tonics in dyspepsia.   It is also combined  with cathartics
in  debilitated states of the digestive organs, and to correct their
griping qualities.  Dose, in powder, gr. x.  to 3ss.

   Cascarilla, D. L. E.  Cascarilla bark.   Bark of Croton Casca-
rilla,  D. L.   Probably of Croton Eleuteria, and possibly of other
species of the same genus, E.—Croton Eleuteria, to which, as well
as other species, this bark is  correctly referred by the  Edinburgh
College, is a native of Jamaica and the Bahamas ; it belongs to the
natural family Euphorbiacea, and to the Linnaean class and order
Moncecia Monadelphia.
 B. C.—A moderate-sized tree ; branches angular, somewhat compressed; leaves
alternate, ovate, smooth, silvery beneath ; flowers whitish, monoecious, in compound
axillary racemes.
   P.  P.—Cascarilla bark occurs in short broken quills or flattened
pieces, generally somewhat twisted.   It is of a reddish-brown col-
our, with  a whitish or reddish-yellow fissured epidermis; it is hard,
and breaks with a close, compact fracture ;  it has an aromatic, bit-
ter taste, and a  peculiar,  agreeable odour,  which becomes very
fragrant when the bark is  burned.
   C.  P.—According to the analysis of Trommsdorff, this bark con-
tains  1*6 per cent, of volatile oil, 15*1 of resin, 18*7 of bitter gum-
my extract,  with chloride of potassium,  and 65*6 of lignin.   It 
TONICS.
371
yields its  active properties to both water and alcohol; the colour
of the infusion is deepened by the sesqui-salts of iron.
  Th. E.—Cascarilla is an aromatic tonic, devoid of all astringen-
cy.   It is  principally used as an agreeable addition to other reme-
dies of this class in atonic dyspepsia, in the advanced stages of di-
arrhoea  and dysentery, and in  convalescence from fevers or other
acute diseases.  It has  also been  employed in intermittents as  a
substitute  for cinchona bark.
  D. & M. of Adm.—In powder, gr. x.  to  3ij.—Infusum Casca-
rilla, D. L. E.  (Cascarilla bark, bruised, "jss.  (jiss., L. E.) ;  boil-
ing (distilled, L.)  water, f>ss. (Oj., L. E.) ;  digest  (macerate, L.;
infuse, E.) for 2  hours in a covered vessel, and  strain " through
linen or calico," E.)   Dose, fgj. to f^ij.   An agreeable vehicle for
more active medicines.— Mistura  Cascarilla comp., L.   (Infusion
of cascarilla, f^xvij.; vinegar of squill, f^i.;  compound tincture of
camphor,  f§ij.; mix.)  " A  combination which  is of use in chronic
affections  of the  mucous membrane of the lungs."  Dose, f**j.  to
fiuss., two or  three times a day.—Tinctura Cascarilla, D. L. E.
(Cascarilla bark, in coarse  (moderately fine, E.) powder (bruised,
L.),  §iv.  (§v., L. E.); proof spirit, by measure, fbij. (Oij., L. E.) ;
macerate  for 7 (14, L.) days, and filter.   " Proceed by percolation
or digestion as directed for tincture of cinchona," E.)  Dose, f3i.
to f*ss.
  Incomp.—Nitrate of silver, and acetate of lead.            v

  Centaurium,  L. E.   Centaureum, D.   Common  Centaury.
Leaves (the herb, L.; the flowering heads, E.) of Erythraa Centau-
rium.—Indigenous, belonging  to the natural family  Gentianacea,
and to the Linnsean class and order  Pentandria Monogynia.
  B. C.—Annual, 8 to  10 inches high; stem nearly simple; leaves ovato-oblong,
in distant pairs ; flowers handsome, rose-coloured, in corymbose panicles near the
top of the stem.
   The whole of this plant is odourless, but has  a strong, purely bit-
ter taste.   It should be  collected when in flower, and dried with a
stove heat; it imparts its  properties, which depend on bitter ex-
tractive, to boiling water.  The common centaury is scarcely ever
used  in the present day, except as a domestic remedy; neverthe-
less, it forms an  excellent indigenous substitute for gentian.  It is
best given in the form of infusion  (prepared with §ss. of the  dried
herb, and fgxij. of boiling water), in  doses of fgi. or fgij.

   Cetraria, L. E. [and U. S.  P.].  Cetraria Islandica, planta,
D.   Liverwort.   Iceland moss.—Cetraria Islandica is a native of
the northern parts of the British Isles and of the colder regions of
both the New and Old Worlds.  It  belongs to the natural family
Lichenacea, and  to the Linnsean class and order  Cryptogamia
Alga.
  •o  q__Thallus foliaceous, erect, tufted^ laciniated, channelled, dentato-ciliate;
apothecia brown, apprised, flat, with an elevated border.
   p  p__,\s p^t with iu  tii ■  sh -\ s.  Iceland  moss  is grayish or 
372
TONICS.
brownish-white, silvery ;  it has a faint, peculiar odour, and a mu-
cilaginous, somewhat bitter taste.
  C. P.—It is composed of 44*6 per cent, of a starchy matter (lich-
enin),  3  per cent, of bitter principle  (cetrarin), with uncrystalli-
zable sugar, gum, extractive, colouring matter, some salts, and amy-
laceous fibre.  By, maceration in cold water the bitter principle is
extracted, and the water  acquires a brownish  colour.   By boiling
in water about 65 per cent, is dissolved, and, when  sufficiently con-
centrated, the liquid cools into a firm jelly.
  Th.  E.—Iceland moss is a mild, bitter tonic, and as it is also nu-
tritive, it forms an  excellent article of diet in diseases of debility
and  in convalescence from acute  diseases.  It is  used also as an
article of food, the bitter principle having been previously removed
by maceration in cold water or in a weak alkaline ley (water 300
parts, and carbonate of potash 1 part);  but when  its  tonic powers
are required, the bitter principle should not be removed, as is fre-
quently done.   Cetrarin  has  been used in  Italy as a  substitute for
sulphate of quina.
  D. & M. of Adm.—Decoctum Lichenis Islandici, D.   Decoctum
Cetraria, L.   (Iceland moss, §ss. (3v., L.) ; boiling water, by meas-
ure,  fbj.  (Oiss., L.) ; " digest for two  hours in  a close vessel, then
boil  for  15 minutes, and  strain the liquor while  hot," D.   "Boil
down to Oj., and strain,"  L.)   Dose, f§j. to fstiv.—Cetrarin.  (Ice-
land moss, coarsely powdered, any quantity  ; digest in rectified
spirit as  long as it acquires a bitter taste ; distil off the greater part
of the  spirit,  and  filter while hot.   The  impure cetrarin which is
deposited as  the liquor cools  may  be purified by redissolving in
boiling alcohol and crystallizing.)  Dose,  as a febrifuge, gr. ij. to
gr. v., every three  hours.   Sixteen grains thus given in divided
doses are said to be sufficient to check the  disease.
  Incomp.—Potash ; the  salts of lead and of copper ; the  scsqui-
salts of iron;  and iodine.

  Chiretta,  E.  Chiretta or  Chirayta.   The herb and root  of
Agathotes  Chirayta.—A  native of the northern parts of the Conti-
nent of India, belonging to the natural family  Gentianacea, and to
the Linnaean class and order Pentandria Monogynia.
  B. C.—Annual; stems smooth, jointed, branched, erect, about 3 feet high ; leaves
opposite, amplexicaul, very acute; flowers yellow, very numerous, stalked, in ter-
  inal panicles.
  P. P.—As  met with in the shops, chiretta  consists of the root,
stems, and branches.  The stems are round and smooth, about the
thickness of a writing pen, with a shining  brown  epidermis, and a
yellow, spongy pith.  The whole plant has a purely bitter taste,
without  any astringency.
   C. P.—Chiretta is composed of resin, yellow bitter matter, brown
colouring  matter, gum, malic acid, salts of potash  and lime, and
traces of oxyde of  iron (Lassaigne and Boissel).  It yields its bit-
terness to  water and to alcohol.
   Th. E.—Chiretta is a powerful bitter tonic, bearing much  re 
TONICS.
373
semblance to gentian.  Under its use the bowels are relaxed and
the secretion of the bile promoted ; it is therefore peculiarly adapted
as a tonic for dyspepsia accompanied with constipation.
  D. & M.  of Adm.—In  powder, a bad form, gr. x. to gr. xx.—
Infusum  Chiretta, E.   (Chiretta, 3iv.; boiling water, Oj.; infuse
for two hours, and strain  through linen or calico.)  This infusion
would be better prepared  by using double the quantity of chiretta,
and employing cold water.  Dose, fs*i. to  fjij.—Tinctura Chiretta.
(Chiretta, §ij.; proof spirit, f§xvj.; macerate for 7 days, and filter.)
Dose, f3j. to f3ij.

  Chondrus crispus.   Carrageen or Irish moss.—This  substance
consists of this and many allied species dried and bleached in the
sun.   For medical use, it  is  principally gathered by the  peasantry
on the southwest coast of Ireland.   As commonly met  with, it is
of a yellowish-white colour, dry, and  very crisp ;  in'most of its
properties it resembles Iceland moss, but is more mucilaginous and
less bitter.   It forms a  somewhat similar jelly with boiling water
or milk, and is frequently  used as a substitute for that substance.

  [Cimicifuga.  Actaa Racemosa.  Cohosh.   Black Snakerovt, U.
S.—The root.  Indigenous, belonging to the natural family Ranun-
culacea, and the Linnaean class and order Polyandra Pentagynia.
  P. P.—The root of a dark-brown colour, internally whitish, taste
bitter and astringent;  yields its virtues to boiling water.
  C. P.—It  contains gum, starch, resin, tannin, gallic acid, salts of
potash, lime, magnesia, and iron, besides lignin, wax,  fatty and
colouring matter.
  Th. E.—It is used  as a tonic, and is supposed to promote  the
secretions, and hence has been  employed as a diuretic, emmena-
gogue, expectorant, and diaphoretic.  In  some parts of the United
States it is a popular remedy for dropsy, rheumatism, hysteria, and
other nervous affections.  In pulmonary diseases it has  been  ex-
tolled beyond its merits.
  D. & M.  of Adm.—In  powder, 10 grs. to 1 drachm.   The  de-
coction is more frequently used, 1 oz.  of the root being boiled in
\h lbs. of water down to 1 lb.  Dose, \ to 1 oz., five or six times a
day.]

  Cinchona flava, D. E.  Cinchona cordifolia, L.   Yellow Cin-
chona Bark.   Bark of Cinchona cordifolia, D. L.—of an unascer-
tained species of Cinchona, E.
  Cinchona rubra, D. E.  Cinchona oblongifolia, L.   Red Cin-
chona Bark.   Bark of Cinchona oblongifolia  (Zca), D.—of Cin-
chona oblongifolia (Lambert), L.—of an unascertained  species of
Cinchona, E.
  Cinchona officinalis, D.  Cinchona lancifolia, L.   Cinchona
coroxvE, E.   Pale Cinchona Bark.   Crown Bark.  Bark of Cin-
chona lancifolia, D. L.—of Cinchona Condaminea, E.
  Cinchona cinerea, E.  Gray  Bark.  Silver  Bark.   Bark of
Cinchona Micrantha. 
374
TONICS.
  Much confusion still exists as to the natural history of the Cin-
chona  barks, and the more recent investigations  have proved that
the botanical  references of the Dublin and  London Colleges are
altogether erroneous.  The exact species from which the yellow
and red barks of the pharmacopoeias are obtained  have not yet
been determined ;  but  crown bark (pale bark, D. L.)  is undoubt-
edly the produce of  Cinchona  Condaminea, as also  is silver bark
of Cinchona Micrantha.   AH the cinchona-trees are inhabitants of
the Andes, growing at different elevations from 1200 to 10,080 feet
above  the level of the sea, and in the region extending from 11° N.
latitude to 20° S. latitude.   They belong to the natural family Cin-
chonacea, and  to the Linnsean class and order Pentandria Mono-
gynia.
  B. C.—Trees or tall shrubs ; leaves shortly petioled, with plain margins ; stipules
ovate or oblong, foliaceous, free, deciduous ; flowers white or rose-coloured, in ter-
minal corymbose panicles ; stamens included within the tube of the corolla ; cap-
sule ovoid, elongated, crowned with the teeth of the calyx, 2-celled, 2-valved, con-
taining maay winged seeds.
  Prep.—Bark-peeling, as it is termed in South America, is practised by the native
Indians  ; the bark of the entire tree, both stem and branches, is removed, the trees
being in general previously cut down ; it is then dried with great care, so as to pre-
serve its bright colour,  the larger and thicker pieces being dried so as to form flat
pieces* the smaller being allowed to curl into quills.  The epidermis, with the lich-
ens, which naturally grow on it,  is carefully preserved on the bark, but if it be very
coarse or injured, it is frequently removed.   Bark-peeling occupies the entire of the
dry season from May to November.

   P. P.—It would  be quite foreign to the scope of this work to en-
ter into any detailed  account of the numerous varieties of cinchona
bark which are occasionally met with in commerce.   I  shall only
describe those  which most frequently occur, and which are most
generally used for  medical purposes; and  in so doing I shall adopt
the classification of the Dublin College, more especially  as it is in
general followed by  the English drug trade; namely, Yellow, Red,
and Pale Cinchona barks.
   1st.  Yellow Bark,  Cinchona flava.—The botanical  origin  of
this bark, the  China regia of Von Bergen, as before remarked, is
as yet unknown.   It is met with in two varieties, quilled and flat.
The quills are  generally from 9 to 18  inches  long, from half an inch
to two inches  in diameter,  and from one to six or seven lines in
thickness.   They are in general singly quilled, and coated with a
very rough, light-gray epidermis ; externally, they are marked with
longitudinal wrinkles, and traversed with  horizontal fissures, often
extending completely round the quills; and  large patches of gray-
ish-white lichens are  usually adherent.  Internally, they are smooth,
and of a.cinnamon-brown colour.  The flat pieces are from 8 to
18 inches long,  from one to four  inches  broad, and from  one to
five lines thick; they are in general  freed of their epidermis, but,
when  present,  it is similar to that of the quilled bark.  The colour
is cinnamon-brown.   Both sorts  break  with a  fibrous, splintery
fracture, and yield an orange-yellow powder.  They have a faint,
aromatic odour, and  an aromatic, bitter, somewhat astringent taste.
An account of the cryptogamic plants which are found on this and 
TONICS.
375
the other sorts of cinchona bark has  been given by Fee and  by
Zenker, and an attempt made to distinguish the different barks ac-
cording to  the species which predominate on each, but it is much
too refined and difficult  for practical purposes.   Yellow bark is
imported in serons and chests from Arica, a seaport  of Bolivia.
  2d. Red  Bark, Cinchona rubra.—The species from which this
bark, the China rubra of Von  Bergen, is obtained, is  as yet un-
known.  It occurs in quills and  in flat pieces.   The quills are from
3 to 15 inches long, from two lines to an inch and a quarter in  di-
ameter, and from half  a line to two lines thick.  Externally, they
are of a reddish-brown  colour (the  smaller  quills are grayish-
brown) ; they  are  usually rough, wrinkled, and furrowed, and
have a few scattered patches of grayish white lichens.  The flat
pieces  are from two inches to two feet in length, from  one to five
inches  in breadth, and from a third to three quarters of an inch in
thickness;  they  are seldom quite flat, but in general  somewhat
convex.  The  epidermis is seldom absent; it is of a  reddish  or
chestnut-brown colour, rough, wrinkled, and usually warty.   The
inner surface of both  sorts is fibrous, and of a reddish-yellow or
reddish-brown colour, the thicker pieces being the darkest-colour-
ed.  The transverse fracture is  fibrous and splintery, and the pow-
der is pale  reddish-brown.  Red bark has a feebly aromatic, some-
what earthy  odour, and a  bitter, strongly astringent taste.   It is
imported in chests, never in serons; good red  bark  is now scarce
in the English market; when met with genuine it is much esteem-
ed, and bears a high price.
  3d. Pale Bark, Cinchona corona, E.—This bark, which  is at
present generally called Crown or Loxa bark, the China Loxa of
Von Bergen, is the produce of the Cinchona Condaminea, of Hum-
boldt and Bonplandt.   It is always met with in the form of quills,
never in flat pieces.   These quills are simple  or double, from  six
to fifteen inches long, from two lines  to  an  inch in  diameter, and
from one fourth of a line to two lines  thick.   The epidermis  is  al-
ways present; it is furrowed with numerous transverse fissures or
cracks, and frequently, also, with longitudinal splits.  Externally,
the bark is of a pale grayish-brown colour, and covered with a
great number of small whitish and ash-coloured lichens.  Internally,
it is smooth, and of a  pale  cinnamon-brown  colour;  its fracture is
fibrous, and it yields a paler-coloured powder than either yellow or
red bark.   The odour and  taste are nearly similar to those of red
bark.  The fourth variety  of bark which is officinal in the Edin-
buro-h  Pharmacopoeia is also a  pale bark, and whenever met  with,
at least in the Dublin  market, is sold under that name;  it is rather
scarce at present, but it  is a very good  bark; it may  be readily
distinguished from other barks by the edges of the most perfect
quills being cut obliquely.  Both  those pale  barks are imported in
chests  and  in serons.
  Several other varieties of Cinchona bark, although not officinal,
are frequently met with  in commerce, and are many of them  of
good quality; a detailed account of them will be found in the  re- 
376
TONICS.
cent works of Pereira and of Christison.   The so-called false cin«
chona barks will  be considered  under the head of adulterations.
   C.  P.—According  to the analyses of various chemists, particu-
larly  Pelletier and Caventou, cinchona barks appear  to  consist of
two peculiar alkaloids, quina and cinchonia, in combination  with a
peculiar  acid, kinic or cinchonic acid, together with  a variety of
tannin, two peculiar colouring matters, cinchonic red and cinchonic
yellow, green  fatty matter, kinate  of lime,  starch, gum,  ligneous
fibre, and a  trace of volatile oil.   The  proportion of these  ingre-
dients, particularly the alkaloids, differs remarkably in the various
kinds of bark:  thus, quina predominates in yellow bark, cinchonia
in pale bark, while they are contained in nearly equal proportions
in red bark.  The medicinal properties of bark depend principally
on the  alkaloids, of which quina is  the most active ;  it is officinal
in the London Pharmacopoeia, but no process  is given for  its prep-
aration, nor is it employed in medicine.   A salt of quina, however,
the disulphate, is  in very general  use as  a substitute  for cinchona
bark ; it is officinal in the three  British Pharmacopoeias, and  is pre-
pared as follows:
  Quinine sulphas, Dub.  " Yellow cinchona bark, in coarse powder, Ibiv. ;  distilled
water, by measure, foviij.; .dilute sulphuric acid, jfij.; mix, and digest together for
four hours in a proper vessel with a superior heat, frequently agitating, then strain,
mix what remains of  the bark with an  equal quantity of water, and strain ; repeat
the process a third time.   Add to the mixed liquors  sufficient fresh-burned and
slacked lime to saturate the acid ; separate the precipitate by means of a paper filter,
and add to it Ibiij. by measure of rectified spirit; digest for 6 hours with  frequent
agitation, and filter; digest the residual powder with an equal quantity of  rectified
spirit, and filter; repeat the process a third time.  Evaporate  the mixed spirituous
liquors  nearly to dryness in a water-bath.   To the residuum add by degrees sul-
phuric acid till the acid is  slightly in excess.  Then crystallize by evaporation and
cooling."—Quince disulphas, Lond. "Yellow bark, bruised, Ibvij. ; sulphuric  acid,
*^x.; purified animal  charcoal, *fij.; hydrated oxyde of lead, solution of ammonia,
and distilled water, of each, q. s. ; mix  jiv., sij. of the acid with cong. vj. of distilled
water, and add-the bark to  them ; boil for an hour and strain.  In the same manner
again boil what remains in acid and water, mixed in the  same proportions, for an
hour, and again strain. Lastly, boil the cinchona in cong. viij. of distilled water for
3 hours, and strain.   Wash what remains frequently with boiling distilled water.
To the  mixed liquors add  oxyde of lead, while moist, nearly to saturation.   Pour
off the  supernatant liquor, and wash what is thrown down  with distilled water.
Boil the liquors for a quarter of an hour, and strain ; then gradually add  solution of
ammonia, to precipitate the quina.  Wash this until nothing alkaline is perceptible.
Let what remains  be saturated with the rest of the sulphuric acid, diluted. After-
ward digest with gij.  of animal charcoal, and strain.  Lastly, the charcoal being
thoroughly washed, evaporate the liquor cautiously, that crystals may be  produced."
—Quince sulphas, Edin. " Yellow bark, in coarse powder, ibi.; carbonate of soda,
■fviij. ; sulphuric acid, fjss.; purified animal charcoal,.31J.; boil the bark  for an hour
in Oiv. of water, in which half the carbonate of soda has been dissolved ; strain an*d
express strongly through linen or calico ; moisten the residuum with water and ex-
press again ; and repeat this twice.  Boil the residuum  for half an hour with Oiv.
of water and half the sulphuric acid; strain,  express strongly, moisten with water,
and express again.  Boil the residuum with Oiij. of water, and a fourth  part of the
acid.; strain and squeeze as before.  Boil again the residuum with the same quan-
tity of water and acid, strain and squeeze as formerly.  Concentrate the whole acid
liquids  to about a pint; let the product cool; filter it;  and  dissolve in it the re-
mainder of the carbonate  of soda.  Collect  the impure  quina on  a cloth, wash it
slightly, and squeeze out the liquor with the hand.   Break down the moist precipi-
tate in Oj. of distilled water, add nearly f3j. of sulphuric acid, heat it to 212°, and
stir occasionally.  Should  any precipitate retain its gray colour, and the liquid be
neutral, add sulphuric acid drop by drop, stirring constantly till the gray colour dts- 
TONICS.
377
appears.   Should the liquid redden litmus, neutralize it with a little carbonate of
soda.   Should crystals form on the surface, add boiling distilled water to dissolve
them.  Filter through paper, preserving the funnel hot, set the liquid aside to crys-
tallize ; collect and squeeze the  crystals; dissolve  them in Oj. of distilled water
heated to 212° ;  digest the solution for 15 minutes with the animal charcoal, filter,
and crystallize as before.  Dry the crystals with a heat not exceeding 140°.   The
mother-liquors of each crystallization will  yield a little more salt by concentration
and cooling."
  [U. S. P.—Sulphate of Quinia.  Yellow bark, in coarse powder, 4 pounds ; muri-
atic acid, 3 fluid ounces ; lime, in powder, 5 oz. ; water, 5 gallons ; sulphuric acid,
alcohol, animal charcoal, each, q. s.   Boil the bark in one third of the water mixed
with one third of the muriatic acid, and strain through linen.   Boil the residue twice
successively with the same quantity of water and acid as before, and strain.   Mix
the decoctions, and while the liquor is hot, gradually  add the lime, previously mixed
with 2 pints of water, stirring constantly until the quinia is completely precipitated.
Wash the precipitate with distilled water, and having pressed and  dried it, digest
it in boiling alcohol.   Pour off the liquor and repeat the digestion  several  times,
until the alcohol is no longer rendered bitter. Mix the liquors, and distil off the al-
cohol until a brown viscid mass remains.   Upon this substance, removed from the
vessel, pour about i a gallon of distilled water, and  having heated the mixture to
the boiling point, add as much sulphuric acid as may be necessary to dissolve the
impure alkali.  Then add an ounce and a half of animal charcoal, boil for 2 minutes,
filter the liquor while hot, and set it aside to crystallize.  Should the liquor  before
filtration be entirely neutral, acidulate it very slightly with  sulphuric acid ; should
it, on the contrary, change the colour of litmus paper to a bright red, add more ani-
mal charcoal.  Separate the crystals from the liquor, dissolve them in boiling water
slightly acidulated with sulphuric acid, add a little animal charcoal, filter, and set
aside to crystallize.  Wrap the crystals in bibulous paper, and  dry them with a
gentle heat.  The mother-waters maybe made to yield an additional quantity of
sulphate of quinia by precipitating the quinia with solution of ammonia, and treating
the precipitated alkali with water, sulphuric acid, and animal charcoal, as before]

   The quantity of disulphate  of quina obtained from yellow bark
varies with the quality of the  bark;  the  average may be stated to
be from  l^ to 3 per cent.   It occurs in  very fine, needle-like, silky
crystals, of a perfectly white colour: they are flexible, inodorous,
and have a very bitter taste.  Exposed to air, they effloresce slight-
ly;  by a moderate heat  they are fused, and by a red heat  are de-
composed.   Sulphate of quina requires for its solution 740 parts of
cold, but only 30 of boiling water:  it is soluble in 80 parts  of cold
alcohol  (sp. gr., *850), and in much less  of boiling  alcohol;  it is
very soluble in diluted sulphuric acid.    It is composed of 2 eq. of
quina (C'20H12O2N),  1 of sulphuric acid, and 8 of water.  Quina is
most readily  obtained  by precipitating a solution of the disulphate
with ammonia, when it occurs  in the form of a snow-white amor-
phous powder, inodorous, very  bitter, alkaline.   It requires for its
solution  200 parts of boiling water, but  is very soluble in  alcohol
and in ether.   Cinchonia  may be  obtained  from  pale  bark  by a
similar process to that for the  preparation of quina from  yellow
bark.   It crystallizes  in  colourless  prisms, is inodorous, and has a
feeble, bitter taste.  It requires  2500 parts of boiling -  '-r to dis-
solve it, is but slightly soluble in cold ether, and is m^..   ss  solu-
ble in alcohol than quina ;  in  other respects it bears much  resem-
blance to that alkaloid.   Its composition is C20H12NO.   The other
substances of which cinchona bark is composed are unimportant
in a medicinal point of view.   A third alkaloid, which they  named
aricina, was found  by Pelletier and Caventou in  Arica or Cuzco
bark.   Gum is found only in the pale barks.
                                 Bbb 
378
TONICS.
  The active constituents of cinchona bark are extracted by water,
alcohol, proof spirit, and the dilute acids.  Of these, the acids much
diluted  and proof spirit are the best solvents.   Boiling water dis-
solves out the active principles  more completely than cold water,
but continued boiling, as in preparing the decoction, causes the red
colouring matter to form a very insoluble compound with the alka-
loids.  The action of various re-agents  on the infusion of cinchona
bark has been proposed as a means of  ascertaining the  medicinal
value of the different varieties;  but the results obtained by those
persons who have published their experiments  are so dissimilar,
that it is unnecessary to give any account of them.
  Adulterations.—The principal frauds  that are  practised with ref-
erence to  cinchona  bark  are, the substitution of the inferior true
barks for the finer sorts ; the admixture  of bark which has been ex-
hausted by* successive macerations, and  then dried, with good bark;
and the substitution of the so-called spurious or false cinchona barks
for the true barks.  Of the false barks, three in particular have
been described, namely, Piton bark,Caribean bark, and Pitaya bark.
They have all a disagreeable, bitter taste, not aromatic ; the latter
only has been met with in British commerce; it occurs in quills,
thin, compact, grayish-yellow externally, blackish-brown internal-
ly.   A  class of barks called on the Continent white cinchonas, but
always looked on in  the British market  as spurious  or false cincho-
nas, are often met with, mixed with the officinal barks.   They are
distinguished by the  epidermis being whitish or pale yellowish, mi-
caceous, smooth or not cracked, and adherent to the cortical lay-
ers.  The other  adulterations which  have been mentioned above
are very  difficult to discover, as  great experience is  required  to
judge of the quality of bark (especially if in powder) by its physical
properties.  Of the quality of yellow bark, the  best characteristic
is the quantity of the alkaloid quina which it yields when treated
by  the processes of  the pharmacopoeias; but as they  are  difficult
of application on the small scale, the Edinburgh  College  has given
the following test, by which the greater part  of the alkaloid con-
tained is readily procured in an  impure state: "A filtered decoc-
tion of 100 grs. in ftij. of distilled water gives, with f?i. of concen-
trated solution  of carbonate of soda, a precipitate, which, when
heated in  the fluid, becomes a fused mass, weighing when cold two
grains or more, and easily soluble in solution of oxalic acid."   Man-
ufacturers  of the disulphate of quina generally, however, employ
the  test proposed by Guibourt, by which the  quantity of lime con-
tained in  the specimen  is  ascertained,  for it has been found that
those barks which are most rich in quina also contain most lime;
the  process is as follows:  '* Mix the bark in fine powder with wa-
ter  so as to form it into a fine paste, place this on paper, filter, and
add sulphate of soda to the filtered liquor as long as the whke sul-
phate of lime is precipitated."'   According to Berzelius, the most
efficacious barks are those which contain most tannin ;  and, conse-
quently, those which in infusion  give the largest  precipitate with
solution of gelatin and with tartar emetic, should be preferred, and 
TONICS.
379
  this test is applicable to all sorts of cinchona bark.   Disulphate of
  quina is very liable to adulteration; the substances which are gen-
  erally employed for this purpose are sulphate  of lime, gum, sugar
  or mannite, starch, fatty matter, and sulphate of cinchonia.   By the
  application of the tests of the Edinburgh Pharmacopoeia, the free-
  dom from any of these impurities, except that  with the salt of cin-
  chonia, will be ascertained :  " A solution of gr. x. in fgj. of distilled
  water, and two or three drops of sulphuric acid, if decomposed by
  a solution of §ss. of carbonate of soda in  two waters, and heated
  till the precipitate shrinks and fuses, yields on cooling  a solid mass,
  which, when dry, weighs 7*4 grains, and in powder dissolves en-
  tirely in solution of oxalic  acid."  The presence of a salt of cin-
  chonia, from which but few specimens  are free in the present day,
  may be detected by precipitating a  solution of the salt in water
  with ammonia;  collecting the precipitate and boiling in rectified
  spirit; if  any cinchonia be present, it will be deposited in crystals
  as the liquor cools.  Salicin and caffein are  stated to  be frequent-
  ly employed on the Continent of late years for the adulteration of
  disulphate of quina, but they are too dear in Great Britain to be
  used for that purpose.
     Th. E.—The topical action  of cinchona bark is astringent, anti-
  septic, and somewhat irritant;  its general effects on the system, es-
  pecially when  given where debility exists, are eminently tonic;
  and when administered in certain states of disease, it is antiperiodic,
  that is to say, it possesses the power of checking diseases which
  recur at  regular intervals, as  ague,  remittent fever, and periodic
  neuralgia.  The cinchona alkaloids without the astringency possess
  the other properties of bark in a concentrated degree, and, conse-
  quently, since their discovery have been substituted to a great ex-
  tent for the drug itself.   Of the two alkaloids, it has been a very
  generally received opinion  that quina  is much  more  active than
  cinchonia, and, consequently, the  use of the latter has been very
  restricted ; recent experience,  however, particularly on the Conti-
  nent, goes far to establish the  almost equal  activity of cinchonia;
  indeed, according to some, while equally energetic as a tonic and
  antiperiodic, it is less irritant.   As a topical agent, bark has been
  used  in the form of powder or decoction  as an  application to foul
  ulcers with excessive discharge, and to  mortified parts ; but for this
  purpose it is inferior to many of the vegetable substances described
" in the chapter on Astringents.   As an internal remedy, bark is the
  most highly esteemed and  most generally employed  tonic in the
  whole Materia Medica.   Its employment  is indicated in all cases
  of debility unaccompanied with any tendency to inflammation or
  to active  hemorrhage, and provided, also, the  stomach and diges-
  tive organs be not in an irritable condition.  It is found peculiarly
  serviceable in those forms of debility with great laxity of the solids,
  which depend  on, or are attended with, profuse discharges from
  the secreting organs.  In the  debility  attendant on convalescence
  from  acute diseases, cinchona and its alkaloids are  also found most
  efficacious tonics, but they  should be at first administered with 
380
TONICS.
great caution, as any* over-excitement is apt to cause a recurrence
of the febrile or inflammatory symptoms.  The principal use, how-
ever, of bark (or of disulphate of quina) is as an antiperiodic.   In
all diseases  assuming an intermittent or remittent type, it is found
to be the most efficacious remedy* which has as yet been discover-
ed ;  but its modus  operandi in the cure of those maladies is so ob-
scure, that it is in  general  said to be specific.  Bark  or the disul-
phate of quina is  best administered during the stage of intermis-
sion or remission, and given  in as full doses as the  stomach  can
bear, for it is essential to its beneficial  influence that vomiting or
purging be not produced.  If there  be irritability of the stomach or
inflammatory tendency present, it  should be previously  removed
by appropriate treatment; and, indeed, in most cases of intermit-
tent fever, the administration of an emetic and purgative previous
to the employment of cinchona or its alkaloid will be found service-
able.  In neuralgic  affections, in rheumatism, headache, amauro-
sis, stricture, &c, recurring at regular intervals, bark is found equal-
ly efficacious as in  intermittent fever.   It is also  employed with
much benefit in some inflammatory affections when th y occur in
the old and  debilitated,  as  in subacute  rheumatism,  in scrofulous
ophthalmia,  &c.   In all  the  diseases  above  enumerated, unless
where an astringent effect is required, the cinchona alkaloids may
be used, and in general  are preferred to the bark itself.  The ad-
vantages which the disulphate of quina (almost the  only form in
which  the alkoloid is administered)  possesses are its much greater
energy, and  its little  tendency to produce irritability of the  stomach.
  D. & M.  of  Adm.—Cinchona bark is seldom given in the form
of powder in the  present day ; the dose, as a tonic,  is from gr. x.
to 3fj.  two or three  times a day ; as an antiperiodic, from 3i. to 3ij.
every second or third hour, but few stomachs can bear such large
doses.   Its taste is best  concealed by milk, with which, however,
it should not be mixed until immediately before it is taken.—Infu-
sum Cinchona, D. L. E.   (" Pale bark, in coarse powder, §j.;  cold
water, fgxij.; triturate the  bark with a little of the  water, and  du-
ring trituration pour on the remainder ;  macerate for  24 hours, fre-
quently agitating, and pour off the  clear liquor," D.   " Pale bark,
bruised (any species of cinchona, according to prescription in pow-
der, E.), ix.; boiling  (distilled,  L.) water, Oj.; macerate (infuse, E.)
for 6 (4, E.) hours in a covered vessel, and strain [through linen or
calico, E.], L. E.)  This  preparation is a mild stomachic and tonic,
principally used in dyspepsia and in the milder forms  of debility.
The Dublin  infusion is peculiarly adapted for those cases in which
there is great irritability of the digestive  organs.  Dose, f*i. to f;>iij.
—Decoctum Cinchona, D. L.  E.    (Pale cinchona  bark (pale,  yel-
low, or red,  L. ; crown, gray, yellow, or red, E.), in coarse pow-
der  (bruised, L. E.), §j.  (3x.,  L.) ;  water (distilled, L.), q. s.  (Oj.,
L. ;  f-xxiv., E.) ; ''make a decoction which shall  yield,  when fil-
tered,  ftj. by measure." I).   "Boil for 10 minutes in  a lightly-cov-
ered vessel,  and strain the  liquor while hot," L.  " Boil for ten min-
utes, let  the decoction cool, filter it. and evaporate to f^xvi.," V,.) 
TONICS.
381
Dose, fgi. to fjtij.—Tinctura Cinchona, D. L. E.   (" Pale cinchona
(yellow, L.), in coarse powder (bruised, L.), giv. (3viij., L.);  proof
spirit, by measure, fbij. (Oij., L.);  macerate for 7 (14, L.) days, and
filter," D. L.  " Yellow  bark, in  fine powder, or any other species
of cinchona according to prescription, § viij.; proof spirit, Oij.; per-
colate the bark with the  spirit, the bark being previously moistened
with a very little spirit, left thus'for 10 or 12 hours,  and then firm-
ly packed in the cylinder.   This tincture  may also be prepared,
though much less expeditiously, and with much greater loss, by the
usual process  of digestion, the bark being in that case reduced to
coarse powder only," E.)   Dose, f3i. to f3iij.—Tinctura  Cinchona
comp., D. L. E.   (Pale (yellow, E.) cinchona bark, in  coarse pow-
der (or fine if percolation be followed, E.; bruised, L.), "dj. (giv.,
L. E.);  bitter orange peel, dried  (bruised, E.), §ss. (**iij., L. E.)  ;
serpentaria, bruised  (in moderately fine  powder, E.),  3iij.  (3vj., L.
E.); saffron (chopped, E.), 3i. (3ij., L. E.)  ; cochineal,  powdered
(bruised, E.),  3ij. (3i., L. E.); proof spirit, by measure, §xx. (Oij.,
L. E.);  "macerate for 14 days, and filter," D. L.   "Macerate for
7 days, strain, and express strongly; filter the liquors.   It may also
be conveniently prepared by percolation, as directed for  compound
tincture of cardamom," E.)   This is a more agreeable but less pow-
erful  tonic  than  the simple tincture.  It is commonly known as
Huxham's Tincture of Bark.  Dose, f3j. to f^ss.—Liquor  Cinchona.
(Prepared by  exhausting any quantity of powdered  yellow bark in
a percolator,  first with proof spirit, and then With  boiling water,
mixing the  liquors, and  concentrating in vacuo  or  with a gentle
heat.)   An  excellent and active  preparation.  Dose, min.  xx. to
f^ss.—Extractum Cinchona, D. L. E. " Pale (yellow, pale, or red,
L.) cinchona  bark, in coarse powder (bruised, L.),  Ibj. (jxv., L.)  ;
water (distilled, L.), by  measure, fbvj. (cong. iv.,  L.); boil for  15
minutes  in a vessel nearly closed  (boil down in cong. j. of water to
Ovj., L.), and strain the liquor while hot.   In the  same  manner,
boil down the bark in an equal measure of water 3 (4,  L.) times  ;
lastly, all the  liquors being  mixed, evaporate to a proper consist-
ence," D. L.  [This extract should be kept in two states: soft  for
making  pills,  and hard  that it may be reducible to  powder, D.]
" Take of any variety of cinchona, but especially the yellow or red
cinchona, in fine powder," §iv.; proof spirit, fs*xxiv.; percolate the
cinchona with the spirit; distil off the  greater part  of the spirit,
and evaporate what remains in an  open vessel over the vapour-
bath to  a due consistence," E.)    The Edinburgh  preparation, in
which spirit is  used as  the solvent, is much the  most  active, but
since the introduction of the sulphate of quina into medicine, the ex-
tracts are seldom used.   Dose, gr. v. to gr. xx.
   [Hydro-alcoholic fluid extract  of Red Peruvian Bark.   (China
rubra.)   Take of the red bark, bruised,  20  parts ; proof spirit, 100
parts.   Prepare as  mentioned for the hydro-alcoholic fluid extract
of  sarsaparilla. till there remains  but 36 parts in the still;  separate
by filtration the colouring and resinous matters, and add  to the fluid
extract 4 parts of rectified spirit.   Two parts represent one of the 
382
TONICS.
bark employed.  This is a valuable tonic, and often preferred  to
quinine in American practice.]
   Quina or Cinchonia are  but  seldom employed in the uncombi-
ned state, in consequence of their insolubility ; nevertheless, they
are preferred by some Continental practitioners  to  any of their
salts.   The dose of either  is from gr. iij. to gr.  v., frequently re-
peated.  Quinina sulphas, D.   Quina disulphas, L.   Quina sul-
phas, E.  [Quinia sulphas, U. S. P.]  Dose, gr. i. to gr. v., three
or four times a day.  As an antiperiodic, it is administered during
the intermission, in  divided doses, so regulated that from gr. xv. to
3ij., according to circumstances, may be taken in all.  It may be
administered in the form of pill, made with conserve of roses or
mucilage, or dissolved in some aqueous vehicle with the aid of di-
lute sulphuric  acid; it should not be  prescribed, as  is frequently
done, in the infusion of roses, an insoluble precipitate being thrown
down.   Disulphate  of quina may be administered in the form of*
enema, where there is very great irritability of the stomach;  three
times  the  ordinary  dose, or  even more, may be mixed with an or-
dinary starch enema, and administered about an  hour before the
paroxysm.  Or it may be introduced into the system by the ender-
mic method, the ordinary dose being sprinkled over the surface of
the skin, denuded of the epidermis by means of a blister.   In inter-
mittent headache, gr. j.  of  the  disulphate, mixed with gr.  iij. of
starch, has been snuffed up the nostrils occasionally.—Pilula Quina,
U. S.   (Sulphate of quina, §i.; gum acacia, in powder, 3ij.; sirup,
q. s.;  mix the sulphate of quina and the gum, and beat them with
the sirup so as to form a mass, to be divided into 480 pills.)  Each
pill contains gr. j. of the disulphate of quina.— Vinum Quina, Col-
lier.   (Quina, 3i.;  citric acid, in crystals, gr. x.; rub together, and
dissolve in orange wine,  Oj.)  An elegant formula.  Dose, fgss. to
fix.—Quince murias.  (Prepared by decomposing an aqueous solu-
tion of the disulphate by means of an aqueous solution of chloride
of barium ;  filtering to separate the sulphate of baryta, evaporating
and crystallizing.)  This preparation is preferred by  many practi-
tioners to the disulphate, but it is much more expensive ;  the dose
is the  same.  Acetate, Citrate, Tartrate, Nitrate, Phosphate, and
Tannate of Quina have  been also used  in medicine; they are all
expensive preparations, and do not appear to me to be superior in
any respect to the disulphate.  They may be  readily prepared by
dissolving pure quina to saturation in the respective acids, previ-
ously diluted writh water, evaporating and crystallizing ; their doses
are the same as those of the  disulphate.   The salts of cinchona are
prepared in a similar manner to those of quina ; their doses are the
same.
   Incomp.—With the preparations of Cinchona Bark: Ammonia;
lime-water; carbonate of potash ; arsenite of potash; tartar emetic;
the sesqui-salts of iron; the acetates of lead; corrosive sublimate;
nitrate of silver; tincture of galls; and gelatin.   With disulphate
of Quina: The alkalies and their carbonates ; lime-water ; tartaric
acid;  the soluble tartrates; and all vegetable tinctures, infusions,
and decoctions containing tannin. 
TONICS.
383
  [Iodidum Quinia.  Iodide or Ioduret of Quinine.
  Prep.—Precipitate sulphate of quinine by means of hydriodate of potash.
  P. & C. P.—A yellow precipitate, soluble in alcohol, and  crys
tallizes in quadrangular prisms.
  Th. E.—- Useful in scrofulous tumours, and  where iodine and
tonics are indicated.
  D.  & M. of Adm.—The tincture is prepared by dissolving 30
grs. in 1 oz. of alcohol; and this is given in doses of 10 to 30 drops,
gradually increased.  Sometimes its  tonic power is increased by
superadding 3 grains of sulphate of quinine to the ounce.]

  Cnicus benedictus, folia, D.  Blessed thistle.  Leaves of Cnicus
benedictus.—A native of the South of Europe, belonging to the nat-
ural family Composita, and to the  Linnaean  class and order Syn-
genesia JEqualis.
  Although at one time  highly esteemed as a tonic, the blessed
thistle is so little  used in the present day as scarcely to merit a
place in the Materia Medica.  An infusion or decoction made with
ix. or ix]. of the leaves, and Oj. of boiling water, was given in  doses
of fgiss. to ffiij.

  Cochlearia  officinalis, herba, D.   Scurvy-grass.   Herb of
Cochlearia officinalis.—Indigenous, belonging to the natural family
Crucifera,  and  to the Linnaean  class and order Tetradynamia
Siliculosa.
   This plant was formerly esteemed as a tonic and antiscorbutic,
but at present is  only used as a  domestic remedy, eaten in the fresh
state as a salad.

   Contrajerva, L.  Contrajerva.  Root of Dorstenia Contrajer-
va.—A native  of South America, belonging to the natural family
 Urticacea,  and  to the  Linnasan class and  order Monacia  Te-
trandria.
   The contrajerva root of the  shops is imported  from Brazil, and
is obtained from the D. Braziliensis.  It  is of a reddish colour, ta-
pering, from 2 to 3 inches long, and about the thickness of the little
finger, covered with slender root fibres.   It has a weak, aromatic
odour, and a warm, bitter taste.  Contrajerva root is a  mild  aro-
matic tonic, at one time used in fevers of a low character,  but at
present nearly obsolete.  The dose of tbe  powder is from  3i.  to 3ij.

   Cuprum ammoniatum, D. E.  Cupri ammonio-sulphas, L.   Am-
moniated Copper.  Ammonio-sulphate of Copper.
   P. p.—As usually met with, this preparation is of a fine  azure-
 blue colour, with an ammoniacal odour, and  a styptic, metallic
taste.  It is  in the form of powder, but may be crystallized in large
 right rhombic  prisms.
  °C. P.__The exact composition of this salt, as prepared for use in
 medicine, is doubtful.  Exposed to the air, ammonia is  given off, 
384
TONICS.
and a green  powder left.   It is soluble in water, and the solution
has an alkaline reaction.
  Prep.—Dub., Lond., Edin. "Sulphate of copper,  2 parts (*"i., L. E.); carbonate
(sesquicarbonate, L.) of ammonia, 3 parts (?iss., L. E.); triturate them together
(in an earthenware mortar, D.) till the effervescence has entirely ceased ;  wrap the
mass in bibulous paper, and dry it in the air.  (It should be kept in well-stoppered
bottles, D.)"
   Th. E.—Ammoniacal sulphate of copper  is employed in medi-
cine as  a tonic, and, in consequence  of its powers as such, also as
an antispasmodic.   It has  been principally used  in the treatment
of epilepsy, chorea, and other spasmodic affections, and is frequent-
ly productive of great benefit when  those diseases occur in debili-
tated constitutions about the period of puberty, and are unassociated
with organic disease.
   D. & M. of Adm.—Gr. ss., gradually increased to gr. v., twice
or three times daily; it may be given in the form of pill made with
bread crumb  or with conserve of roses.—Pilula Cupri Ammoni-
ati, E.  (Ammoniated copper, in fine powder, 1 part;  bread crumb,
6 parts; solution of carbonate of ammonia, q. s.; beat into a proper
pill mass, and divide it into pills, each containing  gr. ss. of ammo-
niated  copper.)   Cupri Ammoniati Aqua,  D. E.  Liquor Cupri
Ammonio-Sulphatis, L.   (Ammoniated copper, 1  part (3i.,  L. E.);
distilled water, 100  parts (Oj., L. E.); dissolve  the salt in the wa-
ter, and filter.)  Used as a test for arsenious acid (see page 134).
   Incomp.—Acids ;  potash ; soda ; and lime-water.
   In poisoning with this salt, the treatment is the same as in poison-
ing with sulphate  of copper (see page  65).

   Cupri sulphas.—Sulphate of Copper (described in the division
Astringents) has been employed as a tonic in chorea and epilepsy,
but the ammoniacal sulphate is more  generally preferred in those
diseases.  For dose and mode  of administration, see page 65.

   Cusparia, L. E.   Angustura, D.  Cusparia or Angustura Bark.
Bark of Galipea officinalis, E.—of Galipea Cusparia, L.—of Bon-
plandia trifoliata, D.—The bark  is probably obtained  from both
species  of Galipea  mentioned above. They are natives of the
warmer regions of South America, and belong to the natural fam-
ily Rutacea, and to the  Linnasan class and order  Diandria Mono-
gynia.
  B. C.—G. officinalis attains a height only of from  12 to 15 feet;  leaves  trifoliate,
from 8 to 12 inches long, having the odour of tobacco ; flowers white, hairy, in stalk-
ed, axillary, terminal racemes.  G. Cusparia, a lofty tree, 60 to 80 feet high ; leaves
trifoliate, about 2 feet long, agreeably fragrant; flowers white, with fascicles of
hairs seated on glandular bodies on the outside, in stalked, almost tenninal racemes.
   P. P.—Cusparia  bark occurs in pieces from 3 to  10 inches  in
length,  some nearly flat, others  incompletely quilled, covered exter-
nally with a grayish-yellow, soft epidermis, removed from one edge
apparently witb a sharp knife ; internally, it is of a dark yellowish-
brown  colour, somewhat fibrous.  It breaks with a short,, resinous
fracture ; has a peculiar, rather unpleasant odour, and a warm, bit-
ter, somewhat acrid taste. 
TONICS.
385
  C. P.—According to the analysis of Fischer, this bark  conssts
of 3*7 per cent, of a peculiar  bitter principle (which has been na-
med Cusparin by Saladin, who obtained it in a crystalline  state by
submitting an alcoholic tincture of the bark, prepared by  percola-
tion, to  spontaneous evaporation),  1*7 of bitter hard resin, 1*9 of
balsamic soft resin, 0*3 of volatile  oil, gum, lignin, &c.   The ac-
tive properties of the bark are extracted by water and alcohol; it
is  probable that  they depend principally* on the neutral principle
Cusparin.
  Adulterations.—About the  commencement of this  century, the
substitution of a  highly  poisonous  bark, which was brought  from
the East Indies, for true  angustura  bark, was very common in the
British Isles and in various parts of the Continent; but since  then,
so far as I  am aware, it  had not been met  with  until  about three
years since, when a specimen of the false bark was sent to me  from
a druggist's in Dublin, labelled Angustura Bark.  Upon inquiry*, I
found that  a  chest containing  about 2  cwt.  of the bark had lain in
their storehouse for upward of forty years, but had never been be-
fore dispensed.  False angustura bark may be readily distinguish-
ed from the  true  bark by its physical  as well as chemical  proper-
ties.  It is  generally in more perfectly quilled pieces, always much
thicker and heavier; the epidermis is  much mottled with  grayish
spots or covered  with a  rusty efflorescence ; the taste is intensely
bitter, very permanent, and it has no  odour.  The  best chemical
test is the application of nitric acid  to a transverse fracture  ; it pro-
duces a bright red colour with the false bark, but merely  deepens
the colour  of the true bark.   The  rusty efflorescence on false an-
gustura bark is stained  greenish  black by the same  acid.   This
false bark was for a long time referred to  the Brucea Antidysen-
terica, a native of Africa, but  the recent investigations of  Christi-
son, O'Shaughnessy, and others, have proved that it is the  bark of
Strychnos nux-vomica (see page 349).
  Th. E.—Angustura  bark is an excellent tonic, devoid of all as-
tringency.   It bears much resemblance to  cinchona bark, instead
of which it has been  frequently employed successfully in South
America as a febrifuge.   It has never come  into general use in Eu-
rope, in consequence of  the serious accidents which resulted  from
the fraud  above  noticed ;  nevertheless, it will be found very ser-
viceable in atonic dyspepsia, and in the advanced stages  of  diar-
rhoea and dysentery.
  D. & M. of Adm.—In powder, gr. x. to  3ss.—Infusum  Cuspa-
ria, L. E.   Angustura,  D.  (Angustura bark, bruised, 3ij. (3v., L.
E.); boiling water (distilled,  L.), fbss. (Oj., L. E.) ; macerate for
two hours  in a covered  vessel, and strain [" thro-ugh linen  or  cali-
co," E.].)   Dose, f§j. to fix].—Tinctura Cusparia, E.   Angustura,
D.  (Angustura bark, in moderately fine powder, §ij. (jivss.,  E.) ;
proof spirit, by measure, fbij.  (Oij., E.); "macerate for 14 days,
and strain," D.  " Made  like the tincture of cinchona, and most ex-
peditiously by the process of percolation," E.)  Dose, f3i. to f3ij.
                             C c c 
386
TONICS.
  Incomp.—The sesqui-salts of iron ; nitrate of silver;  and the ace-
tates of lead.

  Drvmis aromatica, cortex, D.   Winter's Bark.  Bark of Dry-
mis aromatica.—A native of the countries bordering on the Straits
of Magellan.  It belongs to the natural family Winteracea, and to
the Linnaean class and order Polyandria Tetragynia.
  B. 0.—A large tree, about 40 feet high ; leaves alternate, petiolate, ovate, elon-
gated, glaucous and whitish on the under surface ; flowers small, white, solitary,
or 3 or 4 on a common footstalk.
  P. & C. P.—This bark is at present rather  scarce, as it is not
much employed ; it occurs in rolled quills from  ten inches to a foot
and a half long, and from half an  inch  to two inches in  diameter,
smooth externally,  of a reddish-yellow colour, with red oval spots.
It has an aromatic  colour, and an agreeable, somewmat spicy taste.
Its properties depend on volatile oil  and resin: it also contains some
tannin.
  Th. E.—Winter's bark is an excellent aromatic tonic, superior
in many respects to canella bark, which is now generally substitu-
ted for it.  It is so  seldom used, that there are no officinal prepara-
tions  of it contained in any of the British or Continental Pharmaco-
poeias.   The dose of the powder is from 3j.  to 3i.

   Fel bovinum.   Ox-gall.
   Ox-gall, although at one time much  employed in medicine, fell
completely into disuse until within the last few years, when it has
been  again brought under the notice of the profession as an excel-
lent tonic in various forms of dyspepsia.   I have myself used it very
extensively*,  and can speak most  highly of its remediate powers,
particularly  in that morbid irritability of the stomach  accompanied
with vomiting soon after the meals have been taken, provided there
is no organic disease present; it  also  appears to act as a gentle
laxative.   The  following  is the preparation which I have employ-
ed : Fel Bovinum inspissatum.   (Ox-gall, any quantity ; dilute with
an equal quantity of distilled water, set  aside for  12 hours until the
impurities subside; pour off the clear liquor, boil, and strain through
linen or calico.  Lastly, evaporate it in a water-bath to the con-
sistence of an extract.)   Thus prepared, it is odourless, but has an
intensely bitter taste, leaving a somewhat sweetish impression upon
the tongue and palate ; the dose of it is from gr. v. to gr. x. two or
three times a day.

   Ferrum, L. Ferri filum et limatura, E.  Ferrum, fila, scobs
 et oxydi sauAM^E, D.  Iron filings, L.  Iron  in the form of wire,
 and in the form of filings, E.  Iron, wire, filings, and scales of the
 oxyde, D.—Iron is met with in the  metallic state in Russia and
 America;  but it is usually found combined with other minerals  in
 the state of oxyde, sulphuret, carbonate, &c.
   Prep.—Metallic iron is  an  article of the Materia Medica in the three British
 Pharmacopoeias.  It is most generally obtained from the native black oxyde, maj- 
                             tonics.                         387

nettc iron ore, and from the native carbonate of the protoxyde, clay iron stone, by
smelting in blast furnaces.
  P. & C. P.—Pure metallic iron is of a silver-white colour, but as
ordinarily  met with it is  grayish white, very brilliant,  hard, and
ductile ; it is very malleable, particularly when heated.   It  has a
peculiar taste, and emits an odour when rubbed.  At  an intense
heat it fuses, but before it arrives at the point of fusion, it becomes
sott, and in this state  possesses the remarkable property of  being
welded.   Iron is attracted by the magnet, and becomes itself mag-
netic by induction, but, if pure, immediately loses its polarity  when
withdrawn  from the  magnet.  Its sp.  gr. is  7*8, and  its atomic
weight  27*2.
  Th. E.—Iron, like other  metals, does not exert any influence  on
the human system while it  retains the metallic state;  but, as it is
very readily oxydated and converted into salts, this change takes
place in the stomach soon after it is swallowed, and then the effects
of a tonic are produced.  Iron filings were at one time much used
in medicine, but in the present day they are never employed in reg-
ular practice; the dose of them was from gr. x. to 3ss., adminis-
tered in the form of electuary or bolus made with treacle or honey.
  The general effects of the ferruginous preparations, when their
use has been continued for some  time, are tonic and astringent;
but, when they have been given in too large doses or their use per-
sisted in for too long a period, they produce a state of over excite-
ment, characterized by a feeling of determination of blood to the
head, of general fulness, and by other uneasy sensations.   The mor-
bid state of the system in which the preparations of iron are  found
most useful is that which has been denominated anosmia, in which
the blood is deficient, in respect both of its quantity and of the relative
proportion of red particles.   The diseases in which they  have been
employed, then, are chiefly those of debility  accompanied with or
dependant on ancemia, as  in chlorosis, amenorrhcea, menorrhagia,
diseases of the  urinary organs, scrofulous  affections, passive hem-
orrhages, certain  diseases of the digestive organs, neuralgia, &c.
They have also been  used  with benefit in diseases of an intermit-
tent or  remittent type, in dropsical affections, in chronic enlarge-
ments of  the liver or  spleen, in cancer, &c.   The employment of
the ferruginous preparations is contra-indicated where there is any
tendency  to inflammation  or active hemorrhage  in the system,
where there is irritability of the digestive organs, in persons of a
full habit  of body, and in  those prone to a determination of  blood
to the head.

  Ferri acetas, D.   Solution of the acetate of Iron.
  P. & C. P.—A liquid of  a dark  blood-red colour, with  an acetic
odour, and  a strongly acid, chalybeate taste.  It is a solution  of
peroxyde of iron (Fe203) in acetic acid.
  Prep.—Dub. " Carbonate of iron, 1 part; acetic acid, 6 parts ; digest for 3 days,
and filter "  Ferri acetatis tinctura, D.  " Acetate of potash, 2 parts; sulphate of
iron  1 part ■ rectified spirit, 26 parts ; rub the acetate of potash and sulphate of iron
together in an earthenware mortar till they unite into a mass, then dry them with 
388
TONICS.
a medium heat, and triturate with the spirit; digest the mixture, with frequent agi-
tation, for 7 days in a well-stopped bottle ; lastly, pour off the tincture from the sed-
iment, and keep it in well-closed vessels."—Tinctura acetatis ferri uum alco-
hole, D.  " Sulphate of iron and acetate of potash, of each, "fi. ; alcohol, by measure,
Ibij. ;  rub the salts together in an earthenware  mortar till they unite into a mass ;
then dry them with a medium heat, and, when cold, triturate with the alcohol.
Put the mixture into a well-stopped bottle, and digest for 24 hours, frequently agi-
tating.  Lastly, pour off the clear liquor from  the sediment, and keep in a  well-
closed vessel."
   Th. E.—Acetate of iron possesses the  properties of the ferrugi-
nous  preparations  generally;  but, as  its composition is rather un-
certain, it is scarcely* ever used at present.   The tinctures were in-
troduced into the pharmacopoeia on the  authority of Dr. Percival,
who thought most highly of their chalybeate  powers.   The dose
of the acetate is  from min. v. to min. xx., in some aromatic water;
that of the tinctures from min. xxx. to f3i.; Dr. Percival was in the
habit of administering them  in asses' milk.

   Ffrri ammonio-chloridum, L.   Ammonio-chloride of Iron.
   P. & C. P.—This preparation is commonly met with  in the form
of an orange-yellow, semi-crystalline powder, which attracts moist-
ure when exposed to  the air.  It emits a feeble odour when moist-
ened, and has a saline,  metallic taste.   It is readily  dissolved by
water and by weak spirit.   According to Phillips, it is  a mechani-
cal mixture of 15  parts  of sesquichloride  of iron  and 85 parts of
hydrochlorate of ammonia.
  Prep.—Lond. " Sesquioxyde of iron, fiij.; hydrochloric acid, Oss. ; hydrochlorate
oi ammonia, tbiiss. ; distilled water, Oiij.; mix the sesquioxyde of iron with the hy
drochloric acid in a proper vessel, and digest them in a sand-bath for two hours;
afterward add the hydrochlorate of ammonia, first dissolved in the distilled water;
strain and evaporate all the liquor.   Lastly, rub what remains to powder."
   Th. E.—This  preparation, the Flares martiales  of the older
pharmacologists, was  at one time highly esteemed as  a tonic and
deobstruent in scrofulous affections ; but, in consequence of its lia-
bility to become decomposed by keeping, and the variable quanti-
ty of iron which  it contains, it is not often prescribed in the present
day.
   D. & M. of Adm.—In the solid state, gr. v. to gr. xv.—Tinctura
Ferri ammonio-chloridi,  L.   (Ammonio-chloride of iron, giv.; proof
spirit, Oj.;  dissolve the  salt in the spirit, and  strain.)   Dose,  min.
xij. to min. xl.
   Incomp.—Alkalies and their carbonates ; lime-water; and all as-
tringent vegetable preparations.

   Ferri ammonio-tartras.   Ammonio-tartrate of Iron.
   P. & C. P.—This preparation (which  has been recently introdu-
ced  into the practice of medicine, and is not  contained in  any of
the  pharmacopoeias)  is  met with in  the  form  of brilliant scales,
semi-transparent, of a beautiful reddish-brown  colour.   It is odour-
less, and has a sweetish, slightly chalybeate taste.  It is soluble in
about twice its weight of water at 60*°, and  in a much  less quanti-
ty of boiling water.   It is insoluble in absolute alcohol and in ether. 
TONICS.
389
It is composed of 1 eq. of tartrate of per-oxyde of iron, 1 of tartrate
of ammonia, and 4  of water.
  Prep.—" Tartaric acid, 100 drachms;  sesquicarbonate of ammonia, crystalline,
39| drachms ; sesqui-(per)-oxyde of iron, 534 drachms; muriatic acid, 180 drachms ;
solution of ammonia and water, of each, q. s.; dissolve the tartaric acid in cong. i.
of water, and add the sesquicarbonate of ammonia gradually.  Dissolve the sesqui-
oxyde of iron in the muriatic acid by means of a gentle heat; dilute the  solution
with Ovj. of water, and add a sufficient quantity of solution  of ammonia to precipi-
tate the oxyde.  Separate this on a flannel filter, wash it with water, until the wash-
ings pass tasteless ; and add it to the solution containing the bitartrate of ammonia,
then apply a gentle heat, by means  of a water-bath, until the whole of the sesqui-
oxyde of iron is dissolved, and a deep reddish-brown solution results.   Lastly, evap-
orate this solution, by means of a water-bath, to dryness."—Mr. Procter, in the
American Journal of Pharmacy.
  Th. E.—This is an excellent preparation of iron, void of all as-
tringency.   It is peculiarly suited as a tonic for those derangements
of the uterine organs in which the ferruginous salts are indicated.
Its  not  disagreeable taste, its  solubility in water,  and the permanen-
cy  of its composition, give it  an advantage over most of the other
preparations of iron.
  D. & M. of Adm.—Gr.  v. to gr. viij., in the form of powder, pill,
or solution, or made into a bolus  with honey.
  Incomp.—The mineral  acids, and all astringent vegetable prep-
arations.

  Ferri bromidum.   Bromide of Iron.
  pKEP.—•' Bromine and clean iron filings, of each, equal parts ; heat together un-
der  water till the fluid  becomes of  a greenish colour ; filter and evaporate to dry-
ness."—Magendie.
  Bromide of iron  is of a brick-red colour, and has a disagreeable,
styptic, metallic taste.  It deliquesces rapidly when exposed to the
air, and is very soluble in water.   It has been  used on the Conti-
nent, it is stated with  much success, in hypertrophy of the  uterus,
and in  glandular enlargements.  Dose, gr. iij. to  gr. viij.—Pilula
Ferri Bromidi, Werneck.  (Bromide of iron, 3i.;  extract of liquor-
ice, q. s.;  mix, and divide into 60 pills.)  One or two, morning and
evening.

   Ferri  carbonas saccharatum,  E.   Saccharine Carbonate  of
Iron.
   p. p.__A  grayish  or  bluish-green  powder;  inodorous, with a
sweetish,  strongly  chalybeate taste.
   C. P.__This preparation is composed of*' carbonate of protoxyde
of  iron in an undetermined  state  of combination with sugar  and
sesquioxyde  of iron," Ed. Phar.   Sugar or  other saccharine mat-
ter  prevents the decomposition of the  carbonate  of the protoxyde
of iron, which  always takes  place rapidly from the conversion of
the protoxyde into the sesquioxyde and the escape of carbonic acid.
The saccharine carbonate remains unchanged for a long time even
when exposed to the air.  It is insoluble in water or alcohol;  but
dissolves  completely in muriatic  acid, with effervescence.
  pREP__Edm. "Sulphate of iron,  fiv.; carbonate of soda, 5 v.; pure sugar, pij. ;
water, Oiv. ; dissolve the sulphate and carbonate each in Oij. of the water; add the 
390
TONICS.
solutions, and mix them: collect the precipitate on a cloth filter, and immediately
wash it with cold water, squeeze out as much of the water as possible, and, with-
out delay, triturate the pulp which remains with the sugar previously in fine pow-
der. Dry the mixture at a temperature not much above 120°."
  Adulterations.—This  preparation is not liable to adulteration;
that it has been properly prepared may be  known by ** its colour
being grayish-green, and by its being easily soluble in muriatic
acid, with brisk effervescence," Edin.  Phar.
  Th. E.—Carbonate of the protoxyde of iron is one of the best
and most active of the ferruginous salts, and  the permanency of
its composition in the form now described  renders this preparation
a valuable addition to the Materia Medica.   It is peculiarly adapt-
ed for children and delicate females  when  the  employment of a
chalybeate tonic is indicated.   Carbonate of iron held  in solution
by an excess of carbonic acid is the active principle of many chalyb-
eate mineral waters.
  D.  & M.  of Adm.—Gr. v. to gr. xxx., in the form of powder, or
made into  an electuary with sirup or honey.—Pilula Ferri Car-
bonatis, E.  (Saccharine carbonate of iron, 4 parts ; red-rose con-
serve, 1 part;  beat  them into a proper mass, to be  divided  into
five-grain pills.)  Dose, 1 to 4 pills.  In the following preparations,
the carbonate  of iron, prevented from undergoing  decomposition
by  the presence of saccharine  matter, is the active  ingredient:
Mistura Ferri composita, D. L. E.  (Myrrh, powdered, 3i. (3ij., L.
E.) ;  carbonate of potash, gr. xxv. (3i., L. E.) ; rose-water,  "*viiss.
(f*xviij., L.  E.)  ; sulphate  of iron, powdered, 3j. (3iiss., L. E.) ;
spirit of nutmeg, §ss. (f§j., L. E.);  pure sugar, 3i.  (3ij., L. E,): rub
together the myrrh with the spirit of nutmeg and the  carbonate of
potash, and to these, while rubbing, add first the rose-water with
the sugar, then the sulphate of iron.  Put the mixture immediately
into a proper glass vessel, and stop it.)  This mixture, which was
introduced into  the pharmacopoeias as a substitute for Dr. Griffith's
Tonic Mixture, and by  which name it is still commonly known, is
one of the best and most generally employed of the pharmaceuti-
cal preparations of iron.  Its operation is stimulant as well as tonic,
and, consequently, it should not be administered in  cases  where
there is any tendency to inflammatory action in  the digestive or-
gans ; the dose is f*§j. or f§ij., two or three times a day. "As  it does
not keep well, it should  be only prepared  when wanted for  use.—
Pilula Ferri comp., D. L.   (Myrrh, powdered, 3ij.; carbonate of
soda,  sulphate  of iron,  and raw sugar (treacle, L.), of each, 3i.;
rub the myrrh  with the carbonate of soda;  then add the sulphate
of iron (and the sugar, D.), and make into  a  mass with treacle [rub
them again ; afterward beat the whole, in a vessel previously warm-
ed, until incorporated, L.].)   Dose, gr. x. to. gr. xx., two or three
times a day.   Those pills become so hard when kept as to be unfit
for use.
   Incomp.—Acids and acidulous salts, and all astringent vegetable
preparations.
Ferri citras.  Citrate of Iron. 
TONICS.
391
  Ferri ammonio-citras.  Ammonio-citrate of Iron.
  P- P.—Both those preparations are  met with in the shops, and
have been  recently much employed  in medicine, although not con-
tained in any of the  pharmacopoeias.   They occur in the form of
semi-transparent, shining scales, of a garnet-red colour, inodorous ;
the citrate has a styptic, metallic taste, and the ammonio-citrate has
a similar, but much milder taste.
  C. P.—Citrate of iron is permanent in the air; it is very* slightly
soluble in  cold water, but  dissolves readily in boiling water;  the
solution reddens litmus paper strongly.  The ammonio-citrate is a
very deliquescent salt; it dissolves readily in cold or boiling water;
it is neutral to test paper.

  Prep.—Citrate  of iron.  " Crystallized  citric acid, jiv. ; distilled water, ffiv.;
moist hydrated peroxyde of iron, about ffviij.; dissolve the acid in the water in a
glass matrass with the aid of heat, and saturate the solution, while boiling, with the
oxyde of iron, adding rather more of the oxyde than the acid will dissolve.  When
cold, filter the solution, and make the quantity ffxvj.  This solution spread out on
glass will speedily dry, and separate itself from the glass in thin plates."-—Ammonio-
citrate of iron.  " Add to the solution of the citrate, prepared as above, sufficient
ammonia to neutralize the excess of acid,  and evaporate with a gentle heat to dry-
ness."—Beral.
   Til E.—-The citrates  of iron resemble much the tartrate  before
described, and are adapted for the same cases.   The ammonio-cit-
rate should  be preferred to the simple citrate, in  consequence of
its greater solubility.
   D. & M. of Adm.—Gr. v. to gr. viij.; the ammonio-citrate  should
be always given in solution.  By  combining together 4 parts of cit-
rate of iron and 1 of citrate of quina, a preparation is obtained which
has been named Ferri et Quina Citras;  it may be given in doses
of from gr. iij. to. vj., in the form of pill, in  cases where a combina-
tion of these tonics  is indicated.—Aqua Chalybeata.  Under this
name, a solution of citrate of iron in water, charged with carbonic
 acid  and flavoured with bitter orange peel, has been introduced  to
 the notice of the profession by Messrs. Bewley and Evans, of Dub-
 lin.  The exact formula for its preparation has not been made pub-
 lic ; every f^vj. hold in  solution gr. xiij. of citrate of iron;  it may
 therefore  be given  in doses of f^ij., two or  three times a day.  It is
 the most agreeable form, perhaps, in  which a ferruginous prepara-
 tion can be administered, and in  the trials which have been as yet
 made with it, it has proved very  efficacious.—Tinctura Ferri Au-
 rantiacea, Wirtemberg.   (Iron  filings,  §iv. ;  Seville oranges,  4.
 Remove the peel, the white, and  the seeds; beat the pulp with the
 filings in a stone mortar, and let  the paste remain at rest for two
 days ; then pour upon it, Madeira wine, f§x., and tincture of  orange
 peel, fgij-; digest for 7 days, express, and filter.)   A very agreea-
 ble preparation.   Dose, f3j. to fsiv.
    Incomp.__The mineral  acids, and  all astringent vegetable prep-
 arations.

    Ferri  cyanuretum, Anglice Prussian Blue, D.  Ferri  percy-
 anidum, L.   [Ferri ferrocyanuretum.   Ferrocyanuret of Iron, 
392
TONICS.
U. S. P.]   Percyanide of Iron.   Prussian Blue.—This substance
was introduced into the Materia Medica of the Dublin and London
Pharmacopoeias solely as being  employed for preparing bicyanide
of mercury.   It has,"however, been  employed in America  in the
treatment  of intermittent  and remittent fevers, and in dysentery,
for which  it is stated  to have proved a very  effectual remedy.   It
has also been employed in Germany with success in some cases of
old-standing epilepsy.   But, according to more recent observations,
it appears  to possess very little, if any, therapeutical  powers.  The
dose in  which it has been administered is from gr. iij. to  gr. vj.,
three or four times a  day.
   [U.  S. P.—Ferrocyanuret of Iron.   Take of sulphate of iron, 4
oz.; sulphuric acid, 3^ fluid drachms ; nitric  acid, 6  fluid drachms,
vel q. s.; ferrocyanuret of potassium, A\ oz.; water, 2 pints.  Dis-
solve the sulphate of iron in a pint of the water, and having  added
the sulphuric acid, boil the solution.   Pour into it the nitric acid, in
small portions, boiling the liquid for a minute  or two after each ad-
dition, until  it no longer produces a dark colour; then allow the
liquid to cool.  Dissolve the ferrocyanuret of potassium in the re-
mainder of  the water, and add  this  solution  gradually to the first
liquid, agitating the mixture after each addition; then pour it upon
a filter.   Wash  the precipitate  with boiling water until the  wash-
ings pass tasteless.   Lastly, dry it and rub it into powder.]

   Ferri iodidum, L. E.  Iodide of Iron.   Proto-iodide of Iron.
   P. P.—Generally met with in small crystalline masses, of an iron-
gray colour, opaque,  and  having a metallic  lustre.   It has a very
styptic, metallic taste.
   C. P.—Iodide of iron is composed 1 eq. of iodine and 1  of iron
(Fel),  combined in the crystalline state with 5  eq. of water.   It
is very deliquescent, and attracting oxygen from the  air, is convert-
ed into a mixture  of  peroxyde  and periodide of iron; it dissolves
readily in  water and  alcohol,  but the solution, when  left exposed to
the air,  is rapidly  decomposed,  and  peroxyde  of iron deposited.
Exposed to  heat it fuses, and at a temperature  above 350° F. it is
decomposed, the iodine being volatilized, and the iron  left  in  the
state of peroxyde.
  Prep.—Lond. "Iodine,  gvj. ; iron filings, *fij. ;  distilled water, Oivss. ; mix the
iodine with Oiv. of the water, and to these add the iron.  Heat them in a sand-bath,
and when it has  acquired a greenish colour, pour off the liquor.  W7ash what re-
mains with the half pint of water, boiling.  Let the mixed and strained liquors evap-
orate at a heat not exceeding 212° in an iron vessel, that the salt may be dried.
Keep it in a  well-stopped vessel, access of light being prevented."  Edm. "Take
any convenient quantity of iodine, iron-wire, and distilled water, in the proportions
for making sirup of iodide of iron (see beloic).  Proceed as directed for that process ;
but, before filtering the solution, concentrate it to one sixth of its volume, without
removing the excess of iron-wire.  Put the filtered liquor quickly into 3n evapora-
ting basin, with twelve times its weight of quicklime around the basin, in some con-
venient apparatus in which it may be shut up accurately in a small  space not commu-
nicating with the general atmosphere.  Heat the whole apparatus in a hot-air press,
or otherwise, until the water be entirely evaporated, and preserve the dry iodide in
small well-closed bottles."—Ferri iodidi sirupus, E.   "Iodine  (dry), 200 grains;
fine iron-wire, recently cleaned, 100 grains ; white sugar, in powder, ""iYss.; distill- 
TONICS.
393
ed water, f~vj.;  boil the iodine, iron, and water together in a glass matrass, at first
gently, to avoid  tbe expulsion of iodine vapour, afterward briskly, till about ff ij. re-
main.  Filter this quickly, while hot, into a matrass containing the sugar ; dissolve
the sugar with  a  gentle heat, and add distilled water to make up fjvj.  Twelve
minims contain  one grain of iodide of iron."
  [U. S P.—Solution of Iodide of Iron.  Liquor ferri iodidi.  Take of iodine, 2 oz.;
iron filings, 1 oz. ; prepared honey, 5 fluid ounces;  distilled water, q. s.  Mix the
iodine with 10 fluid ounces of the water, in a porcelain or glass vessel, and gradu-
ally add the iron filings, stirring constantly.  Heat the mixture gently until the li-
quor acquires a light greenish colour;  then, having added  the honey, continue the
heat a short time, and filter.  Lastly, pour distilled water upon the filter, and allow
it to pass until the whole of the filtered liquor measures 20 fluid ounces.  Keep the
solution in closely-stopped bottles.
  Dr. Dupasquier, professor of chemistry and  pharmacy in, and  physician to, the
Hotel Dieu of Lyons, has  published in the Journal de Pharmacie of Paris, March,
1841, a memoir on the proto-ioduret of iron and its preparation, whicli he says he has
for some time employed, with remarkable success, in the treatment of phthisis pul-
monalis.   It has been found in this country exceedingly useful, besides tubercular
phthisis,  in chlorosis, in spinal and other affections produced by an alteration of the
organism.
  It is an essential condition of its success that the proto-ioduret of iron he perfect-
ly neutral  and  colourless.   The  formula for making what the inventor calls " the
normal solution of the proto-ioduret of iron" is as follows :
         Iodine, 10 grammes.......(jiiss.)
         Iron filings, 20 grammes......(3V.).
         DistiUed water, 80 grammes......(3xx).
  Introduce the whole into a small matrass, and keep it plunged for ten minutes,
heated to 70 or 80° centigrade (126° to 144° F.), shaking the mixture at intervals,
and until the brown colour is  entirely gone.  The preparation in that state does not
keep.  It must be immediately made into sirup or pills thus :
                         Sirup of the Proto-iodide of Iron.
       #  Sal. normal, protiod. ferri.......3i.
         Sirup gum (colourless and very thick)    ....  3Viss.
         Sirup of orange flower   "    "    .    .     .    .     .  3X.
  Mix accurately, by  agitation for a  few minutes.   A dessert  spoonful contains
about four drops of the solution.
                           Pills of Proto-ioduret of Iron.
       # Iodine..........3U-
         Iron filings.........3iv.
         Distilled water.........3ivss.
  Prepare it like the normal solution, pour it into a clean iron vessel, and add white
honey, 3V. : evaporate  it till the disappearance of a large portion of the water of the
proto-ioduret of iron, or until the mixture acquires the density of a fluid sirup : then
add little by little, continually agitating the sirup with a spatula, 3iij. of gum traga-
canth, in powder.  Divide  then the mass in 200 pills, each of which represents about
four drops of the normal solution.
   Officinal solution of Proto-iodide of Iron, used as a substitute for the preparation
of Dupasquier, and preferable, in view of its proportions being more conformable  to
the chemical relations of the  articles, and more conveniently stated in decimals :
                       #  17  parts pure iodine.
                           8   "  iron filings.
                          80   "  distilled water.
                        110   "  white sugar.                    &
                          16  "  powdered gum-arabic.
  Mix the iodine with | of the water, add the filings gradually, constantly agitating
the mixture ; hold it over  a spirit lamp until the mixture becomes nearly colourless.
Filter over an iron cup containing sugar, wash the filter with the  remainder of the
water dissolve  the  gum  in it, mix the whole together, and reduce 100 grs.  The
quantity of pure iodide of iron will be one tenth.  For the  Simp of Iodide  of Iron,
take 2 parts of the above officinal solution, 22 parts  of simple sirup, and 6 parts of
sirup of orange  flowers.  This is 4 times the strength of Dupasquier's.   The latter
contains 1 grain of the salt to the drachm.]

    Adulterations.—That iodide of iron has been well prepared and
                                    Ddd 
394
TONICS.
properly preserved, may be readily known  by its being entirely-
soluble in distilled water.
  Th. E.—Iodine of iron was first employed in the practice of med-
icine  by Dr. A. T. Thomson, of London.  In its operation on the
systen/it is more nearly allied to the preparations of iron than to
those of iodine, but to a certain extent it possesses  the  combined-
properties of both.   Thus, as a tonic it has been found  especially
useful in scrofulous debility, and  under its use strumous enlarge-
ments of the glandular system have been dissipated.  It has been
also administered with much benefit in chlorosis  and amenorrhcea
when the ferruginous preparations are indicated, and in the second-
ary syphilitic affections occurring in debilitated and scrofulous sub-
jects.  In large doses, iodide of iron sometimes purges.
  D. & M. of Adm.—The dose of iodide of iron  is gr. ij. to gr. v.,
gradually increased.   It is so deliquescent a substance, and the so-
lution of  it decomposes so rapidly, that many methods have been
proposed for preserving it unchanged  in  the form of solution; of
these, the  only two that deserve notice are, keeping in the bottle
in which  it is contained a piece of iron wire, as first proposed by
Mr. Squire, of London, or forming it into a strong sirup, as recom-
mended by Dr.  A. T. Thomson.  The  former method has been
found very effectual, but it entails the necessity of filtering the so-
lution every time it is to be  used; while in the latter it is not only
preserved for a length of  time unaltered, but it is also an elegant
form for the administration of the medicine.  The sirup of the Edin-
burgh Pharmacopoeia may be given in  doses of from  min. xv. to
min. Ix., simply dissolved  in water.
   Incomp.— All  substances  incompatible with  sulphate  of  iron.
 (See page 66.)

   Ferri lactas.   Lactate of Iron.  Proto-lactate of Iron.
   P. P.—It occurs in the form of small, greenish-yellow, acicular
 prisms, or  in powder of a dull-pale green colour, having a feeble,
 chalybeate, not disagreeable taste.
   C. P.—It is composed of  1 eq. of protoxyde of iron and 1 of lac-
 tic  acid, combined in the crystalline  state with  3 of water.   It is
 but slightly soluble in water, and during solution the iron passes to
 a higher state of oxydation.   Proto-lactate of iron  has  an acid re-
 action on vegetable colours.
   Prep.—" Take any quantity of sour whey ;  evaporate it to a third or a fourth of
 its volume ; d^ant, filter, and saturate with milk of lime.  Separate the precipita-
 ted lactate of lime in a filter ; treat it with solution of oxalic acid, to precipitate the
 oxalate of lime. Add to the liquor, again filtered (which is now a solution of lactic
 acid), clean iron filings;  boil for a short time, filter, evaporate  to the consistence
 of a sirup, and crystallize by cooling."—Louradour.
   Th. E.—Lactate of iron has been administered in the same cases
 as the other mild preparations of this metal.   It has been principal-
 ly employed in the treatment of chlorosis and atonic amenorrhcea,
 in which it has been found very* successful.
   D. &  M. of Adm.—Gr. vj. to gr. xij. in the 24 hours.   It is best
 given in the form of lozenge or of sirup.—Trochisci Ferri Lactatis, 
TONICS.
395
Cap.   (Lactate of iron, 3vij., gr. Ixxij.; pure sugar, ^xiss.; muci-
lage, q. s.;  make into lozenges, each weighing gr.  x.)  Each loz-
enge contains gr. f of the salt.—Sirupus Ferri Lactatis, Cap. (Lac-
tate of iron, 3i. ; boiling distilled water, fgviss.; pure  sugar, gxiij-;
make into a sirup.)   Dose, f3ij. to f$ss.
  Incomp.—Same as for citrate of iron.

  Ferri mistura aromatica, D.  Aromatic mixture of Iron.
  Prep.—" Pale cinchona bark, in coarse powder, ?i.;  colomba root, sliced, 3iij;
cloves, bruised, 31J.; iron filings, s=ss.;  digest for 3 days in a close vessel with fre-
quent agitation, with sufficient peppermint water to afford 5xij.  of strained liquor;
then add, compound tincture of cardamoms, 5iij.; and tincture of orange peel, 3iij."
  This mixture is a combination of aromatic tonics, holding in so-
lution  some tannate of iron ; in consequence of its black colour, it
is commonly known as Heberden's ink.  Notwithstanding its being
an unchemical compound, it is a most excellent tonic, in very gen-
eral use in Dublin, in the various states of debility attended  with
ancemia.   Dose, f§i. to fgij.,  two or three  times a day.

  Ferri muriatis tinctura, E.  Muriatis ferri liouor, D. Tinc-
tura FERRI SESQ.UICHLORIDI, L.  [TlNCTURA FERRI CHLORIDI, U. S. P.
Tincture of chloride  of Iron.]  Tincture of the muriate  of Iron.
Tincture of the sesquichloride of Iron.
  P. & C.  P.—This preparation is transparent, and of a  reddish-
brown colour; it has a rather  agreeable odour of  muriatic ether,
and a very acid, styptic  taste.  It  is a solution of  perchloride  of
iron in rectified spirit, containing also  free  muriatic acid, and a trace
of muriatic ether.  It reddens  litmus paper strongly.   According
to Mr. Phillips, when prepared according to the  London  formula,
its sp. gr. is about 992, and  f*i. yields by decomposition nearly gr
xxx. of peroxyde of iron.
  pREP.—Dub. " Rust of  iron, 1 part; muriatic acid and rectified spirit, of each, 6
parts;  pour the acid on the rust of iron put into a  glass vessel, agitate  frequently
for 3 days, set aside that the dregs may subside, and pour  off the clear liquor ; re-
duce this by slow evaporation to a third, and add the spirit to it when cold." Lond.,
Edin. "Sesquioxyde (red oxyde, Ei) of iron, -*vj. ; hydrochloric  (muriatic, E.) acid,
Oj. ; rectified spirit, Oiij. ; digest the oxyde in the acid for three  days in a glass
vessel,  with occasional agitation ; then add the spirit, and  filter."
   Th. E.__Tincture  of the muriate  of iron, principally in conse-
quence of the free muriatic acid which it  contains, if taken in large
doses, acts as an irritant poison.   In medicinal doses it is one of
the most generally employed of the  officinal preparations of iron,
and may be used "as  a tonic in the  cases  in which they are indica-
ted.   It'should be borne  in mind, however, that it possesses astrin-
gent properties (on which account it  is sometimes used as a topical
agent to check bleeding from small vessels), and also that it is more
irritant  than the other preparations of the metal.   Besides its tonic
powers, it possesses some specific influence over the  uninary organs,
in many diseases of which it is employed with  benefit.   Thus, it is
found useful in irritability of the  bladder, especially when occur-
ring in females, in chronic mucous discharges from the urino-genital 
396
TONICS.
organs, in atonic Hemorrhages from the kidneys and bladder, and
in spasmodic stricture of the urethra preventing the introduction
of a catheter.  In the latter affection, its beneficial effects are gen-
erally ascribed to the nausea which it produces, and, consequently,
it is administered in small but frequently-repeated doses, min. x. to
min. xij., every 10 or 15 minutes.
  D. &• M. of Adm.—Min. x. to f3ss., gradually increased to f3j. or
f3ij.; it is  best administered  in f*i. or f*ij. of  water, or  in  white
wine, if nothing forbids the use of the latter.
  Incomp.—The alkalies  and their carbonates; lime-water; car-
bonate of lime ; magnesia and its carbonate ;  solution of gum ; and
all  astringent vegetable preparations.
  In poisoning with  this preparation, the treatment is the same as
in poisoning with muriatic acid.   (See page 130.)

  Ferri oxydum nigrum, D. E.   Black oxyde  of Iron.   Ferroso-
ferric-oxyde of Iron.
  P. P.—This compound is  met  with native,  when it constitutes
magnetic iron ore.   Prepared according to the Edinburgh Pharma-
copoeia, it is a grayish-black powder, with a velvety smoothness;
the  Dublin  preparation is of a richer black  colour.   Both are
strongly magnetic.
  C. P.—The oxyde of the Edinburgh College  is a compound of 1
eq. of the protoxyde  and 2 of the peroxyde of iron (FeO, 2 Fe203);
that of Dublin, 5 of the protoxyde and 2 of the peroxyde (Mosan-
der).  Exposed  to heat in close  vessels, they  undergo no  altera-
tion ; but when heated in the open  air they absorb oxygen, and pass
into the state of peroxyde.   They  dissolve readily in muriatic acid,
without effervescence.
  Prep.—Dub. " Wash with water, and dry the scales of oxyde of iron which are
found at the smiths'  anvils, then remove them from impurities by means of a mag-
net.  Reduce to powder, and separate the  finer particles in the manner directed for
prepared chalk." Edin. " Sulphate of iron, §vj. ; sulphuric acid (commercial), f;ij.,
f3ij.; pure nitric acid, f3ivss.; boiling water, Oiij.; dissolve half the sulphate in half
the  water, and add the sulphuric acid; boil, add the nitric  acid by degrees, boiling
the  liquid briskly after each addition for a few minutes. Dissolve the rest of the
sulphate in the rest of the water, mix thoroughly the two solutions, and immediate-
ly add the ammonia in a full stream, stirring the mixture at the same time briskly.
Collect the black powder on a calico filter, wash it with water till the  water is
scarcely precipitated by solution of nitrate  of baryta, and dry it at a temperature not
exceeding 180°."
  Adulterations.—Black oxyde of iron sometimes contains metallic
iron, when it does not dissolve completely in muriatic acid.
   Th. E.—This preparation of iron is not much used in the pres-
ent day, but formerly, under  the name of Mthiops martis, it  bore a
high reputation as a  chalybeate tonic.   The dose of it is from gr.
v. to gr. xx., two or three times a day, made into an electuary with
honey or treacle.

   Ferri oxydum  rubrum, E.  Ferri  sesouioxydum,  L.   Ferri
carbonas, D.  Peroxyde of Iron  (by precipitation).  Sesquioxyde
of Iron. 
TONICS.
397
  Ferri oxydum rubrum, D.   Peroxyde of Iron (prepared by de-
composing the sulphate by heat), Colcothar.
  P- P-—As  obtained by precipitation, peroxyde of iron is at first
of a light reddish-brown colour, but becomes dark  brown when
dried ; prepared by decomposing the sulphate, its colour is  reddish
chocolate brown.   Both are tasteless and odourless.
  G P.—Peroxyde of iron is  composed of 2 eq. of iron, and 3 of
oxygen (Fe203).  The precipitated oxyde contains a trace  of car-
bonic acid unless a  heat above 140°  be employed  in drying  it,
whence it was formerly termed carbonate or  subcarbonate of iron;
and this nomenclature is still retained in the Dublin Pharmacopoeia.
It is insoluble in water, and  is  not  readily dissolved  by any acid
except the muriatic, in which it dissolves freely, and  if it  be free
from carbonic acid, without effervescence.
  Prep.—Ferri carbonas, D.  " Sulphate of iron,  25 parts ; carbonate of soda, 26
parts; water, 800 parts; dissolve the sulphate of iron in the water, then add the
carbonate of soda, previously dissolved in a sufficiency of water, and mix.  W*ash
the precipitated carbonate of iron with warm water, and dry it."—Ferri sesquiox-
ydum, L.  " Sulphate of iron, Ibiv.; carbonate of soda, Ibiv., *fij.; boiling water, cong.
vj.; dissolve the sulphate of iron and carbonate of soda separately in cong. iij. of
water; then, the liquors being mixed together, set them by that the powder may
subside.  Lastly, the supernatant liquor being poured off, wash what is precipitated
with water, and dry it."—Ferri oxydum rubrum, E.  "  Sulphate of iron, fiv. ; car-
bonate of soda, fv. ; boiling water, Oss.; cold water, Oiiiss.; dissolve the sulphate
in the boihng water, add the cold water, and then the carbonate of soda, previously
dissolved in about thrice its weight of water.   Collect the precipitate on a calico
filter, wash it with water till the water is but little affected by solution of nitrate of
baryta, and dry  it in the hot-air press or over the vapour-hath."—Ferri oxydum
rubrum, D.  " Expose the sulphate of iron to heat until the water of crystallization
shall be expelled, then roast it with a strong fire as long as it gives off acid vapours.
Wash the product till the washings  no longer redden htmus, and, lastly, drv it on
bibulous paper."

  Adulterations.—If it contain  any earthy impurity, as brickdust,
it will not be completely soluble in muriatic acid, aided by a gen-
tle heat.
   Th. E.—Peroxyde of iron may be used as a chalybeate  tonic in
the same cases as the other ferruginous  preparations.   Its  princi-
pal use, however, is  in the treatment of  neuralgic affections, par-
ticularly  tic douloureux,  as  a remedy  for which it was first  pro-
posed, under the old  name of Carbonate, by  Mr. Hutchinson.   In
many instances  it will be found to g'xve  complete relief, but it fre-
quently  fails  to  prove of the least  service.   Mr. Carmichael, of
Dublin, has found this preparation a useful palliative in cancerous
diseases.
  D. & M. of Adm.—The peroxyde of iron is administered in doses
of from 3ss. to 3iv., three or four times a  day.  It may be given in
the form of electuary made with honey,  and some aromatic pow-
der combined with it.—Emplastrum Thuris,!).  (Litharge  plaster,
fbij.; frankincense, fass.;  red oxyde of iron,  §iij.; melt the plaster
and  frankincense together, sprinkle in the oxyde, stirring  at the
same time, and make a plaster.)—Emplastrum Ferri, E.  (Litharge
plaster. §iij.;  resin, 3vj.;  olive oil,  f3iiiss.;  red oxyde of iron, ix.;
triturate the oxyde  of iron with  the oil, and add the mixture to the 
398
TONICS.
other articles, previously melted with a gentle heat; mix the whole
thoroughly.)  Those plasters are employed spread on leather, to
give mechanical support in muscular relaxations and weakness of
the joints; by some they are believed to be tonic.
   Incomp.—The mineral acids, and acidulous salts.

   [Ferri phosphas, U. S.  P.   Phosphate of Iron.
   Take of sulphate of iron, 5 oz.; phosphate of soda, 6 oz.; water,
a gallon.   Dissolve the iron and  the soda severally in 4 pints of
the water; then mix the solutions, and set the mixture by, that the
powder may  subside ;  lastly, having poured off the supernatant
liquor, wash the phosphate of iron with hot water,  and dry it with
a gentle heat.   Dose, 5 to  10 grains.]

   Ferri sulphas.—Sulphate of Iron  (described in the division As-
tringents) is an excellent tonic, and is employed with much benefit
in the same cases as the other ferruginous compounds, provided its
astringent property does not contra-indicate its use.

   Ferri tartras.   Tartrate of Iron.
   The preparation often met with in the shops under this name is
the ammonio-tartrate described  before.  In former editions of the
British Pharmacopoeias a wine of iron, Vinum Ferri, was contained,
and it is still frequently prescribed ; it may be prepared as follows ;
" Take of clean  iron-wire,  cut in pieces, §iv.; Rhenish wine, Oiv.;
sprinkle the iron with a little of the wine, and expose it to  the air
till it is covered with rust; then add  the rest of the wine, digest it
for 8 days, shaking the vessel occasionally, and filter."   The dose
is from f3i. to  f*ss.

   Ferrugo, E.  Hydrated Sesquioxyde of Iron.
   Ferri rubigo, D.   Rust of Iron.
   [Ferri oxydum hydratum, U. S. P.  Hydrated Oxyde of Iron.]
   Those preparations are  very nearly similar in chemical compo-
sition, but as rust  of iron  is not used in medicine in the  present
day, I  shall confine the following observations to the Edinburgh
preparation.
  P. & C. P.—The hydrated sesquioxyde of iron is in the form of
a yellowish-brown powder, inodorous and tasteless.   It is com-
posed of 1 eq. of per- (sesqui-)  oxyde of iron and 2 of water (Fe2
03+2 HO).  It is insoluble in water, but dissolves readily in dilute
acids;  heated, it gives off water and  a little ammonia, and the red
peroxyde of iron is left.  If, in the moist state, the hydrated  sesqui-
oxyde of iron  in considerable excess  (at least 12 parts of oxyde to
1 part of arsenic, Dr. Maclagan)  be  agitated with a solution  con-
taining arsenious acid, a very  insoluble compound (arseniate of
protoxyde of iron, Graham) is formed, and the filtered liquor gives
no trace of arsenious acid.
  Prep.—Ferri rubigo, D.  " Iron-wire, broken into fragments, any quantity;
moisten with water, and expose to the air until they are corroded into rust.  Tritu- 
TONICS.
399
rate it in a mortar, and, by affusion with water, wash out the finer powder, which is
to be dried."—Ferrugo, E.  " Sulphate of iron, *fiv.; sulphuric acid (commercial),
ffiiiss ; nitric acid, dens. 1380,  fjix. ; stronger aqua ammoniae, f?iiiss.; water, Oij.;
dissolve the sulphate in the water, add the sulphuric acid, and boil the solution ; add
then the nitric  acid in small portions, boiling the liquid for a minute or two after
each addition, until it acquires  a yellowish-brown  colour and yields a precipitate of
the  same colour to ammonia.   Filter ; let the liquid cool;  and add in a full stream
the  aqua ammoniae, stirring the mixture briskly.  Collect the precipitate on a calico
filter, wash it with water till the Avashings cease to precipitate with nitrate of bary-
ta ;  squeeze out the water as much as possible ;  and dry  the precipitate at a tem-
perature not above 180°.   When this preparation  is kept as an antidote for poison-
ing  with arsenic, it is preferable to preserve it in the moist state after being simply
squeezed."
  A hydrated peroxyde of iron may be also readily prepared by precipitating the
tincture of the muriate with ammonia.

   Th. E.—In  its medicinal properties, this preparation is precisely
similar to the dry peroxyde.   It has been advisedly introduced into
the last edition of the Edinburgh Pharmacopoeia, as  being the most
certain antidote for poisoning with  arsenic which  has yet been dis-
covered.  Its  antidotal powers are now well established by the re-
sult of numerous cases in which it has proved successful within the
last ter?  years, both in Great Britain and on the  Continent.   The
quantity required to  neutralize the poisonous property of arsenic,
as  above remarked,  is at least 12 parts  to  1 of the poison, but it
should be always given in as large doses as the stomach will bear.
Thus, a  tablespoonful may be mixed  with water,  and  this quantity
administered every  five  or ten minutes.  Hydrated  peroxyde  of
iron does not  prove near so efficacious  an antidote when dried as
when kept in  the  form of a moist magma.


    Ferrum tartarizatum,E.  Ferri tartarum, D.   Ferri potas-
sio-tartras, L.   Tartrate of Iron and  Potash.  Potassio-tartrate

of Iron.
    P.  P.__This salt occurs in  the form of a grayish-brown powder,
with  a greenish tint; it  is inodorous, but has a somewhat  styptic,
not disagreeable taste.
    C. P.__It is composed of 1 eq. of tartrate of potash, and  1  eq. of
tartrate  of sesquioxyde of iron  (Phillips).   It deliquesces slightly in
 damp air,  is very soluble in water, requiring about 4  parts of cold
 water for  its solution, and is slightly  soluble in alcohol.   The  solu-
 tion is  of a greenish-yellow colour;  it is not decomposed by the
 alkalies  or alkaline carbonates, unless with  the aid  of heat; and it
 will retain its composition unchanged for a considerable  time.
   pRFP —Bub " Thin iron-wire, 1 part;  bitartrate of potash, in fine  powder, 4
 Darts • distilled water, 8 parts, or a sufficiency ; mix them together, and expose to
 the air in an open vessel for 15 days, agitating frequently, and  adding water daily,
 so  as to keep the mixture moist, but taking care not to cover the iron completely
 with water  Finally, boil with a sufficient quantity of distilled water, evaporate the
 filtered liquor to  dryness in a vapour-bath, and keep the tartar of iron in well-closed
 vessels "  Lond. "Sesquioxyde of iron, fiij.; hydrochloric acid, Oss. ; solution of
 notash Oivss  or a sufficiency ; bitartrate of potash, ;xiss. ;  solution of sesquicar-
 bonate'of ammonia, Oj., or a sufficiency; distilled water, cong. iij. ; mix the sesqui-
 owdc' of iron with the  acid,  and digest for 2 hours in a sand-bath.  Add to these
 two eallons of the water, and set aside for an hour; then pour  off the supernatant
 limior  The solution of potash being added, wash what is precipitated frequently
 with water  and  while moist boil it with the bitartrate of potash, previously mixed 
400
TONICS.
 with a gallon of the water.  If the liquor should be acid when tried by litmus, drop
 into it solution of sesquicarbonate of ammonia until it is saturated.  Lastly, strain
 the liquor, and with a gentle heat let it evaporate, so that the salt may remain dry."
 Edin. " Sulphate of iron, "fv.; bitartrate of potash, §v., 3L ; carbonate of ammonia,
 in fine powder, a sufficiency.  Prepare rust of iron from the sulphate as directed for
 Fcrrugo, and without drying it.  Mix the  pulpy mass with Oiv. of water ; add the
 bitartrate ;  boil till the rust of iron is dissolved ; let the solution cool; pour off the
 clear liquid, and add to this the carbonate of ammonia so long as it occasions effer-
 vescence.  Concentrate the liquid over the vapour-bath to the consistence of thin
 extract, or  till the residuum becomes, on  cooling, a firm solid, which must be pre-
 served in well-closed vessels."
   Adulterations.—As  met  with in the shops, tartrate of iron and
 potash is often imperfectly  prepared, the oxyde of iron not  being
 chemically combined with  the bitartrate of potash.   The  tests of
 the Edin. Phar.  will detect this as well as other faults which are
 likely to occur in the preparation :  " Entirely soluble in cold water;
 taste feebly chalybeate; the solution is not altered by aqua potas-
 sae, and is not precipitated by solution of ferrocyanide of potassium."
 I have in several instances  met with specimens of this  salt which
 contained carbonate of potash ; they were exceedingly deliquescent,
 and effervesced with dilute acids.                          ,
   Th. E.—This is a mild chalybeate tonic, and may be used in all
 cases where the milder preparations of iron are indicated.  In con-
 sequence  of its taste, it is well adapted for children.
   D. •& M. of Adm.—Gr. v. to gr. xx., made into a bolus with hon-
 ey or treacle, or dissolved in some aromatic  water.
   Incomp.—The  mineral acids; lime-water; and all  astringent
 vegetable preparations.

   Gentiana, L. E.  Gentiana lutea, radix, D.   Gentian.   Root
 of Gentiana lutea.—A native of the mountainous regions of Central
 Europe, belonging to  the natural  family Gentianacea,  and to the
 Linnaean  class and order Pentandria Digynia.
  B. C.—Root perennial; stem annual, simple, erect, 3 to 4 feet high,  roundish,
hollow ; leaves opposite, broad, ovate, 5 to 7 nerved, plaited ; flowers yellow, whorl-
ed, numerous, on smooth peduncles; fruit, a conical capsule, two-valved, many-
seeded.
   P.  P.—Gentian  root is imported in bales  from Switzerland, by
way  of Havre, Marseilles, &c.  It is  in pieces varying in length
from  two or three to eight or ten inches, and from half an inch to
one or two inches in thickness, usually contorted and much  branch-
ed ; the epidermis is wrinkled and somewhat annulated, of a brown-
ish-yellow colour; internally  the root is of a bright yellow colour,
and has a spongy texture.  It has a faint, aromatic odour, which
in the fresh state is said  to  be strong and disagreeable, and an in-
tensely bitter taste, void  of all astringency.
   C.  P.—Gentian consists of odorous volatile oil, a yellow  crystal-
lizable bitter neutral principle (gentianin of MM. Henry and Ca-
ventou, but which, according to Leconte and Trommsdorf, is  a
compound of simple  colouring matter, not bitter (gentisin),  a bitter
principle  (gentianite),  and  fatty matter), a  matter identical  with
bird-lime, green fixed oily matter,  a  free organic acid, uncrystalli-
zable sugar, gum, yellow colouring matter,  and  ligir'n. Gentian 
TONICS.
401
imparts its active principles readily to cold or boiling water, alco-
hol, and ether.
  Adulterations.—The roots  of other species of gentian are  fre-
quently mixed with those of Gentiana lutea, an adulteration of little
importance, as for the most part they possess analogous properties.
A more serious  fraud has, however, been sometimes practised,  that
of mixing the roots of belladonna, monkshood, or white  hellebore
with gentian ; they may be readily detected, as they do not possess
either the intense bitter taste or the bright-yellow colour internally
of gentian root.
  Th.  E.—Gentian is  an excellent pure  bitter tonic, and  is one of
the most generally employed  of this class of medicines.   In large
doses it often causes vomiting, and it has a tendency to  relax the
bowels.  The diseases in  which  gentian is employed with most
benefit are those forms of dyspepsia attended with torpid digestion
and secretion of acid, but unaccompanied with any tendency to ir-
ritability or inflammation of the stomach.  It is also a useful tonic
in the debility attendant on chronic diseases; and, in  consequence
of its bitterness, it proves anthelmintic.
  D. & M. of  Adm.—In powder, seldom used, gr. x. to  gr. xxx. ;
as gentian possesses little if any aroma,  aromatics are usually  pre-
scribed in combination with  it.—Infusum  Gentiana  comp., D. L.
Infusum Gentiana, E.  (" Gentian, sliced ; orange  peel, dried, of
each, 3i. (3ij., L.) ;  lemon peel, fresh, 3i. (3iv., L.) ; boiling (distill-
ed, L.) water, gxij. (Oj., L.).  Digest (macerate, L.) for an hour in
a covered vessel, and  strain," D. L.  " Gentian, sliced, ^ss.; bitter
orange peel, dried and bruised, 3j.; coriander, bruised, 3i.; proof
spirit,  f§iv.; cold water, f§xvj.; pour the  spirit on the  solids; in
three hours add the water; in 12 hours more strain through linen
or calico," E.)   The Edinburgh preparation keeps best, but in many
cases the spirit  it contains will render its use  objectionable.   The
infusion of the Dublin  and  London Colleges soon spoils by keeping,
therefore it should  be  only prepared when required for use.  Dose,
f§i. to fix].; it is an excellent  vehicle for  the alkaline bicarbonates.
—Mistura  Gentiana  comp.,  L.   (Compound infusion of gentian,
f^xij.;  compound infusion  of senna, f§vj.; compound  tincture of
cardamom, fgij. ; mix.)  An  excellent cathartic in constipation at-
tended with debility of the digestive  organs.  Dose, fs*j. to fgij.—
Tinctura Gentiana comp., D.  L. E.  (" Gentian, sliced (and bruised,
D.), §ij.  (jiiss.,  L.); orange peel, dried, %\. (3x.,  L.) ; cardamom
seeds (without the capsules, D.; bruised, L.), gss. (3v., L.) ; proof
spirit, by measure, fbij. (Oij., L.); macerate for 14 days, and strain,"
D. L.   " Gentian, sliced and  bruised, "tij.; dried bitter orange  peel,
bruised, §i.; canella,  in moderately fine powder, §ss.;  cochineal,
bruised, 3ss.; proof spirit, Oij.;  digest  for 7 days, strain, and ex-
press strongly; and then  filter the liquor.   This tincture may be
more  conveniently prepared by percolation, as  directed for the
compound tincture of cardamom," E.)   Dose, f3i. to feij., generally
used as an adjunct to  the infusion.—Tinctura Rhei et Gentiana,!!,.
(Rhubarb, in moderately fine powder, jij.;  gentian, finely cut  or in
                              E E E 
402
TONICS.
coarse powder, § ss.; proof spirit, Oij.; mix the powders, and pro-
ceed as for tincture of cinchona.)  Stomachic and tonic, with mild
laxative properties.   Dose, f3i. to f3ii.—Vinum Gentiana comp., E.
(Gentian,  in coarse  powder, "5SS.; yellow bark, in coarse powder,
ix.;  bitter orange peel, dried and  sliced, 3ij.; canella, in coarse
powder, 3i.;  proof spirit, f**ivss.; sherry, fi-xxxvj.;  digest the root
and bark  for 24 hours in the spirit;  add the wine, and digest for 7
days  more; strain and express the  residue strongly, and filter the
liquors.)   An excellent stomachic and tonic.   Dose, f§ss. to  fgj.—
Extractum Gentiana, D.  L.  E.  (" Prepared, as  the Other simple
extracts, as follows: Boil the root in eight times its weight of wa-
ter down  to one half; then express  the liquor, and when the faeces
have  subsided, filter ; evaporate with a superior heat till it begins
to thicken, and finally inspissate it, with a medium heat obtained by
means of  the vapour of boiling water, frequently stirring it, until it
acquires a consistence adapted to the formation of pills," D.  " Gen-
tian, sliced, fhiiss.;  boiling distilled  water, cong. ij.; macerate for
24 hours; then boil  down to a gallon, and strain the liquor while
hot; lastly, evaporate to a proper consistence," L.  " Gentian, any
convenient quantity; bruise  it to a  moderately fine powder; mix
it  thoroughly with half its weight of distilled water; in 12 hours
put it into a percolator, and exhaust it by percolation with temper-
ate distilled water.   Concentrate the liquid;  filter  it before  it be-
comes too thick; and evaporate  in the vapour-bath to the due con-
sistence,"  E.)   An  excellent  tonic  extract.   Dose, gr. x. to 3ss.,
two  or three times a day, in  the form  of pill; in this state it may
be prescribed with the preparations of iron.
  Incomp.—Solution of diacetate of lead ; nitrate of silver; sul-
phate of iron; and analogous salts.

  Menyanthes, L. E.  Menyanthes trifoliata, Folia, D.   The
common Buckbean.   Leaves of Menyanthes trifoliata.—An indige-
nous plant, growing plentifully in marshy places, belonging  to the
natural family Gentianacea, and to  the Linnaean class and  order
Pentandria Monogynia.
  B. C.—Roots densely creeping, and matted; leaves ternate, stalked ; leaflets ob-
ovate, obscurely toothed; flower-stalk simple, from 5 to 8 inches high, bearing a
compound raceme of many white flowers, tipped externally with red, and beautiful-
ly fringed with white filaments within.
  The whole  of this plant possesses a bitter taste, which it retains
when dried;  it contains bitter extractive, green colouring matter,
albumen,  starch, and a trace of tannic acid.   Buckbean is a tonic
of some power, and  may be used as an indigenous substitute for
gentian.   The dose of the dried  leaves in powder is from gr. x. to
3ss.;  or of an infusion (prepared with §i. of the dried  leaves and
Oj. of boiling  water), f^i.  to f*ij.   An extract may be  prepared in
the same  manner as extract of gentian; the dose of it would be
from gr. x. to gr. xx.
   Incomp.—The sesquisalts of iron: nitrate of silver; and acetate
of lead. 
TONICS.
403
  Myrrha,  D.  L.  E.   Myrrh.   Gum-resin  of Balsamodendron
Myrrha, L.   Gummy resinous exudation of Balsamodendron (Pro-
tium ?) Myrrha, E.—A  native of Gison, on  the borders of Arabia
Felix, belonging to  the  natural family Anacardiacea, and to the
Linnaean class and order Octandria Monogynia.
  B. C.—An arborescent shrub, with a pale ash-gray bark, and spinescent branches ;
leaves ternate, on short footstalks ;  flowers, unknown ;  fruit somewhat larger than
a pea, ovate, acuminate, brown.
  Prep.—Myrrh exudes from the tree like cherry-tree gum ; it is at first of the con-
sistence of oil, but  soon becomes hard and darker-coloured.  It is imported into
Britain by way of the East Indies.
  P. P.—Myrrh, like the other gums, is met with in commerce of
different qualities.   The finest, Turkey Myrrh (so called because it
was formerly imported by way of  Turkey), is in irregular-shaped
tears or masses, varying in size from that of a pea to that of a chest-
nut, but pieces are often met with more than twice  that size; they
are semi-transparent, of a reddish-yellow or  reddish-brown colour,
the .larger pieces being  the darker-coloured ;  their fracture is shi-
ning, somewhat fatty, presenting often small white striae in the cen-
tre, particularly of the largest masses.  The taste of myrrh is ac-
rid and bitter, the odour agreeable and aromatic; the finer pieces
of Turkey myrrh are  often  selected  and sold  as  picked myrrh.
The inferior sorts, East India myrrh, are on  an average in much
smaller tears than Turkey myrrh; some  of the tears are  almost
transparent and of a very pale colour, others are dark brown ; they
are generally mixed with other gums.
   C. P.—Myrrh is composed of 2*5 per cent, of volatile oil, 23 of
resin, 46 of soluble gum (Arabine), and 12 of  insoluble gum (Bra-
connot).  Its medicinal properties depend on the  volatile oil and
resin, both of which are dissolved out completely by rectified spirit,
partially  by proof spirit, and very slightly by  water ;  the latter
menstruum  dissolves all the soluble gum, and forms with it a  thick-
er mucilage than with gum-acacia.  By heat myrrh is softened, but
does not melt;  it is inflammable.
   Adulterations.—Myrrh is frequently adulterated  with  the inferi-
or sorts, and with other gum-resins.   The finer pieces of Turkey
myrrh should alone be employed in medicine.
   Th. E.__Myrrh is a stimulating tonic, and, consequently, is inad-
missible in cases where there is any tendency to inflammatory ac-
tion.  It is  principally used in debilitated states of the digestive or-
gans, or in diseases attended with excessive secretion from the
mucous  membranes.  It is an excellent addition to alteratives and
astringents  in the protracted diarrhoeas of infancy and childhood.
Myrrh was formerly in high esteem as an  emmenagogue, but it has
completely  lost its repute as such.
   D. & M. of  Adm.—Gr. x. to gr. xxx.,  in powder, or made into
an emulsion with  water.—Tinctura  Myrrha, D. L. E.  (Myrrh,
bruised  (in  moderately fine powder, E.), giij. (giiiss., E.); rectified
spirit, by measure, ftss. (Oij., L. E.); (proof spirit, by measure, ftiss.,
D.)  " Digest (macerate, L.) for 7 (14, L.) days, and filter," D.  L.
" Pack the  mvrrh very gently, without pressure, in a percolator * 
404
TONICS.
then pour on the spirit; and when two pints have passed through,
agitate well to dissolve the oleo-resinous matter which first passes,
and which lies at  the  bottom.   This tincture is much less conve-
niently prepared by the process of digestion for 7 days," E.)  The
dose of this tincture for internal use is from f3i. to fsij.   It is most
generally employed diluted with water as a lotion in sponginess or
ulceration of the gums ; it is  also used as a stimulant application to
foul ulcers.   When mixed with water, in consequence of  the pre-
cipitation of the resin, a milky solution is formed.

  Quassia, L.  E.   Quassia  excelsa, lignum, D.  Quassia.  The
wood of Quassia excelsa, D. L.—chiefly of Pier ana excelsa, and
seldom of Quassia amara, E.—The Quassia or Picrana excelsa is
a native  of Jamaica, belonging to  the natural family Simarubacea,
and to the Linnasan class and order Decandria Monogynia.  The
Quassia amara, or true quassia-tree, yields none of the quassia at
present met with in British commerce; it is a native of the Conti-
nent of South America, and  of many of the West Indian  islands.
  B. C.—Picrana  excelsa is a tall, handsome tree, often attaining a hight of 100
feet;  leaves pinnated;  flowers small, yellowish-green, in axillary, very  compound
racemes.
  P. P.—Quassia-wood is imported in  billets  from two  to nine
inches in diameter, covered with a brittle, reticulated, dark-brown
bark.  The wood is close, but light, of a pale-yellow colour, odour-
less, with an intensely bitter taste.   The billets are cut into chips
for medical  use.
  C.  P.—It is  composed of lignin, gummy matter, some  salts  of
lime,  a minute  trace  of volatile oil, and a peculiar, neutral bitter
principle, which has been named quassin or quassite.  It yields its
bitterness to  boiling water and to  alcohol.
  Adulterations.—Quassia-wood  being scarce, other woods which
resemble it in appearance are frequently substituted for  it.  They
may be at once detected by  their  wanting the pure bitter  taste  of
quassia.
  Th. E.—Quassia is among the most powerful of the pure bitters,
and, consequently,  is  essentially tonic;  according to some, it also
possesses narcotic properties, and  it undoubtedly acts as a  narcotic
poison on insects  and some  of  the lower animals.   In  medicine it
is chiefly used  in dyspepsia  resulting from atony of the digestive
organs, and is  found particularly  useful in that form of it  which is
produced by dissipation.  The infusion forms an excellent vehicle
for alkaline remedies  in the acidity of the stomach of gouty and
rheumatic habits.   Owing to its  intense bitterness,  quassia is  no
mean anthelmintic.
  D. & M. of Adm.—In consequence of the difficulty of reducing
it to powder, quassia is not given in substance ; the dose of it would
be from  gr. xv. to  gr. xxx.—Infusum Quassia, D. L. E.   (Quas-
sia, sliced, 3j. (9ij. L.; 3iij., E.); boiling (distilled, L.) water, by
measure, Ibss. (Oj., L. E.).   Infuse for two hours in a covered ves-
sel, and  strain.)  Dose, f§i. to ftij.  ; if given in too large doses, it is 
TONICS.
405
apt to occasion vomiting.   The chalybeate preparations do  not
alter the colour of infusion of quassia; it may, therefore, be employ-
ed as a vehicle for their administration.—tinctura  Quassia, D. E.
(Quassia chips, $ji. (3x., E.);  proof spirit, by measure, Ibij. (Oij., E.).
Macerate for 7  days,  and  strain.)   Dose,  f3i. to  fix].—Tinctura
Quassia composita, E.   (Cardamom seeds, bruised, and cochineal,
bruised,  of each, §ss.; cinnamon, in moderately fine  powder, and
quassia chips, of each, 3vj.;  raisins,  gvij.;  proof spirit, Oij.; digest
for 7 days, strain the liquor, express  strongly the  residuum, and
filter.  This tincture  may be also made by percolation, as directed
for compound tincture of cardamom, provided the quassia be rasp-
ed or in  powder.)   An aromatic and bitter tonic.  Dose. foi. to
f'ss.—Extractum Quassia,  E.   (To be prepared from quassia in
the same way with extract  of liquorice root.)  Dose, gr. v.  to  gr.
xv., in pill.
  Incomp.—With the infusion: Nitrate of silver, and the acetates
of lead.

  Salix, E.   Salix caprea, cortex ; Salix fragilis, cortex ;  Sa-
lix alba, cortex, D.   Willow  bark.   Bark of Salix caprea,  E.,
and of Salix  fragilis and Salix alba, D.—The genus salix is pla-
ced in the natural family Salicacea,  and in the Linnasan class and
order Diozcia Diandria.  There  are no  less than 64  species  of
Salix indigenous  to the British Islands ; any of the species which
possess a bitter-tasting bark  may be  used in medicine.
  B. C.—Shrubs or trees.  Barren flowers;  scales  of the catkin  single-flowered,
imbricated, with a nectariferous gland; perianth, none ; stamens, 1 to 5.  Fertile
flowers; scales of the catkin single-flowered, imbricated, with a nectariferous gland ;
perianth, none ;  stigmas, 2, often cleft; capsule 1-celled, 2-valved, many-seeded;
seeds comose.—Hooker.
  P. & C. P.—Dried willow bark is met  with in partially quilled
pieces, of from 6 to 8 inches in length; the  epidermis is  smooth,
and of a silver-gray colour.   It  is odourless, but has a very bitter,
somewhat astringent taste.   It yields its  properties to boiling wa-
ter and  to  alcohol.   The constituents of willow bark are, tannin,
resinous extractive, gummy  matter, chlorophylle, yellowish colour-
ing matter, an  organic  salt  of magnesia, and a peculiar  principle
named Salicin, on which the febrifuge and tonic properties of  the
bark depend ; it may be prepared as follows:
  " Take of the bark of Salix pentandra (or of any other species the bark of which
tastes bitter), ibj. ; macerate for 24 hours in milk of lime consisting of fij. of recent-
ly-burned lime in Oviij. of water ;  then  boil for half an hour. Pour off the liquor,
and repeat the process twice with the residuum. Mix all the decoctions ; allow the
mixture to settle, and pour off the clear liquor ; concentrate to Oij.; digest with
-fviij. of animal charcoal, filter, and  evaporate to dryness.  Exhaust with spirit con-
taining 28 per cent, of alcohol, distil off the spirit, and purify the crystals which form,
by boiling with animal charcoal and recrystallizing.  Thus treated, Ibj. of bark yields
3V. of salicin."—Erdmann.
   Salicin crystallizes in delicate, colourless, silky  needles, which
have an intensely bitter taste, but no odour ;  they are neutral.  It
is permanent in  the  air, is  not  altered at a temperature of 212°,
fuses at  248°, and is  decomposed at a higher  temperature.   It is 
406
TONICS.
soluble in 18 parts of cold, and in 1 of boiling water; is very solu
ble in alcohol, but insoluble in ether and oil of turpentine.  * Its com-
position is C21H1209+2HO.
   Th. E.—Willow bark is an excellent tonic, and has been used
successfully as a febrifuge.  It may be employed in the same cases
as cinchona bark, for which it forms an admirable indigenous  sub-
stitute.   Salicin resembles in its properties disulphate of quina, over
which it possesses the advantage of not being so liable to irritate
the stomach.  I have used it very extensively as a tonic in the de-
bility following acute diseases, particularly* in cases accompanied
with irritability of the digestive organs, and consider its powers to
be fully equal to  those of disulphate of quina.
   D.  &  M. of Adm.—Of the powdered bark, 3ss. to 3j.—Salicin.
As a tonic, gr. ij., three or four times a day ;  as a febrifuge, ^x. to
 3ij., in divided doses during the intermission.  It  may be given in
powder  combined with sugar or some aromatic  powder; or  dis-
solved in water sweetened with some agreeable sirup, as sirup of
orange peel, or sirup of Hemidesmus Indicus.

   Simaruba, L. E.   Quassia simarura, cortex radicis, D.  Sima
ruba.  Bark of the root of Simaruba amara, E.—of Simaruba  offi-
cinalis, L.—of Quassia Simaruba, D.—The same tree is indicated
by the three colleges, but  the nomenclature of different  botanists
has been adopted.  It is a native of Jamaica and Guaiana, and be-
longs to  the natural family Simarubacea, and to the Linnaean class
and order Decandria Monogynia.
  B. C.—A tall tree, with long, creeping roots ; leaves alternate, pinnate ; flowers
small, whitish, dioecious, in panicles ; fruit, 5-ovate, smooth, black capsules, placed
on a fleshy disk.
   P. P.—The bark of the root is alone officinal; it is imported from
Jamaica, and is in long pieces folded flat, covered with a reddish-
yellow epidermis, wrinkled  and warty;  the inner  surface of the
bark  is  yellowish-brown.   It has a bitter, persistent taste, but no
odour.
   C.  P.—Simaruba  bark contains  a trace of volatile oil, resinous
matter, ulmin, a  bitter principle  analogous to quassin, lignin, and
some salts.   It yields its properties readily* to water and to alcohol.
   Th. E.—Simaruba is a bitter tonic, not much  prescribed in the
present day; in large  doses  it produces vomiting  and purging.  It
has been highly  praised for  its remediate powers in chronic diar-
rhoea and dysentery, by many practitioners both  on the Continent
and in Great Britain.  As a bitter  tonic it is, however, much infe-
rior to many remedies of this class.
   D. &  M. of Adm.—It  is not given in  powder; the following is
 its only officinal preparation: Infusum Simaruba,  D. L. E.  (Sima-
 ruba,  bruised, 3ss. (3iij.,  L. E.); boiling  (distilled, L.) water, by
 measure, fbss. (Oj., L. E.); infuse  for two hours in  a covered  ves-
 sel, and  strain [" through linen or calico," E.].)   Dose, fsa. to ftij.
   Incomp.—Lime-water; alkaline carbonates; and the salts of lead,
 mercury, and silver. 
TONICS.
40?
  Taraxacum, L. E.   Leontodon taraxacum, herba  et radix,
D.   Dandelion.  The root (andherb,!).) of Leontodon Taraxacum
D. L.—of Taraxacum  Dens-leonis, E.—Indigenous, belonging to
the natural family Composita, and  to the Linnaean class and order
Syngenesia JEqualis.
  B. C—Root perennial, spindle-shaped;  leaves all radical, runcinate, glabrous,
toothed ; scape with a single, large, yellow  flower.
  P. &c  C. P.—The whole of the dandelion plant abounds in a
milky juice, which is most abundant in the root in the  months of
August and September, at which  season they should be gathered
for medical use.  The juice has a bitter taste, but no odour; it con-
tains resin, gum, uncrystallizable sugar, caoutchouc, various salts,
and a peculiar bitter extractive, which has been recently* obtained
by M. Polex in a crystalline state, and named by him  Taraxacine ;
the latter is probably the active principle of the  plant.  Dandelion
root or herb yields its properties to boiling water.
   Th. E.—Dandelion is a useful tonic in chronic diseases of the
liver, and in other affections accompanied with derangement of the
biliary organs, as in some forms of dyspepsia and of cutaneous dis-
ease. * It is also held by many to be diuretic and aperient, but those
effects are not produced unless it be given in very large doses.
   D. & M.  of Adm.—Decoctum  Taraxaci, D. E.   (Taraxacum
herb and  root, fresh, jiv. (gvii., E.); water, fbij. (Oij., E.); boil
down to Ibj.  (Oj., E.); squeeze and strain.)  Dose, fti. to fgij-—Ex-
tractum Taraxaci, D. L.  E.   (" Proceed  as for  extract of gentian,
 employing the fresh root  (and herb, D.)," D. L.  " Fresh dandelion
 root, fbi.; boiling water,  cong. j.;  proceed as for extract of poppy
 heads,"  E.)   When  properly prepared, this extract is of a  fine
 brown colour, and has a bitter, not sweet, taste.  Dose, gr.  x. to
 3ss.—Liquor Taraxaci.   (Fresh dandelion roots, cleaned, dried, and
 sliced, gxij.;  infuse for 24 hours in a sufficient quantity of distilled
 water to  cover  them.   Press  and set aside, that the  fecula may
 subside; decant, and heat the  clear  liquor to  180°  F.; filter the
 liquid while  hot, and evaporate  spontaneously until the product
 weighs  §xiv.; to this add fgiv. of rectified spirit.)   When properly
 prepared, this liquid resembles in  colour pale sherry; it is the best
 preparation of dandelion.  The dose of it is from min. x. to min. xl.
    Incomp.—Acetate  of lead;  the sesqui-salts  of iron;  corrosive
 sublimate ; nitrate  of silver; and  infusion of galls.

    Qlmus, L.  Ulmus campestris, cortex interior, D.  Elm bark.
  The inner bark of Ulmus campestris.—Indigenous, belonging to the
 natural  family Cupulifera, and  to the Linnaean class and order
 Pentandria Digynia.
   B c__A iarge tree, with rugged bark ;  leaves rhomboid-ovate, acuminate, wedge-
  shaped, and oblique at the base ; flowers in dense heads, each subtended by a small
  scale.
    P  & C. P.__The inner bark of the elm  should alone be used in
  medicine ;' it is  of a reddish-yellow colour, inodorous, with a bitter,
  somewhat astringent taste.  It contains resin, gum, tannin, mucus- 
408
SUPPLEMENTARY agents.
extractive, and some salts.  Its active principles are extracted by
boiling water.
   Th. E.—Elm bark is at present but little employed in medicine ;
it  is a feeble tonic; the decoction, if taken in large quantity, de-
termines to the skin, and, consequently, has been recommended by
many in the  treatment of cutaneous affections occurring in debili-
tated habits ; in such cases it often acts beneficially.
   D. & M. of Adm.—Used only in the form of decoction.—Decoc-
tum Ulmi, D. L.   (Fresh elm bark, §ij. (§iiss., L.); distilled water,
by measure, fbij. (Oij., L.); boil down to  Ibj. (Oj., L.), and strain.)
Dose, f**iv. to f§vj., three or four times a day.
   Incomp.—Sulphate of iron ;  acetate of lead;  nitrate of silver ,
and gelatin.

   Zinci  oxydum.—Oxyde  of  zinc (described in the division  As-
tringents) is  employed internally as a tonic in some forms  of con-
vulsive and  spasmodic diseases, particularly epilepsy, in which it
has  been found in many instances beneficial, but its use  must be
persevered in for a considerable period.  It may be given in powder
or in pill, in  doses of gr. j.  or  gr. ij., gradually increased to gr. x.,
twice daily.

   Zinci sulphas.—Sulphate of Zinc (described in the division As-
tringents) has been also administered as a tonic in spasmodic dis-
eases, but its utility in their treatment is very doubtful.
                       CHAPTER XXII.
                   SUPPLEMENTARY AGENTS.
  In this chapter are included the different articles which, though
not employed in medicine for their remediate powers, are in fre-
quent use as Colouring agents, Perfumes, Tests, and Pharmaceuti-
cal agents.

  Ammonia oxalas, E.  Oxalate of Ammonia.
  Prep.—Edin. "Oxalic acid, fiv.; carbonate of ammonia, *fviij.; distilled water,
Oiv.; dissolve the carbonate in the water, add gradually the acid, boil, and concen-
trate sufficiently for crystals to form on cooling."
  This  salt is  not  used in medicine.   It  was  introduced into the
last edition of the Edin. Phar. as a test for lime and its salts, with
which it forms a white precipitate, soluble  in nitric acid, but only
sparingly soluble in muriatic  acid.

  Ao.ua destillata, L. E.   AauA  distillata, D.   Distilled Wa-
ter.
  Prep.—Dub. "Water, fhxx.;  put into a glass retort, and having rejected the
first pound which comes over, distil with a moderate heat, cong. j." " Lond. AVater 
SUPPLEMENTARY agents.
409
cong. x.; first let Oij. distil, which being thrown away, let cong. viij. distil.  Keep
the distilled water in a glass vessel."  Edin. "Take any convenient quantity of
spring water, distil it from a proper vessel, rejecting the first twentieth, and pre-
serving the first half of the remainder."
  Spring and river water  contain foreign  matters, which render
them unfit for many pharmaceutical purposes, and as vehicles  for
many  medicines;  the above processes  for their purification  are
therefore directed  by the colleges.   In  the Edin. Phar.,  the  fol-
lowing tests for the purity  of distilled water are given: " Free of
colour  and  odour,  unaltered by sulphuretted  hydrogen or nitrate
of silver, nitrate of baryta, or oxalate of  ammonia."

   Argentum, D. L. E.   Silver.  Metallic Silver.
   Silver is employed in  pharmacy for preparing the nitrate.  As
met with in the shops, it usually contains traces of gold, copper,
and lead; its  freedom from which being desirable for the above
purpose, the following tests for its purity are  given: Lond., Edin.
" Entirely soluble in diluted nitric  acid ;  this solution, treated with
an excess of solution of muriate of soda, gives a white precipitate
entirely soluble in aqua ammoniae, and a fluid  which is not  affected
by sulphuretted hydrogen.   (Sp. gr.,  10*4, L.)"

   Argenti  cyanidum, L.  Cyanide of  Silver.   Hydrocyanate of
Silver.   [Cyanuret of Silver, U. S. P.]
  Peep.—Lond. "Nitrate of silver, "-ij., 3U-; diluted hydrocyanic acid and distilled
water, of each, Oj. ; dissolve the nitrate of silver in the water, and add to them the
diluted hydrocyanic acid, and mix. Wash what is precipitated with distilled water,
and dry it."
   This  preparation has been introduced into  the London Pharma-
copoeia as a source of hydrocyanic acid.  (See page 254.)

   Argenti ammoniati solutio, E.  Solution of Ammoniaco-nitrate
of Silver.
  pREP.__Edin. " Nitrate of silver, gr. xliv.; distilled water, ffj.; aqua ammoniae,
q  s  • dissolve the salt in the water, and add the  aqua ammonias gradually, and to-
wards the end cautiously, till the  precipitate at first thrown down is nearly, but not
entirely redissolved."
   This  solution is employed as a very  delicate  test for arsenious
acid.   (See page  134.)

   Aurantii flores, L.  Citrus aurantium, flores, D.   Orange
flowers.  The flowers of Citrus Aurantium.
   Aurantii oleum, L.  E.   Oil of orange.  Oil of Neroli.   The
oil distilled from the flowers of Citrus Aurantium, L.  Volatile oil
of the flowers of Citrus vulgaris,  and sometimes of Citrus Auran-
tVULTYl  -Ej •
   Aurantii aq.ua, L.  E.  Orange-flower water.  Distilled water
of the flowers of Citrus vulgaris,  and sometimes of Citrus Auran-
titan*
   The  Citrus Aurantium has been described in the division  Re-
frigerants,  and the C.  vulgaris in the  division  Tonics.   Orange
                                J. F F 
410
supplementary agents.
flowers have a very agreeable odour, which depends on volatile
oil; it is completely dissipated by drying.   The volatile oil may
be procured by distillation with water ; it is imported into Britain
from France and the South of Europe.  It has been introduced into
the London and Edinburgh Pharmacopoeias on account of its agree-
able odour, and as an agent for the extemporaneous preparation of
orange-flower water.
  Orange-flower  water is an article of the Materia Medica in the
Edinburgh Pharmacopoeia, it being usually imported ; the London
College have given the following formula for its preparation:
  Prep.—Aqua  florum aurantii, L.  "Orange flowers, tbx.; proof spirit, f^vij.;
water,  cong. ij.; let a gallon distil."
  It is only employed on account of its fragrant odour as a vehicle
for other medicines.  As imported it is often impure, and frequently
contains traces of lead or copper; its purity* may be known by
" its being nearly colourless, and unaffected by sulphuretted hydro-
gen gas," Edin. Phar.

  Baryta carbonas,  L. E.   Carbonate of Baryta.—This  sub-
stance is found native,  in many parts of England, and is known  to
mineralogists by the name of Witherite.   It is  introduced into the
pharmacopoeias as being employed for the preparation of muriate
of baryta.  It acts as  a narcotico-acrid poison on animals and on
man.

  Baryta nitras,E.   Nitrate of Baryta.—This salt is not used in
medicine ; it  is directed to be employed by the Edinburgh College
as a test, and formulae are given  for its preparation, and also for a
solution of a given strength :
  Prep.—Baryt^e nitras, E. " To be prepared like the muriate of baryta, substi-
tuting pure nitric for muriatic acid."—Solutio Baryt^e nitratis, E.   "Nitrate of
baryta, 40 grains; distilled water, 800 grains; dissolve the salt in the water, and
keep the solution in well-closed bottles."
  Baryta sulphas, D. E.  Sulphate of Baryta.  Heavy Spar.—
Not employed in medicine;  used in pharmacy for the preparation
of the muriate of baryta.

  Bergamii oleum, L.  Bergamot^e  oleum, E.   Oil of Bergamot.
The oil distilled from the rind of the fruit of Citrus Limetta Berga-
mium, L.   Volatile oil of the rind of the fruit of Citrus Limetta,  E.
—The  bergamot citris is cultivated  in the  South of Europe, and
belongs to the natural family Aurantiacea, and to the  Linnasan
class  and order Polyadelphia Polyandria.
  Oil of bergamot exists in  the  rind of the fruit, from  which it is
obtainted either by expression or distillation; it is imported from
the South of Europe.   It is  of a pale greenish-yellow colour, has a
peculiar, fragrant odour,  and a warm, pungent taste.  Its sp. gr.
is 0*862.  It  is only employed in medicine as a perfume, chiefly to
give an agreeable odour to ointments.

   Bismuthum, D. L. E.   Bismuth.  Metallic Bismuth. 
supplementary agents.                 411
   This metal is only employed in pharmacy for preparing the tris-
nitrate.   As met with in the shops, it frequently contains traces of
copper or  iron; its  freedom  from which being  requisite  for the
above purpose, the  following tests for ascertaining its purity are
given by the London and Edinburgh Colleges: "It is dissolved by
diluted nitric acid ; when subnitrate of bismuth is  precipitated from
this solution by ammonia, the liquor is free from colour.   Its sp. gr.
is 9*8," L.  " Entirely soluble in nitric acid with the aid of heat;
and the solution is colourless, or nearly so, and deposites a white
powder when much diluted  with cold  water,"  E.

   Calcis phosphas  praecipitatum, D.   Precipitated phosphate of
Lime.  Bone-phosphate of Lime.   Subphosphate of Lime.
  Prep.—" Bones, calcined and reduced to powder, 1 part; dilute muriatic acid and
water, of each, 2 parts ; digest together for 12 hours, and strain the liquor; add to
it sufficient water of caustic ammonia to throw down the phosphate of lime. Wash
this with abundance of water, and dry it."
   Bone-phosphate of lime is composed of 8 eq. of lime, and 3 of
phosphoric acid (8CaO+3P05).  It was formerly employed in med-
icine in rickets and mollities  ossium, on the supposition of its  afford-
ing bone-earth  to the osseous system; the fallacy of such  a doc-
trine is well understood now, and at present it is only used in phar-
macy for preparing phosphorus and phosphate of soda.

   Carbo  animalis, L. E.   Animal charcoal.   Ivory black obtained
from bones (andflesh, L.).
   Animal charcoal is usually prepared by calcining the bones of
animals in  close vessels ; thus obtained, it contains phosphate and
carbonate of lime, which would unfit it for the purposes to which
it  is applied in  pharmacy, namely, that of  acting as a decolorizing
agent in the preparation of the vegetable alkaloids ; consequently,
processes are  given in the pharmacopoeias for purifying the com-
mercial article.
  Prep.—Carbo animalis purificatus, L. E.  "Animal charcoal, Ibj.; hydrochlo-
ric acid and water, of each, ffxij. ;  mix the hydrochloric  acid with the water, and
pour it gradually upon the charcoal, then digest for  two days with a gentle heat,
frequently shaking them.  Set by,  and pour off the supernatant liquor, then wash
the charcoal very often with water,  until nothing acid is precipitated ; lastly, dry it,"
L.  " Ivory black,  Ibj. ; commercial sulphuric acid and water, of each, fgxij,; mix
the acid and water, add gradually the ivory black, stirring occasionally.  Digest with
a gentle heat for two days, agitating from time to time ; then boil, dilute with two
pints of water, collect the undissolved charcoal on a filter of linen or colico, and wash
it with water till what passes through scarcely precipitates with solution of carbon-
ate of soda.  Heat the charcoal first moderately, and then to redness, in a closely-
covered crucible,"  E.
   After animal charcoal has been employed as a decolorizing agent,
it loses its powers as such;  which, however, may be  again  resto-
red  to it by drying and heating  to redness.   When properly pre-
pared, " if it he incinerated  with its own volume of red oxyde of
mercury, it is dissipated, leaving only a scanty ash," Edin.  Phar.

   Carbo  ligni, D. L. E.   Wood Charcoal.
   Wood  charcoal is obtained by burning  billets of wood, the ac- 
412
supplementary  agents.
cess of air being prevented.   It is an article of the Materia Medica
in the three pharmacopoeias, being prepared on  the larger scale for
various uses in the arts, particularly for the  manufacture of gun-
powder.   In medicine it is at present only  employed  to destroy
fetor, for which purpose it is  used in the form of powder or poul-
tice to  gangrenous sores, phagedenic ulcers, &c.; it is also used as
a dentifrice, for which it is very generally employed, as by its me-
chanical acti6n it removes incrustations from the teeth, and by its
antiseptic  powers  it  corrects fetor of the breath.   Charcoal has
been employed in the treatment of various diseases, but the only
one in which it is ever employed in Great Britain is dysentery, and
it is merely to correct the fetor of the  evacuations, for which pur-
pose it is given in doses of gr. xx., frequently  repeated.—Cataplas-
ma  Carbonis ligni, D.  (Take of wood charcoal, red hot, and just
extinguished by pouring dry  sand over it, q.  s.;  add it to the sim-
ple  cataplasm warmed.)   For gangrenous  and  fetid sores.

  Cocci, L. E.  Coccus cacti, D.  Cochineal.   The entire  insect,
Coccus cacti.—A native of Mexico, belonging to the class Insecta,
order Hemiptera.
  The cochineal insect feeds chiefly on the Nopal  plant (Opuntia
cochinillifera), large  plantations  of which are  cultivated for its
nourishment in Mexico.  They are  collected three times a year,
killed by immersion in boiling water, and dried with stove  heat;
the  first gathering is the best, consisting entirely of impregnated
females, when they are largest, and afford most colouring matter.
As met with in commerce, cochineal is in the form of small round-
ish grains (each grain being a separate insect); they are wrinkled,
from one to two lines long, and of a silvery-purplish colour.  They
are inodorous, but have  a rather bitter taste.  Cochineal consists
of some peculiar fatty matters, and a brilliant purplish-red colour-
ing matter, which has been  named cochinillin ;  and  which  is a
principle constituent in the pigment technically known  as carmine.
  Cochineal was at one time supposed to possess anodyne proper-
ties, and was employed in medicine in the treatment of hooping-
cough  and  neuralgia; at present it is only used  as a colouring
agent.

  Cornu,  L. E.   Cornua cervina, ramenta, D.   Hartshorn  sha-
vings.   The Horns of Cervus Elaphas.
  Hartshorn shavings are introduced  into the  Materia Medica as
being employed in the preparation of antimonial powder (see page
Hf); boiled with  water, they form a jelly similar to that obtained
from cow's  heels, calves' feet, &c.  Calcined hartshorn is officinal
in the  London and Dublin Pharmacopoeias ;  it is nearly similar in
composition  to the bone-phosphate of lime, and was used for  the
same purposes.  (See page 411.)
  Prep.—" Burn pieces of hartshorn in an open vessel  until they become perfectly
white; and  then (proceeding as for prepared chalk, L.) reduce them to very fine
powder," D. L. 
supplementary  agents.
413
  Curcuma, L. E.  Curcuma longa, radix, D.   Turmeric.  Root
(rhizome, L. E.) of Curcuma longa.—A native  of the East Indies
and of China, belonging to the natural family Zingiberacea, and to
the Linnaean class and order Monandria Monogynia.
  Turmeric  is in short, roundish, somewhat curved pieces, about
the thickness of the little finger, reddish-yellow externally, reddish-
brown within ; they have a peculiar, aromatic odour, and a warm,
bitter taste.  The colouring principle of turmeric has been obtain-
ed in  a separate state by treating the alcoholic extract with ether;
it has been named curcumin.  Turmeric possesses some aromatic
properties, in consequence of which, as well as its colour, it is an
ingredient in curry powder.   It is not employed as a medicine, but
is generally used as a testing agent for alkalies, which  change its
yellow colour to reddish-brown.  For this purpose Turmeric paper
is  employed; it is prepared by soaking white unsized paper in a
decoction (obtained by boiling §i. of coarsely-powdered turmeric
in fjxii. of water, straining  through a cloth,  and allowing the fluid
to settle for a few minutes), and drying.

   Ferri sulphuretum, D. E.  Sulphuret of Iron.
  Prep.—Dub. " Expose a rod of iron to the strongest heat of a forge till it be-
comes white hot, and having removed it from the fire, apply it instantly to a solid
mass of sulphur.  Receive the sulphuret of iron (which drops) in water, and having
separated it from the sulphur, keep in well-closed vessels."  Edin. " Iron filings, 3
parts ;  sublimed sulphur, 1 part; mix them thoroughly; heat the mixture in a cov-
ered crucible till it becomes red hot; remove the crucible from the fire, and allow
the action to go on without heat.  A much purer sulphuret may be obtained by a
process similar to that ordered by the Dublin College."
   Sulphuret of iron is  not  used in medicine;  it is employed  in
pharmacy  for the preparation of sulphuretted hydrogen gas.

   Lacmus,  L.  E.   Litmus, D.   Litmus.  A prepared colouring
matter from Rocella tinctoria, E.   The plant  (prepared Thallus,
L.) of Rocella tinctoria, D. L.—A native  of the  Mediterranean and
Channel Islands, belonging  to the natural family Lichenacea, and
to the Linnaean class and order Cryptogamia Alga.
   This is not the only lichen employed in the preparation of litmus,
but the plants used, as well as the  exact process followed,  is kept
secret by the manufacturers.   Professor Kane, who has bestowed
much attention on the  subject, states that the lichens employed are
ground with water to form a uniform pulp, and sufficient water add-
ed to make the whole into a thick fluid ; ammoniacal liquors from
time  to  time mixed with this, the whole being exposed to  the air
and frequently agitated ; when it has acquired the requisite shade
of blue, chalk and plaster of Paris are added to the liquor, so as to
form a consistent paste, which, when cut into little cubical masses
and dried, forms the  litmus of commerce.   It  is not employed in
medicine ; in pharmacy it is used as a test for acids and alkalies,
its colour being changed  to red by the former, and the original
blue  tint a o-ain'restored by the latter.  Litmus paper is prepared
 in a  similaAnanner to Turmeric paper. 
414                 supplementary agents.

   Manganesii  oxydum,  E.  Manganesii binoxydum, L.   Black
oxyde of Manganese.   Peroxyde of Manganese.—Found native in
some parts of England and Scotland;  it is known to mineralogists
under the name of Pyrolusite.
   It is only used as a pharmaceutical agent, at least in Great Brit-
ain, being  employed in the preparation of oxygen, chlorine, and
iodine.

   Ossa,  D.  Bones.
   Bones are an article of the Materia  Medica in the Dublin Phar-
macopoeia ; they are employed in the  preparation of animal char-
coal,  the Calcis phosphas precipitatum, and the Soda phosphas of
the pharmacopoeias.

   Plumbi chloridum, L.   Chloride of  Lead.
  Prep.—" Acetate of lead, jxix. ;  boiling distilled water,  Oiij. ; chloride of so-
dium, fvj.  Dissolve the acetate of lead and chloride of sodium separately; the
former in three pints of distilled water, and the latter in one pint of distiUed water.
The liquors being then mixed together, wash what is precipitated with distilled wa-
ter, when it is cold, and dry it."
   This salt is employed by the London College in the preparation
of the hydrochlorate of morphia.   It is not used in medicine.

   Plumbi nitras, E.  Nitrate of Lead.
  Prep.—" Litharge, fivss. ; diluted nitric acid, Oj.  Dissolve the litharge to satu-
ration with the aid of a gentle heat; filter, and set the liquor aside to crystallize.
Concentrate the residual liquor to obtain more crystals."
   This salt is employed by the Edinburgh College for the prepara-
tion of iodide of lead, and as a test for ascertaining  the purity of
bitartrate of potash (see page 110); it is not used in medicine

   Plumbi oxydum hydratum, L.   Hydrated oxyde of Lead.
  Prep.—" Solution of diacetate of lead, Ovj.;  distilled water, cong. iij.; solution
of potash, Ovj., or as much as maybe sufficient to precipitate the oxyde; mix;
wash with water what is precipitated until nothing alkaline remains."

   It is employed by the London College in preparing the disulphate
of quina, but is not used in medicine.

   Plumbi oxydum rubrum, E.   Red oxyde of Lead.  Minium.
  Red lead is employed  by the  Edinburgh  College for purifying
the strong acetic acid (see page 129), and for preparing Aqua Chlo-
rinei.  It is not used in medicine.

   Potassii ferrocyanidum, L. E.   Ferrocyanide of Potassium.
   This salt has been used by some physicians  in America as a sed-
ative, but  the results  obtained from it are very uncertain, and it
would appear to be  rather an inert substance.   It has been intro-
duced into the pharmacopoeias as being a cheap material for pre-
paring hydrocyanic acid.   (See page 254.)

   Pterocarpus, L. E.   Pterocarpus santalinus, lignum,D.  Red 
SUPPLEMENTARY  agents.
415
sandal-wood.  Wood of Pterocarpus santalinus.—A native of Cey-
lon, belonging to the  natural family Leguminosa, and to the  Lin-
nasan class and  order Diadelphia Decandria.
  Red sandal, or, as it is often called, Red saunders-wood, is  con-
tained in the pharmacopoeias, only as being employed as a colour-
ing ingredient in the compound spirit of Lavender.

  Rosa  centifolia, petala, D. L. E.  Petals of Rosa centifolia.
  Ros,e  oleum, E.   Attar  or Otto of Roses.   Volatile  oil of the
petals of Rosa centifolia.
  The  Hundred-leaved  or  Cabbage rose, originally a  native  of
Asia, is  now cultivated freely in  our gardens.   It  belongs to the
natural family Rosacea, and to the Linnaean class and order Icosan-
dria Polygynia.
  The  pharmaceutical preparations  of this rose are employed in
medicine as perfumes for giving  an agreeable odour to mixtures,
&c.; the volatile oil introduced into the last  edition of the Edin-
burgh Pharmacopoeia is  too expensive an article for general use.
Laxative properties have been ascribed by some to the sirup, but
they  probably depend on the sugar which it contains.
  Pharm. Prep.—Aqua Rosa, D. L. E.  (" Petals  of rosa centifolia, Ibviij.; water,
sufficient to prevent empyreuma;  distil one gallon," D.  " Petals of rosa centifolia,
fbx.; proof (rectified, E.) spirit, f;vij. (f-*iij., E.); water, cong. ij. ; mix and distil a
gallon," L. E.  [" The petals should be preferred fresh ; but it also answers well to
use those which have been preserved by beating  them with twice their weight of
muriate of soda," E.].)—Sirupus Rosa, D. L.  Sirupus Rosce centifolia, E. (Petals
of rosa centifolia, dried  (fresh, E.), fvij. (fbj., E.); boiling water, by measure, Ibiv.
(Ovi., L.; Oiij., E.); pure sugar, ftix., fviij. (Ibvi., L.; ibiij., E.); macerate (infuse,
E.) the petals in  the water for 12 hours, and strain ;  evaporate the strained liquor
to Mss. (Oij., L.) (in a water-bath, D. L.), and then add the sugar, and (with the
aid of heat, D. E.) dissolve it.)  Sirup of roses is sometimes employed as a laxative
for newly-born infants, in doses of fjij. or fViij.

   Sambuci nigr,e,  flores.   Flowers of the Common Elder.
   A  water distilled from elder flowers is sometimes used in conse-
quence of its agreeable odour as a vehicle for other medicines.   It
is officinal in the London and Edinburgh  Pharmacopoeias, and is
obtained as follows:
  pREP _Aqua sambuci, L. E. Elder flower water. " Elder flowers, fbx.  (or oil of
elder, 3ij., L-); proof (rectified, E.) spirit, f?vij. (ffiij., E.); water, cong.  ij.; mix,
and distil a gallon."

   Sod,e phosphatis solutio, E.  Solution of Phosphate of Soda.
   Phosphate of soda has been described  in the division Cathartics;
this solution is only employed as a test.
  pREP _<< Phosphate  of soda, free of efflorescence, 175 grains; distilled  water,
ftviij. ; dissolve the salt in the water, and keep the solution in well-closed bottles,"
Edin. Phar.
  Zincum, D. L. E.  Zinc.  Metallic Zinc.
  Zinc is  employed in pharmacy for preparing the different com-
pounds of the metal which  are used  as medicines.   As met with in
commerce, it frequently contains many impurities, as carbon, iron, 
416
supplementary agents.
copper, arsenic, &c.   The London and Edinburgh Colleges have
therefore given the following tests, by which it may be ascertained
if it is sufficiently pure for the above purpose: " Almost  entirely
dissolved by diluted  sulphuric acid, and the solution is colourless;
what  is thrown down from the solution by ammonia is white, and
when the ammonia is added in excess, it is again dissolved.   The
sp. gr. of the metal  is 6*86," L.  " It dissolves in a great measure
in diluted sulphuric acid, leaving only a scanty grayish-black resid-
uum.   This  solution presents the characters of the  solution  of
sulphate  of zinc"  (see page 82), E. 
APPENDIX.
                             A.  F 0 R M U L JE.

The following formula are principally confined to the new remedies which are described in this work,
                         or to those as yet not in general use.

                                 ANTACIDS.
  R Aquae Ammoniae, min. x. ; Infusi Chirettae, ffi. ;  Tincturae Aurantii, ftij., M.
Fiat haustus, mane meridieque sumendus.  (A useful  antacid draught in the  dys-
pepsia of the debilitated, attended with acid eructations.)

  R Ammoniae Bicarbonatis, gr. viij.; Infusi Calumbae, ffi.;  Tincturae Humuli, fsi.;
Tincturae Hyoscyami, min. xx., M.   Fiat haustus, bis quotidie sumendus.  (Less
stimulating than the former, and better adapted for cases in which the stomach is
irritable.)

  R Ammoniae Carbonatis, gr. xxiv. ; Fellis  Bovini Inspissati, 3SS.; Mucilaginis,
q. s., M.  Fiant pilulae duodecim; Capiat unam ter in die.   (In dyspepsia acompa-
nied with vomiting of food and constipation.)

  R Aquae Ammoniae Carbonatis, ffss.; Infusi  Cascarillae, ffvij.;  Spiritus ^Et le-
rei  Nitrosi, f3i. ; Spiritus Cinnamomi, f3iij.,  M.   Fiat mistura, de  qua sumantur
cochlearia ij. ampla ter in die.   (In the lithic acid diathesis, with debility of the
digestive organs.)

  R Aquae Calcis, ffiv.; Confectionis Aromaticae, 31J- ; Tere simul et  gradatim
adde, Misturae  Amygdalarum, ffiiiss.;  Aquae Lauro-cerasi, fsi-, M.   Fiat  mistura;
Capiat cochlearia ij. ampla bis terve in die, phiala prius concussa.   (Useful in car-
dialgia and in gastrodynia.)

  R Misturae Cretae, f?vi. ;  Tincturae Humuli, f§i. ; Tincturae Cardamomi, f3vij.;
Vini Opii, f3i., M.   Capiat semiunciam sextis horis.  (In diarrhcea dependant on
acidity of the prima via.)

   R Pulveris Cretae compositi, gr.  xviij.; Carbonatis  Sodae siccati, gr. vj.; Pulve-
ris Tragacanthae, gr. xij., M.  Divide in partes  sex aequales, quarum capiat unam
quaque secunda vel tertia hora.  (In the diarrhcea of children.)

   R Aqu-e Magnesia;  Bicarbonatis, f?ss. ; Spiritus Lavandulae compositi, f3ij., M.
Fiat haustus, sumat statim et repetatur semihorio si opus sit.   (An  excellent  rem-
edy in heartburn.)

   R Solutionis Alkaline (Brandish), f3v.; Infusi Chirettae, fSviij.;  Spiritus Aaisi
compositi, f3iij.; Sirupi Aurantii, f5i., M.  Fiat mistura; Capiat cochlearia y. mag-
 na ter in die.  (In the lithic acid diathesis.)

   R Sodae Bicarbonatis, gr. x.; Infusi Anthemidis, ffiss.; Aquae Lauro-cerasi, f-ps.;
 Preasoti min  i  M   Fiat haustus sextis horis sumendus, et ad tertiam vel quartern
 vicem re'petendus si opus sit.  (In acidity of the stomach with vomiting.)

   R Sodae Carbonatis siccati, 3ss.; Pulveris Myrrlue, gr. xviij.; Pulveris Ipecacu-
 anha- or  iii  M.  Divide in chartulas, vj. quarum unam sumat quarta quaque hor*.
(An excellent antacid in chronic diarrhoea and dysentery.)
                             ANTHELMINTICS.
  t,  o-   ■  Aiu- <=sHvi Oiase 40), fti.; Olei Terebinthinae, ff ss.; Decocti Hordei,
iJii  M^Vfa  enema iSfatuAtatim, et horas umus spatio'adhibeatur enema 0*
Slrticum.  (For ascarides in the rectum; half or a fourth part of the above may
be used for children.)
Goo 
418
FORMULAE.
  R Artemisiae Santonicae, gr. xxx. ; Calomelanos, gr. vj. ; Muriatis Sodae, gr. xij. ;•
Sirupi Jalapae (page 103), ftij., M.   Divide in bolos ij. ;  Sumat unum mane, et al-
terum post horas sex, nisi prius bene dejecerit alvus.  (In cases of lumbrici or as-
carides.)

  R Decocti Geoffroyae, ffi.;  Infusi Gigartinae (page 42), ffiss.; Tincturae Valeri-
anae ; Sirupi Zingiberis, a a, f3ij., M.  Fiat mistura, Capiat oartem tertiam trihorio.
(For expelling lumbrici.)

  R Olei Filicis-maris (page 43), min. xxx. ;  Misturae Amygdalarum, ff ij., M.  Fiat
emulsio, et divide in partes aequales ij., quarum sumatur una hora somni, et altera
mane sequente.   (A most efficacious anthelmintic  for the tape-worm.  If it do not
purge, an active cathartic should be given in  four hours after the second dose.)

  R Granati radicis corticis, 3iij. ; Pulveris Sabadillae, gr. vj. ;  Pulveris Aromatici,
3ss., M.  Divide in pulveres sex, Capiat unum omni semihora ad sextam vicem.   (In
cases of taenia; the last dose should be followed by an active saline purge.)

  R Pulveris Spigeliae, gr. x.;  Pulveris Stanni, 3ij.; Sirupi Zingiberis, fjss. ; Mellis,
q. s., M.  Fiat Bolus, hora ante jentaculum sumendus, et per dies tres repetendus,
postea adhibeatur mistura purgans ad plenam alvi solutionem.  (In cases of lum-
brici.)
                             ANTISPASMODICS.

  R Tincturae Fuliginis, ffsa.; Misturae Camphorae cum Magnesia, ffvj.; Sirupi Au-
rantii, ff iss., M.  Fiat mistura, Capiat unciam omni hora donee abierit spasmus.  (In
the hysteria of females.)

  R Spiritus Fuliginis, f3ss.; Aquae Sodae carbonatis, f3ij. ;  Sirupi Aurantii, f3iss.;
Aquae Menthae pulegii, f?iss., M.  Fiat mistura, sumat cochleare medium tertiis vel
quartis horis.  (In the advanced stages of hoopingcough in children; a teaspoonful
for infants.)

  R ^Etheris Assafcetidae (page 49), min. xx.;  Spiritus Ammoniae aromatici, f3ss.;
Misturae Moschi, fjj., M.   Fiat haustus.  (A useful antispasmodic in hysteria and
spasmodic colic.)

  R Tincturae Castorei compositae, f3V.;  ^Etheris Sulphurici, fjiij.; Misturae Moschi,
ffvij., M.  Fiat mistura, de qua sumatur cochleare unum magnum secundis horis,
donee evanescant symptomata.  (In cramp of  the  stomach, in  spasmodic or flatu-
lent colic, in hysteria, in  hiccough, in nervous palpitations, &c.)
                              ASTRINGENTS.

  R Aceti Destillati, ffij.;  Aquae Lauro-cerasi, f3ij.;  Sirupi Rhceados, f3vj.;  Aquae
destillatae, fjv., M.  Fiat mistura, cujus capiat cochlearia duo ampla sextis horis.
(An excellent sedative astringent in chronic mucous discharges attended with much
debility and irritability of the stomach.)

  R Acidi Sulphurici aromatici, f3iiss.  ; Sirupi Rosae,  fjvss.; Sirupi Hemidesmi In-
dici (page  190), fjss. ;  Aquae destillatae, fjviss., M.  Fiat mistura, sumat unciam
sextis horis.  (A useful astringent mixture in passive hoemorrhages, and in the col-
liquative  sweating of hectic.)

  R Tincturae Cinnamomi compositae, ffiij. ; Acidi Sulphurici diluti, f3ij.  Fiat mis-
tura, cujus capiat  guttas xx. ter  in die, ex cyatho Decocti Hordei.   (rn the same
cases as  the above mixtuTe.)

  R Aluminis, 3iss.; Sirupi Rosae, fsy.; Aquae Rosae, fjiv., M.  Fiat mistura, cujua
sumat cochleare amplum sextis horis.  (In old cases of diarrhcea, and in painter's
>.oljc.) 
FORMULAE.
419
  R Infusi Rosae acidi; Decocti Althaeae, ana, ffiij.; Aluminis, 31-;  Mellis Rosae,
fjij., M.   Fiat gargarisma, saepe utenda.  (A useful gargle in relaxed sore throat,
and in chronic ulcerations of the mouth and fauces.)

  R Creasoti, min. iv. ; Tincturae Gallarum, fsij.; Aquae  destillatae, ff ij-, M-  Fiat
lotio.  (In indolent ulcers with excessive discharge.)

  R Sulphatis Ferri; Carbonatis Potassae, ana, 3SS.; Mucilaginis Gummi Tragacan-
thae, q. s.  Fiat massula et divide in pilulas, xij. ; Capiat unam ter in die.  (An ex-
cellent remedy in leucorrhoea.)

  R Ferri Pernitratis, f3ij.; Sirupi Simplicis, f3vj. ; Aquae destillatae, ff iij., M.   Ca-
piat cochleare amplum sextis horis.  (A very useful astringent and tonic mixture
in chronic mucous diarrhoea, and in leucorrhoea.)

  R Sulphatis Cupri, gr. vj. ;  Pulveris Myrrhae, gr. xij.;  Conservae Rosae, 9ij., M.
Divide in pilulas, xij., Sumat unam sextis horis.  (In chronic diarrhoea and dysentery.)

   R Tincturae Gallarum, f3ss.; Misturae Amygdalarum, ffiss.; Mucilaginis, fjss.;
Aquae fontis, f?vss., M.   Capiat cochleare amplum post singulas liquidas dejectiones.
(An excellent astringent mixture in  colliquative diarrhoea.)

   R Pulveris Kino compositi,  gr. x.; Pulveris Cretae compositi, gr. xv.;  Sirupi Zin-
giberis,  q. s., M.  Fiat Bolus, sexta quaque hora sumendus.   (In  diarrhoea occur-
ring in the old and debilitated.)

   R Decocti Haematoxyli, ffvj.; Tincturae Monesiae (page 71), f?i.; Sirupi Aurantii,
f§ i.; Fiat mistura, cujus capiat cochleare amplum post singulas liquidas dejectiones.
(In chronic diarrhoea and dysentery.)

   R  Monesiae, 3L ;  Aluminis; Confectionis Aromaticae,  ana, sss.; Sirupi, q. s.,  ut
fiant pilulae xxiv.; Sumat ij. ter in die. (In leucorrhoea, in chronic diarrhoea, and in
pyrosis.)

   R Plumbi Acetatis; Digitalis, ana, gr. vi.; Opii, in pulvere, gr. iij.; Conservae
Rosae, gr. xij., M.   Divide in pilulas sex, e quibus sumatur una ter in die.  (In ac-
tive hoemorrhages.)

   R Decocti Bistortae (page 76), ffvj.; Decocti  Papaveris, ffij.; Acidi Tannici, gr.
 xviij., M.  Fiat liquor, cujus  quantum satis sit quater de die, ope siphunculi eburm,
 in vaginam  injiciatur.   (In chronic  leucorrhoea.)

   R Acidi Tannici, gr. xij. ;  Conservae Rosae, 3SS., M.   Divide in pilulas xij. e qui-
 bus sumatur una sextis horis.  (An excellent astringent in the colliquative sweat-
 ing and diarrhoea of phthisis.)

   R Decocti Granati,  f?vij.;  Mellis Boracis, f?i., M. Sit gargarisma saepe utendum.
 (In aphthous ulcerations of the mouth and fauces.)

   R Sulphatis Zinci,  9i.;  Aquae  destillatae, f?iv. ; Tincturae Croci, f3ij., M.   Fiat
 collyrium, saepe utat.  (A useful eye-wash in chronic ophthalmia.)

   R Pulveris Uvae-ursi, 3iij- ; Acidi Tannici, gr. vi.; Pulveris Opii, gr. ij., M   Di-
 vide in portiones dnodecim aequales ; Capiat  unam ter in die.  (In passive hoema-
 turia, and in chronic catarrh  of the bladder.)

    R Sulphatis Zinci,  gr. xxiv. ; Ipecacuanhae, gr. iv.; Pulveris Myrrhae, gr. xxiv.;
 Lactucarii •  Conservae Rosae, ana, 3ss., M.   Divide in pilulas xxiv. equibus sumatur
 una sexta quaque hora.   (In  chronic diarrhcea and dysentery.)

    R Calcis Chlorinatae, 3iv.; Aquae destillatae, f?xj.; Solve et cola, dein adde, Mel-
 lis Rosae, ?i., M.   Fiat liquor, quo  gingivas saepS garganzet.  (A most efficacious
 gargle  in excessive salivation.) 
•*23
FORMULAE.
                               CATHARTICS.

  R Decocti Aloes compositi, ff ij.; Sirupi Croci, ffss.;  Sirupi Jalapae (page 103),
f3ij., M.  Fiat mistura duabus vicibus sumenda.   (In torpidity of the bowels, and in
chlorosis.)

  R Calomelanos, gr. xxx.;  Saponis Crotonis (page 97), gr. vj.;  Pilulae  Colocyn-
thidis et Hyoscyami, gr. xxiv., M.  Divide in pilulas xij. e quibus sumatur una ter de
die.   (In spasmodic and nervous diseases.)

  R  Pilulae Colocynthidis compositae; Saponis  Jalapinae (page 103), ana, 3L, M.
Fiat massula et divide in pilulas xxiv. e quibus sumantur duae, prout res poscit.  (A
good formula for purgative pills for general use.)

  R Pilulae Cambogiae compositae, 9ij.; Pilulae Hydrargyri, 9i., M.  Divide in pilu-
las  xij.;  Capiat ij. pro re nata.   (In constipation with deficient secretion of bile.)

  R Extracti  Colchici acetici, gr. xij.; Pilulae Hydrargyri, gr. xxx.; Extracti Hy-
oscyami, gr. xviij., M.  Fiant pilulae duodecim, e quibus sumantur duae tertia quaque
nocte. (An excellent cathartic in gouty and rheumatic habits, the following draught
being administered the next morning.)

  R Succi Colchici, min.  x. ; Magnesiae Carbonatis,  gr. xij. ; Spiritus Cinnamomi,
f3ss.;  Aquae Cinnamomi,  fjiss., M.  Fiat haustus.   (To be  given in the morning,
two of the  above pills having been taken the previous evening.)

  R Vini Seminum Colchici, ffss. ; Tincturae Rhei et Aloes, ffi. ; Spiritus Myristr-
cae, f;ss. ;  Infusum Rhei,  fjvi., M.  Fiat mistura, de qua sumantur cochlearia am-
pla ij., tertiis vel quartis horis ad effectum.   (A useful cathartic in gouty  and rheu-
matic habits.)

  R Tincturae  Colocynthidis (page 96), min. xx.;  Infusi Sennae cum Tamarindis,
ff ij.; Tincturae Cardamomi compositae, fjss., M.  Fiat haustus, bis quotidie sumen-
dus.  (In dropsical cases.)

  R Tincturae Elaterii (page 99),  f3i.; Sirupi Sennae, fjss. ;  Sirupi Zingiberis, fsi.;
Aquae Menthae Piperitae, ffi., M.   Fiat haustus, quam primum sumendus et, nisi al-
vus sit interea copiose soluta, quadrihorio repetatur.  (In ascites occurring in the
robust, provided no inflammatory  tendency be present.)

  R Olei Euphorbiae Lathyris (page 99), min. vj.; Mucilaginis Gummi Arabici, f3ij.,
Tere optime simul, hisque inter terendum paulatim  adjice, Sirupi Croci, ff ss.; Aquae
destillatae, f3vj. Fiat haustus.   (A safe and efficacious purgative draught.)

  R  Saponis Crotonis (page 97), gr. ss.; Extracti  Hyoscyami; Pilulae Hydrargyri,
ana, gr.  iv.; Olei  Pimentae, min. ij., M.   Divide in pilulas ij., hora somni sumat.

  R  Tincturae Hellebori, f3iss.;  Infusi Sennae  compositi, ffj;  Sirupi Zingiberis,
fjij., M.   Fiat haustus, primo mane sumendus.  (The above pills and draught will
be  found very useful  in cephalalgia  dependant on congestion of the vessels  of the
head, and  accompanied with a torpid state of the bowels ; also in mania.)

   R Hydrargyri cum creta, gr. xij.; Pulveris Scammonii, gr. xij.; Carbonatis Sodae
siccati, gr. vj. ; Pulveris Aromatici, gr. xij., M.  Divide in  portionibus paribus vj.,
e quibus sumatur  una omni mane. (An excellent  alterative and cathartic for chil-
dren ; very useful in worm cases.)

   R Lini  Cathartici, herbae recentis, 3iij. ; Aquae ferventis,  fjij.;  Digere per horaa
 duas in  vase clauso, cola et adde, Tincturae Cardamomi compositae, f3i.  Fiat haus-
"tus.  (In simple constipation.)

    R Resinae Jalapae (page 103), gr. v.; Confectionis Amygda arum, gr. xxx. ;  Simul
 terantur, hisque inter terendum adde, Aquae destillatae, f? iss., M.  Fiat haustus, illi-
 co sumendus.  (An excellent cathartic in simple constipation.) 
FORMULjE.
421
  R Sulphatis Magnesiae, 3VJ.; Infusi Rosae acidi, fjiss., M.  Fiat haustus. (An ex-
cellent purgative draught in mild febrile and inflammatory affections accompanied
with constipation.)

  R Mannitae (page 106), 3SS.; Aquae Menthae piperitae, fjss.   Solve ; Fiat haustus.
(An excellent laxative for children.)

  R Potassae Sulphatis,  ;ss.; Acidi Sulphurici diluti, min. v. ;  Aquae Rosae, fjiss.,
M.   Fiat haustus.   (In mild febrile and inflammatory affections.)

  R Potassae Bitartratis, 3iv.; Acidi Boracici, 3!-; Aquae  destillatae, f^xij.   Fiat
mistura, cujus sumatur  pars quarta tertia quaque hora ad plenam alvi solutionem.
(In dropsical swellings.)

  R Potassae Bitartratis, fss.;  Pulveris Jalapae, jss. ; Electuarii  Senna?, ffiss.;  Si-
rupi Sennae, q. s., Al.  Fiat electuarium, de quo sumat in&tar nucis moschatae, ter
quotidie, vel donee alvus commode purgetur.  (In hceruorrhoidal affections.)

   R Infusi Sennae cum Tamarindis, f^iss. ; Sirupi Rhei (pagell6),f5ij.; Spiritus
Nucis Moschatae, fjss., M.   Fiat mistura, de qui  sumatur cochlearia  ij. ampla se-
cundis horis donee alvus leniter dejecerit.  (In simple constipation of the  old or
debilitated.)

   R Mellis Violae (page 127);  Mannae, ana, fss.; Sirupi Violae, q. s.  Fiat electu-
 arium, cujus capiat cochleare parvulum pro re natd.  (A mild laxative, readily taken
 by children.)

   R Resinae Scammonii, gr. v.; Confectionis Amygdalarum, gr. xxx.; Simul teran-
 tur, hisque inter terendum  adde, Aquae destillatae, ff iss., M.  Fiat haustus. (An ex-
 cellent cathartic in simple constipation.  The dose for children  is one third or one
 naif of the above.)

    R Pulveris Scammonii, 3SS.; Pulveris Jalapae, si. ; Sirupi Aurantii,  q. s. Ut fiant
 pilulae xxiv. e  quibus  sumantur duae alternis  horis vel donee bis dejecerit alvus.
 (In the  constipation of lead colic.)

    R Resinae Jalapae;  Calomelanos; Saponis  Hispanici, ana, gr. xv. ; Olei Cary-
 ophylli, min. vi., M.  Divide in pilulas  xij.  e quibus sumatur una semihono  ad ple-
 nam alvi solutionem.   (In obstinate constipation.)

    R Sodae Sulphatis, 3V.; Infusi Rosae acidi, f^iss.; Acidi Sulphurici diluti, min. ij.,
 M.  Fiat haustus.   (A useful antiphlogistic cathartic.)

    R Sodae  Phosphatis, 3iv.; Aquae Menthae Piperitae, f?iij. ; Solve, dein adde, Si-
 ruoi Sennae M  Fiat mistura, de qua capiat cochleare amplum secundis horis donee
 alvus commode moveatur.  (A useful  purgative  mixture in the mild febrile affec-
 tions of children.)

    R Olei Terebinthinae ; Olei Ricini, ana, f3iij.; Decocti Hordei, $vj ,M.  Fiat en-
 ema    (The best purgative in purpura hemorrhagica occurring in children; it may
 be administered twice  daily until the spots begin to fade.)
                                CAUSTICS.

R Chloridi Zinci, 3SS.; Muriatis Antimonii, min. xv.;  Farinae, 3i- ; Aquae destil-
iae q. s.  Fiat massa, qua pars morbida exedatur.  (An excellent  caustic pa.ste in
latae, q. s.
cancer, and in lupus.)
  W Chloridi Zinci, 3ss.; Farinae, 3j- vel, 3ij- vel, 3iij-, M.   Fiat massa.  (The above
nrnnortions of flour may be used according to the strength the caustic oaste is wish-
ed to be ; it is employed in the same cases as the former.)

  T4 Arsenici Albi, partes vj. ; Calomelanos, partes xevj., M.  Fiat pulvis.   Do-
phvtren    Sprinkled on lint, and applied in  small portions at a time, to open can
cer;  the practice is not unattended with danger.) 
422
FORMULAE.
  R Hydrargyri Oxydi Nitrici; Aluminis siccati, ana, 3i., M.   Fiat pulvis.   (Sprin-
kled on the parts, to repress exuberant and spongy granulations.)

  R Hydrargyri Oxydi Nitrici;  Amyli, ana, 3SS.; Sacchari Puri, ji.  Misce bene
terendo simul, ut fiat pulvis subtilissimus.  (In thickening of the cornea, to be blown
into the eye three or four times a day.)

  R Carbonatis Cupri (page 135), 3ij.;  Adipis preparatae, ji., M.   Fiat unguentum,
Devergie.   (In the chronic forms of eczema and impetigo of the scalp, where stim
ulating applications are admissible.)
                              DIAPHORETICS.
  R Antimonii Oxydi Nitromuriatici, 3iss. ; Muriatis Morphiae, gr. iss.; Conservae
Rosae, q. s.  Fiant pilulae xxiv., e quibus sumantur duae, tertiis horis.  (In chronic
cutaneous  diseases, and in chronic rheumatism.)

  R Pulveris Antimonialis, gr. iij.; Calomelanos, gr. ss.; Extracti Hyoscyami, gr.
iss., M.  Fiat pilula,  sumenda quaque tertia hora.  (In acute  rheumatism, and in
mild febrile affections, with a harsh, dry skin.)

  R Antimonii Tartarizati, gr. ij.; Decocti Dulcamaras, fjvij.  ; Sirupi Hemidesmi
(page 190), fji., M.  Fiat mistura, de qua capiat cochleare amplum secundis horis.
(An excellent diaphoretic mixture in febrile and inflammatory affections.)

  R Tincturae Guaiaci Ammoniatae, f3ij.; Mucilaginis Gummi  Tragacanthae, f3vj.;
Tere simul, et paulatim adjice, Misturae Amygdalarum, fjij.  Fiat mistura, sumen-
da in die partitis vicibus.   (In  atonic gout, in chronic rheumatism and  in chronic
cutaneous diseases.)

  R Sarsaparillae  Radicis, incisae, jiss.;  Aquae Destillatae ferventis, Oj.  Macera
per horas duodecim in vase clauso, subinde agitans, dein cola.

  R Hujus Infusi, f?x.  ; Infusi Sassafras (page ggr.);  Decocti Mezerei, ana, fji.;
Sirupi Hemidesmi (page 190), fjij., M.  Fiat mistura, de qua sumatur cyathum vi-
narium  ter quaterve  in die.  (In secondary syphilitic affections, particularly  the
forms of cutaneous disease.)
                                DIURETICS.
  R Decocti Chimaphilae, fjvij.; Nitratis Potassae, 3ss.;  Spiritus JEtherei Nitrosi,
fjss.; Spiritus  Juniperi compositi,  f3iij.  M.  Fiat mistura;  Capiat cochleare am-
plum quaque tertia hora.   (A stimulating diuretic in old cases of dropsy.)

  R Extracti Pareirae, 3i.; Carbonatis  Sodae siccati, gr. xij. ;  Extracti Conii, gr.
vj.; Sirupi Papaveris, q. s., ut fiant pilulae xxiv. ; Capiat ij. sexta quaque hora.  (In
calculous affections, and in chronic catarrh of the bladder.)

  R Bitartratis Potassae, jss.;  Ureae, 3ij.; Mellis,, jss., M.   Fiat electuarium, de
quo capiat instar nucis moschatae, ter quotidie.   (In anasarca or ascites, with defi-
cient secretion of urine.)

  R Pulveris Scillae,  gr. xxx.;  Potassae Acetatis, jss.; Oxymellis  Scillae, f3ij.;
Mellis, jss.; Olei Juniperi, min. xx., M.  Fiat electuarium, de quo capiat instar nu-
cis  moschatae sextis horis.  (In old cases of anasarca.)

  R Amygdalarum Dulcium decorticatarum, jj.; Cantharidum, in pulvere subtilo, gr.
x.;  Sacchari Puri, jss.;  Tere bene simul,  et gradatim adjice, Aquae tepidae, fjx.,
Cola.  Liquoris colatae capiat  cochleare amplum tertiis  horis.   (In torpor of the
kidneys, and in incontinence of urine caused by paralysis of the neck of the bladder.)

  R Olei Terebinthinae, f3i. ; Gummi Tragacanthae, f3i. ; Sirupi Aurantii, fji.; Tere
bene simul, et gradatim adjice, Aquae Menthae Piperitae, f?v.; Spiritus ^Etherei Ni-
trosi, f3ij., M.   Capiat cochleare amplum, quaque secunda hora.  (A stimulating
diuretic.) 
FORMULAE.
423
                                  EMETICS.
  R Ammoniae Carbonatis, gr.  xxx. ; Infusi Senegae, fji.; Sirupi Croci, f3ij., M.
Fiat haustus statim sumendus.  (In the suffocative catarrh of typhus.)

  R Emetinae Impurae, gr. ij.; Sirupi Aurantii riorum, fji.; Aquae destillatae, fjij.,
M.   Capiat cochleare  amplum semihorio donee supervenerit vomitio.  (A certain
emetic, applicable to the same cases as ipecacuanha.)

  R Violae  Odoratae Radicis, 3ss. ; Sirupi  Scillae, fji., M.  Fiat Bolus, statim  su-
mendus, et post horam repetendus si opus sit.  (An excellent substitute for ipecac-
uanha.)

  R Sinapis, ji.; Aquae tepidae, fjxij., M.   Fiat mistura statim sumenda.  (An ex-
cellent stimulating emetic, particularly useful when the vital powers are sinking.)
                             EMMENAGOGUES.
  R Tincturae Ergotae (page 177), fjiss. ; Sirupi Croci, fjij. ; Decocti Aloes com-
positi, fjvj., M.  Fiat mistura, cujus capiat cochlearia ampla ii. sextis horis.   (In
amenorrhcea, with torpor of the circulation.)

  R Tincturae Ergotae ^Ethereae (page 177), f3i.;  Infusi Sabinae (page osi), fjiiiss.;
Sirupi Croci. fjss., M.  Fiat mistura, de qua sumatur cochleare magnum ter in die.
(In chlorotic amenorrhcea, after the use of ferruginous preparations for some time.)

  R Sulphatis  Ferri  siccati, gr.  xx. ; Pilulae Aloes cum Myrrha, 3i. ; Olei Rutae,
min. vj., M.  Fiat massula et divide in pilulas xxiv. e quibus sumantur ij. bis quo-
tidie.  (Useful in chlorosis.) .

  R Rubiae Tinctorum, ji. ; Theriacae, q. s.; Olei Sabinae, min. xij., M.   Fiat  elec-
tuarium cujus capiat sextam partem ter de die.  (In simple atony of the uterine or-
gans.)
                                EMOLLIENTS.
  R Olei Olivae, f3ij. ;  Vitelli Ovi unius ; Sirupi Althaeae, fji.; Infusi Lini compo-
siti, r-fiij.   Fiat mistura secundum artem ; Capiat aeger cochleare amplum subinde.
(In inflammatory affections of the kidneys, in ardor urinae, and as a general demul-
cent.)

  R Decocti Hordei compositi, f~5x. ; Sirupi Hemidesmi (page 190), fjij., M.  Fiat
mistura, cujus sumatur cochlearia ampla duo intcrdum.  (An agreeable  demulcent
and emollient mixture, useful in inflammations of the mucous membranes.)

  R Decocti Tussilaginis  (page 198);  Misturae  Amygdalarum, ana, fjiij. ; Sirupi
Hemidesmi, fjij., M.   Fiat mistura, de  qua capiat cochlearia ampla dus horis inter-
midiis.  (A useful demulcent mixture in chronic  bronchitis.)

  R Decocti Althaeae, fjvi.;  Decocti Glycirrhizae, fji. ; Tincturae  Opii Camphoratae,
ftij. ;  Sirupi Hemidesmi, fji., M.  Fiat  mistura,  capiat cochleare amplum tussi ur-
gente.   (In the troublesome  cough of phthisis,  and of chronic bronchitis.)
                                EPISPASTICS.
  R Cantharidum, in  crasso pulvere,  jiv.;  Acidi  Pyrolygnei concentrati, fjij.;
Spiritus Vini rectificati, Oj.   Digere in vase vitreo clauso per dies tres, dein exprime
et cola; Tinctura destillat calore gradiis 160° F. ad idoneam spissitudinem.  (By
this process a sirupy-looking extract is  obtained, which, spread thinly on paper and
applied to the  skin, vesicates rapidly and freely.)

  R Terebinthinae Vulgaris ; Mastiche, ana, partes  sex ; Cantharidum, in pulvere,
partes duas ; Euphorbiee Pulveris, partem unam, M.   (For a perpetual blister, or to
act as a powerful counter-irritant.) 
424
FORMULAE.
  R Euphorbiae, in pulvere subtilo, gr. xxx.; Adipis praeparati, ji., M.   Fiat ungu
entum.   (An excellent issue ointment: see page 205 )

  R Olei Terebinthinae, fji. ;  Vitelli Ovi unius ; Tincturae Capsici, fjiss. ;  Cetacei,
jss.; Tere bene, et adde inter terendum, Olei Olivae, fjiij.  Fiat linimentum.   (An
excellent rubefacient liniment.)

  R Linimenti Ipecacuanhae (page 205);  Linimenti Ammoniae, ana, p. ae., M.   Fiat
linimentum.  (An excellent counter-irritant applied with friction.)
                             EXPECTORANTS.

  R Sirupi Hemidesmi, fjiv. ; Tincturae Balsami Tolutani, fjss. ;  Tincturae  Opn
Camphoratae, fy.; Vini Ipecacuanhae, fsiij. ; Sirupi Simplicis, fjiij.,  M.  Fiat si-
rupus expectorans. cujus sumat cochleare amplum quaque secunda hora. (In chronic
bronchitis.)

  R Vini  Ipecacuanhae, ftiij.; Sirupi Tolutani,  f;v. ; Mucilaginis Acaciae, fji., M.
Fiat mistura, capiat cochleare parvum omni hora vel quaque secunda hora.—Cheyne.
(For children threatened with an attack of croup or bronchitis.)

  R Antimonii et Potassae Tartratis, gr. ij.; Aquae destillatae,  fjvij.; Aquae Lauro-
cerasi, fjij. ; Sirupi Simplicis, f3vj., M.  Fiat mistura, de qua sumatur cochleare am-
plum bihorio.  (In acute  attacks of catarrh  and bronchitis, combined with general
antiphlogistic treatment.)

  R Pulveris Senegae, gr. xxx. ;  Carbonatis Sodae siccati, gr. vj. ;  Pulveris scillae,
gr. j.; Sacchari Puri, gr. xij., M.  Divide in pulveres sex,  Capiat unum quarta qua-
que hora.   (In the advanced stages of hoopingcough and bronchitis in  children.)

  R Tincturae Lobeliae ^Ethereae  (page 215), f3ij.;  Misturae  Amygdalarum, fjij.;
Succi Conii (page 264), f3ij. ; Sirupi Hemidesmi, fjiiisss.,  M.  Fiat mistura, cujus
capiat cochleare amplum tertiis horis.  (An excellent mixture in asthma and  in
paroxysmal coughs.)

  R Pilulae Ipecacuanhae compositae, 3J.; Styracis Colati, 3ss.;  Pulveris Lobeliae, gr.
xij., M.  Divide in pilulas viginti quatuor,  e  quibus sumantur duae  sextis horis.
'In old cases of bronchitis and in humoral asthma.)
                                NARCOTICS.

  R Succi Belladonna; (page 222), f3iv. ; Misturae Camphorae, fjvj.; Sirupi Rhoeados,
fjiss., M.   Fiat mistura, cujus capiat cochleare  amplum sextis horis.   An excel-
lent anodyne in neuralgia and tic doloureux.)

  R Tincturae Belladonnae (page 222), f3ij.; Linimenti Saponis cum Opio, fjviij., M.
Fiat linimentum anodynum, saepe utendum.  (In neuralgic pains  and in painful
glandular enlargements.)

  R Unguenti  Belladonnae, jij. ; Camphorae, rasae et  redactae, 3L ; Tincturae Opii
Camphoratae, f3i., M.  Fiat unguentum.  (An excellent application to painful hoemor-
rhoids, and along the urethra in chordee.)

  R Tincturae Cannabis, f3i. ; Mucilaginis Gummi Arabici, f3ij.; Aquae Cinnammni,
fjiss., M.   Fiat haustus, statim sumendus et repetatur secundis horis vel saepius si
minetur morbus.  (In tetanus, or hydrophobia; half the above quantity may be taken
every five or six hours in sciatica and other neuralgic pains.)

  R Succi Hyoscyami (page 226), f3ss. ; Misturae Camphorae, fjij. ; Sirupi Rhoeados,
fjij.. M.  Fiat haustus hora  somni sumendus,  et  repetatur alterna hora  si  non dor-
miat.   (An excellent narcotic draught in cases where, from any cause, opium is in-
admissible.) 
FORMULAE.
425
  R Tincturae Lactucarii, fji. ; Aquae destillatae, fji.; Aquae Lauro-cerasi, min. xx.,
Sirupi  Simplicis, fjij., M.  Fiat haustus mane et sero sumendus.  (An excellent
anodyne draught in phthisis.)

  R Lupulinae, gr. viij. ; Mucilaginis, q. s.  Fiant  pilulae duae, hora decubitus su-
mendae.  (A doubtful narcotic, used sometimes in the restlessness and watchfulness
of mania and other nervous affections.)

  R Morphiae  Muriatis, gr. * ;  Extracti  Glycirrhizae, gr. ij.,  M.  Fiat pilula, hor£
somni sumat.   (For relieving pain and procuring rest.)

  R Muriatis  Morphiae  Solutionis (Ed. Phar.), min. xxx. ;  Aquae Florum Aurantii,
fji.; Sirupi Aurantii, fjss., M.  Fiat haustus pacificus, hora somni sumendus.  (An
excellent anodyne draught.)

  R Morphiae  Sulphatis, gr. ss.; Acidi Sulphurici diluti, min. ij.; Aquae destillatae,
fjij. ;  Sirupi Limonum, fjss., M.  Fiat  solutio, duabus vicibus sumenda.   (An ex-
cellent anodyne where night-watchings are troublesome.)

  R Pilulae Saponis cum Opio, gr. xx.; Campnorae, rasae  et  redactae, 3SS. ;  Muci-
 aginis, q. s., M.   Divide in pilulas  xij., capiat unam quaque sexta hora.  (In pria-
pism and irritation of the neck of the bladder.)

  R Tincturae  Stramonii (page 245), min. xv. ; Aquae destillatae, fji. ; Sirupi Limo-
num, fjss., M.  Fiat haustus  tertiis horis repetendus donee dolor mitescat.   (Ex-
ceedingly useful in tic doloureux, sciatica,  and all forms of chronic disease attended
with acute pain.)

  R Extracti Stramonii, gr. ij. ; Extracti Hyoscyami, gr. vj.; Extracti Humuli, 3SS.,
M.   Divide in pilulas duodecim, quarum capiat  unam quarta quaque hora dolorem
lenire.  (In painful nervous affections, and in all forms of chronic disease attended
with acute pain.)
                             REFRIGERANTS.

  R Acetosellae, jj.;  Aquae ferventis, fjviij.; Infunde per horam in vase clauso,
exprime  et cola, dein  adde Sirupi Mori, fjij.  Fiat mistura, de qua sumatur coch-
learia ampla  duo subinde.  (An  agreeable  refrigerant in febrile and inflammatory
disorders.)

  R Succi spissati Sambuci, jss.  ; Aquae aestillatae, fjviij.; Tere simul ut fiat solu-
tio, dein  adde, Nitratis Potassae, 3SS., et solve.   Capiat  cochleare amplum bihorio
(A useful refrigerant in hoemoptysis with active inflammation.)

  R Sirupi Aceti, fjij. ; Aquae destillatae, fjviij., M.  Fiat mistura, capiat cochleare
amplum subinde.  (To allay thirst in febrile affections.)

  R Nitratis  Potassae, gr. xv.; Aquae destillatae, fjiss.;  Sirupi Limonum,  f3ij., M
Fiat haustus, ter in die sumendus.   (In active hoemorrhages.)

  R Sodae Bicarbonatis, 9i.; Aquae, fjiss.; Sirupi Simplicis, f3ij., M.  fiat haustus
in effervescentia cum succi Limonum recentis cochleari magno, subinde sumendus.
(To allay thirst in febrile and inflammatory disorders.)
                 SEDATIVES OR CONTRA-STIMULANTS.

  R Acidi Hydrocyanici, min. j. ; Aquae  destillatae, f3vij.; Sirupi Simplicis, f3i-, M
Fiat haustus quaque secunda hora sumendus donee evanescant symptomata.  (In
gastric irritability, in nervous palpitations, in angina pectoris, &c.)

  R Tincturae Aconiti (page 259), min. v.; Misturae Camphorae, ji., M.  Fiat haustus
quartis horis sumendus  donee dolor mitescat.  (Most useful in acute rheumatism
and in neuralgia; its effects should be  carefully watched.)
                                    H H H 
426
FORMULAE.
   R Tincturae Aconiti (page 259); Succi Conii (page ggg), ana, ljss., M.  Sit pro
 lotione.   (Exceedingly useful applied over the seat of the pain in tic doloureux.)

   R Extracti Alcoholici Aconiti (p. 259), gr. ij. ; Myristicae Adipis, gr. xviij. ; Mu-
 cilaginis. q. s., ut  fiat massula.  Divide in pilulas sex quarum sumatur una sextis
 horis.   (In chronic rheumatism and other painful affections.)

   R Succi Conii (page 264), f3vj.; Sirupi Aurantii,  f3X.; Aquae Cinnamomi, fjyj., M.
 Fiat mistura, cujus capiat cochleare amplum  ter de die.  (In chronic  rheumatism,
 in neuralgia, and in painful spasmodic diseases.)

   R Creasoti, min. ij., Mucilaginis  Gummi  Arabici, f3J.; Aquae  destillatae, fji. ;
 Spiritus  Myristicae, fjss., M.  Fiat  haustus quaque secunda hora sumendus. donee
 sedantur vomitiones.   (In obstinate vomitings.)

  R Succi Digitalis (page 266), min. xij.; Misturae Camphorae, fjj.;  Sirupi Aurantii,
fiij.; Acidi Hydrocyanici, min. j., M.  Fiat haustus, bis terve in die sumendus.   (An
excellent remedy in nervous palpitations.)

  R Cyanidi Potassi, gr. j.; Aquae destillatae, fjiiiss.; Sirupi Limonum, fjss., M.
Divide in haustus octo, sumatur unus pro  dosi.—Donovan.   (Used as a substitute
for hydrocyanic acid.)
                           GENERAL STIMULANTS.

   R ^Etheris Sulphurici, f3J.; Cetacei, gr. ij.; Tere simul et gradatim adde Aquae
 Menthae Piperitae, fjj.  Fiat haustus.  (In  nervous headache  s>asmodic  colic,
 fainting, &c.)

   R Spiritus  ^Etheris Sulphurici, f3J. ; Misturae Camphorae,  fji.;  Tincturae Carda-
 momi compositae,  fjij., M.   Fiat haustus statim sumendus, et repetatur bihorio mo-
 lestante flatulentia.   (In flatulent colic.)

   R Spiritus ^Etheris Sulphurici  compositi, f3ss.; Tincturae Opii, min. x. ; Misturae
 Camphorae, fjj.; Spiritus Anisi  compositi, fji., M.   Fiat  haustus sextis horis su-
 mendus.  (A useful stimulant in  the low stages of fever.)

   R Carbonatis Ammoniae, gr. v.; Misturae Camphorae, fji.  ; Infusi Arnicae (page
 287);  Spiritus Armoraciae compositi, ana, fsii., M.  Fiat haustus, quaque seconda
 hora sumendus.  (In adynamic febrile affections.)

   R Olei Cajuputi, min. v. ; Mucilaginis Tragacanthae, f3i.; Tere simul et adde, Tn-
 fusi Caryophyllorum, fjiss.  ; Tincturae Ammoniaae  compositi, rnin. vj., M.  Fiat
 haustus.  (In hysterical and nervous affections.)

   R Spiritus ^Etheris Sulphurici,  f^i.; Solutionis Muriatis Morphiae, min. xv.; Aquae
 Menthae Piperitae, fji., M.   Fiat haustus statim sumendus, et repetatur, si opus  sit,
 quarta parte horae.   (A powerful  stimulating  antispasmodic; very useful in spasm
 of the stomach and in spasmodic  colic.)

   R Calcis Chlorinatae, 3ij.  ; Aquae destillatae, Oj. ;  Solve et cola, dein  adde, Mel-
 lis despumati, jj.  Fiat gargarisma, saepe utenda, priiis phiala concussa.   An  ex-
 ceedingly useful gargle in excessive mercurial salivation.)

  R Calcis Chlorinatae, ji.;  Aquae destillatae, fjx.;  Solve et cola, dein adde, Acidi
 Prussici, f;i.   Fiat lotia ;  Signetur, Poison.   (An excellent  application in chronic
 cutaneous diseases, when itching and tingling are very troublesome.)

  R Camphorae, rasae et  redactae, 3'j. ;  Mucilaginis Gummi Arabici, fji. ; Aquae
destillatae, fjvij., M.   Fiat mistura, de qua sumatur cochleare amplum quartis ho-
ris.  (In cases of chronic  bronchitis in the old and debilitated.)

  R Camphorae rasae et redactae,  31J. ;  Lactis recentis, fjvj. ; Aquae Menthae Pule-
gii, fjij., M.   Fiat mistura cujus capiat cochleare amplum quarta quaque hora.    (In
the same cases as the above.) 
FORMULAE.
427
  R Camphorae rasae et redactae, gr. xij. ;  Carbonatis Ammoniae, gr. ix.; Extracti
Hyoscyami, gr. vj. ; Mucilaginis, q. s.  Fiat massula  et divide in pilulas sex, qua-
rum sumatur una bihorio.  (In the advanced stages of typhoid and nervous fevers.)

  R Cerevisiae Fermenti; Misturae Camphorae, ana, fjvi. ; Tincturae Arnicae (page
287),  f3ij., M.  Fiat mistura, de qua sumatur cochlearia tria ampla tertiis horis.
(An excellent stimulant in the advanced stages of fevers when nervous symotoms
predominate.)

  R Muriatis Ammoniae, 9j. ; Pulveris Aromatici, gr. vj. ;  Theriacae, q. s. ut fiat
bolus.   Capiat talem sexta quaque hora.  (For uses, see page 284.)

  R Potassi Sulphureti, gr. xl. ;  Aquae destillatae, fjvj. ; Sirupi Hemidesmi, fjij.,
M.  Fiat mistura, cujus capiat cochleare amplum ter  quaterve in die.   In rebell-
ious cutaneous diseases.)

  R Tincturae Sabadillae (page 315), fji. ; Tincturae Camphorae, fjii.; Spiritus Ros-
marini,  fjss., M.  Fiat  embrocatio cum panno laneo partibus dolentis applicanda.
(In neuralgia and in muscular pains.)

  R Liquoris Sodae Chlorinatae, f3iiss. ; Infusi Serpentariae, fjvj. ;  Sirupi Aurantii,
fjiss., M.   Fiat mistura ; Capiat cochlearia ampla duo quartis horis.  (In the ad-
vanced  stages of typhoid fever.)

  R Olei  Terebinthinae, fjiiss. ;  Mucilaginis Tragacanthae, fjss. ;  Infusi Armora-
ciae compositi, fjiij., M.  Capiat  cochleare  amplum  unum  quaque secunda  hora.
(A useful  stimulant in adynamic fevers.)

  R Olei Terebinthinae, fjss.;  Adipis Praeparati, jiss.; Olei Bergamotae, min. xh.,
M.  Fiat unguentum, mane nocteque applicandum.  (In chronic eczema and impet-
igo of the scalp.)
                          SPECIAL STIMULANTS.
   R Arsenici Iodidi, gr. ij.; Mannae durae, gr. xl.; Mucilaginis, q. s., M.  Fiat mas-
sula et divide  in  pilulas xx., quarum capiat unam ter  de die.  (In psoriasis and
lepra;  the dose should be gradually increased, until one fourth  of a grain  is taken
three times a day.)

   R Auri Iodidi, gr. j.; Pulveris Gummi  Arabici, gr. xxx.   Misce intime et divide
in partes aequales quindecim, e quibus sumatur una ter in die.  (In secondary, syphi-
litic affections ;  the dose should be gradually increased to one tenth of a grain.)

   R Auri Chloridi, gr. j.; Extracti Alcoholici Aconiti (page 259), gr. x. ;  Pulveris
Glycirrhizae, 9ij.; Sirupi, q.  s.  Misce intime et divide  massulam  in pilulas vigin-
ti, quarum sumatur  una ter  in  die.   (In secondary syphilitic affections attended
with much pain.)

   R Sodii  Auro-terchloridi, gr.  ij.; Mannae durae, gr. 1.  Tere bene simul, et ope
mucilaginis forma in pilulas  viginti quatuor, e quibus sumatur una ter in die.  (In
syphilitic affections,  both primary and secondary.)

   R Sodii Auro-terchloridi, gr. iv.; Solve in aquae destillatae, q. s.; Extracti Aco-
niti, 9ss.; Eztracti Dulcamarae, 3i-; Athaeae Radicis,  in pulvere, q. s., M.   Divide
in pilulas lxxx., quarum  capiat unam ter in  die.—Grotzner.  (Said to be very effi-
cacious in venereal skin  diseases.)

   R Sodii Auro-terchloridi,  gr. ij.; Aquae  destillatae, fji.; Sirupi  Simplicis, fjij.
M  Fiat solutio, de qui. sumantur guttae duodecim ter in die.  (One of the best forms
for administering  the preparations of gold, as the dose can be apportioned with
great accuracy.)

   R Copaibae, f3iij.;  Solutionis Alkalinae (Brandish), f3iss.;  Tere bene simul n mor-
tario vitreo dein adde inter terendum, Sirupi Limonum, fjss.  Fiat mistura, capiat
cochleare minimum ter in die ex cyatho aquae.  (This is an excellent form for ad-
ministering copaiva.) 
428
FORMULAE.
   Hydrargyri Iodidi rubri,  gr. j.;  Extracti  Gentianae;  Extracti Chamaemeli, ana,
 jss.. M.  Divide in pilulas xij   Capiat unam mane nocteque.  (Alterative and tonic.)

   R Hydrargyri Iodidi rubri, gr. v.; Spiritus Vini Rectificati, fji.; Solve, dein adde,
 Aquae destillatae, fjij.; Iodidi Potassii, jij. ; Sirupi Aurantii, fjss., M.   Fiat solutio,
 cujus  sumantur min. xx.  ter  in die.   (In  secondary syphilitic affections ; every
 twenty minims contain a twelfth of a grain of iodide of mercury and two grains of
 iodide of potassium.)

   R Indigo (aquae guttis nonnullis subacta), jij. to jss.; Pulveris Aromatici, gr. xv.
 to gr.  xxx. ; Sirupi Simpicis, fjss. to fji., M.   Fiat electuarium sumendum in die
 in portionibus divisis.   (For uses, see page 346.)

   R Iodinii, gr. iv.; ^Etheris Sulphurici, fji., Solve.  Capiat guttas decern ter in die.
 (This  is Magendie's ethereal tincture of iodine.)

   R Potassii Bromidi, gr. xv.; Aquae Florum Aurantii,  fjiij. ;  Sirupi Aurantii, fji.,
 M.  Fiat mistura, cujus capiat partem quartam sexta quaque hora.  (In chronic en-
 largements of the  liver and spleen.)

   R Olei Morrhuae, fjiv. ; Aquae Potassae Carbonatis, fjss.; Sirupi Limonum, fjij.;
 Aquae  Carui, fjiss.;  Spiritus Carui, fjss., M.  Fiat mistura, cujus sumantur coch-
 learia  ampla duo ter in die.   (In the cases in which cod-liver oil is indicated :  see
 page 348.)

   R Olei Morrhuae, fjss.; Liquoris  Potassae,  fjss. ; Adipis praeparati, q. s., M.  Fiat
 unguentum, saepe utendum.   (In scrofulous ulcerations,  and in obstinate cutaneous
 diseases.)

  R Strychniae,  gr. j.;  Acidi Sulphurici  diluti, min. ij.  ; Spiritus Vini Rectificati,
 fjj. ; Aquae destillatae, fjxj., M.  Fiat solutio, cujus capiat cochleare minimum ter
 in die.  (Each fluid-drachm contains a twelfth of a grain of strychnia in the state
 of sulphate.)

  R Strychniae,  gr. j.;  Acidi Acetici, min. iv. ; Spiritus Vini Rectificati,  fjj., M.
 Fiat solutio, cujus sumantur  min.  v. ter in die.  (Every five  minums  contain  a
 twelfth of a grain of strychnia in the state of acetate.)

  R Strychniae, jss. ; Olei Olivae, fjiss., M.   (Ten drops to be rubbed over the tem-
ples three or four times a day in cases of amaurosis depending on paralvsis of the
optic nerve.)

  R Potassii Bromidi, jss.; Adipis  Praeparati, ji; Brominei, min. vj., M.   Fiat un-
guentum.  (About the size of a nut of this ointment should be rubbed over chronic
glandular enlargements twice daily.)
                                   TONICS.
  R Argenti Nitratis, gr. ij.; Fellis Bovini inspissati; Extracti Chamaemeli, ana,
3ss., M.  Divide in pilulas duodecim, quarum sumatur una mane meridieque.  (In
chronic affections of the stomach accompanied with much pain, but without organic
disease.)

  R Argenti Oxydi, gr. vj.; Extracti Artemisiae Absinthii, jj., M.   Divide in pilulas
xij., e quibus sumatur una ter in die. (In angina pectoris, epilepsy, chorea, &c.)

  R Iodinei Liquors compositi (E.), ftss. ; Liquoris Arsenicalis, fjiss., M.   Fiat
mistura, cujus capiat min. v  ter in die e cyatho vinario misturae sequentis.
  R Infusi  Absinthii (page  359);  Sirupi Aurantii, ana, fjiv., M.  (This combination
of iodine and  arsenite of potash will be  found  very  effectual  in the treatment of
chronic cutaneous affections of a scaly character.)

  R Bismuthi Subnitratis, gr. 1. ;  Pilulae Colocynthidis compositi, ji. ; Sirupi Zingi-
beris, q. s., M.   Fiant pilulae  xxiv., quarum capiat duas mane meridieque.   (In
pyrosis with constipation.) 
POSOLOGICAL TABLE.
429
  R Cetrarin (page 372), gr. xxiv. ; Extracti Calumbae (page 370), 3SS., M.   Divide
in pilulas  xij., quarum sumatur una quarta quaque hora per dies duos febre aggre-
diente.  (An excellent febrifuge.)

  R Tincturae Chirettae (page 373,) fjss. ;  Liquoris Cinchonae (page 381), fjij. ; In-
fusi Cascarillae, fjviss. ; Sirupi Aurantii, f3vj., M.  Fiat mistura, cujus capiat coch-
learia ampla duo ter in die.  (An excellent tonic mixture in convalescence from
acute diseases.)

  R Quinae Muriatis, gr. xij.; Acidi Muriatici diluti, min. v. ; Aquae destillatae, fjvj.;
Sirupi Florum Aurantii, fjij., M.   Fiat mistura, Capiat cochlearia ampla duo ter in
die.  (A useful tonic mixture in chronic debility.)

  R Ferri Ammonio-tartratis, 9ij.; Aquae destillatae, fjvj.; Sirupi Hemidesmi, fjij.,
M.   Fiat  mistura, cuius capiat cochlearia ampla duo ter in die.  (A mild chalybeate
tonic.)

  R Ferri Carbonatis  Saccharati, 3ss. ;  Pulveris Myrrhae, gr. xxiv.;  Pulveris Aro-
matici, 3ss., M.  Divide in partes aequales duodecim, quarum sumatur una ter in die.
(An excellent combination in the protracted diarrhoeas of infancy and childhood.)

  R Ferri Iodidi,, jss.;  Croci, in pulvere, 3ij.; Sacchari  puri,  jiv., M.  Fiant Tro-
chisci, No. 120 ; sumantur sex usque ad decern quotidie.—Pierquin.   (An agreeable
mode of administering the iodide of iron in amenorrhcea and chlorosis.)

  R Salicin (page  406), gr. xvj. ; Infusi Gentianae compositi, fjvj. ; Sirupi Hemi-
desmi, fjij., M.   Capiat cochlearia ampla duo ter in  die.  (An excellent  tonic  in
convalescence from acute diseases of the digestive organs.)

  R Saliein, 9ij.;  Pulveris Aromatici, 3i-, M.  Divide in partes aequales duodecim,
quarum capiat unam quarta quaque hora per dies duos, febre aggrediente.   (An ex-
cellent substitute for disulphate of quina.)
                   B.  POSOLOGICAL   TABLE.

  The doses in this table are those adapted for an  adult, but the ordinary propor-
tion, according to the age of the patient, may be regulated by the following rules:
The dose for an adult being 1, suppose 31-;  under one year it will be from l-16th
to l-12th, that is, from gr. iv. to gr. v. ;  at two years old, l-8th or gr. viij. ;  at three
years old, l-6th or gr. x. ; at four years old, \ or gr. xv. ; at seven years old, \ or
9i. ; at fourteen years old,  £ or 3SS. ; at twenty years  old,  §  or 9ij. ; and from
twenty to sixty, a  full dose.                        .
  [The ratio of doses for children in this table requires essential modification to
adapt it to numerous articles employed in medicine ; for if the doses be reduced by
this scale, many of them will be inert.   For example, the maximum dose of calomel
as a cathartic is here set down at 6 grs. for an adult; a child under one year would
take less than £ a  grain.  The ordinary dose of tart, antimon., 2 grs., as an emetic,
reduced l-16th, would be but the l-8th of a grain, which would be useless as  an
emetic ;  and so of a multitude of other articles.   Indeed, of any of the active ca-
thartics'  a child seven years old will require half the dose of an adult, and under
one year, one fourth, or one eighth at the least, of that required at maturity.  In the
use of narcotics and  other active poisons, the cautious reduction of the dose for
children here required is discreet, but no practical man in the United States is  ri-
gidly governed by  the scale of the author.]

                                                        3ss. to 3i.
                                                        f3ij. to fjss.
Absinthium .
Acetum
-------Colchici
-------Opii
.-------Scillae
Acidum Benzoicum
-------Citricum
_______Hydrocyanicum
f3ss. to fjij.
min. viij. to min. xxv.
f3ss. to f3iss.
gr. v. to gr. xxx.
9i. to 3i-
min. i. to min. ij. 
430
POSOLOGICAL  TABLE.
Acidum Muriaticum dilutum, D.  .
-------Muriaticum dilutum, L. E
-------Nitricum dilutum, D.
-------Nitricum dilutum, L. E
-,------Nitro-muriaticum
-------Phosphoricum dilutum
-------Sulphuricum dilutum
.-------Sulphuricum aromaticum
        Tartaricum
Aconiti pulvis
./Ether Nitrosus  .
------Sulphuricus
Allium sativum
Aloe Socotrina vel Indica
Aloe Hepatica vel Barbadensis
Alumen     ....
Ammoniacum
Ammoniae aqua  .
---------bicarbonas .
---------carbonas (Antacid)
-----------------(Emetic)
-----------------(Stimulant)
---------hydrosulphas
---------murias
Anethi fructus
Angelicae fructus .
-------- radix
Ainsi fructus
Anthemis nobilis .
Antimonii oxydum  nitromuriaticum
Antimonii sulphuretum
---------------------aureum
Antimonium tartarizatum (Diaphoretic)
---------------------— (Emetic)
----------------------■ (Expectorant)
-----------------------(Sedative)
Aqua Ammoniae acetatis
--------------carbonatis
-----Anethi
-----Barytae  muriatis .
-----Calcis
-----------Composita
-----------Muriatis  .
-----Carui .
-----Cassiae
-----Chalybeata
-----Chlorinii
-----Cinnamomi
-----Foeniculi
-----Lauro-cerasi
-----Laxativa Viennensis
-----Magnesiae bicarbonatis
-----Menthae piperitae
------------pulegii .
------------tviridis  .
Pimentae
Potassae
 carbonatis
• effervescens
 sulphureti
Sodae carbonatis
      effervescens
Argenti nitras
------- oxydum .
Arsenicum album
Arsenici iodidum
gtt. x. to gtt. XXT
fjss. to fji.
gtt. x. to gtt. xx.*
ftss. to f3i.
gtt. x. to gtt. jiX
min. xx. to fji.
min. x. to inin. xx,
min. x. to min xx
gr. x. to  3ss.
gr. iij. to gr. xij.
min. x. to min. xxx
f3ss. to fjij.
jss. to jj.
gr. iij. to gr. xv.
gr. ij. to  gr. v.
gr. x. to  3SS.
gr. x. to  3SS.
min. x. to min. xxs
gr. v. to  gr. xxv.
gr. v. to  gr. xx.
gr. xxx.  to gr. xl.
gr. v. to  gr. xv.
min. iv. to min.  vj.
gr. v. to  gr. xxx
gr. x. to  3i
3ss. to 3L
gr. x. to  3ss.
gr. x. to 3ss.
3SS. to jij.
gr. iij. to gr. x.
gr. x. to  31J.
gr. j. to gr. iv.
gr. l-12th to gr. 1-lGth.
gr. ij. to gr. v.
gr. 1-16th to gr. l-10th.
gr. j. to gr. iij.
fjss. to fjj.
min. xxx. to min. xl.
fjss. to fjiij.
min. v. to min. x.
fji. to fjiv.
fjij. to fjiv
min. xxx. to f3ij.
fji. to fjiv.
fji. to fjiv.
fjij. to fjiij.
f3SS. to fjij.
fji. to fjiv.
fji. to fjiv.
fjss. to fji.
fjij. to fjiv
fjss. to fjiss.
fji. to fjij.
fji. to fjij.
fji. to fjij.
fji. to fjij.
min. x. to min.  xl.
min. x. to fji.
fjij. to fjiv.
min. x. to fji
fjss. to fji.
fjvj. to fjviij
gr. l-6th to gr. iij.
gr. ss. to gr. j.
gr. M6th to gr. Jth.
gr. 1-lOth  to gr. ^th. 
POSOLOGICAL  TABLE.
431
Artemisia santonica
Assafcetida  .
Auri iodidum
----perchloridum
----peroxydum  .
----pulvis  .

Balsamum Peruvianum
---------Tolutanum
Belladonnae folia  .
Belladonnae radix
Bismuthum album

Calamus aromaticus
Calomelas (Alterative)
---------(Antiphlogistic)
---------(Cathartic)
Calumba
Calx chlorinata   .
Cambogia
Camphora   .
Canella
Cantharis
Capsicum
Cardamine pratensis
Cardamomi fructus
Carui fructus
Caryophylli  .
Cascarilla    .
Cassiae cortex
Cassiae pulpa
Castoreum .
Catechu
Cerevisiae  fermentum
Cetrarin
Chiretta
Cinchonae  cortex (Antiperiodic)
---------------(Tonic)
Cinchonia   .
Cinnamomum
Colchici cormus   .
semina
Colocynthis .
Confectio aromatica
-------- aurantii
-------- opii
          piperis nigri
Conii folia
-----fructus
Conserva aurantii
--------rosae
--------rutae
Contrajerva .
Copaiba
Coriandri fructus .
Corrosivus sublimatus
Creasotum  .
Creta praeparata  .
Crocus sativus
Cubebae pulvis
Cumini fructus
Cupri sulphas (Astringent and Tonic)
_---------— (Emetic)
Cuprum ammoniatum  .
Cuspariae cortex  .
Dauci fructus
 gr. xx. to gr. xxx.
 gr. x. to jss.
 gr. l-15th to gr. l-10th
 gr. l-20th to gr. l-15th.
 gr. l-10th to gr. {th
 gr. }th to gr. iij.

 min. xx.  to min. xl.
 gr. x. to gr. xxx
 gr. ss. to gr. j.
 gr. 4 th to gr.  ss.
 gr. v. to gr. xx.

 gr. xx. to jj.
 gr. j. to gr. iij.
 gr. iij. to gr. v.
 gr. ij. to gr. vj,
 gr. x. to jss.
 gr. ij. to gr. v.
 gr. ij. to gr. v
 gr. v. to gr. x.
 gr. x. to jss.
 gr. ss. to gr. ij.
 gr. ij. to gr. viij
 3ij. to 3iij.
 gr. v. to gr. xx
 3i. to 3ij.
 gr. x. to 3SS.
 gr. x. to 9ij
 gr. x. to 3SS
 jss. to jiij.
 3i. to 3ij.
 gr. x. to 3i-
 fjij. to fjiij.
 gr. ij. to gr. v.
 gr. x. to gr. xx.
 3i. to 3ij.
 gr. x. to 9ij.
 gr. iij. to gr. v.
 gr. x. to 3ss.
 gr. ij. to gr. viij.
 gr. ij. to gr. v.
 gr. ij. to gr. viij.
 gr. xx. to 3i.
 3ij- to ji.
 gr. x. to 3i.
 3i. to jij.
 gr. v. to gr. x.
 gr. iij. to gr. vj
 3ij. to jj.
 3J. to jij.
 9j. to ji.
 9j. to 9i..
 min. x. to fjj.
 3ss. to jj.
 gr. l-12th to gr. Jth.
 min. j. to min. ij
 gr. x. to jij.
 gr. xij. to jj.
 9j. to jiij.
 gr.  x. to jss.
 gr.  ss. to gr. iij.
 gr.  xij. to gr. xv.
gr.  ss. to gr. v.
gr. x. to jss.
gr. xx. to 9ij. 
432
POSOLOGICAL  TABLE.
Decoctum Aloes compositum
■---------Althaeae
---------Bistortae
■---------Cetrariae
---------Cinchonae   .
---------Colocynthidis
---------Dulcamaras  .
---------Ergotae
---------Gei    .
---------Geoffroyae   .
---------Glycirrhizae .
---------Granati
---------Guaiaci compositum
---------Haematoxyli
---------Malvae .
---------Mezerei
---------Pyrolae
---------Quercus
---------Sarsaparillae
                       compositum
Senegae
Scoparii
Taraxaci
Tormentillae
Tussilaginis
Ulmi  .
Uvae-ursi
Delphinia
Digitalis (Diuretic)
--------(Sedative)
Drymis aromatica

Elaterina
Elaterium
Electuarium aromaticum
         — Catechu compositum
Cassiae
Opii .
Sennae
Ergota .
Essence of Ginger
—-------Pennyroyal
      ----Peppermint
         ~ Spearmint
Extractum Aconiti
         alcoholicum
 Aloes .
 Anthemidis
 Artemisiae absinthii
 Belladonnae
 Calumbae  .
 Cannabis  .
 Cinchonae .
 Chamaemeli
 Colchici
--------aceticum
Colocynthidis
 Conii .
 Digitalis
 Gentiana  .
 Haematoxyli
■ Humuli lupuli
■ Hyoscyami
- Jalapae, D. L.
■ Jalapae, E. .
compositum
fjss. to fjij.
fjj. to fjij.
fji. to fjij.
fjj. to fjiv.
fjj. to fjij.
fjij. to fjss.
fjj. to fjij.
fjss. to fjj.
fjss. to fjj.
fjss. to fjj.
fjj. to fjij.
fjss. to fjj.
fjij. to fjiv
fji. to fjij.
fjiv. to fjvj.
fjiv. to fjv
fji. to fjij.
fjj. to fjiv.
fjiv. to fjviij
fjiv. to fjvj.
fjij. to fjiij.
fji. to fjiv.
fji. to fjij.
fji. to fjiss.
fjij. to fjiij.
fjiv. to fjiv.
fjj. to fjiij.
gr. l-12th to gr. Jth.
gr. ss. to gr. j.
gr. j. to gr. iij.
9i. to jj.

gr. l-20th to gr. l-10th
gr. l-16th to gr. \th
gr. x. to gr. xl.
9i. to 3ij-
3ij- to jj.
gr. x. to 3J.
3ii. to jss.
 9i. to ji.
min. xx. to min. xl.
 gtt. xx. to  gtt.  xxx.
 gtt. xx. to  gtt.  xxx.
 gtt. xx. to  gtt.  xxx.
 gr. ij. to gr. viij.
 gr. 4th to gr. j.
 gr. v. to gr. xv.
 gr. x. to jss.
 gr. x. to gr. xx.
 gr. ss. to gr. iv.
 gr. v. to gr. xx.
 gr. x. to gr. xij
 gr. v. to gr. xx
 gr. x. to 3ss.
 gr. j. to gr. iij.
 gr. j. to gr. iij.
 gr. v. to 9j.
 gr. v. to gr. xv.
 gr. iij. to gr. v.
 gr. |th to gr. ith
 gr. x. to 3ss.
 gr. x. to gr. xxx.
 gr. v. to gr. xx.
 gr. v. to gr. xv.
 gr. x. to 9j.
 gr. iij. to gr. x. 
POSOLOGICAL TABLE.
Extractum Krameriae
---------Lactucae
 Menyanthes
 Nucis-vomicae
 Opii  .
 Papaveris
 Pareirae
 Quassiae
 Quercus
 Rhei  .
 Rutae .
 Sabadillae
 Sarsaparillae
----------fluidum
Scammonii
Stramonii
Taraxaci
Uvae-ursi
Fel Bovinum inspissatum
Ferri Acetas
----Ammonio-chloridum
----Ammonio-citras .
----Ammonio-tartras
----Bromidum .
----Carbonas saccharatum
----Citras
----Cyanuretum
----et Quinae Citras .
----Iodidum
----Lactas
----Limatura  .
----Oxydum Nigrum
-----------■ Rubrum
----Pernitras  .
----Sulphas
----Exsiccatus .
Ferrum Tartarizatum .
Fceniculi Fructus

Galbanum   .
Gentiana
Geofftoyae  Cortex
Geum Urbanum  .
Gigartina Helminthocorton
Granatum   .
Guaiaci Resina  .

Helleborus Niger .
Hydrargyri Acetas
--------- Bicyanidum
--------- Biniodidum
—.-------Iodidum
_--------Oxydum rubrum
.      ----Sulphuretum nigrum
Hydrargyrum cum Creta
_____.----------Magnesia
Hyoscyami Folia .
_____I---Semina

Indigo .
Infusum Absinthii
-------Anthemidis  .
______. Armoraciae compositum
_----- Arnicas  .
_.-----Aurantii compositum
In
gr. xx. to gr. xl.
9i. to 3J-
gr. x. to jss.
gr. ss. to gr. iij
gr. ss. to gr. iv.
gr. ij. to gr. xx.
gr. x. to jss.
gr. v. to gr. xv.
gr. x. to jj.
gr. x. to jss.
gr. x. to gr. xx.
gr. $th to gr. 4th.
3ss. to 3ij.
fjss. to fji.
gr. ij. to gr. v.
gr. 3th to gr. ss.
gr. x. to 3ss.
gr. v. to gr. xv.

gr. v. to gr. x.
min. v. to min. xx.
gr. v. to gr. xv.
gr. v. to gr. viij.
gr. v. to gr. viij.
gr. iij. to gr. viij.
gr. v. to gr. xxx.
gr. v. to gr. viij.
gr. iij. to gr. vj.
gr. iij. to gr. vj.
gr. ij. to gr. v.
gr. vj. to gr. xij.
gr. x. to 3SS.
gr. v. to gr. xx.
3ss. to jiv.
min. xx. to min. xxx.
gr. j.  to gr. v.
gr. ss. to gr. iij.
gr. v. to gr. xx.
3ss. to 3i.

gr. x. to gr. xx.
gr. x. to gr. xxx.
gr. xv. to gr. xxx.
3SS. to 3i.
gr. x. to 3ij.
3ss. to jj.
gr. x. to jss.

gr. iij. to gr. xij.
gr. j.  to gr. iij.
gr. l-12th to gr. £tn.
gr. l-16th to gr. |th.
gr. j.  to gr. iij.
gr. Jth to gr. ss.
gr. v. to jss.
gr. x. to 3ss.
gr. x. to 3ss.
gr. v. to gr. x.
gr. iij. to gr. viij.

gr. v. to gr. x.
fjj. to fjij.
fjj. to fjij.
fjj. to fjij.
f3ij. to fjss.
fjj. to fjij. 
434
POSOLOGICAL TABLE.
Infusum Buchu   .
--------Calumbae
--------Caryophylli   .
-------Cascarillae
-------- Catechu compositum
-------Centaurei
-------- Chamaemeli   .
-------Chirettae
------— Cinchonae
-------Cnici Benedicti
-------Cuspariae
--------Digitalis (Diuretic).
----------------(Sedative)
-------Ergotae  .
-------GaUae   .
-------Gentianae compositum
-------Granati radicis
--------Krameriae
--------Lauri nobilis .
-------Lini
-------Lupuli   .
-------Marrubii
-------Melissae .
       — Menthae simplex   .
                  compositum
- Menyanthis
— Pareirae .
- Quassiae.
- Rhei
~ Rosae acidum.
~ Sabinae  .
- Sarsaparillae compositum
— Sassafras
— Scoparii.
— Senegae .
~ Sennae  compositum
--------cum Tamarindis
— Serpentariae
— Simarubae
— Spigeliae.
— Valerianae
Inula Helenium   .
Ipecacuanha (Emetic)  .
-----------(Expectorant)  .

Jalapa.....

Kino.....
Krameria    ....

Lactucarium
Linum  Catharticum
Liquor  Ammoniae .
                  sesquicarbonatis
 Arsenicalis
 Arsenici et Hydrargyri hydriodatis
 Calcis
 Cinchonae  .
 Hydrargyri bichloridi
 Iodinei compositus   .
 Potassae   .
--------carbonatis  .
-----■— effervescens
 Potassii iodidi compositus
 Sodae chlorinatae
------ effervescens
fji. to fjij.
fji. to fjiij.
fjj. to fjij.
fjj. to fjij.
fji. to fjij.
fjj. to fjij.
fjj. to fjij.
fjj. to fjij.
fjj. to fjiij.
fjiss. to fjiij.
fji. to fjij.
fjij. to fjss.
fji. to fjij.
f3SS. to fjj.
fjss. to fjij.
fjj. to fjij.
fjss. to fjiss.
fjj. to fjij.
fjss. to fjij.
fjij. to fjiv.
fji. to fjij.
fjiij. to fjiv.
fjij. to fjiv.
f?j. to fjij.
fjj. to fjiij.
fjj. to fjij.
fjj. to fjiv.
fji. to fjij.
fjj. to fjiv.
fjj. to fjij.
fjss. to fjj.
fjiv. to  fjvj
fjj. to fjij.
fjj. to fjij.
fjij. to fjiij.
fjij. to fjiv.
fjij. to fjiv.
fji. to fjij.
fjj. to fjij.
fjij. to fjiv.
fjj. to fjij.
9j. to 3ij.
gr. xij.  to  gr. xx.
gr. ith to gr. ij.

gr. x. to gr.  xxx

gr. x. to 3SS.
gr. x. to 3SS.

gr. v. to gr.  x«.
3J. to 3iss.
min.  x. to min. xxx.
min.  xxx. to min. Ix,
min.  v. to min. x.
min.  x. to min. xxx.
fjj. to fjiv.
min.  xx. to fjss.
fjss.  to fjij.
min.  v. to min. xv.
min.  x. to min. xl.
min.  x. to fjj.
fjij. to fjviij.
fjj. to fjss.
min.  xx. to min.  xxx
ivr\.  to fsviii. 
POSOLOGICAL TABLE*
42o
Liquor Taraxaci .
-----Tartari Emetici
Lupulina    ....

Magnesia (Antacid)
-------(Cathartic)  .
Magnesiae carbonas (Antacid)
                   (Cathartic)
Sulphas
Manna
Mannite
Mel Rosae
Menyanthes .
Mistura Ammoniaci
■------Amygdalarum
-------Assafcetidae
-------Camphorae
                   cum Magnesia
 Cascarillae composita
 Creasoti .
 Cretae
 Ferri composita
-----aromatica
 Gentianae composita
 Guaiaci
 Monesiae .
 Moschi
 Scammonii
 Spiritus Vini Gallic!
Monesia
Morphia
Morphiae Acetas  .
--------Murias  .
Moschus
Mucuna Pruriens .
Myristica Moschata
Myrrha

Nephrodium Filix-mas.
Nux-vomica.

Oleum Amygdalae Amarae
------Anethi
------Anisi
------Anthemidis
------Cajuputi  .
------Carui
------Caryophylli
------ Cassiae
------Cinnamomi
------Copaibae  .
------Crotonis  .
------Cubebae
------Euphorbiae Lathyris
------ Filicis Maris
------Fceniculi  .
------Juniperi  .
------Lavandulae
------Limonum .
______Menthae Piperitae
______.-------Pulegii
______________Viridis
------Morrhuae  .
------Myristicae .
.------Olivae
Origani
min. x. to min. xl.
min. xx.  to min. xxx.
gr. vj. to gr. xij.

gr. x. to  gr. xv.
9j. to jj.
gr. xv. to jss.
3i. to 3ij.
3ij. to ji
ji. to jij
jss.  to jj
3ij. to 3iv.
gr. x. to  3SS
fjss. to fjj
fji. to fjij.
fjss. to fjiss.
fji. to fjij.
fjss. to fjj.
fji. to fjiss.
fji. to fjij.
fjj. to fjij.
fji. to  fjij.
fjj. to fjij.
fjj. to fjij.
fjss. to fjij
fjss. to fjij.
fjj. to fjij.
fjj. to fjij.
fjss. to fjiss.
gr. v. to gr. xv.
gr. 4th to gr. ss.
gr. 4th to gr. ss.
gr. 4th to gr. ss.
gr. x. to gr. xx
3J. to jss.
gr. x. to gr. xxx.
gr. x. to gr. xxx

3j. to 3iij.
gr. v. to gr. xx.

min. 4th to min. £.
min. j, to min. v.
min. ij. to min. viij.
min. i. to min. v.
min. v. to min. x
min. j. to min. x.
min. ij. to min. viij.
min. ij. to min. v.
min. j. to min. v.
min. xv. to min. xxx.
min. j. to min. ij.
min. x. to min. xxx.
min. iv.  to min. viij.
min. xx. to min. xxx.
min. ij. to min. x.
min. v. to min. x
min. ij. to min. v
min. ij. to min.
min. ij. to min. v.
min. ij. to min. v.
min. ij. to min. v
fjss. to fjj.
min. j. to min. v.
fjj.  to fjij.
min. j. to min. iij. 
436
POSOLOGICAL  TABLE.
Oleum Pimentae  .
------Ricini
------Rosmarini
------Sabinae
------Sassafras .
------Terebinthinae (Anthelmintic)
-------------------(Cathartic)
(Diuretic)
(Stimulant)
Olibanum
Opium .
Opoponax
Oxymel
-------Colchici
-------Scillae (Emetic)
------------(Expectorant)

Pareira Brava
Pilulae Aloes compositae
----------— cum Myrrha
-----------et Assafoetidae
-----------et Ferri  .
-------ante Cibum
-------Asiaticae .
-------Assafoetidae
-------Calomelanos compositae
-------Calomelanos et Opii
-------Cambogiae  compositae
-------Colocynthidis compositae
                     et Hyoscyami
— Conii compositae
— Digitalis et Scillae
— e Styrace
— Ferri Carbonatis
------compositae
        Sulphatis
 Galbani compositae
 Gambogiae et Scammonii
 Hydrargyri (Alterative)
---------- (Cathartic)
---------- Iodidi
Ipecacuanhae compositae
             et Opii
 Opii sive Thebaicae
 Plumbi Opiatae
 Rhei
-----compositae
-----et Ferri  .
 Sagapeni compositae
 Saponis cum Opio
 Scillae compositae
Pimenta
Piper Longum
—— Nigrum
Piperin
Plumbi Acetas
------■ Iodidum
Polygonum Bistorta
Potassae Acetas (Cathartic)
                (Diuretic)
Bicarbonas
Bisulphas
Bitartras (Cathartic)
         (Diuretic)
Carbonas
Chloras
min. ij. to min. v,
fjss. to fjij.
min. ij. to min. v.
min. v. to min. vj.
min. ij. to min. x.
fjss. to fjij.
fjss. to fjiss.
min. x. to min. xxx
min. x. to min. xx.
3SS. to 3J.
gr. ss. to gr. iv.
gr. xx. to gr. xl.
f3J. to fji.
f3i. to f3ij.
fjj. to fjij.
min. x. to min. xxx.

3ss. to 3i.
gr. v. to gr. xv.
gr. x. to gr. xx.
gr. x. to gr. xv.
No. 1 to 3.
No. 1 to 2.
No. 1 to 2.
gr. x. to 9i.
gr. v. to gr. x.
No. 1 to 2.
gr. x. to gr. xx
gr. v. to gr. xv.
No. 1 to 3.
gr. v. to gr. x.
gr. iij.  to gr. v.
gr. iij.  to gr. x.
No. 1 to 4.
gr. x. to gr. xx.
gr. v. to gr. xv.
gr. x. to 9i.
gr. x. to gr. xx.
gr. iij. to gr. v.
gr. xij. to gr. xx.
gr. v. to gr. xv.
gr. v. to gr. xx.
gr. iv.  to gr. viij.
No. 1 to 3.
gr. viij. to gr. xij.
gr. v. to gr. xv.
gr. v. to 9i.
gr. x. to gr. xv.
gr. v. to gr. xx.
gr. iij. to gr. x.
gr. v. to gr. xv.
3ss. to 3i.
gr. v. to 9i.
gr. v. to gr. xx.
gr. iij. to gr. v.
gr. ij. to gr. viij.
gr. iij. to gr. v.
3SS. to 3i.
3ij. to 3iij.
gr. x. to gr. xx.
gr. x. to gr. xx
jss. to jiss.
3ifi. to 3VJ.
gr. xx. to 3i.
gr. v. to gr. xxx.
gr. x. to gr. xx. 
POSOLOGICAL TABLE.
437
Potassae Nitras (Diuretic)
------------- (Refrigerant)
-------Sulphas  .
                cum Sulphure
Tartras
Potassii Bromidum
-------Cyanidum
.-------Iodidum
.-------Sulphuretum .
Pulvis Aloes compositus
.-----------cum Canella
------Aluminis compositus
----— Antimonialis
.-----Aromaticus
.-----Cinnamomi compositus
.-----Cretae compositus
.----------------------cum
 Gallae
 Ipecacuanhae compositus
• Jalapae compositus
• Kino compositus
• Lobeliae Inflatae
■ Rhei (Stomachic)
----- (Cathartic)
-----compositus
■ Salinus compositus
- Scammonii compositus
- Spongiae Ustae .
- Stanni
- Tragacanthae  .
_____________compositus
Quassiae
Quercus Cortex
Quina  .
Quinae Acetas
-----Citras
------Disulphas
------Murias
------Nitras
------Phosphas
------Tannas
------Tartras

Resinae Copaibae
Rhamni Baccae
Rubia Tinctorum
Sabadillae Pulvis .
Sabina
Sagapenum .
Salicin (Febrifuge)
.------■ (Tonic)   .
Salix  .
Sapo Crotonis
----. Jalapinus
Sarsaparilla .
Scammonium
Scilla (Emetic)   .
,-----(Expectorant)
-----(Diuretic) .
Senega
Sennae Folia
Serpentariae Radix
Sinapis (Emetic) .
Sodae Acetas
Opio
gr. xxx. to gr. xl.
gr. x. to gr. xx.
3i. to jVj.
3ss. to 3i.
3ij- to 3X.
gr. iij. to gr. xij.
gr. I to gr. 4.
gr. v. to gr. xv.
gr. iij. to gr. x.
gr. x. to 9i.
gr. vj. to gr. xviij.
gr. xij. to 9ij.
gr. iij. to gr. x.
gr. v. to gr. xx
gr. v. to gr. xx.
gr. x. to gr. xxx.
gr. xx. to gr*. xl.
gr. v. to 9i.
gr. v. to gr. xx.
3ss.  to 3i.
gr. x. to gr. xxx.
gr. j. to gr. v.
gr. v. to gr. x.
9i. to 9ij.
3SS.  to 31.
3ij. to jss.
gr. x. to gr. xx.
3i- to 3iij.
jss. to ji.
3SS. to 31J.
jj. to jij.

 gr. xv. to gr.  xxx.
 jss. to ji.
 gr.  iij. to gr.  v.
 gr.  j. to gr. v.
 gr.  j. to gr. v.
 gr.  j. to gr. v.
 gr.  j. to gr. v.
 gr.  j. to gr. v.
 gr.  j. to gr. v.
 gr.  j. to gr. v.
 gr.  j. to gr. v.

 gr.  x. to jss.
 No. 10 to 20.
 jss. to jii.

 gr. j. to gr. v
 gr. v. to gr.-xv
 gr. v. to gr. xx.
  9i. to 9ij.
  gr. ij. to  gr.  v.
  3ss. to 3i.
  gr. j. to  gr. iij.
  gr. xij. to 9j.
  3i-  to jij.
  gr. viij. to gr. xxiv
  gr. viij.  to gr. xij.
  gr. j. to gr. iss.
  gr. j. to gr. iij.
  gr. x. to 3ss.
  3ij. to jss.
  gr. x. to 3ss.
  jss. to ji.
  gr. x. to gr.  xx. 
438
POSOLOGICAL  TABLE.
Sirupus Aceti
-------Althaeae
-------Aurantii
-------Croci
— Ferri Iodidi
--------Lactatis
Hemidesmi
Ipecacuanhae (Emetic)
             (Expectorant)
Jalapae   .
Limonum
Mori
Papaveris
Potassii Cyanidi
Rhamni .
Rosae Gallicae
Sarsaparillae  .
Scillae (Emetic)
      (Expectorant)
Sennae
Tolutanus
Violae
Zingiberis
Sodae Acetas
-----Bicarbonas
-----Boras
-----Carbonas  .
--------------Siccatum
-----et Potassae Tartras   .
-----Murias
----- Phosphas  .
----- Sulphas
Sodii Auro-terchloridum
Solutio Alkalina (Brandish)  .
------Morphiae Muriatis
Spigelia    .    .     .     .
Spiritus ^Etheris Nitrici
---------------Sulphurici
 Ammoniae Aromaticus
----------Fcetidus
Anisi
compositus
• Armoraciae compositus
■ Carui
■ Cassiae  .
• Cinnamomi
• Fuliginis
■ Juniperi compositus
 Lavandulae compositus
■ Menthae Piperitae  .
--------Pulegii
--------Viridis
-------Myristicae
-------Pimentae
-------Rosmarini
Stramonii Folia  .
---------Semina
Strychnia   .
Sulphur (Cathartic)
-------(Stimulant)
Succus Belladonnae
------Colchici  .
------Conii
------Digitalis  .
------Hyoscyami
compositus
f3ij. to fjj.
fjss. to fji
fjij. to fjss.
fsii. to fjss.
min. xv. to min. Ix.
fjij. to fjss,
fji. to fjij.
fji. to fjij.
f3i. to fjij.
fjij. to fjiv.
fji. to fjij.
fji. to fjij.
fjss. to fji.
fjij. to fjvj.
fjss. to fji.
fjss. to fji.
fjiv. to fjvj
fji. to fjij.
min. x. to. min. xxx
fjss. to fji.
fjij. to fjss.
fji. to fjiv
fji. to fjss.
gr. x. to gr. xx.
gr. x. to 3ss.
gr. xx. to gr. xxx.
gr. x. to 3ss.
gr. v. to gr. xx.
3ij. to ji.
gr. x. to 3i.
3iv. to 3xij.
3V. to 3X.
gr. l-20th to gr.  l-15th
fjss. to fjij.
min. x. to min. xl.
gr. xx.  to gr. xl.
fjss. to fjiij
fji. to fjiij.
fjss. to fjij.
min. xxx. to fji.
fji. to fjiss.
fji. to fjij.
fji. to fjij.
fji. to  fjiv.
fji. to  fjiv.
fjss. to fji.
f3ss. to fjss.
min. xx. to min. xxx.
f3ij. to fjiv.
min. xxx. to f3ij
f3ss. to fji.
f3ss. to f3i.
fjss. to fjj
fji. to fjiv.
f3i. to f3ij.
min. x. to min. \%
gr. j. to gr. iv.
gr. 4 to gr. j.
gr. l-12th to gr.  l-8th.
3iij. to 3iv.
gr. x. to gr. xxx.
min. xx. to min. xl
min. v. to min. xx.
min. xx. to fjj.
fjj. to fjij.
min. xx. to min. xl. 
POSOLOGICAL  TABLE.
439
Tamarindus
Tanacetum Vulgare
Tannin
Terebinthina Canadensis
------------ Chia
Tinctura Absinthii
--------Aconiti  .
--------Aloes
               composita
 Ammoniae composita
 Arnicae .
 Assafoetidae  .
 Aurantii
 Belladonnae  .
 Benzoini
 Buchu  .
 Calumbae
 Camphorae composita
 Cannabis
 Cantharidis  .
 Capsici .
 Cardamomi  .
-----------composita
 Cascarillae
 Cassiae .
 Castorei
          composita
Catechu
Chirettae
Cinchonae
Cinnamomi
composita
Colchici
composita
--------composita
 Colocynthidis
 Conii
 Croci
 Cubebae
 Cuspariae
 Digitalis (Diuretic)
          (Sedative)
Ergotae .
^Etherea
Ferri Acetatis
cum Alcohole
Ammonio-chloridi
Aurantiacea .
Muriatis
 Fuliginis
 Galbani
 Gallae   .
 Gambogiae
 Gentianae composita
 Guaiaci
-------Ammoniata
Hellebori
Hyoscyami  .
Iodinii  .
       composita
— Jalapae
— Kino
_ Lactucarii
— Lobeliae
_______-— ^Etherea
Lupuli
jss. to jiss.
9i. to 3i.
gr. ss. to gr. ij.
gr. x. to gr. xxx.
gr. x. to gr. xxx.
ftij. to fjss.
min. v. to min.
min. xxx. to fj
f3ss. to f3ij.
min. v. to min. x.
f3ss. to f3ij.
f3SS. to fjij.
f3J. to f3iij.
min. ij. to min. iii.
f3ss. to fjij.
f3i. to f3iij
fji. to fsij.
f3i. to f3iij.
fji. to f3ij.
min. x. to min. xl.
min. xx. to f3j.
f3i. to f3ij.
f3j. to f3ij.
fjj. to fjss
fji. to f3ij.
fjij. to fjiv.
fjj. to f3ij.
f3J- to f3ij.
f3J. to f3ij.
f3j. to fjiij.
fjj. to fjss.
fjj. to fjss.
f3J. to fjij.
fjj. to fjij.
min. xx. to min. xxx.
min. x. to min. xx.
min. xx. to min. xl.
fjj. to fjij.
fjj. to fjij
fjj. to fjij.
min. xx. to min. xxx.
fjss. to fjiss.
min. x. to fjj.
min. x. to fjj.
min.  xxx. to fjj.
min.  xxx. to fjj.
min.  xij. to min. xl.
fji. to fjiv.
min.  x. to fjss.
fjj. to fjij.
fjj. to fjij.
fjss. to fjij.
fjss.  to fjj.
fjj. to fjij.
fjj. to fjss.
fjj. to fjij.
fjj. to fjij.
fjss.  to fjij.
min. v. to min. xx.
min.  x. to min. xxx.
fjj. to fjiv.
fjj. to fjij.
fjj. to fjij.
fjss.  to f3J.
min. xx.  to min. xl.
f3ss. to f3ij. 
440                        POSOLOGICAL TABLE.
Tinctura Monesiae
--------Moschi .
 Myrrhae
 Nucis Vomicae
 Opii
----Ammoniata
----Camphorata
 Quassiae
Rhei
composita
composita
et Aloes
et Gentianae
Scillae  .
Sennae composita .
Serpentariae .
Stramonii
Tolutana
Toxicodendri
Valerianae
          Ammoniata
Veratriae
Zingiberis
Toxicodendron
Tormentilla
Trochisci Cretae .
--------Lactucarii
--------Morphiae
----------------et Ipecacuanhae
--------Opii
Uva-ursi
Urea  .
Valeriana   ....
Veratria    ....
Veratrum Album
Violae Radix (Emetic) .
Vinum      ....
------Aloes
------Antimoniale
------Colchici  .
------Ferri
------Gentianae composita
------Ipecacuanhae (Emetic)
------------------ (Expectoran
------Opii
------Quinae
------Rhei
------Tabaci
------Veratri
Zinci Cyanidum
-----Oxydum
-----Sulphas
------------(Emetic)
Zingiber
fjj. to fjij.
fjiij. to fjvi.
fjj. to fjij.
min. x. to min. xxx.
min. x. to min. xxx.
fjss. to fjij.
fjj. to fjiij.
fjj. to fjij.
fjj. to fjss
fjj. to fjiij.
fjj. to fjiij
fjss. to fjj
fjj. to fjij.
min. x. to min. xxx.
fjss. to fjj.
fjj. to fjij.
min. x. to min. xxx
fjj. to fjij.
fjss. to fjj.
fjij. to fjiv.
fsj- to fjij.
min. v. to min. xv
fji. to fjij.
gr. j.  to gr. v.
3SS. to 3J.
3J- to 3ij.
9j. to 9ij.
No. 10 to 12 (Daily).
No. 10 to 12 (Daily).
No. 10 to 12 (Daily).

gr. xx. to 3j.
gr. x. to gr. xx.

3ss. to 3J.
gr. l-12th to gr. l-10th.
gr. ij.  to gr. v.
3ss. to 3J-
fjviij.  to fjxx
fjss. to fjij.
min. xx. to min. xxx,
f3SS. to f3ij
f3J. to f3SS.
fjss. to fjj
f3ij. to fjiv
min. x. to min. xl.
min. x. to fjj.
fjss. to fjiss.
fjij. to fjj.
min. x. to min. xl.
min. v. to min. x.

gr. 4 to gr. J.
gr. j. to gr. ij.
gr. j. to gr. v.
gr. xv. to gr. xxx.
gr. v. to gr. xxx. 
INDEX.
                             Page]
Abies balsamea.....166 Acid, sulphuric .
   — excelsa......321  —
Abietis resina......321
Absinthium .......  358
Abortifacient ergotaetia  .  .  .  176
Acacia........188
----- Arabica .  .  .   .  .  .  Ib8
—---catechu......61
------vera .......188
Acetate of ammonia, solution of 140
--------- copper.....135
iron
tincture of .
tincture of,
  with alcohol
388
388
----lead ....
---- mercury  .   .
---- morphia  .   .
----oxyde of ethyl
     potash
    388
     71
    337
    229
    275
108,162
quina.....383
             .  .  .165
             ...   80
soda
zinc
Acetic acid.......128
■ camphorated
271
128
275
---------~ glacial
------ ether
Acetosae folia......251
Acetosella.......246
Acetum......57, 247
-------aromaticum .... 271
-.----— Britannicum ....  56
-------cantharidis  .... 203
-------colchici.....94
-------destillatum  ....  5'
-------gallicum.....56
-------opii.......240
-------scillae......163
-------vini.......56
Acid, acetic....... 128
---------- glacial  .... 128
—:— aloetic .  .   .
---- arsenious......134
---- benzoic......211
----catechuic......61
---- cinchonic......3r
---- cinnamic......298
---- cinnamonic.....211
---- citric.......247
---- copahuvic.....329
---- crotonic......97
---- gallic
---- gambogic......90
---- hemidesmic.....190
---- hydrochloric.....129
----------------dilute   .   . 359
---- hydrocyanic.....254
---- igasuric......350
—-— kinic.......37'
---- krameric .   .  . _ .  •   •  70
---- meconic......235
----muriatic......129
____________dilute .... 360
   Page
57, 130
               aromatic
    ---------commercial   .  59
    —-------dilute   ...  59
    --------- pure ....  59
    sylvic.......319
    tannic.......78
    tartaric   ...... 248
    valerianic......54
    virgeneic......217
Acidulated drops.....249
Acidum aceticum.....128
     -------—- camphoratum 275
     — arseniosum  .   .  .  .134
     — benzoicum   .... 210
     -- citricum.....24'
     — gallicum.....78
     — hydrochloricum   .  .130
     ---------------dilutum 360
      - hydrocyanicum .  .  . 254
            --------dilutum 254
     — muriaticum .   .  .  .130
     ------------- dilutum  . 360
— nitricum.....130
----------dilutum .   .  360
 - nitromuriaticum  .   .  360
— phosphoricum dilutum  360
— prussicum   ....  254
 - pyrolignosum   .  .   .  257
—• succinicum  ....   54
— sulphuricum.   .   57,130
------------aromaticum  59
■ dilutum
■ tannicum
■ tartaricum
                              59
                              57
                              57
                              78
                             248
Acinula clavus......176
Aconite........257
Aconitum napellus   .... 257
---------paniculatum .  .   . 257
Aconitina.......259
--------ointment of  .  .   . 259
 -------solution of.  .  .   . 259
Acorus calamus.....288
Actsea racemosa.....373
Adeps myristicae.....308
   — ovillus......180
             praparatus  .   .180
       suillus......ISO
       -----praparatus  .  .  180
Adhesive plaster  .....   75
Adragantine......197
..Erugo........135
.Ether.......-276
       aceticus.....275
       assafoetidae.....49
       nitrosus.....276
       sulphuricus   ....  276
^thereum oleum.....277
Jithereus nitrosus spiritus   .  155
          oleosus liquor   .  .  277
  — myronic......171
---- nitric.......lau
.__________dilute.....360
---- nitromuriatic  .  .   .  .361
---- phosphoric.....361
---- pinic  .   .
----polygallic .
---- prussic.   .
---- pyroligneous
     rhabarberic
---- smilasperic  ..... 190
  — strychnic......350
                             Page
Almonds........181
-----— bitter......181
-------------oil of.  .   .   .258
-------Jordan.....181
-------Mogadore   .     .   . 181
-------sweet......181
-------Valentia.....181
Aloe.........85
---Barbadensis  .....  85
--- Capensis ......  85
---hepatica  ......  85
---Indica.......85
     Socotrina ....  .   .   .  85
--- spicata .  .   .   ...   .  85
--- vulgaris......85
Aloes.........85
      Barbadoes.....85
      Cape.......85
      hepatic  ......  85
      Indian......85
      Socotrine.....85
Aloesin........87
Aloetic acid.......87
Alpinia cardamomum  .   .   . 293
Alteratives.......324
Althaea officinalis.....180
Alum.........60
----burned......60
----cataplasm.....60
-----dried.......60
-----whey.......60
Alumen........59
-------siccatum.....60
Aluminae et potassae sulphas   .  59
Amber.........54
American calumba   .... 370
Amidide of hydrogen ....  26
Amidin........182
Amidogene.......26
Ammoniacal caustic .  .  .   . 200
Ammoniacum......281
Ammonia? acetatis aqua .  .   .139
 --------------------liquor 139
--------aqua ....   25, 282
-------------fortior  .  131,199
 -------- bicarbonas.  .       27
--------carbonas  .  28, 169, 282
--------carbonatis aqua .   .  28
--------causticae  aqua
                 26, 132, 199, 282
--------cupro-sulphas   .   . 384
---------ferro-citras  .  .   . 391
      ---ferro-tartratis   .   . 389
          hydrochloras .  .   . 283
.Etheris sulphurici spiritus   . 277
              ----compositus 278
jEthiops martis.....396
        mineral.....344
 -------per se......332
Agathotes chirayta  .... 373
Alcohol........279
Alkalines........25
Alkaline solution, Brandish's  .  33
Allium cepa.......296
 ------porrum.....312
------sativum      .....40
Allspice  ....... 310
             Kkk
--------hydrosulphuretum  . 283
--------liquor  ...   25, 282
--------------fortior.  132,199
—-------murias.....282
---------oxalas.....378
--------sesquicarbonas
                     28, 169, 288
--------sesquicarbonatis li-
            quor .....28
--------spiritus.....284
             — aromaticus  . 284
                             354

                             344
                             388
                             344
                             391
                            . 384
                             389
                            . 233
                            . 324
Ammoniated copper  .  .   .
--------— submuriate of
              mercury .   .
Ammonio-chloride of iron  .
------------------mercury
Ammonio-citrate of iron
Ammonio-sulphate of copper
Ammonio-tartrate of iron  .
Amomum cardamomum .
Amomum zingiber   .  . 
442
INDEX.
                             Page
Amygdala amarae.....181
---------------oleum.   .  . 260
---------dulces.....181
Amygdalin   ......  .181
Amygdalus communis  .   .  . 181
----------Persica   .  .   .  .261
Amylin........183
Amylum........182
Amyris elemifera.....303
Anacyclus pyrethrum  .   .  . 273
Anamirta cocculus   .... 299
Andira inermis......41
Anethum fcEniculum .... 303
--------graveolens .... 285
Angelica archangelica  .   .  . 285
--------fruit......285
--------root......285
Angustura  bark  ..... 384
----------false.....385
Animal charcoal.....411
Aniseed........285
Anisum........285
Anodyne, Hoffman's  .  .   .  .278
■--------liniment.   .... 241
Anodynes........218
Antacids........25
Anthelmintic powder.... 102
Anthelmintics.....
Anthemis nobilis.....361
--------pyrethrum.... 273
Antilithics.......25
Antimonii et potassa tartras
            143, 169, 200, 210, 261
Antimonii murias.....131
---------oxydum   .... 140
■------------nitromuriaticum 140
--------oxysulphuretum .   . 142
---------potassio-tartras
            143, 169, 199, 210, 261
---------pulvis.....141
.--------------compositus   . 141
,--------sesquichloridum .   . 131
--------sesquisulphuretum . 142
--------------------aureum 142
Antimonial powder   .... 141
Antimonium tartarizatum
            143, 169,1199, 210, 261
Antispasmodics......47
Apocynum Cannabinum .  .   . 222
Apis mellifica   ....  105, 185
Appendix A.......417
--------B.......429
Aqua ammoniae . 25, 132, 200, 28J^
-------------acetatis .  .   . 127
-------------carbonatis .   . 28
-------------fortior  .  131,198
-----anethi.......285
-----aurantii......410
                             Page
Aqua potassa sulphureti   .  .312
     regia.......361
     rosa.......415
     sambuci......415
     sodae effervescens ...  37
Arabin.........188
Arbutus uva-ursi.....79
Arctium lappa......145
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi...  78
Areca catechu......61
Argenti ammoniati solutio .  . 409
       cyanidum.....409
       nitras ....  132, 362
       oxydum.....363
Argentum.......409
Argol........HO
Aricina.....    ... 37
Aristolochia serpentaria.  .  .316
Armoracia.....273, 286
Arnica montana.....28r
Aromatic confection  .... 299
         iron mixture  .  .   .394
         powder.....299
         spirit of ammonia   . 284
         vinegar.....275
Arrow-root.......]93
           Brazilian .... 19!
           East Indian .  .   .193
           gruel.....193
           jelly.....193
           milk.....193
           West Indian.  .   ■ 193
— baryta muriatis   .   .
- - calcis.......
-------composita  .   .  ■
-------muriatis .  .   .  .
— camphorae.....
— carbonatis soda acidula .
                          367
                           28
                          14
                          369
                          292
                           36
                          204
- cassiae.......296
 -chalvbeata.....392
— chlo'rinii......296
— cinnamomi  .  .  .   •  •  298
— cupri ammoniati  .   .  .  384
— destillata......408
— fervens......200
— foeniculi......303
— lauro-cerasi.....26
— laxativa Viennmsis  .  .  105
— magnesia bicarbonatis .   2
— menthae piperita;  .   .  .  30
----------pulegii   ...  30
---------- viridis ....  30
Arsenic......134, 363
Arsenici et hydrargyri hydrio-
  datis liquor......326
Arsenici iodidum.....325
--------oxydum album.   134, 363
Arsenious acid ....   134, 363
Arsenite of potash, solution of 363
Artemisia absinthium  .   .  . 358
         Chinensis  .... 201
         Indica.....201
         moxa.....201
         santonica  ....  41
Asagraea officinalis   ....  44
Asarabacca.......208
Asarum Europaum  .... 208
Asiatic pills.......365
Aspidium filix-mas   ....  43
Assafatida.......48
Astragalus  creticus  .... 19'
           verus.....19'
Astringents.......55
Atropa belladonna.....220
Atropia........220
Attar of roses......415
Aurantii aqua......410
         cortex   ....    364
         flores......409
         oleum......340
 picis liquids   .  .   •
 pimenta......310
■ potassae  ......  2i
--------carbonatis   .   .  35
--------caustica .  .   •  27 —
--------effervescens.   .  341---
                             P«S»
Bang.........224
Barbadoes tar......43
Barii chloridum   ..... 366
Barilla.......   .  37
Bark.........373
    angustura......384
    --------false   .... 385
    Arica.......384
 — cabbage-tree.....41
    canella.......371
    Caribbaan.....379
    cascarilla......371
    cinchona......373
    crown.......376
    cuzco.......378
    elm........407
    gray........376
    Loxa.......376
 — pale........376
    Pitaya.......379
    Piton.......379
    red........375
    silver.......376
    strychnos......351
    willow.......405
     Winter's......386
    -------false   .... 371
    yellow.......375
Barley.........190
 ----- pearl .   .  .  .   .  .   .190
-----water......191
Barm......... 296
-----poultice......296
Barosma........156
--------crenata.....156
-------crenulata   .... 156
 -------serratifolia    .  .   . 156
Barytas carbonas.....410
 -----  murias......366
 -----  nitras......410
-----  sulphas......410
Barytin  .  . '......208
Bay berries.......304
    leaves.......304
Basilicon ointment   .... 321
Bassorin........189
 Bath  of nitromuriatic acid .  .411
 Bearberry.......78
 Beaver........50
 Bee's wax.......185
 —!-----bleached.....185
 Belladonna.......220
 Benzoic acid.......211
 Benzoin........213
 Bergamii oleum.....410
 Bergamota oleum.....410
Aurantium.......249
Auri iodidum......327
Betel.......
Bicarbonate of ammonia .
------------magnesia
------------- potash
■------------soda   .   .
                            Bichloride of mercury
perohloridum   .... 3271 Bicyanide of mercury
peroxydum.....328 Bimodide of mercury .
pulvis.......327; Binoxyde of manganese
Aurum
Avena sativa
Avens, common
Axunge  .   .  .
326|
184 Bismuthi subnitras
mercury
B,
Balm, common......306
-----tea.......306
Balneum acidi nitromuriatici  . 360
--------sulphuretum  .  .   . 313
Balsam, Canada.....166
-------copaiba.....329
------- friars......214
------- Peru......212
-------Tolu......213
-----------pomade of   .   . 287
Balsamodendron myrrha   .   . 402
Balsamum Canadense  .  .   .166
          Peruvianum .  .   .212
 60
 27
 33
 34
 36
338
340
340
414
343
307
307
--------trismtras  .
Bismuthum.......307
----------album   .... 307
Bistort.........75
Bisulphate of potash .... 109
Bisulphuret of mercury .  .   . 346
Bitartrate of potash  .  .  109,161
Bitter orange......375
-----sweet.......145
Black drop.......241
---- flux.......no
-----hellebore.....99
 oxyde of iron  .
-------manganese
--------mercury .
• Tolutanum
              pepper  .....
              snakeroot   ....
213, 287!-----sulohuret of mercurv
395
414
342
311
373
335 
INDEX.
443
                             Page
Black wash.....•  . 343
Bladder wrack......332
Bleaching powder.....288
Blessed thistle......383
Blistering cloth.....203
Blue pills.....101,336
■--- vitriol.......64
Bone-phosphate of lime .  .  .411
Bones.........414
Bonplandia trifoliata .... 385
Borax  .........  78
Boswellia serrata.....309
Brandish's alkaline  solution  .  33
Brimstone.......125
Bromide of iron   .   .  .  .  . 389
_--------potassium  .  .  . 353
Bromine........328
Bromineum.......328
Broom tops.......164
Brown resin.......320
Brucea antkiysenterica .  .  . 385
Brucia........350
Bubon galbanum.....51
Buckbean.......402
Buckthorn berries   .  .  .   .112
Bucku.........156
Burdock........145
Burgundy pitch.....321
Burned alum......60
                            Page
Cantharis vesicatoria   .  .  . 157
Caper-spurge......^
Caphopicrite......114
Oapsicin........ 201'
Capsicum annuum   .... 203
Caraway ........ 293
Carbo animalis......411
   —-—------purificatus.  .411
   — ligni.......411
Carbonate of ammonia  27,169,282
   --------baryta .  .   .  .410
   --------copper .  .   .  .135
   ---------iron.....396
Cera flava  .  .     •     •  •
Ceratum.....     •  '
   ----calamina   .   .  .  ,
   ----cantharidis ...
   ---- cetacei  .  •   •  • .
   ----hydrargyri composi-
          tum.  .  .   •   •
   ----plumbi acetatis   .
   -----------compositum
- saccharated.
 lead ....
- lime ....
■ magnesia  .  .
- potash .   .  .
------water of
soda ,
dried  .  .
water of.
184
184
 81
202
185

336
 72
 75
320
sponge
358
Butternut.......103
Butter of antimony
--------zinc
Cabbage-tree bark   ....   41
Cajeput oil.......287
Cajuputi........287
Calamine.......
■--------ointment  .  .   .
--------prepared  .  .   ■
Calamus aromaticus .  .   .
Calcii chloridum  ....
Calcined hartshorn   .  .   .
--------magnesia   .  .   .
Calcis aqua.....-»
------carbonas pracipitatum
-----=• liquor.....
—--------zinc .  .
Cardamine pratensis .
Cardamoms.......293
Caribaan bark......379
Carolina pink......45
Carotin........301
Carrageen moss   .....  373
Carron oil.......192
Carrot.........301
       fruit.......301
Carthamus tinctorius.  .   .  .  175
Carum carui.......  293
Caryophyllin......294
Caryophyllus aromaticus   .  .  294
Cascarilla......•  370
Cassia acutifolia.....120
       bark.......295
       buds.......295
       elongata.....120
       fistula......92
       lanceolata.....120
       obovata......120
        resina
        sabina.....206
        saponis .     ...  75
        simplex.....185
Cerevisia fermentum.... 296
Cerusse........73
Cervus elaphas......413
Cetaceum.......185
Cetin.........185
Cetraria Islandica.....371
Cetrarin  .   .  . .  . , •  •  • 371
Cevadic acid......44
Cevadilla.......44,314
--------enema of  ....  45
Chalk........29,64
-----lozenges......31
-----mixture ......  30
    — powder compound  .  •  30
    — precipitated  ....  29
    — prepared......29
Chalybeate water.....392
Chamomile.......361
Charcoal, animal.....411
         ------purified  .  .  411
         wood......412
           — cataplasm of .  412
------murias......308
------phosphas pracipitatum. 411
Calendula arvensis   .... 175
Calmative lotion.....269
Calmatives.......252
Calomel.......89,341
-------ointment.....342
-------pills of, compound 144, 342
-------precipitated ....  89
-------sublimed.....89
Calomelanos, pilula composita 144
Calomelas pracipitatum   .   .  89
---------sublimatum ...  89
Calumba........308
Calumbin.......30
Calx chlorinata......288
Cambogia.......90,15/
---------Siamensis . .
---------Zeylanica . .
Camphogen.....
Camphor......
-------- mixture  .  .  .
Camphora officinarum   .
Camphorated acetic acid
____________liniment  .
Charta vesicatoria.....203
Cherry-laurel......267
          — water .... 268
___________spirit   .  ■
___________water  .
Canada balsam .  .   •
Candle, mercurial.   •
Canella alba  .  •   •  -
Canellin.....■
Canna coccinea   .   •
Cannabin.....
Cannabis Indica  .   •
Cantharides.....      iss
Cantharidine......l:>0
      oil.......295
      pulp.......92
      senna......120
Castor.........50
    — fiber.......50
    — oil.......H6
    -----East Indian  .   .  .11
    -----North American   . II
    -----purgative emulsion . 117
         West Indian .   .  .117
Castoreum.......50
Castorine........50
Cataplasma aluminis....  60
----------carbonis  ligni  .  .412
----------conii.....264
----------dauci.....301
    ------fermenti .  .   .  -296
----------lini.....192
----------simplex  .  .   .  .192
----------sinapis  ....  207
Catechu........•   61
-------brown......°1
-------in cubes.....61
-------lozenges.....62
Catechuic acid......61
Cathartin.......»*'
Cathartic pills......92
Cathartics.......°3
Catheretics.......J28
Caustic lunar......135
        of Recamier .... 328
        potash......137
Caustics......• • |28
Cauterants.......128
Chian turpentine  .  .  •   .  •  164
Chimaphila.......163
----------corymbosa  .   .  .  163
----------umbellata  .   .  •  163
Chili vinegar  ....     •  292
Chillies........203
China loxa......  .  376
regia
375
Chloride of ammonium
           barium
-----rubra.......376
Chirayta........372
Chiretta........372
Chlorate of potash.....251
                           . 283
                           . 366
                           . 367
                           . 328
                           . 414
                           . 288
                          89,338
                           . 317
                           . 317
Cayenne lozenges.....292
 —----pepper   .  .   .  204,292
Centaurium .......371
                            296
                            169
Cepa......
Cephaelis ipecacuanha
calcium  .  .   .
gold and sodium
lead  .   .  .   .
lime  .   .  .   .
mercury  .  .   .
soda  .   .  .   .
sodium
Chlorinated lime.....288
   —----soda.....317
Chlorine water......296
Chlorinii aqua......296
Chloro-amidide of mercury .  . 344
Chlorometry.......289
Chondrus crispus.....373
Christmas rose......100
Churrus........221
Cimicifuga.......373
Cinchona........373
• cinerea .   .
 condaminea
 cordifolia  .
Cera
184
                   373
                   373
                   373
                   373
flava......373
                   373
                   373
                   373
                   373
                   373
                   382
                   382
                   382
                   382
--------lancifolia  .
--------micrantha .
--------oblongifolia
--------officinalis  .
--------rubra   .  •
Cinchonia   •  •   •  •
Cinchonic acid .   .  .
--------red  .   .  .
          yellow
- alba .
184 Cinnabar........345 
444
INDEX.
                             Page
Cinnameine.......211
Cinnamic acid......298
Cinnamnmic acid.....211
Cinnamomum cassia .... 295
—■-----   — Zeylanicum .   . 297
Cinnamon bark.....297
---------oil......297
Cissampelos Pareira .  .   .   .161
Citrate of iron  .  .   .  .   .   . 391
------------and quina   .   . 392
--------quina  ...  .   .   . 393
Citric acid  .   .  .   .  .   .   .247
Citrine ointment.....342
Citrus aurantium .   249, 364, 40y
-----bergamium.....410
------limetta......41(1
------limonum.....25(1
------medica......25(1
------vulgaris......365
Claret.........323
Clavelli cinnamomi   .... 295
Clove pink.......301
Cloves.......■.   . 294
Chicus benedictus.....383
Cocci.........412
Cocculus Indicus.....29fe
------palmatus   .... 36'
-------•  suberosus   .  .   .   .29:
Coccus cacti.......415
Cochineal.......41 £
Cochlearia armoracia.  .   273, 281
---------officinalis .... 3K-
Codeia.   .  .   .;.....23<*
Cod-liver oil.......34!-
Colcliici cormus  .....  93
-------semina.....93
Colchicum autumnale  ...  93
—--------wine.....9?
Colcothar......66, 396
Colocynth.......95
--------Mogadore  ....  95
CoJorynthin.......95
Colomba........308
Colophony.......32(1
Coltsfoot........197
Colouring agents.....408
Colutea arborescens  .... 121
Common  salt......317
Confectio amygdalarum .   .   . 182
--------aromatica  .... 299
--------■ aurantii   .... 366
------—- cassia.....93
--------opii......239
--------piperis nigri  .   .   .312
-------- rosa......77
-------------canina  .   .   . 252

-------— ruta......53
--------scammonii .  .   .   .119
-------- senna.....122
Conia.........261
Conium maculatum   .... 261
Conserva amygdalarum .   .   .182
--------aurantii.....366
-------rosa......77
------------fructus  .   .   .252
--------  ruta......53
Constringents......55
Contrajerva.......383
Comra-stimulants.....253
Convolvulus jalapa   .... 101
----------------scammonia 118
Copahuvic acid......329
Copaiba........329
Copaiva........329
Copaifera Langsdorfii  .   .   . 329
--------officinalis   .... 329
Copper, ammoniated .... 384
---   - ammonio-sulphate of  . 384
------carbonate of .  .   .   .136
—---- impure diacetate of   . 135
------subacetate of  .   .   . 135
—-—■ sulphate of  64,135,170, 384
Coriander.......300
Coriandrum sativum .... 300
Coriaria myrtifolia   .  ,
Cornua cervina....
Corroborants   ....
Corrosive sublimate  .  .
Corsican moss ....
         ----infusion of
             jelly of  .
Cortex aurantii
------limonum.....
Cotton.........
Counter-irritants.....
Cowitch........
Cream of tartar   .   .  .   110,
--------effervescing aperient
           with.....
-------------whey   .   .  .
Creasote.......63,
 ------mixture.....
Creta praparata.....
Crocus sativus......
Croton cascarilla.....
   — eleuteria.....
   — oil......97.
------tiglium .  .   .  .'  .  .
Crotonic acid......
Crown bark ........
Crude  tartar......
Crystalli tartari.....
Crystals of tartar.....
Cubebin........
Cubebs........
Cuckooflower .  .   .  .   .  ,
Cucumber, wild or squirting .
Cucumis colocynthis .  .   .  .
Cuminum  cyminum   .  .   .  .
Cummin ........
Cupri ammonio-sulphas .   .  .
   — carbonas......
   — diacetas impurus .   .
   — subacetas   .....
-----sulphas .   64, 135, 169,
Cuprum ammoniatum  .   .  .
CUrcunia longa ......
Curcumin.......
Cusparia bark......
Cusparin........
Cyanide of iron......
   ------mercury  .  .   .  .
   ------potassium  .   .  .
   ------silver.....
   ------zinc.....
Cyanuret of iron.....
   -------mercury .  .   .  .'
   -------potassium  .   .  .
   -------zinc.....
Cydonia vulgaris.....
Cydonin........
Cyminum........
Cynanchum argel.....
Cytisus scoparius.....

               D.
Dandelion......
Daphne mezereum   .  .   1'
Daphnin.......
Datura stramonium   .  .   .
Daturia.......
Daucus carota.....
------sativa.....
—-----sylvestris ....
Deadly nightshade   .  .   .
Decoction of sweet woods  .
            woods   .  .   .
Decoctum aloes   ....
              compositum
         althaa ....
         amyli   ....
         bistorta   .  .   .
 406
, 189
 148
 244
 244
 301
 301
 301
 219
 151
 117
  88
  8-
 180
 18.
— cetraria   .  .   .  .
— chamameli composi-
     tum  .....
— chimaphila   .   .  .
— cinchona .  .   .  ,
— colocynthidis .   .  .
                             Paca
Dococtum cydoniae   .... 180
--------dulcamara   .  .   . 145
--------ergota.....177
-------— fuliginis   ....  51
--------gei radicis ....  68
--------Geoffroya ....  41
--------glycirrhiza  .  .   .187
-----—— granati .....  76
---------guaiaci.....147
---------------compositum  147
--------hamatoxyli  .  .   .69
--------hordei.....191
---------------compositum . 191
--------lichenis Islandici   . 373
---------malva compositum . 192
--------mezerei.....149
---------papaveris  .... 232
--------Pareira.....161
---------pyrola.....163
—■------quercus .....  76
--------sarsaparilla  .  .   . 151
---------------compositum 151
--------sarza.....151
-----■-------compositum  . 151
--------scoparii.....165
----------------compositum 165
—------senega.....217
-------- taraxaci   .... 407
---------tormentilla  ...  78
---------tussilaginis  .   .   .198
---------ulmi......408
--------uva-ursi   ....  80
--------veratri.....322
Delphinia.......318
Delphinia staphisagria .   .   . 318
Demulcents.......179
Derivatives.......198
Dcsiccants.......55
Diachylon plaster .....  75
Dianthus caryophyllus .   .  . 301
Diaphoretic mixture  .... 140
   -------pill.....142
Diaphoretics    ...... 138
Diapnoics.......138
Digitalin.......    159
Digitalis purpurea.   .  .  159,265
Dill..........285
— water.......285
Dinner pills.......87
Diosma crenata......156
Diosmin........156
Diplolepis galla-tinctorum .   .  67
Disinfecting liquor   .... 316
Distilled vinegar.....57
    — -  water......408
Disulphas quina.....377
Diuretic potion......156
Diuretics........154
Dog-roao........251
Dolichos pruriens.....42
Donovan's solution  of hydrio-
  date of arsenic and mercury  326
Dorema ammoniacum  .  .   . 281
Dorstenia Braziliensis  .  .   . 384
--------contrajerva   .  .   . 383
Dover's  powder.....148
Drymis  aromatica.....386
Dryobalanops camphora.  .   . 289
Dulcamara.......14?
Dyer's madder......176
Dzondi's pills.....339

               E.
Eczema mercuriale   .  .   .    334
Eggs........194
Elaterin.......98
—------solution of   ....  98
Ela'erium   .......  98
Elder bark     .....:. 117
-----berries......251
-----flowers   ....   195,415
      ----- water  of  .   .  .416
-----leaves......195
Elecampane.......303
Electricity.......302 
INDEX.
445
Electricity, galvanic .   .
---------magnetic
Electuarium aromaticum
• cassia  ....
■ catechu ....
   —^— compositum
—— opii
— scammonii
   sennas-  .
Extractum aconiti alcoholicum 259
   ------aloes hepatica  .  .  87
   -------------purificatum  87
   ------anthemidis  .   .  . 363
   ------artemisise absinthii  359
Electuary, lenitive
Elemi.........303
Elettaria cardamomum .  .   . 293
Elm bark........407
Emetics........168
Emetic, tartar......143
-------------wine of .  .   .143
Emetina........ 169
Emmenagogues.....174
Emollients.......179
Emplastrum adhesivum ...  75
-----------ammoniaci .  .   . 282
----------ammoniaci    cum
             ' hydrargyro
-----------aromaticum
■----------assafcetida .
----------belladonna .
----------calefaciens .
----------cantharidis.
337
299
 50
222
202
202
- compositum 202
- cera.....
 conii.....
• ferri.....
- galbani ....
■ gummosum   .  .
• hydrargyri .  .  .
- lithargyri   .  .  .
-------cum resina
                             185
                             264
                             397
                              51
                             282
                             336
                              75
                              75
                             241
                             312
                              75
                              75
                              75
                              75
                              75
                              75
                             397
Emulsio Arabica.....189
Enema of aloes......89
-------catharticum .... 105
---------cevadilla  ....  45
--------colocynth ....  96
---------disulphate of quina  . 382
-------foetidum.....50
---------opium.....240
--------tobacco.....271
---------turpentine ....  47
                             198
 opii.....
- picis.....
- plumbi  ....
■ resina   ....
- resinorum  .  .  .
- saponis     ...
------adharens  .
      - compositum
thuris
221
371
224
363
382
382
 94
 94
 belladonna  .  .
• calumba .  .  .
■ cannabis .  .  .
- chamameli  .  .
• cinchona .  .  .
■ hydro-alcoholic.
 colchici  ....
--------aceticum  .
- colocynthidis  .   .
-------compositum
• conii.....263
 digitalis .  .  .
- elaterii  .  .  .
-gentiana .  .  .
- glycirrhiza  .  .
- hamatoxyli  .  .
-humuli   .  .  .
- hyoscyami  .  .
-jalapa ....
-juglandis  .  .  .
- krameria  .  .  .
-lactuca   .  .  .
- lupuli ....
- nucis-vomica
-opii.....
----aquosum
----purificatum
                            Page
Ferri phosphas......398
----potassio-tartras   .  .  . 399
----protoiodide.....393
    - rubigo.......398
    - scobs.......386
    - sesquichloridi tinctura  . 395
    - sesquioxydum  .... 396
                  hydratum 398
401
187
 69
228
225
102
103
 70
22'
228
352
238
238
238
242
161
405
sulphas.....65,397
exsiccatus
-----sulphuretum  .   .  .
    - tartarUm.....
    - tartras.....
----vinum......
Ferrocyanide of potassium .
Ferro-hydrocyanate of zinc
Ferroso-ferric oxyde of iron
Ferrugo........398
Ferrum........386
-------tartarizatum .... 399
 66
413
399
397
397
415
300
395
Ferula assafcetida.....49
------Persica......49
Ficus carica.......186
Figs.........166
----sugar of......186
Figwort........315
Filix mas ........   43
Flax, common......190
purging
103
■ papavens.
- Pareira  .
- quassia
- quercus  ....   70
-rhei.....115
- ruta.....53
-sabadilla .   .  .  .315
-sarsaparilla .  .  .151
-----------fluidum  151
-sarza.....151
------fluidum
• hydro-alcoholicum.
■ scammonii   .  .  ■
- scoparii  .  .  .  .
- stramonii .  .  .  .
-styracis  .  .  .  .
-taraxaci  .  .  .  •
 U7a-ursi .  .  .  .

      F.
Flores aurantii......409
------martiales.....389
------sambuci nigra   .   .   .415
Flour.........186
Flowers of benjamin .  .   .   .211
----—---zinc......81
Foeniculum.......303
  --------officinale .... 303
  --------vulgare  .... 303
Formula........417
Foxglove........159
Frankincense  ...... 309
Frank's specific solution of co-
  paiba   ........330
Fraseru Walteri.....370
Fraxinus ornus......105
Friar's balsam ...... 214
Fucus vesiculosus.....332
Fuligo ligni.......50

               G.
Epsom salts.......104
Ergot of rye .  .  .   .  .  .   -176
Ergota.........1""
Ergotcetia abortifaciens .  .   . 176
Errhines........208
Erythraa centaurium  .  .   . 372
Escharotics.......127
Essence of bitter almonds  .   . 259
---------ginger.....324
—-------pennyroyal   .  .   . 307
---------peppermint   .  .   . 307
----------spearmint.... 308
Ether.........276
-----acetic    ......275
                       .  .   .276
                       .  .  .276
False angustura bark   .  .  . 385
Farina.........186
Febrifuges.......359
Fecum........182
Fel bovinum......386
-----------inspissatum  .  . 386
Fennel........303
Fern, male-shield.....43
-----------------oil of  ...  43
Ferri acetas.....•  ■  387
----acetatfc tinctura  .  .  .  38^
---------------cum alcohole  388
.-----nitrous   .  .  .
-----sulphuric  .  .
Eucalyptus resinefera
Eugenia caryophyllata
-------pimenta .  .
Euphorbia Canariensis
----------lathyris  .
__________officinarum
    294
    310
    204
     99
    204
204, 209
Euphorbium.....*«*. ££
Excitants........■*'
Expectorants   .  .
Extract of Gowlard
------— Saturn .
Extractum aconiti .
    - ammonio-chloridum
   - ammonio-citras.  .  .  .  391
   - ammonio-tartras  .  .  .  388
   - bromidum.....389
   - carbonas......396
   ---------saccharatum   .  389
   - citras.....•  •  390
----cyanuretum.....391
   - et quina citras  ....  391
   - filum.....' .  -386
   - iodidum......392
   - lactas.......394
   - limatura......386
   — mistura aromatica .   .  .  395
   — muriatis tinctura .   .  .  395
----oxydi squama  ....  386
   — oxydum nigrum  .   .  .39^
   ---------rubrum  .   .  .39'
   — percyanidum   ....  392
   -- pernitras......85
   — persesquinitras.  .
  GSaus callaria......350
  -----lota.......350
  Galbanum.......51
  ---------officinale ....  51
  Galipea cusparia.....385
  ------officinalis.....385
  Gall nuts........66
  Galla.........66
  Gallus domestieus.....194
  Galls.........66
  Galvanism.......302
  Gambeer........61
  Gamboge.......90,156
           cake.....90
        — Ceylon.....90
     -----lump......90
           pipe......90
        — Siam......90
  Gambogic acid......91
  Garlic.........40
  Gelatine capsules of copaiva  .
  Geneva   .......
  Gentian.......
  Gentiana lutea.....
  Gentianin.....■
  Gentianite......
  Gentisin  ....••■
  Geoffroya inermis .  •   •  ■
  Geum urbanum   ....
  Gigartina helminthocorton .
  Ginger   .......
   _____essence oi  .  .   .
   Glauber's salts......124
„ Glass of borax......7S
85 Glycirrhiza glabra  ...    187
160
400
400
400
400
400
 41
 68
 41
323
323 
446
INDEX.
Glycirrhizine......
Gold.........
----and sodium, terchloride of
----iodide of......
----ointment of.....
----perchloride of   ...   .
---- peroxide of  .....
----powder of......
----sesquichloride of  .  .   .
----sesquioxyde of  ...   .
----sirup of     .....
Golden sulphuret of antimony  .
Gossypium herbaceum  .  .   .
Gowlard's cerate.....
--------- extract .....
Grana tiglii.......
Granati flores......
------- radix   ......
Granatum.......
Gray  bark.......
Green vitriol   .  .   ...
Griffith's mixture.....
Groats.........
Gruel.........
Guaiaci lignum.....
-------resina......
Guaiacum officinale   ....
Gum  acacia.......
----ammoniac.....
----Arabic.......
----Barbary......
-----  Cape  .......
----East India.....
----picked.......
----Senegal......
----Tragacanth.....
----Turkey......
Gunjah........
               H.
Hamatin........68
Hamatoxylin......68
Hamatoxylum......68
------------Campechianum  68
Hartshorn.......413
---------calcined  .  .   .  .413
Heavy spar.......410
Heberden's ink......394
Hebradendron Cambogioides  .  90
Hellebore, black.....99
---------officinal  ....  99
---------Oriental  ....  99
---------white  .  .  .   209,322
Helleborus niger.....99
---------officinalis ....  99
Helonias officinalis  ....  44
Hemidesmus Indicus .... 190
Hemlock........262
Henbane........224
Heracleum gummiferum   .   . 281
Hiera picra.......87
Hive sirup.......172
Hoffman's anodyne  .... 278
Hog.........180
Hog's lard.......180
Hollands........160
Honey.........106
------clarified......106
------of borax......79
-------roses......78
--------violets.....128
Hops.........227
Hordeum distichon  .  .   .   .190
Horehound.......216
----------candied  .... 216
----------tea......216
Horse-radish.....273,286
Humulus lupulus.....227
Hundred-leaved rose .... 415
Huxham's tincture of bark .   . 382
Hydragogues......83
Hydrargyri acetas.....337
----------ammonio-chloridum 344
■^—---- bichloridum.   .   . 33'
  -------- bicyanidum.   .   . 339
Hydrargyri biniodidum .   .  .
---------binoxydum .   .  .
--------- bisulphuretum .  .
---------chloridum  .    89,
----------cyanuretum.   .  .
---------iodidum  ....
---------murias corrosivum
---------nitratis unguentum
---------nitrico-oxydum
---------oxydum  ....
---------------nigrum   .  .
---------------nitricum .  .
---------------rubrum  136,
---------------sulphuricum
---------persulphas  .   .  .
---------pilula .   .  .   101,
---------pracipitatum album
---------submurias  ammo-
             niatum....
---------sub-sulphas .   .  .
---------sulphuretum  cum
             sulphure .   .  .
--------------------nigrum
                    • rubrum
 unguentum fortius
-----------mitius
Hydrargyro-iodo-cyanide of po-
  tassium   .......
Hydrargyrum......
             cum creta   100,
               magnesia 101,
             purificatum .
Hydrated oxyde of ethyl   .  .
         -----of lead .   .  .
         peroxyde of iron .
         sesquioxyde of iron .
Hydriodate of arsenic and mer-
               cury .  .   .  .
             potash ....
Hydro-alcoholic fluid extract of
  sarsaparilla......
Hydrochlorate of ammonia .  .
                baryta.   .  .
                lime  .   .  .
                morphia
Hydrochloric acid.....
            dilute
Hydrocyanate of potash .   .
             - protoxyde
                  zinc .   .
               silver .   .
Infusion of chiretta   .... 374
       — cinchona bark  .  . 381
          cloves.....295
■ Corsican moss
■ cusparia .   .  .
 digitalis  .   .  .
 ergot of rye  .  .
 galls-  .      .  .
 gentian   .   .  .
-------compound
— horse-radish.  .
— krameria .  .  .
— linseed  .  .  .
—•------compound
— orange-peel .  .
— Pareira-brava  .
— quassia  .  .  .
— rhubarb  .  .  .
— roses, acid  .  .
        compound
rue
.   42
.  386
.  159
.  177
.   67
.  401
.  401
.  228
.  286
.   71
.  192
.  192
.  366
.  161
.  404
.  115
.   77
.   77
.   53
.  1-M
------sarsaparilla .
------savin.....179
------ seneka  ....  217
------senna.....129
------------compound  .  122
------------with tama-
               rinds   .  .  122
------serpentaria .   .  .  316
------simaruba ....  406
------spigelia  ....   45
    — spearmint   .   .  .  308
               ■ compound  308
----- tansy
----- tobacco   .
 ---valerian  .
     wormwood
                              46
                             271
                              55
                             359
Inula helenium......303
Iodide of arsenic.....325
        ------and mercury . 326
        gold......327
Hydrocyanic acid
Hydrosulphate of ammonia.
Hyoscyamia......
Hyoscyamus niger   .  .   .
Hypnotics......
Hypochlorite of lime  .  .   .
               iron......392
            — lead......353
          ----mercury .   .  .  340,342
          ----potassium   .... 354
          —— quinine.....383
          ----sulphur.....356
of--------zinc......302
   271 Iodine.........346
   409 Iodinium........316
   254Iodism.........317
   282 loduretted iodide of potassium 354
Hyponitrous ether.....
               with rectified
                  spirit   .  .

               I.
Iceland moss.....
Igasuric acid  ....
Illicium anisatum .   .
Imperial......
Incitants......
Indian hemp   ....
------sarsaparilla   .  .
------tobacco ....
Indigo.......
Indigofera tinctoria   .  .
Infusion of angustura
   ------ arnica .   .  .
   ------balm   .   .  .
   -------blessed thistle
   -------broom tops  .
   ------ buchu .   .  .
   -------buckbean.  .
   -------calumba  .  .
   -------cascarilla.  .
   -------catechu   .  .
— compound
chamomile
371
350
286
161
273
222
I
215
346
347
386
28'
306
383
185
157
402
370
372
 62
 62
363
Ipecacuanha   .   .  " 169, 205, 214
Ipecacuanhae et opii  pilula .  .  148
-----------pulvis compositus  148
Ipomaa jalapa......101
       purga......101
Irish moss.......374
Iron.........387
----acetate of......388
----ammonio-chloride of  .   . 388
----ammonio-citrate of.   .   . 391
----ammonio-tartrate of  .   . 389
----and quina, citrate of  .   . 392
----aromatic mixture of  .   . 394
----black oxyde of  ...   . 395
----bromide of.....390
----carbonate of.....396
-------------saccharated of. 390
----citrate of......391
----ferroso-ferric oxyde of   . 395
----filings.......387
---iodide of......392
----lactate of......394
---- percyanide of   ...   . 392
----pernitrate of.....65
---- peroxyde of  .   .     .   . 396
—— persesquinitrate of .
----phosphate of .   .
----plaster of ...  .
i----potassio-tartrate of.
----protoiodide of
     red oxyde of
                          65
                         397
                         397
                         399
                         393
                         396
■ rust of.......398 
INDEX.
447
T                            **&'
Iron, sesquioxyde of  .... 396
'-----------------hydrated . 398
----scales of the oxyde of .  . 387
----sulphate of.....397
--------------dried   ...   66
----sulphuret of.....413
----tartrate of......397
----wine of.......397
----wire........387
Issue ointment  ....  204, 205
Issues.......137,205
Ivory black.......411

                J.
Jalap.........101
James's powder.....141
Jamaica pepper......310
Janipha manihot.....196
Jecoris aselli oleum  .  \  .  . 350
Jelly of Corsican moss   ...   42
Jervin.........210
Juglans cinerea   .  .   .  .  . 103
Juniperus communis .... 160
■---------sabina.....178
Lime, carbonate of.   .
----chlorinated  .   .
----hydrochlorate of
-----hypochlorite of.
     muriate of  .   .
  — phosphate precipitated
     subphosphate   .  .
     water.....
Limones......
Liniment, anodyne   .  .
          mercurial  .  .
          St. John Long's
Linimentum aruginis
            ammonia
                 368
                 411
                 411
                  29
                 250
                 241
                 337
                 208
                 135
                 200
-----compositum 200
-----sesquicarbo-
       natis .  . 200
calcis   .... 192
camphora  .  .  . 291
-----compositum 200
crotonis .... 203
hydrargyri compo-
Page
 29
368
Lotio nigra.......343
Loxa bark.......376
Lozenges of bicarbonate of soda   39
           catechu ....   62
Kali water.......32
Keyscr's pills......33'
Kinic acid.......377
Kino   ....
----Botany Bay
----East Indian.....69
Krameria triandrii   ....  70
Krameric acid......70
Kreosote........62

               L.
Lacmus........413
Lactate of iron......334
Lactuca sativa......226
-------virosa......226
Lactucarium......226
------------lozenges  .  .  . 227
Lactucin........227
Laudanum.......240
Laurel water......267
Lauro cerasus......266
Laurus camphora.....290
------cassia......295
------cinnamomum   .  .  . 297
------nobilis   .....304
------sassafras.....153
Lavandula spica.....304
----------vera  .  .  .  .  .304
Lavender........304
------— drops......305
Laxatives........85
Lead, acetate of.....71
-----carbonate of.....73
-----chloride of.....41
-----compound cerate of  .  .   74
---------------ointment of  .   74
Linseed
   situm
 ipecacuanha?  .
 opii  ....
 saponis .  .  .
-------cum opio
 simplex .  .  .
 terebinthina  .
------chalk.....30
------lactate of iron  .  .  364
------liquorice  ....  187
                        .   32
                        .  239
magnesia
opium.
■oil
 tea
   336
   205
   241
   291
   241
   185
  . 207
  . 191
  . 191
  . 191
  . 103
  . 192
  . 278
  .  60
25, 281
  . 139
Lunar caustic......132
Lupulin........227
Lupulite........227
Lupulus........227
Lythrum salicaria.....71

              M.
Mace.........308
Madder........178
Magistery of bismuth   .   .  .317
Magnesia......31,104
--------calcined   ....   31
-------- carbonate of  .    31,104
------------------- heavy .  31
-------------------light  .   31
-------lozenges of ....  31
--------sulphate of .  .   .  .104
Linum catharticum  .  .  .
------usitatissimum.  .  .
Liquor athereus oleosus
------aluminis compositus
------ammonia  .  .
-------------- acetatis
---------------fortior .  132, 199
--------------- sesquicarbo-
                  natis   .   .  28
       argenti nitratis  .  .   . 364
       arsenicalis.....365
       arsenici  et hydrargyri
         hydriodatis .... 326
       barii chloridi  .  .  .   .36'
       calcii chloridi.... 369
       calcis......29
       cinchona   .  .   .  .   _> 382
       cupri ammonio-sulphatis 384
       hydrargyri  bichloridi  . 339
       iodinei compositi.  .   .
       muriatis  ferri ....
       opii sedativus ....
       plumbi diacetatis   .   .
      ---------------dilutus
-----diacetate of.....74
-----fused protoxyde of  .  .  74
-----hydrated oxyde of.  .  . 414
.-----iodide of......353
-----nitrate of.....414
----- plaster of  ....
              ■ compound of
— subacetatis
— compositus
 arsemtis
■ carbonatis  .
■ effervescens
 potassii iodidi composi-
   tus.......
- soda chlorinata  .  .  .
----- effervescens  .  .
-----red oxyde of.....415
-----subacetate of  ....  71
-----sugar of......71
-----white ...     ...  73
Leek.........313
Lemonade.......250
Lemon juice .
------ peel .
       sirup
Lenitive electuary.  .   •
Leontodon taraxacum   .
Leopard's bane .  •  •   ■
Lettuce-opium .  .  •   ■
Lichen Islandicus .  .   ■
Lime......■
  ---bone-phosphate of.
--------water of bicarbonate of 31
Magnetic electricity .... 302
Male shield fern.....43
Mallow, common.....192
Malva sylvestris.....192
Mandrake   .  .  . e.  .  .   .138
Manganese, black oxyde of   . 414
      ---- peroxyde of.  .   . 414
Manna.........106
      flake.......106
Mannite........106
Maranta........193
    ---arundinacea   .  .   . 193
    ----Indica.....193
Marrubium vulgare   .... 216
Marshmallow......180
Masticatories   .  .   .   .  .   . 272
Mastiche........305
May apple.......138
Meadow saffron   .   .   .  .   .  93
Meconic acid......234
Meconin........234
Mel.........   . 105
— boracis.......78
— despumatum.....105
— rosa........77
Melaleuca leucadendron.  .   . 287
---------minor.....287
Melissa officinalis.....306
Meloo vesicatoria.....158
Mentha piperita.....306
 ---- -pulegium.....307
-------viridis ...... 307
Menyanthes trifoliata   .  .  . 402
Mercurial candle.....345
-------— eczema.....334
--------erethism  .... 334
---------fumigations   .  .  . 336
---------salivation .... 333
--------■ tremor.....333
          taraxaci...
          tartari emetici
   Liquorice.....
   ----.-----refined .  .
   Litmus........413
   ------paper......414
   Litharge........7j
   --------plaster with resin   .   75
   Lithontriptics......25
   Liver of sulphur.....312
   Liverwort.......3/2
   Lixivum cinis......36
   Lobelia........215
   ------Whitlaw's tincture of 216
   Lobelina........215
   Logwood........68
372:Long pepper.......311
 29 Loosetrife, purple.....71
411 ILotio flava   ....... 343
Mercury........332
— acetate of
   ■ ammoniated  submu-
      riate of  ...  .
   ammonio-chloride of
   and arsenic, hydrio-
      date of  .  .
   • bichloride of  .
   bicyanide of
   ■ biniodide of.  .
   ■ binoxyde of.  .
   ■ black oxyde of.
   black sulphuret  of
337

335
335

326
338
340
340
344
342
335
— chloride of
   chloro-amidide of
   cyanide of
89, 331
   345
   340
   340
   340
   342 
448
INDEX.
Mercury, nitric oxyde of
--------ointment of.  •
------------------milder
• oxyde of .  .   .
 persulphate of.
 pills of  .  .   .
 plaster of   .   .
    Page
    135
    336
    337
    342
   , 344
101, 336
    337
    333
    340
136,344
Myronic acid  ....
Myrospermum Toluiferum
Myrosyne.   .  .  .  .  .
Myroxylon Peruiferum .
          Peruvianum.
----purified
----red iodide of
—■------ oxyde of
-------------ointment of 136
----sulphuret of   .  .   . 345
----subchloride of .
----suboxyde of.   .
----subsulphate of.
     sulphate of
                           .  343
                           .  209
                           .  344
--------white precipitate of .  345
--------with chalk  .  .  100, 336
-------------magnesia .  101, 336
Mezereon ....  148, 205, 273
Mindererus's spirit   .  .  .  .139
Minium........415
Mistura acacia......189
------- althaa   .  .  .  .  .181
     — ammoniaci  .
        amygdalarum
----assafcetida
----camphora
282
182
 49
291
              - cum magnesia 291
-------cascarilla composita  . 372
------- creasoti.....266
------- cretas......30
-------ferri aromatica .   .   . 394
-----------composita .   .   . 391
-------gentiana composita   . 401
-------guaiaci.....147
-------hordei ....... 191
-------monesia  ......  71
-------moschi.....52
------- scammonii  .  .   .   .119
-------spiritus vini gallici   . 281
Molasses........194
Momordica elaterium   ...  98
Monesia........71
Monesine........71
Monkshood.......257
Mora.........251
Morphia........228
------- acetate of  .... 229
--------hydrochlorate of  .   . 230
------- lozenges of ...   . 232
-------muriate of ...   . 230
—'-----sulphate of .  .   .   .232
Morrhuae oleum.....348
Morus nigra.......251
Moschus.......51
--------moschiferus   ...  51
Moxas.........201
------Dr.  Osborne's .... 201
Mucilage........189
Mucilago........189
--------amyli......183
--------gummi Arabici   .   .189
---------------Tragacantha 19'
Mucuna pruriens.....42
Mulberries.......251
------■---sirup of .... 251
Mullein........198
Muriate of ammonia .... 283
-----— antimony.....131
------- baryta......366
------- iron, tincture of  .   . 395
-------lime......368
------- morphia.....230
-------quina......383
        soda......31
Myrrh
      East India .   .
      Turkey .  .   .
Myrtus pimenta   .   .

               N.
Naphtha.....
Narcein.....
Narcotics.....
Narcotina   . , .  .   .
Nephrodium filix-mas
Neroli, oil of  .  .   .
Nicotiana tabacum
Nicotianin   .  .  .   .
Nicotina.....
Nightshade, deadly   .
            woody   .
Nitrate of baryta  .   .
         lead .  .   .
         potash  .   .
         quina   .   .
         silver   .   .
 Page
 173
, 213
, 173
. 212
, 212
. 340
. 340
. 340
, 310
Nitre
-----whey
Nitric acid
dilute .  .   .
ointment of  .
-----ether.......
Nitrate of oxyde of ethyl  .   .
Nitro-muriatic acid   .  .  .   .
 ---------oxyde of antimony
Nitrous ether......
       ethereal spirit  .  .   .
Nutgalls
Nutmegs .
Nux-vomica
 267
 234
 218
 234
  43
 409
 270
 270
 270
 219
 14
 410
 414
,252
 383
,383
,252
 252
 130
 360
 274
 276
 276
 361
 140
 276
 155
  66
 308
 349
O.
Muriatic acid......129
-----------dilute  .... 380
Murray's solution of magnesia   32
Muscovado.......193
Musk.........51
Mustard......173,207
Mutton suet.......180
Myristica moschata  .... 308
Myristicine.......309
Oak bark.....
Oat, common  .  .   .
Oatmeal.....
Oil of anise  ....
-----bergamot   .   .
——— bitter almonds .
----cajeput  .  .   .
— camphorated  .   .
— of caraway .  .   .
----cassia ....
— castor .....
— of chamomile  .   .
-----cinnamon   .   .
—— cloves ....
— cod-liver ....
— of copaiba  .  .   .
— croton......97
— of cubebs.....
 ----dill.......
-----ergot of rye ....
-----fennel......
—— lavender.....
-----lemons.....
— linseed......
— of mace......
 ----male shield fern   .  .
-----neroli......
-----nutmegs.....
-----olives.....10'
 ----orange.....
-----origanum   ....
----- pennyroyal ....
----- peppermint ....
-----pimento.....
-----rosemary.....
-----rue.......
----- savin  ......
-----sweet-bay berries .  .
----- spearmint  ....
-----star-anise   ....
-----thyme......
-----turpentine 46,126 166 W
                             Page
Oil of vitriol......     57
Ointment, acetate of lead  .  .  73
   ------aconitina  .... 259
   ------ammonio-chloride of
            mercury  .  .  . 345
   —----basilicon   .... 321
   ----- biniodide of mercury 340
   -----black pepper .  .  .313
   -----calamine   ....  81
   ------calomel.....342
   —----carbonate of lead  .  74
   ------cocculusindicus.  .  300
   ------creasote   ....  64
   ------elemi.....303
  76
 183
 183
 286
 410
 257
 28
 291
 294
 296
 116
 362
 298
 295
 348
 331
,204
 332
 285
 175
 303
 305
 305
 191
 308
  43
 409
 309
, 194
 409
 310
 307
, 307
, 301
. 314
.  53
. 178
. 304
. 308
. 285
. 310
7 320
              compound  .  .   66
      — gold......327
      — hydriodate of potash  357
      — iodide  of lead   .  .  353
      -----------mercury .  342
      -----------  sulphur  .  358
      — iodine   .  .  .   348,357
      --------compound .  .  357
      — lead, compound  .  .   75
      — mercury  ....  336
      — nitrate of mercury .  342
      — nitric oxyde of mer-
            cury .....136
      — oxyde of zinc ...   82
      — picrotoxin ....  300
      — red precipitate   .  .138
      — resin.....321
      ---scrophularia .   .  .  316
      — subacetate of copper  136
      — sulphur.....320
      ---------compound  .  320
      — sulphuret  of potas-
            sium .....314
      — sulphuric acid   .  .   59
      — tar......321
      — veratria.....316
      — white hellebore  .  .  322
              • precipitate  .  335
Olea Europaa......105
Oieum athereum.....278
------amygdala.....180
---------------amara   .  .  257
------anethi......285
------anisi.......286
——-— anthemidis.....362
---■— aurantii......409
------bergamii.....410
-----bergamota.....410
    — cajuputi......287
    - camphoratum .... 291
    — carui.......294
    — caryophylli   .... 295
    — cassia......296
    — cinnamomi.....298
    — copaiba......331
    — crotonis tiglii .  .    97, 204
    - cubeba......331
    — ergota......176
    — euphorbia lathyris  .  .  99
    — filicis maris  ....  43
    — foeniculi......303
    — jecoris aselli  .... 348
    — juniperi......159
    — lavandula.....305
    — limonum.....305
    -lini.......192
    — mentha piperita .  .  . 307
    ---------pulegii .  .  . 307
    ---    — viridis  .  .  . 307
    — morrhua.....348
    — myristica   ..... 308
    - neroli.......409
    _ oliva.....107,194
on gam
310
 — pimenta......311
— ricini.......116
— rosmarini.....314
— ruta.......53
— sabina......178
                 ....  153 
INDEX.
449
                             Pagei
Oleum succim......54 Pepper, Jamaica
------ terebinthina
             46, 127,165, 207, 320
                 ■ purificatum  47
                 • rectifinatum  47
Olibanum........309
Olivae oleum.....107, 194
Olive oil......107, 194
Onions........296
Opium.........232
------Bengal......233
------Constantinople   .  .   . 233
------East Indian   .... 233
------English......233
------Egyptian  .  .   .  .   .233
------French......233
—----Garden Patna .... 233
------lettuce......226
------lozenges.....239
------Malwah.  .  .   .  .   .234
------Persian......235
------pills.......238
------plaster......240
------sedative liquor of  .   . 240
----— Smyrna......233
------Turkey......233
------wine.......240
Opodeldoc.......291
Opoidia........51
Opoponax........52
--------- chironium ....   52
Opuntia cochinillefera  .  .  • 412
Oranges........249
-------flowers of  .... 409
-----------------water of  . 410
 -------juice of.....249
         peel of.....365
                             Pas*'
                             310
        long.......311
    — white......312
Peppermint  ....        . 306
----------oil of .   .     .   . 307
----------water.....307
Perchloride of gold   .... 327
Percyanide of iron.....392
Perfumes........408
Pernitrate of iron.....64
Peroxyde of gold.....318
           iron.....396
           manganese .   .   . 414
Persian opium......235
Persica vulgaris.....261
Persulphate of mercury .   .   . 343
Peru balsam.......212
Peruvian bark......374
Petroleum Barbadense  ...  43
Pharmaceutical agents  .   .   . 408
Phasianus gallus.....194
Phosphate of lime.....411
-----------iron.....39~
----------- quina   .... 383
         — soda.....123
                 solution of 416
Pilula rhei et terri  .   .
   — sagapeni composita .
   — saponis composita  ,
   ---------cum opio
   —■ scilla.....
composita ,
 Page
 115
,  54
. 239
, 239
, 216
. 216
Phosphoric acid.....361
Physeter macro-cephalus  .   .185
Phytocolla.......220
Picrana excelsa.....404
Picrotoxin.......300|—Burgundica
---------ointment of   .  .   . 300
Pills, anti-hysteric   ....  52
    -anti-spasmodic.   ...  50
   _ blue.....100,336
   — cathartic......92
Orchis latifolia......196
------mascula......196
Origanum.......310
Ornus Europaa.....106
Ossa.........414
Otto of roses......415
Ovis aries.......180
Ovum.........1?4
Oxalate of ammonia ....
Oxalis acetosella.....246
Ox gall........386
                       .   .  .387
■ copaiva
330
Oxyde of ethyl......276
-------------hydrated .  .   .279
--------iron......395
--------lead, hydrated .  .   .414
-------------red.....414
--------manganese  .... 414
--------mercury.....342
--------silver......364
           ic   .  .  .  .   81,408
----diaphoretic.....141
----dinner.......88
----Dzondi's......339
----Keyser's......337
-----musk.......52
-----of oxyde of gold  .   .  .  328
-----Plummer's.....143
Pilula aloes.....
-----------composita .
-----------cum myrrha
-----------et assafcetida
-----------et ferri  .  .
384
Oxysulphuret of antimony

               P.
Pale cinchona bark  .  .
Papaver somniferum .  .
Papier D'Albespeyrres  .
Paramorphia......234
Paregoric elixir.....240
.   . 376
232, 242
.   . 203
Scotch
Pareira......
------brava......101
Passula majores.....J 98
_----•— minores  .  .
Pastinaca opoponax  .   .
Peach-tree  ....
Pearl barley .  .  ■  •   ■
Pearlashes.....
Pectorals ...     •   •
Pellitory of Spain .  .   •
Pennyroyal .....
----------water.  .   •
Pepper, black
      - cubeb
 ammoniareti cupri
 ante cibum.....88
 Asiatics.....365
• assafatida.....49
 calomelanos  composita
                   143, 341
      styracis......239
      ------composita  .  .  239
      Thebaica.....239
Pimento........310
Pimpinella anisum  .         285
Pinus abies  ....    .  .  322
      balsam ea....       167
      sylvestris.....320
Piper album.......311
-----caudatum.....331
-----cubeba......331
-----longum......311
-----nigrum......311
Piperin........312
Pipsissewa.......163
Pistacia lentiscus.....306
-------terebinthus  ....  166
Pitayabark.......379
Pitch.........320
-----Burgundy.....320
—------------plaster .   .  .320
Piton bark.......379
Pix abietina.......320
 — arida........320
                             320
    liquida.......320
    nigra.......320
Plaster, adhesive .     ...  75
 ------ammoniac        .  . 281
 ------aromatic .         . 299
 ------assafatida   .     .  .  50
 ------diachylon.....75
 ------frankincense.... 397
 —----galbanum.....51
 -------iroji......    397
 ------lead......     75
 -------litharge.....75
 -------mercurial.....337
 ------------with ammoniac  337
 -------opium......242
 -------resin......75
 -----------with litharge .  . 75
 ------soap.......75
             compound ... 75
        sticking.....75
cambogia
et opu
Plumbi acetas......71
------carbonas.....73
------ceratum compositum  .  74
------chloridum.....414
■ composita
 cathartica composita  .
 colocynthidis  ....
----------composita  .
          • et hyoscyami
• conii composita
corrosivi sublimati
cupri ammoniati .
digitalis et scilla
— e styrace.....239
 ferri bromidi
-----carbonatis
-----composita
     sulphatis
----- fetida  ......  49
-----galbani composita  .  .
-----gambogia et scammonii  92
-----hydrargyri.  .   .  101,336
-----chloridi composita .  .  143
  ----------- iodidi ....  342
-----ipecacuanha composita  214
-----opii.......239
-----plumbi opiata   ...  72
------purgantescummercurio  90
------quina......383
------rhei .......  115
---------composita   .  .  .115
             Lll
- diacetatis liquor .  .  .
-------------dilutus
---------■ solutio  .  .
                        74
                        74
                        74
- emplastrum   ....  74
-nitras......414
- oxydum hydratum  .  . 414
      — rubrum .   .    415
        semivitreum    74
                        74
                        74
                        74
   ---subacetatis liquor
   -------------compositus
   ---unguentum compositum
Plummer's pill......144
Podophyllum Peltatum  .  .  .135
Poison oak.......245
Polychroite.......175
Polygala senega.....217
Polygonum bistorta  ....  76
Pomade of balsam of Tolu .  .  287
Pomegranate bark.....44
 ----------flowers ....  76
-----------rind of the fruit
              of.....76
Poppy, corn.......243
------heads......242
------red.......243
------white   ....  233, 243
Porridge   .......184
Porrum........312
Potash.........137
-----acetate of    .  .  108,162 
450
INDEX.
                             Pa;e
Potash arad iron, tartrate of   . 399
------bicarbonate of.   ...  33
------liisulphate of ...   . 10!i
------bitartrate of  .   .  109, 162
-----carbonate of  ....  34
------caustic......137
------hydrate of.....137
----- hydriodate of ...   . 265
------ hydrocvanate of .  .   . 208
------nitrate'of  .   .   .  162, 252
----- solution of.....32
------sulphate of   .   .  .   .110
--------------withsulphuT  112
------tartrate of.....112
Potashes........32
Potassa........137
-------caust  i»  .        .   . 137
-------cum >.,tlcc   .   .     .137
Potassae acetas ....  108, 162
-------aqua......32
------------ effervescens  .   .  34
-----— bicarbonas   ....  33
-------bisulphas.....109
-------bitartras  .  .   .  109, 162
------- carbonas  .....  34
•—■--------e lixivocinere .   .  34
----------- e tartari crystallis  34
-----------impura  ....  34
■----------purum   ....  34
-------carbonatis aqua ...  34
----------------liquor  .   .  34
-------caustica aqua   ...  32
-------chloras......251
-------hydras......137
------- hydriodas.....354
-------liquor......32
------------- effervescens.   .  34
-------nitras  .     .   .  162,252
-------sulphas.....110
-------------cum sulphure  111
-------sulphuretum.   .  .   . 312
-------tartras......112
Potassii bromidnm   .... 353
-------cyanidum.....26o
------- ferrocyanidum   .  .   . 415
-------hydrargyro-iodocyani-
          dum......256
-------iodidum.....354
-------sulphuretum .... 312
Potassio-tartrate  of antimony
            142, 168, 199, 210, 261
Potassio-tartrate of iron .  .   . 399
Potassium, bromide of   .  .   . 353
----------cyanide of   .  .   . 268
----------cyanuret of  .  .   . 268
----------ferrocyanide of .   . 415
■---------hydrargyro-iodocy-
             anide of   .  .   . 256
--------— iodide of .   .  .   . 355
----------sulphuret of.  .   .310
Posological table.....436
Potato-starch......193
Potentilla tormentilla   ...  80
Potio cathartica.....122
Poultice, alum......63
-------carrot......301
--------charcoal.....412
--------hemlock.....265
--------linseed.....192
--------mustard.....206
--------yeast......296
Powder,  antimonial  .... 141
--------aromatic.....299
--------diaphoretic .... 145
--------Dover's.....148
--------James's.....141
-------ofalgaroth .   .  .   . 1'12
-------of burned sponge .   . 356
--------of gold.....327
Precipitate, red......136
----------white.....345
Precipitated phosphate of lime 411
Proof spirit.......279
Protoiodide of iron   .... 392
Protolactate of inn  .         394
Prunes........HI
Prunus domeslica .   .     ..Ill
Prunus lauro-cerasus   .     . 266
Prussian  blue......392
Prussic acid.......254
Pseudotoxin.......22(1
('tannics........208
Pterocarpus erinaceus  ...  71
----------santalinus .  .   .415
Pulegium ...     .... 307
Pulp, cassia.......92
-----colocynth.....25
Pulvis aloes compositus ...  88
----------cum canella   .   .  88
-----aluminis compositus   .  60
-----antimonialis   .... 141
----- antimonii compositus  . 141
 ---- aromaticus.....299
—----asari compositus .  .   . 209
------auri.......327
-----cinnamomi c-mipositus . 299
-----creta; compositus ...  30
------------------cum opio  65
----------- opiatus ....  65
------Doveri......148
-----elaterii compositus .   .  99
-----ipecacuanha  composi-
         tus.......148
-------------------et opii  . 148
------Jacobi......141
------jalapa compositus  .   .102
------kino compositus ...  70
-----moschi  compositus  .   .  52
------pro cataplasmate.  .   .192
-----rhei compositus .  .   .114
----------cum hydrargyro  . 114
-----■ sabadilla.....315
-----salinus  compositus  .   . 105
------scammonii compositus . 119
------------cum hydrargyro 119
------scilla.......163
-----spongia usta    .  .   . 356
------stanni......45
------tragacantha compositus 19'
Punica granatum .   .  .  .  44,76
Purgatives.....       83
Purging flax.....      103
Pyrethrin.......    273
Pyrethrum.......273
Pyroacetic spirit.....298
Pyrola.........163
Pyroligneous acid.....287
Pyrolusite.......414
Quassia........403
------amara......404
----— excelsa......403
-------simaruba.....406
Quassin........404
Quassite........404
Quercus infectoria   ....  68
 ----— pedunculata  ...  76
-------robur......76
Quicksilver.......332
Quince........186
Quina.........375
-----acetate of.....382
-----and iron, citrate of .   . 382
-----citrate of.....382
-----disulphate of  ...   . 382
-----iodide......383
-----muriate  of.....382
-----nitrate of.....382
-----phosphate of  ...   . 382
-----pills of......382
-----sulphate of.....382
-----tannate of.....382
—-—tartrate x>f.....382
—-— wine  of......382
Quina disulphas.....382
    —  murias.....    382
-----sulphas  ...        . 382
Qumina sulphas.....382
Quinometry.......382
               R.
Raia clavata.   .  .            351
Raisins  ...     .     .    198
Ranunculus acris .   .     .    206
----------flammula  .  .    206
Ralanhy.......     71
Recamier's caustic   .... 328
ileetified spirit......279
Red bark........375
    iodide of mercury .  .   , 340
 — oxvdc  of iron.....396
 ----------lead.....415
-----------  mercury  .  .   . 343
 — poppy.......242
---precipitate.....136
-------------ointment of   .136
----rose peta's......77
 — sandal-wood.....415
----saunders wood   .... 415
    sulphuret of mercury  .   . 345
Refrigerants.......248
Refrigeratory mixture  .  .   . 283
Relaxants........179
Renealmia  cardamomum   .   . 293
Resin plaster......75
Resina copaiba......331
------flava......   . 320
------guaiaci......146
------jalapa......102
------nigra.......320
------scammonia   .  .  .   .119
Revulsives.......198
Rhabarberic acid.....114
Rhabarberin.......114
Rhamnus catharticus  .  .   .112
Rhatany........71
Rhein.........114
Rheum........112
------coiupactum   .  .  .   .112
------crassinervum.  .  .   .112
------Emodi......112
------leucorrhizum.  .  .   . 112
------moorcroftianum .  .   . 112
   —   palmatum.....112
----■—rhaponticum .   .  .   .112
------spiciforme.....112
 ------undulatum   .   .  .   .112
----— Webbianum .  .  .   .112
Rheumin........114
Rhoeados petala.....214
Rhubarb ......... 112
--------Chinese.....113
-------East Indian.  .  .   .113
 -------English.....113
--------Russian.....113
--------stick......113
--------Turkey.....113
Rhus toxicodendron  .... 245
Ricini  oleum......116
Ricinus communis   .  .  .   .116
Rocella tinctoria.....413
Rochelle salt......124
Rock oil........43
Rosa canina.......252
---- centifolia......415
---- gallica.......77
Rosa fructus     .           . 252
-----oleum.......415
Rose, attar of......415
-----cabbage......415
-----dog.......251
-----French.....77
-----hundred leaved  .  .   . 415
 ----oil of.......415
-----otto of.......415
-----sirup of......415
-----water.......415
Rosemary......    313
Rosin.........320
Rosmarinus officinalis  .  .   . 313
Rubefacient cataplasm  .  .    312
Rubefacients.......198
Rubia  tinctorum.....178
Rubigo ferri......    398
Rue........53.20S 
INDEX.
451
_  , .                       Page
Rufus's pills.......88
Rumex acetosa......252
------aquaticus.....253
Rust of iron.......398
Ruta graveolens  ...   53,206
Rye, ergot ot......176

               S.
Sabadilla......44, 314
Sabina......... 206
Sacchari fax......194
Saccharine carbonate of iron  . 390
Saccharum.......194
----------commune. .  .  .194
----------officinarum .  .  . 194
----------purum.....194
Saffron........175
------cake.......175
------hay.......175
------meadow.....95
------sirup of.  r  .... 176
------tincture of    .... 176
                             Page
Senna.........120
-----Alexandrian   .  .  .  .120
------Indian.....120
-----Tinnivelly.....120
------Tripoli......120
-----Serpentaria   .... 316
Sesquicarbonate of ammonia
                      28, 169, 282
                              33
                             327
                             140
                             328
                             39R
Sesquichloride of gold  .
Sesquioxyde of antimony
-------------gold .  .
------------ iron   .  .
                  hydrated
                            Page
Solution, Brandishs's alkaline   33
         of acetate of ammonia 139
         of aconitina   .   .   • 260
         of ammonia .  .    26,281
         — concentrated   132, 198
         of chloride of soda   .316
                             317
                              75
                              99
                             367
                             369
                             232
■ Labarraque's   .  .
 of diacetate of lead
- of elaterin  .   .  •
■ of muriate of baryta
       ---lime
           morphia
Sagapenum.......53
Sago.........195
----jelly........195
----meal.......195
----milk........196
---- pearl.......196
--- pudding......196
Saguerus Rumphii   .... 196
Sagus lavis.......196
-----Rumphii.....196
Sal ammoniac......283
Sal prunelle.......161
Salep.........196
Salicin.........405
Saline powder, compound .   .104
Salix........405
----alba.......405
----caprea.......405
----fragilis......405
Salsaparine.......152
Salt.........318
Saltpetre........161
Salts, Epsom......104
Sarnhucus nigra   .   117, 196, 253
Sambuci nigra, flores   . .  .415
Sandal-wood.  .   .  .  . .  . 415
Sanguinaria Canadensis. .  .  172
Sap-green.......112
Sapo crotonis  ....
——■ jalapinus......103
Sarcoptes hominis.....320
Sarsaparilla.......149
Setons.........206
Seville oranges......365
Sevum.........180
       ovillum......180
       praparatum   .  .  .   .180
Sheep.........180
Sherry wine.......322
Sialogogues.......272
Sidhee.........223
Silver.........409
      ammoniated solution of .
      cyanide of.....409
      iodide of......364
      nitrate of   .  .   .  133,363
      oxvde of......364
Silver ba'rk.......376
Simaruba........406
          amara.....406
          officinalis  .... 406
        of potash   ....  33
        of phosphate of soda  416.
--------of protoiodide of iron  363
        of silver, ammoniated 409
Seot.........50
Soporifics........218
Sorrel.........252
Spanish fly.......156
        white wine .... 322
Spartium scoparium .... 165
Spearmint.......308
---------water.....308
Special stimulants   .... 325
Sinapis......172,20
------alba.......172
                    .... 172
—■----nigra
Sinapisin........172
Sinapisms.......207
Smilax aspera......190
    — officinalis.....149
       sarsaparilla   .   .  .   .149
Snakeroot.......216
Soap cerate.......7
---- liniment......291
 --- of croton oil
---- of jalap......103
 ---plaster.......77
 ----------compound  ...  77
Soda, acetate of.....164
-----biborate of.....78
-----bicarbonate of ....  36
-----borate of......78
-----carbonate of.....36
                  dried...  38
Specifics........325
Spermaceti.......185
Spermosdia clavus.....176
Spigelia Marilandica ....  45
-------root.......45
-----------infusion of   .   .  45
Spirit of nitric ether .  .  155,275
        soot......50
        sulphuric ether   .   . 278
        —------compound . 278
        wine......278
Spiritus atheris nitrici .  155, 276
                sulphurici   . 277
                   compositus
 Brazil
 Honduras  .
- Indian  .  .
- Jamaica .  .
- Lima .  .  .
• red-bearded
■ scented .  .
Sarza.......
Sassafras officinale   .   .
-------- oleum.....153
Saturnine extract.....74
Saunders-wood......415
Savin........206
-----oil........178
-----ointment......206
Scales of the oxyde of iron .  .  38'
Scammony.......118
.__________resin of  .   .  .  .118
----------virgin.....118
Scilla maritima ....  163, 172
Scillitina........164
Scobs ferri.......38
Scoparium.......164
                            .  315
                              383
                            .  1
                          ,  .  253
                            .  183
                          ,  . 124
                            . 124
                              217
Scrophularia nodosa
Scurvy-grass   .  .
Secale cereale  .  .
Sedatives ....
Seeds  .....
Seidlitz powders  .
Seignette's powders
Seppl">   .  .
 ----chloride of.....317
 ----chlorinated.....317
 ----hypochlorate ef   .   .  . 317
 ----hydrochlorate of  .   .  . 318
 ----muriate of.....318
 --- phosphate of  ...  . 123
 ----sesquicarbonate of   .   . * 36
 ----sulphate of.....124
 ----water.......37
Soda acetas.......165
 ----biboras......'8
     bicarbonas.....36
     boras.......78
     carbonas......37
     ________exsiccata...  38
                              37
                              38
                              37
                              38
                             317
                             124
                             317
                             317
    ammonia.....284
   ---------aromaticus . 284
   ---------fcetidus  .   .  49
                         286
                         286
                         286
                         294
                         296
                         299
                          50
                         161
                         305
-------------compositus 305
----menthae.....307
-----------piperita  .  . 307
-----------pulegii   .  . 307
-----------viridis .  .  . 308
----myristica.....309
----mucis moschata  .  . 309
----pimenta.....301
----rectificatus   .... 279
---rosmarini.....314
    tenuior   ..... 279
 anisi......
-----■ compositus  .   .
 armoracia compositus
■ carui......
 cassia......
■ cinnamomi  .   .  .   .
■ fuliginis.....
■ juniperi compositus   .
-lavandula .....
--impura
— siccatum
— venale.
----carbonatis aqua
----chlorinata liquor  .
----et potassa tartras .
----murias   ....
-----------purum .  .
----phosphas......123
----phosphatis solutio .   .   . 41fi
----■ potassio-tartras .... 124
----sesquicarbonas .  .
----sulphas......124
Sodii auro-terchloridum.   .   . 328
----chloridum.....318
Solatium dulcamara .... 145
Sponge........356
------burned......356
Spongia officinalis.....356
Spurred rye.......176
Squilla.....163,172,216
Squirting cucumber  ....  98
St. John Long's liniment  .   . 208
Stalagmitis cambogia  ...  90
    ------cambogioides  .   .  90
Stannum ........45
Staphisagria.......318
Star-anise oil......285
Starch.........182
Stavesacre........318
Sternutatories......208
Stimulants, general  .   .  .  .274
 ----------special   .... 324
Storax.........218
------common......218
------liquid......218
Stramonium.......244
Strychnia.......350
Strychnic acid......350 
452
INDEX.
                              Page
 Strychnos bark......350
 Strychnos nux-vomica  .  .   . 350
 Styptics........55
 Styrax benzoin......213
 ------colatus......218
 ------officinalis.....218
 Subcarbonate of iron .... 396
 Subiodide of mercury  .   .   . 342
 Subjee .........222
 Subnitrate of bismuth  .   .   . 367
 Suboxyde of mercury  .   .   . 343
 Subphosphate of lime  .   .   . 411
 Subsulphate of mercury.   .   . 209
 Succinum.......54
 Succus aconiti spissatus.   .   . 259
 ------belladonna   .... 221
 -----------------spissatus   . 221
 ■------colchici......95
 ------conii.......263
 ■-----------spissatus  .   .   . 263
 ------digitalis.....265
 ------hyoscyami.....225
 -----------------spissatus   . 225
 ------sambuci spissatus  .   . 252
 Sudorifics.......138
 Suet.........180
 Sugar.........194
 Sulphate of alumina and potash  59
 ----------baryta.....410
 ----------copper.   .  .   64, 384
 ----------iron   .   .  .   65, 397
 ——------magnesia .... 104
 ---------mercury  .... 343
 ----------morphia  .... 232
 ----------potash.....110
 ---------------with sulphur 111
 ----------quina.....377
 ----------soda.....124
 ----------zinc   .   102, 174, 408
 Sulphur......114,319
 -------antimoniatum fuscum  142
 -------flowers of.   .  .   125,319
 -------iodide of.....356
 ■-------liver of.....313
 -------ointment.....319
 ■------sublimed  .   .  .   125,319
 -------vapour bath  .... 319
 -------washed.....125
 Sulphuret of antimony  .   .  .142
 --------------------golden. 142
 ------------iron.....413
 -----------mercury  .   .  . 335
 —---------potassium .   .  .
 Sulphuric acid ....   57,
 -------------aromatic   .  .  59
 -------------dilute   ...  59
 ---------ether.....276
 --------------spirit of   .  .277
 Supplementary agents  .   .  . 408
 Sus scrofa.......180
 Sweet almonds......181
 .-----bay.......304
 ■------flag  ....... 268
 ------spirits of nitre.... 155
 Syrup.........194
 ------of balsam of Tolu   .  .213
 --------buckthorn   .  .   .  .112
 --------cyanide of potassium 269
 --------  garlic.....41
 ■--------ginger.....323
 --------  gold......327
 --------guaiacum  .... 148
 --------gum  ...... 190
 --------hemidesmus Indicus  190
 --------iodide of iron  .   .  . 393
 --------  ipecacuanha  .   .  .171
 —------jalap......103
 --------lactate of iron .   .  . 394
 --------lemons.....250
 --------marshmallow  .   .  .181
———  mulberries  .... 251
 --------orange peel   .   .  . 366
 ■--------poppies.....243
 -------■  protoiodide  of iron  . 392
 --------  red poppy     .   .   . 244
 --------  red rose  .....  7
Syrup of rhubarb.....
-------- roses ......
-------- saffron   .....
-------sarsaparilla.  .   .   .
-----------------compositus
• scammony  .   .  .
• scilla compositus .
-seneka  ....
- senna.....
— smilax aspera
— squills   .  .
— vinegar  .  .
— violets   .  .
Tabacum........
Tamarinds.......
   -------whey of  ...   .
Tamarindus Indica   .  .  .   .
Tanacetum vulgare   .  .  .   .
Tannic acid.......
Tannate of quina  .-.,..
Tannin........
Tansy........   .
Tapioca........
   ----jelly......
   ----milk......
   ----pudding.....
Tar..........
  — Barbadoes......
  - ointment......
— water........
Taraxacine.......
Taraxacum.......
   -------dens leonis  .   .   .
Tartar emetic 143,169,200,212.
   --------liquor of  .   .   .
   -------- ointment of  .   .
   --------wine of  .   .   .
Tartaric acid
Tartrate of iron
and potash ,
■ potash
-----and antimony
          --- quina  .....
          ----soda and potash
    Tela vesicatoria.....
    Temperants.......
    Tephrosia apollinea  ....
    Terebinthina Canadensis  .  .
          ------Chia   .   .  .  .
          ------vulgaris   .  .  .
312; Terebinthina enema .   .  .  .
131----------oleum 46,127, 166,
          -------purificatum .  .
          -------rectificatum .  .
Teriodide of arsenic  .  .
Terra Japonica ....
Tests......
Thebaina......
Thistle, blessed   .   .  .
Thorn apple.....
Thus       .....
Tiglii oleum.....
Tin powder.....
Tinctura absinthii   .  .
--------aconiti   .   .  .
--------aloes ....
-------------et myrrha
              composita
■ ammonia composita
 angustura  .   .  .
 arnica  ....
• assafatida  .   .  .
■ aurantii ....
 balsami tolutani  .
• belladonna  .   .  .
 benzoini composita
 buchu .....
■ calumba ....
— camphora   .  .   .  ,
------------composita
—  cannabis ....
— cantharidis  ...
-----capsioi
-----cardamomi
270
126
126
126
 46
 78
383
 78
 46
196
19'
19
19
320
 43
320
320
407
40fi
406
261
145
201
145
246
397
399
111
143
383
124
203
246
119
166
166
 46
 47
320
 47
 47
325
 62
408
234
383
244
322
 97
 45
359
259
284
385
287
 49
366
213
222
214
157
370
291
240
224
158
292
293
                             Page:
Tinctura cardamomi composits 293
--------cascarilla  .  .  .    372
--------cassia   ....    296
--------castorei.....50
---------------composita   .  50
--------catechu.....62
--------chiretta.....374
--------cinchona   .... 381
--------------;—composita  . 381
--------cinnamomi  .... 299
------------------composita 299
--------colchici ....     95
---------------composita   .  95
--------colocynthidis  ...  96
--------colomba.....370
--------conii......264
—------croci......176
--------cubeba.....382
--------cusparia ....    386
--------darelii   ...     .116
--------digitalis.....160
--------elaterii.....99
--------ergota.....177
------------■—  etherea   .   . 177
--------ferri acetatis  .  .   . 388
-----------cum alcohole .   . 388
-----------ammonio-chloridi 389
--------ferri aurantiacea .   . 391
------------muriatis .  .   . 395
------------sesquichloridi   . 395
-------fuliginis.....51
--------galbani  .     ...  52
--------galla ...     .   .  67
--------gambogia   ....  92
--------gentiana composita  . 401
--------guaiaci.....148
--------------ammoniata   . 148
--------------composita.   . 148
--------hellebori.....100
--------humuli.....228
--------hyoscyami .... 220
--------iodinii.....348
--------------composita .   . 357
--------jalapa.....103
--------kino......70
--------lactucarii   .... 227
--------lavandula composita  305
-------lobelia.....215
---------------etherea   .   . 215
--------lupuli......228
-------monesia.....71
-------moschi.....52
   -----myrrha.....403
   -----nucis vomica  .  .   . 352
   -----opii......239
   ---------ammoniata   .   . 239
------------camphorata  .   . 239
   ---— quassia.....404
   ------------composita .   . 404
--------rhei......115
  ----------composita.  .   . 115
  ----------et aloes   .  .   .115
  ----------et gentiana  .   . 401
  ----------et senna  .  .   .116
  ------sabadilla   .... 315
  ------sanguinaria   .  .   . 172
  ------scilla ...... 163
  ------senna composita  .   .122
  ------serpentaria.  .  .   . 316
  —---stramonii   .... 245
  ------tolutana  .    ... 213
  ------toxicodendri   .  .    246
  ------Valeriana   ...     55
  ---------------ammoniata   55
  ------veratria.....315
  ------zinci acetatis  ...  80
  ------zingiberis  .... 323
Tobacco........270
   —— enema of.....271
   ----Indian......214
   ----ointment.....271
   ----wine of.....271
Tolu balsam.......213
   - lozenges......213
Toluifera balsamum .... 213
Tonics.......357 
INDEX.
453
_                            Page
Tormentilla officinalis  ...  79
Tous-les-mois  ....     . 194
Toxicodendron......245
Tragacanth.......197
Treacle........194
Tremblement metallique   .  . 333
Trisnitrate of bismuth  .   .  . 367
Triticum hybernum  .  .   182, 186
         vulgare
Unguentum precipitati albi
   -------resina alba
Trochisci acacia .  .  ,
---------acidi tartarici ,
--------catechu .  .
--------creta...
--------ferri lactatis  ,
--------glycirrhiza
--------lactucarii  .  .
182,186
    189
    249
     63
     30
    394
    187
    227
     31
    232
— magnesia
— morphia
-------et ipecacuanha 232
---opii......239
— soda bicarbonatis  .  36
Turbith mineral.....209
Turmeric........413
        paper......413
Turner's cerate.....81
Turpentine.......46
----------enema of ....  47
----------oil of
             40, 127, 166, 207, 320
Tussilago farfara.....197

               U.
Ulmin.........406
Ulmus.........407
------campestris.....40^
Uncaria gambir.....
Unguentum acidi nitrici .  .
---------------sulphurici
 aconiti  .  .   .  .
 aconitina   .   .  .
 aruginis .  .   .  .
 antimoniale.   .  .
■ antimonii  potas-
    sio-tartratis.  .
 auri.....
• belladonna .   .  .
 calamina   .   .  .
• calomelanos   .  .
 resinosum  .
• sambuci .   .
■ scrophularia
— simplex
— sulphuris
 Page
, 345
. 320
 320
 196
, 316
. 194
. 319
Urea  .  .
Uva ursi .
Uvas passa
- compositum 319
 iodidi   .  . 358
             200
             315
             315
              82
              82
             167
              78
■ tartari emetici
 veratri  .   .  .
■ veratria .   .  .
• of bicarbonate of potash
               -soda
Water, distilled of elder flowers 416
-----------of orange  flowers 410
     --------- roses.  .  .   - 415
                              33
                              38
                              36
                              36
                              25
                              33
                             296
                             185
                             185
• carbonate of potash .
------------soda  .
- caustic ammonia
oxydi
V.
— cantharidis
— cera alba
Valerian........54
Valeriana officinalis  ....  54
Valerianic acid......54
Veratria.....44,94, 315
Veratrum album  .  .   .  209, 321
---------sabadilla  ....  44
Verbascum thapsus  .... 198
Verdigris........135
Vermifuge  bolus.....41
---------powder   ....  41
Vermifuges.......38
Vermilion.......345
Vinegar......56,248
-------British......56
-------Chili......292
-------distilled.....56
-------French.....56
-------of cantharides  .  .  . 203
---------colchicum ....  94
--------opium.....241
---------squill.....165
---------chlorine
Wax   .  .   .
----white   .
  — yellow.......185
Wheaten flour......186
      — starch.....182
Whey, cream of tartar .  .   .161
  ----nitre......231
White arsenic  ....  134, 364
    — bismuth.  .•.-.  .  .   . 367
    — cinchonas.....379
    — horehound.....216
    — lead.......73
------pepper......312
------precipitate.....344
-----vitriol......82
Whitlaw's  ethereal tincture of
  lobelia........216
Willow bark.......405
Wine, Cape.......324
------claret......323
------Madeira......323
------of aloes......88
-------colchicum  ....  95
----------------- seeds .  .  95
-------sirup of.....247
-------wine......56
Vinum........322
-----album......322
-----------Hispanum.  .  . 323
145
■ citnnum.  .   .
■ cocculi  .  .   .
 conii  ....
• creasoti .  .   .
■ cupri subacetatis
■ elemi.....303
• galla compositum   67
■ gallarum....
■ hydrargyri ammo-
    nio-chloridi
------biniodidi
------chloridi
------fortius
------iodidi .   .  .
------mitius   .  .
------nitratis  .  .
------oxydi nitrici
------submuriatis,
         ammoniati 345
- infusi cantharidis  203
- iodinei   .... 348
- iodinii   .... 348
      - compositum 356
                   321
                   321
                   300
                   312
                    71
                    73
                    75
                   353
 67

345
340
342
336
342
336
342
136
 95
39'
401
170
240
383
116
116
_______picis liquida
___________■ nigra
— picrotoxin  .  .  ■
— piperis nigri  .  .
— plumbi acetatis   .
________- carbonatis .
_____--- compositum
--------- iodidi  .  •
— potassa hydrioda-
      tis ..••  ;
— potassii sulphureti
----- antimoniale   .  .   .
-----antimonii  potassio-tar-
        tratis......145
------colchici.....
-------------seminum   .
------ferri......
------gentiana compositum
------ipecacuanha  .  .  .
------opii......
------quina.....
------rhei......
------compositum   .  .  .
------scilla......163
------tabaci......271
------veratri......322
------Xericum.....322
Viola odorata  ....  127, 174
Violet flowers......127
------------ honey of .  .   . 127
------------sirup of .  .   . 127
Violina........174
Virginian snake-root .  .  .   .316
Vitis vinifera......198
Vitriol, blue.......64
------ green .  .  .
------oil of     .  .
------white......82
Vomits........168

               W.
Ward's paste......312
Warm plaster......203
Warner's  gout cordial  .  .   .116
Wash, black......344
------yellow......344
Water, barley.....191
------boiling......201
------distilled.....408
--------gentian.....402
--------hellebore   .... 322
--------ipecacuanha  .  .   . 170
--------iron......397
--------opium......241
--------quina...... 383
--------rhubarb.....115
—------squills.....165
--------tartar emetic .  .   .145
--------tobacco.....271
------Port......323
------Sherry......323
------Spanish......323
Wintergreen......162
Winter's bark......386
-----------false   .... 371
Witherite.......410
Wood charcoal......412
  --- soot.......52
  ---sorrel.......246
Woody nightshade   .  .  .   .145
Wormseed.......41
Wormwood.......358
               Y.
Yeast.........296
   — poultice......296
Yellow bark.......375
------ gentian......400
------resin.......320
------ wash......343
------ wax.......185
               Z.
Zinc.........416
----acetate of .  .   .  ...'■.  80
----butter of .  .   .  .' .   .137
----chloride of      .  .  .   .137
----cyanide of.  ...     .271
----cyanuret of.....271
----hydrocvanate of protoxyde
       of.'.......271
----ferro-hydrocyanate.  .   .271
----iodide.......272
---- impure carbonate  of  .   .  80
___________--------prepared  81
----oxyde of ....   81,408
----sulphate of  .   .  82, 174, 408
Zincum........416
Zingiber........323
--------officinale   .  .  .   .323