ELEMENTS OF MATERIA MEDICA.
034
Hab. —Eastern side of the Mexican Andes, near Barranca de Tioselo(Schiede ). Neighbourhood of Vera Cruz ( Hartweg).
Description. —The cebadilla, cevadilla, or sabadilla of the shop*(sabadilla, L. E. semina sabadilla mexicants) comes from Vera Cruz andMexico . It consists of the follicles (some containing seeds, others empty);loose seeds, stalks, and abortive flowers of the Asagrcea oflicinalis.
The follicles, commonly termed capsules, rarely exceed, or even equal;half an inch in length, and are about one line or a line and a half indiameter. They are ovate-oblong, acuminate. Their colour is pah;yellowish-brown, or reddish grey. The coat of each is thin, dry, and ola papery consistence. Each fruit is composed of three follicles mutuallyadherent towards the base, open at the superior and internal part. Thereceptacle, fruitstalk, and the remains of the dried and withered calyx*are usually present in the cebadilla of the shops. Seldom more than on eor two, though sometimes three, seeds are found in each follicle.
The seeds are two or three lines long, scimitar-sliaped, pointed, blackishbrown, shiny, wrinkled or corrugated, slightly winged. Internally theyare whitish and homy. Embryo straight, next the hilum, lodged h 1fleshy albumen. They have little odour, but a bitter, acrid, persistenttaste.
Composition. —Two analyses of cebadilla have been made aboutthe same time (1819): one by Meissner (Schweigger's Journ. f. Chert-xxxi. 187) and a second by Pelletier and Caventou {Journ. de Pliarrt-vi. 353). The following are the results:—
Meissner’s Analysis.
Fatty matter ( olein and stearin)Wax ( myricin ) .
Sabadillin (veratria)
Resin (soluble in ether)
Hard resin (insoluble in ether)Bitter extractive with the acidwhich is united to the sabadiilin .
Sweet extractiveExtractive separable by alkaliesGum .....Vegetable jelly (phyteumacolla) Twith chloride of potassium >and vegetable salts of potash )Oxalate offline combined with!bassorin . . . J
Lignin.
Water.
uierj ■
: acid )saba- >
24-630-100-581 408-45
5 97
0-65
2414
4-90
1-11
106
20-56
6-40
Cebadilla .... 100-00The ashes contained oxide of copper.
Pelletier and Caventou ’s Analysis.
t Olein.
Fattymaltercomposed of \ Stearin.
{ Cevadic acid-
Wax.
Supergallate of veratria.
Yellow colouring matter.
Starch.
Lignin.
Gum.
Ashes composed Jof . , 1
r Carbonate of potad 1-
1 _lime-
. Phosphate lime.
# Chloride potassium*;
V Silica.
Cebadilla.
Cevadic acid is a crystalline, fusible, volatile, fatty acid, having an odour analog 01to butyric acid. It is soluble in water, alcohol, and ether. It ^obtained by the sajwnification of the oil of cebadilla (fatty matter). Cevadate of ammonia causes aprecipitate with the persalts of iron.
Oil of cebadilla given me by Mr. Morson is green, lighter than water, and hasfaint, somewhat rancid taste.
Ihe acid called gallic by Pelletier and Caventou is regarded as peculiar by Meis^. 1 '^in consequence of its remarkable action on lime and barytic water, and on solutions ol