1336

ELEMENTS OF MATERIA MEDICA.

not crystallizable, though its texture is said to he crystalline, when the P®'. .jtlymoistened. Tt saturates acids, forms salts which are acrid, very bitter, and oS j-

crystallizable. From its solution in acids it is precipitated by alkalies. I ,s el

tion is C27 Hl9 N 02. Its atomic weight, therefore, is 211. Couerb e (A nn - s j,ioilSdePhys. 1. ii.) says that, as usually procured,it is not absolutely pure, hut contains a resmatter, and an acrid resin which he calls staphysain. i]; u e,

2. Volatile Acid (Delphinic Acid ?)—Discovered by Hofscbliiger, is white, crj svolatile at a low temperature, and in small doses is a powerful emetic.

Physiological Effects. —The activity of stavesacre seedspartly on the delphina and partly on the volatile acid. The p°'' . g ithe seeds readily excites nausea, vomiting, and purging. Orfila (■* 0 ag ;lGen.) has shown that, on dogs, it acts first as an acrid, and aftenvarc snarcotic poison. Its operation appears to be similar to cebadinP- 635). ce

Uses. —Stavesacre seeds have been used to destroy pedicuh, "one of their names among the Germans of Ldusesaamen, or louse- ^For this purpose they are employed in the form of ointment or acetoussion. They have also been administered internally (in doses of fr° 111to eight grains) against worms, and externally in the form of dec°(prepared by boiling of the seeds in Oij. of water) in inveterate

Delphinia .— Four grains of delphinia dissolved in a drachm of *' jfied spirit produce, when rubbed on the skin, a sensation of burnmg^ eSprickling, with tingling, and slight redness. Taken internally, m gof half a grain, it sometimes acts slightly on the bowels, and i nCie ‘ e , rtlie flow of urine. In larger doses, as a few grains, it gives risesations of heat and tingling in various parts of the body (Turnbull? jton Painful and Nerv. Diseases, p. 78, 1837). The diseases in . 1 u .is chiefly successful are neuralgic cases. It has also been used m ^matic affections with some benefit. It is employed externally in t* 1 ® 0 fof ointment or alcoholic solution. The unguentum delphinia con . s \

3 ss. of delphinia, 3j. of olive oil, and Sj. of lard. The solutio deip'composed of 9j. of delphinia dissolved in fiij. of rectified spirit, is -jj g .cellent embrocation. Internally, delphinia is given in the form 01 V 0 fThe pilules delphinia consist of gr. j. of delphinia; gr. xij. . qj e th ehyoscyamus ; and the same quantity of extract of liquorice : dir nmass into twelve pills, one of which may be taken every three(Turnbull.)

Antidote. —See Veratrum Album, p. 633.

Aconi'tum Napel'lus, Linn. E.— Common Wolfsbane or Monkshood

Sex. Syst. Polyandria, Trigynia.

(Leaves, E.)

t obs cir

History. —The ancient history of Aconite is involved in grea ^. g0llrity. The Greeks make frequent reference to a most virulent Pwhich they teim clkovItov. Theophrastus {Hist. Plant, ix. Id) lS O iso&>best writer who speaks of it. As Aconitum Napellus is a virulent V^ y - T ofand is a native of Greece , where it is known at the present day as ol ir{Prod. FI. Greece/ ;, i. 372), it would at first appear probable t n ^common aconite was the plant referred to by the ancient ® ree . gll pp 0 'the characters of it as given by Theophrastus quite preclude this ^ esition; and I believe no one has been able to identify satisfactm’plant described bv r this ancient naturalist. (Consult J. E. I - ‘ ,c