The pharmacopoeia of the Royal College of Physicians of London [1824] / A translation ... by Richard Phillips.

Date:
1824
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The pharmacopoeia of the Royal College of Physicians of London [1824] / A translation ... by Richard Phillips. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

    185/420 (page 163)
    165 Medicinal Uses.—Hydragogue. Cathartic. Dose, from half a grain to two grains. This extract has a greenish colour ; its taste is bitter and rather acrid; and when tolerably pure, it is light, pulverulent and inflammable. Its properties have been particularly examined by Dr. Paris, and according to his expe- riments, they reside in a peculiar substance which he has called elatin, and of which the extract contains only about 10 per cent.— Pharmacologia, vol. ii. p. 241, 5th edit. Elaterium has also been examined by Mr. Hennell. He found it to contain earthy matter, starch, and lignin, 21 per cent, of purgative resin [elatin?], and 40 per cent, of crystal!izable mat- ter, which was bitter, neither acid nor alkaline, slightly soluble in water and aether, but readily dissolved by boiling alcohol. It consisted of carbon 36-9, hydrogen 23*9, and oxygen 39*2 in 100 parts. EXTRACTUM GENTIANS. Extract of Gentian. Extractum Gentianee, P.L. 1788, P.L. 1809, P.L. 1824-. Take of Gentian, sliced, two pounds and a half, Boiling distilled Water two gallons ; Macerate for twenty-four hours; then boil down to a gallon, and strain the liquor while yet hot; lastly, evapo- rate to a proper consistence. Remarks.—Gentian contains a peculiar neutral vegetable mat- ter which has been called gentianin. It is yellow, inodorous, possesses in a great degree the peculiar taste of gentian. It is not very soluble in cold water, but more so in boiling water. iEther and alcohol dissolve it very readily, and it separates from them by spontaneous evaporation in yellow-coloured acicular crystals. . It is neither acid nor alkaline. It dissolves in dilute acids, vvhich very much diminish its colour. Medicinal Uses—Tonic. Stomachic. Dose, gr. x. to gr. xxx. twice or three times a day. This extract is of a dark brown colour, nearly inodorous and bitter. It is frequently exhibited m combination with chalybeates. m 2