A dispensatory, or commentary on the phgarmacopoeias of Great Britain.

  • Robert Christison
Date:
1848
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A dispensatory, or commentary on the phgarmacopoeias of Great Britain. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    dilution. In small doses it is a refrigerant. But it is seldom put to any use in medical practice except for making acid drinks and effervescing powders ; for which purposes however the consumption of it in Britain is very great. It constitutes the acid of the pow- ders usually sold under the name of lemonade powders, which con- sist of tartaric acid, sugar, and a little essential oil of lemon, but never contain the citric acid as is often supposed. It also consti- tutes the acid of a common effervescing powder, sold under the name of i( citrated kali, for making an agreeable beverage for general purposes as well as in sickness. This is composed, never of citric acid as its name would imply, but of tartaric acid and bi- carbonate of potash. These powders become useless when long kept; for in the course of time the acid decomposes the carbonate and unites with its potash. For medicinal use it is more usual to keep the two ingredients for effervescing drinks distinct from one another, and to dissolve each in two or three ounces of water before mixing them. The carbonates of the alkalis are sometimes used in making these double powders; but the bicarbonates or sesqui- carbonates should always be preferred, not merely because they cause more brisk effervescence, but likewise because little or no harm can accrue, as might happen in the case of the carbonates, if two powders of the alkaline salt be used by mistake, instead of one of each ingredient. The proper proportions will be seen under the head of Sodce carbonas. ACONITUM, E. ACONITI FOLIA, L. D. Leaves of Aco- nitum Napellus, L. W. DC. Spr. (Edin.)—of Aconitum panicu- latum, DC. (Lon. Dub.) Monkshood. Aconiti Extract(jm, E. L. Aconiti Sijccus Spissatus, D. Process, Edin. Take of fresh leaves of remove the vessel from the heat so soon monkshood any convenient quantity; as the due degree of consistence shall be beat them into a pulp ; express the juice ; attained. subject the residue to percolation with Process, Lond. Dub. Take a pound of rectified spirit, so long as the spirit passes fresh leaves of monkshood ; bruise them materially coloured ; unite the expressed in a stone mortar with a little water ; ex- juice and the spirituous infusion ; filter ; press the juice ; and without defecation, distil off the spirit ; evaporate the resi- evaporate to the due consistence over the due in the vapour-hath, taking care to vapour-bath, with constant stirring. ACONITI RADIX, L. Root of Aconitum paniculatum, DC. Monks]hood-root. ACONITINA, L. • Alkaloidal principle of the root of Aconitum paniculatum, DC. Aconitin, Aeon it a. Trms, Lond. An alkali prepared from monkshood leaves or root ; soluble readily in ether, less in alcohol, scarcely in water ; entirely destrnetiMe by heat without any residuum of calcareous salt; endowed with virulent properties, and not to be rashly used.
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