Medicines, their uses and mode of administration : including a complete conspectus of the three British pharmacopoeias, an account of all the new remedies, and an appendix of formulae / by J. Moore Neligan.
- John Neligan
- Date:
- 1849
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Medicines, their uses and mode of administration : including a complete conspectus of the three British pharmacopoeias, an account of all the new remedies, and an appendix of formulae / by J. Moore Neligan. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)
124/504
![Senna leaves yield their active properties to both cold and warm water, 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 commerce, the only adulteration that is practised, has been before indicated, namely with Argel, and sometimes with Tephrosia leaflets. The former are readily distinguished by their paler yellowish colour, their coriaceous 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. Tephrosia leaflets are easily known by their silky surface, and by the lateral veins pro- ceeding parallel to each other to the very edge of the leaf without ramifying. Two other adulterations are common on the continent, but have been never met with, as far as I am aware, in the British market; one is with the leaflets of the Colutea arborescens or bladder senna, which may be at once distinguished by their regularity at the base; the other, a more serious fraud, in consequence of the poisonous pro- perty of the substance employed, is with the leaflets of the Coriaria Myrtifolia ; they are known by presenting three very prominent longi- tudinal nerves, and chemically by their infusion producing with solution of sulphate of iron, a blackish precipitate (tannate of iron), and with gelatin a heavy whitish precipitate, (tannate of gelatin). Senna adulterated with the leaves of the Vaccinium vitis-idcea, containing so much as 75 per cent of them, has recently occurred in the French market; the fraud is one easily detected by the character of the leaves, particularly by the reticulated surface of the latter. Therapeutical Effects.—Senna is an active cathartic, holding a middle place between the milder and more active medicines of this class ; operating effectually, yet safely, though often producing nausea, griping 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 effect, ual purgative ; but it should be combined with the active saline cathar- tics—for which the infusion is a good vehicle, if it be wished to di- minish arterial action or to produce general antiphlogistic effects. The only circumstance contra-indicating its employment is an inflam- matory condition of the mucous membrane of the alimentary canal. The cathartic principle of senna is absorbed 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 pro- perty to the milk of nurses. Dose and Mode of Administration.—Senna is not administered in the form of powder ; 5ij. to §ss. infused in fgij. 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, it may be sweetened with sugar, and milk added ; in this way it is readily taken by children.—Infusum Senna compositum, D. L. In- fusum Senna, E. [U. S.] (Senna, gj. (5xv. L. giss. E.) ; ginger, sliced, 3iss. 0iv. L. E.) ; boiling (distilled, L.) water, by measure ft>j. (Oj. L. E.; ; macerate for an hour in a close vessel and strain through linen or calico ; E.). [Senna, §i. ; coriander, bruised, 3i.; boiling water, Oj.; macerate for an hour in a covered vessel and strain, U. S.] Dose, fgij. to fgiv. The common cathartic mixture,](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21143602_0124.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
