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.)
43/504
![of the North of Africa, introduced into the South of Europe (and the West India Islands), where it now grows freely ; belonging to the Linnaean class and order Icosandria Monogynia, and to the Natural family Myrtacece. Botanical Characters.—A small handsome tree growing to the height of twenty feet, with a brownish bark, and smooth leaves on short footstalks ; it produces in July at the extremities of the young branches, splendid rich- scarlet flowers, which are succeeded by the orange-like fruit, crowned with the hardened persistent calyx. Physical Properties.—Pomegranate bark is usually met with in short quills, or portions of quills, of a greyish-yellow colour external- ly, yellowish internally, brittle not fibrous, with a faint odour, and an astringent taste. • Chemical Properties.—According to Mitouart's analysis, it con- sists of tannin, wax, a sweetish substance (part of which is soluble in alcohol, and part in water, the former crystallizable, the latter having the characters of Mannite,) and free gallic acid in large quantity. Righini has recently discovered in it a peculiar acrid oleo-resinous principle, which he has named Punicine, and on which it is probable that its vermifuge properties depend. Adulterations.—The root bark of the common barberry (Berberis vulgaris,) and of the box tree (Buxus sempervivens,) are said to be sometimes substituted for that of the pomegranate ; the fraud is easily detected, as neither of these substances, although very bitter, possesses the least astringency. Therapeutical Effects.—The bark of the root of the pomegranate is an excellent vermifuge in cases of tape-worm, and is much em- ployed in various parts of Europe ; but it is chiefly used in India, where it is said scarcely ever to fail, if properly administered ; some practitioners state, that it should not be employed unless joints of the worm have already come away naturally. Dose and Mode of Administration.—Two ounces of the bruised bark, stripped from the fresh root if possible,* are macerated for twen- ty-four hours in two pints of water, then boiled to one-half, and filter- ed ; this is given in three doses, with an interval of half an hour be- tween each dose ; vomiting frequently occurs after the first or second dose, but this should not prevent us from administering a third. Soon afterwards the patient passes many stools in which joints of the worm are expelled. The doses should be occasionally repeated for four or five days after fragments of the worm have ceased to come away. Sabadilla, [U. S.] L. E. Cevadilla. Fruit of Helonias offici- nalis, L.—of Veratrum Sabadilla, of Helonias officinalis, and pro- bably of other Melanthacem, E.—of Asagroza officinalis, Lindley. A native of Mexico, belonging to the Linnaean class and order Polygamia Moncecia, and to the Natural family Melanthacea. Botanical Characters.—A bulb} sending up numerous grassy leaves, [* If deemed desirable, the'bark of the root of the living tree can readily enough be obtained from Charleston, S. C]](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21143602_0043.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
