U.S.P. Arnica Flores. ARNICA FLOWERS.-The flowerheads of Arnica montana.

CHARACTERS.-About one and one-fifth inch (30 centimetres) broad, depressed-roundish, consisting of a scaly involucre in two rows, and a small, flat, hairy receptacle, bearing about sixteen yellow, strap-shaped, ray-florets; and numerous yellow, five-toothed, tubular disk-florets having slender, spindle-shaped achenes, crowned by a hairy pappus. It has a feeble, aromatic odour, and a bitter, acrid taste.

U.S.P.

Tinctura Arnica Florum

PREPARATION.

DOSE.

12 fl. drm.

ACTION.-Arnica, externally, has a stimulant effect on the skin, and if evaporation be prevented it will produce redness and sometimes an erysipelatous inflammation, spreading some distance.

Internally it gives rise to a feeling of warmth in the mouth, stomach, and intestines, also increasing their peristaltic movements. In large doses it produces partial insensibility, convulsions, and sometimes syncope.

USES.-It is very generally used in bruises and sprains, but it has been shown by Dr. Garrod to be no more serviceable than spirit of the same strength, and it has the disadvantage of sometimes producing erysipelatous inflammation. It has been used internally in dysentery, chronic bronchitis, rheumatism, nervous diseases, and malarious conditions. Its value is doubtful.

U.S.P. Calendula. CALENDULA. MARIGOLD.-The fresh, flowering herb of Calendula officinalis.

CHARACTERS.-Stem somewhat angular, rough; leaves alternate, thickish, hairy, spatulate or oblanceolate, slightly toothed, the upper ones sessile; flower-heads nearly two inches (5 centimetres) broad, the yellow strap-shaped ray-florets in one or several rows, fertile, the achenes incurved and muricate; odour slightly narcotic; taste bitter and saline.

PREPARATION.

Tinctura Calendulæ (used externally).

COMPOSITION.-It contains a bitter principle and calendulin. Its physiological action is not well understood.

USES.—It is used as an application to sprains and bruises in somewhat the same way as arnica.

U.S.P. Grindelia. GRINDELIA.-The leaves and flowering tops of Grindelia robusta.

CHARACTERS.-Leaves about two inches (5 centimetres) or less long, varying from broadly spatulate or oblong to lanceolate, sessile or clasping, obtuse, more or less sharply serrate, pale green, smooth, finely dotted, brittle; heads many-flowered; the involucre hemispherical, about half an inch (12 millimetres) broad, composed of

numerons, imbricated squam sely-tipped scales: may-direts yellow, ligulate, pistillate; ik-fires yell, tuinlan perfect: rappus consisting of about three awns of the length of the disk-direts; odour balsamic; taste pangently aromatic and bitter.

PREPARATION.

Extractum Grindelle Finib..

POSE

15 min-1 4. dr.

COMPOSITION.-It probably owes its medicinal properties to a resin and a volatile cil

USES.-It has been found useful in spasmodic asthma, hay asthma, asthmatic attacks in bronchitis and emphysema, hooping cough, and in chronic bronchitis or broncherrhoea, especially in old persons. It has also been found to give relief in dyspnoea depending on cardiac disease. The oleo-resin appears to be excreted by the kidneys, and is useful in catarrh of the urinary passages. As a local application it has been recommended to relieve the eruption caused by Khus tericodendron and to relieve itching and pain in vaginitis and in priapism.

The fluid extract of another non-officinal species, Grindėlia squarrosa, growing in California, has been recommended as a remedy for enlarged spleen, ague, and malarious conditions generally, in doses of 1 fl. drm.

U.S.P. Inula. INULA. ELECAMPANE.-The root of Inula Helenium.

CHARACTERS.-In transverse concave slices or longitudinal sections, with overlapping bark, externally wrinkled and brown; flexible in damp weather; when dry, breaking with a short fracture; internally greyish, fleshy, slightly radiate and dotted with numerous shining, yellowish-brown resin-cells; odour peculiar, aromatic; taste bitter and pungent.

oz.

ADMINISTRATION.-The powder may be given in doses of 20-60 gr. It may be given as a decoction made by boiling of the root in a pint of water. The dose of this is 1-2 fl. oz.

COMPOSITION-It contains a substance closely allied to starchinulin-a bitter neutral principle-helenin-and a little volatile oil.

USES. It is used chiefly as a domestic remedy in amenorrhoea, chronic bronchitis, and skin diseases. Helenin has been said to be peculiarly destructive to the tubercle bacillus. If this statement be substantiated, inula may be useful in phthisis.

U.S.P. Lappa. LAPPA. BURDOCK.-The root of Lappa officinalis.

CHARACTERS.-About twelve inches (30 centimetres) or more long, and about one inch (25 millimetres) thick; nearly simple, fusiform, fleshy, longitudinally wrinkled, crowned with a tuft of whitish, soft, hairy leafy-stalks; grey-brown, internally paler; bark rather thick, the inner part and the soft wood radially striate,

the parenchyma often with cavities lined with snow-white remains of tissue; odour feeble and unpleasant; taste mucilaginous, sweetish, and somewhat bitter.

USES.-It has no marked therapeutic properties, but is said to be alterative, diaphoretic, diuretic, and purgative. It is chiefly used as a domestic remedy as a decoction prepared by boiling 2 oz. of the recent bruised root in three pints of water to two. One pint is taken daily. Burdock is employed in obstinate skin diseases, both internally and in the form of poultices of the leaves. It is given also in syphilis, scrofula, rheumatism, gout, and renal disease.

LOBELIACEÆ.

Lobelia, B. and U.S.P. LOBELIA.-The dried flowering herb of Lobelia inflata. North America, B.P. The leaves and tops of Lobelia inflata collected after a portion of the capsules have become inflated, U.S.P.

CHARACTERS.-B.P. Stem angular; leaves alternate, ovate, toothed, somewhat hairy beneath; capsule ovoid, inflated, tenribbed. Usually in compressed rectangular parcels. U.S.P. Leaves alternate, petiolate, the upper ones sessile, ovate or oblong, about 2 inches (5 centimetres) long, irregularly toothed, pubescent, pale green; branches hairy, terminating in long racemes of small, pale blue flowers, having a superior five-toothed calyx, which is inflated in fruit, a two-lipped corolla, and five united stamens; odour slight, irritating; taste mild, afterwards burning and acrid.

COMPOSITION.-Lobelina, a yellowish liquid with alkaline reaction, soluble in water, spirit, and ether, and possessing the poisonous properties of the drug; also an acrid principle, lobelacrin, yielding lobelic acid; resins and a volatile oil are obtained in minute quantities.

B. P.

PREPARATIONS.

Tinctura Lobelia (2 oz. in 1 pint spirit)

DOSE.

.10 min. to fl. drm.

Tinctura Lobelia Etherea (24 oz. in 1 pint spirit of ether) ...10 min. to fl. drm.

U.S.P.

Acetum Lobelia (in dilute acetic acid 10 per cent.).
Extractum Lobelia Fluidum
Tinctura Lobelia (20 per cent.)

or more.

DOSE.
1-1 fl. drm.
1-5 gr.
1-2 fl. drm.

PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTION.-Taken internally it causes a feeling of burning in the oesophagus, stomach, and intestines; vomiting, headache, giddiness, and great prostration; sometimes followed by convulsions and coma. Hence its action is very like that of tobacco, only differing in the greater intensity of the local burning sensations. It is often used to excess by the Coffinites, whose theory is "Heat is life," and most cases of poisoning by it are due to its employment by such herbalists. It produces death by

paralysis of the respiratory centre. Small doses first raise and then depress the blood-pressure; large doses paralyse the vasomotor centre and the peripheral vagi (Attwood).

THERAPEUTICS.—It is chiefly used as a remedy in spasmodic asthma and other affections of air-passages accompanied by dyspnoea, c.g., chronic bronchitis with a tendency to spasm of the bronchial muscles. Ringer states that larger doses must be used than those given in most text-books; he recommends 10 min. every ten minutes while the fit is on. In a case of poisoning, evacuate the stomach; give demulcents and stimulants.

ERICACEÆ.

Uvæ-Ursi Folia, B.P. BEARBERRY LEAVES.-The dried leaves of Arctostaphylos Uva-Ursi. From indigenous plants. Uva Ursi, U.S.P. UVA URSI. [BEARBERRY.]—The leaves of Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi.

FIG. 168.-Uva-Ursi.

CHARACTER. Obovate, entire, coriaceous, shining leaves, about three-fourths of an inch in length, reticulated beneath; with a strong astringent taste, and a feeble hay-like odour when powdered.

COMPOSITION.-Tannic and gallic acids, and a bitter neutral extractive arbutin-which is soluble in warm water.

ADULTERATION.-Red whortleberry leaves.

TESTS.-Leaves not dotted beneath nor toothed on the margin.

USES.-Bearberry is an astringent and diuretic. It is chiefly used in catarrh of the bladder and of other parts of the genitourinary passages.

The utility of the leaves is probably due not to the tannic and gallic acids which they contain, but to the arbutin. This substance is partially excreted unchanged, and part of it is decomposed in the body, yielding hydroquinone (p. 732). The hydroquinone is excreted by the kidneys in combination with sulphuric acid. Hydroquinonesulphuric acid is colourless and is not poisonous. It may become decomposed in the bladder, and the hydroquinone becoming oxidised will give a brown colour to the urine and impart to it antiseptic and irritant properties, which are useful in catarrh of the bladder. The

quantity of arbutin, in the infusion, is too small to be very useful, and yet if the infusion be made stronger it may disagree with the stomach. Pure arbutin is therefore to be preferred, and may be given in doses of 4 gr. or more, three or four times a day, either in powder or in solution.

U.S.P. Chimaphila. CHIMAPHILA. [PIPSISSEWA.]—The leaves of Chimaphila umbellata.

CHARACTERS.-About two inches (5 centimetres) long, oblanceolate, sharply serrate above, wedge-shaped and nearly entire toward the base; coriaceous, smooth, and dark green on the upper surface. It is nearly inodorous, and has an astringent and bitterish taste.

COMPOSITION. It contains tannin and several neutral principles found in other Ericaceae. It is astringent and has a diuretic action.

USE. It is employed in disorders of the urinary passages and in the treatment of rheumatic pains.

U.S.P. Oleum Gaultheriæ. OIL OF GAULTHERIA.—Oil of winter-green, a volatile oil distilled from gaultheria.

CHARACTERS.—A colourless, yellow, or reddish liquid, of a peculiar, strong, and aromatic odour, a sweetish, warm, and aromatic taste, and a slightly acid reaction. It is readily soluble in alcohol. When heated to about 80° C. (176° F.) the oil should not yield a colourless distillate, having the characteristics of chloroform or of alcohol. On mixing five drops of the oil with five drops of nitric acid, the mixture should not acquire a deep red colour, and should not solidify to a dark red resinous mass (absence of oil of sassafras).

PREPARATIONS.

Spiritus Gaultheriæ (oil, 3; spirit, 97).
Syrupus Sarsaparillæ Compositus

Trochisci Morphiæ et Ipecacuanhæ

DOSE.

.10-20 min.

COMPOSITION.-Oil of wintergreen consists chiefly of salicylate of methyl, which forms about ths of it, the remaining th being a hydrocarbon called gaultherilene.

ACTION AND USE-It is used on account of its agreeable smell and taste to flavour medicines. It is also given as an antipyretic to reduce the temperature in rheumatism, its antipyretic action being somewhat the same as that of salicylate of soda or salicine.