This section is from the book "Recent Materia Medica: Notes On Their Origin And Therapeutics", by F. Harwood Lescher. Also available from Amazon: Recent materia medica.
The alkaloid - brown syrup; Cannabinon is the soft brown resin; sedative; dose 1/4 to 1 grain; hypnotic, dose 1 grain.
From Cantharis vesicatoria. Europe. N. 0. Coleoptera.
The neutral principle; in tabular white crystals, soluble in ether, glacial acetic acid, fats and oils. Intensely irritating.
Formula: Cantharidin pur. ......... 3 grains.
Potassium hydroxide pur...... 6 ,, or
Sodium hydroxide pur. ...... 4 1/2 ,,
Cold Water ............ 5 1/2 fl. drams.
Heat in a water bath; then add cold water to 32 7/8| fluid ounces or 1 litre.
Dose: 0.16 to 0.33 (at most 0.66) cubic centimetres of this solution to be injected.
1 cubic centimetre (16 minims) represents 2 decimilligrammes of cantharidin.
In pharyngitis and tuberculous laryngitis; improvement takes place after a few injections of 1/2 to 1 dcmg. - Therapist, March, 1891.
(See Simula.)
Colourless liquid, s. g. 1.599, with pleasant odour. Anaesthetic, but heart-depressing. Vapour is good for neuralgia and hay-fever.
Papaw. Tropics. N. 0. Passiflorea.
Its milky juice from unripe fruit (edible when ripe) for dysentery; it contains Papayotin or Papaine, which readily dissolves meat, etc. See Papaine, page 79. [We can now understand why newly-killed meat, hung among its leaves by natives, becomes tender.]
Wax Palm, Brazils. N.O. Palmaceoe.
The root is alterative and diuretic; used as Sarsparilla. The wax is yellowish white. Dose of decoction (1 ounce to pint), 1 ounce.
Jacaranda Tomentosa, or J. Proccra. 6'. America. N. 0. Bignoniacem.
It comes also from several species of Bignonia and from Cybistax antisyphilitica. The leaves are unsymmetrical, leathery, inodorous, with bitter, astringent taste.
Therapeutics. They and the bark used as an anti-syphilitic; can be well combined with iodides. Tonic, diuretic and sudorific. Dose of fluid extract, 1 drachm (representing 1 drachm leaves), three times a day. [Peckolt has found a crystallized alkaloid, Carobin.] "Of some value in secondary and tertiary syphilis." - E. H. Fen wick, Lancet, September 24th, 1887.
 
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