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.
D. longifolia. Sundew. Indigenous. N. 0. Droseracea. This little carnivorous plant has been recommended in asthma, bronchitis, and other diseases of the air passages. Dose of fluid extract, 5 to 20 drops every hour or two. Tincture (1 in 10) dose, 5 to 15 minims.
From Euphorbia Drummondii. West Australia. N. 0. Euphorbiaceae,.
Characteristics. An alkaloid, discovered in 1886 by Dr. John Reid, of Port Germain, Australia, in a plant said to be fatal to cattle eating it; now doubtful if it exists.
Therapeutics. A local anaesthetic. "A few drops of a solution renders the eye insensible, with small dilation of pupil" - Henry Power, Year Book of Treatment, 1888, p. 279.
"Dr. Alexander Ogston, of Aberdeen, carefully tried it, without any perceptible effect." - Brit. Med. Jour., vol. i., 1887, p. 451.
(See Pitouri.)
Australia. N, 0. Scrophulariacece {some make, a N. 0. Atropacea, in which they place it).
Largish thin pale-green leaves, with the veins strongly marked; in commerce, mixed with pale coloured stems. Supplants Atropia in eye-practice, as a dilator of the pupil. Dose, solid extract, 10 grains to 1 ounce of water. [Its alkaloid is Duboisine; dose, 1/2 grain of the sulphate for hypodermic injection.]
It presents a white crystalline powder of an odour "sui generis"; it is easily soluble in alcohol. In therapeutics it is not used, but it is applied in chemical analysis as an excellent reagent for nitric and nitrous acid, to which it imparts a blue colour.
Active neutral principle of Elaterium; small colourless shining crystals, or white powder. Insoluble in water, soluble in alcohol and chloroform. In constipation. Dose, 1/50 to 1/5 grain in pill or powder.
India. NO. Mysinea.
An aromatic brown fruit, about the size of pepper.
For tapeworm, 1 to 4 drachms of the powdered fruit in warm milk. Embelic acid, in fine orange-red crystals, is the active principle.
The Embelate of ammonium has powerful taenicidal properties; 3 grains for children, with syrup; castor oil before and after.
 
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